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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Prime suspect in a murder for the second time!
This time the book is cozier now that the people of the town warmed up to him!
Like you can totally imagin the places where gather up, at the salty dog for a drink, or at anyone's house, the lot of the shop owners, different ages, old and young there to
chat and gossip, our fav cop also there watching and occasionally smiling. Ahh so cozy.
Then, there's not only one mysterious murder, but also, the skull house has its own myths and stories, of pirates and secret passages, murders and young gis. one of them is still fresh in the minds of a certain age group.
Couldn't let it down, it's even better than the first book.. the elements I liked are highlighted in this one even more.
Yeah sure I don't trust any one i this town, but sure as hell like them bc they make the place feel cozy.
Especially lovely old historian Nora, both statements apply. I like her.
Also, the ending was HAHAAAA *chef's kiss*
This time the book is cozier now that the people of the town warmed up to him!
Like you can totally imagin the places where gather up, at the salty dog for a drink, or at anyone's house, the lot of the shop owners, different ages, old and young there to
chat and gossip, our fav cop also there watching and occasionally smiling. Ahh so cozy.
Then, there's not only one mysterious murder, but also, the skull house has its own myths and stories, of pirates and secret passages, murders and young gis. one of them is still fresh in the minds of a certain age group.
Couldn't let it down, it's even better than the first book.. the elements I liked are highlighted in this one even more.
Yeah sure I don't trust any one i this town, but sure as hell like them bc they make the place feel cozy.
Especially lovely old historian Nora, both statements apply. I like her.
Also, the ending was HAHAAAA *chef's kiss*
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
July 2022. Second in a M/M cozy romance series set in a coastal tourist town.
Like the previous entry is cozy and therefore light on the romance (basically hugging) and violence and heavy on the quirky locals. Fun and fairly light. Enjoying these.
I was able to get 1 and 2 through Sac Library via Hoopla, and there’s a bunch of other books and audiobooks on Hoopla by the same author, but unfortunately no more of this series. I may request more audiobooks from Sac library to see if they can get them, but I don’t love them so much that I’m in a rush. Plenty of other audiobooks I can get for free through the library with Hoopla or Libby!
“Secret at Skull House” (Second in “Secrets and Scrabble” series) by Josh Lanyon.
Like the previous entry is cozy and therefore light on the romance (basically hugging) and violence and heavy on the quirky locals. Fun and fairly light. Enjoying these.
I was able to get 1 and 2 through Sac Library via Hoopla, and there’s a bunch of other books and audiobooks on Hoopla by the same author, but unfortunately no more of this series. I may request more audiobooks from Sac library to see if they can get them, but I don’t love them so much that I’m in a rush. Plenty of other audiobooks I can get for free through the library with Hoopla or Libby!
“Secret at Skull House” (Second in “Secrets and Scrabble” series) by Josh Lanyon.
Plot: Murder mystery.
1. Josh Lanyon is definitely an author who writes according to a strict formula. Common themes include murder plots, a very relatable narrator/protagonist and a love interest who is invariably associated in some way with the police or police-like institutions.
2. I don’t read Josh Lanyon for the romance. I’m mostly wary of older man/much younger man dynamics (another commonly occurring trope) and I wasn’t a huge fan of the police-y love interests even before the events of June 2020.
3. Things I do like about her books are the competent (and often funny) prose, the mostly intriguing murder mysteries (I mean, I may not be emotionally invested but they are interesting) and the plethora of lovely side characters. Oh, and the protagonists. I don’t think I’ve ever met a Josh Lanyon protagonist I didn’t get fond of in two chapters flat. All of this makes Josh Lanyon a very soothing read, and Secret at Skull House was no exception.
4. The small town life and politics stuff was my favorite part- the extended cast of characters and motivations were compelling. What is it about small town stories that inspire stories of secrets and coverups and forgotten crimes? Whatever it is, we should have more. Stories, I mean. Not murders.
5. I even got fond of the love interest. Fond, as in I don’t feel the need to keep harping about how much better off everyone would be if that guy weren’t in the picture. Don’t look at me like that. I have generally contentious reactions to about 60% of romance in media, and it shoots up to 90% for romances in non-romance books.
1. Josh Lanyon is definitely an author who writes according to a strict formula. Common themes include murder plots, a very relatable narrator/protagonist and a love interest who is invariably associated in some way with the police or police-like institutions.
2. I don’t read Josh Lanyon for the romance. I’m mostly wary of older man/much younger man dynamics (another commonly occurring trope) and I wasn’t a huge fan of the police-y love interests even before the events of June 2020.
