bethreadsandnaps's reviews
2637 reviews

I liked this short story. The housekeeper Miss Eastwich is invited to tell a ghost story to girls at the house. She tells them a tale of when she was summoned to stay with two old friends who married one another. First off, isn’t it chilling when you’re in a trio and then basically chopped out of the triangle when the other two start a relationship? The story she tells leaves so many unasked, and thus unanswered questions, that I wanted to shoo away the girls and nestle in and hear all the details from Miss Eastwich herself. As it was, I felt too much was left to interpretation. 

3.25 stars

This book of short stories contains nine mysteries with inspiration from Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, Choose Your Own Adventure books, and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. I wouldn’t say that they are puzzles, per se, as the subtitle suggests. 

The Case of the Mysterious Dr. Crowley: Read like Encyclopedia Brown but was nearly impossible to solve with the provided information although the author did provide the solution.

The Mystery of the Mycelial Net: Assistant detective Claude gets his big case to figure out who has found out about his aunt Helena’s affair, interesting distinction between solving a crime and a mystery, not sure how he figured it out.

The Good Smell of New York City: interesting format of two separate columns down page - 1988 (HIV) and 2020 (Covid). Carmen saves Claire from a drug overdose in 1988 despite the risk of HIV, and then Claire saves Carmen in 2020 despite the risk of Covid.

The Case of the Jewel in the Lotus: I liked this one but not my favorite. 

The Case of the Razor’s Edge Between Life and Death: Claire talked with a suicidal woman at a Chinese restaurant. She picked up on several clues about the woman’s state from the solution. 

The Case of the Blood on the Snow: This one was decent. 

Choose Your Own Heartbreak: Choose your own adventure while taking on bad guy Hal Overton. I think I’m too old to read choose your own adventure books. 

Cynthia Silverton and the Charnel House Grounds: ode to Nancy Drew with a twist

The Mystery at Killington Manor: I think this is adapted from A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder with protagonist Poppy trying to figure out who killed her great grandmother Mrs. Kitty with the help of her great grandmother’s friend Aunt Julia. I liked this story the best, and fortunately it was the longest story of the bunch. I really recommend this story in particular. 

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It publishes February 25, 2025.

 

Mina, a child psychologist who is engaged but not really into her fiance, goes to her grief group to cope with the loss of her beloved brother Eddie. There she meets Sam Hunter, a journalist who is grieving his daughter. Sam asks her to investigate a case he’s pursuing about Alice, a 13 year old girl from a small town who claims she is possessed by a witch. Mina and Sam go to the town to figure out what’s really going on. 

I loved the writing in this novel. I felt like I understood the main character of Mina and especially enjoyed following her as she got more of a sense of Alice and the small community around Alice. The author isn’t unearthing new territory here, as the beats of the novel felt very familiar to me as a fan of both horror movies and horror novels. The novel does stay out of horror territory for the first 75% of the book, which I liked. A bit of a downside is that I thought the writing pointed to the antagonist before even the halfway point with little to no red herrings, so the novel wasn’t as suspenseful as I wanted it to be. I wondered why the novel was set in the late 1980s (no cell phones?, a time when hauntings were popular?) because the novel felt more contemporary, so when little things were mentioned about the late 1980s, it threw me. 

The audiobook narrator Ana Clements had a nice but not distracting British lilt. She did voices well so that the reader knew what was dialogue and what wasn’t. Emotion was present in her voice but not overdone. I’d definitely recommend this novel on audio.  

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It publishes February 11, 2025.

 

4.5 stars

I was mesmerized by this mystery. Interesting characters, well-paced, and I couldn’t wait to find out who was responsible for Kala’s disappearance. I liked the Irish setting and vocabulary. This was a fabulous read for those who like mysteries and appreciate a throwback to the early 2000s.

There are a lot of characters and POV switching. There is a list of characters at the beginning, which is very helpful. I think this would be easier to take on with your eyes instead of audio (less likely to become confused). 

This was a really cute Christmas romance involving two past schoolmates who reconnect under unlikely circumstances a couple decades later.

Imagine that the old Hollywood studio system was still around, and actors who make a name for themselves in this type of system are so extremely precious that the studio will go to extreme lengths to ensure their investment will be secure. 

 

Ramona and Grace, two friends in their early 20s, have been invited to the studio’s talent development campus. While Ramona, the main character, struggles, Grace becomes anointed as an up and comer and lands better acting gigs. Through diary entries, the reader also learns about Ivy, a successful actress in the system for almost 20 years. 

 

PROS: 

*Unique concept 

*Appreciated the representation of different families 

*The science fiction element was thought-provoking (almost had a John Marrs feel). 

 

CONS: 

*As a more character-driven reader, I was disappointed the characters didn’t have more depth. They also felt interchangeable. 

*The romance at the end didn’t feel earned. 

 

NEUTRALS: 

*Genre mash-up: If you like several genres in one novel (science fiction, contemporary fiction, notably), this one could be a hit for you. 

 

 

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3.5 stars

I’m surprised that this novel was written in such an accessible way for being written before 1900. And it wasn’t overly long, like Dickens and Dumas. It does have some racism, but it is of its time.

The story is also pretty straightforward about a dentist involving jealousy, greed, and murder. It seemed a bit ahead of its time, and I liked that.

If I had read it when it was published, I’m sure I’d give it a higher rating than I do now. While it was enjoyable and I didn’t struggle reading it as much as I thought I would, it wasn’t a standout compared to the other books I have been reading. 

4.25 stars

BACK AFTER THIS by Linda Holmes introduces us to the characters of Cecily and Will. Cecily is an editor at a podcast network, and she's hoping to have her own podcast one day after her ex stole her show from her. Cecily's boss Toby comes to her with a new podcast idea that features Cecily working with a dating coach and going on twenty first dates. 

One day Cecily bumps into Will and Buddy. Will was getting a haircut when Buddy, a Great Dane, got loose from the woman who is walking him. Will and eventually Cecily chase Buddy down in an adorable meet cute. 

I LOVED all the behind-the-curtain podcasting talk in this one. As someone who has avidly listened to podcasts for over ten years now, it was an area that I don't really know the business and day-to-day life of. Until now. I relished learning more about podcasting and being a podcaster. I think this novel delves into day-to-day work life the most of any novel I've ever read. 

I was charmed by Cecily and Will. Buddy the Great Dane was amazing. I could see that some readers might want even more Buddy in this novel. 

There was a part about 80% in when Cecily gets an email sent to her in error, and that whole scene (and the scenes that scene prompted) didn't ring accurate for me. As a podcast insider, Cecily understood production and it was about getting "a story." One could argue that maybe it was different once she was the subject, but I don't really buy that. Also, there was a lot of exposition around those scenes that got tedious. I understand it was the necessary third act drama; I just think it could have been written more smoothly. 

All in all, I really liked this novel, just like I've enjoyed Linda Holmes' past two novels. I appreciate that each has been unique, and this one deep dives into podcasting, which I was eager to learn more about.

Publishes February 25, 2025

4.25 stars

I was immediately captured by this story of Rosie and Will. Both high school students, Rosie and Will are from different sides of the tracks, with Rosie being the one with the more stable life alongside her twin Josh. Will has the rougher life with him and his sister Amber being cared for by his grandmother after his mother takes off. 

After these two make tentative steps toward getting together in high school, a confession and subsequent tragedy tear them apart. When they go in different directions after high school, will they ever come back together? 

If you get frustrated by novels where the main characters don't tell each other their true feelings, then you might not want to pick this one up. So much of the angst in this one could have been prevented by a heart-to-heart conversation. 

This has been compared to ONE DAY, and I find that's a very apt comparison. 

4.5 stars

I must say I was hesitant to read this debut THE SAFEKEEP by Yael van der Wouden, which I read translated from Dutch. I was unsure I'd like it, but - yes - the reviews are correct, and it's really good! 

Why did I like it? 
* It had some great tension. It always felt like a big blow-up was right around the corner. While I'd say this novel is firmly in the literary fiction genre, I'm always intrigued (and surprised!) when a literary novel can deliver tension.
* The characters were complicated. I wanted to know so much more about Isabel's mother. Isabel herself is quite a character, and I felt that I'd have even more insight into her if the author had revealed even more than she did about Isabel's mother. 
* I loved Part III, particularly the diary entries.
* I find estates and inheritances fascinating.

The three siblings Isabel, Hendrick, and Louis are not particularly close. Isabel is living in the family home, and she's perturbed when Louis brings his girl of the month Eva to stay with her in 1961. Soon, that annoyance turns into something more passionate (there are some lesbian sex scenes), and they both have motivations for their behavior that summer. 

I thought this was a really unique and strong debut!