Murder in Little Italy (Gaslight Mystery #8) by Victoria Thompson

For those who have never heard of the Gaslight Mystery series before, I would highly recommend it! I remember going in thinking that it was a cozy mystery, but oh man it’s not considered a cozy. There are some very mature themes in the novels and nothing is off limits.

The Gaslight series takes place at the turn of the century in New York City and follows midwife, Sarah Brandt, and police detective, Frank Malloy. In the 8th novel, a young married woman gives birth, but when Sarah goes in to check on her the next day, she is found dead. Now there is a fight between the in-laws on who gets the baby, which sparks a bigger Italian vs Irish rivalry which leads to another death.

I really enjoy this series and I always feel so cozy and warm when I can re-connect with Sarah and Malloy. I love the two of them together and really want them to get together!!

I found that this book was lacking compared to the other books in the series. I think it was because I guessed who the killer was right away. There was also not many subplots to get away from the main storyline. I can’t believe Malloy’s mother and son weren’t even in the novel!

3 calculators out of a potential 5. I’m still loving the series, but wished that there was more non-murder subplots that include Sarah and Malloy. I can’t wait to read the next book and I’m hoping that it will be focusing on Sarah’s late husband!

Let’s be friends! Goodreads & Instagram

Red Alert (NYPD Red #5) by James Patterson

A few years ago, I really enjoyed reading James Patterson’s novels, especially the Women’s Murder Club series. Then after 10 or so books, they got a bit repetitive and I mostly stopped reading them. The first NYPD Red came out in 2012 and I loved the concept. A detective series based on the crimes that happened to New York’s rich and famous elite. Now that’s it the fifth novel, I’m getting a bit tired of the series, but it was a perfect pool side read!

In typical Patterson fashion there are 3 crimes that our favourite NYPD Red detectives (Zach and Kylie) need to solve. First, a bomb goes off at a high profile event where the mayor was attending. One person is killed, but were they the intended target? On the same night, a filmmaker is found dead in a sex act gone wrong. Then, there is a poker game where robberies got hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, the host is hoping the robbery will go quickly away.

Sometimes I don’t love it when there are so many story lines during a story, but I think it mostly worked here. It was easy to follow the different crimes and the suspects for each. I enjoyed the filmmaker’s story the most and was totally surprised by the killer!

3 calculators out of a potential 5. I read Red Alert pool side (see above picture), which makes any book better! It’s your average Patterson read, with a few surprises thrown in.

Let’s be friends! Goodreads & Instagram

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

There are 3 things you should know about Sometimes I Lie:

1. It’s hard to put down
2. You don’t know who you trust
3. It’s very twisty and messes with your head

I won’t go into too many details about the plot because it’s best to go in not knowing anything. All you need to know is the opening lines:

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.

Goodreads is exploding with 4 and 5 star reviews for Sometimes I Lie. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. I think after the third twist, it got a bit unbelievable. After the one twist, I actually had to take a moment and rethink everything!

Then there is the ending. I was confused… I’m still confused. I don’t think I fully understood it and what it means, and maybe that’s what took away some of the greatness of the book. It’s one thing to have a shocker of an ending. But it’s another if you don’t get it. I heard that there will be a sequel and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I think it was a good standalone and a sequel will make it even more unbelievable.

3 calculators out of a potential 5. There was a lot of filler chapters and waiting for something to happen. The end was hard to put down and I loved how the twists messed with my head.

Let’s be friends! Goodreads & Instagram

Throwback Thursday – Full Tilt (Kate Page #2) by Rick Mofina

I’ve decided to start my own Throwback Thursday by reviewing a book that I had read exactly a year ago (give or take a few days). I will post my review from a year ago and provide my thoughts from today and see if I feel differently about the book.

Since I’m new to the blogging world, this allows for some of my older reviews to get posted and I can recommend (or not recommend) the books I have previously read.

On March 29, 2017 I finished reading Full Tilt, which is the second novel in the Kate Page series by Rick Mofina.

Goodreads Review from March 29, 2017:

With short chapters, it’s hard to put down Full Tilt, the second novel in the Kate Page series.

Kate Page is a reporter and one day receives a call from the police saying that they have found an angel bracelet inside a burned barn. The bracelet belonged to Kate’s sister, Vanessa, who has been missing for 20 years. How did the bracelet get there? And is Vanessa still alive?

What I liked most about this novel was the teamwork between all parties involved. Full Tilt showed that it just doesn’t take one person to solve a crime. Solving a crime takes a team of people, who each finds a clue and together they fit the pieces together to solve the mystery. It also showed that the police department and media can work together to save lives.

What took away from the plot was that there was so many unrealistic aspects that didn’t make the story believable.

Overall, it was a good quick read and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Update from March 29, 2018:

Since reading Full Tilt, I have also read the 3rd novel in the series (Every Second) which I didn’t enjoy as much. I gave up on the series for now as I wasn’t loving the direction in which the series was going.

I do enjoy crime novels from the perspective of the reporter. I think it is a hard act to balance because they need to be involved, but not too involved since they aren’t part of the investigation. Mofina balances this well because there is always a communication between Kate and the police team and they end up solving the crime together (go team!).

Rating is the same as it was when I read the book (3 calculators). It was an enjoyable book, but not super memorable.

What book did you read a year ago? Have your thoughts changed on the book?

Let’s be friends! Goodreads & Instagram

The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

“Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty!” Normally I am very hesitant when a book is comparing itself to one of my favourite authors. Liane Moriarty writes magically and I always read her books way too quickly. So when the first sentence of the The Family Next Door said that it was perfect for fans of Liane Moriaty, I was worried and didn’t want to be let down. However, The Family Next Door was such a fun read and I would recommend it to Moriarty fans!

The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours, and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn’t fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange’s compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won’t let her sweet, gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park – and returned home without her.

As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread – and they’ll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.

I loved gossipy type books with a mystery thrown in! From the first page I was sucked into the community of Pleasant Court and the women that lived there. There were mini mysteries with each woman and I loved it! Each person had their own secret that would threaten their perfect life. While reading, I thought that I had the mystery all figured out. I was totally wrong and I loved it!

4 calculators out of a potential 5. I would highly recommend this novel for those that are a fan of domestic drama with a hint of mystery!

Let’s be friends! Goodreads & Instagram