Title: Buttercream Bump Off
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Rating: Three Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
Valentine Day's coming fast, and Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are ready for it. Even Mel's mom is in the spirit, getting a date. What she doesn't suspect is that her date's going to end up dead! She's a top suspect, and Mel is trying to find out who-dun-it so she can keep her mom out of jail.
But things are getting problematic...
Rockin' Review:
Not as good as the first one. The mystery was confusing, and it didn't center too heavily on the mystery, and then it did. It was confusing whether or not it centered on the mystery or not. It was enjoyable in some parts, including the new side-character Marty. I think Marty was one of the better parts of this book.
This wasn't as good as the first book in the series (Sprinkle With Murder), but at least it didn't bomb the place.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Sit, Stay, Slay
Title: Sit, Stay, Slay
Author: Linda O. Johnston
Rating: Four Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
Kendra Ballantyne was once a great lawyer. But a scandal forced her resignation, and now she has crashed onto hard times, even renting her Hollywood home! She manages to get a new job as a freelance pet-sitter.
She soon discovers she enjoys her new life, but it's about to take a dangerous turn. One of her clients, who used to be her client when she was a lawyer, turns up dead. Kendra is the top suspect, and let's say that the detective won't let it go.
Kendra, with the help of the hot detective Jeff Hubbard (one of her pet-sitting clients), is going to have to find this killer herself...
Rockin' Review:
This was a pretty good book. It was well-written, and the main character felt very real. Then there's the detective... man, I hated him! I wanted to punch him in the gut pretty much all the time. That character was very well made, especially if you're meant to hate him. I sure did!
The story was pretty good... but the mystery needs some work. When we discover the killer in the end, things didn't click in. It makes semi-sense when explained, but I think that different clues could have been dug up that would make more sense in the end. And there was part of the ending scene that didn't make sense.
This was a pretty good book overall.
Another Friendly Warning:
Yeah, be used to Bond-level sex. And I'm just warning you... there's a scene that seems like it would go into detail, but it luckily doesn't. But be used to Bond-level sex if you want to read this book, folks!
Author: Linda O. Johnston
Rating: Four Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
Kendra Ballantyne was once a great lawyer. But a scandal forced her resignation, and now she has crashed onto hard times, even renting her Hollywood home! She manages to get a new job as a freelance pet-sitter.
She soon discovers she enjoys her new life, but it's about to take a dangerous turn. One of her clients, who used to be her client when she was a lawyer, turns up dead. Kendra is the top suspect, and let's say that the detective won't let it go.
Kendra, with the help of the hot detective Jeff Hubbard (one of her pet-sitting clients), is going to have to find this killer herself...
Rockin' Review:
This was a pretty good book. It was well-written, and the main character felt very real. Then there's the detective... man, I hated him! I wanted to punch him in the gut pretty much all the time. That character was very well made, especially if you're meant to hate him. I sure did!
The story was pretty good... but the mystery needs some work. When we discover the killer in the end, things didn't click in. It makes semi-sense when explained, but I think that different clues could have been dug up that would make more sense in the end. And there was part of the ending scene that didn't make sense.
This was a pretty good book overall.
Another Friendly Warning:
Yeah, be used to Bond-level sex. And I'm just warning you... there's a scene that seems like it would go into detail, but it luckily doesn't. But be used to Bond-level sex if you want to read this book, folks!
Friday, January 6, 2012
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
Title: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
Author: Lilian Jackson Braun
Rating: Four Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
Jim Qwilleran has just gotten a new reporter job at the Daily Fluxion, in a world unknown to him... art! But things are going to get dangerous when artists are getting murdered.
It's up to Qwilleran and an intelligent Siamese cat named Koko (short for Kao K'o-Kung) to solve this mystery...
Rockin' Review:
A pretty good book. In a way, I can see how the Cat Who series became famous. The book was very well-written. The characters were pretty well done. I enjoyed Koko the cat as well. My complaint is that it took about half the book to get to the mystery. It needed setup, however, but this is still a little annoying.
All in all, this is still a very good book.
Author: Lilian Jackson Braun
Rating: Four Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
Jim Qwilleran has just gotten a new reporter job at the Daily Fluxion, in a world unknown to him... art! But things are going to get dangerous when artists are getting murdered.
It's up to Qwilleran and an intelligent Siamese cat named Koko (short for Kao K'o-Kung) to solve this mystery...
Rockin' Review:
A pretty good book. In a way, I can see how the Cat Who series became famous. The book was very well-written. The characters were pretty well done. I enjoyed Koko the cat as well. My complaint is that it took about half the book to get to the mystery. It needed setup, however, but this is still a little annoying.
All in all, this is still a very good book.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Southern Cross
Title: Southern Cross
Author: Jack McKinney
Rating: Three and Half Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
20 years after the First Robotech War, a new alien race threatens Earth... the Robotech Masters! A war begins once more...
Will Dana Sterling, the half-human half-Zentraedi, be able to lead her squad into victory?
Rockin' Review:
This wasn't my favorite book of the Robotech series. It wasn't terrible, but it was only about average. Then again, we're covering the part of the Robotech anime I didn't overly care for.
And I actually enjoyed this book better than the series-section it was following! Part of it is that Jack McKinney is a pretty good author (though you have to get used to his style, which includes some Point Of View [POV] mistakes), and part of it is that I got to learn stuff that I didn't learn in the series. Like they explain the "Army of the Southern Cross" in here. I never truly understand that in the series. And we get some indication why Dana was left on Earth... though we're really not sure.
This is not my fave book, but maybe one to get if you're collecting the series, and/or need something (or understand something) better after watching part of this section of the Robotech anime series.
Author: Jack McKinney
Rating: Three and Half Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
20 years after the First Robotech War, a new alien race threatens Earth... the Robotech Masters! A war begins once more...
Will Dana Sterling, the half-human half-Zentraedi, be able to lead her squad into victory?
Rockin' Review:
This wasn't my favorite book of the Robotech series. It wasn't terrible, but it was only about average. Then again, we're covering the part of the Robotech anime I didn't overly care for.
And I actually enjoyed this book better than the series-section it was following! Part of it is that Jack McKinney is a pretty good author (though you have to get used to his style, which includes some Point Of View [POV] mistakes), and part of it is that I got to learn stuff that I didn't learn in the series. Like they explain the "Army of the Southern Cross" in here. I never truly understand that in the series. And we get some indication why Dana was left on Earth... though we're really not sure.
This is not my fave book, but maybe one to get if you're collecting the series, and/or need something (or understand something) better after watching part of this section of the Robotech anime series.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Glazed Murder
Title: Glazed Murder
Author: Jessica Beck
Rating: Four and a Half Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
Suzanne Hart is the owner of Donut Hearts, a donut and coffee shop. She cashes her settlement from her divorce with Max, an out-of-work actor, to make her shop in April Springs, North Carolina. But things jump when a common customer, that's also a friend of Suzanne's, is literally dumped on the doorstep... DEAD!
Now Suzanne is a possible next-target, and she's determined to catch the killer before the killer catches her. She gets a mystery that's much more complicated than a donut...
Rockin' Review:
Oh WOW! The mystery starts on the first page... literally! Nice touch there.
Everything was very well done. The story was very good, though it didn't completely claw you in all the time. The mystery was pretty good, and you didn't even really guess who the real suspect was near the end, like the character did, though things made sense when explained. The characters were wonderful, even the characters that were on only for a few pages. And there were recipes at the end of most of the chapters (except for the very last chapter, but there's an index instead). Some of those recipes sounded tasty... and some of the time, they were recipes used in the chapter! Not all the time, but pretty cool.
This is a book for a rockin' read, especially if you want a super-right-away-mystery!
Author: Jessica Beck
Rating: Four and a Half Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
Suzanne Hart is the owner of Donut Hearts, a donut and coffee shop. She cashes her settlement from her divorce with Max, an out-of-work actor, to make her shop in April Springs, North Carolina. But things jump when a common customer, that's also a friend of Suzanne's, is literally dumped on the doorstep... DEAD!
Now Suzanne is a possible next-target, and she's determined to catch the killer before the killer catches her. She gets a mystery that's much more complicated than a donut...
Rockin' Review:
Oh WOW! The mystery starts on the first page... literally! Nice touch there.
Everything was very well done. The story was very good, though it didn't completely claw you in all the time. The mystery was pretty good, and you didn't even really guess who the real suspect was near the end, like the character did, though things made sense when explained. The characters were wonderful, even the characters that were on only for a few pages. And there were recipes at the end of most of the chapters (except for the very last chapter, but there's an index instead). Some of those recipes sounded tasty... and some of the time, they were recipes used in the chapter! Not all the time, but pretty cool.
