Book Review: Rise of the Dragonslayer
Posted: September 15, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Review | Tags: Book Review, Cynthia Vespia, High Fantasy, Rise of the Dragon Slayer, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
About the Book
From the depths of dragon’s fire
a legendary warrior will rise
Fire destroyed her life yet ignited in her a new purpose.
When the last ember of Rayna’s home burned out she vowed to find the dragon responsible and slay it. Orphaned and alone she gets caught up with the Forsaken Force, a band of mercenaries who do as they please. In order to stay alive, Rayna must earn their trust through demonstrated skill and a fiery spirit.
The brothers-in-arms become like a second home until tragedy strikes again. With her need for vengeance renewed, Rayna grows even more determined to slay the dragon that burned her life or die trying.
Rise of the Dragonslayer is a prequel to the Time of Dragons series by fantasy author Cynthia Vespia.
My Review
Rise of the Dragon Slayer, by Cynthia Vespia is short prequel to her Time of the Dragons series, which tells readers how Rayna came to be on a quest to irradicate the last of the dragons which torment the lands of her home. I recently read and reviewed Book 1 of the series, Rayna the Dragon Slayer, (You can see my review of Rayna: Dragon Slayer here), so I was pleased to be able to read the prequel for free when I signed up for her newsletter. From what I can tell, that’s the only way to get this book, so instead of a purchase link above, I’m including the URL to sign up for her newsletter here: https://www.cynthiavespia.com/free-story
Rise of the Dragon Slayer tells the story of how it all started. It reveals the reason for Rayna’s hatred and desire for revenge of one dragon sets her on a quest for the death of all dragons. We see her face her very first dragon. It’s a short read, and I can’t say much without giving away spoilers, but I will say that I was amazed at the creative way in which she defeats the dragon, and I think you will be, too.
A perfect prequel to the Time of Dragon’s series, Rise of the Dragon Slayer is original and surprising. A thrilling dragon hunting adventure. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: Sinister Magic
Posted: September 8, 2023 Filed under: Audio Books, Audiobook Review, Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Review, Urban fantasy | Tags: Audio Books, Book Review, Lindsay Buroker, Sinister Magic, Urban fantasy, Writing to be Read 3 CommentsAbout the Book
When magical bad guys hurt people, I take care of them. Permanently.
This doesn’t make me popular with the rest of the magical community — as you can tell from the numerous break-ins and assassination attempts I’ve endured over the years. But thanks to my half-elven blood, a powerful sword named Chopper, and a telepathic tiger with an attitude, I’ve always been able to handle my problems with aplomb. Maybe some cursing and swearing, too, but definitely aplomb.
That changes when my boss is afflicted with a mysterious disease, a government agent starts investigating me, and a godforsaken dragon shows up in the middle of my latest job.
I’ve taken down vampires, zombies, and ogres, but dragons are way, way more powerful. And it doesn’t look like this one is going to like me.
Worse than that, he wants to use his magic to compel me to do his bidding, as if I’m some weak-minded minion.
That’s not going to happen. I’d die before being some dragon’s slave.
But if I can’t figure out a way to avoid him, save my boss, and get rid of the government spook, I’m screwed. Or dead. Or screwed and dead. And that’s never comfortable.
Purchase Links:
Amazon/Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Sinister-Magic-Fantasy-Dragon-Dragons/
Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/eye-of-truth-by-lindsay-buroker
My Review
I listened to the audiobook of Sinster Magic, book 1 in Lyndsay Buroker’s Death Before Dragons series, narrated by Vivienne Leheny. Although I have listened to many of Buroker’s Science epic fantasy stories, this was the first urban fantasy by her that I had read. It has Buroker’s usual snark, which I love, and Leheny does a beautiful job with the narration as always, portraying a full cast of dwarves, vampires, dragons, and other dimensional tigers, as well as other supernatural beings and humans alike.
