lakecake's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, but the end felt a little gimmicky to me...it took a long time to get to it, and it wasn't that satisfying, but I would still try another in the series.
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
3.0
This is the seconds book in the Candy Holliday cozy mystery series. I have to say I enjoyed the first one more. This one wasn't terrible, but it wasn't stellar either.
Candy is surprised when a local woman calls her asking for help. The woman's friend is missing and her secret recipe for lobster stew has been stolen as well. Not wanting to get mixed up in a bunch of things again, Candy reluctantly agrees to help, but quickly finds herself in the middle of things as she is chosen to help judge the Lobster Stew contest and discovers that the stolen recipe has been entered. When another local ends up murdered it just adds to the case and Candy has to find out what happened, even if it means putting herself in danger again.
Candy is ok as a character. She does a lot of things but I never really feel connected to her. I guess her emotions are never put on display along with her detective skills. Her dad is a little better, but he's not really in this book too much. Her best friend Maggie at least is a little more flamboyant and has more personality, but she can act extremely immature at times too. There are plenty of side characters, but we're never really given a plethora of information to become connected to them either.
These mysteries are hard to solve. In fact there are minimal clues and it always ends up a twist, which can take some of the fun out of it. I at least like to have a fighting chance at guessing who the murderer is. I don't want it to be too easy, but it shouldn't be near impossible like this one was. This book had a very slow moving pace as well. It just didn't hold my attention and it actually took me a week to finish this book, when it should have just been a cozy evening read. Thank goodness for the recipes at least. All about lobster they looked delicious, even though getting lobster around here will be near impossible.
An ok mystery. Not the best, but slightly entertaining to read. I'll probably look into the next one in the series.
Town in a Lobster Stew
Copyright 2011
365 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2012
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
Candy is surprised when a local woman calls her asking for help. The woman's friend is missing and her secret recipe for lobster stew has been stolen as well. Not wanting to get mixed up in a bunch of things again, Candy reluctantly agrees to help, but quickly finds herself in the middle of things as she is chosen to help judge the Lobster Stew contest and discovers that the stolen recipe has been entered. When another local ends up murdered it just adds to the case and Candy has to find out what happened, even if it means putting herself in danger again.
Candy is ok as a character. She does a lot of things but I never really feel connected to her. I guess her emotions are never put on display along with her detective skills. Her dad is a little better, but he's not really in this book too much. Her best friend Maggie at least is a little more flamboyant and has more personality, but she can act extremely immature at times too. There are plenty of side characters, but we're never really given a plethora of information to become connected to them either.
These mysteries are hard to solve. In fact there are minimal clues and it always ends up a twist, which can take some of the fun out of it. I at least like to have a fighting chance at guessing who the murderer is. I don't want it to be too easy, but it shouldn't be near impossible like this one was. This book had a very slow moving pace as well. It just didn't hold my attention and it actually took me a week to finish this book, when it should have just been a cozy evening read. Thank goodness for the recipes at least. All about lobster they looked delicious, even though getting lobster around here will be near impossible.
An ok mystery. Not the best, but slightly entertaining to read. I'll probably look into the next one in the series.
Town in a Lobster Stew
Copyright 2011
365 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2012
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
bookhussy's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
fran98765's review against another edition
2.0
I guess it's not a good sign, that when you reach that thrilling part of the story near the end of the book and you fall asleep? Ya this book was long and tedious in many parts. Candy is a moron. I am done with the series.
hezann73's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe it's because I'm sick but I had a hard time keeping track of the characters in this. Won't keep me from the next one though - especially since I didn't figure out the murderer until it was revealed
dollycas's review against another edition
4.0
2nd book In The Series
ISBN-10: 0425240010
ISBN-13: 978-0425240014
In the second trip to Cape Willington, we arrive just in time for the Lobster Stew Cook-off. Competition has always been stiff and for years the very same recipe always won the cook-off, but both those residents, that shared that recipe, have retired from the contest and become judges for the contest.
That is until one of them, Mr. Sedley, disappears and can't be found, the guest judge can't make it, and the other judge, Wilma Mae Wendell, faints at the start of the judging. Candy is asked to step in for the judge who disappeared, a friend of the newspaper editor is asked to fill in for the guest judge. Oh I forgot to mention, that recipe that won for so many years, the recipe that was hidden away in a secret place at Wilma Mae Wendell's house, has been stolen. So now there are only 2 judges deciding the winner. The judge that would have recognized her stolen recipe is out of commission, lying down recovering from whatever shock made her faint just before the judging started.
Candy is sure something fishy is going on, especially when the guest judge disagrees so vehemently about the actual winners. Candy who took over the Gossip Column vacated in the last book when that reporter was murdered, has learned quite a bit about reporting the news. Those instincts seem to kick in. Candy may end up in some hot water but she is going to boil down the clues to figure out who stole that Lobster Stew recipe and where in the devil is Mr. Sedley.
I LIKED IT!!!!
