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Reviews by Darcy C. (San Diego, CA)

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The Seven O'Clock Club
by Amelia Ireland
Holy smokes – – what a ride!!! (11/27/2024)
Oh my gosh, by golly!! THIS BOOK IS EXACTLY WHY I READ!!!
I never lost interest in this book at any point. To me, I could relate to all of the characters. I love getting goosebumps from a book! Each time revelations in the story made me pause and truly reflect on thesemore
True Crime Story: A Novel
by Joseph Knox
Twin Murder or is it Twin Mystery? (11/9/2021)
This was an enthralling book with a great twist, one that I never predicted. This twist made me gasp, actually! I thought this story had good character development. I learned each of their back-stories without being distracted from the overall story. This is ultimatelymore
Catherine House: A Novel
by Elisabeth Thomas
Good but could have been great (3/5/2020)
I liked this book very much. I wanted more than the author would give me. I wanted to know more about the main character's life. What made her dark and edgy? More about her relationship with her parents, her family life.

I was able to imagine a fascinating old school and themore
The Sun Down Motel
by Simone St. James
A solid, engaging book. Read it! (11/16/2019)
I have revamped my review. Initially I was going to give this story a 3. It's a good, solid paranormal / mystery story. Why was I not completely satisfied? I guess I expected it to be edgier and more scary.

I realized that it was my own expectations of the story that made memore
My Lovely Wife
by Samantha Downing
So Much Fun To Kill ! (10/19/2018)
This book was such a pleasurable ROMP! A mystery quickly devoured and completely engaging! The story had me thinking of the mystery in my non-reading time. To me, this is the mark of an engaging read. Downing's story is not an in-depth dive into a killer's psyche. Themore
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, Philip Gabriel
Serenity in a Book. Terrific read! (5/29/2018)
I would give this read 8 stars if I could --what a sweet read! I generally lean towards mystery/suspense and I was looking forward to a book on the mellow side. This refreshing book totally engaged me and also tickled my cat-lady bones!

Arikawa captured Nana's personality tomore
Sometimes I Lie
by Alice Feeney
Bravo! (12/5/2017)
Sometimes I Lie grabbed me and never let go. Like a kid in a candy shop -- I wanted this book to last forever. This was one of those that you think about when you were at work, when commuting or doing anything other than reading. I simply love the feeling when a book hasmore
The Barrowfields
by Phillip Lewis
The Barrowfields: Please Don't End. Fabulous Story. (2/21/2017)
About 1/4 of the way into this heart-loving book I knew I LOVED this story. This family-centric novel and the very real characters ARE people in real life. Messy, paths not taken, missed love, wonderful love and family solidarity. I related to this protagonist, Henry, andmore
I See You
by Clare Mackintosh
Could You Escape This Killer? (10/31/2016)
I enjoyed this cat & mouse & hunt novel. About ¾ of the way through the book, I thought I was going to give it 3 stars because it felt slightly formulaic and besides -- I had already figured out who the killer was!

But..... I am truly not the detective I thought Imore
Security
by Gina Wohlsdorf
Gory, but a decent story. (4/14/2016)
The printed format of the pages, of which simultaneous action was taking place, (the story being told via a column-format) was a clever and fun way to read.

Protagonist, Tessa - it was difficult to suss out her personality and for me to like her. She came across as 2-more
Crazy Blood
by T. Jefferson Parker
A Mountain Town Two Brothers = A Darn Good Story (1/21/2016)
I liked this book, but didn't love it. When reading about the skiing and the racing - I felt like I was on the mountain myself. Very well done. I couldn't relate to the character of "Sky" and felt that his personality was too shallow at times. His actions and words did notmore
All Is Not Forgotten
by Wendy Walker
A Best Seller -- No Doubt About It (10/1/2015)
By the time I had read five pages of this book – I knew I was in for a great journey! This book hooked me from the beginning and I finished it way too soon. I was suspicious of several individuals in the story right off the bat. This book threw out plenty of believable red-more
Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave
"Present Gary vs. "Future Gary" -- Will the "real" Gary Please Stand Up?? (6/10/2015)
"...He can feel them coming… the dark thoughts… an army of them marching in his direction…"
The protagonist (Jerry) is fighting his impending Alzheimer's with every cell in his brain – before they turn on him, that is. This unreliable narrator is snarky, clever and made memore
House of Echoes: A Novel
by Brendan Duffy
Good Story - Great Descriptions! (2/19/2015)
I couldn't wait to get this book - and I was not dissatisfied. There was a good amount of suspense for my taste (I wanted even more.) On a scale of 1 to 10, the creep factor is a 7. I won't summarize the plot, but merely mention different scenes (without spoilers): I wishmore
Accidents of Marriage
by Randy Susan Meyers
Can a Family Suvive Dad's Stupidity and Remorse? (6/20/2014)
There are 3 voices in this book. Mom, Dad and Daughter. I felt it undemanding to discern each narrator. I was able to get to know each persona. Dad has everything-down-pat, The Tiger by The Tail, the world is his oyster, until .... he really wonks up his marriage. The Mommore
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel
by Gabrielle Zevin
Charming Story of Lives IN a Bookstore. (4/9/2014)
This book started out rather prescribed, or so I thought. I thought I knew WHAT was going to happen, until the "surprise" upon Mr. Fikry's doorstep. What happened during the rest of the book grabbed my heart, tore it at the edges, and also made me laugh and fall in lovemore
Doing Harm
by Kelly Parsons
Exciting Book! (10/30/2013)
I found myself racing through the pages of this book. Dr. GG truly is an evil - and brilliant - psychopath. The protagonist doctor had an appalling dilemma on his hands – morally and medically. The story led you realistically through his plans and how he carried out hismore
The Edge of Normal
by Carla Norton
A Solid Read - but not a Great Read (7/14/2013)
I wanted to like this book more, but found that the story didn't grab me; but it was a solid read and I didn't get bored with it. One thing I really liked was how the author would foreshadow something, but I didn't realize she was dropping a hint..... until the object or "more
Crime of Privilege
by Walter Walker
This is going to be a BESTSELLER! (4/22/2013)
What a fantastic book! The characters were believable and the tension was palpable. I raced through this book and was caught off-guard with the antics of the characters and the deception was written with such cruelty, that your heart poured-out for the protagonist. Thismore
Fever
by Mary Beth Keane
What a Wretched & Wonderful Book! (3/16/2013)
We've all heard about Typhoid Mary, but who was she? Was she real or just a made-up character? Well, she WAS real and this fabulous book tells her story. This is a woman with moxy and self-confidence (at least outwardly) and stamina that enabled her to last through six daymore
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