First in the Ben Blue series
358180
I have read all three books.  This one begins with the boys as youngsters and Bradshaw spins a great tale of western adventure and interesting characters.  loved it
1732029
This was a good read, and I am looking forward to book 2.  Mason and Blue are good characters, and I can see a lot of cool plots revolving around these two. I got lost a little regarding all the different firm members, clients, and their roles ;  but maybe that's just me. I'm ready for more!
3591357
Another hit.  I gave read all the Ben Blue books.  I like reading books with reference to the Civil War.  This one is written with reference to it .  A good read.
70692
I have read most of Lou Bradshaws books...Like the ones about Ben Blue.
2717439
This is the first of the series that I have read.  I started in the middle, not because I wanted to, but because it was donated to my school library and was the first letter of the series donated.  I don't read mysteries to figure out who did what, but just for the enjoyment of them.  This was a good mystery, characters were interesting, especially Helen "Hell on Wheels," an elderly, but not senile woman.  There was humor along with the mystery and mayhem that added to the book.  There were a few other books in the series donated, and I'll read them before I decide whether to try to read the entire series.
2579716
While series star Benjamin January is away on business, the ladies have their chance to shine. The mystery isn't "whodunit" -  the accused is obviously innocent, and the guilty party is known to Rose and Livia. But how to prove it? The stakes are high - if a slave murders a master, all the slaves held by that master are put to death (to "make an example of them.")

As always in this series, characters - and character - are the focal point. In this outing, we get to see how two Free Ladies of Color handle
their investigation despite their not-quite second-class status in pre-Civil War New Orleans.

This is stand-alone, but if it pulls you into the series, start with the first book. If you aren't certain about starting a new series, this is a great introduction.
3105000
First in the series, excellent foundation!
1847638
Somewhere between a murder mystery and a police procedural. For a debut in this series, I thought the characters were nicely developed considering this is the first installment. I especially like the kinship and personalities of the two lead characters, Danny & Jen of the homicide squad. The secondary cast is well developed also.

There are some not so subtle clues which help, unfortunately, make the book a bit predictable. Get rid of the clues to make room for some nice twists.

The writing is well done and Ill definitely go for more from the author
2452118
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first book in Alan Bradleys Flavia de Luce series of mystery novels. I actually listened to this book awhile ago, but I fell behind with my reviews and did not have the opportunity to write a review until now.

Flavia de Luce is a precocious young girl who lives in a crumbling mansion with her father and sisters. Her two passions are chemistry and tormenting her sisters. One day, Flavia finds a dead bird with a rare stamp pinned on its beak. Not too long after that, she finds a dying man in the garden. Flavia knows that she can solve the case faster than the police, and she sets off on her trusty bike to delve into long-buried schoolboy secrets and the intense world of stamp collecting.

Flavia serves as both protagonist and narrator. She is preternaturally bright, and she is prone to peppering her narrative with witty asides. There is something in her charming nature that makes people trust her, and this proves to be very useful in gathering information. The case itself is a fascinating one, and although I had my suspicions, I found myself surprised by the big reveal.

I would absolutely recommend The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. If possible, I would recommend seeking out the Audible/audiobook versions of this book. Narrator Jayne Entwistle brings Flavia to life with a barely-contained mischievous glee. This series is not intended for children per se, but I think that it might appeal to advanced middle grade readers as well as young adult readers who are interested in discovering new mystery series. I have listened to the first three books in this series, and I am looking forward to more Flavia in the near future.
4115679
I loved this series, and this book starts the series.

I'm a big fan of sci-fi in general.  I had been watching Castle, and also just ran through the Jesse Stone movies.
I asked a good friend what he thought would be a good detective noir novel would be, and he told me to read the same book he'd been trying to get me to read for months - Altered Carbon.

It is a good thing the sequels were available on Kindle - I ordered the next 2 at the end of the day, and read them by the end of the week.
1800267
I received an ARC from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. There were a couple of surprises in the book, the writing was great. The author did a great job helping us know each character, I look forward to more novels from Ms. Blue.
4016238
Great story.  Love the illustrations.  Can't wait until book 2 of Ben's Adventures!
3450411
Blue Falls,Texas is fast becoming a town that is familiar and inviting. The characters in each tale of the series begin starting and capture your heart.
3596370
Someone recommended Jill McGown to me and I decided to start where she did, at her first Lloyd/Hill novel. A Perfect Match serves as a useful introduction to the series, in which, of course, the background info is as important as the front story. Lloyd (like Inspector Morse, he's not telling anyone his true first name) is an engaging British copper with a good mind and a social life that is lacking in many areas. Judy Hill, married but nevertheless long attracted to Lloyd, is his intelligent, pretty assistant.

Together, they set to work on the discovery of a strangled woman's body in the woods which she owned. The obvious suspect is Chris, who happens to have designs on the dead woman's sister in law, and who ran away and hid when the body was found. But, in the tradition of the best English mysteries, the obvious suspect might just be TOO obvious.

So, who dunnit? It was hard to guess the method, but not the perpetrator.
This first novel is intriguing enough to hold the reader's interest to the final chapter.
2357830
I read Blue for book club and enjoyed it!! Loved getting to know the characters and finding out how they would eventually come together. I recommend this book--fun ride!
3165612
Under a Silent Moon is the first in a new series. I love a good British police procedural, and this is a good one. The main character is Louisa Smith, a new Detective Chief Inspector. She had a brief relationship with one of her now subordinates, before she knew he was married. Shes attracted to the geeky Canadian analyst.

The author is a police intelligence analyst, and it shows. The investigation and language feels authentic. Lou is an interesting character, and a number of supporting characters were well drawn with room to grow.

The mystery was okay; I find the whole BDSM angle a little overdone these days but it was fine. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to a sequel.
1509367
I hope there are more coming in the FBC Mysteries.  For an author's first book, I thought this was well done.  It is entertaining, keeps your interest, and is a good mix of characters.  I think Chet and Bernie fans will enjoy reading about Charlie. This dog is content to let "his human" take credit for solving the mystery.  I sincerely hope the author continues the series.  The story has enough twists to keep you interested.  I believe that this author is talented enough to get even better and better.  The only slight, and it is very slight to me, criticism would be in some of the grammar, but that could possibly be accounted for by regional differences.  While I think that Chet and Bernie fans will like this author's work, this book is not an imitation of those books, but stands on its own.  Please write more, Mr. Garbowski.