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OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Jan 2017, & the author arrives at an abortion clinic with her boyfriend. When the appointment is over, he is nowhere to be seen. Arriving home, all his possessions are gone, & he sends a harsh text abruptly ending their relationship. In the aftermath of this cruel betrayal, the author discovers that she is not the first (or last) that this man has used & discarded - there's a trail of women left bewildered, angry, & down thousands of dollars.

OutsmartYourShelf Such a personal memoir is difficult to give a rating, as how do you review someone's experiences & feelings? It's obviously written from the heart & the author's pain is evident. It can become a little ranty & meandering at times but given her experiences I understand it.

On a wider scale, the author looks at how society is set up to facilitate this kind of behaviour: from friends who are inclined to ignore or condone the behaviour of this type
24h
OutsmartYourShelf of man, to the double standard that women are socialised into keep giving badly behaved men another chance but when they are hurt & deceived, they are told they should have known better.

The author brings up some really interesting points that I've been thinking about since I finished reading this book yesterday. Overall, honest memoir about a difficult experience, but it can meander a little & become a little repetitive. 4🌟
24h
OutsmartYourShelf My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Orion Publishing Group/Weidenfeld & Nicolson, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6347883478
Read: 27th Mar 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
24h
lazydaizee This sounds like a heart breaking story. 23h
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 21h
26 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Murder Road | Simone St. James
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Pickpick

April & Eddie are newlyweds driving on their way to a resort at Lake Michigan for their honeymoon when they see a hitchhiker on a lonely stretch of road just outside Coldlake Falls. The young woman seems reluctant to accept help but eventually she gets in the car. Once in the car, April & Eddie realise something is very wrong & the young woman has been stabbed. Suddenly headlights appear behind them & the woman says “I'm sorry, he's coming.“

OutsmartYourShelf 'The Sun Down Motel' & 'The Broken Girls' by the author were 5 star reads for me, unfortunately this one is more like 'The Book of Cold Cases' which I found only okay. I think for me, the problem was that the main characters were just not that interesting - side characters such as Rose (the bed & breakfast owner) & the Snell sisters were much more intriguing. 1d
OutsmartYourShelf None of the twists were really a surprise & the haunting aspect (there's always a supernatural aspect with this author's books which usually works really well) felt quite flat to me. It is still a good read but in my view it doesn't live up to the author's best works. A slightly disappointing 3.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Random House/Michael Joseph, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
1d
DieAReader 🥳Great! 21h
29 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Mehso-so

Not a memoir or autobiography really, but a book where the now Lord Sugar (fancy) opines on a variety of subjects including football, politics, health & fitness, & private aeroplanes to name a few.

Not sure why this was in my TBR pile, must have picked it up at a charity book sale. The sections on football are quite funny & for the most part, right on the money, but others such as politics are definitely dated now (this was published in 2011).

OutsmartYourShelf A lot of the other stuff basically boils down to 'If I was in charge I'd do this...I'd do that'. There's also no circumstances where it's ok to refer to someone as a hag. Interesting enough for a quick read through but wouldn't read it more than once.
2.5 ⭐

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6357735281
Read 24th-26th Mar 2024

#ReadAway2024 #192025 (2011)
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @Librarybelle
(edited) 2d
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 2d
Librarybelle Yay! Another year checked off! 2d
25 likes3 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Investigating the Mary Celeste | D. Lawrence-Young
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Mehso-so

I think most people have heard of the 'Mary Celeste' - a deserted ship found sailing on in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in 1872. No trace of those known to have been onboard was ever found & what happened has been an enduring mystery for decades, becoming part of history. I was therefore intrigued to read this book, an imaging of the crew's final preparations before setting sail & speculations on what may have happened to them. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf It's quite a long review to post on here so for those interested, it can be viewed at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6289861562 Short version - the mix of fiction/nonfiction didn't quite work.

Rating: 3⭐
Read: 22nd-24th Mar 2024

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Cranthorpe Milner Publishers, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
3d
DieAReader 🥳👋🏻Great! 👋🏻Next! 3d
27 likes2 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

This started off a little slowly & I wasn't sure if I was going to keep reading or not. Alice is a sympathetic MC (sort of) but it was over the top that she didn't question anything Taylor told her. It definitely improved around the 40% mark, but it was still way too predictable to get a high rating. I was just hoping the reasons behind everything were going to be a little more interesting than they actually were. (Cont'd)

OutsmartYourShelf It was an averagely entertaining read but due to its predictability, I rate it 3.5🌟& it just scrapes through as a 'Pick'.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4275268295
Read 19th-21st Mar 2024

#ReadAway2024 #ReadYourKindle #192025 (2021)

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
@CBee @librarybelle
(edited) 6d
Librarybelle That‘s a shame, but at least another Kindle book read 6d
36 likes2 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Cut Short | M. W. Craven
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Pickpick

Three short stories from the 'Washington Poe' series:

1. The Killing Field - two bodies are uncovered in a cattle mass burial pit from the time of the UK foot & mouth crisis of 2001.

2. Why Don't Sheep Shrink? - Bradshaw & Poe solve a cold case whilst self-isolating for Covid. Doesn't sound very funny but this one had a scene which had me laughing to myself out loud. I also worked out how the murder was committed.

(Continued)

OutsmartYourShelf 3. Dead Man's Fingers - wild flowers provide a clue in the case of two missing teenagers from over 20 years ago.

Very short stories but cleverly & humorously written. Bradshaw & Poe are such a fantastic team & Bradshaw's worldly innocence yet vast intellect makes for some great moments between them. 4.5🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6362919031
Read 21st Mar 2024
1w
30 likes2 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Roger Ackroyd's fiancée was being blackmailed over the death of her first husband & the pressure became too much & she took her own life. Ackroyd receives a letter containing some information about what happened but is suddenly murdered. There are plenty of suspects & how lucky (but perhaps unfortunate for the guilty party) that Hercule Poirot is residing in the village! (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf The timeline for Poirot's cases seems to vary a bit as the previous full-length book saw Hastings & Poirot working together whilst in this one Hastings has moved away & Poirot is retired. But not completely retired as he takes on the case of the death of Roger Ackroyd upon the urging of Ackroyd's niece, Flora. The story is narrated by Dr Sheppard who lives next to the retired detective & he takes the place of erstwhile Hastings. 1w
OutsmartYourShelf It seemed to be the usual Christie fare but that twist ending was perfect as the reader realises the clues that are sprinkled throughout the pages. I feel that I really should have worked it out but I didn't. 4.5🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5806765999
Read 18th-20th Mar 2024

1w
See All 8 Comments
TheSpineView Great job! 1w
Librarybelle I really liked this one! 1w
TheAromaofBooks The first time I read this one it genuinely blew my mind. I still love rereading it and looking at all the clues that Christie gives the reader - she does such a good job of not “cheating“ - everything is there for us if we can see it!! 7d
OutsmartYourShelf @Librarybelle There's no wonder it's thought of by some as her best book. 7d
38 likes8 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Mehso-so

The story of the downfall of Troy in a nutshell. Although I had a vague idea of things (the war, Helen, Achilles, the Trojan horse etc) I wasn't sure of events & who had fought on which side, so reading an 'accessible to newbies' version such as this one is a good introduction. It's written in Fry's distinctive droll style but I find it impossible to say I enjoyed reading it mainly because all the characters are just so...awful. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf Few, including & maybe especially the gods, have little redeemable about them & I would have hated to have a been a woman living in those times. 3⭐

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4092308156
Read 15th-19th Mar 2024

#ReadAway2024 #192025 (2020)

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
@librarybelle
1w
Librarybelle I‘ve not read anything by Fry…maybe one of these days! 1w
DieAReader 🥳Great! 1w
32 likes3 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Jan 1918 & Canadian, Laura Iven, returns home injured from volunteering as a nurse in the war. The only family Laura has left is younger brother, Freddie who is fighting on the front lines but soon after returning home, Laura receives a box containing Freddie's jacket & tags with a note saying that he is missing presumed dead. Laura cannot bear the uncertainty & decides to return to Belgium to find out what happened to her brother. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf This was a read which mixes the realities of life on the front line of war with the supernatural. The narrative switches between Laura & brother Freddie, as she searches for him among the many casualties. I think one of the major plus points of the book is how well the author conveys the callous attitudes of those in charge of the war effort, who have little compunction in sending men to their deaths by either the enemy or disease, 1w
OutsmartYourShelf whilst they enjoy the comforts of home miles from the fighting. I thought that the supernatural element was underplayed though, & that 'the fiddler' could have been a much darker character. He seemed to promise menace but delivered only slight unease. Overall I thought it was an intriguing read but that it fell a little short in some areas. 4🌟

1w
OutsmartYourShelf My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Cornerstone/Century, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6064637302
Read 3rd-7th Mar 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
1w
Kimberlone Just got my library loan for this! Been hearing great things, can‘t wait to start! 1w
Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes Loved this book! 6d
34 likes2 stack adds5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

A collection of short horror stories located in the Adirondack Park which is vast (over 6 million acres!) & largely untamed, so is the perfect setting for these tales. My favourites were 2, 4, & 5 as some of the others were a little repetitive at times., but these 3 were the most unnerving of the stories. It's a fairly short book & perfect for when you want to read something a little different. Overall I enjoyed reading it.
3.5🌟

OutsmartYourShelf My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Globe Pequot/North Country Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6289860248
Read 14th-15th Mar 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
1w
DieAReader 🥳Great! 1w
29 likes2 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Lie Or Die | A. J. Clack
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Pickpick

Kass is currently fighting with BFF Thea about a misunderstanding over an ex-boyfriend. She desperately wants to make things up with Thea so agrees to try out for a new reality show called Lie or Die, based on a party game called 'Mafia' (or Werewolves'). Ten contestants will compete to win a cash prize by unmasking the two 'agents' amongst them before the 'agents' can 'kill' the rest of players.

OutsmartYourShelf The two girls are eventually accepted onto the set & things seem normal at first, but when the AI host 'Cohin' goes off-script & the eliminated contestants start turning up literally dead, Kass realises that they are trapped inside the contained set with a killer.

This is the second book I've read recently about a murderer stalking a group filming a new reality TV show.
3w
OutsmartYourShelf This one started off quite slow & I wasn't really getting into it, but around a third of the way in, the story line & pace took off & didn't look back. Kass was a great main character as she was probably the one the reader would naturally feel most empathy for. I also thought the idea of basing around the party game worked really well as it gave the narrative a solid structure. 3w
OutsmartYourShelf It did look as if things may veer out of control towards the conclusion, but thankfully the ending was intriguing with maybe a possible chance of a sequel. I ended up really enjoying this one & recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA thrillers. 4🌟

TWs: murder, death, mention of suicide.

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Firefly Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

3w
DieAReader 🥳Great 3w
30 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

60 unsolved disappearances & murders from the UK, ranging from the 1950s until the present-day. From cases I have never heard of, to the more well-known ones such as the murder of Jill Dando, the chapters are fairly short with less than 10 pages per case which keeps things to the point & concentrates on the known facts.

It seems really weird to say that you enjoyed reading a book about unsolved murders, but it was a really interesting read.

OutsmartYourShelf It was rather shocking that so many cases are still unsolved, some after 70+ years, & also sad to realise that many are unlikely to ever be solved now & if they are the relatives of the victim have already passed away & will never know the truth. I appreciated that the author signposted other books about some of the cases for further reading, & also included contact details/case numbers for the open cases in case anyone should have information. 3w
OutsmartYourShelf Overall it's a fascinating read & it's a must for any true crime reader. 4.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword True Crime, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6035678822
Read 28th Feb 03 Mar 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
3w
Crazeedi I definitely want to read this!!! #mountaintbr 3w
DieAReader 🥳Great 3w
Andrew65 An excellent review 👏👏👏 3w
34 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

I've read quite a lot on the JFK assassination & this is the first book where all the evidence about the shooting itself & what went on afterwards line up. It's a riveting read as the author takes the reader through the events leading up to Dallas & the aftermath, showing why JFK was killed, how the individual pieces of the plot(s) came together, & how it was covered up afterwards.

