Mystery – World of Bai

Book Review: “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murders” By Jesse Q. Sutanto

This was a buddy read with a few of my bookish besties. I am really glad that we had picked this book as I am not sure I would have picked it up on my own and would have ultimately missed out on such charming characters.

“People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often.”
Jesse Q. Sutanto, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

About The Book

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Publisher: Berkley

Published Date: March 14th, 2023

Page Count: 339 Pages

Main Genre: Mystery

GoodReads Rating: 4.02

Format: Audio Book

Synopsis

Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).

But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.

“In her experience, it’s best to nod and agree with what people say before doing exactly what you wanted from the very beginning.”
Jesse Q. Sutanto, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Rating

When this audiobook started I got a little nervous as I struggle at times when accents are added to them. I find it harder for my brain to catch every word when I am listening at my 1.5 – 2 speed. So instead of DNF’ing the book I lowered the speed of my audio till I got used to hearing the accent. This is something I am going to do from now on as I feel like I am missing a lot of great audiobooks because of this.

The characters in this book were all unique which added such a fun layer to my reading. I was worried having so many characters would get to be too much in moments but they each added an important part to the story and were all so different that they were easy to keep track of. Because of this the story quickly developed the found family trope which is one of my favorite things to read about.

Vera, at times, was annoying but this really didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. In fact, it actually made the story more enjoyable for me, no one is more surprised than I. While Vera was pushy and did not respect peoples space that is what made everyone around her love and respect her in the end. She surely did not keep her thoughts to herself and definitely did not think too much before saying anything but this really helped people to let their guard down around her. Seeing all of these random characters come together because of one woman was so heart warming.

As for the plot, I had no clue who could have committed the murder. The Author did such a good job and making everyone seem suspicious and yet innocent all at the same time. When the killer was revealed I was in genuine shock. I loved how it all played out in the end.

This book kept me laughing around every corner. The way Vera kept comparing the work of the cops to crime shows was hilarious to me and also quite relatable. I am not sure I would have crossed as many lines as Vera did but without her I truly don’t think the cops would have solved this case.

I also found it enjoyable to hear bits and pieces about Chinese cultures. I don’t know as much as I would like to but the way Vera was holding herself as a Chinese Mother was really fun and interesting to me. It got me more curious about the culture and is something I have started to do further research into myself. So I really appreciate that being written into this book.

I suggest picking this book up for a light enjoyable mystery that will keep you guessing till the very end.

“You don’t describe your job like that,” Vera scolds. “Is a small job, hah! Can you see men saying that? No, men will talk it up with bullshit, that is why they get even bigger job next time. There is no such thing as ‘small job.’ And don’t say in that silly tone, oh so apologetic, I am just silly woman having a small job. No!” Her index finger shoots up and points at Julia’s face like a sword. “You go and do this job proudly.”
Jesse Q. Sutanto, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

QOTD: What book had an ending that left you in shock?

Book Review: “Listen For The Lie” By Amy Tintera

I had honestly not heard to much about this book before I had read it. It was recommended to me by one of my Bookstagram friends moreazlibros for my 12 books from 12 friends challenge for this year. I am really happy that this book was suggested to me as I probably wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise.

“You don’t owe anyone your whole story.”
Amy Tintera, Listen for the Lie

About The Book

Author: Amy Tintera

Publisher: Celadon Books

Published Date: March 5th, 2024

Page Count: 336 Page Count

Main Genre: Mystery, Thriller

GoodReads Rating: 4.07

Format: Audio

“I am not responsible for the fake version of me you created in your head.”
Amy Tintera, Listen for the Lie

Synopsis

Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all and, if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. But after Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer.

It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life. But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast Listen for the Lie and its too-good looking host, Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one who did it.

The truth is out there, if we just listen.

Synopsis From GoodReads

Rating

Review

This book has a pretty unreliable narrator as our main character. She doe snot remember anything form the night that her friend was murdered, all she knows is that everyone suspects it was her and she can’t really blame them.

I at first was really struggling with the main characters inner thoughts as it made her seem very guilty to me. I wasn’t sure why we were even reading this book if she was having thoughts of murdering everyone around. Talk about a guilty conscious! But as the plot started to unfold everything started to click, thankfully!

I think I hated every character in this book at one point or another, except for Beverly, our main characters grandma. She was hilarious and always knew everything going on around which made me love her even more.

The ending of this book was very shocking to me. I didn’t expect the murderer to be who it ended up being at all. This made the ending unpausable and had me on the edge of my seat. But this was pretty much the feeling all throughout the book though because it seemed to have twists and turns being tossed around at every corner.

If I could have lived without one thing in the entire story it would have been the random love plotline between the podcaster and our main character. It just wasn’t needed and didn’t add much to the whole story.

Overall I would recommend this book to people who love true crime podcasts as the audiobook was well produced and felt like a true podcast story was unfolding before my ears.

“Some people will never believe you no matter how hard you explain yourself. Trust me, there’s no pleasing people. If they’re determined to think the worst of you, they will.”
Amy Tintera, Listen for the Lie

QOTD: DO you have a favorite Podcast?

