reading_under_covers's reviews
1552 reviews

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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4.0

This was SO fun! It reminded me a lot of the Dial A for Auntie books, but from a reversed perspective!

Jesse does cozy mysteries like no other!
Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

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4.0

This was a wild, fast-paced thriller with a unique premise!

It had some fun interactive moments and the short chapters made it very easy to just keep reading “one more chapter”!
Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen

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4.5

"She's hungry. Oh, I've never know a hunger like hers!"

Johanna van Veen is back with another fantastic gothic horror tale in BLOOD ON HER TONGUE 🙇‍♀️

The story follows twin sisters Lucy and Sarah in the late 1800s after Sarah's run-in with the bog woman and her spiraling health and sanity that follows 👀 the vibes were eerie (there's a bog, a large estate, and sooo much blood!) and the men were trash!

I read a little chunk of this on public transit and could literally feel my face transforming into this 🥴, so if you're squeamish, take caution - but my goodness, what a tale to get lost in!

This is ultimately a book rooted in feminism and there's no time like the present for some girl power!

Highly recommend this one to you gothic fans!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC for review - out March 25.

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The Other People by C.B. Everett

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2.5

"I escaped from that house, came straight here, and...and all the others...all the others are dead."

Ten strangers wake up inside an old house. They have no recollection of how they got there, but are told they have twelve hours to find a missing girl in order to flee the house. Not only is it a race against the clock, but there's also a killer on the loose that seems to want them all dead.

THE OTHER PEOPLE by C.B. Everett is definitely a story that should be gone into as blind as possible (the above synopsis is all you need!).

This book rotated POVs, which is always a fave of mine, and really leaned into the murder mystery of it all (heavy heavy on the murder, which I didn't have an issue with).

However, I found this book to be very heavy-handed with the stereotypes, making it hard for me to enjoy most of the characters as they were portrayed in often uncomfortable ways. Also, there was one POV character "The Beast" that basically holds the reader's hand throughout the story and explains everything that's happening - as a reader, I don't enjoy it when the author seems to imply I'm incapable of reading comprehension 😬

The fourth wall breaking in those chapters was fun, though! And the twist really turned it around for me in terms of "wow" factor in the story.

Overall, this book just didn't fully work out for me even if the binge factor was definitely there!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the copy for review!
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

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4.5

I listened to this book on audio (narrated by Hattie Morahan, who did a phenomenal job), and absolutely flew through it!

It's historical, romantic, and mysterious and just a really strong look at the whirlwind that is a first love. (anyone else get Huntzberger family vibes a la Gilmore Girls?!)

It was also extremely riddled with grief, which really allowed me to feel so much empathy for all of the characters.

I already see myself re-listening to this one in the future!

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Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder: A Novel by Bellamy Rose

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4.0

"The slipper squelched into blood as I stared down onto the bed, at (her) bloody face, her lips frozen into a silent scream."

POMONA AFTON CAN SO SOLVE A MURDER is Bellamy Rose's debut, and this cozy mystery was so much fun!

The vibes of this book were giving Schitt's Creek and Only Murders in the Building (and that one episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody - shoutout @kayreadwhat!), which made for an absurd ride.

The New York setting was *chef's kiss* and I loved loved loved Gabe and Andrea (lowkey a lot of the other characters annoyed me, including our main girl Pomona 😬)

This was, overall, such a cute story with some endearing moments, and a lovely murder mystery to top it all off. Definitely hoping we get a sequel!

Thanks to Atria & Emily Bestler Books for the free copy for review! This one is out March 18!
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

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3.0

le sigh.

I really wanted to love this book, but still being relatively new to SGJ’s work (TEENAGE SLASHER has been my first and only prior to this one), I think I’m coming to terms with the fact that his writing style might just not be for me. 

This one has gotten some amazing rave reviews so far, so don’t let me be the one to turn you away!
The Tuesday Club Murders by Agatha Christie

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3.5

There were some real standouts in this collection and others that weren’t so much so.

Overall, the men were trash, Miss Marple is a treasure, and wild to have two characters named Jane in a six-person cast of a collection 😅
You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

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4.0

I'm a sucker for a locked room mystery and YOU ARE FATALLY INVITED really packed a punch (and featured a gorgeous house map at the start to act as a guide!)

This story was loaded with a cast of authors, all guilty of some heinous act or another, and watching them get picked of one by one had me pulling on my detective hat and trying to put the pieces together (I got halfway there lol)

Overall, a really fun read that leans into all the mystery and thriller tropes! As a debut, I can't wait to see what Ande writes next!

Thank you to Bantam for the free copy for review!