ladyinpnw's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
3.75
Good book. Fast read. I think it represented the life of a toddler mom well - like how work etc needs to happen around a toddler’s schedule.
The mystery wasn’t bad either
The mystery wasn’t bad either
jayalex242's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.75
Paisley is annoying. Her toddler, Sawyer is a baby genius.
blooming_bookshelf's review
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
karathagan's review
2.5
Meh. Will not finish the series. I am glad that there are books about single moms doing great things with their lives and being exhausted by a kid and relying on family for babysitting and stuff...but this was a lot for me. Constantly waiting for the kid to fall asleep and finding someone to watch him was draining. I think I'll avoid parents as main characters as much as I can going forward. The mystery wasn't very engaging, but I did like the historian aspect.
nordseestrand's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lolasreviews's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
I've been wanting to read one of this author's book for a while now and own multiple of her books already. I am glad I decided to check out Crossed by Death, the first book in her newest series. I liked the unique focus of this series, Paisley is not only a single mom to a 2 year old, she also does salvaging work as a job and cross stitching as a hobby. It was interesting reading about her daily life and when she stumbles upon a dead body she gets pulled deeper into the mystery as well as researching the history of the convenience store where she found the body.
Crossed by Death was an enjoyable read. At times it feels a bit heavy of the daily life parts compared the mystery, but I mostly thought that worked here. I enjoyed reading about Paisley and what her days looked like, although at times it was a bit toddler heavy for me. I am not a big fan of reading about kids and at times it was a bit much for me. I think the author handled it really well, Sawyer had quite the personality and there are plenty of scenes with him in the background or somewhere else as well.
The mystery is a solid one. For most of the book I had no clue who was behind it, slowly more and more of the mystery comes to light, but only at the end do all the pieces come together. I was surprised by the reveal as there aren't as many hints as to who was behind it, but it did make sense. I liked how Paisley was part of the mystery. As she found the body and might be in danger herself she knows a bit about what's going on and then she's looking into the history of the store where she found the body and getting closer to the sheriff on the case and she slowly gets pulled deeper into the mystery that way. I like how the mystery is nicely woven throughout the book even in the pieces where the focus was more on the daily life parts. I also liked how the mystery is intertwined with Paisley figuring out the history of the place as well, it gave some more background and information about the place and eventually also the murder. The historical focus was interesting and I liked how it added to the story as well as Paisley's personality. I liked the wrap up at the end and the positive note it all ended on.
One of my favorite parts of this book was how realistic it felt, the daily struggles and joys of a single mom, as well as the way she dealt with the mystery. She tried to keep her distance from the mystery and mostly focused on researching the history of the building for her newsletter. She also didn't annoyed about the sheriff trying to protect her, which you sometimes see in books. She understood the need for it and was thankful for it and I liked that attitude.
This book also had some great side characters. I liked how Paisley had some close friends and family who supported her and are there to help her out, whether she needs emotional support or someone to look after her kid or someone to bounce ideas off. I liked reading about her dad and step-mom as well as her best friend Mika. I also liked seeing Paisley and Santiago (the sheriff) grow closer as the book progresses. I really liked their romance and the way it slowly builds through the book in a way that made sense and I liked their chats on the porch. I am curious to see where things go next.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this book. It was a solid mystery that progressed slowly throughout the book as well as the main character researching the history of the place where she found the body. There is plenty of daily life scenes as well and I liked reading about Paisley. This cozy mystery had themes I haven't read about often in cozies, with Paisley being a single mom, a salvage expert and doing cross stitches as a hobby. I wasn't sure who was behind the murder and the reveal was a surprise to me. I liked Paisley as a main character and how realistic her actions felt. I liked the side characters and how she had some great family and friends around her. I liked the slowly deepening relationship she had with Santiago, the sheriff. All in all a solid start to this new series and I look forward to the next book!
I've been wanting to read one of this author's book for a while now and own multiple of her books already. I am glad I decided to check out Crossed by Death, the first book in her newest series. I liked the unique focus of this series, Paisley is not only a single mom to a 2 year old, she also does salvaging work as a job and cross stitching as a hobby. It was interesting reading about her daily life and when she stumbles upon a dead body she gets pulled deeper into the mystery as well as researching the history of the convenience store where she found the body.
Crossed by Death was an enjoyable read. At times it feels a bit heavy of the daily life parts compared the mystery, but I mostly thought that worked here. I enjoyed reading about Paisley and what her days looked like, although at times it was a bit toddler heavy for me. I am not a big fan of reading about kids and at times it was a bit much for me. I think the author handled it really well, Sawyer had quite the personality and there are plenty of scenes with him in the background or somewhere else as well.
