Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
I loved this! The concept of a seventy-something grandmother who plays bingo every week but is also a killer is so fun. Downing has a way of pulling readers into the narrative, and this book is no exception. The action begins immediately and continues until the last page. The murders set off a series of events that disrupt Lottie's life, making it compelling to watch her attempt to manage the consequences while staying ahead of others. She is clever, ruthless, and possesses a dark sense of humor. I was stressed watching her figure out how to get herself out of these jams. If you like fast-paced plots, snarky writing, and gripping twists, then you need to check this one out.
Murder Most Owl- Sarah Fox: Georgie Johansen hasn't been back to the coastal town of Twilight Cove in years, but when her aunt Olivia gets injured, she packs up her things to go and help tend to her animal sanctuary. On her first day, Georgie meets Dorothy Shale, her aunt's eccentric neighbor and rumored town witch, while walking in the woods. The two meet only briefly, but when Dorothy is found murdered in her cabin, the blame is quickly put on Georgie. It doesn't help that Dorothy left all her land to Georgie's aunt in her will. Georgie is determined to uncover the real killer and clear her and Olivia's names, and she's aided along in her search by the unexpected powers of Dorothy's two dogs and a great-horned owl. But the closer Georgie gets to the truth, the more danger she finds herself in. Can she solve the crime before it's too late?
I always go into cozy mysteries with the best intentions and usually end up bored, but this one was so fun! I loved the coastal town setting and Georgie's aunt's animal sanctuary. Fox's writing was so descriptive that it felt like you were there amongst the trees with Georgie. The mystery itself was fun and kept me guessing. Some parts were predictable, but that's par for the course with this particular genre. The mix of genres--mystery, romance, and a dash of fantasy--worked so well together. My favorite part was, of course, all the animals. I loved the magical element of the dogs and the owl, and I'm looking forward to learning more about what they can do. Overall, I thought this was so entertaining, and I can't wait to continue the series.
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| Pub Date: 7-15-25 Adult - Horror |
The Bewitching- Sylvia Moreno-Garcia: Minerva grew up hearing stories about witches from her great-grandma, Nana Alba. Those stories stuck with her. As a result, Minerva became a graduate student focusing on the history of horror literature for her thesis. While compiling information, Minerva discovers a story by an obscure author, Beatrice Tremblay. The tale, possibly inspired by a real disappearance on Minerva's college campus, fascinates her. As Minerva digs deeper, the story begins to align with a disturbing account from Nana Alba's life in Mexico, where Nana Alba had a horrifying encounter with a witch. When Minerva senses a dark force following her, she believes whatever haunted Alba and Beatrice may now have set its sights on her.
SMG is one of those authors I desperately want to love. The premises of her books sound perfectly tailored to my tastes, but something about them always falls short. I've read a few of her books now, and they've all just been fine—never bad, never great. While I don't dislike them, I can't say I love them either. They're simply very middle-of-the-road, and that was the case here, too. I liked getting the three different POVs and timelines. However, we jump between them so abruptly that it sometimes feels jarring. I was interested to see how they'd all weave together, because they felt like three separate stories for the majority of the book. While the pacing was incredibly slow, I appreciated how it helped build tension; however, it left me feeling pretty bored. I enjoyed the second half more than the first because the action began ramping up. The atmosphere throughout was 10/10. Again, I thought the story as a whole was just okay, but I'd still recommend it since I know others would enjoy it.
SMG is one of those authors I desperately want to love. The premises of her books sound perfectly tailored to my tastes, but something about them always falls short. I've read a few of her books now, and they've all just been fine—never bad, never great. While I don't dislike them, I can't say I love them either. They're simply very middle-of-the-road, and that was the case here, too. I liked getting the three different POVs and timelines. However, we jump between them so abruptly that it sometimes feels jarring. I was interested to see how they'd all weave together, because they felt like three separate stories for the majority of the book. While the pacing was incredibly slow, I appreciated how it helped build tension; however, it left me feeling pretty bored. I enjoyed the second half more than the first because the action began ramping up. The atmosphere throughout was 10/10. Again, I thought the story as a whole was just okay, but I'd still recommend it since I know others would enjoy it.
Rating: 3/5
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| Pub Date: 8-12-25 Adult - Thriller |
Too Old for This- Samantha Downing: Lottie Jones, once Lorena, has a secret: she was arrested in the '80s on suspicion of being a serial killer, but released for lack of evidence and used the settlement to start over with her son. Now, decades later, an investigative journalist starts asking questions, forcing Lottie to return to her old ways. But one murder leads to more, and Lottie finds she's not as meticulous as she once was, and when the detective from her past resurfaces, she knows it's time to finish things for good.
I loved this! The concept of a seventy-something grandmother who plays bingo every week but is also a killer is so fun. Downing has a way of pulling readers into the narrative, and this book is no exception. The action begins immediately and continues until the last page. The murders set off a series of events that disrupt Lottie's life, making it compelling to watch her attempt to manage the consequences while staying ahead of others. She is clever, ruthless, and possesses a dark sense of humor. I was stressed watching her figure out how to get herself out of these jams. If you like fast-paced plots, snarky writing, and gripping twists, then you need to check this one out.
Rating: 4/5
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| Pub Date: 4-2-24 Adult - Cozy Mystery |
Murder Most Owl- Sarah Fox: Georgie Johansen hasn't been back to the coastal town of Twilight Cove in years, but when her aunt Olivia gets injured, she packs up her things to go and help tend to her animal sanctuary. On her first day, Georgie meets Dorothy Shale, her aunt's eccentric neighbor and rumored town witch, while walking in the woods. The two meet only briefly, but when Dorothy is found murdered in her cabin, the blame is quickly put on Georgie. It doesn't help that Dorothy left all her land to Georgie's aunt in her will. Georgie is determined to uncover the real killer and clear her and Olivia's names, and she's aided along in her search by the unexpected powers of Dorothy's two dogs and a great-horned owl. But the closer Georgie gets to the truth, the more danger she finds herself in. Can she solve the crime before it's too late?
I always go into cozy mysteries with the best intentions and usually end up bored, but this one was so fun! I loved the coastal town setting and Georgie's aunt's animal sanctuary. Fox's writing was so descriptive that it felt like you were there amongst the trees with Georgie. The mystery itself was fun and kept me guessing. Some parts were predictable, but that's par for the course with this particular genre. The mix of genres--mystery, romance, and a dash of fantasy--worked so well together. My favorite part was, of course, all the animals. I loved the magical element of the dogs and the owl, and I'm looking forward to learning more about what they can do. Overall, I thought this was so entertaining, and I can't wait to continue the series.
Rating: 4/5
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