OutsmartYourShelf I agree with another review I've seen that it would have been nice to have references/footnotes so that the reader could see where each piece of information has come from, but if you are after an easy to follow, coherent explanation for all the events surrounding the assassination, then this is the book to start with. 5🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6293409288
Read Feb 28th-03 Mar 2024
3w
DieAReader 🥳Awesome 3w
Andrew65 Sounds a must read, well done 👏👏👏 3w
31 likes2 stack adds4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon is not a well-known name, even here in the UK. Yet, she was a 19th century pioneer who supported feminism, equal opportunities, diversity, inclusion, mental health awareness, & opposed slavery, & the consigning of women to the home. Barbara was also artistic, she wrote, drew, & painted throughout her life & was friends with some of the most well-known names of the time (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf including Marian Evans (George Eliot), Dr Elizabeth Blackwell, & Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

This was a well-written & meticulously researched book, & there's a lot of information packed within these pages but I found it a bit of a struggle to wade through at times. I'm not entirely sure why. I did find it worth reading though as it introduced me to names I had never heard of before (& I spent a bit of time looking them up),
1mo
OutsmartYourShelf her unconventional upbringing was interesting, & it was especially nice to see my childhood home county (Derbyshire) mentioned several times. Overall, it was an informative read but something about it made it a bit of a slog at times. 3.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Transworld Publishers/Doubleday, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6282469971

1mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 1mo
Andrew65 Excellent 🎉🎉🎉 1mo
32 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

After her sister sustains a broken leg at the most inopportune moment, Bonnie agrees to take her place on a mysterious reality TV show: The Fortress - where eight contestants will compete to win the prize money by solving an elaborate escape room. The contestants are taken to a remote sea fort off the coast of the UK where their phones don't work & they have no other way of contacting anyone. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf They seem to have been left completely alone, & after the first challenge, it becomes clear that solving the puzzles literally means life or death for each of them.

This seems to be the first book by the author & they've hit a home run with their first swing. It has killer pace, devious twists, & one heck of an ending. The narrative is mainly from Bonnie's point of view, with an occasional chapter from a mysterious figure 'The Director'.
1mo
OutsmartYourShelf I found myself investing in Bonnie's story & I couldn't wait to find out what/who was behind it all. The author does a great job with ratcheting up the tensions between the members of the group as their loyalties shift with each challenge. Overall I found it a gripping read & recommend it to anyone who likes entertaining thrillers. 4.5🌟(rounded up)

1mo
OutsmartYourShelf My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Transworld Publishers/Bantam, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5968751420
Read 22nd-24th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024 #FabulousFebruary #20in4
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
1mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 1mo
Andrew65 An excellent review, well done 🎉🎉🎉 1mo
29 likes5 comments
blurb
OutsmartYourShelf
Untitled | Untitled
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My March list for #ReadYourKindle & I've gone for another fiction/nonfiction mix for the list this month. Some interesting looking titles there & only two repetitions from last month.

@CBee

CBee Great looking list! 1mo
24 likes1 comment
review
OutsmartYourShelf
All in the Mind | Jenny Twist
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Mehso-so

Tilly Thompson wakes up in a care home, but this is one with a difference as the patients with Alzheimers there are taking part in an experimental cure. The patients are immersed in the world as it was when they were younger, which for Tilly was the 1940s, so all the décor, the food they eat, even the clothes are all designed to 'fool' the brain into believing it is still the past. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf It seems to be working as Tilly & most of the other patients show strong signs of both mental & physical regeneration. Tilly's husband, James, has suffered a stroke & Tilly wonders if the experimental cure could be tweaked for others.

This was a rather strange read but one that looks at our current concepts of ageing & infirmity. What if we could rewind our biological 'clock' & relive our lives?
1mo
OutsmartYourShelf It's definitely an intriguing concept for a book but it became even more farfetched when winding back the clock also fixed a physical issue from a character's younger days. It also suddenly took a turn from the realm of sci-fi/fantasy into arranged marriages which to me was a strange juxtaposition of storylines. Overall, interesting concept but a little too out there at times. 3⭐

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/749759633
1mo
See All 8 Comments
Librarybelle Another great review! 1mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 1mo
Andrew65 Well done 🎉🎉🎉 1mo
CBee Awesome! 1mo
33 likes8 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Mehso-so

Jane Austen wrote & published most of her works during the Regency Period (1811-1820) & this book gives us a snapshot of the type of food that those who were quite well off would have been eating in this period. With recipes taken from the time, alongside quotations & short sections on different aspects of Georgian dining, this is a pleasant accompaniment to Austen's novels.

OutsmartYourShelf I enjoyed leafing through this one evening although it left me feeling a bit peckish. I quite liked the sound of syllabub (basically whipped cream flavoured with sherry or wine & fruit), & Bath buns, but being vegetarian, I wasn't so enamoured of the 'sweetbreads' or 'ox cheeks' recipes. Yuck! 1mo
OutsmartYourShelf One thing that really stood out to me though was how late into the evening/night they would eat - sometimes 1am. Seems like a recipe for indigestion & acid reflux to me. It's a light, fun read but I'm not sure that I will be attempting any of the recipes. 3⭐

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5486902763
Read 24th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024 #FabulousFebruary #20in4
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
1mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳 1mo
Andrew65 Well done 🎉🎉🎉 1mo
34 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Very occasionally you start reading a book & you know immediately that it's going to be a bit special. Straight away, the reader is immersed in fifteenth century China, I don't claim to know how accurate the storytelling is, but the detail to the worldbuilding is wonderful & the characters come alive in the prose. The only downside was having to see how women & girls were viewed, including the elite ones. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf Overall for me, it was one of those reads that you know you will remember for a long time. 5🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5422622551
Read 19th-22nd Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
1mo
29 likes1 comment
blurb
OutsmartYourShelf
Untitled | Anonymous
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1. Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables series)
2. Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)
3. Captain Wentworth (Persuasion)

#TLT #ThreeListThursday @dabbe

dabbe I have yet to read #s 1 and 3--now on my TBR radar! Thanks for sharing! 💙🩶💙 1mo
23 likes1 comment
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Early one September morning in Great Yarmouth, England 1900, the body of a young woman is found on the beach. The bootlace around her neck & bloodstains on her clothing suggest that this is no suicide or accident - she has been murdered. Initially identified as Mrs Hood, from the name given to the landlady where she was staying, the evidence was followed over the subsequent weeks when it was discovered that she was actually Mrs Mary Jane Bennett.

OutsmartYourShelf A tempestuous relationship with her husband, Herbert Bennett, & a married life on the make had left them at odds, but now Herbert was infatuated with someone else meaning his wife was surplus to requirements. When he is identified as having been in Great Yarmouth on the evening in question, it isn't long before he is arrested & due to stand trial. Is he actually guilty though? 1mo
OutsmartYourShelf An intriguing & well researched look at a historical true crime case from the turn of the 20th century. The author has a familial link to the victim & takes us through the story from the very beginning of her great-great-aunt's life. I thought it was written in an easy to read style & it keeps the reader's attention throughout. Even the court scenes were riveting. 4🌟
1mo
OutsmartYourShelf My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Orion Publishing Group/Seven Dials, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6267780261
Read 16th-21st Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
1mo
DieAReader 🤓🥳Great! 1mo
Crazeedi Sounds good 1mo
31 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Vicarious | Paula Stokes
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Pickpick

Winter Kim & her sister, Rose, work as high-tech stunt girls for Rose's ex Gideon, where they engage in dangerous & enticing activities such as bungee jumping or dancing with a hot celeb at a club whilst recording their neural impulses of the experience. Gideon's customers then buy the Vicarious Sensory Experiences (ViSEs) for what feels like the personal experience of swimming with sharks or whatever they choose. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf When Rose is murdered & a ViSE recording of the murder sent to Gideon, Winter is determined to find her sister's killer. No matter what is takes.

This was rather good. The storyline was intriguing & there were some twists out of nowhere which made you think “Of course, why didn't I see that coming.“ On the downside, I don't feel as if the ViSE technology angle was used to its fullest, & I didn't feel immersed in the tech.
1mo
OutsmartYourShelf It was all tell rather than show which was disappointing. There's an element of romance in this between Winter & her ViSE partner, Jesse, but I didn't feel that it overshadowed the rest of the storyline. I will probably pick up the sequel at some point. 3.5🌟

TWs: sex trafficking, paedophilia, violence, death, murder.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1391809457
Read 13th-18th Feb 2024
1mo
Librarybelle Great review! 1mo
OutsmartYourShelf @Librarybelle Thank you 🙂 1mo
26 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Mehso-so

Jerry Burton & his sister Joanna rent a house for the summer in the village of Lymstock. Jerry needs somewhere quiet to recuperate from his accident & what quieter place than the quintessential English village. The idyll is soon spoiled though when a series of poison-pen letters are sent around the village & almost no-one escapes the vitriol. Cue Miss Marple, doyen of human nature.

OutsmartYourShelf The narrator for this book is Jerry Burton & he's a bit like Hastings from the Poirot books, only slightly less irritating. It's one of the slowest books in the series where not a lot seems to happen for most it, but what was really odd about the book is that Miss Marple doesn't appear until almost the end. Even then she didn't really seem to do much but solves the mystery almost immediately. 1mo
OutsmartYourShelf I really can't mark a Miss Marple book that features Miss Marple so little higher than an average 3⭐

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5439098411
Read 15th-17th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024 #BacklistReadathon #SeriesLove2024 #192025 (1943)

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
@clwojick @thearomaofbooks
@TheSpineView @Librarybelle
1mo
willaful Oh, I love this one. Finding a copy of the original British edition -- much longer than the standard American version -- was a real life highlight for me! This was before they were digitized and I think all the newer versions are complete. 1mo
See All 7 Comments
DieAReader 🥳Great 1mo
Librarybelle This is one I have yet to read…some day! 1mo
TheSpineView Fantastic! 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1mo
30 likes7 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Poisoned | Jennifer Donnelly
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Bailedbailed

Didn't like this at all. Three animal cruelty scenes (not graphic but still) in the first few chapters. Noping out of this one.

dabbe #hailthebail! 🤩🤩🤩 1mo
27 likes1 comment
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Autobiography from Stan Zimmerman, writer, producer, &/or director on many well-known TV shows such as The Golden Girls, The Gilmore Girls, & Roseanne, plus films such as The Brady Bunch reboot. Zimmerman takes us from his early beginnings as a young Jewish boy who wanted to be famous, through his writing partnership with Jim Berg, to the present day & the touching last chapter where he deals with the loss of his mother. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf This seemed to be a very quick read, & I think that was down to the tone of the book. It felt as if the author was there having a friendly conversation with the reader. I must say that the TV business is brutal: the fact that so much preparation work is put into writing & producing a new show & it can all just be cancelled at a moment's notice. Tough business! It did feel quite surface level though until that last chapter. 1mo
OutsmartYourShelf I really enjoyed reading it though & would recommend it to anyone who likes autobiographies from 'behind the scenes'. 3.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Indigo River Publishing, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5968751150
Read 13th-16th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
1mo
DieAReader 🥳Awesome 1mo
28 likes3 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Burning | Jane Casey
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Pickpick

2024 Reread.

After 6 years, I've decided to reread this series before tackling book 11 - due to be released this year. First time around, I actually liked Rob & was rather irritated with what happens with his character in future books, & I'm intrigued to find out how reading the series with foreknowledge of that & the introduction of Derwent (whom I hated) will compare with reading it with fresh eyes. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf In this latest edition, there is an additional chapter at the end which deals with the moment Derwent first sees Maeve. Is it reconning? Maybe, but it does set things up quite nicely.

I have bumped up the rating for this one to 4🌟 I found Maeve a more sympathetic character this time around, & the storyline, whilst predictable, was good.