This is a book for a rockin' read, especially if you want a super-right-away-mystery!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Cat On The Edge
Title: Cat On The Edge
Author: Shirley Rousseau
Rating: Three and a Half Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
The shock starts when the cat named Joe Gray discovers that he can understand the human language and speak it. But then he has the bad luck of witnessing a murder... and being seen witnessing it! Joe's on the run, and he soon meets Dulcie, a female cat who can also talk and has seen the murder.
Both for the sake of their owners and themselves, and a certain enchanted woman, the murderer has to be brought to justice, and only the cats can do it...
Rockin' Review:
It wasn't one or the other. I wouldn't suggest the book for mystery purposes. It was a backwards mystery, knowing the crook and figuring out motives, but it wasn't very well-done. I couldn't keep up with it all the time. And the story needs work. Sometimes, the characters knew stuff they shouldn't, and they didn't really explain. And we really never find out why the cats (and Kate) are like they are.
But this was a great book for an fantasy like Redwall, with human-minded animals. And it took place in the "real world", as well! It was good fantasy, though not the best mystery.
This is more of a book for fantasy lovers. It was only about average.
Author: Shirley Rousseau
Rating: Three and a Half Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
The shock starts when the cat named Joe Gray discovers that he can understand the human language and speak it. But then he has the bad luck of witnessing a murder... and being seen witnessing it! Joe's on the run, and he soon meets Dulcie, a female cat who can also talk and has seen the murder.
Both for the sake of their owners and themselves, and a certain enchanted woman, the murderer has to be brought to justice, and only the cats can do it...
Rockin' Review:
It wasn't one or the other. I wouldn't suggest the book for mystery purposes. It was a backwards mystery, knowing the crook and figuring out motives, but it wasn't very well-done. I couldn't keep up with it all the time. And the story needs work. Sometimes, the characters knew stuff they shouldn't, and they didn't really explain. And we really never find out why the cats (and Kate) are like they are.
But this was a great book for an fantasy like Redwall, with human-minded animals. And it took place in the "real world", as well! It was good fantasy, though not the best mystery.
This is more of a book for fantasy lovers. It was only about average.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Wicked Weaves
Title: Wicked Weaves
Authors: Joyce and Jim Lavene
Rating: Three Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
College student Jessie has been going to the Renaissance Faire during the summer for many years. And since she's studying for he Ph.D., it's also research. This year, she's apprenticed with Mary Shift, a basket weaver master.
But when murder strikes, and Mary the prime suspect, Jessie's going to be looking for the real killer...
Rockin' Review:
Not a good book. It was written pretty decently, but only at an average level. The characters were confusing (or at least their actions at times). The mystery wasn't the greatest either. The best part of the book was learning about Renaissance Faires. That was pretty awesome!
I personally wouldn't suggest this book. I'm so glad it wasn't my first cozy mystery...
Friendly Warning:
Oh, for all young adults and younger (if any) reading this blog, here's a friendly warning. This book has the highest sex level of any cozy I've ever read or heard of. There were never details, but the main character would wake up, and she and the main guy would have done it. So I suggest being used to and okay with James-Bond-Movie-level sex before reading this if you decided to read this.
For all adults reading this... you'll probably be fine, but you can make up your own minds about your comfort zone.
Authors: Joyce and Jim Lavene
Rating: Three Guitars
Sizzilin' Summary:
College student Jessie has been going to the Renaissance Faire during the summer for many years. And since she's studying for he Ph.D., it's also research. This year, she's apprenticed with Mary Shift, a basket weaver master.
But when murder strikes, and Mary the prime suspect, Jessie's going to be looking for the real killer...
Rockin' Review:
Not a good book. It was written pretty decently, but only at an average level. The characters were confusing (or at least their actions at times). The mystery wasn't the greatest either. The best part of the book was learning about Renaissance Faires. That was pretty awesome!
I personally wouldn't suggest this book. I'm so glad it wasn't my first cozy mystery...
Friendly Warning:
Oh, for all young adults and younger (if any) reading this blog, here's a friendly warning. This book has the highest sex level of any cozy I've ever read or heard of. There were never details, but the main character would wake up, and she and the main guy would have done it. So I suggest being used to and okay with James-Bond-Movie-level sex before reading this if you decided to read this.
For all adults reading this... you'll probably be fine, but you can make up your own minds about your comfort zone.
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