Post by oldmeanie on Jun 19, 2023 12:13:17 GMT -5
First time reading this one.
I was totally surprised! To be honest, I wasn't excited to read this one at all. It's a later mystery (usually not my favorite) and the title doesn't intrigue me at all. But I actually really liked this one! Pleasantly surprised.
Something about this has an "earlier BSC" feel to it, and I guess it's because the characterization is a bit better than usual (imo). I really like that the mystery involved characters we were already introduced to instead of rando new clients. It also feels like a mystery that could have been in the early series, especially with the "cursed" part.
I like spooky stuff, so I liked the chapter with the dreams about the sailor XD. I'm surprised Mary Anne wasn't more freaked out by it, because if that happened to me, I'd sleep with a nightlight lol. I think everyone you see in your dreams is someone you've seen before? Idk why this of all things kind of creeped me out lol, but I love it.
I was surprised that I didn't mind the Barrett-DeWitt subplot as much, although I can't exactly figure out how many rooms are in that house and why they're still sharing rooms. It also seems WILDLY expensive to me. I feel stupid, but I'm honestly so confused lol. The playhouse also sounds like a tetanus hellhole with the nails sticking out of the windows. It was sweet that Eddie fixed it up for them, though.
I felt like the buried money plot was a lot weaker than the music box mystery. The chapter where they dug up the box felt kind of... forced? It's like Ellen Miles wanted to get it over with or something.
I really like how close Mary Anne and Sharon are in this book. This is probably the best book for Sharon's character... she is very sweet and thoughtful in this one.
It's also great how Mary Anne and Granny bond, and I love that Mary Anne keeps her secret (I also really liked this in Stacey and the Mystery Money). Maybe I'm also a hopeless romantic, but this book does a good job of conveying that dreamy, faraway feel. Idk if that makes any sense at all. I actually felt slightly choked up at the end, which is embarrassing to admit. I was worried I'd be let down by the end, but I wasn't.
I am shocked by how good this one was! I think I'd give it an 8. It would be a little higher (probably a 9. I think the music box mystery itself gets a 10, for some reason I loved it) if it wasn't for the money mystery being a lot weaker in my opinion.
I was totally surprised! To be honest, I wasn't excited to read this one at all. It's a later mystery (usually not my favorite) and the title doesn't intrigue me at all. But I actually really liked this one! Pleasantly surprised.
Something about this has an "earlier BSC" feel to it, and I guess it's because the characterization is a bit better than usual (imo). I really like that the mystery involved characters we were already introduced to instead of rando new clients. It also feels like a mystery that could have been in the early series, especially with the "cursed" part.
I like spooky stuff, so I liked the chapter with the dreams about the sailor XD. I'm surprised Mary Anne wasn't more freaked out by it, because if that happened to me, I'd sleep with a nightlight lol. I think everyone you see in your dreams is someone you've seen before? Idk why this of all things kind of creeped me out lol, but I love it.
I was surprised that I didn't mind the Barrett-DeWitt subplot as much, although I can't exactly figure out how many rooms are in that house and why they're still sharing rooms. It also seems WILDLY expensive to me. I feel stupid, but I'm honestly so confused lol. The playhouse also sounds like a tetanus hellhole with the nails sticking out of the windows. It was sweet that Eddie fixed it up for them, though.
I felt like the buried money plot was a lot weaker than the music box mystery. The chapter where they dug up the box felt kind of... forced? It's like Ellen Miles wanted to get it over with or something.
I really like how close Mary Anne and Sharon are in this book. This is probably the best book for Sharon's character... she is very sweet and thoughtful in this one.
It's also great how Mary Anne and Granny bond, and I love that Mary Anne keeps her secret (I also really liked this in Stacey and the Mystery Money). Maybe I'm also a hopeless romantic, but this book does a good job of conveying that dreamy, faraway feel. Idk if that makes any sense at all. I actually felt slightly choked up at the end, which is embarrassing to admit. I was worried I'd be let down by the end, but I wasn't.
I am shocked by how good this one was! I think I'd give it an 8. It would be a little higher (probably a 9. I think the music box mystery itself gets a 10, for some reason I loved it) if it wasn't for the money mystery being a lot weaker in my opinion.