I enjoyed both of this books from the first page to the last. It took awhile to learn Candy's back story but she really has turned out to be feisty and fun. I felt for her Dad with his issues have how hard farming is and that he admitted to his daughter that he needed her help. Candy's friend Maggie definitely brings in the comic relief needed in this genre. The most important part to this reviewer was that the mysteries in both books were plausible and were well thought out. These books are very well written with flawless continuity which I always worry about when two writers are writing one book. I seem to read a lot of books set in the state of Maine, it seems to be a popular spot for cozy mystery writers to set their stories. The Candy Holiday Mysteries do take on a unique idea focused around yearly events taking place is the fictional town of Cape Willington. It will be interesting to see what major town event the authors draw upon for the next book in this entertaining series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the second book free from Berkley Prime Crime, a Division of Penguin Publishing. The first book was from my own collection. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
ISBN-10: 0425240010
ISBN-13: 978-0425240014
In the second trip to Cape Willington, we arrive just in time for the Lobster Stew Cook-off. Competition has always been stiff and for years the very same recipe always won the cook-off, but both those residents, that shared that recipe, have retired from the contest and become judges for the contest.
That is until one of them, Mr. Sedley, disappears and can't be found, the guest judge can't make it, and the other judge, Wilma Mae Wendell, faints at the start of the judging. Candy is asked to step in for the judge who disappeared, a friend of the newspaper editor is asked to fill in for the guest judge. Oh I forgot to mention, that recipe that won for so many years, the recipe that was hidden away in a secret place at Wilma Mae Wendell's house, has been stolen. So now there are only 2 judges deciding the winner. The judge that would have recognized her stolen recipe is out of commission, lying down recovering from whatever shock made her faint just before the judging started.
Candy is sure something fishy is going on, especially when the guest judge disagrees so vehemently about the actual winners. Candy who took over the Gossip Column vacated in the last book when that reporter was murdered, has learned quite a bit about reporting the news. Those instincts seem to kick in. Candy may end up in some hot water but she is going to boil down the clues to figure out who stole that Lobster Stew recipe and where in the devil is Mr. Sedley.
I LIKED IT!!!!
I enjoyed both of this books from the first page to the last. It took awhile to learn Candy's back story but she really has turned out to be feisty and fun. I felt for her Dad with his issues have how hard farming is and that he admitted to his daughter that he needed her help. Candy's friend Maggie definitely brings in the comic relief needed in this genre. The most important part to this reviewer was that the mysteries in both books were plausible and were well thought out. These books are very well written with flawless continuity which I always worry about when two writers are writing one book. I seem to read a lot of books set in the state of Maine, it seems to be a popular spot for cozy mystery writers to set their stories. The Candy Holiday Mysteries do take on a unique idea focused around yearly events taking place is the fictional town of Cape Willington. It will be interesting to see what major town event the authors draw upon for the next book in this entertaining series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the second book free from Berkley Prime Crime, a Division of Penguin Publishing. The first book was from my own collection. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
audreyintheheadphones's review against another edition
2.0
Two and a half stars.
Candy is much less annoying in this installment than in the first one, even if her friend Maggie is now in the running for the Delaine Duck Terrible Sidekick Award. The only way not to win is to tone it down five or six clicks, lady.
The mystery had an intriguing backstory, and I love a good cook-off mystery, but the villain stepped on stage, shook everyone's hands briefly and handed out business cards reading: [redacted], Light Villainy and Consultations.
"Oh, what do you do, [redacted]?"
*hahahahahahaha* "Evil, mostly. I'm just up here to kill someone and do a little stealing. But I hear I should put the town lighthouse on my intinerary, huh? Huh?"
Oy vey. Also, even if you haven't read the first book, where Candy winds up confronting that villain on the roof of the PRUITT OPERA HOUSE and now every time she sees the PRUITT OPERA HOUSE she remembers that awful night on the roof of the PRUITT OPERA HOUSE because it's hard to go anywhere without running into the PRUITT OPERA HOUSE where she nearly died (on the roof) ten months ago.
At first it made me roll my eyes, but then it turned into more of a "something nasty in the woodshed" moment.
I really liked the supposedly terrible Wanda Boyle, even when she was unapologetically doing terrible things. She was piquant and memorable.
Plus the setting is so darn Mainey that if you cut it it bleeds lobster stock, and I'm entirely here for that.
Candy is much less annoying in this installment than in the first one, even if her friend Maggie is now in the running for the Delaine Duck Terrible Sidekick Award. The only way not to win is to tone it down five or six clicks, lady.
The mystery had an intriguing backstory, and I love a good cook-off mystery, but the villain stepped on stage, shook everyone's hands briefly and handed out business cards reading: [redacted], Light Villainy and Consultations.
"Oh, what do you do, [redacted]?"
*hahahahahahaha* "Evil, mostly. I'm just up here to kill someone and do a little stealing. But I hear I should put the town lighthouse on my intinerary, huh? Huh?"
Oy vey. Also, even if you haven't read the first book, where Candy winds up confronting that villain on the roof of the PRUITT OPERA HOUSE and now every time she sees the PRUITT OPERA HOUSE she remembers that awful night on the roof of the PRUITT OPERA HOUSE because it's hard to go anywhere without running into the PRUITT OPERA HOUSE where she nearly died (on the roof) ten months ago.
At first it made me roll my eyes, but then it turned into more of a "something nasty in the woodshed" moment.
I really liked the supposedly terrible Wanda Boyle, even when she was unapologetically doing terrible things. She was piquant and memorable.
Plus the setting is so darn Mainey that if you cut it it bleeds lobster stock, and I'm entirely here for that.
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