“People don’t believe women who fight back. When a man lashes out, people say he’s lost control of his temper or made a terrible mistake. When a woman does it, she’s a psychopath.”
Amy Tintera, Listen for the Lie

Book Review: “The Grandest Game” By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes have been some of my favorite books this year. Wow, it’s crazy to think I have read all of those this year… this is unheard of from me.. Anyways, its just proof that her books are amazing! When I found out the first book in her break off series “The Grandest Game” was being released I was so stoked! I went and picked it up the week it came out. It may have taken me a few weeks to actually pick it up and read but I read this in two sittings leaving me to finish the book at 1 AM on a work night! Yet another unheard of thing for me, as I love my sleep!

Ok, lets save some of my feelings for my actual review haha.

“Trying to write trick questions backfires if the person taking the test knows how to look for tricks.”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Grandest Game

About The Book

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher: Little Brown Books

Published Date: July 30th, 2024

Page Count: 384 Pages

Main Genres: Mystery, YA

GoodReads Rating: 4.04

Format: Physical Book

“Some people can make mistakes, make amends, and move on. And some of us live with each and every mistake we make carved into us, into hollow places we don’t know how to fill.”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes , The Grandest Game

Synopsis

Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.

Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.

Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.

Synopsis From GoodReads

“Sometimes, in the games that matter most, the only way to really play is to live.”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Grandest Game

Rating

Review

I don’t want to cause any spoilers so before I move on just know that I recommend reading “The Inheritance Games” Series in full before starting this break off series. As many of these characters are returning characters with a few newbies sprinkled in. I will do my best not to spoil anything in my review but this is you warning to only go on in this review if you are ok with very mild spoilers.

Ok now that the formalities are over, lets begin this review!

I loved nearly every part of this book! I am used to the Inheritance games swapping POV’s so I expected that of this book going into it. However, I was not ready for three POV’s one of which being a new character we briefly even knew existed. Because we weren’t following Avery or one of the Hawthorne boys this book started off a bit slow for me. It took time for me to get used to these newer characters and their stories so the begging of the book did drag a bit for me. But once we actually got into the book and The Grandest Game actually started I was hooked!

Each characters POV brought something new and exciting to the story. They each had their own reasons to win the games and even grew to understand one another’s reasons, starting out as enemies but ending, in some cases as friends. I say ending as if the story is over… Little did I know this book would end in a cliffhanger! This was only part one of the games…

With every twist and turn this book presented our characters were faced with new challenges that just kept the book moving! The chapters were short but always ended in a place that left you wanting to know more. This is a huge reason why I was able to read this book so fast! I had to know how all the puzzles were solved and where the drama would take us next.

I found myself trying to figure out the riddles before they could answer them which gave me like 6-10 (Short) chapters to find the answer. Did I ever solve one? No, I did not, not even close haha. But when they solved the riddles I was like “Oh wow, that makes so much sense!” Jennifer Lynn Barnes really knows how to write a mystery book, she has really taken her place as one of my all time favorite authors!

I hope you guys will give her books a try as they are totally worth it! This is coming from someone who doesn’t read YA much anymore because I feel like it reads too young. But her writing is so well done that sometimes I even forget it’s YA! Let me know if you have already read these books as I would love to chat with someone about these.

“I have spent my entire life being fine when I wasn’t. I know the price. I know what it’s like to bear that prince with every cell in your body. It isn’t worth it.”
Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Grandest Game

QOTD: What is your favorite YA?

Book Review: “A Good Girls Guide To Murder” By Holly Jackson

Over the last month I have been reading books that my Friend @syds.bookshelves has been recommending to me for ages and this is probably the one she has told me to read the most. I think it is so much fun to read the books your friends love, as it is a great opportunity to actively chat to them as you read so they can see your reactions.

“You go around asking dangerous questions, girl, you’re going to find some dangerous answers.”
Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

About The Book

Author: Holly Jackson

Publisher: Electric Monkey

Published Date: May 2nd, 2019

Page Count: 433 Pages

Main Genres: YA, Mystery, Thriller

GoodReads Rating: 4.34

Format: Physical Book

“women can be just as dangerous as men.”
Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Synopsis

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

Synopsis From GoodReads

“Real men wear floral when trespassing”
Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Rating

Review

I have not been a big Young Adult reader lately. Part of me likes how easy they are to read but then theres another part of me that struggles with that. I feel like I am left wanting more out of Young Adult books and that was the exact case with this one.

This book honestly started off super slow for me and did read really young at the beginning. However, it quickly picked up the pace at about half way which is when I sat down and devoured the rest in one sitting, staying up till 1 am to finish on a work night!

One thing that I really loved about this book was our characters.

Pip was a really great main character, I loved her determination to this case even though it could have gotten her into some really sticky situations, I mean good thing this book is a work of fiction! The love she had for her friends and family really showed in this book and I think this is one of the biggest reasons I liked her. One thing that did bug me about Pip though was the million of nicknames she had in this book, some of them were quite cringy honestly.

