Linda C’s Comments (group member since Aug 05, 2020)

Linda C’s comments from the Challenge Corner group.

Yeah! Hogwarts

I'm in - 20 bpm

Great playing with everyone. Hope to meet up in future challenges.

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 224 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Snowman Competition!: Set in Winter
How it Fits: set in Feb in Canada

I'll leave that to you then, Cynthia
I have a quick read for set in winter I will do.

Ruthie,
Did Connie say anything about tab 3 house in text. It looks like she has read and reviewed per spreadsheet but not submitted review to the review page. So it is still open. We can get extra points for a full Round if she submits.

Or we could move it and I can look for a short book to fill in. Short book will probably be not as many points. But will get round points. Any ideas anyone?

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Pages: 160 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Cookie Crawl: Author's initials in COOKIE
How it Fits: author initials E and C in COOKIE

Finished Chapters 14 -end (view spoiler)[ Very good, especially for being short. I really enjoyed the MC. Didn't need to be hit over the head with her good points, they were shown. Plotting was logical. I will definitely look for further volumes and other things by this author.

The only thing I caught was a discrepancy in the heroine's age. On p.6 she says"while in my early thirties and still fit..." and then on p.38 she says "I was only 28!." So since she spent 10 years in Miami on the paper she started there right out of high school and worked her way up to investigative reporter or if she's in her early thirties she went to journalism school and then to Miami. Either are legitimate avenues and going to college or not was not mentioned. So either works but needed to pick one and stick to it. (hide spoiler)]

70% Chapters 8-13 (view spoiler)[ I'm impressed. For a short cozy this is well put together. The MC is logical and making legitimate connections with the suspects. She is working with the police and not in opposition. She is supported by her boss.
Looking forward to the conclusion and to further in the series. (hide spoiler)]

38% Chapters 1-7 (view spoiler)[ This is starting out as a well written cozy. Kat is a journalist who has returned to her hometown from Miami, looking for a slower pace.

She is working as a features writer covering food and local events. At a local cookie store opening by a family friend she spots several disagreements. Later when she is called by someone to meet at night and get info regarding righting a wrong she discovers his body.

This is a great set up and being a journalist gives her the right to investigate. No busybody situation. There are characters from her past for background and there is a new Detective who is recovering from a serious injury and relocated from Miami also. Lots of potential avenues for exploration. (hide spoiler)]

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 320 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Cookie Bake-off!: 'Cookie' in text (pg/% & quote)
How it Fits: p.216 "he'd merely been caught with his hand in the cookie jar."

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Pages: 292 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Scavenger Hunt!: MPG Cozy Mystery
How it Fits: MPG Cozy Mystery

Finished Chapters 11-end (view spoiler)[ I'm not sure what to say.
The body count doubles, we get explosions, and a kidnapping. This goes over the top before the final reveal. The villain goes from an impulse kill to a bizarre kill to let's kill everyone who might know something or might expose her. The only saving grace was the climax which Val didn't see coming despite all her sleuthing. She actually pulled together enough to have a decent scene. But this was not enough for me to want to read any more of this series.

An aside - Val decides she needs some protection so she decides on karate. First class, sensei introduces himself and proceeds to flip her, multiple times. My grandson takes karate and if that had been his first class, the sensei would have been sued out of business. (hide spoiler)]

52% Chapters 3-10 (view spoiler)[ If I wasn't doing a BR I would have dropped this book.
Heroine is a bombshell but can't get a date, only lousy blind dates!
The murder of the nasty lady in her salon makes her want to solve the case by doing every stupid thing in the book.
Every person who came in the shop the day of the murder had some connection to the victim (what are the chances?)
One revealing incident - Val has a snarky confrontation with the hot detective, jumps in her car, takes off at high speed, takes a near swipe at a parked car, a sharp left turn (hopefully nothing was coming), jumps the curb and stops inches from a fire hydrant. Our heroine!
On to a quick finish and no more of this series. (hide spoiler)]

20% Chapters 1-3 (view spoiler)[ First chapters set the stage for a salon in trouble and a murder on site. Finding out a little backstory on characters.

Not thrilled with the rush to a sexy vibe with the Detective Romero.

The undertone of a woman only being complete or able to solve problems if a man is involved is dated even if these ideas are in the mouths of an older generation. I'm of that generation and we know better. Hope some of these things go in a different direction. (hide spoiler)]

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 214 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Holiday Karaoke!: Musical instrument on the cover
How it Fits: orchestra with instruments on cover -

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 281 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Ice Sculpting!: Ice on cover
How it Works: icicles hanging by window

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 325 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Racing Time!: MPG Sports
How it Fits: MPG Sports

I agree with you about reading Gentleman in Moscow first. I expected different things from this.

Thanks also for the BR

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BR: N/A
Pages: 352 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Snowman Competition!: Set in Winter
How it Fits: set in December