Recent Reads

30. A Cold and Lonely Place
This is book #2 of a series. I knew that going in, and knew enough about the premise of the prequel to follow along. I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I suppose it would be loosely defined as a mystery, though at no time did I feel driven to learn about the events that resulted in a man found dead in the ice. I did however finish it in a couple of days, so there was something that kept me reading. Is it a cozy mystery? Had no idea what that meant so looked it up: 

• The crime-solver in a cozy mystery is usually a woman with a college degree who is an amateur sleuth. Check.
• The cozy mystery usually takes place in a small town or village. Check.
• Although the cozy mystery sleuth is usually not a medical examiner, detective, or police officer, a lot of times her best friend, husband, or significant other is. Check.
• It is important that the characters are likeable. Check.
• There is no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex. Most often, the crime takes place “off stage” and death is usually very quick. Check.

It might just be that cozy mysteries are not my cup of tea. Rating: 2 stars.

31. Stay Out of the Basement
I have long talks with my nephews about the Goosebumps series. They are 10 and 8, and love them, and really want me to read the series so we can talk about the stories. Started out with this one, which is #2 in the series and it is good. Science experiments gone horribly wrong. The boys especially love the twist at the end of the stories. Cannot wait to introduce them to Stephen King when they are old enough. Rating: 3 stars.

32. Sanctus
I simply cannot keep up with all the new genre categories! This book falls into the religious thriller genre. Who knew? Not me. Anyways, to the review. I listened to this book on audio, wonderfully narrated by Simon Vance. I'd say it was a 3 star story with a 5 star narrator. Honestly, if you have never had Simon Vance read you to sleep at night, you know not what you are missing. Okay, I'll stop talking about Simon and get back to the book. The story moves along at a fast clip, and is interesting enough that I'll add the second in the series to my TBR. I was however disappointed with the great reveal at the end. While I give the author credit for creativity, it was a bit of a let down. Rating: 3 stars.