Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“I think many a trouble begins with love, and it’s important to remember that when life feels like the shit scraped off Death’s boot sole.”

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

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I feel like only Lyndsay Faye could not only make me actually sit through reading a story about the mafia, but enjoy it. (Thankfully, the mafia portions are really only about 1/3 of the novel.) I just, I really hate stories about organized crime. I don’t know why. Really, this story isn’t about the mafia. It’s about Alice “Nobody” James, who is on the run from the mafia, yes, but is taken in by the residents of the Paragon Hotel in Portland, Oregon when a […]

And then there were…

The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji

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I’m not really into classic detective fiction. While I definitely enjoy a mystery and a puzzle (ooh, and a murder!) in whatever I read, I’ve not once had the urge to pick up a Sherlock Holmes novel, and only vaguely know about Agatha Christie’s famous stories. In fact, while The Decagon House Murders is loosely based on Christie’s And Then There Were None, I only knew about the latter’s infamously racist original title, nothing about the story itself. Decagon is, as I learned, a prime example […]

My fave does it again!

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

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“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” – Malcolm X Tiffany D. Jackson is one of my favorite YA authors. She consistently writes riveting mystery novels featuring black teen girls.  The mystery usually revolves around a particular social issue facing black women, and I’m continually impressed with how her writing immensely satisfies both the mystery component and the social one. I will […]

Crescent City

A Morning for Flamingos by James Lee Burke

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After being slightly disappointed with Black Cherry Blues, the third David Robicheaux offering from James Lee Burke, I found this a return to form even if it follows a similar formula: drugs, old acquaintances, and every Italian in south Louisiana being involved in the Mafia. What made this one an improvement, and hopefully a pivot to the series, is how Robicheaux develops a relationship with the head mobster in the middle of the maelstrom. Previously, they’ve all been two-dimensional antagonists but this time, he bonds with […]

These murder club meetings are becoming a regular thing. We need a new name, though.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

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The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, 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. The five students who land in detention for breaking the “no cellphone” rule are: 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 […]

A small town paranormal romance reminiscent of Northern Exposure

How to Date Your Dragon (Mystic Bayou #1) by Molly Harper

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Molly Harper’s paranormal romance series kicks off with How to Date Your Dragon. I previously read a novella from this universe for CBR11 called Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues. The world was hilarious and the story didn’t skimp on the heat. I meant to go back to the beginning last year, but the ‘Rona made me totally forget about it. Mystic Bayou, Louisiana is a small town where humans and magical beings coexist in this unique harmony. Jillian works for a secret organization that […]



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