Tag: Mystery

Books, Reading

Special Feature: A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

When Samantha Downing made her debut, I knew then that she was going to be an outstanding thriller writer! I loved the book, My Lovely Wife! It was such a psychological read that I read it once when it came out and another time for my book club! I sometimes like re-reading books when they are especially good or when it’s part of a series that has a new book coming out and it’s been a while in between books—–so obviously I don’t do that often so that should be a testament to how much I enjoyed her debut novel!

Then I read her second release—I wasn’t sure if I was going to love it or not. Sometimes the second book can be a little wanting especially if the first debut novel shines bright. I was so thankful that Downing delivered on another well written mystery with her second book—which ended up being another five star review for me! Now this book is coming out and my review calendar if FULL for the month! I choose to do a feature for this one but if it’s anything like Downing’s other books—-I will be staying up late reading it in a matter of weeks once my calendar slows a bit!

If you love a solid thriller, no doubt you have heard of Downing, but if you haven’t read her books yet you absolutely need to! This latest novel promises (as the title implies!) a ‘twisted love story’! Downing DOES twisted love stories so well! I am super excited to share a bit about this book with you all today and make sure to stay tuned for a review in the next few weeks!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (Ill-Mannered Ladies #1) by Alison Goodman

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (Ill-Mannered Ladies #1) by Alison Goodman

If ever there was a cover to lust after—-this is it. I absolutely love the colors and design of this cover! Whoever designed the cover did an amazing job at catching the eye of every single Jane Austen fan in the literary realm! But besides a beautiful cover, what else does this book have to offer? Well I will tell you—-it promises strong feminists and mystery! I love a good historical mystery but even more so when it has a Regency era theme to it!

The first thing that stood out to me about this book was that it had a mature main character. Lady Augusts is 42 and a spinster, so many of the historical mysteries on the market have a heroine that is ‘young’ or ‘in their twenties’. As a 42 year old reader myself, I love seeing a heroine that I already have something in common with. Sometimes it can be hard to read about a young sleuth with little to no life experience. I think this book hold a lot of promise and I cannot wait to read it later this year.

Early readers of this book are praising the story and eager for more installments. While the colorful and cheery cover suggest a more frivolous story, many readers are saying it is far from that. I love that this story promises a realistic view of the time period and the way women were treated while still maintaining a sense of fun and adventure. I think this book is going to provide readers with a lot to digest about the time period but also enjoy by the way of characters that are unique, strong, and different. I cannot wait for the adventure of this one! Keep reading to get all the details!

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Books, Reading

Special Feature: The House on Prytania (Royal Street #2) by Karen White

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: The House on Prytania (Royal Street #2) by Karen White

Over the years I have read some of Karen White’s collaborations and standalone novels. I have also jumped around a bit in her other mystery series and always find her writing well thought out and enjoyable. I enjoy smartly written novels and White’s books have that as well as a little bit of a paranormal element. It’s not so much that it takes the book to a full on paranormal or horror story but it’s enough to make the books memorable and fun.

This latest series by White will have many of the things that her Tradd Street books had, mystery, ghosts, charming houses, and great characters. I haven’t started this series yet but it is on my TBR if for nothing else beside the fact that I have loved a lot of her books, not to mention I love the old houses on the cover! This book promises atmosphere, mystery and all the Southern hospitality that White is known for! I cannot wait to dive into this book as well as the first in the series!

If you love old houses, ghosts, mystery, and a charming story then this book is going to need to get on our TBR list. I have seen some of the early reviews and everyone is raving about this book! I am thrilled to bring a bit about this book to you guys today and I encourage you to check it out. Most of the reviews are saying that while reading the first book is helpful, White does a good job orientating readers who might be picking up book two first. I don’t know about you guys but I plan on reading this one later on this summer or early fall and I will be sharing a review when I do but until then check this one out!

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Who Cries for the Lost (Sebastian St Cyr #18) by C.S. Harris

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: Who Cries for the Lost (Sebastian St Cyr #18) by C.S. Harris

Over the years I have jumped around in the Sebastian St Cyr series, until I finally decided about a year ago to go back and read all the books in order. Some of the books can be read out of order, others not. This book has some carry over from the last book so I would say this is probably not the one to start with if you are new to the series. I have loved this series and I am so glad to see that it’s going strong. If you love historical mysteries but want something with a bit more grit, this is an excellent option.

Every spring I look forward to a new Sebastian St Cyr book. The mysteries are smart, fast paced and enjoyable. I rarely find myself bored with the characters or plot, though some books I like more than others, overall the series is solid. I really like how not fluffy this series is too. The author doesn’t back down from discussing the conditions of the poor in London during this historical time and she also isn’t afraid of discussing some of the more grizzly murders.

If you haven’t yet discovered this series, it’s an absolute must. I have recommended it to many of my friends and family over the last few months. I read all of the books in the series in a matter of a few weeks. They are quick reads that will leave you feeling satisfied and like you just read something intelligent and well researched. Now that I am done with this book, it has a Napoleonic Wars flair and I felt compelled to read more books about France and the Revolution. I love that this book managed to grab my interest in other areas of history too!

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Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby

When this one came up for review it sounded cute and charming. Like it might be a little bit cozy mystery with a little bit of romance which made me excited to read it. Though the cover doesn’t scream ‘cozy mystery’ to me—in fact the cover felt a little blah. But what the cover lacked in eye catching detail, the summery made up for and I was excited to check this debut novel out! I am always a sucker for historical mysteries (cozy or otherwise) and I thought this one sounded like it would be something new to check out.

One thing that surprised me about this book was it’s a standalone. So many historical mysteries are long standing series and while I love revisiting favorite characters again and again, sometimes it’s nice when things wrap up after just one book. That said I think this book left some options open for additional stories so if you indeed love this book, there is a possibility for future books to revisit favorite characters, but again it’s not necessary for this book to become a series.

With sunny days ahead, it’s nice to read something that makes you feel happy and that’s just what this book did, it was entertaining, charming, and had a lit bit of everything but ultimately it made me feel content and happy which is what I love about reading! If you are looking for something fun to read this spring, this book might be just the ticket for you!

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