What I Read in August

I should start writing more reviews so all of this doesn't have to come in one post.

All ratings are on a scale from 1 (bad) to 5 (great).


HOSTAGE by Robert Crais - 2
After a convenience store robbery goes wrong, the villains take a family hostage in their own home. Unfortunately, the family has secrets that will create a nightmare for all involved. The twist on the hostage drama started out good, but it fell apart in the end when it got completely unbelievable.

DELICIOUS AND SUSPICIOUS by Riley Adams - 3
A TV executive is scouting BBQ joins in Memphis and creating enemies. When she dies after eating at Aunt Pat's, owner Lulu Taylor decides to clear her reputation and her friends by finding the real killer. I liked the characters, but the plot dragged at times. The first chapter had some writing issues as well, but I was ultimately glad I continued.

THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE by Avery Aames - 4
The grand reopening of Fromagerie Bessette, a gourmet cheese shop in a small Ohio town, is going well until Charlotte's grandmother is found kneeling over the corpse of a man she was just scene arguing with. The book started out a little slowly, but I quickly got into the characters and story.

BRUSH WITH DEATH by Hailey Lind - 5
Faux finisher Annie Kincaid is restoring some old paintings in a chapel in Oakland when she runs into grave robbers in the cemetery outside. Meanwhile, she also hearing rumors that a reproduction inside might be the real thing. As always this was a fun romp with likeable characters. I could turn the pages fast enough.

THE EVERAFTER WAR by Michael Buckley - 4
It's full out war as the Grimm family trains some Everafters to try to take down the Scarlett Hand. This is the darkest book in the series so far, and it doesn't feel like it has a real climax. However, I did enjoy it and look forward to reading the next one.

PRINCE CASPIAN by C. S. Lewis - 4
A reread for me. Even after all the times I've read this book, it's still my least favorite in the Chronicles of Narnia. It just moves too slowly.