Book Reviews

Thoughts on THE TRIDENT AND THE PEARL

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are about the same. The government has finally approved my benefits for the coming year (it starts March 1st, it’s weird), so yay for still being cripple enough. I guess. Anyway, it’s the last Wednesday of February, so you know what that means. Book review time! This month, I decided to try getting outside my usual murder mystery stuff and jump on the romantasy train. Not even the fluffy kind. Turned out to be straight up fantasy with a little romance mixed in. The Trident and the Pearl by Sarah K.L. Wilson was released yesterday (the 24th) from Orbit Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!

The Trident and the Pearl follows Coralys, a queen desperate to save her people even if it means submitting to the will of the gods. To stop the storms that have destroyed her isles, killed so many of her people, and even taken her husband, she makes a bargain with a voice on the wind. Stripped of her title, she’s forced to marry the first man who steps foot on her land. An old fisherman. But at least her people will be safe. Right? Dragged into the gods’ petty bickering, Coralys soon finds out nothing is what it seems in her new life.

Book cover: I don’t normally mention the covers unless they’re super pretty or something, but this cover is annoying. Did no one read this book before they commissioned the art? Both Coralys and Oke are described as having brown skin. Why are these people so white? The artist even mentions working with the author directly, so the color of the characters should have been easily established. Was the brown skin in the book just added as an afterthought or what? Did they make them white in the final draft and I just don’t have that? I’m so very confused.

Plot and pacing: the plot had so much potential. I wanted to love it, but everything was pretty much a mess. The first half of the book is spent repeating the same stuff over and over again. I almost gave up. When things finally do start happening, it still manages to be super slow. A lot of the story relies on miscommunication, but after a couple of examples the rest are so forced that it turns into willful ignorance which ruins the whole story. It was a dumpster fire in terms of pacing and the execution of the plot.

Characters: everyone else is fine, but Coralys is horrible. She’s supposed to be this amazing queen, but she’s an idiot. Basically, she immediately comes to the wrong conclusion about EVERYTHING and will only listen to people who reinforce her beliefs despite knowing they’re evil and out for themselves. Holy shit, she’s a MAGAt. Kidding. Kind of. Anyway, she’s not a good character at all even though the story keeps insisting she’s wonderful and amazing and all that fun stuff. The rest of the characters are pretty flat. Including Oke.

Writing: it was nice for the most part. A little purple for me. But it wasn’t bad.

Ultimately, I didn’t like The Trident and the Pearl. It was a mess. I wanted to enjoy it because it’s got all my favorite fantasy things in it, but it didn’t work.

Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. I don’t recommend it, but it got published and some people like it.

Thoughts on A FIELD GUIDE TO MURDER

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely last Wednesday of January? There is so much to scream into the void about, but I’m going to push it down and focus on the book review. That’s right! It’s book review time! This month, I went with a cozy mystery. A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen was released yesterday (the 27th) from Crooked Lane Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!

A Field Guide to Murder follows Harry, who has recently fractured his hip and believes his globetrotting life is behind him, and Emma, his caregiver who is trying to get Harry back into the world while avoiding her own problems. When a neighbor calls him during her death throes, Harry finds life in trying to solve her (maybe) murder. Emma gets dragged along for the ride until she realizes she’s finding herself as well. Can they help each other find renewed purposes for their lives? Can they solve the case?

Plot: enjoyable. I’m growing fond of stories that follow people post-retirement. Harry is an older gentlemen and Emma becomes like a second daughter to him. Found family! The mystery part of the plot is standard, but with little twists that make it fun. An upscale gated neighborhood basically (not sure if it’s actually gated or just has that feel) where everyone knows each other and it turns out most of them are shady. One of them dies mysteriously. Drama is revealed. Plus Emma’s drama. It’s all woven together pretty well for the most part. No real complaints here.

Characters: there are too many. This is my only real complaint about this book. There are far too many named characters that don’t really need to exist. It happens a lot when stories are weak, so the author throws in a bunch of names to confuse the reader in an attempt to hide what’s happening. I hate it, especially when it isn’t needed. This story is strong. We don’t need to meet every single neighbor. I knew who the bad guy was, but I kept confusing another name with his, so it was super weird. There are like 12 neighbors plus Emma’s family and Harry’s family and his acquaintances. Oh, and the police officers. It was an unnecessary amount. That said, I loved Harry and Emma. There wasn’t enough page time to get to know everyone else properly.

