Smile Beach Murder - Alicia Bessette

5/5 ⭐

This new cozy mystery series features the classics, a small-town life, beloved bookstores, and a famous cat.

I really loved just about everything in this story. The characters unlike the usual disapproving and discouraging ones were supportive of Callie Padget, once a journalist and now a bookshop employee.

The setting on beautiful Cattail Island was not one to overlook. Not with its scenic views and long history looming around every corner.

And as for the mystery… It was one with many interesting twists and surprises and well, I didn’t see that ending coming.

Very interested in what happens next in this promising new series!

7/5/22

*This review was previously posted on my Google Site.

Comments

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 ...

Up All Night - Laura Silverman

4/5 ⭐ Thirteen short stories exploring what happens at night. A perfect summer read for when you're not ready to go to sleep just yet. This anthology features a wide variety of stories all focusing on high schoolers/young adults and certain events or predicaments that they must deal with. Added with the I am not the most familiar with anthologies but I did enjoy the variety and that they were diverse in their characters and representations. I think a lot of teens would enjoy this one. I do think that some stories were better than others, but that is just my opinion. Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology. Thanks to Algonquin Young Readers & NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. 6/22/21 *This review was previously posted on my Google Site.

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