Audiobook Review: Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot #8) by Agatha Christie

Blurb:

Hercule Poirot is vacationing on the Cornish coast when he meets Nick Buckley. Nick is the young and reckless mistress of End House, an imposing structure perched on the rocky cliffs of St. Loo.

Poirot quickly takes a particular interest in the young woman. Recently, she has narrowly escaped a series of life-threatening accidents. Something tells the Belgian sleuth that these so-called accidents are more than just mere coincidences or a spate of bad luck. Something like a bullet! It seems all too clear to him that someone is trying to do away with poor Nick, but who? And, what is the motive? In his quest for answers, Poirot must delve into the dark history of End House. The deeper he gets into his investigation, the more certain he is that the killer will soon strike again. And, this time, Nick may not escape with her life.

My Review:

This one was one of my more recent Hercule Poirot favorites. Here we find Poirot and Hastings as they meet a charming young woman who has been the unfortunate victim of a series of accidents meant to kill her – or are they?

Hercule Poirot is on the case as her gets to know the people in Nick Buckley’s life. The house Nick inherited is a money pit. Her cousin and only living relative has no particular use for the house. And one of her closest friends thinks she’s making everything up. But Hercule is determined to get to the bottom of things – especially when a body turns up while everyone else at End House was watching fireworks.

Who has been trying to kill Nick Buckley? And why?

Through a series of twists an even darker agenda is uncovered. I really enjoyed the twist at the end of this one. I suspected, but it was still an enjoyable ending.

My Rating:

4 of 5 Knives!

Audiobook Review: The Mystery of the Blue Train

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot #6) by Agatha Christie

Blurb:

When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice, a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. But she will never wake again – for a heavy blow has killed her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. What is more, her precious rubies are missing.

The prime suspect is Ruth’s estranged husband, Derek. Yet Hercule Poirot is not convinced, so he stages an eerie reenactment of the journey, complete with the murderer on board.

My Review:

When the daughter of a millionaire is murdered on a luxury train bound for the French Riviera, her face damaged beyond recognition none other than Hercule Poirot is on the case!

Was it the woman’s estranged husband who was broke and having an affair? Was it her lover? Or a complete unknown? Hercule Poirot will use his little gray cells to deduce the killer.

This is one of those mysteries that you never see the killer coming. It was a bit confusing at the beginning with the ruby that is purchased by the dead woman’s father and there seems to be an attempt to steal it and a few other characters that got jumbled along the way but eventually all reveals itself and the killer turns out to be someone I didn’t expect at all.

Overall I liked the story and the cast of characters not withstanding the confusion I had at the beginning, that was probably just a me thing.

My Rating:

4 of 5 Knives!

Audiobook Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Adult, Mystery, Thriller

eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 352 pages

March 5, 2024 by Celadon Books

Blurb

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

My Review:

When a book is called by multiple reviewers, bookstagrammers, and booktokers the “best thriller of the year” you know I had to check it out.

I got the audiobook, narrated by January LaVoy (my favorite audiobook narrator) and Will Damron.

I immediately got pulled into the story which goes back and forth between present-day Lucy, 5 years ago Lucy, and clips from Ben Owens’s podcast Listen for the Lie.

Lucy is sarcastic, which I loved. She’s been so dogged down by everyone (including herself) believing that she killed her best friend that she’s a little rough around the edges and doesn’t trust easily.

Then there is Ben. Charismatic, attractive – Lucy should steer clear of him and yet they form a tenuous friendship which blooms into more. But what will happen when it’s time for the podcast to end? Will Ben say Lucy is guilty? Or will her buried memories of that night five years ago remind her what really happened and who killed Savvy?

Add in a meddling grandmother and I’m sold.

I devoured this book and it’s definitely in the top three of the thrillers I’ve read so far this year.

My Rating:

5 of 5 Knives!

ARC Review: Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies (Vacation Mysteries Book 1) by Catherine Mack

Adult, Cozy Mystery, Thriller, The Vacation Mysteries #1)

eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 352 Pages

April 30, 2024 by Minotaur Books

Blurb:

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

“Quick, captivating, and oh-so-much-fun! This delicious mystery is as spellbinding as Knives Out.”—Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of the Finlay Donovan series

All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series—is that too much to ask?

Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life—the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can’t get out of her life—Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.

Contending with literary competitors, rabid fans, a stalker—and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly—theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.

My Review:

Look no further for your next favorite vacation read! Seriously, this is the book you’ll be sticking in your carry on, throwing in beach bags, and glued to the pages of this spring and summer!

Bestselling author Eleanor Dash is plotting a murder. The murder of her main character in her bestselling series, that is. What? Agatha Christie did it to Hercule Poirot.

Now on a book tour in Italy with her assistant/sister who always dreamed of being an author, her ex Connor – the inspiration behind her most famous character who has been blackmailing her since before the first book hit the shelves, Connor’s ex-wife (oops), Eleanor’s other ex Oliver, and a gaggle of other authors that have all risen to fame in the wake of the crime that inspired Eleanor’s first book – and did I mention a group of Eleanor’s “biggest fans” who couldn’t pick her out of a line up… things are just a wee bit complicated and crowded. Add in an attempt on Connor’s life and things are about to get a lot more interesting in Italy…

This book was so much fun! Everything you could ask for out of a fun vacation mystery. There was humor, suspense, old jealousies brought to light, and a little bit of heat. I also loved the author’s footnotes and the Poirot references.

I can’t wait for the next book to see where Eleanor will end up next! I’m just glad nobody dies when I go on vacation 😂😉

My Rating:

5 of 5 Knives!