Writing: smooth. There wasn’t anything particularly special about the writing. It was unobtrusive and let the story shine. Made for a quick, smooth read.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed A Field Guide to Murder. Aside from the annoying amount of characters, I liked this one. I’ll definitely pick up book two if there is one.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I do recommend it for anyone who loves cozy mysteries, older protagonists, or even just found family stories.

Thoughts on AN ARCANE INHERITANCE

~ shawnaborman ~ 5 Comments

Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this lovely last Wednesday of 2025? I’m back! It was a nice break in which I did nothing productive. So, the usual. Anyway! I’m here to do my last book review of the year. Can you believe it’s already that time again? I decided to try some dark fantasy (they marketed it as dark academia, but eh… dark fantasy is broader and more accurate) this month to switch things up a bit. An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole was released on the 30th (yesterday) from Poisoned Pen Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!

An Arcane Inheritance follows Ellory Morgan as she settles into her freshman year at Warren University, an ivy league school with a rumored sordid past. Along with competing to keep her grades up, working, and trying to maintain a social life, Ellory has to deal with intense bouts of déjà vu. Throw in a rivalry (maybe more) with one of the hottest/richest guys in school and a search to uncover the school’s darkest secrets and it’s down to Ellory to figure out what’s going on. Can she do it by herself? Does she have to?

Pacing and plot: ugh. This was a slow one. And honestly, super confusing. There was so much stuff that happened off the page that should’ve been an integral part of the story. But instead, we get told about every fucking time someone changes their outfit. I really couldn’t care less that every dude in this book has an ungodly amount of button downs to go under their equally stupid number of vests. Get to the story. Tell me about the missing eight. Oh, we’re summoning one of them by a pond? Probably should’ve led up to that a bit better. Your besties have been having déjà vu experiences of their own? We’re just glancing over that, but you’re telling me someone wears combat boots with another douchey rich boy outfit? Sure. That’s… cool, I guess. Like, I get setting the mood and world building and all that, but when it comes at the expense of the story, it should be reprioritized (cut… I mean that the outfits should be cut in favor of actual plot).

Characters: a big nope. The only character with any real flesh, so to speak, is Ellory. Granted, at the end, there’s a reason the rest are just her ideal versions of character stereotypes. It’s a stupid reason, but it’s still a reason. Ellory herself was okay. Kind of all talk, no action, but that’s mostly because so much of the plot (her chances for growth) happens off the page. Also, her weird obsession with saying Hudson Graves instead of just picking his first or last name makes her sound like a Saturday morning cartoon baddie. “I shall destroy Hudson Graves! -cue squeaky maniacal laughter-” It’s a bit ridiculous. And their rivals to romance plotline is kind of abrupt. I was also disappointed that the bad people were just generic rich old white folks. At least make the main bad dude interesting. But nope.

Writing: pretty much the only thing that made the book worth reading. Despite the focus on clothes, the writing was beautiful. Sometimes it was over the top, but mostly it stayed on the right side of flowery. I did enjoy it from a writer’s perspective.

Ultimately, I wasn’t a fan of An Arcane Inheritance. I thought maybe I was being too harsh. Maybe people like hearing about clothes. But I did check out some reviews to see if I should rethink things and realized very quickly that I’m not alone. I see good things about Cole’s other books, so I might check them out since I liked the writing, but this one is definitely skippable.

Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. The writing is good, but the execution as a whole leaves a lot to be desired. If you’re already a fan, try it. If not, try something else by Cole first.

Thoughts on MURDER AMONG THE STACKS

~ shawnaborman ~ 2 Comments

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Are those who celebrate ready for Turkey Day? We are. Well, it’s the last Wednesday of November, so you know what that means. Book review time! This month, I went with a hybrid cozy mystery/word search puzzle. It was certainly something different. Murder Among the Stacks by Rosie A. Point was released from Adams Media yesterday (the 25th). As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!

Murder Among the Stacks follows Abby Jones and her cat Reggie as they try to make a go it by opening a bookstore in a small town. Abby’s fresh off a bad break up and looking for distractions. When a hot author is murdered at a book signing in her bookstore, Abby gets all the distractions she wants and more. She’s an avid word search solver, so at the end of each chapter is a puzzle for the reader, so they can help collect clues and solve the murder alongside Abby.

