Melody Writes

A Death at the Party is a murder mystery with an unusual twist. The killer is revealed immediately, but the identity of the victim is left unknown. Stuart opens her novel with the killer watching their victim's last breath exit their body. A bold, enticing opening, which unfortunately does not set the pace for the rest of the story. It was wise to begin the story this way because despite taking place over the course of only a single day, the pacing is a bit slow. Too much time is spent chasing the main character, Nadine, around as she completes her distracted errands in preparation for her mother's birthday party later that night. There are plenty of secrets and reveals to maintain and sate the reader's curiosity, but this story might have worked better as a tightly paced novella. The weakest part is the main character, Nadine. She is a complex, well-rounded individual, but she is unpleasant. I can enjoy a flawed and difficult protagonist if they are engaging and maybe a l...

Hello and welcome to my second annual top books list. Last year I read 37 books, and selected my top five . This year, thanks to audiobooks and novellas, I almost doubled that amount, ending the year with 60 completed books, so I’ve decided to upgrade to a top ten this year. Like last year, these books were chosen based on my personal taste/feelings and are not in any specific order. I read a variety of genres, but especially enjoy mythological retellings, horror, and mystery. 1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid I know I said these books weren’t in order, but this was easily the most enjoyable book I read this year. I’d heard of it last year because it was trending everywhere. I snagged the audiobook and I *fully* recommend it. I found myself manufacturing places to listen to Evelyn’s captivating story. Romance, intrigue, drama - not my typical style, but so good. 2. Fight Like a Girl by Aiki Flinthart This one is more valuable than enjoyable. Flinthart is a lon...

 The Juggler    Anxiety gripped Jackson as his audience shrank. He'd been juggling at the Autumn Harvest Festival for the last two decades. Over time, he'd evolved from rubber balls to swords to flaming batons, but interest waned.    Yesterday, he visited a psychic for some "extra assistance." A flash of darkness to embellish is act. Today, he watched three more teenagers leave.    It's time.    Murmuring the incantation, Jackson selected three black balls to juggle. The crowed marvelled as each ball grew a face.    So lifelike.    The balls' tiny mouths opened as three teenagers ran their hands over faceless heads and tried to scream. Photo by Sandie Clarke on Unsplash Originally published in Festival of Fear from Black Ink Fiction .

Set in a faraway future where humanity no longer lives on Earth, but in domed cities on Mars, Venus, and the moon, All the Children Shall Lead is a short sci-fi thriller from C. Marry Hultman. The set up reminds me vaguely of the Expanse, where different factions jockey for control over the spaceports and trade routes. In the midst of the politics, a school bus full of privileged children disappears while sailing past the burnt out remnants of Earth. Enter Hoffman, a man with a dark past living in exile, who is called to investigate the disappearance of the children. He and his team sort through the mystery and as the danger escalates, they realize there is more at stake than just the lives of those children.  Although I am not a sci-fi reader primarily, I was drawn to the mystery at the heart of this story. While I guessed the answer to the mystery relatively early in the novel, there were enough twists and danger to keep the story engaging. Hoffman and his colleagues are easily ...