Book Review: The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

January 22, 2021September 3, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆
Audience: Thriller/Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Corvus
Release Date: June 18th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Littleport, Maine is like two separate towns: a vacation paradise for wealthy holidaymakers and a simple harbour community for the residents who serve them. Friendships between locals and visitors are unheard of – but that’s just what happened with Avery Greer and Sadie Loman.

Each summer for a decade the girls are inseparable – until Sadie is found dead. When the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can’t help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie’s brother Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they’re saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name before the facts get twisted against her.

A LET DOWN.

This book disappointed me so much. Honestly, I don’t think I would have finished it if it wasn’t for the fact I joined a Buddy Read for it and wanted to still contribute.

I felt like from the beginning there was too much time spent on inner thought and description. I wasn’t drawn into the setting or story initially and it kind of all went downhill from there. I found myself scanning way sooner than I generally feel the need too.

Things were occasionally creepy and did make me look around my house once or twice. Messing with people’s houses is always something that gives me the spooks. A lot of the side plots and stories didn’t weave well back into the murder mystery which left me wanting more.

I was kept guessing about who had done what though. The blame was tossed between many characters and I could easily see how it could be them. I did appreciate the mystery was kept alive. By the ending when things were revealed it was surprising, but nice to see how all the pieces fit together.

Overall audience notes:

Mystery / Thriller
Language: some strong
Romance: kisses; a closed door scene
Violence: murder, physical, house fire, car wreck (resulting in death)

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Book Review: He Started It by Samantha Downing

January 20, 2021September 3, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Thriller/Mystery
Length: 384 pages
Author: Samantha Downing
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 21st, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven’t all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we’ll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.

But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.

It’s even harder when you’re all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won’t stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there’s a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

WELL THAT WAS TRIPPY.

I’ve hit a thriller wave and I’m going to ride it out as long as I can catching up on all of the ones my friends have recommended. This was one of them and I definitely wasn’t disappointed!

I read this as an audio book and LOVED it. Great narration, can easily increase speed and found it really quick to fly through.

Wow, this book was *mind blown emoji*.

Even from the start I felt He Started It was keeping me guessing. The story seemed odd, and clearly, things aren’t how they should be. I loved the tidbits that slowly started to occur and had me needing to know what happens next.

These siblings were something else. Such twisted and dark characters. There back stories came out smoothly and worked into the story perfectly. And each time I learned something new it only added another layer to the mystery being unfolded. I couldn’t fathom some of the things they did to each other?! I’m still flabbergasted by it. It was an interesting thought about how the pursuit of money can overtake your life and decision making.

My only iffy thing was the ending. It was definitely maniacal. Jaw dropping, gasp out loud, freak my spouse out because of my reaction, maniacal. I wish it did last a bit longer though to wrap up a few things, but I know that can be the nature of a thriller (and it’s not my usual genre).

Overall audience notes:

Thriller / Mystery
Language: some strong
Violence: murder, guns, physical, car wreck
Trigger warnings: gas-lighting, accusatory statements that someone may have sexually assaulted another and the same statements for domestic violence

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Book Review: The Hollow Boy (Lockwood & Co. #3) by Jonathan Stroud

January 3, 2020January 30, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy + horror + mystery
Length: 385 pages
Author: Jonathan Stroud
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: September 15th, 2015
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As a massive outbreak of supernatural Visitors baffles Scotland Yard and causes protests throughout London, Lockwood & Co. continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in exterminating spirits. Anthony Lockwood is dashing, George insightful, and Lucy dynamic, while the skull in the jar utters sardonic advice from the sidelines. There is a new spirit of openness in the team now that Lockwood has shared some of his childhood secrets, and Lucy is feeling more and more as if her true home is at Portland Row. It comes as a great shock, then, when Lockwood and George introduce her to an annoyingly perky and hyper-efficient new assistant, Holly Munro.

Meanwhile, there are reports of many new hauntings, including a house where bloody footprints are appearing, and a department store full of strange sounds and shadowy figures. But ghosts seem to be the least of Lockwood & Co.’s concerns when assassins attack during a carnival in the center of the city. Can the team get past their personal issues to save the day on all fronts, or will bad feelings attract yet more trouble?

Danger abounds, tensions escalate, and new loyalties form in this third delightfully terrifying adventure in the critically acclaimed Lockwood & Co. series.

NICE & CREEPY.

Okay, I did love this book, but I did not love the audio book. The voices were really annoying and immature. I liked Lucy’s luckily (the main voice heard since she’s the MC POV) so I went ahead and listened to it, but it was a touch and go at times.

Any who. I LOVE how creepy these books are! It’s my perfect level of spooky and horror. The ghosts make me want to hide and wandering around in the dark always brings out an edge. These are a great YA level of making you worry, but not being too much (for someone like me who doesn’t do horror in general).

My poor Lucy had to go through some new emotions this book, namely, jealousy. I didn’t love it on her, but if this is leading where I surely hope than I can play ball. Lockwood and Co. tried to add someone new to their group and it went over differently for each character. I am still loving this group and their dynamics. They make me smile, chuckle, and hope they get the accolades they deserve.

The world-building is fun and well thought out. I rarely find myself with a question I can’t answer. I like this urban mystery/fantasy take on London. It makes following the locations easier while learning about all the different ghost types.

I know this isn’t a long review, the books aren’t long themselves. Just know, this is a great series and I can’t wait to pick up the next one.

Overall audience notes:

Young adult mystery + horror
Language: none
Romance: none
Violence: ghost attacks (yes they can attack in this series), sword fights, physical, hauntings

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Book Review: Escaping from Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3) by Kerri Maniscalco

December 18, 2019October 25, 2019 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Historical fiction + Mystery
Length: 437 pages
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Expected Release Date: September 18th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea.

It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?

THOMAS CRESSWELL DESERVES BETTER.

BETTER BETTER BETTER. Oh my goodness. Usually I give a book higher marks for making me feel intense feelings for all the things. In this case, the intense feeling was rage, so instead I marked it lower.

HOW DARE AUDREY ROSE WADSWORTH. This was cheating and I will stand by that firmly. I’m tired of seeing this as a plot device and it makes me upset every time.

Something kind of funny though? If this was a different story without a boyfriend and the girl was having this kind of flirtations and kisses with a magician with a mask? Yes. I would have loved the banter and the set-up of that. BUT IT’S THOMAS FREAKING CRESSWELL. WHAT.

Wow, I can’t get over this. My review is running away from me. It was the entire plot which is why it’s very much on my mind. Other than that, the plot consisted of the same as the previous two books. People die, Thomas & Audrey Rose try to find the murderer. Nothing new. It’s a kin to watching CSI (or something similar) where the same show essentially happens every time but you can’t look away. This is how I felt.

I love my boy Thomas though. And I missed him this book! Since Audrey Rose and her shenanigans took up most of the page time, I felt he was barely on screen. There wasn’t much banter between them, mostly angst and angry words.

This was honestly a big letdown for the entire series. I am curious how Capturing the Devil will play out because I’ve seen very mixed reviews.

Overall audience notes: