Book Reviews – Page 6 – Home

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today.

Today I am bringing you my book review for A Very Lively Murder by Katy Watson.

I will be giving star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not include any spoilers.

I hope you enjoy my book review!

A Very Lively Murder Plot:

A Very Lively Murder is the second book in the Three Dahlias series by Katy Watson. This book follows Posy Starling, Caro Hooper and Rosalind King as they once again must team up to solve a murder mystery. In this book they are on the set of the new Dahlia Lively film, of which Posy is playing the leading lady, when it becomes clear that Rosalind is receiving death threats and then someone gets murdered.

I loved this book. I enjoyed the first one, The Three Dahlias, but I liked the second one more because I already felt as though I knew the characters and also their relationships with each other were already established too. We, as readers, were able to get stuck straight in to the murder itself. It is hard to say a lot about this book’s plot without revealing any spoilers but what I can say is that there are so many twists even I didn’t solve the mystery before the end, and that is unusual.

A Very Lively Murder Characters:

As in the first book, the main character we follow is Posy Starling. She is an actress who wants to get the press back on her side after a difficult time as a child star. I like Posy, she is young and vibrant and it is fun to follow a character as they are finding out who they are themselves and we get to go on that journey with them. In this first book Posy felt like a leader but for me, in this second book Rosalind felt like a stronger character. More of the plot was focused around her and her backstory and I loved that we got to see more of her life.

A Very Lively Murder Writing and Dialogue:

A Very Lively Murder Overall:

This book was definitely a five star read for me, I am already excited for any future books from this author.

Blurb/Synopsis:

One murder mystery movie. Three Dahlias. And a whole cast of suspects…

Ex-child star Posy Starling is finally filming her dream role – Dahlia Lively in The Lady Detective movie. But things take a nightmare turn when a prop weapon is replaced with the real thing – with almost fatal consequences for her fellow Dahlia, Rosalind King. There’s something very wrong on the set of The Lady Detective – which means it’s time to call in Caro Hooper, so the three Dahlias can investigate.

In between filming scenes, signing autographs for locals, photoshoots in London, talk show appearances and jetting off to France for an impromptu party, the three Dahlias do what they do best – surrupticiously sleuth. And very soon the evidence starts to point towards one particular co-star…

But before they can prove it, another murder rocks the production. And this time, with a storm raging, the river flooded and the bridge washed out, there are no police to rely on so it’s up to the three Dahlias to stop a murderer in their tracks… before another victim is claimed.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell

September 11, 2023September 6, 2023 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today! I am bringing you my thoughts on the book The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell, which I read in August.

For this book review I will be giving a star rating to four different categories and writing a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not include any spoilers in this book review.

The Good Thieves Plot:

The Good Thieves follows Vita, a young girl who sets out to reclaim her Grandfather’s property that has been stolen, to do this she recruits three others to join her heist.

I was very excited to read this novel, after enjoying some of Katherine Rundell’s other books earlier in the year, and ‘heists’ are a favourite topic of mine to read about. I enjoyed how this book focused on the build up with a much energy as it had for the actual heist part. This novel wraps you in it’s atmosphere from the very first chapter, with the sensory descriptions and well researched setting.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did her other book, Rooftoppers, but I still enjoyed it and I would recommend it as a nice, light read.

The Good Thieves Characters:

Vita is the main character in this novel. Although she is young she is motivated by family loyalty, it is obvious from early in the story that Vita would do anything for her family. Driven with a sense of justice and her headstrong personality she shows her intelligence, creativity and bravery by creating a plan to steal back what was taken from her family.

The Good Thieves Writing and Dialogue:

I knew already that I liked Katherine Rundell’s writing style but I especially like how the writing doesn’t feel young, it is just as complex a plot as it would be in an older age bracket.

The Good Thieves Overall:

I gave this book four stars.

Blurb/Synopsis:

From award-winning author Katherine Rundell comes a fast-paced and utterly thrilling adventure driven by the loyalty and love between a grandfather and his granddaughter.

When Vita’s grandfather’s mansion is taken from him by a powerful real estate tycoon, Vita knows it’s up to her to make things right.

With the help of a pickpocket and her new circus friends, Vita creates the plan : Break into the mansion. Steal back what’s rightfully her grandfather’s. Expose the real estate tycoon for the crook he truly is.

