What I've Been Reading (Playing Catchup Edition #5)

 

Broken Places by Tracy Clark

Summary from Goodreads:

"Former cop Cass Raines has found the world of private investigation a less stressful way to eke out a living in the Windy City. But when she stumbles across the dead body of a respected member of the community, it’s up to her to prove a murderer is on the loose . . ."

My Thoughts:

Broken Places was one of the best starts to a new to me mystery series that I've read in a long time.  I say one because I've read a couple of firsts in series this year that were real winners as well.  This book though really stood out for me.  Cass is one of those main characters that you want to meet in real life.  She isn't perfect but she sticks to what she believes in, and you cannot help but respect her for it.  Or at least I couldn't, I should say.  I appreciated the way that this author used this book to also look at both police brutality and police shootings.  The commentary on our justice system in general was perfection.  This wasn't a book that I rushed through but instead took my time with.  That being said, I had a hard time setting it down.  The mystery was very compelling and kept me guessing the entire time.  I'm eager to get back to this series and these characters.  In fact, I already have the second book checked out from the library because this book was that good.  

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book and these characters immensely.  Pick this book up if you enjoy police procedurals, mysteries that keep you guessing, and especially if you just want a really great read in general.  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: A standout beginning to this new to me series.

Disclosure:  I read a copy of this book courtesy of my local library.  Honest thoughts are my own.

A Tale of Two Cookies by Eve Calder

Summary from Goodreads:

"In A Tale of Two Cookies, a cozy mystery from Eve Calder, it’s nothing but sugar and spice at The Cookie House, but elsewhere on Coral Cay everything isn’t so nice."

My Thoughts:

This cozy mystery series has fast become a favorite of mine and we are only three books in.  In fact, this book is actually my favorite of the series so far.  I really appreciated the fact that the set up in this book was a bit different with the fact that we weren't sure what had happened to the groom.  Was he missing of his own accord?  Was he dead?  Or had something else happened to him?  It added a level of suspense to this book that you don't always get with other cozy mysteries.  I found myself unable to put this book down because of it.  It's hard to talk about books in series without sharing spoilers so I don't want to say too much.  I will say that this series stands out for me because of the characters.  This series truly embodies all of the cozy vibes.  The delicious desserts, the wide cast of characters, and the cozy town of Coral Cay all combine to give me all of the cozy vibes in this series.  It's just perfection!  

Overall, the setup of this book really helped it to standout for me!  Give this series a try (I do think it would be helpful to read in order if possible) if you enjoy cozy mysteries, are looking for a cozier read with a mystery tied in, or just want slightly suspenseful reads without all of the darkness and violence.  This series is one of my favorites for a reason!

Bottom Line: My favorite book of the series so far!

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