The story: surprisingly cute. Each chapter is only one page, so it’s basically just an outline of a story. No flesh, nowhere to really hide anything. But it hits all the cozy mystery tropes all the same. The characters are all stereotypes with no real room to grow. It’s not bad, but avid cozy mystery fans will not be buying this for the story.

The puzzles: standard word searches for the most part. I honestly stopped doing the puzzles about halfway through because there was no way for me to circle the words. It would’ve been a lot more fun if I had a hardcopy or if they created a way to highlight the words in the ebook. Not sure how the final version will work, if they even release an ebook version. But the paperback version should be lovely.

The layout: super cute. There are lots of illustrations to keep the book interesting. The puzzle that reveals the killer has an added trick to it. There’s an answer key at the end. It’s very nicely designed.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Murder Among the Stacks for what it is. It’s definitely more of a puzzle book with a twist of cozy mystery. I would probably have preferred a crossword or something, but to each their own.

Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. It’s a cute concept and if you enjoy word searches with a little story, I do recommend it. But it’s not something to pick up if you’re looking for a regular cozy mystery.

Thoughts on THE BOOK OF AUTUMN

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? Dad got a new phone because he decided it would be fun to tumble into the pond with his old one in his pocket. That damn water hose just snaked out and grabbed him by the ankle. Splash. He’s fine. Fish are fine. Dogs just sat there and laughed at him. Lost about 4 years worth of pictures, but apparently everything else was backed up. Otherwise, life is still going. Today is the last Wednesday of October, so you know what that means. Book review time! This month, I went with a dark fantasy in the hopes of getting some spooky vibes. The Book of Autumn by Molly O’Sullivan was released yesterday (the 28th) by Kensington Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing.

The Book of Autumn follows Marcella Gibbons as she returns to her alma mater, a school of magic deep in the New Mexico deserts, to help solve a brutal murder and eerie magical plight. She must delve into her troubled past to save the life of another troubled young woman and perhaps the entire school. But can she get out of the shadow of her dimidium, the other half of her magical soul, long enough to shine on her own?

Plot and pacing. The plot has a lot of potential, but in actuality, it’s super muddy and makes very little sense. There’s no real reason why Cella and Max are even needed. No one cooperates with them. They both blatantly ignore obvious clues for no reason other than to drag the story out. There’s this whole thing with mushrooms that never really comes to anything. It’s just a confusing mess and everything is crammed into the last 20% of the book, which makes the first 80% of the book useless. It’s far too drawn out and the ending ends up being confusing and jarring. It’s just not executed well at all.

The characters. They’re all selfish and deliberately ignorant. The only one with any sense is Luce and that’s not saying much. None of them know how to have a conversation, which would solve so many issues right up front. These are supposed to be adults, but they all act like they’re 12. I just really hate stupid people. I really wanted to DNF this one because of them, but I pushed through.

The writing. So, this book was supposed to mimic an academic paper with footnotes and references and everything, but it didn’t work for me. Most of the footnotes just felt like stuff the author was told to cut and decided to sneak it back in under the guise of academia. It should’ve stayed cut or been blended back into the story itself. Beyond that, pretty much the only redeeming feature of this book was the descriptions. The New Mexico setting sounded beautiful.

Ultimately, I really didn’t like The Book of Autumn. It sounds like a great story, but missed every mark. I’m trying really hard to think of nice or at least constructive things to say. Nothing is coming, so this review will have to stay short.

Overall, I gave it 1 out of 5 stars. I struggled really hard to get through this one and just can’t bring myself to recommend it.

Thoughts on R.A.T.S: REVOLUTIONARY ARMY OF TEENS

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this first day of October? Things here are the same. Just waiting to find out if I’m still cripple enough for Medicaid if they ever do anything. Anyway, as you can see from the post’s title, this is going to be a book review! That book that was supposed to come out in June was finally released, so I’m going to go ahead and review it. R.A.T.S: Revolutionary Army of Teens by Claudia Daher was released on September 25th from Vanguard Press (an imprint of Pegasus Publishers). Rachel Lachney from Books Forward reached out to me about reviewing it. As usual, this is an honest and unbiased review. I will say that the ARC I received was from way back in March and I have no idea if any major edits have taken place since then or not. So, take this review with a grain of salt just in case I didn’t have the most recent version. Here we go.

R.A.T.S: Revolutionary Army of Teens follows a number of young people from all over the world, mainly David, as they become immersed in a video game about saving the world from climate change and an alien threat. When they find out the game isn’t just a game, but based on a real and imminent disaster, they take it upon themselves to use the training provided in the game to go save the world.

The age range of the kids has this book straddling middle grade and young adult, but it definitely reads on the younger end of middle grade. It’s an over-simplification of climate change and some other complicated issues that encourages kids to think about these things and try to work together on potential solutions. I like that part. In today’s world, adults (at least where I’m from) can’t even agree that basic access to affordable food and healthcare are rights, not luxuries. They certainly aren’t going to fix anything as complex as climate change. So, the premise of this book is great.

The actual plot, though. Meh. A lot of it reads like a C.S. Lewis book. Thinly veiled Christianity. The good aliens are beings of light and warmth who never interfere with a human’s free will, etc. While the bad aliens are beings of darkness and greed who destroy everything they touch, but they happen to be descendants of evil, lying, sinning humans. There’s also a random scene with a lion and a lamb, just in case everything else was too subtle. Oh, and David’s basically Jesus for reasons I won’t spoil, but which are glaringly obvious. Now, I’m not saying this is an inherently bad thing. I do think it will confuse the crap out of Republicans. “Must ban because climate change doesn’t exist, but it’s thinly veiled Christian stuff…” -internal meltdown-. I find that hilarious. I’m just saying, I’m not into books that try so hard to be religious and cover it up at the same time. So, it ruined an otherwise decent plot for me.

The characters are all pretty much perfect, except for the bad aliens and random young Texans. This is not a good thing, especially in a middle grade book. There are no flaws for young readers to relate to, no room for growth. Literally the only character growth in this book is when one of the Texans decides not to be a dick any more. Otherwise, everyone makes all the right choices at all the right times. There’s no tension. No internal conflict. Everyone is just perfect and it’s boring.

Side note: the dialogue is pretty standard if somewhat stilted, except for the Texans. They talk like some combination of the Beverly Hillbillies and every cliché Western movie. I’m not entirely sure if it was supposed to be insulting (if so, fair) or if that’s how the author actually thinks people talk here. It’s just weird that they’re the only ones who get lines that sound like “I done jumped ’bout as high as an armadilly what got it’s tail-end tickled with a feather” (not a quote, just my own example). I mean… why?

The writing was fairly unobtrusive. It flowed and made for a quick read. There are also pictures drawn by the author throughout the book, which was lovely.

Ultimately, I thought the premise of R.A.T.S: Revolutionary Army of Teens was great, but I was not a fan of the execution. Most of my dislike was a me problem. Personally, I just felt it could’ve been better.

Overall, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. One because it was written and published and one because I know other people will like it more than I did. If you’re a fan of thinly veiled Bible retellings, you’ll probably like it a lot more than I did. If you’re a fan of middle grade sci-fi or have kids who are, check it out.

Thoughts on EXTRAORDINARY QUESTS FOR AMATEUR WITCHES

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are about the same. Still waiting. Still tired. Anyway, it’s not time for random complaints. It’s the last Wednesday of September, so it’s book review time! This month, I went for some fluffy, gay fantasy. I didn’t realize it was actually the second book in a loosely connected series when I requested it, but it stands fairly well on it’s own. I just hate reading things out of order because if I do go back to the first book, it’s spoiled. But I digress. Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches by Kayla Cottingham was released by Delacorte Press on the 23rd (yesterday). As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing.

Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches follows Kieran, who is currently reeling from a series of unfortunate events, as he accidentally curses his (on a break) boyfriend and sets off on an impossible task to fix it. The task? Finding a panacea (cure all) which may or may not exist. To make matters worse, this quest is also his Calling, the test of his own choosing that the Witch’s Council will use to determine whether or not he keeps his magic. Why did he choose something so difficult? But at least he gets to go adventuring with old friends and even a new one. Why does the new one have to be so attractive, though? Kieran has no idea what he’s doing. Hopefully, he can figure it out before everything falls apart.