But 1920s Manhattan is ever-changing and full of secrets. It might take more than Vita’s ragtag gang of misfits to outsmart the city that never sleeps.

Award-winning author Katherine Rundell has created an utterly gripping tour de-force about loyalty, trust, and the lengths to which we’ll go for the ones we love.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Anatomy a Love Story by Dana Schwartz

August 21, 2023July 17, 2023 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! Today I am bringing you my review for Anatomy by Dana Schwartz.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not give any spoilers.

Anatomy Plot:

In this novel we follow Hazel Sinnett, a wealthy woman who wants more than anything to become a physician, but she doesn’t just want to help with healing, instead she wants to do the operations. In the process of infiltrating the all male lecture classes she meets Jack Currer, a resurrection man but there is much more going on then either of them know.

I enjoyed this novel a lot more than I thought I would do, I was gripped for most of the novel. The atmosphere was very intense and dark and as a reader I was waiting for each new thing to be discovered. However, towards the end I did find the story a bit dragging, very satisfying but a little slow.

Anatomy Characters:

Hazel Sinnett is a lady, she has lived in a castle her whole life but her life isn’t exactly happy. She is a headstrong woman who will stop at nothing to become the physician she wants to be, no matter what society thinks of it. I liked how her character knew what was right and wrong and even though there was a lot of conflict because of ti she always followed her heart.

Jack currer is a ressurection man, he steals corpses in the night and sells them, but he only does this because he has no other choice. I liked how his character developed throughout this novel, I want to say so much more but I can’t without giving away too many spoilers so you’ll have to read the book to find out what Jack is like.

Anatomy Writing and Dialogue:

Anatomy Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because although the ending was a little slow I really enjoyed this novel and I bought the second one to read soon.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Edinburgh, 1817. Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.

Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die.

When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, the university will allow her to enroll. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books – she’ll need bodies to study, corpses to dissect.

Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living, then.

But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.

A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Art of the Dying by Ambrose Parry

August 14, 2023July 17, 2023 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! Today I am bringing you my review for The Art of the Dying by Ambrose Parry, the second book after The Way of all Flesh.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not include any spoilers.

Art of the Dying Plot:

Art of the Dying is the second book in a series following Will Raven, an aspiring Doctor, and Sarah Fisher. In this book Raven has returned to work for Dr James Simpson and realises that there are people out there who want to blame Dr Simpson for the death of a patient, teaming up again with Sarah Fisher to uncover what happened they realise there is something more sinister going on in Edinburgh.

This book is my favourite of all the books I have read so far this year, I was pulled into the middle of the unfolding events and a readers we can see the side of the protagonists and get deeper glimpses into the backstory of the villain. There is a lot of emotion coming through this novel, it makes you question everything you know about these characters and people in general. Such as, are people truly evil? Or did something cause their actions?

Art of the Dying Characters:

The two main characters in this novel are Dr Will Raven and Sarah Fisher. Raven is a man with many secrets who owes many debts and often he is a character that does not get understood by the people around him, they believe he is stubborn and cold but in this book you can see how there are more things that soften him than first thought. Sarah Fisher is a very smart woman who stands out in the male Edinburgh society, she dreams of practising medicine but struggles against male opinions on this. I like her character because she doesn’t stand back and let lies be spread around, she starts investigating and does not stop until she gets to the truth.

Art of the Dying Writing and Dialogue:

Art of the Dying Overall:

I gave this book four stars because it was may favourite read so far this year and has cemented this as one of my favourite series’

Blurb/Synopsis:

Edinburgh, 1850. Despite being at the forefront of modern medicine, hordes of patients are dying all across the city, with doctors finding their remedies powerless. But it is not just the deaths that dismay the esteemed Dr James Simpson – a whispering campaign seeks to blame him for the death of a patient in suspicious circumstances.

Simpson’s protégé Will Raven and former housemaid Sarah Fisher are determined to clear their patron’s name. But with Raven battling against the dark side of his own nature, and Sarah endeavouring to expand her own medical knowledge beyond what society deems acceptable for a woman, the pair struggle to understand the cause of the deaths.

