August 2025

[occasionalhope]

C J Wray, Bad Influence, OK, C+
Andrea Mara, It Should Have Been You, disappointing, annoying present tense and all the characters were unpleasant, C
Shari Lapena, What Have You Done? - pretty good, B
Jonathan Whitelaw, The Concert Hall Killer, rather dull, D
Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair At Styles – still finding her feet rather, B; The Clocks – started slow but an intriguing puzzle, B+
Heyer reread, The Nonesuch, lovely, A+: The Tollgate – dull, C+; The Quiet Gentleman, very good, A-
Guy Gavriel Kay, A Brightness Long Ago – beautifully written and well researched, but I never feel his characters come alive, B+
Jess Lourey, August Moon – pretty good, B+
Benjamin Stevenson, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone – OK, not as good as the sequel, but it picked up well after a slow start, B
Freeman Wills Croft, Fear Comes To Chalfont, good puzzle, B
Lois McMaster Bujold, The Assassins Of Thasalon, predictably good, B
Genevieve Cogman, Damned, pretty good, B+
Alex Gray, Acts Of Malice, good, B
Gladys Mitchell, Speedy Death – a bit odd, B+
Cara Hunter, Making A Killing – quite good, B