Sorchia's Book Reviews in May

I grew up on a farm about ten miles from town. No phone and limited TV reception. BUT we had shelves and shelves of books. My mom and my sister read to me until I was able to read on my own. Since then, reading is my reward to myself at the end of a busy day or on long summer weekends.

As a writer, I know how important the accumulation of reviews is–and how nice it is to see a good review. Many people have been generous and kind by writing reviews for me and it’s time I reciprocate.

Below are my reviews for May. I use Amazon and NetGalley’s 5-star scale and probably won’t review a book I can’t give at least 3 stars. To me a 3 means the story has problems, but is interesting enough to read (My teacher-brain kicks in when I write 3s and I give a lot of advice which may or may not be useful); a 4 usually means the story is interesting but something distracting keeps it from being perfect, and a 5 means my head nearly exploded with how good this book is. Something about the story will linger with me for a good long while. I don’t give many 5s.

At the moment, I don’t accept review requests from authors. Instead, I’m grabbing NetGalley books or picking up interesting books on my own. There may come a day when I break free from the shackles of my soul-sucking dayjob and THEN I can do more reviews. But, sadly, today is not that day.

If you are an author with a book available through NetGalley–let me know. You can email me at SorchiasUniverse @ gmail or you can leave a comment below. I don’t guarantee I’ll be able to review all, but I’ll certainly try!

 

Click on the cover to see my 4-star review of The Whitby Murders on NetGalley.

A murder with three witnesses.

But one of them doesn’t believe what she saw…

Halloween, Whitby. DCI Jim Oldroyd’s daughter Louise is in town with friends for a goth festival. But their visit to an escape room ends in bloody murder when one of the group stabs his girlfriend and flees the scene. It’s a crime with three witnesses—but Louise refuses to take what she saw at face value.

Oldroyd and DS Carter are called in to solve the case, assisted from the sidelines by Louise. But the closer they investigate, the more complex the web of deceit appears. This is no straightforward crime of passion.

Click on the cover to see my 3-star review of Like My Mother Before Me at Amazon

Fifteen-year-old Alizé has a typical teenage life. She plays on the volleyball team and she struggles to keep up with her classes. She has a best friend and a burgeoning interest in a cute new boy. Everything is going along just as it should until she begins seeing a skeletal woman in her room and a frightening shadowy creature in the hallway. Is she going crazy? Her father seems to think so, but both he and her godmother are keeping secrets about Alizé’s mother who died years ago. Alizé wants to know the truth about her mother’s life and about her death.

Click on the Cover to see my 4-Star Review of Diamond and Pearls at Amazon

Diamond and Pearls by [Julien Ayotte]

A recent string of burglaries puzzles the local police. Drew Diamond, a retired detective, follows clues leading up to the identity of the intruder, but what he uncovers places him in a dilemma. Could Sydney Malone, his new love interest, be more than the real estate agent she plays by day? And can a lowly mobster finally escape his life of petty crime? From Margarita Island, Venezuela, to the Great North Woods of New Hampshire, and to the streets of Afghanistan, discover how they are all connected to each other by a stolen strand of pearls.

 

What’s Next?

Moonlight Becomes You (An Eidola Project Novel) by Robert Herold

Robert is a friend of the page with a couple of books featured on Novel Magic in the past. I’m looking forward to this one a bunch.

Marshlight by Joy Ellis

New to me author with a bunch of British mystery books which I crave fortnightly.

I also just finished all three books in the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. These left a mark so I’ll be adding my two cents about this series as well.

N. N. Light’s Spooky Halloween Bookish Giveaway

So Many Prizes!! But the Giveaway ends on Halloween!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Freebie Alert! Tons of Magical books–Ends June 15

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