Review: True Crime: A Memoir

True Crime: A Memoir by Patricia Cornwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Postmortem when nobody else was.  My mom bought them in hardback and kept them.  Whenever I came home to visit, I would devour the stack of the latest ones.  It was a love we shared.  It is no shock that I would want to read True Crime: A Memoir by Patricia Cornwell to understand the person behind those books.  To be fair, I have also read the Captain Chase and Jack the Ripper series.  Scarpetta is still my favorite.  

True Crime: A Memoir taught me that while I knew a little bit about Patricia Cornwell, I really had no idea about her and her influences.  I am not surprised that she is multi-faceted.  It is the facets themselves that are intriguing.  I would never have guessed she was so close to Ruth Graham.  Maybe if I had read Ruth's biography I would?  I would not have guessed that writing didn't come naturally or how her writing style is an extension of that discomfort.  It is how we get Scarpetta, and I am quite thankful for that.  

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Review: Sharp Force

Sharp Force by Patricia Cornwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sharp Force is the 29th book in the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell.  You don't necessarily have to read the whole series to understand this book. It could be read as a stand-alone, but I probably wouldn't start the series here.  It has all of your favorite characters if you are a series regular.  There are some dynamics playing out that you may not totally understand if you have never read the books before.  The case is interesting with its use of advanced technology to stalk victims.  It is crime of the future that is totally possible now.  The resolution was not my favorite, BUT I would still read it because I always want to know more about Kay and her crew.

Bonus points for Merlin, one super smart kitty.  I also love how much Kay cares about him even though he isn't her cat.  I would be the exact same way.  

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Review: The Ending Writes Itself

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke is perfect for lovers of Clue and/or stuck-on-an-island mysteries.  In this case, writers from a variety of genres are invited to the private island of a famous mystery/thriller author for a writer's retreat.  This could be the break they are looking for!  It is a mystery, so it is not a spoiler to say that someone dies.  Can they figure out whodunnit?  

I found this delightful even with the murder.  I enjoyed leaning into the tropes and stereotypes of literary genres.  Of course the romance writer would wear shades of red and pink!  There are plenty of clever surprises.  I hope we see more from Evelyn Clarke.

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Review: Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life

Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life by Sharon Blackie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life by Sharon Blackie is a different take on menopause.  It is part memoir, part mythology lesson.  Blackie embraces the concept of the hag as a life choice for middle-aged/elder women.  She would not approve of using senior there.  She explores the depiction of older women through the ages and how we can take what is often a negative stereotype and spin it into something positive.  She intersperses the history and myth with tales from her own life that have led her on this journey.  Best read while wearing a caftan and drinking a cup of tea.  

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Review: Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have a confession.  I turned down an advanced copy of Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett because I thought it would be too romantic for me.  It was being billed as romantasy, and even with the fantastic cover and the lure of cats, I just felt I wouldn't like it.  But, this book did not give up on my.  It kept showing up everywhere.  It was recommended to me repeatedly.  Finally, I decided to put it on hold at the library and let fate decide when/if I should read it.  Well, it came off hold so fast, fate was sending an unmistakable signal.  I now regret turning down the ARC.  There is romance, but I feel in love with the dedication to cat rescue.  The cat shelter isn't a throwaway concept.  It is actually important to the story!  I'm sorry for misjudging you.  If you are passionate about cat rescue and don't mind a little romance, check this out!

Bonus points for so many cats who aren't forgotten throughout the story.  

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Review: Wordhunter

Wordhunter by Stella Sands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wordhunter is the first book in the Wordhunter Mystery series by Stella Sands.  You will want to start reading here.  

Wordhunter is a very clever concept, profiling criminals based on their writing.  I'm a little surprised we don't hear more about this with all the CSIs and forensic crime shows and podcasts.  It is a very compelling idea.  As much as I never liked diagramming sentences, I loved the inclusion of the main character's habit of sentence diagrams.  I could see where it could be soothing like how some people enjoy sudoku or how I feel about jigsaw puzzles.  The crime under investigation is quite disturbing and toss in a creepy professor who is just the absolute worst, this book is not for the sensitive.  

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Review: Questland

Questland by Carrie Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Questland by Carrie Vaughn is like a dream come true.  If I were offered the chance to go to a theme park based on fantasy literature and gaming, I would not hesitate to say yes.  Actually, why doesn't this exist yet?  I guess they sort of tried it with Star Wars, and I still regret I didn't get to go before it shut down.  I need this to be a real thing.  Sorry, I am digressing from the book.  Our geeky main character is hired to go take back said theme park from the developers who  went rogue.  She is given a small team of mercenaries (my term) who actually do have combat skills but not really gaming skills to assist her in this mission.  I loved all the references.  I thought this book was a lot of fun even though there were some sad parts.  

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