Tag Archives: #mystery

Book Review: Mind of a Killer (Alec Lonsdale #1) by Simon Beaufort

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In London 1882, a new reporter for the Pall Mall Gazette, Alec Londale, comes across a house fire, that is not uncommon in those times, approaches the scene to watch the firemen hard at work to prevent the fire from spreading to the other houses.  Looking around for someone to tell him who lives there and how the fire started, he approaches a woman, asking her questions. A body has been discovered. Alex begins to take notes and shortly after speaking with the first woman, another woman, who appears distraught, approaches him and ask him to meet her at a later date. She has information for him that can’t be shared at the scene. Alex is unobservant to her emotions and what she is saying or not saying. It is quite clear to him what she is and he dismisses her from his mind. Alex is young and is portrayed as a naive and green around the quills-if you will- about the ins and outs of being a reporter.

When the post-mortem on the fire victim comes back as something other than an accident, it isn’t long before a second body is found and this time the person’s throat is cut and then the bodies start to pile up.

Alex’s feisty female colleague, Hula Friederrichs is assigned to help him investigate the case. He isn’t happy about it but he needs all the help he can get! The further they investigate, they delve into the mystery and start to uncover a conspiracy so sinister, that it takes them to the upper classes of Victorian Society. The threat of their own lives become a reality as they get closer to the murder plot and they begin to question whom can they trust.

My fascination with the Victorian era’s class-based society, the stereotypes and double standards of the period, journalism, and the murder mystery genre prompted me to read this book. Those elements combined make for a gripping story. There is also the fact, I’m always curious how writers today portray the culture of the period.

Darwin’s theories are introduced in the story and taken to an unspeakable dark and evil height that will have you wondering how far will these people go to advance their objective. I don’t think I have ever been so thoroughly taken back by a theme that pushes the boundaries of this nature. In fact, it makes this story all too realistic and chilling.

Highly entertaining, and a thought-provoking read.

Stephanie Hopkins

I obtained a copy of Mind of a Killer from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.

Book Review: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

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The secrets lurking in a rundown roadside motel ensnare a young woman, just as they did her aunt thirty-five years before, in this new atmospheric suspense novel from the national bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate NY, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn’t right at the Sun Down, and before long she’s determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden…

My thoughts:

Simone St. James is among my favorite suspense writers and when I spotted this book on NetGalley, I might have almost fell out of my desk chair. I was overjoyed! I must confess I read the story last year and for whatever reason I failed to write a review. I do remember having a few issues with it and I couldn’t remember some details of the story. This prompted me to read the story again for a fresh start.

St. James is brilliant at setting the stage for a creepy story! Reading Sun Down Motel definitely gives one pause about staying in a road side motel! The location and the people of the story are intriguing and you do sympathize with their troubles. Like the first time reading the book, the second time around, I still had trouble with some parts that were dragging. I felt there were too much detail in the telling and not enough showing. Maybe that is just me.

Viv and Carly’s story were so similar that at times, I became confused who I was reading about. Maybe it was because of the lapse of time when I wasn’t reading the story? Not so much the second time around.

There was a scene in the story where I guessed what happened to Viv. It actually was a small detail and I was actually surprised to pick up on it. Towards the climax the story started to weaken and I was really disappointed in the ending. It fell completely flat in my opinion.

Don’t allow my thoughts on Sun Down Motel sway you from not reading this story. It is a good premise, atmospheric and over all I enjoyed it.

I’ve rated this story three stars and I obtained a galley copy from the publishers through NetGalley.

Stephanie Hopkins

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A Christmas Carol Murder (A Dickens of a Crime) by Heather Redmond

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Book Spotlight: This story sounds fascinating! I love a good mystery. Love the cover! Keeping a sharp eye on this one. -Stephanie Hopkins

The latest novel from Heather Redmond’s acclaimed mystery series finds young Charles Dickens suspecting a miser of pushing his partner out a window, but his fiancée Kate Hogarth takes a more charitable view of the old man’s innocence . . .
 
