Reading Challenge: Cloak and Dagger

This challenge is for only one genre: crime or mystery.

  • Challenge Website: Link
  • Goal: 5
  • Challenge Post: Link

Gingerbread to Die For

LauraLeave a Comment on Gingerbread to Die For
Gingerbread to Die For
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, Book # 2
Red Cottage Books
November 1st 2019
eBook
220
English
December 29, 2022 December 31, 2022
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Cookies and corpses, not the picture-perfect Christmas Chris and Alicia Mallory had planned.

Recipe for a Christmas Murder:

Take one gingerbread competition, one mayor looking for publicity, one egocentric celebrity chef and a killer with an axe to grind. Mix thoroughly for the perfect Christmas murder.

Well, almost perfect.

It’s one month until Christmas in Dunbarton and the town is buzzing with the news that a famous celebrity chef is coming to judge and televise the gingerbread competition at the new community centre. Confident that the event will attract hordes of food-loving visitors to town, the mayor has Dunbarton decked out in all its Christmas finery and directs Alicia and the deputy mayor to make sure everything runs smoothly.

All is going as planned until a body is found in the life-sized gingerbread house outside the community centre, with a gingerbread dove stuffed in the victim’s mouth. The distraught mayor once again calls on Alicia and Chris to solve the murder before it sounds a death-knell to the holiday festivities.

It’s not long before Alicia and Chris discover that it’s not all sugar and spice in the world of big-time baking and that one too many cookies can be the death of you.

What I think

Last book of the year and last book for the Cloak and Dagger challenge.

I can’t give more than 3 stars even if I liked it better than the first book. Too simple to give Alicia the ‘oh it was him’ idea and leave it there. This particular one didn’t make me give more stars.

I know they’re not cops, but I found the case underdeveloped. It’s also too simple to have Alicia come to the solution (complete with a light bulb) and go “oh the killer was….” without saying how she found out. I understand how she found the murder weapon, but from there to say who the killer is (without saying why you think such a thing) is preposterous. Anyone could take it (the weapon) to kill.

I like Alicia and Chris as characters, maybe I’ll start reading the series and not just the Christmas ones, but I already have too many series to finish, so I don’t know.

There was more Christmas in this book and I enjoyed it more. But nothing exceptional, obviously I recommend it, but read it at Christmas time.

The Reindeer Caper

LauraLeave a Comment on The Reindeer Caper
The Reindeer Caper
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, Book # 1
Red Cottage Books
November 9th 2017
eBook
252
English
December 23, 2022 December 28, 2022
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With a missing reindeer, a murdered elf, and a mayor one Christmas Carol short of a breakdown, it looks like Christmas festivities in Dunbarton are in danger of being cancelled - especially since Santa is in jail, charged with murder!

It's coming up to Christmas and everyone in Dunbarton is filled with excitement at the arrival of a reindeer, a gift from their twin town in Norway. But when Dasher disappears, children and parents alike are devastated, and the mayor fears an international incident.

In desperation, the mayor turns to the Mallorys to save the town's Christmas, but the more Chris and Alicia investigate, the more they realize it isn't just Christmas that's in jeopardy.

What I think

The story is pleasant, I was hoping for more Christmas atmosphere but apart from saying that the fair starts in a certain number of days and the lights put up by Chris around his house, I haven’t felt it that much. Be that as it may, I never thought that the killer was that person.

The book has some grammatical and spelling errors but since it is a “free” book it can be overlooked.

I haven’t read the previous books because I honestly wanted to read the Christmas book after this one and since I read the books in order of publication, I had to read this one first, but I didn’t want to read the books before this one because there are too many and I wanted Christmas. Maybe I’ll pick up the series later.

Galapagos Gone

LauraLeave a Comment on Galapagos Gone
Galapagos Gone
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, Book # 6
Poisoned Pen Press
April 14th 2019
eBook
152
English
December 11, 2022 December 22, 2022
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When Detective Virginia Holmes and her plucky assistant take on an investigation in the Galapagos islands, they quickly find themselves embroiled in a dispute that goes back generations … and leads to more than a few grisly revelations. Secret clues, giant tortoises, and a few murders will keep the world's greatest detective busy while she's piecing together the truth!

For curious readers new to the Virginia Holmes series, this is the PERFECT book to start your adventures with Detective Virginia Holmes and Samantha Fox!
(my comment about the last sentence: please don't, read them chronologically)

What I think

Nice, too descriptive, but understandable given the place where we are. Some things were easy to understand before the final explanation, (also because a fact was taken up by Bones or rather that part was also in Bones so the solution was clear to me).

Iced Out in Iceland

LauraLeave a Comment on Iced Out in Iceland
Iced Out in Iceland
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, Book # 4
Poisoned Pen Press
December 7th 2018
eBook
180
English
December 1, 2022 December 7, 2022
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When a grisly murder occurs in a remote Icelandic town, it's up to Detective Virginia Holmes to fit together the pieces! But with no leads and only a few clues, she'll have to dig deep into the town's history. What she finds is almost as explosive as the volcano threatening to erupt at any moment …

What I think

Nice, but nothing special. Yep, really small review.

Deadly Odds

LauraLeave a Comment on Deadly Odds
Deadly Odds
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, Book # 3
Poisoned Pen Press
September 1st 2018
eBook
159
English
November 9, 2022 November 12, 2022
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An ancient chalice. A missing man. A mysterious death ...

Retired detective Virginia Holmes arrives in Las Vegas and quickly finds herself taking on more than she bargained for! With the help of her plucky assistant, she'll need to uncover the mystery of an ancient artefact if she has any hope of finding an important executive who's gone missing in the Sin City. But the closer they get to the truth, the faster the bodies pile up.

And if she's not careful, Holmes will be next!

What I think

I liked the story. That “that person” **** (sorry spoiler) was obvious but at least it wasn’t the usual story of disappearance. I enjoyed the background story and maybe, just like Holmes, I also like the cases set in history.