Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Book Review: Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Title: Flame in the Mist
Series: Flame in the Mist #1
Written by: Renee Ahdieh
Published: May 16, 2017 by Putnam Books for Young Readers (Penguin)

(Amazon / Goodreads)

Synopsis: The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath. 

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace. 

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

I really liked The Wrath and the Dawn duology so I was very excited to read Renee Adhieh's next series. Not to mention it seemed like an interesting YA fantasy with a unique world and complex characters. And that's exactly what it was.

For one thing, if you have read The Wrath and the Dawn you know what you are getting into when it comes to the writing of this book. Renee really knows how to draw you in with her writing. It's lush and descriptive with these beautify explanation of what you are seeing and what the world looks like. I could perfectly see the locations and couldn't help but immerse myself in this book.

But in general that was easy because this was a very cool world. I am always looking for unique fantasy worlds and I definitely found one here. For one thing this is a world that is based on Asian culture. It pulled a lot from samurai culture which was very cool and worked really well with this kind of book. It also had some subtle magic to it. I do wish there was a little bit more magic because I think it seemed a little out of place when it did come into the story. But I think there is more to learn in later books and I'm excited to learn about it. Because I think in general this book has an Avatar: The Last Airbender vibe and that is always something I enjoy.

The thing that surprised me most about this book and the world was how much political intrigue it had. You usually expect a little bit of that when it comes to fantasies, especially when you're talking about a girl who is betrothed to the son of the emperor, but I still think this had more than I thought. There was a lot of intrigue to this. And it's the kind of thing where you have to wait until the end for all of it to unfold. There are still a lot of unanswered questions that I want to see answers to.

That is however my main criticism of this book. There were a lot of unanswered questions and it kind of made for a confusing plot development. It also made for slow plot development. This is a book that had extremely slow pacing. Things happened, lots happened, but I wasn't sure why it was happening until the last fifty pages or so. And yes, it did have some great twists and lots of excitement it just took it's sweet time to get to the good stuff while being obtuse throughout most of the book. I'm such a plot driven reader that I have to say I was a little bored in parts. But in the end it did make up for it.

I also think one of the things that made the book a bit tough at times was the characters. Now I will say, u rally loved these characters. They are my favorite kinds of characters in that they are really complex and walk that fine line between good and bad. Much of the character development was the MC and the reader asking themselves who was right and who was wrong. And everyone was so dubious in that they were doing the wrong thing for the right reason or vice versa. But there are a lot of character perspectives here. Most of the book was from Mariko's perspective but we did get three or four other perspectives that kind of muddied the water and confused me a little bit. I did like the characters though so it wasn't too annoying.

In general, I think this is an amazing read. It is a fantastic YA fantasy wig gorgeous writing, a lust and unique world, an engaging plot, and complex characters. I really loved it and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I give Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh 9.5 out of 10 stars


Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you liked The Wrath and the Dawn you should definitely check out the author's new book. But even if you didn't read it you should definitely check this one out. It's a fantastic YA fantasy with such an unique world that I think fans of the genre will love it.

Have you read Flame in the Mist? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Reads of the Second Half of 2017

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

1.) Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab - Add to Goodreads
This book comes out in a few weeks and I am super excited to read it. I am a huge fan of Victoria's books and This Savage Song was one of my  favorite books of last year. I can't wait to see the dark turns this book takes.

2.) Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine - Add to Goodreads
I'm a huge fan of this series and I am super excited for the third book in the series. It's a cool and dark alternate history. I thought it was only going to be three books but I heard it's actually going to be five, which is exciting.

3.) The Dire King by William Ritter - Add to Goodreads
This is one of my most anticipated books of the year. It's the fourth and final book in the Jackaby series and I am anxiously awaiting knowing how it ends. I just read the first five chapters on Netgalley and it just made me want the book more.

4.) Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo - Add to Goodreads
When I heard that YA authors were writing books about DC superheroes I got super excited. The first one to come out is the one I am most excited about, Leigh Bardugo writing a Wonder Woman book. This could not be more perfect.

5.) Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco - Add to Goodreads
Stalking Jack the Ripper was my favorite debut of last year and one of my favorite reads so obviously its sequel is one of my most anticipated reads of the second half of the year. I've been talking about this one a lot lately so this shouldn't be a surprise.

6.) Invictus by Ryan Graudin - Add to Goodreads
I was a huge fan of the Wolf by Wolf duology so I'm excited for more Ryan Graudin books. But even if it wasn't this author I would still be super excited about a boy who was born outside of time failing his exam to be a time traveler.

7.) Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray - Add to Goodreads
I have been anxiously awaiting the next book in The Diviners series for two years now. I'm a huge fan of Libba Bray and this series is so amazing and dark. I mean just the title makes me excited about what will happen.

8.) That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston - Add to Goodreads
I loved Exit Pursued by a Bear and so I'm really interested to read Johnson's next book. Plus it's a book set in a near future alternate history where the British Empire never fall, the American Revolution never happened, and I assume people are obsessed with the Victorian era.

9.) Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore - Add to Goodreads
I loved both on Anna-Marie's previous books so anything by her I am pumped to read. She writes amazing magical realism books and I'm sure this one will be no exception. Plus look at that cover, it's super gorgeous.

10.) All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Steifvater - Add to Goodreads
I am also a huge fan of Maggie's work. Is this just a list of the new books by my favorite authors? Maybe. But this one is also magical realism and there are owls involved so you know I'm excited. I know there is some controversy about this book but I love Maggie.

11.) The Knowing by Sharon Cameron - Add to Goodreads
I LOVED The Forgetting. It was one of my most surprising reads of last year, both in what happened and by how much I liked it. I didn't even know that it was getting a sequel, but it is and I am super excited to read it.

12.) Renegades by Marissa Meyer - Add to Goodreads
I am a sucker for books about superheroes. I am also a sucker for Marissa Meyer books. Combine the two and naturally you have me excited. Plus I'm interested so see Marissa to do something other than retellings and for her take on superheroes.

There you have it. All the books for the second half of 2017 that I am super excited to read. What are your most anticipated reads of the second half of the year? Do we have any in common? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Monday, May 29, 2017

ARC Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Title: One of Us is Lying
Written by: Karen M. McManus
Published: May 30, 2017 by Delacorte (RandomHouse)

(Amazon / Goodreads)

Synopsis: One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

Now this is the kind of YA mystery I have been wanting to read. It an engaging plot development, a mystery with plenty of surprises, and characters who were pretty complex.

I have been reading a lot of mysteries lately that were just not what I was hoping they would be. But this one was totally engaging. It's thrilling, it's interesting, it's got plenty of surprises, and it keeps you guessing until the very end when it hits you with the truth bomb. I usually prefer my mysteries to be solvable with clues along the way, and this wasn't really that kind of mystery. But it was interesting. It was one of those mysteries where I was suspicious of everything and everyone. And even better was that my harebrained theory was the closest to being right. All in all it was a great mystery.

But there was more to the plot development than that. It also had a lot of drama to it. I've read a few books recently that were meant to play up the drama of high school and secrets coming out. In his case the drama was interesting, engaging, and not at all forced. It added something to the plot which slowly built to an exciting conclusion.

However, the drama didn't extend as much as I would have liked to the character development. Each of the characters were hiding something and it definitely made then pretty complex, some more than others. As the book went on and the secrets came out I definitely liked them more. However it did kind of take awhile to connect to them. At the beginning of this book they all kind of blended together. This is a book with that Breakfast Club vibe where unlikely characters come together. I think it tried to ensure that the characters were not caricatures and instead made them a little bland.

I really enjoyed this book. I do wish the characterization had been a little more complex but the drama around he characters and the plot development made up for it a little bit. It's got a great mystery that I think fans of YA mysteries will really enjoy.

I give One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus 9 out of 10 stars


Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. I definitely think if you are a fan of YA mysteries you will enjoy this book. It's not perfect but it is a really good story with an engaging mystery.

Have you read One of Us is Lying? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Stacking the Shelves: May Haul

A weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Well it was another month of not pretending like I'm on a book buying ban, which means another month of buying books I'm excited to read. Plus I got some really exciting books from publishers. I mean last month was even more exciting but still, some great books to share. Okay, let's stop wasting time. You're here for the books.

Bought


The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein - My Review
My one preorder of the month. I really loved Code Name Verity so I was super excited to read the prequel about Julie back in Scotland. I didn't love tit as much but it was still a really good book.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han - Add to Goodreads
I was late to the party for this series but I got here in time for the last book in the series. I really loved the first book so I am excited to listen to the audio for this one.

The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye - My Review
The first book in this series was one of my favorite audiobooks of last year and maybe ever. I was super excited to listen to the next one but sadly it was a bit underwhelming.

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson - Add to Goodreads
I bought this one because the e-book was on sale on Amazon and I really wanted to read it. It sounds like a really interesting mystery and I can't wait to read it.


The Heart Collector by Melinda Salisbury Add to Goodreads
I'm totally a fan of this series so when I heard that there was going to be an additional collection of short stories that involved the history and mythology of the series I knew I needed to get it.