I listened to Buroker on the Six Figure Author podcast because she is a multi-genre author, and I enjoyed hearing how she handled the marketing for books of different genres. Buroker keeps her mailing lists seperate, because she believes that the readers of one genre wouldn’t be interested in reading her works in a different genre. Her co-host Adrienne Pearson does the same with her genres of fantasy and romance, too. In theory, that makes a lot of sense, but I have to say that I enjoyed this urban fantasy story just as much as I have the epic fantasy stories I have heard by her. Of course, I’m a multi-genre author, as well as a multi-genre reader, so perhaps I do not fall within the norms.
Delightfully distinctive characters and the Buroker snark makes for quite an entertaining urban fantasy story. I give Sinister Magic five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: Blindfold
Posted: September 1, 2023 Filed under: Action/Adventure, Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Review, Science Fiction | Tags: Action/Adventure, Blindfold, Book Review, Fantasy, Kevin J. Anderson, Science Fiction, Writing to be Read 6 CommentsThe Book
Atlas is a struggling colony on an untamable world, a fragile society held together by the Truthsayers. Parentless, trained from birth as the sole users of Veritas, a telepathy virus that lets them read the souls of the guilty. Truthsayers are Justice—infallible, beyond appeal.
But sometimes they are wrong.
Falsely accused of murder, Troy Boren trusts the young Truthsayer Kalliana…until, impossibly, she convicts him. Still shaken from a previous reading, Kalliana doesn’t realize her power is fading. But soon the evidence becomes impossible to ignore. The Truthsayers’ Veritas has been diluted and someone in the colony is selling smuggled telepathy. Justice isn’t blind—it’s been blinded.
From an immortal’s orbital prison to the buried secrets of a regal fortress, Kalliana and Troy seek the conspiracy that threatens to destroy their world from within. For without truth and justice, Atlas will certainly fall…
Purchase Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Blindfold-Kevin-J-Anderson-ebook/dp/B004XEKHFC
My Review
Blindfold, by Kevin J. Anderson takes place on the colony of Atlas, where the lands are divided among several landowners, each doing his part to make Atlas run like a well oiled machine, but not everyone plays by the rules. Killiana is a young Truthsayer who, comes to believe that her mindreaading powers may have falsely convicted Troy Boren, a young man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When she unwittingly uncovers that one landowner isn’t playing fair and may soon take over control of the colony, she finds herself a fugitive with Troy, as they fight to uncover the truth.
As all of Anderson’s works, Blindfold is well written and skillfully crafted to emmerse readers in the story. It keeps the reader guessing, and that keeps pages turning. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: Fighting for Anna
Posted: August 25, 2023 Filed under: Audio Books, Book Review, Books, Fiction, Mystery | Tags: Audiobook, Book Review, Fighting for Anna, mystery, Natalie Gry, Pamela Fagan, Writing to be Read 2 CommentsAbout the Book
A murdered art dealer.
A missing love child.
Can Michele close the book on her neighbor’s mysterious past before a killer sets his sights on her?
With her kids away for the summer, widow Michele Lopez Hanson struggles with her newfound solitude. When her unmarried retired neighbor Gidget asks her to document her career in the art world, she’s eager for the company…and the advice on coping with an empty nest. But their trek down memory lane turns into a missing person search when Gidget dies and leaves behind a will that tasks Michele with finding her long-lost love child.
Before the casket lid closes, she feels a wave of sympathy for the endless stream of mourners from Gidget’s days as a high-powered art dealer. But when she learns the murderous truth behind Gidget’s death and she’s named the prime suspect, Michele realizes any one of the grieving artists and collectors could be the love child’s mystery father or her neighbor’s killer. To complete the memoir and clear her name, Michele must discover the ugly motives behind the picture-perfect murder before she joins her friend six feet under.
Purchase Links
Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Anna-Michele-Hanson-Mystery/dp/B0BB89F8TC
Special Chirp Link (For first time users – $1): https://www.chirpbooks.com/r/9b5f75e1f1f8/link
My Review
I listened to the audiobook edition of Fighting for Anna, a Michelle Lopez Hanson mystery, by Pamela Fagan Hutchins and narrated by Natalie Gray. I was immersed in this story from the very first chapter, when Michelle finds her elderly neighbor dead and the deputy she reports it to is so hostile toward her, foreshadowing the accusation later that she is the murderer. This story is well crafted with an intricately woven plot, and a diverse set of distinctive characters.
