mystery

atthequillsmercy

Lenni Reviews: “Plus-Sized Misadventures in Love!” Vol. 2, by mamakari

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

As Yumeko enjoys her new outlook on life, the investigation into the incident that cost her her memories is ongoing, making it seem that, despite her optimistic outlook, not everyone around her can be trusted.

This is one of those stories where I’m not sure if I want it to get super serious. I want this to be Yumeko’s new lease on life, not how horrid her old life was. Some of the jokes at her expense aren’t very funny as a plus-size woman (let us feel cute, for fucks sakes…) but I am a sucker for characters like Yumeko: positive, hard working, earnest… That little light in a cynical, dark world. Much like in Hirayasumi, I don’t want that light to go out, no matter how strong my curiosity around the incident might be. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Plus-Sized Misadventures in Love!” Vol. 1, by mamakari

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Yumeko is miserable, believing herself unworthy of love, much less worthy of her work crush, Keisuke. After what is assumed to be a suicide attempt erases her memory, her personality completely changes to a confident, outgoing person. As she learns about her former life, the cause of her accident may not have been her own doing.

It’s clear that there’s an underlying mystery clouding all the fun positivity Yumeko brings to this story. Something dark enough to warrant trying to kill her. While that’s a compelling plot, I’d read Yumeko just being fabulous and enjoying her new life. Even if the stereotype of her always eating is there (can we drop that joke, for fucks sakes…), it’s clear her newfound confidence and boundless positivity are the highlight of this story, and it’s so sweet to see her make everyone better around her. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Manhole” Vol. 1, by Tetsuya Tsutsui

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*This book is recommended for mature audiences.

After a sick naked man collapses in the street, the police try to track down where he came from, leading to a blood trail coming from the sewers. Meanwhile, whatever he was afflicted with seems to be spreading.

The parasite/virus is gross. If you don’t like body horror, skip this. It’s not a bad opener to a plague/zombie/infected type story but it’s pretty typical. The infection is slowly spreading, an investigation, creepy source of all the chaos; pretty standard for the genre. The two cops on the case. Nao and Ken, are the gruff experienced one, contrasted with the plucky newbie. The art can really get your stomach churning, showing postules, the parasite squelching under the skin, close-ups of bugs and blood… I am waiting for something to make this stand out from the rest. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews Challenge Edition: “The Groomer” by Jon Athan

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Andrew McCarthy and his wife, Holly, have a typical life with their kids, Max and Grace. That is, until they notice a man named Zachary sniffing around, and Grace goes missing. Frustrated with the police, Andrew embarks on his own violent mission to find his daughter.

Well… Overall, this is Taken, but if we spent more time on the most awful parts of human trafficking, torture, murder, and snuff (trigger warnings for all of that, by the way). We don’t get the catharsis of a “win” after going through all this darkness; just bitter emptiness. A family is destroyed, and all the revenge gore in the world won’t make the demented fruits of these monsters go away. It’s just a downer, especially with what’s going on in the world now (perhaps that impacted my experience). Even if it’s not the perfect ending where everything is fine, there could have been some kind of hope at the end. The writing is fine, the descriptions of violence are visceral and real, but I can’t say I enjoyed this. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Pushback” by John E. Stith

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Dave is finally happy after restarting is life after his fiancee was killed in a car accident in which he was driving. He has a new girlfriend, a good job, but three bullet holes suddenly appear in his car and the people at his high school reunion have no idea who he is. Then strange letters and texts arrive. As the danger mounts, Dave tries to figure out who is trying to ruin his life.

I wanted to like this so bad but there is something about the writing that’s so damn dry. This guy is being (spoilers??) shot at, poisoned, hunted down, framed for crimes he didn’t commit, and he comes off as if all of this is a minor inconvenience to him. He’s just overall too chill about everything going on around him and since he didn’t care, I didn’t either. I was just killing time until the final reveal which I guess makes sense but like I said, I wasn’t that invested. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Mystery of the Curiosities” by C.S. Poe

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*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

In this sequel to Mystery of Nevermore; Snow and Winter are back!

