Tips for Tuesday - Books: The Carpool Detectives & Very Dangerous Things; Movie: If I Could Ride Again

We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

Books: The Carpool Detectives & Very Dangerous Things

Today, we are recommending The Carpool Detectives by Chuck Hogan. There are a lot of true crime aficionados out there, many of whom may even harbor fantasies of solving a crime themselves. Few ever do. Marissa, Jeannie, Samira, and Nicole were the exception to the rule. These four ordinary moms with no connection to law enforcement and jobs completely unrelated to crime solving in any way solved a 15-year-old murder mystery. 

True crime fans will love this extremely intriguing book. Even those who are not necessarily true crime fans may still enjoy it.  It is quite fascinating and unputdownable. It is so exciting to read about ordinary women who manage to solve a crime that even professionals were unable to crack. The book is quite thorough, taking the reader through every step of the process without leaving anything out, and yet it remains compelling and never gets boring. 

Still, it is not all cut and dried. You get to learn a little about these women and who they were and what their families were like. Plus, you get to see their friendship developing as they work together. Before taking up the case, none of them really knew each other that well, and some didn't know each other at all. Their hard work, determination, and dedication to their cause, even when it seemed that they would never succeed, are all quite inspiring.  The fact that what ultimately drove them above all is their desire to get answers for the victims' daughter makes it even more inspiring. 

Today, we recommend Very Dangerous Things by Lauren Munoz. Every year J. Everett High stages a murder mystery for its criminology students to solve. However, this year, when the victim is actually poisoned, only huge crime fan, Dulcie Castillo, can solve the mystery and exonerate the accused, who also happens to be her ex-best friend and the victim's girlfriend.

This is a unique and interesting spin on the mystery genre. The story is full of intriguing characters. There are so many pieces of the puzzle needed to solve the mystery, making it unpredictable and exciting, but also a bit overwhelming at times. The answer to the mystery raises a few questions about the way certain characters have acted at certain times prior in the story, but none of them are major enough to make it feel like the story has not been properly resolved. All in all, it is a quite engaging mystery with a mostly satisfactory conclusion. 

Moive: If I Could Ride Again

Today, we are recommending If I Could Ride Again. This is a movie with so many different storylines going on that it is hard to describe accurately. The plot deals with drug abuse, a couple being swindled out of their home, loss of loved ones to a drunk or drugged-up driver (it is never implicitly stated which), and more, all set against the backdrop of horses and championship riders. There is so much going on that sometimes it feels like watching an over-dramatic soap opera. However, the stories and characters are interesting enough to keep you invested, and unlike an actual soap opera, all of the storylines are sufficiently and acceptably wrapped up.

And that's our view.  The Carpool Detectives and Very Dangerous Things were published today.  If I Could Ride Again is available now for purchase on DVD and digitally for purchase or rental.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

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