Book Review: Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin

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Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin follows Maggie and her older brother when their father and stepmother leave on a long-delayed honeymoon, trusting the siblings to care for their four-year-old half sister, Courtenay. When Courtenay fails to come home from daycare one Monday afternoon, Maggie and her brother are thrust into a frightening mystery. With no adults around to help, they must piece together what happened and find a way to alert their parents before it’s too late. This standalone novel for readers ages eight to twelve was one I completely missed as a kid, but as an adult and a longtime fan of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club  series, I couldn’t resist picking it up. The first chapter or two felt a bit choppy to me at first, but once the story found its footing, everything began to come together nicely . Because this is a short children’s book, the characters aren’t deeply developed, which is to be expected. That said, Martin does an excellent job conveying Maggie’...
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Book Review: A Cryptic Clue (Hunter and Clewe, #1) by Victoria Gilbert

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book review a cryptic clue hunter and clue 1 victoria gilbert

A Cryptic Clue (Hunter and Clewe, #1) by Victoria Gilbert was published on July 11, 2023.  It opens with sixty-year old Jane Hunter starting a new job for Cameron "Cam" Clewe after being forced to retire from her librarian career.  When Jane finds a dead body on her first day of the job, Cam requests his employee to help exonerate his name.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the Advanced Readers Copy of A Cryptic Clue (Hunter and Clewe, #1) by Victoria Gilbert.  I loved the cover and synopsis of the book and was thrilled when I learned that I was receiving a free copy of it in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I had trouble getting into the story, so I put the book aside and came back to it.  Being in a different mindset definitely made the difference.  I ended up enjoying the storyline.  I really liked the main character, Jane Hunter.  I wasn't as crazy about Cameron Clewe, but he ended up growing on me.

There were lots of suspects, and I wasn't sure who the killer was going to be.  In fact, I didn't figure out who it was, and when the identity was revealed, I felt like it came out of left field.  Additionally, there were a couple of underlying mysteries involving people's identities.  However, those identities were never revealed, and it really bothered me that the author didn't wrap those two storylines up.  Since it appears that there will be at least a sequel, I'm hoping that we find out who these two people are.

All in all, I enjoyed A Cryptic Clue (Hunter and Clewe, #1) by Victoria Gilbert for the most part.  Four out of five stars is what I gave this book.

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