Mystery

Book Review: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Author
Stevenson, Robert Louis,
Rating
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review

This book was alright. I had to read this for school once and actually quite enjoyed it. This is a great book for anyone who likes quick mystery reads. The plot is one that makes the reader want to continue reading! The book is about a mysterious doctor named Dr. Jekyll. Jekyll is a well respected man but awfully strange. If this sounds interesting I suggest reading it! Yes, it wasn’t my favorite, but I enjoyed the mysterious plot.

Reviewer's Name
Abigail

Book Review: All Good People Here

Author
Flowers, Ashley
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

I am a big fan of Ashley Flowers from her career with audiochuck podcasts, so reading her first novel was a no-brainer. The story is about a journalist named Margot who returns to the small town in which she grew up to care for her uncle struggling with memory loss. However, the disappearance of a young girl at the same time causes Margot to reflect on the unsolved murder from her childhood, decades back. Like a true investigator, she sets out to solve both cases once and for all. Previous reviews had hinted at constant plot twists, and I definitely experienced that the whole way through. The case wasn't truly solved until literally the last page. Overall, Flowers' writing style is just as eloquent as her podcasts, with unique characters and eerie suspense. Although a few side characters, like the police officer Margot befriends, are pretty bland, more time spent on the Jacobs family character development seemed like the intention all along. And as soon as one plot twist had been announced, it was written off to make way for the next one quite suddenly. It felt as though some character explanations were still unfinished. Finally, though I hate to say it, such an abrupt ending was kind of unsatisfying. It was almost a five star book through-and-through, and just one more chapter could have done it. Nonetheless, I will recommend this book any day!
Grade 12

Reviewer's Name
Maggie

Book Review: The Shadows

Author
North, Alex
Rating
3 stars = Pretty Good
Review

The Shadows by Alex North is about a brutal crime that rocks a small town, and haunts the ones closest to it. Paul grew up alongside three boys, two of which would later murder one of their fellow students. Twenty-five years later, Paul returns to the town to visit his dying mother and is forced to uncover deeply-hidden secrets about the murder when new crimes start to happen. I liked how each chapter revealed new clues and the final result was difficult to guess. There were several plot twists that felt well-calculated. For as exciting as the plot was, Paul was a very bland main character. The way he described his childhood with the future murderers was boring, and I didn't like the lucid dreaming theme. It seemed like the author was going for a strange cult theme, but it was muddled with the constant flashbacks to present-day. It was a good read for the Halloween season, but not my favorite otherwise.
Grade 12

Reviewer's Name
Maggie

Miss Aldridgte Regrets

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Miss Aldridge Regrets
Author
Hare, Louise
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

If you are a fan of locked room mysteries, you will enjoy Miss Aldridge Regrets! It is a historical mystery set in 1936 London. Lena Aldrige is a mixed race nightclub singer in a Soho nightclub. The club's owner is murdered and Lena isn't sure what she is going to do when a chance of lifetime drops in her lap. She is approached by a man who said his boss knew her father and wants to offer her a job starring in a Broadway show and will pay passage for her first-class on the Queen Mary. Lena takes the offer and is looking forward to her new life in New York. But as her trip unwinds, people on the ship start to be murdered and she looks like the prime suspect. There are a few other surprised for Lena as well. This was a wonderful mystery and a great start to the Canary Club Mystery Series.

Reviewer's Name
Melissa

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Author
Doyle, Arthur Conan
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

Sherlock Holmes is a very attractive and intresting character.he inspects and sees the Little details that we normally would not associated with how we gather his information. It takes a lot of general knowledge to be able to pull those links together from the people he observes or the evidence that he finds and inspects.

Reviewer's Name
Shivani
Genres

All That is Secret

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All That is Secret
Author
Raybon, Patricia
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

All That Is Secret launches the reader into a sobering event, immediate choices, and gripping consequences. Annalee Spain is a bright, compassionate professor of theology in Chicago who might be up to the task. A mysterious telegram, a conversation with her wise landlady, and Ms. Spain's empathy in her brief interaction with a young delivery boy propel Ms. Spain into decision. But a professor of theology has her own questions. Is this mystery worth risking a conversation with the God who seems so distant? The telegram's author weighs-in and the mystery ramps-up.
I found myself flipping back three chapters to re-read interesting relational intricacies and investigative details. The richly defined individuals, the character-specific language, and the locomotive pace create vivid scenes that kept me riveted. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer's Name
Tina

Waste of Space

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Waste of Space
Author
Gibbs, Stuart
Rating
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review

Waste of space is the third book in the moon base alpha trilogy. It follows the adventure of Dash, who is tasked with finding out who poisoned Lars Sjoberg. Unfortunately, the man is a terrible person, so literally anyone can be a suspect. Even his own family. To make matters worse, there is an oxygen crisis, which is not good considering they all live on the moon.
The story is a fun conclusion to the series. It's a great mystery, and has some incredibly tense moments. It's also funny! Highly recommend.

Reviewer's Name
Abigail

Book Review: Caraval

Author
Garber, Stephanie
Rating
4 stars = Really Good
Review

The first book in Stephanie Garber's trilogy is a fantasy story about two sisters and their adventure at a nighttime, carnivalesque game. Scarlett Dragna leaves the tiny island where her and her sister, Donatella, live with their cruel and powerful father. Their exigence for leaving was the long awaited invitation to the legendary Caraval. Only, as soon as Scarlett and her sister reach the island, her sister is kidnapped. In order to save her sister, Scarlett must win the game. Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is a mere performance. Getting entangled in a game of magic, love, heartbreak, and manipulation, Scarlett must stay focused and find her sister within the five nights of the game, or Donatella will be lost forever. The less you know about the book, the better. The more confused you are, the more you will enjoy it. I sat down and read this book in a matter of a couple of hours. Plot-twist after plot-twist -- once you start to think you finally understand what is going on, Garber turns the story around and confuses you once again. This is a story I will never forget reading, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy with a bit of mystery.
Reviewer's Grade: 11th

Reviewer's Name
Nataleigh