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh - Add to Goodreads
I have heard amazing things about this book and so I picked it up with a birthday gift card I had. I mean I loved Renee's first series so I'm sore this will be just as great.

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest - Add to Goodreads
I have been wanting to read this book for a long time and so I also bought a copy of this with my gift card. I mean the paperback was only $7 so how could I not?

For Review


Murder, Magic, and What We Wore by Kelly Jones - Add to Goodreads
Just seeing that title probably you know why I want to read this book. Murder and magic. But this is a historical fantasy set in Victorian England which is totally my favorite thing.

Odd & True by Cat Winters - Add to Goodreads
I need to read more Cat Winters. I've loved the books from her I have read ands she has some I'm sure I would love but I haven't read that many. I picked this one up on Netgalley and I am super excited.

As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti - Add to Goodreads
I picked this up because it's about a town in the desert where everyone gets one wish that comes true and then bad things happens. The main character wants to change that.



Nyxia by Scott Reintgen - Add to Goodreads
I'm a big fan of science fiction, especially ones that sound like space operas and that's exactly what this one sounds like. Plus I think there may be some drama.

The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano Add to Goodreads
This book sounds totally amazing. It sounds like a really cool historical mystery which is totally up my alley. I'm a part of the blog tour for this next month and I'm excited.

The League of American Traitors by Matthew Landis - Add to Goodreads
There has never been a more me book. I mean it's historical mystery that is pitched as Hamilton meets National Treasure. I can't wait to read it!

Those are the books that I got in May. What books did you get? Are you excited for any of these? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Friday, May 26, 2017

Audiobook Review: The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye

Title: The Crown's Fate
Series: The Crown's Game #2
Written by: Evelyn Skye 
Published: May 16, 2017 by Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins)

(Amazon / Goodreads)

Synopsis: The gorgeous and darkly compelling sequel to The Crown’s Game. 

Magic is growing, shadows are rising, and the throne is at stake… 

Russia is on the brink of great change. Pasha’s coronation approaches, and Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, but the role she once coveted may be more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever expected. 

Pasha is grappling with his own problems—his legitimacy is in doubt, the girl he loves loathes him, and he believes his best friend is dead. When a challenger to the throne emerges—and with the magic in Russia growing rapidly—Pasha must do whatever it takes to keep his position and protect his kingdom.

For Nikolai, the ending of the Crown’s Game stung deeply. Although he just managed to escape death, Nikolai remains alone, a shadow hidden in a not-quite-real world of his own creation. But when he’s given a second chance at life—tied to a dark price—Nikolai must decide just how far he’s willing to go to return to the world. 

With revolution on the rise, dangerous new magic rearing up, and a tsardom up for the taking, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha must fight—or face the destruction of not only their world but also themselves.

I absolutely loved The Crown's Game and I was so excited to read the sequel and find out what happened next to these characters and in this series. And while I did enjoy this book, I think it was a little underwhelming in comparison.

One of the the things that I loved about this book is the world. Of course this is a fantasy series so I have to talk about the magic. This is a book full of magic and the magic is what draws you in and captures your interest. Here we get to see even more magic and learn more about how it works at what is possible. I really loved seeing and exploring the magic throughout this book. Not to mention that the magic in this book gives it a really atmospheric read. It makes you feel like anything is possible and I can't help but be entertained and enthralled by that.

But the great things about the world of this book goes beyond the magic, it also has a really amazing setting. I'm a huge fan of books set in a reimagined Tsarist Russia and this book is no exception. It captures the beauty and opulence of he period as well as the political unrest during the end of the Tsar's rain. It made for a really engaging and interesting setting.

Much of the plot here also revolved around that political unrest. I'm a big fan of books with political intrigue. This should have been amazing for me but for some reason it wasn't. I don't know if it was just that the plot development lack some cohesiveness or it just didn't feel like it had the high stakes of the last book but something about it just didn't capture my interest. Now don't get me wrong, it was interesting, and it did built to a thrilling conclusion but it just didn't pull me in the same way that the first book in the series did.

I also feel like the characters didn't make the same strong impression. By the end f the first book I was totally invested in the stories of the main characters and wanted them to succeed. Because of that, this time around it shouldn't have takes as long to get attached to them but it did. I will say, I do still completely love Nikolai and I know I shouldn't have liked the dark turn he took in this book but I totally did. He was definitely the most interesting and the one I wanted more from. He was my favorite character in The Crown's Game and he's still my favorite character here.

