Sheryll Eastwood

Cute but too corny for me. I skimmed through it and finally gave up. I love cats but not this book

Murder Takes A Vacation by Laura Lippman is a charming mystery set in France on a cruise ship. Muriel Blossom, a smart and witty 68 year widow, lands among art thieves while on vacation. The story is fast paced and the dialogue intelligent and Mrs. Blossom is now one of my favorite characters. I hope to read more from this author.

I read this book because my book club chose it. I found myself skimming through the book as it didn't hold my interest. The dialogue was stilted - especially between the father and daughter and the talking fig tree annoyed me with its lengthy views on a variety of subjects. The ending was the only good part - because finally I could stop reading.

The book was depressing and overly descriptive for my taste. I skimmed through it because I am in a book club and it was the chosen book. The writing was beautiful however.

I just finished reading The Housemaid and am left with a feeling of disappointment. I admit that the book was addictive and easy to read, especially the first half. The second half however became a tangled web of melodrama that I skipped through with the feeling that the book had become soap operish. The characters were not likeable in the least and as a result some of the gruesome details seemed almost humorous. Not a book I'd recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Maid. Molly is a likeable character who feels isolated ever since her grandmother died. She's made fun of by her co-workers and taken advantage of and you can't help but feel for her. Perhaps she is autistic but there is no mention of this, the reader must decide for themselves. Either way the label isn't the important part nor should it be. What I liked about the book was that it showed how insensitive people can be to someone who is different to them. The story itself is cozy like in nature with happenings that might be unbelievable in real life but I didn't care. Molly's charm pulls you into the story and keeps you there. A must read for cozy lovers.