Full review (including 2018): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2261295276
Read 12th-15th Feb 2024
1mo
Librarybelle I should read this series! 1mo
See All 9 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! I actually love revisiting the beginning of a loved series when you have more information about what's going to happen with the characters - looking for little hints/foreshadowing that you missed the first time around is always intriguing to me. 1mo
OutsmartYourShelf @TheAromaofBooks Yes! Plus I also have copies of the short stories that I missed first time around. 1mo
TheSpineView Fantastic! 1mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 1mo
Andrew65 I love this series, great for a re-read. Well done 👏👏👏 1mo
32 likes9 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Vanishing of Carolyn Wells | Rebecca Rego Barry
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A look at the life & prodigious literary output of Carolyn Wells (1862–1942). Born in Rahway, NJ, Wells wrote across a variety of genres including children's books, what would now be considered Young Adult books, & even murder mysteries. She was well known in literary circles, wrote lots of stories, poetry, & limericks for literary magazines & even had some short stories adapted for silent film. So how come so few people have heard of her today?

OutsmartYourShelf I am one of those who had never heard of Carolyn Wells before, so this lovely biography & discussion of her work was really interesting for the most part. I thought that the author writes well & obviously has a great interest in the subject, & the reader gets to see how they piece together the small clues from here, there, & everywhere to put together Carolyn's story. 1mo
OutsmartYourShelf There were a few places where I speed-read my way through the lists of dates when the works were written but mostly it was an engaging read. In fact it inspired me to buy an ebook bundle of 17 of her mystery stories. 3.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publisher, Post Hill Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6000892314
Read 11th-13th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
1mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 1mo
Andrew65 Fantastic 👏👏👏 1mo
33 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Shelter | James Everington
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Mehso-so

On a hot summer's day in the late 1980s, four boys are bored & decide to explore the rumour about an abandoned air raid shelter near a neighbouring village. There's some odd tensions in the group as two of the boys (Mark & Tom) are slightly older than Alan & friend Duncan & the two older boys tend to bully the younger two.

When they reach the field, they find the shelter exists & decide to explore it except for Duncan who won't climb down.

OutsmartYourShelf Alan keeps feeling a strange surge of rage against his friends & when the older two lock him in, he has a supernatural experience including seeing what happened to a boy who went missing several years before.

It's a very short read, only about 60 pages, so there's not a lot of room to develop the characters very much, but I think the author conveyed the sense of foreboding around the shelter & the dynamics within the group well.
2mo
OutsmartYourShelf I would have liked it to have been slightly longer as it finished on a rather ambiguous note as to what the deal with the shelter actually was. Overall, it was quite an unsettling read. 3⭐

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/792595849
Read 11th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 1mo
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 1mo
30 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Zero Days | Ruth Ware
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Pickpick

Jacinta (Jack) Cross & her husband, Gabe Medway are 'penetration specialists' (ahem) who are people hired by companies to test their physical & online security systems. On this particular assignment, things go wrong & Jack ends up being arrested for breaking & entering. Her skeevy ex (who is a police officer) vouches for her & Jack is finally released, only to head home & find her husband has been murdered. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf As things unfold, it becomes obvious that someone is framing Jack for Gabe's murder, & the detectives on the case immediately hone in on Jack as their only suspect. Jack has to go on the run to find Gabe's killers & clear her name.

OK this one is largely entertaining in that it has a fast pace & keeps the readers' attention - think a more tech-based 'The Fugitive'.
2mo
OutsmartYourShelf It has one or two issues though: firstly the low level bad guy is wayyy too easy to spot, & secondly, you really have to suspend your disbelief at times. It's not my favourite of the author's books & I probably wouldn't re-read it. 3.5🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5560181458
Read 9th-11th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
2mo
Andrew65 Well done and thanks for the comprehensive review 2mo
DieAReader 🥳Geat 1mo
32 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

A collection of 11 short stories featuring Poirot & (unfortunately) Hastings, who still hasn't come to terms with being the comedic relief. Mixed bag here but none of them are really bad & a couple are rather ingenious in their solutions. Please see my full review link for further details on the stories. 3.5🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6018108866
Read 5th-9th Feb 2024

34 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Then There Was One | Wendy Cross
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Three teenagers are thrilled to receive an invitation to compete in 'The Pinnacle', a reality TV contest set on a remote planet where ten teenagers compete to win a cash prize. Bex, Raya, & Zane all have their own reasons to want to win, but when the ten contestants meet on a deserted island, it's not long before they realise that this is no ordinary contest, but a competition to survive & there can only be one winner. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf The 'locked room' or 'isolated setting' genre is one of my favourites so one that was set in space was even better. Unfortunately the contest side of things was quickly jettisoned & it was your usual murder thriller where the group are isolated from everyone else & they start being killed off one by one. Judging by the title, this is perhaps an updated YA version of Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None'. 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf The reader has 3 POVs for the narrative but they were not really distinct enough & I had to look back at the chapter headings several times to see which one I was currently reading about. Overall, I felt that the concept wasn't really developed enough & the ending is rather abrupt, although it left me hoping that there is a sequel as I really need to know that someone goes & looks after Zircon the dog as Raya had to leave him behind. 3.5 🌟 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Random House UK Childrens', for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5949422625
Read 4th-8th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 2mo
33 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

TWs: gun violence, death of a child, mention of sexual assault, coarse language, sexual content.

Officer Lorraine (Rainie) Conner lives in Bakersville, a small town in Oregon, where nothing much happens, until one morning when she is called into a shooting at the local school. A young teacher & 2 pupils are dead with several others injured, but the biggest shock of all is that the guns are being held by Danny, son of the sheriff (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf (Rainie's boss & friend.) Danny is 13 years old but the prosecutor wants to push for him to be tried in adult court. Meanwhile, FBI profile Pierce Quincy flies in to examine the case as this isn't the first school shooting which has some strange elements. The more evidence Quincy looks at, the more convinced he is that Danny isn't solely responsible.

