Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A locked room mystery that is also a dark comedy and a reflection on mental health

Anxious poeple by Fredrik Backman

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Fredrik Backman is a Swedish novelist who broke out a few years ago with the novel A Man Called Ove.  He is also a genius, which is proved by his latest offering Anxious People.  I have read everything he has written which has been published in English.  His latest might be his best (or at least a close second behind Ove). The premise is pretty simple.  A bank robber, who makes the mistake of trying to rob a cashless bank, escapes by running into an […]

“The future isn’t a warning my friend, it’s a promise.”

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

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CBR12 BINGO: Cannonballer Says I decided to read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle for the “Cannonballer Says” BINGO square after reading Narfna’s review. Or rather, I should say, after skimming Narfna’s review, because as soon as I saw the basic premise and the spoiler alerts, I averted my eyes and decided to go no-contact on any reviews until after I had read it. I’m glad I did; yet here I am with the impossible task of describing a book I really enjoyed without giving […]

Haunted house or horrible people?

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

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Maggie Holt is shocked to learn she’s inherited Baneberry Hall, the Victorian mansion in Vermont that her family fled 25 years earlier. The 20 days they lived at Baneberry Hall were chronicled in a bestselling book, House of Horrors, written by Maggie’s father. Although Maggie has no memory of that time, she’s spent her life being asked by fans, critics, and journalists if the house really is haunted. Her parents have never given her a straight answer, so Maggie decides to go to Baneberry Hall […]

Suspense Is Killing

Hipster Death Rattle by Richie Narvaez

A Touch of Death by Charles Williams

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I finished two different crime novels over the last couple of days, one written by a  novice, the other by a legend, both really good in their own respective ways. Hipster Death Rattle I’ve become more familiar with north Brooklyn the last couple of months and boy, does Richie Narvaez know ever corner and haunt. A delightful skewering of hipster culture set right in the middle of Williamsburg, Gentrification’s Ground Zero, the book is as much a satire as it is a mystery. Some of […]

Murder in a mansion on an island? Yes, please!

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

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Off the coast of Ireland, on an island rumored to be cursed, is the newest luxury wedding location. It’s the perfect place for the perfect bride and groom to say their vows. The bride, Jules, is gorgeous, ambitious, and tough as nails. Her website has taken off over the past few years and she knows her readers will devour every detail of her storybook wedding. She’s trying to let the wedding planner, Aoife, handle everything, but Jules is a control freak and it’s causing some […]

Lighthearted version of Rebecca

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen

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The Royal Spyness series stars Lady Georgina Rannoch, twentysomething cousin to King George V. Set in the early 1930s, the books begin with Georgie trying to make her way in life without any family support or marrying a dreaded princeling. While her royal connections prevent her from being able to find a job, it doesn’t stop her from stumbling over a lot of dead bodies and solving their murders. It’s a cute, fun series that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The Last Mrs. Summers is […]



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