#mystery reads

[lastseenleaving]

A deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love. Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget. August knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery. The town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all.

[themhayonnaise]

Sometimes we think people would change for us. Lol. Current read: "A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

[allisonreadsandcreates93]

While away for awhile I have been very hooked on the third and final book in a Mystery story. I am now consider pass halfway done.

[whatcha-reading-today]

Catch Me if You Candy | Ellie Alexander

This is my second Ellie Alexander and is just as much fun as the last book I read from her (A Cure for What Ales You). All her stories are cute mysteries filled with puns and recipes. Really great if you're looking for a cozy mystery.

Read in: June 2024

Format: Physical copy

[what-am-i-doing-in-this-fandom]

Suddenly, bell bottoms aren't so bad

Bonus sketch, because I had to vv

"Stop checking out my assistant, Stanley."

[ismahanescorner]

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies | Book Review

Author: Misha Popp

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Magical Realism

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Release Date: 10/05/2022

Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:

Daisy Ellery’s pies have a secret The magical ability to avenge women done wrong by men. But Daisy finds herself on the receiving end in Misha Popp’s cozy series debut, a sweet-as-buttercream treat for fans of Ellery Adams and Mary Maxwell.The first time Daisy Ellery killed a man with a pie, it was an accident. Now, it’s her calling. Daisy bakes sweet vengeance into her pastries, which she and her dog Zoe deliver to the men who’ve done dirty deeds to the town’s women. But if she can’t solve the one crime that’s not of her own baking, she’ll be out of the pie pan and into the oven. Parking her Pies Before Guys mobile bakery van outside the local diner, Daisy is informed by Frank, the crusty diner owner, that someone’s been prowling around the van—and not just to inhale the delectable aroma. Already on thin icing with Frank, she finds a letter on her door, threatening to reveal her unsavory secret sideline of pie a la murder. Blackmail? But who whipped up this half-baked plot to cut a slice out of Daisy’s business? Purple-haired campus do-gooder Melly? Noel, the tender—if flaky—farm boy? Or one of the abusive men who prefer their pie without a deadly scoop of payback? The upcoming statewide pie contest could be Daisy’s big chance to help wronged women everywhere…if she doesn’t meet a sticky end first. Because Daisy knows the blackmailer won’t stop until her business is in crumbles. 

Review:

tw//: murder (duh!)

so in summary, this novel is about Daisy Ellery, a witch, and how her magic manifests itself in her baking. Daisy uses her gift to help women in need stuck in abusive relationships through her “murder pies” venture. however, it seems someone found out about her secret and is threatening to expose her unless she murders three innocent women for them.

this is my first cozy mystery and it won’t be the last!!! i enjoyed every second of reading this!! it was sweet and thrilling and didn’t trigger my anxiety!! AND! i got a couple of pie recipes out of it in the end!! bless!

[writerlunawinters]

Title: Hallowe’en Party

Author: Agatha Christie

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Published: November 1, 1969

My Thoughts: I think that Christie and Poirot were ready to store away his too-tight shoes and retire in this story.

Joyce, a 13-year-old girl who claims to have witnessed a murder, is found drowned in an apple-bobbing tub at a Hallowe'en party. Hercule Poirot is called to investigate, determining if he is looking for a murderer or a double-murderer!

I read in another review that this book was either the last or second to last book Agatha Christie wrote in the Poirot series. I’m not sure if that is true, but it would make a lot of sense.

This was not what I was expecting from Christie. The mystery was pretty easy to guess, and while the characters were technically different, they all ranted the same (almost word-for-word) conversations. At first, it felt like it was intentional, but the more you read, the more it feels like lazy writing.

The ending was still entertaining, but the middle was hard to get through.

While I didn’t speak well of this story, I do highly recommend Agatha Christie. She has written some of my favorite stories (And Then There Were None is pure genius). If you want to read all of Christie, you could pick this up, but otherwise, this might be one you pass on.

[theshadesofwords]

Politics and palace intrigue add flair to this medieval murder mystery

[muffinlovingbirb]

Tales of Dungeons and Starvation

[heybaetae]

jimin riding the struggle bus all over connecticut feat. jungkook sometimes helping and sometimes not helping

[phleb0tomist]

tumblr users will have the most inaccessible, unreadable, low contrast, flashing carrd you can possibly imagine, with a dni full of insider acronyms with no translation and numerous link buttons labelled with cryptic captions, and then go ahead and put “ableists dni and kys!” on that carrd

[rebisrot]

they're like if cain killed abel with a squishmallow

[anatomical-puppet]

MYSTERY TWINS BIRTHDAY‼️‼️‼️‼️ time for my own obligatory teen designs yayyy ^_^

[academic-vampire]

𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰 𝔣𝔞𝔡𝔢

[goatmealsurprise]

he's just like me

[whitneydaniell]

by: Jeneva Rose Published: Apr 25, 2023 Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction 350 Pages, AudioBook from Audible (HH:MM) 08:01

★★★

GoodReads Synopsis:

Grace Evans, an overworked New Yorker looking for a total escape from her busy life, books an Airbnb on a ranch in the middle of Wyoming. When she arrives, she's pleasantly surprised to find that the owner is a handsome man by the name of Calvin Wells. But there are things Grace discovers that she's not too pleased about: A lack of cell phone service. A missing woman. And a feeling that something isn't right with the town.

Despite her uneasiness and misgivings from Calvin's friends and family, the two grow close and start to fall for one another. However, as her departure date nears, things between them start to change for the worse. Grace grows wary of Calvin as his infatuation for her seems to turn into an obsession. Calvin fears that Grace is hiding something from him.

My Review:

gas·light (v): manipulate (someone) using psychological methods into questioning their own sanity or powers of reasoning

If Gaslighting were a fictional, murder mystery novel written by Jeneva Rose, it'd be this book.

Grace was aptly named because she gave Calvin and this whole town much more grace than she should have. Did she not read the reviews from other guests on this Airbnb? Even if she didn't, from Day 1 everything about Calvin and this home in the middle of nowhere was all the more reason for her to get out of there quick.

After a near, cross-country trip from New York City to the middle of Wyoming -- Google Maps says it's over 1,900 miles and about 30 hours to drive -- Grace finds herself on a beautiful ranch with a beautiful man, Calvin. Calvin is more than hospitable and willing to do and say anything for Grace to enjoy her stay and relax. From day 1, Calvin is drawn to Grace and we (as the reader) know that a romance is coming.

Grace is floating on cloud 9, enjoying her vacation and not even realizing that she has unplugged from her busy life -- she's done this inadvertently because there is no cell service or wifi on the ranch. It isn't until the Sheriff shows up to ask about a missing woman that Grace starts to question everything that Calvin is telling her. Every time, Calvin is saying all the right things. He's poised and collected, his body language doesn't tell what he's really thinking. Grace is starting to fall hard for Calvin but he's not telling her the truth and somehow, he's made her question everything that she's seen and heard. Grace, you in danger girl.

Final Thoughts: It's a lot going on and even with the twist in the end, it doesn't really explain anything; it's just... a twist. Grace is an unlikeable character, she's naive and blindly goes along with whatever these strangers say. There are a lot of characters around to throw you off the scent, which... okay, seems to be a Jeneva Rose thing. But eh, I wanted more from the 'why'. The lack of a good 'why' really made me rethink how I was feeling about the whole book.

One-Word Summary: Gaslighting

Other Jeneva Rose books I’ve reviewed: The Perfect Marriage One of Us Is Dead