Ravi was honestly my favorite character by far. He was so misunderstood throughout this book! I couldn’t imagine having to go through the things he did after his brothers death but as the story unfolded we got to see him really shine and come out of his shell. He for sure had the most beautiful story arc of any of the characters.

My biggest Gripe with this book, and it really isn’t even that horrible of one, is the fact that we had so many suspects! It was hard to keep everyone straight in my mind and they truly all felt guilty to me. This in turn also made the story really interesting as we got to explore everyone in this town and find out all of their deep dark secrets.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I do think I will continue on with this series. As always check your trigger warnings before picking this one up as their is a few big ones to be aware of. For me it was animal death, luckily there wasn’t too many details so it was brief but still emotional.

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.”
Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

QOTD: What is a must read YA in your Opinion?

Book Review: “She Started It” By Sian Gilbert

This is the first and really only book I read in July. I read this as a buddy read with one of my bookstagram friends and surprisingly I really enjoyed it! I listened to this via audio book and I am happy I did as it sparked my interest in audio books again.

“In reality, we all stick together because we know no one else would ever understand what we did in the past. And the trouble is, we’ve all become so convinced that what we did was alright that we’ve accepted an invitation from the very woman we did it to.”
Sian Gilbert, She Started It

About the Book

Author: Sian Gilbert

Publisher: William Marrow and Company

Published Date: June 13th, 2023

Page Count: 352 Pages

Main Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Adult

GoodReads Rating: 3.63

Format: Audio

Synopsis

Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.

None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?

The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected…even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.

Synopsis From GoodReads

Rating

Review

This audio book started off pretty slow which honestly made me super nervous! This Audio had, I believe, Two separate narrators. One Narrator sounded like Alexa was telling me a story which I truly struggled with, while the other narrator really kept my interest. Because of this I pushed through and I am so glad that I did because I loved this book in the end!

Part of me believes the reason I liked this book so much is because I was in a really horrible reading slump for all of July so really any book I picked up would have probably been a 5 star read at this time. I say this because my Friend I buddy Read this with actually rated this book pretty low and we tend to have the same thoughts on most books.

This was a book filled with a lot of drama and a lot of miscommunications which kept the book moving quick with many twists and turns. I feel like most people probably could have expected the twist at the end but if I am completely honest with you it came to me as a shock which I loved!

I Would for sure recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast paced Thriller to get yourself out of a reading slump!

“Those bitches might have started it, but I sure as hell finished it.”
Sian Gilbert, She Started It

QOTD: What Thriller got you out of a reading slump?

Book Review: “Lock Every Door” By Riley Sager

Look at me, giving Riley Sager a second chance after DNF’ing Final Girls. I only made it about 100 pages into Final Girls before I decided it wasn’t for me, the writing was just so boring! So giving him a second chance wasn’t really on my radar, but Lock Every Door was a book that everyone was saying to give a try so here I am.

“Never take anything you haven’t earned, my father used to say. You always end up paying for it one way or another.”
Riley Sager, Lock Every Door

About The Book

Author: Riley Sager

Publisher: Dutton

Published Date: July 2nd, 2019

Page Count: 381 Pages

Main Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

GoodReads Rating: 3.91

Format: Physical Book

“Every so often, life offers you a reset button. When it does, you need to press it as hard as you can.”
Riley Sager, Lock Every Door

Synopsis

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan’s most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story—until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid’s disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew’s dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building’s hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

“One time is an anomaly. Two times is a coincidence. Three times is proof.”
Riley Sager, Lock Every Door

Rating

Review

I went into this book with basically no expectations which was probably for the best with this one. The only expectation I had was that this could possibly be a paranormal read and spoiler alert, I was wrong.

This book started off really strong. in fact, I flew through the first 100 pages! But after that we hit a slow part in the book that felt like it would last forever, and it did. In fact it lasted for practically 200 pages, almost till the very end of the book where it finally decided to get good again and man oh man did it get good!

Honestly, this book had a really interesting conclusion that saved this book from being a 2 star read. If you don’t want any kind of spoilers I would stop reading right now, don’t even skim the rest of this paragraph. Ok so the ending of this book reminded me a lot of the movie “The Menu” It talks about how the rich take advantage of the poor and man oh man did they take advantage of these apartment sitters!

Now the big question remains, after DNF’ing one of Riley Sagers books and giving this one a 3.5 star rating, will I be interested in picking up any of the other books from this author? Ummmm, I do have two of his books currently on my shelves, they are House Across The Lake and Home Before Dark. I think I want to try Home Before Dark as I have heard some good things about this and possibly even that it has paranormal aspects which I am here for. SO yes, I will probably try one more book from this author.

“Because here’s the thing about being poor—most people don’t understand it unless they’ve been there themselves. They don’t know what a fragile balancing act it is to stay afloat and that if, God forbid, you momentarily slip underwater, how hard it is to resurface.”
Riley Sager, Lock Every Door

QOTD: Do you have a favorite Riley Sager Book?