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Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore: A Novel | Matthew Sullivan
When a bookshop patron commits suicide, his favorite store clerk must unravel the puzzle he left behind in this fiendishly clever debut novel from an award-winning short story writer. Lydia Smith lives her life hiding in plain sight. A clerk at the Bright Ideas bookstore, she keeps a meticulously crafted existence among her beloved books, eccentric colleagues, and the BookFrogsthe lost and lonely regulars who spend every day marauding the stores overwhelmed shelves. But when Joey Molina, a young, beguiling BookFrog, kills himself in the bookstores upper room, Lydias life comes unglued. Always Joeys favorite bookseller, Lydia has been bequeathed his meager worldly possessions. Trinkets and books; the detritus of a lonely, uncared for man. But when Lydia flips through his books she finds them defaced in ways both disturbing and inexplicable. They reveal the psyche of a young man on the verge of an emotional reckoning. And they seem to contain a hidden message. What did Joey know? And what does it have to do with Lydia? As Lydia untangles the mystery of Joeys suicide, she unearths a long buried memory from her own violent childhood. Details from that one bloody night begin to circle back. Her distant father returns to the fold, along with an obsessive local cop, and the Hammerman, a murderer who came into Lydias life long ago and, as she soon discovers, never completely left. Bedazzling, addictive, and wildly clever, Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore is a heart-pounding mystery that perfectly captures the intellect and eccentricity of the bookstore milieu and will keep you guessing until the very last page.?
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monalyisha
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Whipped feta & roasted curry carrots with chimichurri sauce at our local bookstore + snackery. Yes, that‘s a thing. And yes, I love our little town. 🧡

Mollyanna How great is that?!? I‘m jealous. 12mo
Tamra What a day! 12mo
monalyisha Here‘s the link to the store (which isn‘t a destination on Litsy): https://www.archivebooksnackery.com 12mo
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TheKidUpstairs I don't think I'd ever want to leave! 12mo
Cathythoughts That looks divine 👌🏻 12mo
5feet.of.fury Omg sounds delishhhh 12mo
74 likes6 comments
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LatrelWhite
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🎧Loved this one! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

15 likes1 stack add
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PurpleyPumpkin
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Pickpick

Just realized that I haven‘t reviewed this one yet! It was my last book read in January and it was a good one. Whatever kind of ending I was expecting was NOT that! Nor did I realize that this would be a mystery. Actually, there were a bunch of mysteries unearthed. The author did a great job filling in the gaps of this puzzle. I'm still pondering all of the threads and connections! 4/5⭐️
(February 4, 2023)

UwannaPublishme This book sounds great! And I really need to try Bookly one of these days. 1y
42 likes1 comment
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Elizabeth2
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#12booksof2022 October and November

Italian for Beginners was a fun, light, romp. Midnight at the Good Ideas Bookstore was unexpected, twisty, dark and well crafted. I found myself in awe of the person who can craft such a story.

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Loved Midnight at the Bright Ideas Book Store. 1y
33 likes1 comment
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Elizabeth2
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Pickpick

This book wasn‘t quite what I expected. It‘s unexpectedly dark and twisty. Fans of suspense and thriller will like this one, but I think so will fans of family drama and coming of age stories. I didn‘t see the twists coming until just before they were revealed. While I could sense where the story was going to land, how it got there was beyond my imagining. I am in awe of the mind that can weave a story such as this. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 #litsylovereads ❤️📚

Elizabeth2 This was my #bookspin for November! @TheAromaofBooks 1y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great review! I was thinking it was light and fluffy 🖤 1y
38 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Elizabeth2
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Going to finish this before lunch. It‘s so good. I‘ve only had time to read it a few minutes at a time, and every chapter ends with a reveal, a wow moment, or something that makes me think. I feel like I‘m missing a bit of the experience that is this story. 90 pages to go, and I‘m finishing it today in one long, uninterrupted interval! One pup on my lap keeping watch and one at my feet keeping them warm. 💕🐾📚#dogsoflitsy #litsylovereads

monalyisha This is one of the few “bookstore” books I‘ve read that I think gets the vibe of working in that setting exactly right (without just glorifying the experience). I loved it! 1y
Elizabeth2 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @monalyisha SO good. It‘s surprisingly dark, and so twisty. A captivating story that leaves me in awe of the mind that crafted it. I only saw where the story was going just before the next turn was revealed. 1y
49 likes3 comments
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Elizabeth2
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Reading this next! It‘s my #bookspin for November. ❤️📚

BarkingMadRead Loved this one! 1y
Elizabeth2 @BarkingMadRun so far, so good! It hooked me right away! ❤️📚 1y
46 likes2 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
This post contains spoilers
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Mehso-so

Little confused in tone.
Starts out slightly dark cozy mystery, wanders into domestic thriller territory, and boy, oh, boy is the conclusion heartbreaking. 💔
Author did very well in making me feel for/empathize with the characters but that does make it even harder to read when the majority have made poor decisions that have destroyed lives, their own, or others'.
Suggest looking up trigger warnings.

shanaqui Oh, interesting, thanks for the heads up about trigger warnings! 2y
2 likes2 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
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"Shambolic", I just love seeing it in use.

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Robotswithpersonality
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I want to be Plath when I grow up.

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Robotswithpersonality
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BEEN THERE. ?

"for the first time in a long time she found herself speaking openly with a stranger, and not feeling as if she were splashing through the conversational equivalent of a shark attack."

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Jnnlb
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Pickpick

Worth the read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

46 likes1 stack add
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Robotswithpersonality
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Covers doing the matchy-matchy!
Upcoming reads.

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amma-keep-reading
Pickpick

This wasn't bad but I just wanted more...

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Martta
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Pickpick

This wasn't at all what I expected but I loved it! This was way darker than I anticipated and reminded me of Romeo and Juliet for some reason even though the story is totally different. This is a book for thriller fans.

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Martta
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Best of Christmas! ❤🎄

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Martta
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My second choise for this Christmas's reading. I'm already hooked. I'm soooo happy with both of my choises! This and the Melinda Gates one. 😍

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OriginalCyn620
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Pickpick

Darker than I was expecting, but a decent mystery.

EvieBee Right? 2y
45 likes1 comment
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Julsmarshall
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Pickpick

Interesting. Loved the bookstore setting in Denver and the slow burn of the mystery. Didn‘t live how one dimensional some of the characters were, others were more fully crafted so it seemed a little disjointed. I did enjoy it though and it was good on audio. #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
EvieBee I liked this one. Unexpectedly dark but enjoyable. (edited) 3y
49 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Julsmarshall
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51 likes2 stack adds
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Read-y_Picker
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My reward today was to finally take some time to go through my last #LMPBC package from @DinoMom

I just LOVED reading through the commentary on this book, kinda makes me wish I‘d sent it out first and then read it after you all marked it up.

Also filling my #littensdressedinblood prompt for #mugandbook. This is actually my first bookish mug and it looks to be the perfect shape and size for tea!

Thanks to you again Sharon and to all the GroupX

zezeki Love the bookmark! 😍 3y
Read-y_Picker @zezeki yeah it‘s fantastic! Smells like a watermelon Jolly Rancher lol. @dinomom has mad bookmark game! 3y
BookishTrish This is a lovely pic. ❤️❤️❤️ 3y
brittanythebookdragon I LOOOVVVEEEEDDDD THIS BOOK!!!!! 3y
37 likes4 comments
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DinoMom
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Yay , no damage! Also @BookishTrish bribery in the form of nerds is always the way to go. Happy these two picks have arrived safely… see my last post!!! Someone at the post office spilled a lot of coffee on this package by the smell and look of it. Thanks @TheKidUpstairs and @Read-y_Picker for the picks.
#LMPBC #groupx11 @suvata

TheKidUpstairs Can't wait to read everyone's thoughts! 3y
27 likes1 comment
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BookishTrish
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It looks like it took its sweet time getting to NB, Sharon. Let me know if you got it! #lmpbc @DinoMom

DinoMom I will go check the P.O. Box tomorrow and let you know 3y
28 likes2 comments
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BookishTrish
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@DinoMom Thers an #lmpbc package heading your way.

