Nice role reversal for once, with him falling for her at first sight and her needing lots of persuasion to give him a chance. He is super tortured intNice role reversal for once, with him falling for her at first sight and her needing lots of persuasion to give him a chance. He is super tortured into her from beginning to end (without being too problematic), which makes for some nice angst porn....more
I'm astounded by how obvious the antagonists and secrets were and how limp and unconvincing the herA humorless, charmless Christmas The Westing Game.
I'm astounded by how obvious the antagonists and secrets were and how limp and unconvincing the heroine was. The clues are also lacking in any kind of cleverness and wit, the lesbians are token, and the characters are one-note and resoundingly uninteresting.
One thing I'm not surprised by is how annoying third person present tense was. NEVER THE RIGHT CHOICE, GUYS....more
The main issue is there's a bit of a disconnect between the central darker subject and much of the tone. You expI enjoyed this, with one major caveat.
The main issue is there's a bit of a disconnect between the central darker subject and much of the tone. You expect murder, obviously, but this also explores (view spoiler)[rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, and their aftermath (hide spoiler)] at some length, so those triggered by that might find this difficult. Even if you are not sensitive to those subjects, it's difficult to reconcile their seriousness with what would otherwise be a cozy mystery, particularly in a fairly short book. I found the epilogue with the lighthearted inclusion of a recipe to be particularly tone-deaf and in poor taste. Frankly, I'm surprised it made the final cut.
I loved the setting so much, however, in no small part because I took the Harry Potter steam train through the Scottish highlands a few months ago and went through many of the beautiful cities and countryside mentioned. *sigh* I'd love to go back again during the winter, so the snowscape and train carriages drew all kinds of wistful emotions.
I also enjoyed how well the author wrote a modern cozy mystery. I think some purists will scoff at it, but the author certainly acknowledges the Agatha Christie influence upon the story, and she does make it her own. I often find it jarring when contemporary technology and references are included in certain stories such as locked-room mysteries, but here it's integrated organically as part of the setting and characters. I also love the snowiness and literal coziness of it all, and I liked Roz even though towards the end, giving her a little more conflict over her choices would have garnered more respect.
Maybe the tonal issues could have been resolved in a longer novel. I found enough to enjoy overall, but there's no denying that the one issue is a pretty big one. A cozy mystery that takes on more serious issues isn't impossible, but in this instance, it wasn't balanced as well as it should have been.
Audio Notes: Mhairi Morrison's narration is so lovely to listen to. The gentle Scottish lilt is so pleasing to the ear and she does all the voices well! I'm glad I listened to this one on audio....more
Basically And Then There Were None, set in Scotland, with a Christmas twist. Solid, but a little more character work and cleverness with the mystery wBasically And Then There Were None, set in Scotland, with a Christmas twist. Solid, but a little more character work and cleverness with the mystery would have gone a long way. Also: humor! It’s baffling that a story revolving around one of the delightful but sillier carols would have so little humor in it. ...more
A weird mix of YA-style plot + Hallmark movie + sexy times + insufferably on-the-nose names. He’s too good to be true and things get frisky way too faA weird mix of YA-style plot + Hallmark movie + sexy times + insufferably on-the-nose names. He’s too good to be true and things get frisky way too fast for the type of personalities they’re presented as; plus his kink is weirdly handled at first? She does accept it in a cool way later on, however; she’s funny and charming, and the usual Tessa Bailey humor carries the story through. I didn’t end up minding the reality show/live stream aspects too much either (they’re written with believable details, unlike most books with this type of premise), though I’ve never met a single producer who would let the show come second to any of the talent’s personal concerns.
But not my type of story, really, and not my favorite TB. And not nearly as Christmassy as you’d think, despite the title and time frame! Window Shopping was so lovely, I was hoping for another holiday hit. But alas. ...more
File this book in the category So Wholesome You Could Listen to It With Your Grandma: I shit you not, the mystery involves the nefarious theft of a guFile this book in the category So Wholesome You Could Listen to It With Your Grandma: I shit you not, the mystery involves the nefarious theft of a gumdrop recipe.
The whole thing is a pleasant 3, like the previous two books in this series, but the ending (which you’ll see building up all through the book but the author deliberately makes the heroine clueless about) is so fucking picture perfect cute, it gets a little extra credit.
Wendy Darling
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