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Bodiccea

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The most convoluted story

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-25-24

Well read and some amusing parts but, ultimately, convoluted to the point of being frustrated and a bit ridiculous. Back and forth and back and forth until I couldn’t care less about any of the characters or the solution. I finished it, but not happily.

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Too saccharine

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-25-24

A decent plot spoiled by trite characters and dialogue. The romance takes too much precedence as well.

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Series is getting repetitive

Overall
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-17-24

I find myself increasingly irritated by this series for a number of reasons. The stories are very repetitive. The crimes are always horrific, they always involve the higher echelons of society. There’s always a leering salaciousness to some aspect of the story. This or that is unthinkable, intolerable, unheard of. Thomas is always exhausted and chilled to the bone, He’s always haranguing Charlotte to do as she’s told and stop interfering. And what happened to Thomas of the earlier books who was so honoured to have Charlotte as his wife, who showed her affection and respected her independence and intelligence? Davina Porter’s narration is wearing on me too. Her pronunciation is excellent but she is SO emphatic and, coupled with the hand-wringing descriptions, I’ve had it. Time to move on.

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Enjoyable cozy

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 06-14-24

I really like the main character of Mordecai Tremaine and look forward to next in the series.

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A charming tale (Publisher’s Summary misleading)

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-12-24

Pay little attention to the “Publisher’s Summary.” The “mystery” part of the book is a minor aspect. Rather this is an atmospheric, gently humorous portrait of life in a Dorset village after WW2 but before modern technology changed community life completely.

Marion has spent her life caring for her sick mother and, upon her death,is finally free to pursue her dream of moving to a little cottage home and spending her days writing. No sooner does she settle in than her selfish milksop brother uses an embarrassing amount of emotional blackmail to press her into caring for his daughter, while he goes off to Canada to pursue better employment. I was outraged on her behalf but wee Dora will probably win your heart as much as she did mine, and Marion’s. Her household grows by one more when her sister asks if her teenage daughter, Angela, can also move in for the summer as she recovers from a serious illness. Angela takes Dora under her wing and soon the three are living contentedly together as each of them start to bloom in their own ways. While the girls bring unexpected joy and richness to her life, Marion is taken by surprise when it appears she may yet have a chance of romance in her life. There is a brief and hair-raising encounter with an escaped convict that adds just enough tension to the story. It’s a satisfying read, charming without veering into the saccharine. Recommended.

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Excellent; can’t wait to start the next one

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-07-24

It’s got it all: an interesting plausible murder with several twists and turns, great descriptions of a gorgeous setting (as well as wonderful descriptions of food), a likeable protagonist, Dan, who is human enough but not completely ravaged by his life as a DCI AND, best of all, an adorable doggo named Oscar, who is going to be part of Dan’s life from now on.

It’s just cozy enough without being insipid and there are some pretty humourous parts too, as Dan discovers that the writing course he’s been signed up for is actually focussed on writers of erotica. Don’t let that scare you off if you’re sensitive about those things. There’s no rough language or sex, just some comedic moments.

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Warning: You WILL want Chinese food

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-21-24

I strongly suggest you stock your fridge with the makings of a Chinese meal (or get takeout!) because I guarantee you’ll want it pretty early into the book.

Really enjoyed this!

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Great performance but a bit overdone

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-12-23

I really enjoyed this book up to the denouement, which went on and on. The solution is just too involved and unlikely to me.
However, the narration is great, the trio of protagonists highly amusing and I'll be looking for the next book in the series!

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Great series

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 10-22-23

Interesting characters and lots of tense action.
I'm just typing now to do the required word count.

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A bit too raw for my tastes

Overall
1 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
1 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-06-23

Wanda McCaddon is a fantastic narrator.

However, the story was not to my taste: too violent in general, with emphasis on sexual violence, and way too much misogyny (I acknowledge that at least the misogyny likely reflects the beliefs of the time period). Plus, almost everything is steeped in licentiousness. I'm no prude but, when the rooster crows at dawn, a brother wonders that the rooster is not "still enjoying the lush pleasures of his favourite hen"......seriously? Seriously?

I found the same in the first book of the series but thought I'd give the second a chance. I won't be following the series any further.

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