Time Travel Thursday: 21 March

Time Travel Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog where readers take a look back at what they were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what you are reading now.

21 March 2022

Two years ago today I read Barbarian’s Touch in a single night. It wasn’t one of my favorites of the series but they were all quick reads.

Currently Reading:

I’m about halfway through Murder at the Mena House.

Comparison:

You couldn’t get two books that are more different! One is a spicy sci-fi romance set on a far away planet. The other is a cozy mystery set in Egypt in the 1920s. I am enjoying Murder at the Mena House better than Barbarian’s Touch as well.

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Have you read either of these books?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 11 March 2024

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

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Hey Book Blogger Friends! Happy Monday! I’ve been busy reading the last week and a half and now I’m spending a couple days relaxing, reading, and binging movies.

Recently I Read:

Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait by Alison Weir

As predicted, this was my favorite of the series. I just loved Anna’s story so much.

In the Hall With the Knife by Diana Peterfreund

I once again enjoyed my reread of this one. I’ll have to finish my reread of the next two soon.

Katheryn Howard: The Scandalous Queen by Alison Weir

I enjoyed this one and felt sorry for Katheryn (unlike her cousin Anne Boleyn). She was very much a young girl preyed upon and used by people she was supposed to trust and it ended tragically for her.

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon

I picked this one up at a cozy mystery author event on the 3rd. Sadly Lynn was sick and unable to leave the hotel to attend but her books were available. I enjoyed this one and will continue the series in time.

Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife by Alison Weir

After an intense 6 weeks in saying goodbye to the Six Tudor Queens series, still as obsessed as ever though. Sadly Katharine Parr’s story was my least favorite. There was such a small window of her life with Henry VIII and neither the dragging earlier section of her life before marrying Henry VII nor the year and change after he died held my interest too much.

Currently Reading:

No Strangers Here by Carlene O’Connor

I’m just starting this one and I’m excited. It’s another book I picked up at the Cozy Mystery book event. I did get to meet Carlene and she was so nice!

Next Read:

The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

This is my next audiobook borrow from my library’s Hoopla system. I’m really looking forward to this one.

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What are you reading this week? Have you read any of these?

Time Travel Thursday: March 7

Time Travel Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog where readers take a look back at what they were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what you are reading now.

7 March 2023

Fallen is I believe the 13th book in the Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo which follows the Kate, a former Amish woman turned police chief.

Currently Reading:

One Poison Pie is the first book in the Kitchen Witch Mystery series.

Comparison:

Well… there is murder in both of them and I started both of them on March 7th but that is where the similarities end. Fallen is a grittier thriller where One Poison Pie is a cozy mystery.

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Have you read either of these books?

Time Travel Thursday: 29 February

Time Travel Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog where readers take a look back at what they were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what you are reading now.

29 February 2016 (Leap Day)

I had to go back to 2016 to find me actively reading a book on Leap Day and it was Hotel Ruby, the original title and cover of what is now Hotel for the Lost.

Currently Reading:

Right now I’m currently rereading In the Hall with the Knife. This is my 3rd read-through of it and I’m a bit late because I love to read this trilogy on stormy winter nights like in the book – but other than the inch or so of snow we got the other night it’s been a mild February.

Comparison:

Both books have mystery elements – though In the Hall with the Knife is a murder mystery and Hotel Ruby is more paranormal in nature as the main character unravels the secrets of the hotel. In the Hall with the Knife is a “Clue” inspired mystery with multiple POV whereas Hotel Ruby has an underlining of sadness.

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Have you read either of these?

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Bad Like Us

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

Bad Like Us by Gabriella Lepore

Young Adult, Thriller

ebook, Hardcover

March 5, 2024 from Inkyard Press

Blurb:

Spring break is a vibe—until someone gets murdered

Partying with popular classmates they barely know is not what Eva and her BFFs had in mind for their spring break. But things have been off ever since Miles’ academic career took a turn for the worse (they don’t talk about it), so a trip to a private beach lodge might be exactly what they need. And Eva won’t admit it, but the chance to reconnect with Colton is worth putting up with Piper’s constant livestreams to her thousands of “besties.”

At first, it’s all sand and waves, but tensions run high when an anonymous letter shakes up an already-flailing love triangle.

When someone turns up dead, Eva can’t even trust her closest friends—but she thinks she can trust Colton. As they get closer to the truth, they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they knew about their fellow spring breakers.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

Last summer I read a thriller/horror novel about a group of friends who go away to a beach house for July 4th and get trapped in the path of a hurricane getting picked off one by one (the book is Summer Rental by Rektok Ross). This book gives me those same vibes. Tense friend dynamics, destination setting, secrets, and murder. I’m all in for this one!

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Will you be checking this one out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 29 January 2024

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

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Hey Bookdragons! I got a little reading done last week but it was pretty busy and I’m still working on a couple current reads.

Last Week I Read:

Death Unfiltered by Emmeline Duncan

I really enjoyed this one! It may be my favorite of the series but I’ve really loved all the books.

It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison

This was a solid 3 star read for me. There were parts I liked and parts that I didn’t care for. Just be sure to check triggers, as this book talks a lot about fertility issues and miscarriages.

Currently Reading:

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

I’m going to finish this book this week. I’m at 60% and I’m going to push through. It’s good, that’s not the issue, I just keep starting other books.

Katharine of Aragon: The True Queen by Alison Weir

I’m about 50% into this audiobook and I’m enjoying it. I just recently watched The Tudors and I’m a bit obsessed at the moment.

Next Read:

Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

This will be my 3rd reread of this series. I need some short reads for a palate cleanser.

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What are you reading this week?