Perhaps my biggest criticism about the characters though was with the romance. By now you probably know I am picky when it comes to romances and this one just didn't do anything for me. It was more frustrating than anything. Not only is the stupid love triangle back with a vengeance in this book but then it became even more complicated with other characters. I think everything just kept changing so much with the character's feelings that it felt pointless to even ship anything. And because of that I just wish there wasn't a romance at all, and if there was I wish it was super minimal.

But I will say, I did really love the audiobook for this book. You really can't go wrong with a Steve West narrated audiobook so already this book had that going for it. But beyond that, this is such an atmospheric and fantastical book that the audio format really makes it come to life. Steve did a great job in drawing the reader in and his narration along with Evelyn's writing made it easy to visualize and fall into this world. I definitely recommend this audio.

I give The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye 8.5 out of 10 stars


Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. On the whole I did like this book. If you enjoyed the first book in this series you should pick this one up. If you are a fan of YA fantasies and haven't read this series I would recommend it. It's full of magic and has a great atmosphere that is worth a read.

Have you read The Crown's Fate? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Crossing Over: Dark and Atmospheric Books with Surprising Worlds


Hey all. It's been awhile since my last Crossing Over post. If you're not familiar with Crossing Over it's a feature that stemmed from my desire to recommend an adult book with crossover appeal based on a YA or sometimes Middle Grade book that are similar. I hate that we pigeonhole books into a specific age range and so I try to combat that. Plus it's basically an if you liked, then try but for crossover books. It runs once a month (usually) here and I pick the books based on the theme of what I'm reading. So this month I don't have a theme so I can basically do whatever I want. But I kind of have no idea here. So I'm just going to do one that I've been floating around for awhile.


The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

So I feel like this book is fresh in my mind lately because there is a sequel coming out pretty soon. And I have to admit that I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would. It seemed like something that was totally up my alley and I just didn't love it. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, I just didn't love it.

The thing I did love about this book was the atmosphere. It is a susprisingly dark and dramatic. There was a lot more going on in this book than I expected and things unfolded in a way that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. But the world of this book was even cooler. It was just as dark and dramatic. I'm not typically a fan of stories with fae but I liked how dark and brutal this one was.

So my favorite thing about The Darkest Part of the Forest is probably the characters. The heart of this story is in the family relationships. It's so much about the connections between Hazel and Ben. The characters are complex and interesting. They could have easily become cliche with the tough and smart badass female protagonist and the potential fae love interest but they weren't at all. They are honestly such fun and complex characters.

But in general, this book could have been very cliche and it wasn't. It felt like a classic fairy tale and still made for a unique and interesting story. It's one of those books that I think of as a modern fairy tale because it has the vibe and atmosphere of an older story but feels like it's own thing. The thing that makes these books most similar.

It's a good read and I think fantasy fans should totally check it out. I didn't like it as much as I thought I would but I still really liked it.

Rot and Ruin by Kat Howard
Read My Review / Add to Goodreads

So I feel like this book is fresh in my mind lately because it's my book club book for June. I'm really excited for maybe some of the other members to read it because I really liked it. It seemed like something that was totally up my alley and I did love it.

The thing I did love about this book was the atmosphere. It is a susprisingly dark and dramatic. There was a lot more going on in this book than I expected and things unfolded in a way that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. But the world of this book was even cooler. It was just as dark and dramatic. I don't want to give too much away because part of the enjoyment for this book is that you don't really know what is going to happen.

One thing about Rot and Ruin that I liked is the characters. The heart of this story is in the family relationships. It's so much about the connections between the main characters, Imogen and Marin. I thought this was going to be a Snow White and Rose Red retelling and it had elements of that but it was much deeper. The characters are complex and interesting. They could have easily become cliche  but they weren't at all. They are honestly such fun and complex characters.

But in general, this book could have been very cliche and it wasn't. It felt like a classic fairy tale and still made for a unique and interesting story. It's one of those books that I think of as a modern fairy tale because it has the vibe and atmosphere of an older story but feels like it's own thing. The thing that makes these books most similar.

It's a really fantastic book and I wish more people would read it. If you are at all a fan of fantasy, books about sisters, or you just want a unique read check this one out.

Have you read The Darkest Part of the Forest and/or Roses and Rot? What did you think? What steampunk novels with crossover appeal do you like? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Waiting on Wednesday: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco


A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Hunting Prince Dracula
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #2
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Published: July 11, 2017 by Berkley (Penguin)

Synopsis: In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer...or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

 Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

Why I'm Waiting:

I was recently sent a copy of this book from the publisher and I am super excited to read it. Like I basically pooped my pants when I opened this book. I Snapchatted my unboxing so you may have witnessed it firsthand. I really loved the first book in this series. It was my favorite debut of last year and one of my favorite reads. It was that good.