Sebastian Snow is enjoying a peaceful life running his antique store and spending his free time with his boyfriend; detective Calvin Winter. But it all too soon turns back into an irresistible mystery when a cryptic message smashes through the window of Sebastian’s store. But when bricks with notes become dead bodies with notes, Snow and Winter must unravel the identity of the killer and why the suspect is connected to P.T. Barnum’s lost museum.

What a fun and wicked sexy ride! I got to geek out over an old-timey mystery, thrilled by the action, and moved by the romance. Calvin and Sebastian are cute without being annoying and they are a blast to follow through the book. Like spiked dark chocolate, this is a sweet romance with a kick. If I had a complaint, I would want more backstory on the villain. It had this very “That’s the one! Okay, BYE!” sort of feel. But this wasn’t a deal breaker for me. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief” by Lisa Tuttle

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

*This review has been cross-posted to Otakus and Geeks.

Finding herself in desperate need of a new job and place to live, Mill Lane happens upon an advertisement for a brave assistant with a good memory. After inquiring, Lane becomes the partner of Mr. Jasper Jesperson, a detective. Pickings are slim at first until a sleepwalker and the disappearances of several local psychics both fall into their laps. Now, it is up to Jasper and Lane to solve these seemingly unrelated cases.

This book is just good fun. Jasper is the sort of detective character who is smart, clever, and charismatic yet a bit irresponsible. Lane is also intelligent yet charmingly self-depreciating and together they make a formidable pair you will enjoy following though the story as it unfolds.

Although this genre is not my expertise, I think I can safely call this a cozy mystery and I has a lot of fun reading it. I was on the edge of my seat and I would love to read the next one when I get my hands on it. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “A Fine Summer’s Day” by Charles Todd

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Inspector Rutledge is sent to investigate a murder where the victim had no known enemies. The more he investigates, the less the case makes sense until two other seemingly unrelated men lose their lives in the same way and Rutledge is led on a strange case he must solve before breaks out all over Europe.

This is a very detailed and thrilling historical mystery. I enjoyed this despite mysteries not really begin my thing and this this being the seventeenth in a series had no effect on my understanding. This book stands just fine on it’s own.

There are a few frustrating parts; especially Rutledge’s fiancee, Jean, who knows she’s marrying a police officer yet is somehow all huffy when he has to go do his job yet wants him to enlist in the army as World War I looms? She’s such a superficial character I couldn’t wait for her scenes to be over so the adults could talk again. But it’s a well written, cozy mystery with other very intuitive, smart, and realistic characters. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Pathogen” by Jessica L. Webb

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*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is recommended 18+

*This review is cross-posted to Otakus and Geeks.

In this second entry into the Kate Morrison Mystery Series, Dr. Morrison is tapped to solve a mystery surrounding a deadly viral outbreak in a rich little town called Hidden Valley. Working with her girlfriend; Sargent Andy Wyles, Kate scrambles to simultaneously treat her patients, find out how to stop the virus, deal with demanding rich people, and navigate her new relationship with Andy.

This is not the type of book I usually pick up as medical thrillers just aren’t my thing but this time I wanted to step out of my comfort zone. I found the collection of smart, capable people to be a relief. There are ill meaning characters and a pretty annoying bully but nobody working to solve this problem is grossly incompetent. Sometimes a stupid character will be used for plot purposes but not here.

Andy and Kate are a true power couple; quick thinking, intuitive, and well-developed but I do feel I would have needed to read the first book to get the full impact of what happens between them. This is especially evident in the ending (which I will not spoil) where the combined events and stresses of both books impact the ending. And as this is an LGBT novel, there is a little smut but the soul of this book is the medical mystery. It may not be my usual fare but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 3.5 out of 5.

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