Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...
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Book Review: The Wrong Number (Fear Street, #5) by R.L. Stine

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book review the wrong number fear street rl stine
The Wrong Number (Fear Street, #5) by R.L. Stine is about best friends Deena Martinson and Jade Smith being typical teenagers and playing pranks on their classmates. When Deena's half brother Chuck catches them in the act, he gets involved, and things go horribly wrong when they call the wrong number and overhear a crime taking place.

In rereading this book for the first time since I was a teenager, I only vaguely remembered the plot of The Wrong Number, so it was like reading it for the first time again. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the story and had moments where I felt uneasy, I was disappointed in the fact that there weren't really that many twists and turns.

Additionally, it didn't age quite as well as some of the other books just because not many people have landlines anymore. Those who do still have them, have caller id now, so it's quite difficult to prank call someone now. In this day and age, people typically don't answer the phone if they don't know the number or if it's blocked. It's crazy that there used to be a time when we'd answer the phone without knowing who was on the other line!

All in all, The Wrong Number (Fear Street, #5) by R.L. Stine is an enjoyable young adult book, and my reread of this book was a great blast from the past. I give it four out of five stars.


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