Book Review: Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries, #1) by Ellery Adams

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Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries, #1) by Ellery Adams is the first book in the Book Retreat Mysteries series and is set in western Virginia at a charming resort called Storyton Hall. This unique resort is designed specifically for book lovers who want to escape, unwind, and immerse themselves in their favorite stories. The resort’s manager, Jane Steward, decides to host a themed “Murder and Mayhem Week” inviting mystery enthusiasts to gather, role-play, and solve fictional crimes. However, the event takes a dark turn when one of the guests is found dead in his suite and a valuable prize goes missing. Jane must uncover which guest is responsible for the murder before the retreat is ruined . Before picking up this novel, I had only read one other book in the series. I decided to start from the beginning as part of my New Year’s resolution to finally read books I purchased years ago. I’m so glad I did. Starting with the first installment allowed me to fully appreciat...
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Book Review: Desperation by Stephen King

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horror book review of desperation by stephen king
Have you ever found a book so depressing that it took you over four years to read? Desperation by Stephen King was that book for me. Don't get me wrong . . . it was very well written but depressing beyond on belief, so I kept putting it aside to read other novels. 

At one point, I was making so much progress that I really wanted to finish it despite it being so depressing, so I kept pushing through. Then, the nightmares began . . . every night for a week. I guess having multiple nightmares attests to how well written it is. As a side note, I've been a huge fan of horror movies since elementary school. Poltergeist, Halloween, and Nightmare on Elm Street were popular choices for me, and not one time did I ever have a nightmare. 

I'm not sure I can say there any redeeming qualities about the plot . . . a few lessons learned and a semi happy ending, but that's about it. King wrote a sequel, The Regulators, under his pen name Richard Bachman, but if it is as depressing as this book, I'm not sure I want to read it.

horror book review of desperation by stephen king
Have I mentioned how depressing Desperation is? I have?! Okay, let's move on. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone despite giving it a rating of three out of five stars. 

Synopsis of Desperation by Stephen King:

Desperation, Nevada. If you travel Interstate 50, you'll come to the loneliest city . . . Desperation. Move right along or you might just die trying to get out. An ancient evil is unleashed upon the town of Desperation that overtakes the bodies of the city's citizens . . . one person at a time. No one is safe . . . You can run, but you can't hide.



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