Category Archives: Mystery

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Posted on March 25, 2022 by bseat

There seem to be a steady stream of books that place the main character, mostly female, in dangerous, disorienting situations not of their own making. It is a clever plot line, but one that can quickly become hackneyed if not … Continue reading →

Posted in Books to take on vacation, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller | Tagged | 1 Comment

Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka (author) and Sam Malissa (Translator)

Posted on March 4, 2022 by bseat

Bullet Train is one of these books people who know and understand Japanese culture will love, and those who love complicated, twisty suspense will also appreciate for its intricate plot lines. The premise: murder on a train, would seem to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Posted on February 18, 2022 by bseat

This book was listed by The New York Times as one of the “Best Thrillers of the Year,” so I gave it a try and was surprised that it was so popular. This book borrows heavily from Agatha Christie’s “county house” mysteries, where … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Mystery, Suspense | 1 Comment

Romance in the Air

Posted on February 11, 2022 by bseat

Monday is Valentine’s Day so I thought I should review some of the books I have read that were romantic to set the mood for day! Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan is a wonderful mix of the luxury designer … Continue reading →

Posted in Beach Read, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Series | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Mind’s Eye by Håkan Nesser

Posted on February 4, 2022 by bseat

It is always exciting to find a new author and a new series to read. I have found Scandinavian crime novelists to have an interesting perspective- humane and soulful rather than the “good and bad” dichotomy that is often the … Continue reading →

Posted in Detective novel, Fiction, Legal Procedural, Mystery, Series, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey

Posted on January 14, 2022 by bseat

It is fascinating to me how the way a story is told increases or diminishes its impact. The generally accepted way to tell a story is in chronological order. Sometimes writers will add flashbacks to give more background or to … Continue reading →

Posted in Detective novel, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Suspense | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Posted on January 7, 2022 by bseat

A few days after Christmas, after everyone had left or had gone back to work, I started reading this book. It was the perfect antidote for the after holiday blues! Between cleaning up the wapping paper and putting away the … Continue reading →

Posted in Detective novel, Fiction, Mystery, Series, Spy/Covert Operatives, Suspense | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Posted on December 17, 2021 by bseat

Fatma el-Sha’arawi is an agent for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities. Although she is the youngest woman serving in the agency, she already has an impressive track record for preventing magical entities (djinn) from upsetting the carefully … Continue reading →

Posted in Detective novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Prize Winner, Series, Suspense | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Golden Hill by Francis Spufford

Posted on December 10, 2021 by bseat

Mr. Richard Smith arrived by boat in the late fall of 1746 to small town of New York.  After disembarking he made his way directly to a counting house on Golden Hill where he presented a written order in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Prize Winner | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker

Posted on December 3, 2021 by bseat

Duchess Day Radley, at thirteen years old, is carrying more than her share of responsibility. Her mother, Star, seems incapable of taking care of herself much less Duchess and her five year old brother, Robin.  Fiercely independent and ferocious in … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Mystery, Suspense, Thriller | Tagged , , | 1 Comment