2mo
OutsmartYourShelf I wasn't impressed with the first book in the series (The Perfect Husband) but wow, did Gardner pull it out of the bag with this one. It started off quite slow & I wasn't sure I was going to finish reading it, but the plot suddenly took off & never stopped. The book deals with the sensitive subject of what can turn a teenager into a killer. I think that the turmoil of all those concerned is well-handled. 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf As for the ending, I'm usually quite good at predicting twists but I did not see that one coming. 4.5🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3824332644
Read 3rd-7th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024 #BacklistReadathon #SeriesLove2024 #192025 (2001)

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
@clwojick @thearomaofbooks @TheSpineView @Librarybelle
2mo
See All 8 Comments
Librarybelle I‘ve not read any by Gardner, but she‘s on my to read list! 2mo
TheSpineView Great job! 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
darklydreaming I have always enjoyed Lisa Gardner books. Added! 2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 2mo
27 likes1 stack add8 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

November 2007 saw the occurrence of one of the most talked about murders of that decade. The body of British overseas student, Meredith Kercher, was found in her bedroom in the flat she shared with three other girls in Perugia, Italy. Over the next ten years or so, there would be several court cases about those thought to be involved, (Rudy Guede, Amanda Knox, & Raffaele Sollecito.)

OutsmartYourShelf Whilst Guede eventually served 13 years for Meredith's murder, Knox & Sollecito were convicted, acquitted, & reconvicted, before being finally acquitted a second time.

This book looks at the evidence & what was said & gives a balanced view both for & against the main three suspects & also notes where the investigation seems to have fallen short.

2mo
OutsmartYourShelf If you are looking for a definite answer then this is not the book for you as no definitive conclusions are made. It's a case that I remember from the media but I never really looked into it, but after reading this, I think I may look up some more of the books on the case. 4🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publisher, Pen & Sword, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 2mo
29 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Past Crimes | Jason Pinter
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Pickpick

It's 2037 & Earth has been split into two: Earth+ the physical world which is neglected & decaying, & Earth- the digital online world which has taken over. Everything is virtual: education, employment, even justice. True crime is big business & Cassie West works for V.I.C.E, a company which takes crime cases & turns them into 3D interactive simulations, & it's Cassie's job to get the families of the missing & murdered to sign up. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf It's not an easy job but she needs the money as Cassie & husband, Harris, are finally expecting their first child. As she heads home, she tries to call Harris but he isn't responding & Cassie's foreboding is sharpened when lots of emergency drones start heading in the direction she is travelling. As she nears home she sees her house is on fire & Harris is still inside!

Ten years later, Cassie is 'persona non grata' due to her husband's death.
2mo
OutsmartYourShelf Not only did Harris die but he took dozens of people with him as he was the leader of a 'church' of Burners who, on the same day that Harris died, all set fire to their homes & killed themselves & sometimes their families. No-one will believe that Cassie didn't know, but when the father of a young girl called Aly shoots his wife & himself after saying he is a Burner & a second wave is coming, Cassie realises that not only could she save lives but 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf that this could be evidence that Harris was not the leader after all.

First of all, I really liked the premise of this book. It takes a swipe at the popularity of true crime & moves it to the next level. In the technology you can play as a spectator & watch history unfold or it allows you to be a participant & change history within the simulation. There's also a theme park nicknamed 'Disneyland of Death'.
2mo
See All 8 Comments
OutsmartYourShelf The world-building & plot were well thought out & although there are several occasions of (necessary) 'info dumping', I didn't find that it detracted from the main story-line. The pace was fast throughout & although it did kind of come close to jumping the shark at the end, it was a fitting end in many ways. As a main character Cassie goes on a bit of journey, she starts off as quite insular & wary which is understandable after ten years of being 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf reviled & viewed with suspicion & it takes a while before she can warm to & trust others. Overall it was a really entertaining & gripping read. 4🌟

TWs: pregnancy, miscarriage, death of spouse.

My thanks to #NetGalley & publisher, Severn House, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6224795248
Read 1st-4th Feb 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
2mo
Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 2mo
Ruthiella Sometimes I don‘t mind info dumping if the information is interesting! 2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great 2mo
28 likes8 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Third Mrs. Durst | Ann Aguirre
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Mehso-so

At 16 Marlena Altizer leaves her poverty-stricken home & family & heads to the city. Spotted by a talent scout, Marlena becomes a model alongside friend, Jenny, but Marlena is more successful. Several years later, she meets Michael Durst & they eventually marry. Michael is rich, successful, & handsome, but also jealous & controlling. From the outside her life seems perfect but on the inside it is anything but. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf Displeasing him leads to consequences not just for Marlena but he threatens her friends too & she knows he means it. You see Michael has been married before, twice in fact, & both his former wives are dead. Accidents or murder?

This is a book about a toxic marriage & abusive husband - Marlena wants out but is that all she wants? There are none-too-subtle hints from the start that there is more to the plot so the 'twist' is not really much of a
2mo
OutsmartYourShelf surprise. It was also quite slow in pace until the last third when the plot suddenly exploded into life. The problem for me is that I found it difficult to like Marlena - I felt sorry for her initially - but didn't like her. Mainly because she was also manipulative with another character & put them in danger. Definitely have no wish to re-read at any point. 2⭐

TWs: sexual content, domestic abuse, violence, blood, sexual assault.
2mo
DieAReader 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 2mo
Librarybelle Great review! 2mo
32 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Traitors | Carissa Ann Lynch
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Pickpick

Six unlikeable characters with dark secrets are lured to an old mansion named Beechwood Castle by a mysterious invite. Beechwood was the site of a trio of axe murders 27 years ago when 3 out of 4 friends were killed by a murderer who was never caught. All of them have their own reasons for being there, but one of them is an imposter, & when they start being picked off one by one, they begin to wonder if the murderer is one of the other guests?

OutsmartYourShelf I rather enjoyed this one. None of the six main characters are particularly likeable, trustworthy, or trusting which makes for a pressure-cooker atmosphere. I must admit I didn't guess the culprit & I like a book that can keep me guessing, but I did think the ending was a little disappointing compared to the rest of the book. Overall though, it's just the ticket if you're looking for a quick, fun read that's not too demanding. 4🌟

2mo
Gissy Sounds fascinated...stacked 🤗 2mo
25 likes3 stack adds3 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Are you the kind of person that finds the Victorian obsession with death fascinating? Do you harbour a longing to take a stroll around Highgate Cemetery, London before you shuffle off this mortal coil? Then this is the book for you.

Looking at the period of history from just before Queen Victoria took the throne to the outbreak of the First World War, the author examines the Victorian attitude towards death. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf It seems weird to type this, given the subject matter, but this book made me LOL several times. It's quite humorous at times in tone but there's lots of intriguing information including the fact that the Victorians could be rather creepily morbid at times. Out of all the chapters, I thought that the last one on Jack the Ripper & the epilogue worked the least - they seemed a little rushed compared to the others. 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf Overall though, it was a really interesting read & I would recommend it to anyone interested in Victorian history. 4🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publisher, Pen & Sword History, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5985930850
Read 28th-30th Jan 2024

#ReadAway2024

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
(edited) 2mo
26 likes2 comments
blurb
OutsmartYourShelf
Untitled | Anonymous
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Due to the ARCs I had to read this month, didn't quite complete the full board for #WinterCosy

Thanks to @puddlejumper for hosting.

PuddleJumper Wow! That's amazing, well done! 2mo
26 likes1 comment
blurb
OutsmartYourShelf
Untitled | Untitled
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My list for Feb 2024 #ReadYourKindle with @CBee

I've just taken the first 10 fiction & nonfiction from my TBR list & most are standalones. I've not even looked what they are about so it will be interesting to say the least. Looking forward to it.

Crazeedi I have to get my list together! 2mo
CBee Looks great 👏🏻👏🏻 2mo
30 likes2 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

From being roasted alive inside a bronze bull, to having a tortoise dropped on their head, to death by clown, this book looks at some of the not just strange, but in some instances, gruesome & horrific ways that people have died throughout history.

Due to the passage of time since they happened, some may be rumours or exaggerations of what truly occurred - well one can hope. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf It's an interesting read, even if some of the stories cannot be verified (the author gives the reader some alternative explanations for some of the more unlikely ones.) All I will say is: I knew there's a reason I've never liked clowns. 3.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword History, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5985929346
Read 20th-24th Jan 2024

2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 2mo
27 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Invocations | Krystal Sutherland
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Pickpick

In a world where only women can make deals with demons & wield magic, three young women are drawn into the hunt for a supernatural serial killer.

I really enjoyed this one & I was hooked from the start. It's a perfect mix of horror & fantasy with an undercurrent of social commentary. The first chapter sets the scene as an unnamed character walks home from a party alone - I would say that most women who have walked home alone in the dark (cont)

OutsmartYourShelf in a deserted area would recognise the feeling of being on high alert of your surroundings & the fear that lurks. It's no accident that only women can wield magic (i.e. power) in this book & the (mainly male) witch-hunters want to take it away. It is inclusive of trans women by the way. My only (minor) observation is that I wasn't sold on the Jude/Emer romance but that's only because I felt there was little chemistry between them & out of the 3 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf main characters, I liked Emer the least. Overall though, it was a gripping read & that cover is perfection. 5🌟

TWs: (graphic) body horror, injury detail, blood, murder, death. magic, demons. (mentions) domestic abuse, animal death, misogyny.

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Bonnier Books UK/Hot Key Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

#ReadAway2024 #WinterCosy

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
@puddlejumper
2mo
PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 2mo
28 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Strange Death of Constable George Dixon | David E. M. Murray-Gilbertson
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Pickpick

'Dixon of Dock Green' was before my time, but even in my lifetime I have seen the police in England go from being generally respected to being viewed with suspicion, irritation, or apathy. This book looks at the breakdown in the relationship between the police & the public in England, how it happened, what the consequences have been, & what could be done about it.

OutsmartYourShelf I thought it was a fascinating read, very well researched, & written in a way that is accessible for those who (like me) are not familiar with recent history of law enforcement structures, training, & behind the scenes. This is not some blanket 'the old ways were the best' diatribe, it is acknowledged that times have changed & with new technology new ways of doing the job develop, but argues that a top-down 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf fundamental change in the way the police see their role in society & their relationship with the public has altered things for the worse. It's hard hitting but it's a book that needed to be written before it's too late. 5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Troubador, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6200255021
Read 25th-28th Jan 2024

#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
2mo
DieAReader 🥳Sounds very interesting! 2mo
29 likes3 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Murder on the Links | Agatha Christie
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Mehso-so

Hercule Poirot receives a letter begging him to travel to Merlinville-sur-Mer immediately. The writer of the letter, millionaire Monsieur Renauld, is worried about something that he doesn't do more than allude to & Poirot's curiosity is piqued. When Poirot & Hastings arrive at the Renaulds' estate, they are shocked to hear that their mysterious letter writer was murdered the night before. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf Renauld was found in a hastily dug grave on a nearby golf course, The Links, whilst his wife had been bound & gagged in her room. It seems the couple were the victims of a botched break-in & robbery, but Poirot is not convinced.

I have a mix of emotions about this one. The mystery itself was good, well thought out & intriguing, but Hastings ruined it. I seriously wanted to throttle him - I don't know how Poirot kept his cool.
(edited) 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf Heaven knows what Christie thought she was doing writing this character as such a silly man & my dislike of him here brings this book down to a 3⭐

To read my Hastings rant: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5070336354
Read: 25th-27th Jan 2024

#ReadAway2024 #WinterClearDown #BacklistReadathon #SeriesLove2024 #192025 (1923)

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
@clwojick @thearomaofbooks @puddlejumper
@TheSpineView @Librarybelle
2mo
Librarybelle Hastings can be too much sometimes, for sure! Great review! 2mo
See All 6 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Oh what a fun cover for this one!! 2mo
TheSpineView Well done 2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 2mo
36 likes6 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Passenger | Lisa Lutz
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Bailedbailed

The cover said “Spellbinding“. Reader, it was not. DNF @ 63 pages.

blurb
OutsmartYourShelf
Untitled | Anonymous
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Completed the full board for #WinterClearDown with a few days to spare!
Thanks to @puddlejumper for hosting.

