Book Review: The Little Bee by Nicola Killen

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The Little Bee  by Nicola Killen  is a children's picture book about a girl name Ollie who follows a bee to a magical, secret garden. But, the next day, the beautiful garden was gone, and the little girl misses her new friends. What will she do? This beautiful book has an expected publication date of May 5, 2026. I'd like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Beach Lane Books for approving my request for a digital Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Little Bee . I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. Nicola Killen wrote such a beautifully worded story that I found myself immersed in the story, and I'm not even the target audience. It's a charming tale that should encourage children to explore nature and make them want to plant their own secret garden.  Equally beautiful were the illustrations. I found myself taking the time to actually look a the pictures as I read. It's a great story to read   at bedtime  with ch...
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Book Review: Eight Perfect Murders (Malcolm Kershaw, #1) by Peter Swanson

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book review eight perfect murders peter swanson

Eight Perfect Murders (Malcolm Kershaw, #1) by Peter Swanson takes place in Boston, Massachusetts and features Malcolm Kershaw, a bookseller who compiled a list of eight books where the person committed near perfect crimes. Now, someone is copying the murders in those eight books, and the FBI suspects Malcolm.

This is the first book I've read by Peter Swanson, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Where as I enjoyed the writing, and it held my interest, I felt like the author was just throwing out lists of his favorite books. He even gave away the ending to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie. Had I not already read these particular books, I would have been upset that the ending had been revealed.

As far as knowing who the culprit was in Eight Perfect Murders, I suspected two different people from the get go. I especially was trying to think like Agatha Christie since Peter Swanson mentions several of her books. However, I didn't correctly guess who the main culprit was. I didn't think there were too many clues though . . . only one came to mind, and I promptly dismissed it.

I love the fact that the story takes place in Boston, Massachusetts as it's one of my favorite cities to visit. I enjoy hearing about places and areas that I've been being mentioned and knowing what they look like. When Swanson mentions that there are restaurants that serve better food than Cheers, he's right when he says that, but they do have really good bar food. And, their cheeseburgers are delicious.

All in all, I enjoyed Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, and I gave it four stars out of five stars. If you enjoyed this book, I recommend The Turn of the Key and One by One by Ruth Ware.

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