Murder at the Estate Sale by Lily Charles

 

I enjoy reading or listening to cozy mystery novels quite a bit. I have found myself in the mood for reading them this year in between listening to some of the nonfiction books I've already listened to earlier this year.

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Murder at the Estate Sale by Lily Charles, which is well narrated by Janet Metzger. Lily Charles is a new to me author and Murder at the Estate Sale is the first novel in the 'Molly & Emma Booksellers' series. Lily Charles also happens to be the pen name of writing duo Charlene Ball and Libby Ware.

I really enjoyed listening to Murder at the Estate Sale. As I already stated, this cozy mystery is well narrated by Janet Metzger. I loved the writing, the plot, and the two main characters, Molly and Emma. The entire premise of this novel revolving around two main, female characters, who are booksellers whom stumble across a murder at an estate sell in the first chapter was definitely a lure for me. Who can resist a book about books? 

Molly and Emma make a great team. They are opposites, yet have a lot in common, Emma is more shy/reserved and very organized, while Molly is less reserved and more of a fly by the seat of ones pants kinda of woman. Both women are very smart and knowledgeable about books and the topic/subject of the occult.

Occultism/occult books plays a large part of the plot/storyline for Murder at the Estate Sale. In fact, the start of each chapter begins with a specific book title being mentioned. Each of the books mentioned falls into the occult genre and is simply highlighted at the start of each chapter.

As I mentioned earlier, the writing is excellent for Murder at the Estate Sale. I enjoyed the storyline very much and how the plot unfolded. Whodunnit was a surprise for me as there was a twist at the end of the novel. I don't like guessing whodunnit too early on in a novel. But being surprised by a plot twist is even better! I liked this novel.

Below is the publisher's summary for Murder at the Estate Sale by Lily Charles, which I discovered on the author's website:

When Molly O’Donnell, long-time antiquarian bookseller, and Emma Clarke, new to bookselling, meet at an estate sale, they are both there for the books. But Emma hears a cry, ignores a “Do Not Enter” sign, and discovers the dead body of notorious book thief Buck Hubbell in the basement. She calls Molly, who joins her and finds a slip of paper with a warning written in Elizabethan script that hints at black magic.

Adventurous Molly and cautious Emma seek to discover who murdered Buck and to unlock the meaning of the mysterious note. Their search leads them to a hidden library full of occult books. Suspects abound among booksellers and practitioners of the black arts. Attracted to each other yet wary of involvement, Molly and Emma create an alliance to get to the bottom of the warning note, find a missing book of spells—and solve a murder.

I am giving Murder at the Estate Sale by Lily Charles a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates and narrated by Angela Dawe. Voices in the Snow is the first novel in the Black Winter series. This novel falls into the atmospheric horror genre. However, it also contains zombies and an apocalypse theme. If you're into this type of genre, then this may be the novel/series for you. Angela Dawe is a good narrator too!

Horror and apocalypse books with zombies aren't my go to types of novels to read. However, Darcy Coates seems to be a popular horror writer among readers. With that in mind, I wanted to give another one of her novels a try since the previous novel I'd read by Darcy Coates earlier this year was likable, but not fantastic, in my opinion.

I felt that Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates was overall a good read, but started off slowly for roughly the first half of the novel. It finally picked up the last half of the novel. I liked the two main characters a lot and the overall premise of the novel. The writing is good. I am just not that curious to carry on with reading the remaining three novels in the Black Winter series.

Below is the plot summary for Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates from Amazon's website:

Clare remembers the cold. She remembers abandoned cars and children's toys littered across the road. She remembers dark shapes in the snow and a terror she can't explain. And then... nothing. When she wakes, aching and afraid in a stranger's gothic home, he tells her she was in an accident, a crash in the snow. He claims he saved her. Clare wants to leave, but a vicious snowstorm has blanketed the world in white, trapping them together, and there's nothing she can do but wait.

At least the stranger seems kind... but Clare doesn't know if she can trust him. He promised they were alone here, but she sees and hears things that convince her something else is creeping about the surrounding woods, watching. Waiting. Between the claustrophobic storm and the inescapable sense of being hunted, Clare is on edge... and increasingly certain of one thing:

Her car crash wasn't an accident. Something is waiting for her to step outside the fragile safety of the house... something monstrous, something unfeeling.

Something desperately hungry.

I am giving Voices in the Snow by Darcy Coates a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton

 

I love a good mystery! I came across the unabridged audio version of  A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton and narrated by Rafe Beckley on the Chirp's audiobooks website and decided to give it go after reading the novel's description.  

A Most Efficient Murder is the first novel in 'The Mr. Quayle Mysteries' series and is a historical mystery novel set in England during the 1920s. I enjoyed the writing, the storyline, most of the characters, and the pacing of this novel and am looking forward to reading future novels in the series. 

The only major complaints for me were the overuse of some phrases that lost their impact over the course of the novel... Plus, a couple of minor characters that became annoying due to their behavior. Otherwise, I felt that A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton was a really good read.

Below is the publishers plot summary for A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton from Amazon's website:

When a party thrown by the reclusive Lord Unsworth is marred by murder, his loyal secretary, Mr. Quayle, must unravel a web of red-herrings and old family secrets in this English country house mystery.

"I do not wish to disturb you, your grace, but there is a body in the garden...."

England, 1925. When a strange young woman is found murdered on the grounds of Unsworth Castle, the duke and his family are astounded at first, but quickly become enraged when the police begin asking all sorts of impertinent questions.

And when suspicions dare to fall on one of their own, it is up to Mr. Quayle, Lord Unsworth's exceedingly efficient secretary, to find the true culprit and save the House of Unsworth from scandal and ruin.

A Most Efficient Murder is the first in the The Mr. Quayle Mysteries.

I'm giving A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!