DinoMom Yay! Thanks. 😊 3y
DinoMom Just checking if you mailed it … this post was two weeks ago. No worries if you didn‘t yet, just wondering in case it is lost in the mail somewhere. 3y
BookishTrish Totally mailed the day it was posted! I‘ll see if I have a tracking # 3y
50 likes3 comments
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BookishGirl06
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Bailedbailed

I‘m kind of bored by it.

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BookishGirl06
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Just started this, so idk how to feel about it yet since I‘m only 30 pages in but hoping this is ok.

Tianarose I enjoyed this one. Happy reading! 3y
DanaManiac This was a good one! Not at all what I expected! 3y
Scochrane26 I really liked this one, but it was a little different than I expected. 3y
79 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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kimmypete1
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Really enjoyed this! Not what I thought I was getting, but in this case that was for the better. #JoyousJanuary #Readathon

Gnora This one really surprised me because the cover & marketing really didn‘t match the story. 3y
kimmypete1 @Gnora Yeah I wasn‘t expecting something so dark, but that was ok, I don‘t mind dark! 3y
21 likes2 comments
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glo1
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I'm housesitting so I get to remember what it's like to own pets, to have someone do excited when I walk in the door... I was interested in this book because of the Denver connection, but the audiobook is driving me crazy. The audiobook reader makes it seem like everyone talks VERY SLOWLY WITH LOTS OF PAUSES and I listen at 1.5x the usual speed!

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AutumnRLS
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Got some pretty sweet book swag this Christmas. This might be one of my favorites though!

15 likes1 stack add
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AutumnRLS
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Can I finish this before the end of the year? I hope so. This will round me out to an even 90 for the year.

17 likes1 stack add
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dariazeoli
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I‘m posting one book per day from my ever-increasing TBR. No description. No explanation. Just books to read. Join the fun if you want.

Day 17.

#fromthetbrstacks

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Pickpick

Apparently I didn't read the synopsis of this because I didn't realize there was going to be so much murder 😂
Besides the murders it did remind me of working in a bookstore, all the quirky characters you meet and work with.
Overall a solid read. Not one I would shove on everyone but definitely would not discourage it.

monalyisha I remember thinking that this book had one of the most accurate depictions of what working in a bookstore is really like — not just idealized & bathed in golden, floating dust motes. ✨ I love it for that. 3y
ChaoticMissAdventures @monalyisha same! I don't know anything about this author, but I would not be surprised if they have worked in a bookstore before. 3y
22 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MaleficentBookDragon
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Is it wrong that I feel the same way?

LitStephanie I love how you crossed out the spoiler. 🤣 I used to love eating and reading on my breaks at the office. For some reason, I don't do it working from home. 3y
64 likes1 comment
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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November is half over and it has so far been a terrible reading month. I have a table filled with books I had been hoping to get through. With the election and the craziness after it, and with a cat that has been sick all week, and too much work I am getting no reading done! Hoping to finish out the month stronger.

Soubhiville I hope your kitty feels better and that things calm down for you soon. 3y
valeriegeary I've been having a slow reading month too. Sorry to hear about your kitty. 3y
Deblovestoread Hope you kitty is better soon and life gets easier for you. I wanted to say back to normal but who knows what normal is anymore...🤷🏻‍♀️😂 3y
ChaoticMissAdventures Thank you all! We had multiple trips to the vet earlier in the week and she is about 80% now. So much better. Hoping she is back to her feisty self in a day or two. Sick pets are the worst. We are headed into a 4week lock down so hoping my brain can lock into some good reads. ❤️ 3y
KendallHershey Omg this space is so cute though. Glad to hear kitty is doing okay. 3y
23 likes5 comments
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MaleficentBookDragon
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Crap! I forgot book club got moved up a week. I need to switch off to this one.
Photobomb by Hades.

Leftcoastzen So cute that photo bomber 3y
iread2much Best photobomb! 3y
86 likes1 stack add3 comments
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EadieB
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Pickpick

Joey Molina kills himself in the bookstore's upper room. Lydia needs to know why. She finds clues in his books that are hidden messages. Is Lydia's life about to become unraveled?
The story is a bit dark and creepy for a bookstore novel. The characters are interesting and the plot keeps you guessing until the very end. Lots of mystery and intrigue keep the pages turning. I'm looking forward to reading Sullivan's next book. Recommended.