Will and Sarah must unite and plunge into Edinburgh’s deadliest streets to clear Simpson’s name. But soon they discover that the true cause of these deaths has evaded suspicion purely because it is so unthinkable.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Arsenic For Tea by Robin Stevens

August 7, 2023July 17, 2023 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! Today I am bringing you my book review for Arsenic For Tea by Robin Stevens, the second book in the Murder Most Unladylike series.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will try my best to avoid any spoilers.

Arsenic For Tea Plot:

In this book we are back with Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells as they look for their next case to solve. They are staying at Daisy’s home during the school holidays and somebody ends up being murdered.

I enjoyed the different set up of this book, compared to the first in the series, the location being Daisy’s home made the stakes higher because of the personal connections between Daisy and the suspects. The location also had an isolated feeling that Deepdean School did not have.

Arsenic For Tea gave me the same feeling that a good Agatha Christie would, a limited group of suspects each with their own secrets and motives. However, for me, the ending let this book down. I felt that the resolution, although plotted very well throughout the novel, did not give me the satisfaction that I look for at the ending of a murder mystery.

Arsenic For Tea Characters:

The two main characters in this series are Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong, two best friends who met in the first book as they started at Deepdean School. In my review for the first book, Murder Most Unladylike, I mentioned how I struggled to like Daisy as a character because she was bossy and always sure she was correct, this is a character trait that has continued in Arsenic For Tea so I am still not keen on her as a character, but on the other side I do like Hazel’s character. Hazel is a smart and logical thinker, although sometimes she judges people with her emotions, and she is the character whose head we are in throughout the series.

Arsenic For Tea Writing and Dialogue:

The writing in this series is very enjoyable even as an adult aged reader. The pacing is perfect for the style of story.

Arsenic For Tea Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because it was a great continuation of the series and I am interested in reading the rest of the series.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Schoolgirl detectives Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are at Daisy’s home, Fallingford, for the holidays. Daisy’s glamorous mother is throwing a tea party for Daisy’s birthday, and the whole family is invited, from eccentric Aunt Saskia to dashing Uncle Felix. But it soon becomes clear that this party isn’t really about Daisy at all. Naturally, Daisy is furious.

Then one of their party falls seriously, mysteriously ill—and everything points to poison.

With wild storms preventing anyone from leaving, or the police from arriving, Fallingford suddenly feels like a very dangerous place to be. Not a single person present is what they seem—and everyone has a secret or two. And when someone very close to Daisy looks suspicious, the Detective Society must do everything they can to reveal the truth… no matter the consequences.

Book Reviews

Book Review – The Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine

July 24, 2023June 19, 2023 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.

Today I am bringing you my book review for the middle grade mystery, The Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not reveal any spoilers in this review.

The Clockwork Sparrow Plot:

This middle grade mystery follows Sophie, a store girl at the newly opened Sinclairs department store who becomes involved in solving the mystery after there is a break in. The first half of this book spends a good deal of time setting up the characters and the store and the way their lives are and the relationships between them which I did find a bit boring to begin with. However, once the mystery began to take place I became hooked in the story, and each chapter ups the stakes in a delightful way for mystery lovers.

The Clockwork Sparrow Characters:

There are three key characters that you get introduced to early on. Sophie, the shop girl who I found to be a very likeable character, there are a lot of secrets surrounding her background that I am hoping the rest of the books in the series will explore. Then there is Lil, who wears clothes and works in shows and is employed by the store for this. Lil is a very bright, excitable character with fun ideas. Then there is a young boy who is a porter at the store who joins Sophie and Lil to help solve the mystery. Each of these characters work so well with each other, the story wouldn’t work without them.

The Clockwork Sparrow Writing and Dialogue:

Although this book is middle grade I felt that the writing felt challenging for this age range and mature which I thought was what this story needed.

The Clockwork Sparrow Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because it sets up characters brilliantly and I am looking forward to continuing the series.

Blurb/Synopsis:

You are cordially invited to attend the Grand Opening of Sinclair’s department store!

Enter a world of bonbons, hats, perfumes and MYSTERIES around every corner. WONDER at the daring theft of the priceless CLOCKWORK SPARROW! TREMBLE as the most DASTARDLY criminals in London enact their wicked plans! GASP as our bold heroines, Miss Sophie Taylor and Miss Lilian Rose, CRACK CODES, DEVOUR ICED BUNS and vow to bring the villians to justice…

Book Reviews

Book Review – A Taste of poison by Neil Bradbury

July 17, 2023June 19, 2023 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.