The mystery is a solid one. For most of the book I had no clue who was behind it, slowly more and more of the mystery comes to light, but only at the end do all the pieces come together. I was surprised by the reveal as there aren't as many hints as to who was behind it, but it did make sense. I liked how Paisley was part of the mystery. As she found the body and might be in danger herself she knows a bit about what's going on and then she's looking into the history of the store where she found the body and getting closer to the sheriff on the case and she slowly gets pulled deeper into the mystery that way. I like how the mystery is nicely woven throughout the book even in the pieces where the focus was more on the daily life parts. I also liked how the mystery is intertwined with Paisley figuring out the history of the place as well, it gave some more background and information about the place and eventually also the murder. The historical focus was interesting and I liked how it added to the story as well as Paisley's personality. I liked the wrap up at the end and the positive note it all ended on.
One of my favorite parts of this book was how realistic it felt, the daily struggles and joys of a single mom, as well as the way she dealt with the mystery. She tried to keep her distance from the mystery and mostly focused on researching the history of the building for her newsletter. She also didn't annoyed about the sheriff trying to protect her, which you sometimes see in books. She understood the need for it and was thankful for it and I liked that attitude.
This book also had some great side characters. I liked how Paisley had some close friends and family who supported her and are there to help her out, whether she needs emotional support or someone to look after her kid or someone to bounce ideas off. I liked reading about her dad and step-mom as well as her best friend Mika. I also liked seeing Paisley and Santiago (the sheriff) grow closer as the book progresses. I really liked their romance and the way it slowly builds through the book in a way that made sense and I liked their chats on the porch. I am curious to see where things go next.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this book. It was a solid mystery that progressed slowly throughout the book as well as the main character researching the history of the place where she found the body. There is plenty of daily life scenes as well and I liked reading about Paisley. This cozy mystery had themes I haven't read about often in cozies, with Paisley being a single mom, a salvage expert and doing cross stitches as a hobby. I wasn't sure who was behind the murder and the reveal was a surprise to me. I liked Paisley as a main character and how realistic her actions felt. I liked the side characters and how she had some great family and friends around her. I liked the slowly deepening relationship she had with Santiago, the sheriff. All in all a solid start to this new series and I look forward to the next book!
katiya's review
4.0
Paisley Sutton has picked an unusual career - she's a salvager. With a toddler in tow, she has to make the most of her time and the salvaging business has been kind to her. The day she enters an abandoned store, however, things begin to change for the worse. It seems that finding a dead body leads to repercussions that no one could anticipate.
I waffled on my opinion of this book. The premise and the set-up were outstanding but I couldn't quite fathom Paisley. At first. As we spent time together, she grew on me and by the end of the story, I was so firmly in her corner that there was barely enough room for the both of us!
Here's what didn't work for me: 1. Her child. That tot was a menace! I've heard that the terrible twos are a bad time, but my goodness. And he seemed too advanced verbally/ mentally for a child of that age. Especially one that was so hyperactive. 2. The backstory. I have so many questions. Why does a 46-year-old have an infant? And why is she divorced from the father? 3.
Here's where it gets good: 1. As a sleuth, Paisley is a whiz at research! She is so adept at following paper trails. Truly. I wanted to peer over her shoulder all the time. So. Much. Knowledge. 2. Paisley has an enviable support network. Anyone who has such a system in place has it together. Then again, that seems to go hand in hand with her natural empathy. This leads me to my final point - 3. Paisley is kind She's constantly looking out for others and catering to their interests, not because it will gain her some advantage but because it will enrich their lives. Admirable.
The mystery had me hooked right from the start. There were enough clues that I should have been able to guess the "doer" if I hadn't let the herrings lead me astray. I should have known that a plot from A.C.F. Bookens would be fabulous and it was!
Definitely looking forward to much more in this series.
Recommended.
I waffled on my opinion of this book. The premise and the set-up were outstanding but I couldn't quite fathom Paisley. At first. As we spent time together, she grew on me and by the end of the story, I was so firmly in her corner that there was barely enough room for the both of us!
Here's what didn't work for me: 1. Her child. That tot was a menace! I've heard that the terrible twos are a bad time, but my goodness. And he seemed too advanced verbally/ mentally for a child of that age. Especially one that was so hyperactive. 2. The backstory. I have so many questions. Why does a 46-year-old have an infant? And why is she divorced from the father? 3.
Spoiler
Paisley says time and again that she's leaving it to the police, but she keeps on investigating.Here's where it gets good: 1. As a sleuth, Paisley is a whiz at research! She is so adept at following paper trails. Truly. I wanted to peer over her shoulder all the time. So. Much. Knowledge. 2. Paisley has an enviable support network. Anyone who has such a system in place has it together. Then again, that seems to go hand in hand with her natural empathy. This leads me to my final point - 3. Paisley is kind She's constantly looking out for others and catering to their interests, not because it will gain her some advantage but because it will enrich their lives. Admirable.
The mystery had me hooked right from the start. There were enough clues that I should have been able to guess the "doer" if I hadn't let the herrings lead me astray. I should have known that a plot from A.C.F. Bookens would be fabulous and it was!
Definitely looking forward to much more in this series.
Recommended.
elisepage's review
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
msimons2's review
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0