For one thing I really love these characters Audrey Rose and Thomas are amazingly likable chatracters. I am not a hge fan of Sherlock Holmes stories or retellings, or even Sherlock Holmes (don't hate me) but I love these characters even though they are based on Sherlock. I don't know what makes them so much more likable but I did fall for them in the first book and I can't wait to find out what happens next to them.

But also I love the world of this book.  If you know me you know that I am a huge fan of historical mysteries. I love a good mystery in general (Stalking Jack the Ripper had an amazing one) but one that is set during a historical time period is even more up my alley. The author of this book (who is an absolute delight) described the first book as Victorian CSI and that is exactly what it is. It's a police procedural crime scene investigation but in the Victorian Era. It's amazing

But the thing I am most excited about for this book is the new location and new plot. I am a huge fan of books that are about Dracula, especially if they are involving the historical figure Vlad the Impaller who Dracula is based on. One of my all-time favorite books is The Historian so I am really intrigued to see how Kerri handles Dracula and his mythology. Plus getting a look at her Pinterest board I know there is going to be some gorgeous and amazing settings throughout Romania and Eastern Europe.

I was excited about this book even before I knew what it was about or what it was called. By the end of Stalking Jack the Ripper I knew that the sequel was going to be about Dracula and I could not be more excited. This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and I can't wait to read my ARC> 

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on Hunting Prince Dracula along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday: Mysteries Perfect for Your Beach Bag

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

For most people beach reach are light and fun contemporaries. But not for this girl. I like to read mysteries over the summer. Those are my beach reads. Murder mysteries, true crime, violent and dark mysteries. That is what I think of when I think of beach reads. Does make me weird? Don't answer that.

1.) Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas - My Review
Whenever I have a list of mysteries you know this one has to be first because it's really brilliant. But it absolutely has to be on this book because it takes place in Aruba on a beach. SO yeah, perfect beach mystery.

2.) You and Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes - My Review
Another one of my absolute favorite mysteries. This book is super dark and violent which is like the perfect contrast to a bright and sunny beach vacation. Also at one point stuff goes down at a beach house so it seems fitting.

3.) With Malice bu Eileen Cook - My Review
This book isn't about a beach trip but it is about a vacation to Italy so it kind of works. But even so it's just a really good YA mystery. It had me guessing until almost the very end and is definitely captivating enough to keep you reading while you tan.

4.) The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma - My Review
This book is described as Black Swan meets Orange is the New Black, which is exactly what this book is. It's a really dark mystery about a ballerina who goes to jail for murder. But there is some really crazy and really cool elements to the story mystery fans will like. I did.

5.) Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little - My Review
I really liked this book. It's not a super complex mystery but it was still really interesting and had a crazy surprise ending that left me a little floored. If you do like, especially adult, mysteries and haven't read this one I would recommend it.

6.) The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas - My Review
This has a complex true crime feel to it which I really liked. I'm kind of a mystery snob especially when it comes to YA and this one I thought was pretty creative and interesting. It's another one I would recommend to mystery fans.

7.) And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - My Review
Just in case you are looking for a more classic mystery I can definitely recommend And Then There Were None. It's not a beach setting but it does have this mysterious island/vacation thing going for it. Plus Agatha Christie is the mother of modern mysteries for a reason.

8.) The Fixer and The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - My Review
This is more of a political thriller but it is still a really fantastic series with amazing characters and a super complex mystery. Plus I need a sequel which means you all have to buy copies so that the publisher sees there is demand. Please and thank you.

9.) Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - My Review
I told myself I wasn't going to mention any historical mysteries because that is a giant can of worms for me, but I couldn't not have at least one. This is one of mys favorites and it has that police procedural vibe that I think murder mystery fans will enjoy.

10.) The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich - My Review
SO I am including this one in case you are looking for one that has more of a horror vibe to it. Plus this book is really amazing and totally crazy. I want more people to read it so I can ask them what the hell happened at the end of the book because I still don't know and it's been almost two years.

11.) Literally Anything by Mary Kubica - My Review
Every summer for the past three years I have read a Mary Kubica book. This summer I will be reading one again. I am definitely a fan of her stuff. She writes some really fantastic mysteries with amazing twists. If you like mysteries and you haven't read her stuff change that.


12.) Literally Anything by Ally Carter - My Review
What I like about Ally Carter is that she has a variety of different stuff. You want something more lighthearted, Gallagher Girls. Want more serious, Embassy Row. Want a heist novel, Heist Society. If you want something with a summer vibe, I recommend Embassy Row.

There you have it, all the mysteries I recommend for your beach bag. What are your favorite mysteries? What are your beach reads? Leave  me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!