Michelle’s nieghbor is an elderly lady who was once the belle of the Houston art scene, who wants Michelle Lopez Hanson to be her biographer. But when Michelle and her kids find her neighbor dead, things begin to turn strange. Especially when it is revealed that Michelle was named as the beneficiary in the neighbor’s will and Michelle makes it her personal mission to make sure the woman, Anna’s, last wishes are fulfilled. When it is revealed thaat Anna was poisoned and Michelle is arrested for the murder, things really begin to heat up, and it just keeps getting hotter as Michelle with each clue that Michelle uncovers.
Natalie Gray has a wonderful voice which matches what I thought the character of Michelle Lopez Hanson would sound like. In addition, she manages distinctive voices for each character, and paces the story well.
An audiobook that will keep you listening to the very last page. Well crafted to keep you guessing, with just enough twists to maintain anticipation throughout. I give Fighting For Anna five quills.
(The Special Chirp Link above was given to me for sharing this book with others by Chirp. It offers this audiobook for $1 to new Chirp users, but it is regularly priced for repeat customers. I receive no monetary compensation or gain if you use it.)
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: Bloodstone
Posted: August 18, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Paranormal, Review, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult | Tags: Bloodstone, Book Review, Fantasy, M.J. Mallon, Magical Realism, Paranormal, Writing to be Read, Young Adult 18 Comments
About the Book
I didn’t think my life could get weirder, but I was wrong…
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house.
When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger.
With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
INSPIRED BY: The World Famous Corpus Christi Chronophage Clock, created by Dr. John C Taylor, OBE, and artist Anya Gallaccio’s Crystal Grotto, in Juniper Artland, Scotland.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Bloodstone-Paranormal-Fantasy-Adventure-Curse-ebook/dp/B097QZBKNY
My Review
Bloodstone is Book 1 in M.J. Mallon’s The Curse of Time series. I’m not sure what I expected when I picked up this book. I’m a sucker for time-travel stories, and the subject of time and parallel worlds perplex me, so I suppose I expected something along those lines given the clock on the cover and the series title. But that is not at all what this book is. But, Bloodstone may be just as enchanting.
This tale is a young adult novel dealing with the issues of a fifteen-year-old girl who has a very strange life. While her home life may be disfunctional, other parts of her life are magical in this delightful tale of magical realism. Things happen which may seem odd or unusual, but they seem to be everyday occurances in the fantastical world which Mallon has created.The result is a paranormal fantasy that deals with real adolecent issues like friends and boyfriends, peer pressure, depression, self-harm, and betrayal, in a manor that raises awareness, and still entertains.
Another unexpected touch the author offers up in this story is a syllabic poem as the heading of each chapter, which offers a hint to the events in the chapter to come. I found this to be a clever way to clue readers in and creative way to add to the magical feel of the story.
A refreshing surprise, Bloodstone captured my attention and my heart. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: Eye of Truth
Posted: August 11, 2023 Filed under: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Audio Books, Audiobook Review, Book Review, Books, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Review | Tags: Adventure, Audio Books, Book Review, Epic Fantasy, Eye of Truth, Lindsay Buroker, Vivian Leheny, Writing to be Read 2 CommentsAbout the Book
After 10 years at war, Jev Dharrow looks forward to hanging up his sword, relaxing with a cool mug of ale, and forgetting that the love of his life married another man while he was gone. But when his ship sails into port, a beautiful woman wearing the garb of an inquisitor from one of the religious orders waits to arrest him.
His crime? He’s accused of stealing an ancient artifact with the power to start another war. Jev would gladly hand over the artifact to stop more suffering, but he has no idea where it is or even what it looks like. The inquisitor woman definitely has the wrong person.
Inquisitor Zenia Cham grew up with nothing, but she has distinguished herself as one of the most capable law enforcers in the city, and she’s next in line to become archmage of the temple. All she has to do is find the Eye of Truth, and her superiors are certain Jev has it.
He tries to charm her with his twinkling eyes and easy smile, but she’s not letting any man get between her and her dreams. Especially not a thief.
If Jev can’t convince Zenia they’re on the same side, find the artifact, and clear his name, his homecoming will turn into a jail sentence. Or worse.
Purchase Links:
Amazon/Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Eye-of-Truth-Lindsay-Buroker-audiobook/
Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/eye-of-truth-by-lindsay-buroker
My Review
I listened to the audiobook of Eye of Truth, book 1 in Lindsay Buroker’s Agents of the Crown series, narrated by Vivienne Leheny, an epic fantasy adventure that will steal your heart. Book 1 of the Agents of the Crown series is a classic Buroker fantasy, with plenty of snark, and as always, I am amazed by Leheny’s ability to portray a full cast of characters, giving each a distinctive voice. If magic and mayhem appeal to you, this epic tale is a must read. And as always, Buroker you value for your buck with an epic length tale, supplying several hours of listening enjoyment.
Zenia is an inquisitor of the water order who has worked hard to prove herself and rise nto a positon of power. But, when she is called upon to bring in Jev, an accused thief who claims innocence and appears to be genuinely unaware of the crime he is accused of, she begins to have doubts about the validity of her position and duties. How can she honor her duties when she is uncertain of his guilt? She takes him into custody, but the journey back to the water order only strengthens her suspicions that she has the wrong man.
This book has everything an epic fantasy should have – magic, elves, dwarves, romance and lots of adventure – all wrapped up in a well-crafted and intricate fantasy world. I give Eye of Truth five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: The Inheritors
Posted: August 4, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Review, Science Fantasy, Science Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Fantasy, Joseph Carrabis, Science Fiction, Selected Stories: Science Fiction Volume 2, The Inheritors, Writing to be Read 3 CommentsAbout the Book
One young boy’s beliefs about himself and the universe changes the structure of reality.
A shapeshifting monster driven by primal desires shatters concepts of intelligent design and becomes an incarnation of vengeance.
A child with a strange gift is abducted from home and must learn to co-exist with beings far different from himself.
A boy exposed to dark magic and demonic rituals must tread carefully or become the thing he fears.
Creatures from the end of time travel through human history kidnapping children to save a bizarre future world.
Physics, mysticism, biological science, and theology are woven into a dark, thought-provoking novel taking readers on a journey they could have never imagined possible, challenged to rethink everything they thought they knew about history, time, space, and the nature of life itself.
“Reminiscent of the works of Pynchon, Clarke, and Vonnegut,…” – Clarabelle Miray Field, award winning poet and Editor-in-Chief, Carmina Magazine
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Inheritors-Joseph-Carrabis/dp/B0C9W7X7ZG/
My Review
The Inheritors, by Joseph Carrabis is a unique journey beyond the consciousness of man. This is a story that will make you think and perhaps ponder your very existence as Carrabis reveals his vision of the universe and what’s really going on through the complicated and often confusing universe he has created.
Out of a cave comes the first woman who can think and truly see the universe, who is scorned for her gift to the few who possess a higher way of thinking, we see a different picture of our own universe. When right and wrong become two sides of the same coin and it’s hard to determine who the good guys are, and thinking outside the box upsets the status quo, you’ll be introduced to a universe where gods are created.
A unique tale with philosophical undercurrents, The Inheritors is literary entertainment that makes you think about the way we think. Highly entertaining. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: No Where Safe
Posted: July 28, 2023 Filed under: Audio Books, Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Travel | Tags: Audio Books, Book Review, Crime Fiction, Kate Bold, mystery, No Where Safe, Reagan Tankersley, Thriller, Writing to be Read 6 CommentsAbout the Book
A harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the Harley Cole series is a riveting mystery, packed with nonstop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you listening late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll, and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.
Purchase Links:
Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Nowhere-Safe-Harley-Suspense-Thriller/dp/B0B69KK2Y3/
My Review
I listened to the audiobook of Nowhere Safe, by Kate Bold, and narrated by Reagan Tankersley. Nowhere Safe is book 1 in A Harley Cole Mystery series. Bold has written a true to form crime mystery, but I’m not sure a male narrator was the best choice for this female protagonist’s tale. Although Tankersley’s reading is done quite well, adaquate in every way, but I felt it was harder to relate with the female character when read by a male voice, and Tankerly’s voice is a deep male voice.
FBI agent Harley Cole, denies she’s in crisis when she’s put on leave from her job, her relationship ends abruptly, and she learns that her father is dying and she must return to the home town she’s tried so desperately to escape. At first, helping out the local law enforcement when a series of young girls are found terrorized and murdered is just a diversion, to avoid confronting her dying father, but it stirs memories of her missing sister, and all the reasons that she has stayed away. Can Harley put her personal troubles aside to make amends wirth her father and save the next victim from a terrifying fate in time? No spoilers here. You’ll have to read the book and find out.
A perfectly shaped crime mystery with distinctive characters, brought to life by a skilled and talented narration. I give No Where Safe four quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Posted: July 21, 2023 Filed under: autobiography, Books, Nonfiction | Tags: autobiography, Book Review, David P. Pearlmutter, Travel Adventure, True Story, Writing to be Read, Wrong Place Wrong Time 2 CommentsAbout the Book
Having lost everything, I leave memories of a London police cell behind me and head for Marbella in Spain with its promise of adventure and fun. Little do I know that I’m about to be thrust into the most terrifying time of my life.
Wrong Place Wrong Time is a gripping true-life story of an unimaginable nightmare and how my ticket to a new life turns out to be a one way ticket to hell.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Place-Time-Productions-Reservations-ebook/dp/B008955FG2
My Review
Wrong Place, Wrong Time, by David P. Pearlmutter is a gripping true auto-biographical story. Having made one huge mistake which rocked his world and changed his life direction, a fresh start in another country sounds like a good idea. Instead, he finds himself in so deep, he might not be able to pull himself out, when he truly is in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It’s obvious that in the brutally honest telling of this tale, the author reveals his own inner flaws, making no excuses for his own mistakes. Nor does Pearlmutter spare the ugly details throughout. Anyone who has been down on his luck can relate to David’s character in the story, and will understand his fear and his panic as his situation spirals downhill, completely out of control.
A tragic tale of missteps and mayhap, I give Wrong Place Wrong Time five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: The Maid’s Diary
Posted: July 14, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Review | Tags: Book Review, Loreth Anne White, mystery, The Maid's Diary, Writing to be Read 10 CommentsAbout the Book
A cunning, twisty, and unsettling novel of psychological suspense with a startling conclusion by Loreth Anne White, the Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of The Patient’s Secret.
Kit Darling is a maid with a snooping problem. She’s the “invisible girl,” compelled to poke into her wealthy clients’ closely guarded lives. It’s a harmless hobby until Kit sees something she can’t unsee in the home of her brand-new clients: a secret so dark it could destroy the privileged couple expecting their first child. This makes Kit dangerous to the couple. In turn, it makes the couple—who might kill to keep their secret—dangerous to Kit.
When homicide cop Mallory Van Alst is called to a scene at a luxury waterfront home known as the Glass House, she’s confronted with evidence of a violent attack so bloody it’s improbable the victim is alive. But there’s no body. The homeowners are gone. And their maid is missing. The only witness is the elderly woman next door, who woke to screams in the night. The neighbor was also the last person to see Kit Darling alive.
As Mal begins to uncover the secret that has sent the lives of everyone involved on a devious and inescapable collision course, she realizes that nothing is quite as it seems. And no one escapes their past.
Purchase Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Maids-Diary-Loreth-Anne-White-ebook/dp/B09TZM8CZK/
My Review
The Maid’s Diary, by Loreth Anne White is mystery with more twists and turns than I could count. Start with a murder scene with no body, add one missing maid and two missing homeowners and you have a murder mystery of the highest calliber. Once discovered, the answers seem to lie in the maid’s diary… or do they? All is not as it as it seems, and the answers lie twenty years in the past, so hold on to your seats as the story unravels and what really happened is revealed. I bet you’ll be surprised. I was.
A mystery that keeps you guessing to the very end, as all good mysteries should. I give The Maid’s Diary five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
