Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

All the Memories

Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner

by Leave a Comment

This one got recommended to me by a lit critic. She asked for folks to submit what we liked to read to her via Twitter and she replied with suggestions. When I said mysteries, she came up with this one, along with Tana French (who I love) and “Robert Galbraith” (who I do not love). I figured she got this based on it being part of the contemporary female-written English thriller/mystery that doubles as a character study but what the heck. It was free on […]

A Voice of My Generation

The Stories You Tell by Kristen Lepionka

by Leave a Comment

There’s not much left to say about Kristen Lepionka’s Roxane Weary series that I didn’t already say in my last two reviews. Lepionka is a talented writer who foregoes the frills of many a bestselling mystery book in favor of telling a good tale. In other words: there’s minimal fluff to pad the story. I appreciate that. While I like these books a lot, what makes them difficult to recommend is the voice of the narrator. Roxane Weary is not inherently lovable. She’s a person […]

In the Dark grabbed me and never let go

In the Dark by Loreth Anne White

by 1 Comment

I actually read this back in January but have had trouble organizing my thoughts in order to review it. The problem is that it is so spellbinding that I absolutely blew through it. Afterward, I was left feeling like I had walked home during a windstorm – tired but invigorated. But a lot of the details were fuzzy because I read it so fast.  In the Dark is the story of eight strangers who have been invited on an all-expenses paid vacation at a luxurious […]

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Lost Light by Michael Connelly

by Leave a Comment

For my part, I like picking around the edges of the Harry Bosch catalogue, either when I need a Los Angeles tale or a mind-numbing read. I don’t usually go for airport paperback fare but Michael Connelly has always felt like a cut above. I don’t mean that to condescend anyone who enjoys the James Pattersons and Jeffrey Deavers of the world. But for me, Connelly has always felt slightly above their level, with just enough sophistication to feel refined yet not too much to […]

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the quintessential cozy mystery

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

by Leave a Comment

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is said to be Agatha Christie’s best novel and one of the best murder mysteries ever written. It’s only my second Christie novel, so I can’t really speak to the first point. But it does seem to be the template for most cozy mysteries. It was charming, funny, easy to read, and had quirky characters.  The book is told from the point of view of Dr. Sheppard, a local doctor in the English village of King’s Abbot. Hercule Poirot has […]

Ninth House is great, but it’s not a feel-good read

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

by 1 Comment

I feel like I should start this review with some trigger warnings. Ninth House contains multiple descriptions of sexual assault, including assault of a child, bullying, and descriptions of drug use and abuse. I think the book handled these subjects as well as can be expected. I generally don’t read books involving rape or child abuse, so I wouldn’t have read Ninth House if I had known beforehand.  Ninth House is about a young woman named Galaxy (Alex) Stern who is admitted to Yale and inducted […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo