BOTM 9/2016 - A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket (Callie Parrish Mysteries)

[Di]

This will be our discussion thread for this book. Please be sure to hide your spoilers if there is something that you would like to discuss. The best way to do this is to note what chapter you're on, then hide any spoilery parts. If you do post your review on your favorite social media site, please tag it with #Book1CoziesClub so we can find it. Also, please feel free to link your review here!

[Sarah]

I started reading this book about 2 weeks ago . I'm currently still on page 66, but I intend to make some progress in the next days. But I already have some issues with the main character which makes it a little bit harder for me to make progress.

[Di]

I haven't started this one yet myself, but will be getting to it soon!

[Sarah]

Like I said I'm only 70 pages in. Until that point I think the setting in the funeral home is unique and interesting. The murder and the developments so far also keep my interest.
But like I said there are some issues that already bother me:
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1. Callie and her breasts... I really don't wanna read about it. I just don't. I don't care. I makes her look extremely inmature like she is still a teenager. I really don't need her talking about her inflatable bra... (it already starts at page 2)
2. Drugs... I just read about Callie's best friend who is blind (since birth) and had no big problem with trying out many different kind of drugs throughout her life so far. I don't like the way it is portraited like that's no big deal. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth...
3. Callie's crush on Nick... I think (and I really hope) that this will change in this book, but I don't understand her. From what is shown so far, there isn't one reason for me that makes me understand Callie and her attraction to him. I also had some weird crushes in school, but those never lasted long, because I got older and "wiser" (;-D). Like number 1 it makes her look like a teenager to me.
4. Callie waking up in the hospital... She wakes up and the first thing she thinks about is her make-up and how she looks. I also can't relate to that. (Maybe I should mention that I don't wear much make-up...) She gets hit on her head really hard which leaves her unconscious and the only thing she can think of when she wakes up is her make-up and what the doctor might think?
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Maybe I'm a little bit hypocritic, but this stuff really bothers me... (Excuse me if it sounds a little bit harsh sometimes, but it's a little bit difficult for me to express my thoughts in another language.)

[Sarah]

So, I just finished the book. I gave it 3 stars (a slight tendency to 3.5...). Overall I liked the mystery itself and the process of solving, but some characters and "side notes" were some negative points, although I understand that some of these thing were more or less important for the storyline. I had a slow start reading this book, but I picked up pace towards the end.

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Let's start with the points I already mentioned:
1. Still don't like the whole angle, but well, in the end it was a lifesaver. ;-) It was still too much of it and way too many times mentioned.
2. Callie distanced herself some from her friends past addiction after my first impressions above. This storyline also played a part in solving the murder, but there could have been other ways to handle it in my opinion.
3. Her opinion changed, a little bit too late, maybe, but it did... Well, didn't understand Callie from the start at all, still don't understand it now... She seems to have a "unique" taste in men. That includes the doctor, she seems to be a little bit too naive...
4. What can I say? At least the second time waking up in the hospital was better...

One more point to my "Bothered me"-list: The scene of her best friends in the shop(s) and stealing. I don't think it was needed in the story. Unless it was supposed to make Callie's best friend look unsympathetic, then it worked well for me. :-D
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[Di]

Sarah wrote: "Like I said I'm only 70 pages in. Until that point I think the setting in the funeral home is unique and interesting. The murder and the developments so far also keep my interest.
But like I said ..."

I just finished chapter 9 and could finally read your spoilers ^-^ I agree with you on your points. #2 doesn't bother me as much but I can understand your feeling on it. #1 is bothering me a lot! I just shake my head at #4. I think 1 & 4 go hand in hand for me as things that bother me a lot about Callie's character.

I did enjoy the bits of mortuary work that has been done so far in the book. I'm hoping there is more. The mystery aspect seems slow going for me though. Callie doesn't seem as inquisitive as other main characters from Cozies that I've read before, which I think is lending to the slow build of the mystery. I read that you mentioned it picks up pace at the end, so I'm looking forward to that. I'll check back again once I've read more.

[Di]

I finished! In the end, I did find the book entertaining though I did have some issues with things. I do have the next book in the series, so I will be continuing. You can find my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I can't hide or read spoilers through the Goodreads app so I thought this might be the best way. I don't think my review is spoilery, but better to be safe than sorry, right?