Welcome to Litsy!

I started this a few weeks ago but it was a bit frustrating so I dropped it for a couple other books. I had a couple hours left on it and figured “what the heck, let‘s bash it out for the finished total.” Honestly, this book is a very HARD pass. It‘s advertisement of “cozy mystery” is anything but that. With lots of abbreviated triggers (SA, R, DV, to name a few) this really fell short of coziness. A modern spin on Orient Express. 2 ⭐️

I loved the sleeper train setting and enjoyed this one. However, the festive cover and Christie-like title are misleading as this is not a cozy mystery. Trigger warnings for sexual and physical assault, domestic abuse, traumatic birth and possibly other things I can‘t think of right now. I saw some reviews say there are no likeable characters, but I liked Roz, our detective, and I‘m not sure who wouldn‘t like Mary and her cat.

Holiday book, shows, movies, and a little music! I need to check off some bucket list items but I‘m moving slowly 😅 #wintergames #snowflakesquad

In the early hours of Christmas Eve , the sleeper train to the Highlands is derailed, along with the festive plans of its travellers. But that is only the beginning of their problems. The body of one of the passengers is discovered in the locked room of her cabin...

My 2nd book for #CloakAndDaggerChristmas borrows from Christie's famed Murder on the Orient Express, but is a darker, grittier contemporary take. I read it for the 2nd prompt ("published last year"). The reviews prepared me for a book that's less golden age-esque mystery & more of a crime read, what with toxic masculinity, abuse, & rape as central themes. At times heavy-handed, but generally well-written. I liked it, but it's not festive escapism!

I‘m not really sure what I expected from this story but it ended up leaving me kind of disappointed. I listened to the audiobook and found myself zoning out and coming to completely lost in the story. It felt like there were too many characters and the talk of rape and domestic violence so much was off putting. But I did finish the story so it kept me interested enough to keep going. 🌟🌟💫

This was a pick with a big BUT. I picked this up expecting a light festive mystery with a few Christie references. While I enjoyed the setting and the mystery was pretty good, it was very dark. Themes of physical and sexual assault are prevalent. The fact that it's even Christmas seems more an afterthought than anything else. So, I liked it well enough, but it wasn't what I was hoping for.
#winterthon (7hours×10×12thons)+26+(198words×10)=2,846

Fairly gimmicky, as was her last one, with puzzles and anagrams - and Kate Bush song titles- in the text, but the audiobook‘s well done and lets you skip over that if you‘re so inclined.

I found this very meh. It was written like a cosy mystery except it included domestic violence and rape which gave it a darker edge. I don't think that was handled well at all.

This was one of my #trappedonanisland picks for December, it just came in at the library

The set up was good (who doesn't love a Golden Age-style murder on a train?!) but sadly there was just too much rape, domestic abuse and sexual assault for this to work as a cosy. It jarred with the light-hearted tone, cheerful banter and festive anagrams (not to mention the cover.)

I'm disappointed, because I love this sort of thing and I wanted it to work. Would happily try more from the author - I expect there is more to come!

⭐⭐⭐

This had been my nighttime book, but since I only had an hour or so left, I finished it on my walk. It was okay. A little long; the murder doesn‘t happen until halfway through the book. Some characters are indistinguishable from others, so maybe so many weren‘t needed. My husband drove for the first time in over a year — after he walked a relatively long way for him. I was thrilled. #audiowalk

Soft pick, 3 and a half stars. It‘s a locked room mystery on a train stopped in the snow. Yes, the setup is like Murder on the Orient Express, but the solution is different. I like Roz, the main character. She‘s a flawed middle-aged heroine, just like me. 😊 Trigger warning for characters‘ backstories of domestic abuse and rape, though thankfully not described at length.

I think I was expecting a cozy and I didn‘t get that. The plot was bogged down by the dark subject matter and I‘m not talking about the actual murder. I don‘t like how one character had to suffer for the actions of another. Two things I liked: the ending when Roz finally reunites with her daughter and newborn granddaughter. Also, the audio narrator is brilliant. She makes all of the characters come alive! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was looking forward to this one but I sadly didn‘t enjoy it as much as the first of hers that I read. It‘s an easy read but just fell a bit flat for me

#Two4tuesday @TheSpineView Thanks for the tag! 😊💕

1. Nope, I'm staying put. In fact, I think I shall go into hibernation and not move from this spot 😴

2. I'm expecting it to be a thoroughly grey Christmas. I vote for Winter sunshine if I get to have a say in the matter. And for my car to stop frosting up 🤣🤣

Humbug 😉🎄🎁

I came for the Agatha Christie inspired cozy mystery on the train, and I stayed because of how different it turned out to be. I enjoyed all the suspects and open investigation, but most of all the anagrams, Kate Bush songs hiding in plain sight, the tablet recipe and the Christmas quiz. Definitely recommend!

This kept me engaged, and I liked the Roz the MC, but it was a lot darker and more angst-ridden than I expected.

Well, this wasn‘t what I expected it to be! I went in expecting a cozy crime locked-room murder novel.
And as it involves an increasing body count on a snowbound train, the locked-room element is there, and there‘s anagrams and quiz questions, but this needs a CW for domestic violence/VAWG.

Another finish for the #WinterReadathon 25 points

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Here is my December bookspin list 😊

I've gone for quite a few cosier looking titles, because I need cheering up! 😕 Also incorporated my #rolldecember picks 💕

🎄🎁🎅

I went £4 over the budget my Mum set me, but I don't think she'll be mad when she sees what festive delights I've picked up 💃💃💃

Also pictured, sticky toffee biscoff slice 😋

I figured it was time to read something nice for a change.