Tag: the three dog problem

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Three Dog Problem by S J Bennett

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you my book review for The Three Dog Problem by S J Bennett, the sequel to The Windsor Knot.

In this book review 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.

The Three Dog Problem Plot:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This series is sold as a mystery story where the Queen is the one investigating and solving the crime, this isn’t exactly true. It’s the Queen and a few other people so as long as you don’t go in thinking it is only the Queen on her own solving the crime you won’t be disappointed. I quite enjoy how this book series stands out from other books in the mystery genre. I personally enjoyed this second book in the series more than the first book, I think the first book had too many elements and the twists were like sharp corners whereas in this book they were set up a bit more throughout the book which gave you the chance to try and guess what was going to happen.

The Three Dog Problem Characters:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Obviously The Queen is one of the main characters in this series and she is presented very well, the right balance between regal and mischievous. She is the brains of the whole thing even though she doesn’t let everyone in on that secret.

The Three Dog Problem Writing and Dialogue:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I like the writing in this series because it carries a light tone for half of the book and then you feel the tone get darker as you get closer to the reveal and that is something I enjoy in a book, also, the pace changes perfectly in accordance to the plot.

The Three Dog Problem Overall:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave this book four stars overall because I really enjoy the difference from other books in the genre and how the mystery unfolds in each book.

Blurb/Synopsis

In the wake of a referendum which has divided the nation, the last thing the Queen needs is any more problems to worry about. But when an oil painting of the Royal Yacht Britannia – first given to the Queen in the 1960s – shows up unexpectedly in a Royal Navy exhibition, she begins to realise that something is up.

When a body is found in the Palace swimming pool, she finds herself once again in the middle of an investigation which has more twists and turns than she could ever have suspected. With her trusted secretary Rozie by her side, the Queen is determined to solve the case. But will she be able to do it before the murderer strikes again?

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

Monthly Wrap Ups

July Wrap Up!

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Happy Monday bookish people! I know this post is going up on the first day of August when I usually post them at the end of the month I am writing about but July was quite the month! First there was YALC and Comic Con which I don’t really want to say that much about because it will turn into a rant, I did not have a good experience there this year because of the organization and well, they had no idea what to do with people who have disabilities so the less said about it the better. Then I found out I had gotten covid from YALC and I was so poorly, I still am a bit even a month on, I couldn’t do much. I rounded the month out with a trip to Bristol and a trip to Hampshire so I am pretty exhausted.

A good thing that happened this month is that I opened my Etsy shop! I have been thinking about this for a while and I have finally done it. I am creating bookish bookmarks, on card, wood and made of resin. If you’d like to visit my shop is TheBlindScribe

Anyway, my reading this month wasn’t great, I read some okay books but no books that I was really invested in. My book reviews of the books I did read will be coming on Mondays throughout August!

  • The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood – I did read this and actually I quite enjoyed it but I had one very specific issue with it which I will talk about in my book review of it.
  • A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn – I did not read this book
  • Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li – I did not read this
  • The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson – I did not read this book either
  • Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano – I haven’t read this book
  • The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton – I haven’t read this book yet either
  • Nine Lives by Peter Swanson – I did not read this
  • Daughters of Night by Laura Shepard Robinson – I started this book a while ago but I haven’t continued with it yet
  • The Three Dog Problem by S J Bennett – I did read this!
  • The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah – I also read this book!
  • The Perfect Escape by Leah Konen – I did not read this book

Overall, I read three books this month which considering how poorly I was and how much has been going on this month is pretty good, I’m happy with it.

That’s it for my July wrap-up! I hope you all enjoyed it, my August TBR is coming on Friday!

Monthly TBRs

July TBR!

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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.