Thursday Reviews: One Book in the Grave & Hollywood Homicide

One Book in the Grave, by Kate Carlisle

One Book in the Grave is the first book in Kate Carlisle’s cozy, Bibliophile Mystery series. It opens with the line, “Hello. My name is Brooklyn Wainwright and I am a book addict.” Being a bit of a book addict myself, Carlisle won me over immediately. There are lots of fascinating bookmaking details in this story and I like it when I get to learn something new when I’m reading a mystery. Filled with endearing, quirky characters the cozy made me smile a lot.
The plot is truly intriguing and the men are sexy, but I found myself slowing down in the middle. The banter between the characters became predictable and tiring. I give it four stars and I’m posting my review on Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads.
I recommend this book for younger cozy mystery lovers.

Hollywood Homicide, by Kellye Garrett

Hollywood Homicide, the first book in the Detective by Day series, won the Lefty in 2018 (i.e., an award was given at the Left Coast Crime Conference) and the second book in the series is nominated for a Lefty in 2019, so I had to read one for myself.
I quickly learned that Hollywood Homicide also won the 2018 Anthony award and the 2017 Agatha award for the best first novel.
I was impressed. Filled with quick-witted one-liners and humorous situations Hollywood Homicide made me smile a lot. Consider this line, “Hollywood is high school with prettier clothes and better lunch options.”
The story opens with the down-and-out heroine, Dayna Anderson, applying for a job as a half-naked barista. She has three one-dollar bills left to her name, her father is losing the family home, and her once lucrative job as an actress is over. That’s when she sees a fifteen thousand dollar reward posted for information about a deadly hit and run accident, which she almost witnessed.
While I enjoyed the humor, I found the banter repetitive and predictable, I think, to be fair to the writer it’s aimed at a younger audience. I give it 4 stars and I’m posting my review on Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads.