Book Review: X Marks The Haunt by Lindsay Currie

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X Marks The Haunt  by Lindsay Currie is a chilling middle grade horror novel that begins with Will Stone conducting genealogy research at Graceland Cemetery, where his mother works. When an old crypt key goes missing, it unleashes a sinister force within the cemetery, draining the lake and slowly sucking the life from the surrounding trees. As the eerie presence grows stronger, Will and his friends must rely on his unique knowledge and investigative skills to uncover the truth and put a stop to the dangerous energy wreaking havoc before it consumes everything in its path. I'd like to thank NetGalley, Random House Children's Books, and Delacorte Press for approving my request for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of X Marks The Haunt  by Lindsay Currie. All I knew about the novel before I read it was that it was a children's horror book, and I loved the cover! I received a digital copy for free in exchange for my honest review. First and foremost, the story was exceptionally a...
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Book Review: A Catered Wedding (A Mystery with Recipes, #2) by Isis Crawford

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book review a catered wedding isis crawford

A Catered Wedding (A Mystery with Recipes, #2) by Isis Crawford is a cozy mystery that takes place in New York. When Leeza Sharp is found murdered on the morning of her dream wedding, caterers Libby and Bernie Simmons take it upon themselves to figure out who murdered Leeza and why.

This installment in the A Mystery with Recipes series, A Catered Wedding, was definitely written better than its predecessor A Catered Murder for the simple reason that the author refrained from using as many unnecessary synonyms for words that didn't need a fancier meaning. Don't get me wrong; she still did this, but just not as often. A prime example is she used the word lummox when clumsy or klutzy would have worked just as well. Another illustration of this is that when a character was eating a cookie, and instead of just saying he put it in his mouth or ate it, Isis Crawford wrote that he "conveyed it to his mouth". 

At one point in the story, one of the supporting characters talks about how his father runs ten miles a week and insinuates that it is a lot of miles being logged. For people who don't run, I guess that seems like a lot, but it really isn't unless he does it in a day or two as his long run.

Although this was a cozy mystery, I didn't correctly guess who the murderer was much to my dismay. Don't worry. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read it. I gave A Catered Wedding (A Mystery with Recipes, #2) by Isis Crawford three out of five stars. I will likely read more of the series as the books are a quick read and hold my attention.  If you enjoyed this book, I recommend Killer Cupcakes (Lexy Baker, #1) by Leighann Dobbs.

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