72 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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EadieB
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1. Listening to this audio but haven‘t finished yet. It‘s about suicide in a bookstore and Lydia gets clues from pages of books. Dark and creepy but looking forward to the ending.

2. Hot tea and cinnamon raisin toast.

3. 1776 in Philadelphia where I was born.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs Great questions

@TheSpineView Thanks for the tag!

Can you play? @DAB @CoffeeK8 @Hooked_on_books @eeclayton @La_Cori @eanderson @lynneamch @Blueberry @hes7 @Nute

ElizaMarie Ooo I haven't had Cinnamon Raisin Toast in forever!!! Now I am craving some!!!
Also this book sounds super good. I am gonna tag it for future reference!
4y
TheSpineView You're welcome! 4y
Nute Thanks for the tag!💕 4y
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EadieB @ElizaMarie Yes I have cinnamon raisin toast each morning with my tea! So good! 4y
EadieB @Nute you‘re welcome! 4y
eeclayton Thanks for the tag! 4y
Eggs Great answers! 🍵 and cinnamon raisin toast!!!!! 4y
EadieB @Eggs Thanks! 4y
EadieB @eeclayton You're welcome! 4y
47 likes1 stack add9 comments
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CatLass007
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@Schlinkles received this today. Thank you!! #WhoDunitTheSequel
@Librarybelle

Schlinkles Excellent! 4y
Librarybelle Yay! 4y
59 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Scochrane26
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Pickpick

I don‘t remember why I bought this book, except maybe the cover & setting interested me. I‘m sure I thought it was a light mystery, but I‘ve seen reviews since then that warned me it‘s dark (the suicide mentioned on the back should have clued me in). Still a good story & interesting mystery. Don‘t want to give spoilers. This is my #bookspin for September. @TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo

MidnightBookGirl Definitely darker than I expected! But I also liked it.
4y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
32 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Scochrane26
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It was a good book day for me yesterday. I went by the library to pick up a hold (bottom) & got to be the first one to check out A Rogue of One‘s Own. I was really excited to fill out out my #bookspinbingo board. I‘ve had both my bookspin books for about 2 years. The tagged I just put on my list this month, the other has been on there all year.

34 likes1 stack add
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perfectsinner
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book! There was a lot of depth, mystery and intrigue, and of course, the bonus that a lot of the story centers around a book store, always an added bonus. I enjoyed the characters and this was another book where there's a story within another story. I really was kept guessing until the very last chapters. I'd give this 4.5 stars, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys intrigue!

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perfectsinner
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Starting

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Foragingfantasy
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this little mystery.

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perfectsinner
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IamIamIam
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Pickpick

I LOVED this book!!!! I loved every character, I didn't see anything coming and I felt justified at the end! One of bookseller Lydia's favorite patrons commits suicide and leaves a trail of breadcrumbs for her to follow, intertwining everyone's lives in the book. A definite keep and read again, which says a lot!!

thegirlwiththelibrarybag Yes, I loved how this one wound together. 4y
IamIamIam @thegirlwiththelibrarybag It was really well done!! 😁😁 4y
41 likes1 stack add2 comments
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LindaMcGraw16
Mehso-so

I was prepared for this book to really lure me in, and while it was quite readable and I liked it ok, it just didn‘t deliver the can‘t put it down experience.

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ScientistSam
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Pickpick

This was a slow start but gripping once I got into it, and not at all what I expected from the cover. At times atmospheric and sad, at other times creepy as all get out (I made the mistake of reading this right before bed and got to the creepy part), it was absorbing but a bit of a downer for me. Between a pick and a so-so so I'll give it a pick.
#whodunitthesequel

annahenke I enjoyed this overall but had a similar reaction 4y
RiaWritten I liked this one a lot actually but also agree with all your complaints lol. I listened to the audiobook so maybe that helped? 4y
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ScientistSam @RiaWritten perhaps, as it would definitely be a different experience! 4y
robinb I enjoyed this too...but you‘re right...creepy. (And I don‘t do much creepy 🤣). 4y
51 likes6 comments