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Reviews by Cheryl D. (Angola, NY)

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The Look of Love
The Look of Love: A Piper Donovan Mystery
by Mary Jane Clark
Pleasant review (12/1/2011)
This book is a pleasant review. The main character decorates cakes, but she gets to travel among the rich and famous while she is doing it. It doesn't seem as the wedding will ever happen. The only weakness I saw was a repetition in the plots of the two books in the series.
The Borgia Betrayal
The Borgia Betrayal: A Poisoner Mystery Novel
by Sara Poole
The Next Tudors (7/6/2011)
The latest trend in historical fiction seems to be the Borgia family. THE BORGIA BETRAYAL by Sara Poole is a sequel to POISON. I really felt that I needed to have read that before I tackled this one. I was missing some of the facts I needed to read this. I find the family …more
Original Sin
Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth Mcmullen
Impossible to classify (2/16/2011)
This book was an enjoyable read, but it is impossible to fit it into a category. It is a little bit chick lit and somewhat a thriller with a comic edge. I never did figure out whether the heroine was a "good" spy or simply survived through luck. You just have to sit back …more
Agent X
Agent X: A Novel
by Noah Boyd
Suspend all belief (12/22/2010)
I did not read THE BRICKLAYER which was the first book in the series and that may have influenced my opinion here, but I found that the main characters lacked development. They were witty and intelligent, but I didn't feel as though I knew them. They were also able to solve …more
Bad Boy
Bad Boy: An Inspector Banks Novel
by Peter Robinson
Bad boys can be alluring (7/18/2010)
In this latest entry in the Inspector Banks series, Banks' daughter Tracy finds herself mixed up with a "bad boy". The book is an entertaining police procedural with a personal touch. This was the first of Robinson's books that I have read although I have often heard of him. …more
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici: A Novel
by C.W. Gortner
A violent, but fascinating era of history (5/16/2010)
I fully enjoyed a look at French history during this period of time. I have read much about the Tudors and Mary, Queen of Scots, but knew little about Catherine de Medici, the house of Guise or the Valois other than the mention of their names in other works. C. W. Gortner …more
Heresy
Heresy
by S.J. Parris
Well researched historical fiction.... (12/15/2009)
I am fond of historical mysteries. The book Heresy by S. J. Parris is reminiscent of the books of C. J. Sansom (Dissolution, etc.) and was well researched and interesting. It takes place during the reign of Elizabeth I and involves her spymaster Walsingham. There are a …more
Cleopatra's Daughter
Cleopatra's Daughter
by Michelle Moran
Enjoyable historical novel (9/18/2009)
I find this an interesting era of history, but it is one I know little about. Michelle Moran managed to bring the characters alive for me and sent me to various reference books to do further research. I am aware that conversations and even actions are based on fact but …more
The Secret Keeper
The Secret Keeper
by Paul Harris
Split personality (3/17/2009)
The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris is a difficult book to review since my reactions were varied. I knew very little about the historical background in Sierra Leone, and the author's journalistic experience presented this very well. However, the story was told in constantly …more
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Sign Me Up. (7/27/2008)
I would love to be a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. This is a delightful book! The authors are able to develop wonderful characters, convey little known WWII history and demonstrate a love of books and reading through a series of letters and …more
Seven for a Secret
Seven for a Secret: A John the Eunuch Mystery
by Mary and Eric Mayer Reed
Seven for a Secret (2/8/2008)
Because Seven for a Secret is the next in a series, I originally felt that I had to have read the earlier books to understand the characters, but I soon found that between the writing itself and the Glossary at the end of the book, I was able to enjoy the story.
John, Lord …more
The Critic
The Critic: The Second of the Enzo Files
by Peter May
Have a glass of wine... (11/10/2007)
In Peter May's second Enzo MacLeod The Critic, the mystery plays second fiddle to the techniques of the wine making industry. Despite two murders and several attempts on the main character's life, the book does not really become intense until the end. It is well written and …more
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