Review of Mysteries you can't put down

[JANET SMITH 1]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Mysteries you can't put down" by Brad Bennett.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Mysteries You Can't Put Down by Brad Bennett is just that, mysteries I could not put down. I read it in a single sitting one afternoon. I was fascinated by Mr. Bennett's storytelling and his knowledge of many different areas. He seems to be well versed in the inner workings of detective work, winemaking, golf and science.

"The Secret of the Undead Room". A famous director is found dead in his hotel room with no obvious motive and the cause of death isn't what it seems. Detective Ed Steelside, alongside his partner Bill Doland investigate the crime amongst a bunch of zombie movie fans. Ed is motivated in finding the real killer, as he believes an innocent man has been wrongly accused. Will the truth come out? An old man full of nostalgic memories meets Ed Steelside and gives him some insight about the hotel. Will this insight be helpful to the investigation or create an obstacle?

"Uri's Full Bodied Wine" is about Uri Bablonski and his wife Katerina who operate The Liquid Lust winery. They have a silent partner who is very difficult to get along with. The story opens with the silent partner, Henrich Golonovich, and Uri having another heated argument in the cellar room where the vats are stored. Soon Henrich finds himself in a watery grave. Uri is fearful this accident will get him into serious trouble. He asks his wife for guidance on how to deal with this problem. She seems to have all the answers. Soon an investigation ensues. Uri and Katerina soon find out there are more issues to deal with. Katerina is the problem solver time and time again. There are so many surprises it keeps you engaged from start to finish.

"The Last Requiem" is an endearing story about a social worker and a famous violinist. After receiving a call from the violinist's sister, Cindy Williams embarks on a quest for their other brother to inform him of a tragedy in the family. It takes a lot of coercion to get the down- and- out brother to get him to face the situation. For a short story, The Last Requiem has quite a few surprising twists.

"Flight to Fairbanks" This story deals with a couple returning home to their daughter in the airplane Will McLain (who is a ferry pilot) along with his wife, Jean, has borrowed from his company. After crashing into a flock of geese, the airplane starts to falter. Luckily Mr. McLain is able to locate a nearby airport traffic controller to navigate them to a safe landing. Or did he?

"A Killing on the 16th Tee" When a wealthy man walks onto the golf course he proposes a healthy wager on a round. Seeing the newcomers' clumsiness with his expensive clubs Ron and Kevin take the bet. Surprisingly the man keeps raising the stakes. The two friends cannot believe their luck. Even though the rich man doesn't seem to have an affinity for the game he keeps increasing the bet. All is okay up until a crazy wager is made at the sixteenth hole. Another example of man's greed. Thought I had this one figured out. I was wrong.

"A Command Performance" A meek man sees a hat in a shop and is compelled to buy it. Dudley is suddenly transformed into an aggressive leader. Stunned by such an abrupt change in demeanor people become subservient to him.
"The Boy in the Attic" After Tommy's mother loses her job she is forced to have him stay with his elderly aunt while she searches for work and a home for her and Tommy. Aunt Mattie unlocks the door leading to the upstairs and instructs Tommy to bring his things up there. When he goes upstairs he encounters another door leading up to the attic and just as any 12- year- old would, he went exploring. He came across an object. Curious about it he describes it to his aunt and she tells him to never go up there again. He obliges but that didn't stop whatever was up there from coming down. I would describe this story as bittersweet.

"The Message" Renowned scientists are absolutely stunned when they come across a message seemingly sent from another world. Does this mean there really are aliens out there in space? The scientists are unsure of how to explain this message to the public so they ask for the help of an eccentric scientist. Although somewhat confusing in his delivery, he offers another explanation.

I give this book a rating of four out of four stars due to its captivating aspect and the uniqueness of all the mysteries. I certainly would recommend it to anyone who enjoys being in suspense.

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Mysteries you can't put down
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[Alice Fu]

I appreciate how you gave a rundown on all five of the stories! Thank you so much for writing this review, I look forward to seeing how the author crafted these five short stories together, it seems like a super interesting read!

[JANET SMITH 1]

Thank you. It really is a great book!!

[Amy Luman]

I like to read mysteries, but I’m not so sure about the short stories. In my experience they don’t give the reader time to really get involved.

[JANET SMITH 1]

I understand but most of the stories in this book are just long enough to get you immersed. Thank you for your reply!