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Third Time's a crime is reality TV in book form! Except in Cold Case at the Castle, the drama wasn't scripted! Set at an old mansion that had operated as a boys home many years in the past, ex-cop Georgia and the nine other contestants are tasked with solving the murder of a girl who disappeared decades ago, to solve the mystery first. But when an employee at the castle is found dead, and another contestant is murdered after he was voted off the show, Georgia knows all the murders are tied together and the killer is still very close to the scene. Can she find a cold blooded killer at the Castle before she's the next victim?

This was recommended to me by a friend, who sent me a copy of the book. (Thanks, Joann!) This was the first book I've read in the Love or Money series, and I really enjoyed it. I don't care for reality shows, so I skipped over a lot of the backstabbing/partnering/cheating sort of reality tv shtick. But at the heart of it, this was an excellent plot, lots of action and suspense with plenty of misdirections and a hint of is-it-or-isn't-it-paranormal to keep you guessing. The satisfying ending tied everything up nicely, and although the book can be read as a standalone, it will definitely suck you right into the series.

I loved the crumbling old mansion setting, very well described and so vivid I felt like it was real. I eagerly followed along as the contestants combed the mansion and gardens, and I love the dumbwaiter scene (I've always wanted to do that!) Combined with the animated characters (especially Bert!) the entire story was dimensional, exciting and totally engrossing.

Overall, Third Time's a Crime is an excellent mystery, and can be read as a standalone or even an entry into the series. I definitely recommend it for cozy mystery and reality tv fans.

Nearly Found is even better than the debut novel by Elle Cosimano.

Cosimano uses the same style in this sequel to make the reader never want to put the book down. If you thought, "hmmm, where could the story line go from here?' at the end of the first book, you obviously didn't think much about the surrounding characters...hint hint. 

Nearly tries hard to make amends with Anh and Jeremy, while trying to keep Reece within an arms reach. She gets into a bit of a pickle, with the same notes from before. But how could that be since TJ is in jail? 

Don't worry, it all comes together in the end and you'll be asking when a third book will be published. 

Riveting and full of surprises! I honestly cannot wait to see if Cosimano keeps going on with Nearly's character. I know its a YA title, but seriously, aren't they the best?!

BUY THE BOOKS! READ ALL THE PAGES! 

http://ellecosimano.com/books/ 

Best,

Adria

A collection of twenty-one historical mystery short stories presented in chronological order.

I bought this book solely to read Kate Ross' "The Lullaby Cheat," but I found I really enjoyed most all the stories in this collection. They range in length from eight to twenty-five pages, with the average seeming to be about fifteen to twenty pages.

I think there should be something here to appease any historical mystery fan as there's a wide range of settings and eras. The first story is set in Egypt during the reign of King Tut, the final is set (through a flashbacks) in Berlin in the final days of WWII.

Not every author's writing was to my liking, nor was every historical era, and I think a few of the stories could have been a lot better if they'd had a few more pages worth of fleshing out, but overall this is a top-notch anthology.