Gretchen > Recent Status Updates

I get it. Charlotte has the hots for Ingram. This book is quickly getting away from being a mystery of any kind. Unless the mystery is when will they finally just go to bed?

Hopefully things move a little faster once we are done introducing all the characters. I need a list.

I'm just going to run around yelling "Masculine Syrup!"

There may be a new book boyfriend coming to town. Istvhan. Not Stephen. Or maybe I'll just imagine they both fight for me.

A warrior who knits pink wool socks? I might be in love. So far everything about this is delightful.

Wait? 19 books of solving various crimes and Georgie doesn’t want to be a detective?

The MC relationship feels so forced at this point. The will they/won't they has no drama. Most of the book lacks for drama. Maybe this is one of those cases of listening being a completely different experience.

F’ckn Milton.

So is there a mystery to be solved? Or did we just forget that that’s the objective here?

Make the gossip ladies go away. Ffs.

I’m struggling to love this one as much as I loved Pride and Prejudice. It just seems so elitist and ridiculous.

I miss Beverly.

Casey really needs to drop the attitude.

It’s 2025 and we want to see stories about strong, smart, independent women. Except in 2025 all we get are women who have to beat us over the head with their brains while they are making ridiculously stupid choices. Maggie is no different. This is going to be more of a “she got what was coming to her store” than and “what a brave soul” story.

Grice is absolutely insufferable but the banter between Grice and literally everyone else is well worth it.

And sometimes people are just dumb. And sometimes those dumb people make even dumber choices. But apparently we are suppose to feel sorry for them. We have already spent a lot of time being told that we should feel sorry for Diane and all her dumb choices. I’m already kind of over it.

Been waiting for that since the last book.

Gosh. Isn’t it terrible when the consequences catch up with your actions? Not feeling sorry for Cecelia.

Satchel just might be my new favorite thing.

Fern’s anxiety about Viv touching the “floor books”? I felt that.

Listen, I get that Fleurette is just a kid. But why is the troupe that either teenage girls are absolutely clueless or so precocious that everyone around them is going to end up injured or dead?

Less than 50 pages in and we’ve got possession. Last book. Have to power through.

These children should be the death of everyone. The levels of stupid. How are any of these characters alive 18 books later?

This Hirata story line is so ridiculous.

Anyone else suddenly stop getting new comment notifications? Specifically new comments on threads in groups? I've tried all the edits to turn them back on and still nada. Hopefully if anyone comments with anything helpful, I'll see it.

I’m not crying. You are.

The eleven year old is under the spell of the mistress. This should end in lots of good choices and logical decisions.

“I want my son to be a baby for as long as possible.”
“Just kidding let me involve him in an investigation even though his father and I have made it clear he’s too little.”
Sano and Reiko are terrible parents.

Oh great. A child who misbehaves and doesn’t listen who will later be labeled as precocious and “oh so smart”.

I hate to do this to a Cornwell but this might be a DNF. If you change the names of the minor characters, this book is exactly the same as the first.