Skip to main content

Haunted Hibiscus - Laura Childs



5/5 ⭐

Haunted houses, tea, and murder. The perfect pairing for a cozy mystery. I had heard plenty about Laura Childs mysteries before. But before now, never had the notion to try one myself. It just never seemed to work out.

But I finally did and am I glad I did. This is the 22nd book in the series and while my first, I didn’t find that I was missing any important information that I could have learned from the first ones.

I enjoyed getting lost in their day-to-day business of making and serving tea and other tasty treats. Sometimes it felt like more of the story went to these tasks rather than the actual mystery but I still enjoyed them. As a tea lover, it sparked an urge to not only brew a cup but also try some of the blends they talked about as well.

As for the characters, they were so colorful and vibrant I couldn’t help but fall in love with them and their antics. Yes, sometimes it feels overdramatic. But this is the south we are talking about so it doesn’t feel out of place in the slightest.

As for the mystery itself... I never saw it coming. Was totally surprised by who the killer was. And maybe I didn’t read it close enough, but I also don’t know if I totally understand the why?

I will definitely be going back and reading some of the earlier titles and continuing on with them.

1/4/22

*This review was previously posted on my Google Site.  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

One by One - Ruth Ware

3/5 ⭐ Possible Spoilers - Read with care Snowed in on the French Alps, a cozy chalet filled with execs from a social media company, and murder. What started as a intriguing murder mystery said to be inspired by one of the greatest mystery writers, quickly fell down the slopes the author wrote about. I had heard mixed reviews about Ruth Ware's novels, some said they were great, some said they were left disappointed. I thought it only fair to read one and see for myself. Unfortunately, I felt disappointed. This one was talked up a lot in it's homage to  Agatha Christie's arguably best work 'And Then There Were None' which is why I decided to start with this one. Maybe that was my fault. Maybe I should have started with another one. But this one also sounded the most interesting to me anyways. It started off strong, introducing the characters and setting. Building the suspense before the first crime took place. But between the flipping back and forth POV and the dragge...

The Family Plot - Megan Collins

  4/5 ⭐ A family brought up learning about everything through the lens of true crime. Murder, mayhem, and death are the Lighthouse family's close companions. I was looking forward to this book since reading the summary. I have a mild interest in true crime and was interested in seeing how this story would incorporate such a widely talked about topic. For some, true crime is overdone and saturates media. And if anything, I think Collins does a fantastic job of acknowledging that fact and takes on true crime in a new and unique fashion. We are immediately introduced to the main setting, Blackburn Island, home to a serial killer who was never caught and the home of the 4 Lighthouse children and their... peculiar parents. I thought that Collins did a good job with the characters introducing them one right after another without it feeling rushed or like we were missing something. If anything it felt as though we learned a lot about the family within just the first few chapters. Without ...

Such a Quiet Place - Megan Miranda

4/5 ⭐   Her conviction overturned, Ruby Fletcher has returned to Hollow's Edge putting everyone on edge. A suspenseful and thrilling mystery set in the idyllic community of Hollow's Edge where the residents have been plagued with bad luck and hidden secrets. The cracks are starting to widen as Ruby's presence frightens everyone around her. I felt that at the beginning it felt a little slow and it was hard to get into but eventually I couldn't put it down! I thought the inclusion of the Community Page messages was a nice breakup and also included something that everyone has probably had some experience with. It was definitely a slow burn mystery that made me question everything that happened. Who was telling the truth? Who was lying? What secrets were they keeping from one another? It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and is a perfect summer read. Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss+, and the publisher for my advanced review copy. Out on July 13, 2021. 6/7/21 ...