PuddleJumper Amazing! Well done! 2mo
BookmarkTavern Nice! 🎉 2mo
23 likes2 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Death on the Lusitania | R. L. Graham
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Pickpick

1915 sees civil servant, Patrick Gallagher, onboard the RMS Lusitania sailing from New York to Liverpool via Queenstown, Ireland. WWI is raging & passengers were warned of the possibility that a German u-boat could sink them which makes the mood of the journey somewhat subdued. Gallagher is returning to the UK with Chalfont, a British diplomat working in America who has been detained on suspicion of spying for the Germans. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf When a previous acquaintance, Jimmy Dowrich, says he needs to talk to Gallagher as he has information on some of their fellow passengers, Gallagher is intrigued but before they can speak, Dowrich is found shot to death in his cabin. As Gallagher starts to investigate the killing, he realises that several of the passengers had a motive for wanting Dowrich dead & that they may not be finished yet. 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf All the while, the ship gets closer & closer to the war zone & outside danger.

I'd heard of the Lusitania but never really looked into what happened. Even though there was a great loss of life on both, it seems to be overshadowed by the sinking of the Titanic which took place just under 3 years earlier. I thought that the setting was good - an investigation with a confirmed expiry date is usually tense - & I found the historical information about
2mo
OutsmartYourShelf politics of that time really interesting. Unfortunately the investigation itself was a little lacklustre & the pace was rather slow, but it held my attention enough that I was happy to continue to the conclusion & reveal. 3.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Pan Macmillan, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5922816769
Read 21st-25th Jan 2024
2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 2mo
30 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

Hampshire, 1795 where the Austen family reside at the local rectory, sister Cassandra is engaged to be married, & where Jane is in the midst of a romance with Tom Lefroy. At tonight's dance, Jane is sure that Tom is about to pop the question when their tryst is interrupted by the discovery of a dead body. A young milliner (hatmaker) has been killed, her body hidden in a linen closet. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf There are plenty of suspects including local bigwig Sir John, but when one of her brothers is accused of having something to do with the crime, Jane finds herself investigating a murder.

I rather enjoyed reading this one. The author weaves together fiction & real people & events from Jane's life into an engaging historical mystery. I thought that the character of Jane was a little too immature here & her noted intelligence didn't really have
2mo
OutsmartYourShelf chance to shine - solving the case seemed to be a matter of accusing almost everyone involved one by one rather than actually deducing anything. I enjoyed it enough though that I would be interested in reading another. 3.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Random House/Michael Joseph, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5796812317
Read 16th-19th Jan 2024
2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 2mo
PuddleJumper 🌞 🌞 2mo
28 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Strangers in Death | J. D. Robb
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Pickpick

New York, 2060 & Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called in to the scene of a businessman found dead in his apartment. It looks as if Thomas Anders died in the midst of some kinky sex game but was it an accident or murder? Everyone who had a motive has an alibi that checks out including his wife who was on holiday in the tropics. Assignation gone wrong, a random killing or something even more sinister?

OutsmartYourShelf This was an entertaining read as interspersed with the murder case, there were some genuinely funny moments in the banter between Dallas & Peabody. I think I'd laughed out loud at least 3 times before chapter 3. Plenty of other characters make an appearance in this one alongside the usual Roarke, Feeney, & McNab - there are are also subplots featuring Baxter & Trueheart who have an equally baffling case, 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf whilst Dallas & Peabody's close friends Charles & Louise's relationship seems to be on the rocks.

The reason this didn't get the full 5 stars is that Dallas sometimes comes across as a bit 'holier than thou'. I can't really say much more without spoilers but that bit just annoyed me a little. 4.5🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/570430331
Read 16th-21st Jan 2024
(edited) 2mo
See All 7 Comments
Librarybelle I‘m reading Naked in Death right now for the big In Death Readalong and am liking it so much! I‘ll eventually get to this one! 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
TheSpineView Fantastic! 2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 2mo
29 likes7 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

William Day was part of an expedition which ended in disaster. Many of the men died of scurvy & the survivors only managed to hang on by becoming cannibals & eating their dead shipmates. As the last surviving officer, Day took most of the blame & opprobrium being nicknamed 'Eat 'em Fresh' Day. 13 years later, Day is offered a chance at redemption, to find his second-in-command from that ill-fated voyage, who has gone missing. (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf This was a difficult book to rate. There are a lot of positives: I thought the author conveyed the claustrophobic feeling of being stuck onboard a ship for months, & the despair of those who know they are unlikely to live to return home. I felt as if I was there. Pace-wise it was a little uneven as some parts of the book seemed to fly by whilst others crawled at a snail's pace. 2mo
OutsmartYourShelf My main issue was impatience with the main character though as it seemed to take him forever to snap out of the spell that he was under with regards to Stevens & see the true character of the man. If you enjoyed Dan Simmons' 'The Terror' you'd probably like this book. I've read both & I'm actually rating this one slightly higher. 3.5🌟

TWs: violence, homophobia, Injury detail, cannibalism, animal death.
2mo
OutsmartYourShelf My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Titan Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5777194333
Read 11th-15th Jan 2024

#ReadAway2024 #WinterCosy

@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
@puddlejumper
2mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 2mo
29 likes4 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Panpan

Hungary in 1929 saw the exposure of over a hundred deaths which were linked to a small group of people in a village called Nagyrev. For over a decade, Auntie Suzie, the local midwife, had helped local women get rid of inconvenient relatives by means of poison. They came to be known as The Angel Makers.

Given the source material this should have been an interesting read, but it turned out to be a chore to get through.

OutsmartYourShelf I struggled with the author's writing style I think, especially the way they seemed to be obsessed with conveying that Suzie was fat. Countless uses of “waddled“, “plopped“, “heavily“ etc - it was just relentless & not needed. I think she was compared to a cow at one point! Suzie committed some terrible acts, which should be the focus, so being told just once that she was overweight would have been enough & I think it detracted from the book. 2⭐ (edited) 2mo
Librarybelle That‘s a shame! 2mo
jlhammar I didn‘t really get on with her writing style either. Still a pick for me, but I didn‘t like it nearly as much as I expected to and it took me ages to get through (kept setting it aside). The story is fascinating, but it was missing that narrative drive for me. 2mo
DieAReader 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻Bye! Bye! 2mo
32 likes5 comments