3. Things I do like about her books are the competent (and often funny) prose, the mostly intriguing murder mysteries (I mean, I may not be emotionally invested but they are interesting) and the plethora of lovely side characters. Oh, and the protagonists. I don’t think I’ve ever met a Josh Lanyon protagonist I didn’t get fond of in two chapters flat. All of this makes Josh Lanyon a very soothing read, and Secret at Skull House was no exception.
4. The small town life and politics stuff was my favorite part- the extended cast of characters and motivations were compelling. What is it about small town stories that inspire stories of secrets and coverups and forgotten crimes? Whatever it is, we should have more. Stories, I mean. Not murders.
5. I even got fond of the love interest. Fond, as in I don’t feel the need to keep harping about how much better off everyone would be if that guy weren’t in the picture. Don’t look at me like that. I have generally contentious reactions to about 60% of romance in media, and it shoots up to 90% for romances in non-romance books.
Pirate’s cove is becoming the literary equivalent of Cabot’s cove in this wonderful cosy mystery series. Ellery is in hot water again, when an ex boyfriend buys an old house just outside of town, a house with a murky, legendary past and he disappears. Ellery seems just as bumbling and clueless as he was in the first book, this time he is egged on by his cheer squad the silver sleuths. The romantic subplot was still there but took a step further back as it wasn’t needed to keep the story going. I wait with anticipation for the next book to come.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this, but a bit less than the first one. My biggest issue with it was that I didn't love the one step forward, two steps back kind of development with Jack/Ellery. I mentioned in my review of the first book that I would've preferred either less or more development between them than what we actually got, but I was ready for them to start trying things here, and I figured there'd be a set-back with the case maybe interrupting things, but it'd still feel like forward momentum. Unfortunately, it felt more like a holding pattern. I did still enjoy their dynamic, although I felt like Jack was absent for a bit too much of the book. Part of what I liked about the first book was them slowly working together more, but here it was the opposite — them starting off on a good foot and then stepping back once the case started and not really seeing much of one another. And while I didn't dislike the mystery, it certainly wasn't engaging enough to make up for the lack of Jack/Ellery.
My other major complaint is that it felt like the book was either too short or the mystery resolved too quickly. I got to a point where I thought to myself, "Okay, the mystery's been introduced, we're probably at the 30-40% mark," and then I checked and I was actually 70% through, which just didn't seem possible. The pacing was off, I guess. The mystery felt more casually handled than in the first book. Anyways, I do like the characters and generally enjoy cozy mysteries with romantic subplots, so I'll continue with this series until Jack and Ellery figure things out. But I did find this one more frustrating than the first book.
Spoiler
I was a little frustrated with Ellery immediately assuming Jack only wanted to be friends without actually talking to him, and I figured he was just temporarily pulling away because of the case, but to have it turn out that Jack actually WAS distancing himself because he wasn't ready for anything serious and now they're back to just being friends is a little tiring. I feel like a lot of this is just my own personal preference for romances and the fact that I'd always prefer a slow but gradual forward development rather than a kind of stop and start.My other major complaint is that it felt like the book was either too short or the mystery resolved too quickly. I got to a point where I thought to myself, "Okay, the mystery's been introduced, we're probably at the 30-40% mark," and then I checked and I was actually 70% through, which just didn't seem possible. The pacing was off, I guess. The mystery felt more casually handled than in the first book. Anyways, I do like the characters and generally enjoy cozy mysteries with romantic subplots, so I'll continue with this series until Jack and Ellery figure things out. But I did find this one more frustrating than the first book.
I love Ellery. He's settling into Pirate's Cove. His bookstore is doing okay. He's getting involved in the local activities, including providing the script for the local play. His friendship - and maybe something more - is developing with Jack, the police chief.
Then Ellery's ex from his college days, who is now a big time horror story author, shows up in Pirate's Cove, announcing that he has purchased Skull House in order to write about the murders associated with it. And of course, Brandon turns up missing, and Ellery turns up the #1 suspect.
I loved the developments between Ellery and Jack. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Not only for the upcoming mystery, but how it might change the dynamics between Ellery and Jack.
Then Ellery's ex from his college days, who is now a big time horror story author, shows up in Pirate's Cove, announcing that he has purchased Skull House in order to write about the murders associated with it. And of course, Brandon turns up missing, and Ellery turns up the #1 suspect.
I loved the developments between Ellery and Jack.
Spoiler
Well, most of them.
Great follow-up to the first story. We learn more about our hero's and thei friends around the island, as well as exploring another mystery. I am really enjoying these and am going straight on to the next one. They are easy to read and the characters and situations are great fun.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes