Tag: murder most unladylike

Monthly TBRs

July TBR!

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am so excited to be bringing you my July TBR today, not only because I have a good feeling about this month but also because it is time for the July Summer edition of the Chopped Readathon! Hosted by myself @oliviatempleto6 on Twitter/@the_blind_scribe on instagram and @Plaid_Reader_is_writing on Twitter. It is a month long readathon with prompts attached to a food item based on the theme so obviously the July theme is summer. If you are interested in joining the fun all the information can be found on the Chopped Readathon Twitter account @choppedread

Also this month I have tried to put a mystery/crime book to each prompt because… I have a PhD to write which means I need to read all the mystery books and I have a lot to get through.

Onto my TBR for July!

  • for the prompt Cotton Candy – a light or easy book I chose The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood, I have heard there’s a new book in this series coming soon so I need to get around to this one
  • Salt water taffy – a salty protagonist – I chose A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn, the second in the Veronica Speedwell series
  • Corn dog – a book with something hidden – I chose Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
  • Soda – a book you are excited about – The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson, the fourth book in the truly devious series
  • BBQ – book with a battle – I have gone very metaphorical for this one as most mysteries don’t have epic battles like the fantasy genre does so I have chosen Finlay Donovan Knocks Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
  • Lobster – Centred around the ocean – Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
  • Lemonade – a yellow book – Nine Lives by Peter Swanson
  • Burgers – a meaty book over 400 pages – Daughters of Night by Laura Shephard Robinson
  • Ice cream – a fancy book – the Three Dog Problem by S J Bennett
  • watermelon – a childhood favourite – The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah
  • Funnel Cakes – a sweet book – Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens
  • Milkshakes – a book with a location you would go in the summer – I chose The Perfect Escape by Leah Konen

That’s it for my July TBR! What are you all planning on reading in July? Leave me a comment below.

Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas Day 20 – 20th December – BookReview: Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! Merry bookmas day 20! Today I am bringing you a festive book review of Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens. It is part of the Murder Most Unladylike Series.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Mistletoe and Murder Plot:

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

This book follows two girls, Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells, who normally attend a boarding school where they keep running into murder scenes. In this one book they are at Cambridge over the Christmas period and once again they get caught up in a murder. I loved the first half of this book. It had everything I wanted, a small cast of possible killers, the bedrooms and stairwell of the boys as location and all the cosy, wintry vibes I enjoy. It actually made me think of another children’s mystery series by Tanya Landman, the Poppy Fields mystery series. However, the ending completely ruined it for me. The end of the mystery was too neat and tidy, the motive just so happened to be what it was and it didn’t sit right with me. It was too conveniant.

Mistletoe and Murder Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I really liked the two main characters. Hazel is much more quiet and reserved then daisy and I like the way their personalities bounced off of each other. Personally I don’t feel I would be friends with Daisy because she has a very outgoing personality and she can be quite bossy.

Mistletoe and Murder Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The writing style in this book worked well for me. It was clear and flowed well, I read through it so quickly.

Mistletoe and Murder Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because I enjoyed most of the book and although the ending was not as satisfying as I would like it to be I would definitely still read the rest of the series.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are spending the Christmas hols in snowy Cambridge. Hazel has high hopes of its beautiful spires, cosy libraries and inviting tea-rooms – but there is danger lurking in the dark stairwells of ancient Maudlin College.

Two days before Christmas, there is a terrible accident. At least, it appears to be an accident – until the Detective Society look a little closer, and realise a murder has taken place. Faced with several irritating grown-ups and fierce competition from a rival agency, they must use all their cunning and courage to find the killer (in time for Christmas Day, of course).

The fabulously festive fifth mystery from the bestselling, award-winning author of Murder Most Unladylike.

I hope you all enjoyed this book review!

Bookmas 2021

Merry Bookmas day 16 – 16th December – Books on my Christmas Wishlist

theblindscribe

Happy Thursday bookish people! Merry Bookmas day 16! One of the best things about Christmas is that I get some of the books that I have wanted for a while. My family asks for my list in like September so then I can’t buy any of the books that I have mentioned or written on a list before that and it feels great after Christmas because then I can buy books again. Anyway, I thought I’d share some of the books I have asked for this year and I’ll also share with you my Amazon wishlist here which has all the books that I want but didn’t tell my family about:

On my Christmas list I have: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/3H1PW8BGD9KF7?ref_=wl_share

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout

From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash Series Book 1) eBook : Armentrout, Jennifer L.: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Any of the Robin Hobb Books

All Robin Hobb books colllection, finally ! : r/robinhobb

The Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens

Murder Most Unladylike Pack x 9 - Scholastic Shop

The Scarlet and Ivy Series by Sophie Cleverly

The Lost Twin: Book 1 (Scarlet and Ivy) : Cleverly, Sophie: Amazon.co.uk: Books

These are the four series’ of books that I have put on my Christmas list and I really want to get the From Blood and Ash and Robin Hobb series and if I don’t get them I will probably buy them immediately after Christmas.

What books are you hoping for?

Book Reviews

Book Review: Once Upon A Crime by Robin Stevens

theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! It’s time for another book review and the one I am bringing you today is for Once Upon A Crime by Robin Stevens. This book is a collection of short stories from the world of the Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens and I got it so that I could have a taster of the series before going out and buying them all.

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 to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Once Upon A Crime Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I was intrigued to see how the short stories would all be plotted and I ended up really enjoying most of them. I felt some of them were a little long for a short story but they were filled with subtle details that made the world come to life. One of my favourite short stories in the collection was May Wong and the deadly flat because it was different to the others both in character and in plot. Reading this collection made me excited to pick up the main series.

Once Upon A Crime Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The two main characters in this series is Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. I think the characters are written beautifully and are very distinct. Personally I liked Hazel more because she is the quieter intelligent type and I can relate to the quietness of her character more than I can to the character of Daisy who is a lot more outgoing.

Once Upon A Crime Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I really liked the writing in this book. Although it is a middle grade novel the writing didn’t feel too young. I felt comfortable reading it and enjoying it.

Once Upon A Crime Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars because I thought it was a great introduction to the characters and the world and I’m looking forward to starting the main series.

Blurb/Synopsis:

A thrilling new short story collection in the number-one bestselling, award-winning Murder Most Unladylike series.

Featuring six marvellous mini-mysteries, including four original, brand-new and never-seen-before stories:

The Case of the Second Scream: set aboard the ship carrying Daisy and Hazel back from Hong Kong

The Case of the Uninvited Guest: Uncle Felix and Aunt Lucy’s wedding is the target for an unlikely threat

The Hound of Weston School: the Junior Pinkertons investigate a mysterious arrival

The Case of the Deadly Flat: introducing Hazel’s little sister May, who’s determined to be the greatest spy ever

The Case of the Missing Treasure: the detectives crack fiendish codes to catch a daring thief who is targeting London’s famous museums

The Case of the Drowned Pearl: murder follows the Detective Society wherever they go, even on holiday…

The perfect book for all Detective Society fans and avid readers of the Murder Most Unladylike series.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!