Book Review: A Poisonous Pour (Cece Barton Mystery, #3) by Maddie Day

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A Poisonous Pour (Cece Barton Mystery, #3)  by Maddie Day  opens with the city of Colinas, California celebrating Memorial Day weekend with various activities including a car show and picnic. While co-sponsoring a booth at the car show with local mechanic Josie Jarvin, Cece witnesses one of the attendees, Regan Greene, getting into multiple arguments with others. Aside from that, everything goes well. That is until the next morning when the town finds out that Regan is dead, and it looks like she was murdered. With multiple people having motives, Cece utilizes her amateur sleuthing skills to find out who actually committed the dirty deed. I was approved for and received a digital copy of an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of A Poisonous Pour by Maddie Day from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. A huge thank you goes out to both for providing me a copy for free in exchange for my honest opinion. Maddie Day's Cece Barton series has become one of my favorite cozy mystery series, an...
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Book Review: Mind Game (Eve Duncan, #22) by Iris Johansen

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Mind Game (Eve Duncan, #22) by Iris Johansen
Mind Game is the twenty-second book in Iris Johansen’s Eve Duncan series and focuses on Jane MacGuire, Eve Duncan’s adopted daughter. Jane is on a quest to find a treasure buried centuries ago by a woman named Cira near a lake in Scotland. At the same time, she begins having vivid dreams about a girl who seems to be in danger. As the story unfolds, Jane tries to determine whether the girl is real and whether she can somehow save her.

I was fortunate to receive an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) of Mind Game by Iris Johansen through a Goodreads giveaway. I received it for free in exchange for my honest review, which gave me the opportunity to read the book ahead of its official release and share my thoughts with other readers. It’s always exciting to receive a book this way, and it made reviewing Mind Game even more enjoyable knowing I could provide an honest perspective before the book hit shelves.

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This is only the second book I’ve read by Iris Johansen, and the other one I read was also part of the Eve Duncan series. I enjoyed Mind Game much more than the previous book. The storyline is action-packed from the very beginning and features two intertwined plots. While having multiple storylines can sometimes feel disjointed, Iris Johansen manages to weave them together seamlessly. Although the novel leans heavily toward action and suspense, there’s also a touch of romance that adds depth and makes the story feel more realistic. The characters are well developed, which isn’t always the case in long-running series, and I found that especially refreshing.

Don’t expect Mind Game to be a deep, literary read. Instead, it’s a fast-paced, thrilling beach read that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I definitely recommend this book, and one of the best things about it is that you don’t need to read the earlier books in the series to understand the story. Iris Johansen does an excellent job of providing just enough background information from previous books without making it feel forced or repetitive. I gave Mind Game by Iris Johansen 4 out of 5 stars.

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