Today I am bringing you my book review of the non-fiction book A Taste of Poison by Neil Bradbury. Usually I write reviews in four sections but that wouldn’t work with this book so instead I am going to write a paragraph about my overall thoughts of this book.

A Taste of Poison is a non-fiction book detailing 11 of the world’s deadliest poisons and pages of information about each one. As a researcher of crime fiction and a writer myself I found this book very useful and interesting because it was broken down into different sections. There would be information about the poison itself, where it came from what it was and then it talked about the uses of each poison and I found this part the most interesting because it didn’t focus entirely on the negative uses of each poison but also the ways that scientists and doctors throughout the years have found positive uses for them, for example insulin can be used in good and bad ways. After the information section the book details real life cases where the different poisons had been used, some of them I had read about before but most of them I hadn’t. Then finally each chapter ended with a description of what each poison would do to the body, what symptoms it would cause and that sort of thing. For me this book was a fascinating read.

Blurb/Synopsis:

A brilliant blend of science and crime, ‘A TASTE FOR POISON’ reveals how eleven notorious poisons affect the body – through the murders in which they were used.

As any listener or reader of murder mysteries can tell you, poison is one of the most enduring – and popular – weapons of choice for a scheming murderer. It can be slipped into a drink, smeared onto the tip of an arrow or the handle of a door, even filtered through the air we breathe. But how exactly do these poisons work to break our bodies down, and what can we learn from the damage they inflict?

In a fascinating blend of popular science, medical history, and true crime, Dr. Neil Bradbury explores this most morbidly captivating method of murder from a cellular level. Alongside real-life accounts of murderers and their crimes – some notorious, some forgotten, some still unsolved – are the equally compelling stories of the poisons involved: eleven molecules of death that work their way through the human body and, paradoxically, illuminate the way in which our bodies function.

Drawn from historical records and current news headlines, A Taste for Poison weaves together the tales of spurned lovers, shady scientists, medical professionals and political assassins to show how the precise systems of the body can be impaired to lethal effect through the use of poison. From the deadly origins of the gin and tonic cocktail to the arsenic-laced wallpaper in Napoleon’s bedroom, ‘A TASTE FOR POISON’ leads listeners on a riveting tour of the intricate, complex systems that keep us alive – or don’t.

Book Reviews

Book Review – In The Shadow of Queens by Alison Weir

July 10, 2023June 19, 2023 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today.

Today I am bringing you my review for the Historical Fiction short story collection, In The Shadow of Queens, by Alison Weir.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. I will do my best to not include spoilers in my reviews.

In The Shadow of Queens Plot:

If you have seen more of my book reviews you will know that short stories are not usually my favourite thing, because they don’t give you very long to become immersed in the story and the characters in my opinion. However, this collection is split into sections each of them depicting the time period of one of Henry VIII’s wives. For example the first two short stories are in the time Catherine of Aragon was Queen and so on for all six wives. I enjoyed how each story was showing you something different, about the queens and about the state of England in general. My personal favourite was the short story that was written from the point of view of a young Anne Boleyn, while she was at the French court and her engagement to a young man. This story wove such a complex, emotional story that brought to life how a young woman had to learn that life wouldn’t be romantic or kind and showed how women had to learn to keep their hearts and not give them away freely.

In The Shadow of Queens Characters:

The most fascinating part of this collection was definitely the characters, there were stories told from the points of view of people within the court that you may never have known existed and although Alison Weir uses artistic license to create a brilliant story you can see how much research went into each story to give you a glimpse into people’s lives.

In The Shadow of Queens Writing and Dialogue:

I haven’t yet read her tudor queens series, although I di have the books, but after reading the short stories I am excited to get into the main novels because I know they will have depth and her wonderful writing style draws you right into the centre of the Tudor court.

In The Shadow of Queens Overall:

I gave this book four stars because I loved getting a peak into so many different areas of this period but short stories still don’t hook me enough to give this book five stars.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Behind every great king stands a queen. And behind every queen, the whole court watches on…

Over the years of his reign, six different women took their place beside King Henry VIII of England as his wife and queen.