The plot. It’s cute and predictable. The romance is a little too slow burn for me, but it’s adorable. The main part of the story is broken down into three tasks, then the culmination and climax. I went right through the first two tasks, but by the third one, I had a little trouble continuing. It was just so clear what was going to happen that I lost a little interest. The climax was also super disappointing. This is supposed to be all about Kieran growing and becoming the hero, but when it comes to the final boss (if you’ll excuse the video game reference), someone else takes care of everything while he cries over his inability to save someone. It felt lazy.

The characters. I loved most of the characters. Especially Kieran and Sebastian. Seaweed was my favorite, of course. I thought Ash was an asshole and not worth all the angst, but maybe if I had read the first book, I’d feel different. If he was even in it. There was also a baddie who shows up for like five pages that was useless. They were supposed to be this formidable opponent, but the way they showed up and disappeared was weak. They were literally used to make Kieran freak out about the fact that Sebastian had dated before, then thrown back into the ether like they had never existed. They could’ve been a much larger part of the story. Adelaide also feels completely random, but I’m almost positive that’s because I didn’t read the first book where she seems to play a big role.

The writing was good. There was nothing mind blowing about it, but it flowed nicely and made for an easy read.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the first half or so of Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches, then got bored with it. I seriously thought about going back and reading the first book, but this book basically spoils the whole thing, so I probably won’t.

Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. It wasn’t bad per se, it just wasn’t for me. If you enjoy super light gay fluff fantasy, check it out. But there are a lot of better ones out there.

Quick Thoughts on THE LIGHTHOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

~ shawnaborman ~ 1 Comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? I’m fine, just annoyed. On Friday, the Medicaid people sent one of their fearmongering letters saying they never received my renewal application (the one that was sent July 17th that they confirmed they got when I called on August 4th just to make sure they got it) and if I didn’t submit everything within 5 days, I’d be booted off. Five days and it’s a freaking 3 day weekend. So, I called on Friday and was told they had everything except the signature page, please just send that ASAP. Sent it right away. Called Tuesday to confirm they received it. They did. Everything is under review and now I get to keep waiting. They don’t have any ridiculous deadlines with serious threats to get back to me, though. Like, why can’t I get a response in 5 days or they lose their insurance? Anyway. It’s late, so I figured I’d give you a brief review of The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson since I finished it! Why a quick one? Because I’m biased and therefore don’t give full reviews on books by friends.

Plot: it’s a take on Orpheus, but it’s kind of like there are three very different versions of the myth happening at once. Charlie and Sam, Nera and Charlie, and the Keeper and the thing in the dark. All three storylines have echoes of Orpheus and Eurydice in them, which is cool. Plus, there are doggies! So many puppers to cuddle. That alone makes this a great book in my opinion.

Characters: love, love, love Nera. Especially at the end when she has grown strong enough to put her own needs first instead of trying to cater to everyone else. Charlie is a lot, but given what she’s been through, that’s to be expected. All of the older people suck, but I think they’re supposed to. If they were well-adjusted individuals with healthy coping strategies, chances are Nera and Charlie would have those traits, then there wouldn’t be a story. The doggos are still the bestest part of the book!

Writing: the flow is really nice and I love how the remnants sections break things up. They provide a respite from the heaviness that comes with stories about grief and loss.

Overall, I gave The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World 5 out of 5 stars. Definitely recommend it if you’re into Greek mythology, enjoy stories about the journey through grief, or just REALLY like dogs like me.

Thoughts on LOVE’S A WITCH

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? We have tomatoes (Sweeties and Black Krims)! Yummy. Be jealous. We also have jalapeños that are good too. But mostly yay for tomatoes! Anyway, we’re not here to talk about yummy goodness. It’s the last Wednesday of August, so we’re (you and I, not the royal we) here for the book review. This month, I went for a witchy little romance. Not like an epic, sweeping romantasy. Just a cute sounding little romance with fantasy elements. It’s the first book in the Scottish Charms series. Love’s a Witch by Tricia O’Malley was released yesterday (the 26th) from Gallery Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. So, let’s get to it.

Love’s a Witch follows the MacGregor sisters as they move back home to Briarhaven in Scotland to try to break the curse that’s been on their family for centuries. Sloane, the oldest, is so used to playing mother hen to her sisters that she’s having trouble acknowledging that they’re all young women now. She’s also struggling with the fact that she’s coming into her magic as her 25th birthday looms. Throwing in a pushy hottie hellbent on running them out of town before their curse quite literally destroys everything, and Sloane can’t get much more stressed. Can they stop the curse and save themselves from a nomadic existence? If they do, does Sloane even want to settle down? Maybe with a certain pushy hottie?