London, December 1835: Charles and Kate are out with friends and family for a chilly night of caroling and good cheer. But their blood truly runs cold when their singing is interrupted by a body plummeting from an upper window of a house. They soon learn the dead man at their feet, his neck strangely wrapped in chains, is Jacob Harley, the business partner of the resident of the house, an unpleasant codger who owns a counting house, one Emmanuel Screws.
 
Ever the journalist, Charles dedicates himself to discovering who’s behind the diabolical defenestration. But before he can investigate further, Harley’s corpse is stolen. Following that, Charles is visited in his quarters by what appears to be Harley’s ghost—or is it merely Charles’s overwrought imagination? He continues to suspect Emmanuel, the same penurious penny pincher who denied his father a loan years ago, but Kate insists the old man is too weak to heave a body out a window. Their mutual affection and admiration can accommodate a difference of opinion, but matters are complicated by the unexpected arrival of an infant orphan. Charles must find the child a home while solving a murder, to ensure that the next one in chains is the guilty party . . .

Cover Crush: Murder at Queen’s Landing by Andrea Penrose

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Murder at Queen’s Landing is part of the Wrexford & Sloane Series by Andrew Penrose. I must admit I have not started the series as of yet but I’m keeping a close eye on it. Today, I am highlighting this particular book because I absolutely love how the cover evokes hauntingly imagery. This cover would make a beautiful painting.

There are many elements to this story that interest me. Not only the cover but the genre and the time period the story is set in.  A theme that really stood out to me is the, “World of banking and international arbitrage.” The world banks wield unspeakable power that the majority of the populous is completely unaware of that fact. I have a feeling this is an interesting story to say the least and I’m curious as to where the author goes with this. -Stephanie Hopkins

Book description:

Murder at Queen’s Landing (Wrexford & Sloane #4)

by Andrea Penrose

Published September 29th 2020 by Kensington Books/Kensington Publishing Corp.

The murder of a shipping clerk . . . the strange disappearance of trusted friends . . . rumors of corruption within the powerful East India Company . . . all add up to a dark mystery entangling Lady Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford in a dangerous web of secrets and lies that will call into question how much they really know about the people they hold dear—and about each other . . .

When Lady Cordelia, a brilliant mathematician, and her brother, Lord Woodbridge, disappear from London, rumors swirl concerning fraudulent bank loans and a secret consortium engaged in an illicit—and highly profitable—trading scheme that threatens the entire British economy. The incriminating evidence mounts, but for Charlotte and Wrexford, it’s a question of loyalty and friendship. And so, they begin a new investigation to clear the siblings’ names, uncover their whereabouts, and unravel the truth behind the whispers.

As they delve into the murky world of banking and international arbitrage, Charlotte and Wrexford also struggle to navigate their increasingly complex feelings for each other. But the clock is ticking—a cunning mastermind has emerged . . . along with some unexpected allies—and Charlotte and Wrexford must race to prevent disasters both economic and personal as they are forced into a dangerous match of wits in an attempt to beat the enemy at his own game.

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Stephanie Hopkins

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Book Review: Murder Comes Calling by C.S. Challinor

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Murder comes calling

When four murders take place in a secluded English community, Scottish barrister Rex Graves is called on to lend his investigatory expertise. The only link between the victims is that their homes were up for sale. But when the local authorities arrest a shady house agent, letters written in blood on the bodies tip Rex off to a different kind of killer.

Digging into the past, Rex discovers that the victims were not who they appeared to be. For the first time, he’s not up against a lone operator. With his fiancee away on a cruise, Rex must race to solve the murder before she catches him indulging his forbidden crime-solving hobby . . . or before he becomes the latest victim.

My thoughts:

After reading this story, I was really torn with writing this review. While this story has much to recommend it, I wasn’t really thrilled with it. It was an okay read for me.

Rex Graves was about the only commendable character in the story and Malcolm annoyed me to no end. Rex is the perfect sleuth. Though Malcolm annoyed me, I sympathized with his situation. When Rex came on the scene, he pushed Malcolm to-get with it-if you will.

I love a good murder mystery and while the premise was interesting and I did become intrigued how the plot unfolds, I found several of the parts to be uninteresting. I wanted to be drawn in more. I might go back to the story in the future and see if my feelings change.

I rated this book three stars.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Stephanie M. Hopins