But the real stories of the six Tudor queens belong to those who lived among them. Played out in glittering palaces and whispering courts, these are tales of the people who loved and served these women, and those who lied and betrayed them.

Collected together for the first time, In the Shadow of Queens reveals thirteen startling stories from the Tudor court, told by those at the very heart of that world.

Book Reviews

Northranger Book Review

June 19, 2023May 22, 2023 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today!

Today I am bringing you a book review for Northranger, a graphic novel by Rey Terciero and illustrated by Bre Indigo. I do not usually review graphic novels so, usually I give star ratings to four categories but instead I am going to write a little bit about my overall thoughts.

First, thank you to Harper 360 for sending me a copy of this graphic novel, I enjoyed pushing myself out of my comfort zone to read this in May. It is something I never would have bought for myself.

Northranger is a graphic novel about a young man who goes with his father to work on a farm/ranch for the summer and they realise that things might not be quite as they seem, the family there have a lot of secrets. It also has LGBTQ+ representation.

Firstly, I thought the illustrations in this graphic novel were gorgeous and captured all the expressions that were needed for the story to feel very real. In terms of the plot, I was hooked in by the mystery aspect and without saying too much and spoiling everything I will say I was overall disappointed with the way the mystery panned out, it could have been more and I just think there was something, I am not entirely sure what, missing.

Blurb/Synopsis:

In this swoony and spooky teen summer romance graphic novel set on a Texas ranch, sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz finds himself falling for the ranch owner’s mysterious and handsome son, only to discover that he may be harboring a dangerous secret.

Cade has always loved to escape into the world of a good horror movie. After all, horror movies are scary–but to Cade, a closeted queer Latino teen growing up in rural Texas–real life can be way scarier.

When Cade is sent to spend the summer working as a ranch hand to help earn extra money for his family, he is horrified. Cade hates everything about the ranch, from the early mornings to the mountains of horse poop he has to clean up. The only silver lining is the company of the two teens who live there–in particular, the ruggedly handsome and enigmatic Henry.

But as unexpected sparks begin to fly between Cade and Henry, things get… complicated. Henry is reluctant to share the details of his mother’s death, and Cade begins to wonder what else he might be hiding. Inspired by the gothic romance of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Bloom comes a modern love story so romantic it’s scary.

Book Reviews

A Pen Dipped In Poison Book Review

June 12, 2023May 22, 2023 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. Today I am bringing you a book review for A Pen Dipped In Poison by J M Hall. I hope you all enjoy it.

As usual, I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little bit about each one. WARNING: This book review will probably contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

A Pen Dipped In Poison Plot:

This novel is the second in a series following three women, Thelma, Pat and Liz, who get caught up in different situations. I say this because I was sold this book on the idea that the first book featured a murder and so I thought this one would too. It did not, the novel frequently hints at scenarios that could lead to murder or lead to a body, that kind of thing but then these scenarios end up being nothing at all. This annoyed me because I felt very misled by the novel, and not in the good way.

The first half of the novel, where members of the school staff start receiving poison pen letters I enjoyed, it built itself up very well but unfortunately I feel that the second half just deflated, there was barely any mystery to solve and overall I felt it was very underwhelming.

A Pen Dipped in Poison Characters:

Contrary to what I thought of the plot, I enjoyed the characters this novel revolves around. They each had their own stories outside of the mystery and I liked how this was shown to intertwine with each other. Particularly I liked how they were shown to be such good friends yet they keep so much from each other. I would read another of the books in this series, just to read some more of these characters.

A Pen Dipped In Poison Writing and Dialogue:

For me, the writing in this novel was fine. It didn’t stand out to me in a good or a bad way. The only thing that stood out was the anger coming through the words about the way schools are being turned into, and run as, businesses.

A Pen Dipped In Poison Overall:

Blurb/Synopsis:

Signed. Sealed. Dead?

Retired schoolteachers Liz, Pat and Thelma never expected they would be caught up in a crime even once in their lives, let alone twice.

But when poison pen letters start landing on the doorsteps of friends and neighbours in their Yorkshire village, old secrets come to light.

With the potential for deadly consequences.

It won’t be long until the three friends are out on a case yet again…

The second totally addictive and page-turning cosy mystery featuring these very unlikely sleuths. Fans of Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders will be hooked.