The plot. I love the plot. The whole idea of trying to break the curse because they want a place to call home without having to move all the time. There’s enough family drama introduced to keep the future books connected to this one. I didn’t even mind the enemies-to-lovers trope (it’s not my favorite, but I try to give it a chance). It’s interesting and fun, but I have to be honest… the pacing sucks. There’s lots of talk about breaking the curse, but none of the sisters actually do anything about it. All the information just kind of falls into their laps. They don’t do any research or anything. Hell, when they find out the name of the woman who cursed their family, they don’t even bother asking around about her to try to find her descendants. Everything gets done for them, which makes any step forward unsatisfying. Plus, everything is crammed into the end of the book. It’s not balanced at all.

The characters. I’m going to preface this by saying that I don’t have to like the main characters in order to like a book. That being said, I absolutely hated Sloane and Knox. I don’t give a fuck how hot a dude is. If he comes to my house, drags my bags out into the snow, and tells me I have to leave without so much as a “hey, what brings you to town?”, then proceeds to have the townsfolk bully and blackball me and my family when we don’t leave, the dude’s irredeemable. No way I’d talk to him, let alone have sex with him. And his whole background is supposed to make me sympathetic to him, but it only emphasizes the fact that he’s just a giant walking red flag with too much money and zero communication skills. Sloane’s not much better when it comes to communication. And even though she supposedly took care of her sisters, it’s like she still expects everything remotely difficult to be done for her and if it isn’t, she threatens to run away. They’re both annoying and I hate them. Luckily, the side characters were all wonderful and did a lot of heavy lifting in this story.

The writing itself was fine. Nice description and dialogue. The steamy scenes were disappointingly short, but I guess that’s more realistic than most scenes like that.

Ultimately, I was just kind of meh about Love’s a Witch. I enjoyed the plot and side characters enough that I will check out book 2, especially if it switches to Lyra as the main character as I’m guessing it will since she comes into her magic next.

Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. Not a must-read, but if you enjoy little witchy romances, it’s an okay read. Hopefully the next one is better.

Thoughts on MURDER AT THE WHAM BAM CLUB

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? Things here are about the same as they’ve been this entire year. That’s about it. But it’s the last Wednesday of July, so that you know what that means. It’s book review time! This month, I decided to try a new cozy mystery series. Murder at the Wham Bam Club by Carolyn Marie Wilkins was released yesterday (the 29th) from Kensington Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it!

Murder at the Wham Bam Club follows Nola Ann Jackson as she returns to her hometown after the death of her husband. It’s the 1920s and Nola’s a young psychic just learning how to use her gifts. When she’s asked to help find a missing young woman, Nola finds herself dragged into arson, murder, and mysteries. While everyone else would be happy blaming the missing girl, Nola is determined to find out what’s actually going on in her small town. Whether or not she can do it before the police find and charge the missing girl is the question.

The plot is pretty standard. There are some interesting red herrings. I fully admit that I found some of the romances icky. A 16 year old shacking up with and getting married to a bass player of unknown age after one meeting (not even a date). Gross. I get it in the context of the story and its setting, but it still makes me cringe. Most of the relationships in this book have huge red flags. But the mystery part of the book is entertaining and distracting enough that the story is still enjoyable.

The characters are pretty well fleshed out. I like Nola and her aunt. I thought Lilly and Brenda could’ve used more page time because they both feel a little cookie cutter. Jim has potential. It felt like he was going to prove the rumors wrong, but then he just kind of disappears from the book. Hopefully he gets his redemption in later books. I really like Nola’s bosses at the catering company. They provide a levelheadedness to the book that helps bring Nola back to her senses once in a while. Everyone basically has potential to grow (for better or worse) in future books.

As for the writing, I enjoyed it. But the language is pretty true to its time period, so if words like negroes or a school for “colored girls” bothers you, be aware. I still suggest reading it because it’s a fun mystery, though.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Murder at the Wham Bam Club. I’m not sure I’ll add it to my must-buy series, but I’ll definitely give book two a shot whenever it comes out.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I do recommend it if you’re into cozy mysteries. Just be aware of the language if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing.