{I've Been Reading} A Place to Die For

 A Place to Die For by A. M. Strong and Sonya Sargent

Jordan and Sam had the rug pulled out from under them just as they expected to sign the papers and buy their own home. Then, seemily out of nowhere, they're invited to buy a condo at an exclusive luxury building. The other residents are welcoming and their unit comes already filled with luxurious furniture that they'd never have the budget for. Never mind that dark stain under the carpet in the foyer, which must be paint. Those distressing sounds she hears echo through the hallways must be Jordan's imagination. As readers, we all know it's too good to be true, but Jordan and Sam are oblivious. I was fine with the slow burn, but problems keep repeating themselves a few too many times without the characters starting to question whether something else is really going on.  I loved the setup, but quickly lost patience with the characters and found the eventual reveal to be disappointing. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Strange Buildings

 

Strange Buildings by Uketsu

After the publication of Strange Houses, the author received reports of even more confusing floorplans and houses with troubling histories. This new book contains the details of eleven different properties, all of them somehow connected. Once those stories have been told, the remember of the book consists of the author and his architect friend talking through the mysteries to find the solution. It's definitely an entertaining read and I could see myself reading it again to see if I can catch clues that I missed the first time around. The whole thing is made up of interviews and floorplans and there's a lot of repetition. What's lurking behind all of these missing rooms and hidden doors is more perplexing than shocking.

A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn 

The latest Veronica Speedwell mystery opens with a note from the author, Veronica, accusing Mr. Stoker of somehow basing the incidents described in his popular new book on her own experiences. That was all it took to hook me! A body has been found in a carriage near Highgate Cemetery, drained of blood, odd marks on its neck. Their investigation leads to a shadowy secret society and strange rituals. It's all wonderfully creepy and atmospheric and even though this one felt a little less wonderful than the previous books in the series, I adored it.  

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Small Town Slasher

 Small Town Slasher by Stephanie Rose 

This book had me immediately hooked. It's like a slasher film with lots more room for character development and Jenna is a great protagonist. I loved the chance to walk in her shoes for a couple hundred pages and I especially love that the author didn't immediately date the book by making specific references. We can all imagine what "those most overplayed Christmas song ever" is or what current events Jenna is alluding to and, even if we don't come up with the exact ones the author intended, it still works. Once the killings started and the plot moved away from Jenna, I found myself enjoying the read a little less, but overall it's a fun fast paced treat for horror fans. 

The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu

Eleanor's mother has always taken care of her, doing her laundry and cooking her meals and all of the other tasks that make up adult life. Then her mother is dead and Eleanor is alone. She has her career as a therapist, her inheritance, and a real estate agent who quickly walks her through the process of buying a house in an abandoned development far from town. Imagine The Haunting of Hill House, but the threat doesn't come from the ghosts, it comes from the structure itself.  The story is definitely bleak and moves slowly, but I couldn't look away from the nightmare that was Eleanor's life. For me, one of the most interesting parts was watching her try to help her clients when she couldn't help herself. The book wasn't what I expected, but I enjoyed the experience of reading it. 

What Digs Itself Free by Stoney Brooks

The most effective part of this book for me was the jarring transition between an extremely dark prologue to Zap Rogers. Host of a popular and long-running show about ghost hunters, Zap is determined to regain his former popularity, whatever it takes. He'll buy new equipment. He'll consider hiring new cast members and changing his look. Zap is a jerk, and he's not an entertaining one. I didn't care if the ghosts got him or if he lost his show. 

Discloure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} The Whisking Hour

 The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander 

I've been really enjoying Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop mytery series even though I've only read a handful of them. It's easy to jump in and get a sense of the characters without reading the previous twenty-one titles. This one is set in Ashland, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the main character, Juliet Caphshaw. One of her best friends has asked her to cater a murder-themed dinner for the cast of his latest production and Juliet the staff of her bakery, Torte,  have gone all out with the decor and menu. When a body is found in one of the dressing rooms, they scurry to modify the menu and figure out the identity of the killer. I love that this book focused on Lance, a character I didn't get to know very well in the previous books. Juliet's world is fun to experience for a few hours and I look forward to catching up with the rest of the series. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies.