Mystery Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Hsinju’s Lit Log

ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Payback by Charlotte Mills | ARC Review

27th August 2020
Payback (Payback #1) by Charlotte Mills
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing, February 20th 2019
- Genre: Mystery, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 238 pages
- My Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Content warnings: off-page arson, murder, suicides, pedophilia, rape, deaths of family members, sexual harassment; blood, cancer

I did not expect the story to escalate like this.

Dead body. Arson. Missing person. Throughout most of the story, I had trouble getting into the plot, connecting with detective Kate Wolf (34) and her boss Helen Taylor, as well as understanding their attraction. A lot of things did not add up for me, so it took me a very long time to get past the first few chapters and keep reading. Even as I was close to finishing, I couldn’t understand why everyone loved it so much. Until I did.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Sylver and Gold by Michelle Larkin | ARC Review

9th August 2020
Sylver and Gold by Michelle Larkin
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, August 11th 2020
- Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 242 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
CW: off-screen child abuse, sexual assault, and physical torture.

I finished this book in two sittings and would have in one if not for a scheduled dinner. Since I tend to get sucked into a book and forget about reality, I am happy to say that me being hyper-alert of my surroundings in-between sittings is an indication that the suspense had really got to me. Sylver and Gold is that enthralling.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Drawn by Carsen Taite | ARC Review

1st June 2020
Drawn by Carsen Taite
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2020
- Genre: Mystery, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 240 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Artist Riley Flynn was about to get her big break when Detective Claire Hanlon entered her life, investigating in a murder case that occurred where she was painting. And then came more cases with the same MO (modus operandi). With the escalating stakes as well as mutual attraction, Claire knew it was a horrible idea to get involved with Riley, one of her suspects. But what should they do about the growing bond between them?
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Murder at Pirate’s Cove by Josh Lanyon | ARC Review

14th March 2020
Murder at Pirate’s Cove: An M/M Cozy Mystery (Secrets and Scrabble #1) by Josh Lanyon
- Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc., 2020
- Genre: Mystery, LGBTQ+
- Format: Ebook (eARC)
- Page Count: 206 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5)
I wish I could say I enjoyed the book, but it was just okay. The storyline was fairly decent, but unfortunately, most characters (save Tommy and Nora) were flat and not interesting enough to keep me invested. Personally, I did not like the writing style in the beginning. It felt a bit of a drag before I got used to it.
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