What I've Been Reading (Playing Catchup Edition #1)

 

Summary from Goodreads:

"In this propulsive locked-room thriller debut, a reunion weekend in the French Alps turns deadly when five friends discover that someone has deliberately stranded them at their remote mountaintop resort during a snowstorm."

I'm trying something new here - and giving less of a summary.  One, because sometimes the summary gives too much away.  Two, because I like the idea of one sentence or very short summaries that just pull readers in with buzzy words like the above one did for me.  Let me know what your thoughts (if you even read this part of my posts has me curious honestly).

My Thoughts:

Shiver was everything that I had hoped it would be from the above summary.  I love nothing more than a "locked room" type of mystery setup where the characters are being picked off one by one as a play off of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.  What made this book stand out for me as the reader is that it was set in the alps during a snowstorm.  I LOVE a mystery/thriller set in the middle of a snowstorm which is effectively trapping the characters from leaving.  It's almost like this book was written for me personally because it had everything that I love all in one book.  And the best part was that I truly loved this book!  I found it to be one of those books that just pulls you in and doesn't let you go.  I'm writing my thoughts on this one months after reading it and I can still clearly remember the tense atmosphere that the author created within the pages.  I was left guessing the entire time I was reading it trying to figure out who was behind it all.  There were certain things that I guessed but others that I didn't whatsoever.  I also really enjoyed the snowboarding aspects that the author included within this book.  I've always enjoyed watching snowboarding so learning more about the competitive side of it was really intriguing.  There were just so many great things about this book and I cannot say enough good things about it!

Overall, this is a book that I highly recommend to both mystery and thriller readers.  This is an author to watch in my opinion because it was just that good.  I will be picking up whatever she comes out with next - that's for sure!  

Bottom Line: A book that is very likely to make my top reads list of this year!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.  I ended up reading a physical copy courtesy of my local library.

Summary from Goodreads:

"Lana Lee runs her family's Chinese restaurant in Cleveland's Asia Village like nobody's business. When it comes to actual cooking, however, she's known to be about a step up from boiling rice. So Lana decides to go to culinary school on the sly--and prove that she has what it takes in the kitchen after all. But when course instructor Margo Chan turns up dead after class, Lana suddenly finds herself on the case, frying pan in hand.

Since she was the one who discovered the body, Lana must do double duty in finding the killer and clearing her name. Now, with or without the help of her boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana launches her own investigation into Margo's life and mysterious death. Doing so leads her on a wild goose chase to and from the culinary school--and all the way back to the Ho-Lee noodle shop, where the guilty party may be closer than Lana thinks."

My Thoughts:

This is the 7th book in one of my favorite cozy mystery series!  This book was another fun addition to this series.  One of the reasons that I love this series so much is the characters.  Lana always finds herself in the middle of things (like yet another murder investigation) and her friends and family always end up helping her out.  I particularly am a fan of her best friend/roommate who always encourages Lana to investigate even when she doesn't want to.  This book was particularly fun because the majority of the book was set at the local community college where Lana was taking cooking classes.  I just thought that it made the mystery and book feel fresh.  These books always make me hungry while reading them and this book was no exception.  I really can't say too much more - at seven books in I don't want to spoil anything that has happened in previous books.  This is just a series that you should definitely pick up - you don't have to read them in order.  It will just enhance your overall reading experience if you do start at the beginning.  Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries, those who enjoy books that feature food, and those readers who enjoy just fun reads definitely need to give this series a try.  Recommended!

Bottom Line:  Another fun addition to one of my favorite cozy mystery series!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.  Honest thoughts are my own.