onmalsshelf's reviews
1279 reviews

Frida just gets on my nerves. I can read about depression, but god it’s hard to read stupidity of someone with degrees from TWO Ivy League schools. 

Thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

Marie Benedict stays being one of my favorite historical fiction writers and we’re lucky enough to have another book that stars Agatha Christie in it along with four other Queens of Crime. 

Queens of Crime follows mystery authors Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy as they attempt to solve a murder of an Englishwoman killed just across the channel in France in 1930. It’s all Dorthy’s idea and when her husband Mac gets assigned to report on the case in France, she knows they have an in to do their own investigation. 

The women deal with period typical misogyny from reporters, police, husbands, sisters, and rich men while piecing together the crime by traveling all around England and going over to France. 

There’s secrets of both the main characters and the side characters that brilliantly tie this together. 

Why 4 stars instead of 5? I think this one had a very slow start. It’s for sure a slow start with a great finish. 

In the end it’s still a great historical fiction with the usual Benedict special - following important women of history and bringing stories to light. Plus it has a locker room mystery spin. 

Overall, I think I’m giving this a 3.5

A book following survivor of a cult in northern Michigan? Sold 

I think this was successful in what the author set out to do, but there were a few things that kept me from enjoying it more. 

First, I’d classify this more of a literary mystery or suspense over a thriller.

The author did a great job of setting the scene in both timelines and got that eerie feeling going right from the start.

Ten years ago there was a mass murder of the Flock in northern Michigan after another member goes missing. Claire is the sole survivor besides the missing the cult founder Dom. He’s in the wind and suspicion still falls on Claire ten years later. 
 
There’s now a podcaster making a show in this cold case and he’s determined to get Claire to talk, but her father and husband want to shelter her because she can’t remember anything from that time. Or can she?

What happened that summer of 2012 and who murdered Lollie before the Flock died?

There’s no doubt that Morrissey is the queen of Midwestern Noir and Black Harbor is at its center. 

This end to the series ties up things perfectly, both case wise and relationship wise. 

Hazel and Kole have always been an interesting duo to follow and the Kole’s detectives round out the crew. Behind Black Harbor and all of its cases is an issue found in many Midwestern towns and to see a crew work these cases has been entertaining. 

Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for the ALC. 

I think physical book will be the way to go for this one. I tried it on audio and after 10 straight minutes of repetition of chat room names, I feel like I’m going crazy. It has taken me straight out of the story. 

I think the premise is interesting, but the audio experience with the same chat room usernames constantly repeated plummeted my overall experience. 

I will consider picking this up physically once it’s released. 

An insightful look at what a gift economy looks like. It gave me a lot to think about, but I was left wondering what a gift economy looks like when it comes to healthcare and