mystery

Book Review: Jane and the Final Mystery

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Jane and the Final Mystery by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Final Mystery (Being a Jane Austen Mystery #15)
by Stephanie Barron

4 out of 5 stars

Jane knows she is nearing the end of her life. Her health has been deteriorating for months and the doctors give her six months to live. However, when her old friend Elizabeth Heathcote is in trouble, Jane and her nephew Edward are ready to help. Elizabeth’s son, William, has been accused of murdering a schoolmate at Winchester College, a boys’ boarding school. Jane’s nephew Edward tells her all about the boys college and how William endured hazing and cruel pranks. But could William have lashed out at his tormentors to the extent of murdering one of them?

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Book Review: Rook (Jackaby #5)

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Rook by William Ritter

Rook (Jackaby)
by  William Ritter (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Miss Rook is used to being the assistant to private detective, Mr. Jackaby. But now that his ability to see supernatural auras has been passed on to her, she is having trouble taking charge during an investigation. She is completely overwhelmed and can’t seem to find her confidence again. Jackaby encourages her to take the reins and let him the assistant, but Miss Rook feels utterly incompetent to handle a supernatural crime investigation. However, when her nearest and dearest are accused of murder, Miss Rook is forced to follow the trail wherever it leads.

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Classic Book Review: A Study in Scarlet

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The First Adventure of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The First Adventure of Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet
by Arthur Conan Doyle, Vincent Mallié (Artist),Mike Kennedy (Editor)

5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Watson is searching London for affordable rooms and his old colleague mentions that Sherlock Holmes is looking for rooms too. They are introduced and decide to become roommates at 221B Baker Street. Watson quickly discovers that Holmes is eccentric in many ways, and they are soon hot on the trail of a murder mystery. Holmes has a unique way of tracking down clues, and Watson is eager to help.

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Book Review: Gilded

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Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Gilded (Gilded, #1)
by  Marissa Meyer (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Serilda has been blessed by the god of stories, and so the people in her village denounce her as a liar. One night on the full moon, she encounters the dark ones on their moonlit hunt. She lies to the Erlking, and tells him that she can spin straw into gold. Taken to his dungeon, she must prove herself by spinning the straw and creating gold, or be killed. A strange boy appears in the dungeon and claims that he can help her, but she must pay a price for his magic.

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Book Review: Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince

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Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince by Nancy Atherton

Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince (Aunt Dimity Mystery, #18)
by Nancy Atherton

4 out of 5 stars

Lori meets a precocious little girl at a museum, who tells her all about a Russian prince who used to own one of the silver exhibits. But when the little girl goes missing, Lori is on a mission to discover the truth about the Russian prince and how he is connected with her disappearance. Lori’s neighbor, Bree, is looking for a place to stay while her cottage is airing out after being painted. So Bree comes along for the investigation and proves to be of invaluable assistance.

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Book Review: Jane and the Waterloo Map

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Jane and the Waterloo Map by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Waterloo Map (Jane Austen Mysteries, #13)
by Stephanie Barron

4 out of 5 stars

Jane is invited to the palace of the Prince Regent to visit his library. She is “delighted” that the Prince Regent has “granted her the honor” of dedicating her next book to him, even though she secretly despises the Prince Regent for his selfishly lavish lifestyle. While Jane is visiting the library, a military man stumbles in, foaming at the mouth and evidently poisoned. Before he dies, he manages to whisper two words to Jane, “Waterloo Map”. Jane begins to investigate what the poor man could have meant, and why he would have been poisoned in the Prince Regent’s own house.

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Book Review: Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree

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Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree by Nancy Atherton

Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree (Aunt Dimity Mystery, #16)
by  Nancy Atherton

4 out of 5 stars

Lori’s father-in-law, William, has just moved into his newly-renovated ancient home, where he discovers an old painting of some sort. He sends it to be restored, and a family tree is discovered hiding under years of grime. But the painting is stolen before any names can be identified on the family tree. Meanwhile, Lori’s neighbor, Sally Pyne, is in desperate need of help and she turns to William, hoping that his expertise as a lawyer will help her out of a pickle. But the whole family gets involved in helping Sally to lie to the entire village! Lori is also very suspicious of William’s new housekeeper and groundskeeper. Could they be hiding something nefarious? Lori will need Aunt Dimity’s wisdom every step of the way!

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Book Review: Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas

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Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas (Jane Austen Mysteries #12)
by Stephanie Barron

4 out of 5 stars

Jane, Cassandra, and their mother, Mrs. Austen, are visiting their old country parsonage where Jane’s brother, James, is now residing. They visit the Chute family at their estate for the Christmas festivities, but a military messenger is found dead, thrown from his horse. Jane thinks it must be murder, and one of the other guests, an artist, agrees with her.

The best part of this story is learning about the Regency Christmas traditions, games, food, parties, and other family habits at Christmastime!

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Book Review: Griffin’s Castle

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Griffin's Castle by Jenny Nimmo

Griffin’s Castle
by Jenny Nimmo

3 out of 5 stars

Dinah and her mother move into a dilapidated old house, where Dinah discovers a small griffin statue. She names the house the Griffin’s Castle, and hopes that they will be able to stay forever. But her mother is not exactly reliable, and the landlord can’t stand children. Dinah notices animal statues in the city, wishing that they could protect her new home. The misty spirit of a lioness statue follows Dinah home, and Dinah can see and feel the lioness even though no one else can. Soon, more of the animals statues begin to follow Dinah home, and they become so real that others can feel their presence. Dinah’s friends at school are worried about her. Are the animals really protecting the house, or are they imprisoning Dinah within the crumbling walls?

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Book Review: The Red Thread

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The Red Thread by Roderick Townley

The Red Thread
by Roderick Townley

3.5 out of 5 stars

Dana has disturbing dreams about a boy being murdered centuries in the past. Her psychologist hypnotizes her to help access memories from her previous life, and discover the origin of the nightmares. Dana begins to realize that people from her past lives are still nearby, involved in her modern-day life. Her father and mother, her little brother, her boyfriend, and even her rival at school might all be reincarnations of people she knew in her past lives… and one of them is a murderer.

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