The peaceful village of Shady Hollow is shaken up when a curmudgeonly toad is found murdered. Intrepid reporter Vera Vixen, a fox (side eye), resolvesThe peaceful village of Shady Hollow is shaken up when a curmudgeonly toad is found murdered. Intrepid reporter Vera Vixen, a fox (side eye), resolves to solve the case. Filled with a cast of woodland creatures, this cozy mystery is a nice bit o' fluff for a rainy night and a cup of tea.
This was a cute little story, but I found the overuse of animal-related puns off-putting. But it was a nice, quick read, and I will try out more from this series....more
I love a murder mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously and that changes up the format a little. In this book, a mystery writerTravel to: Italy
I love a murder mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously and that changes up the format a little. In this book, a mystery writer writes a book about herself writing a book about a murder, and along the way, she makes asides to the reader in the form of footnotes (over 700 of them, I think). This could have easily been annoying, but I found the footnotes to be the best part. Whether she's telling us what movie star a character looks like or pointing out, "That was a clue, in case you didn't catch it," there were several times I laughed out loud. Although I thought it was really obvious whodunnit (not only because she pointed out the clues), I think she still did a good job of misdirection with a few red herrings and several plausible suspects. I really enjoyed reading this (erm, listening to it, and it's narrated by Elizabeth Evans, who I recently listened to read the entirety of ACOTAR and ToG). I am looking forward to continuing the series....more
I really like Molly and her little found family, and I like the way her attention to detail helps her solve the mysteries. I knowTravel to: Manhattan
I really like Molly and her little found family, and I like the way her attention to detail helps her solve the mysteries. I know the first book got a lot of flak for how neurodivergence was portrayed, but as a neurodivergent bonus parent to two neurodivergent kids (one of whom has both autism and ADHD), I think it was handled well. No two neurodivergent people are alike, so while this portrayal might not ring true to some, it did to me.
When someone can write a story about teenagers assisting the FBI (and, let's face it, actually SOLVING cases for the FBI) and make it totally believabWhen someone can write a story about teenagers assisting the FBI (and, let's face it, actually SOLVING cases for the FBI) and make it totally believable, you know you've got a winner. So many YA thrillers I've read recently fall flat because the characters feel so stereotypical. But this book is so well-written as a police procedural that you forget it's meant to be a YA thriller. This is a book you find yourself reading at red lights, while standing in line at the grocery store, even when the boss isn't looking at work (OR SO I HAVE HEARD - I would never READ when I am supposed to be WORKING) because you NEED to know what happens next. Simon is such a compelling character; creepy and charismatic and smarter than everyone else in the room. Simon is, and this feels weird to say, everything you want a serial killer to be. I'm glad to hear this is a sequel, because I stan and ship Emma and Travis and I need more about them helping each other heal from their past traumas and current serial killer-inflicted wounds....more
Ok, so this book is not perfect. The ending, for one, is terrible. None of the characters are sympathetic (except for Noah, who is such a minor characOk, so this book is not perfect. The ending, for one, is terrible. None of the characters are sympathetic (except for Noah, who is such a minor character he's barely worth mentioning). None of the characters are multifaceted. Plot twists are telegraphed so they are predicted from miles away. But I was completely engrossed and experienced moments of anxiety during some of the more suspenseful parts. I would recommend it to others who like suspenseful thrillers, but with the caveat to not take it too seriously or try to hard to suspend disbelief. Just go with it, okay?...more
2.5 What a ridiculous book. The plot is like if Stephanie Plum were the former Vice President. I know it’s supposed to be campy and ridiculous, but I r2.5 What a ridiculous book. The plot is like if Stephanie Plum were the former Vice President. I know it’s supposed to be campy and ridiculous, but I rolled my eyes much more than I smiled. ...more
**spoiler alert** 2.5 stars. I appreciate the ironies about feminism this book was trying to point out, but Lord, I hated these characters and did not**spoiler alert** 2.5 stars. I appreciate the ironies about feminism this book was trying to point out, but Lord, I hated these characters and did not give two figs what happened to them. I also felt like the book accomplished exactly the opposite of what it set out to: instead of highlighting realistic feminist issues it made it seem like feminism is as fake as (spoiler alert) Jen’s veganism and Brett’s lesbianism and Lauren’s sobriety and Stephanie’s entire life story. In fact, everyone was so fake that I’m not really sure that WASN’T the intent of this book. It didn’t seem to be able to make the distinction that what you see in reality TV isn’t real while still arguing that the women-supporting-women angle is still possible. ...more
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