Dead Letter Days by Kelley Armstrong is a novella set between the end of the Rockton series and the beginning of the Haven’s Rock series. It’s setDead Letter Days by Kelley Armstrong is a novella set between the end of the Rockton series and the beginning of the Haven’s Rock series. It’s set in and near a wilderness lodge in British Columbia as Casey Duncan and Eric Dalton, along with some of their friends and staff from Rockton, are planning where to build their new refuge and what they need for it. It’s to be a sanctuary for people to escape whatever they need to escape. Eric and Casey find a message-in-a-bottle while they are out walking with Casey’s dog, Storm. It leads them to a cold case where a woman went missing thirty years ago. As they investigate the cold case, readers learn about Eric’s past and his need to make some decisions.
Casey and Eric are well-developed characters with plenty of depth. Casey is driven, a great investigator, and frequently finds dead bodies. She’s a good listener, empathetic, and understanding. However, she stumbles when she doesn’t feel competent. Eric is a fantastic tracker, needs alone time in the woods occasionally, is truthful and intelligent, and asserts himself when needed. He also gets short-tempered and blunt with annoying or bothersome people at times, and isn’t good at small talk. In this novella, it was great to see some of the secondary and tertiary characters again including getting a better feeling for Casey’s sister April.
While solving the cold case, it was great to get Eric’s background and see him make some overdue decisions. Additionally, this story was from Eric’s point of view instead of Casey’s. It was great to see his internal thinking process as he mulled his decisions. Themes include domestic abuse, emotional versus logical choices, companionship, love, friendship, family, and much more.
Overall, this is well-written and entertaining with a solid mystery and complex characters. While this can be read as a stand-alone, readers will gain a better understanding of the key characters and their backgrounds if they read the Rockton series first. Fans of Kelley Armstrong and the Rockton series will likely thoroughly enjoy this novella.
I purchased a copy of this novella. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was July 3, 2023. --------------------------------------- My 4.36 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon....more
The Secrets of Bones by Levi Fuller is the second novella in the Isle of Bute mystery series set in Scotland. Detective Claire Juno has returned hThe Secrets of Bones by Levi Fuller is the second novella in the Isle of Bute mystery series set in Scotland. Detective Claire Juno has returned home from Miami for two weeks to try to reconcile with her father. They haven’t talked in ten years as he has refused her calls and ignored her emails. This story picks up where the first novella ended. The situation doesn’t improve for her when Matt, a junior police officer shows up.
Claire is a character that grows on the reader as you learn her background. She shows some character growth in this one as she handles a variety of situations, but she still has plenty of flaws. Insights into her thoughts, behavior, and actions towards others provide additional depth. Readers also learn more about Detective Ben Courtney’s past as the story unfolds. Themes include murder, family relationships, how people handle grief and anger, and friendship.
Once again, the opening was strong and memorable and immediately drew me into the story. The narrative is suspenseful. However, it didn’t feel like it was set in Scotland. As I expected, this one ended on another cliffhanger. However, I have the next book in the series and plan to read it soon.
Overall, I enjoyed the suspenseful tale and want to know how it ends.
Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way....more
Fangs & Fairy Dust by Melissa Monroe and Kyla Colby is a paranormal cozy mystery novella and the first book in the Priscilla Pratt Mystery series.Fangs & Fairy Dust by Melissa Monroe and Kyla Colby is a paranormal cozy mystery novella and the first book in the Priscilla Pratt Mystery series. Priscilla and Anna are talking as they wait on a savory bread to finish baking. Anna asks how Priscilla met her fairy godmother Avalon and the story goes back to Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600’s.
While a lot of vampire fiction leans towards the horror genre, this one is a cozy mystery with a vampire working to do what is right against injustices. There isn’t much time for character development in the story, but there are glimmers of depth.
The friendly and inviting writing style pulls readers into the story. I enjoyed the tale, laughed a couple of times, and smiled a lot. It’s too short to get the character or plot development that I would have liked.
Overall, this was an entertaining tale that sets the stage for future books in the series.
Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way....more
The Scent of Bones by Levi Fuller is the first novella in the Isle of Bute mystery series set in Scotland. Detective Claire Juno has returned homeThe Scent of Bones by Levi Fuller is the first novella in the Isle of Bute mystery series set in Scotland. Detective Claire Juno has returned home from Miami for two weeks to try to reconcile with her father. They haven’t talked in ten years as he has refused her calls and ignored her emails. But soon after arriving, she finds a bin bag with some bones in it. It seems a murder has occurred in the town.
Claire is a character that grows on the reader as you learn her background and see how she handles situations now. Insights into her thoughts, behavior, and actions towards others provide additional depth.
The opening was strong and memorable and immediately drew me into the story. The narrative is suspenseful. However, it didn’t feel like it was set in Scotland. It could have been anywhere with a port. My biggest quibble is that it ends with a major cliffhanger which I prefer to avoid. However, I have the next book in the series and plan to read it soon.
Overall, I enjoyed the suspenseful tale and want to know how it ends.
Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. ...more
Melinda Leigh’s prequel novella to the Bree Taggert series is Her Second Death. Bree and her new partner, Detective Dana Romano respond to a call.Melinda Leigh’s prequel novella to the Bree Taggert series is Her Second Death. Bree and her new partner, Detective Dana Romano respond to a call. A man has been shot in the head in his car. When the estranged wife is notified, they learn that the couple’s fiver-year-old daughter, Lena, was supposed to have been with him. The murder investigation quickly becomes a search for the missing child as well.
While Bree has been with the Philadelphia police force for 9 years in patrol and as a detective in burglaries and property crimes, this is only her second day as a homicide detective. She likes to explore theories, while her partner, Dana Romano, only wants evidence, not theories.
This was a good introduction to Bree, but the short length doesn’t give much time for character development. Despite this, readers understand how Bree’s childhood is affecting her life. This background also gives insight into how she uses it to help her solve cases. The mystery parts of the story are fast-paced and engaging. Themes include murder, lies, family relationships and their affect on children, new working partnerships, and communication.
Overall, this short mystery and introduction to Bree kept me entertained and was a solid police procedural. I’ve read the first two books in the series and have the next three on my reading schedule for this month.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date December 7, 2021. ----------------------------------------- My 4.07 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon....more
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