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This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
This review is of the “For the Sleuth” 3-month subscription, which costs $60 for three months.
About Page 1 Books
The Subscription Box: Page 1 Books
The Cost: $60 for three months + $10 shipping (flat shipping for all three months)
The Products: 1 hardback book or paperback book chosen for you based on your tastes, a bookmark, and other goodies.
Ships to: The US and Worldwide
Good to Know: If you’ve already read the book or just simply don’t like it, Page 1 Books will send you another for free - no need to send it back!
Page One Books June 2018 “For The Sleuth” Review
The box greeted me with a personalized card explaining the book pick for the month! I actually really liked that my name is on it – it’s a small touch that makes the box feel personal. This card talks about Lola, the main character in this month’s book!
Page 1 Bookmark
This bookmark is a nice addition to the collection I have going – it’s a good size and will certainly do the job just fine. This is one of my very favorite quotes from Luisa May Alcott!
Jules Verne Postcard
Just like last month, I received another vintage-looking postcard. Again, I’m not sure if it’s styled as vintage or is actually more aged; it has an old-fashioned style but is in terrific shape.
Much Ado About Nothings Sticky Notes - Retail Value $7.95
I always love sticky notes, and these are definitely neat! I like that it’s a set of a couple different shapes and sizes, and I like the brightly-colored ones a lot. I must confess, I’m not a huuuuge Shakespeare fan, so I’ll be mailing these to a good friend of mine who is - she’ll appreciate them a million times more!
Gin and Panic by Maia Chance - Retail Value $25.99 (found here for $17.67)
This book is actually the third installment of the Discreet Retrieval Agency series. It was released on October 24, 2017, and is 288 pages long.
Summary from Amazon:
Former socialite Lola Woodby is now struggling to make ends meet as a not-so-discreet private eye in Prohibtion-era New York City, along with her stern Swedish sidekick, Berta. When they’re offered a piece-of-cake job―retrieving a rhinoceros trophy from the Connecticut mansion of big game hunter Rudy Montgomery―it seems like a no-brainer. After all, their client, Lord Sudley, promises them a handsome paycheck, and the gin and tonics will be plentiful and free. But no sooner do they arrive at Montgomery Hall than Rudy is shot dead.
When the police arrive to examine the scene, they conclude that Rudy had actually committed suicide. But Lord Sudley can’t believe his friend would have done that, and there’s a houseful of suspicious characters standing by. So Lord Sudley ups the ante for Lola and Berta, and suddenly, their easy retrieval job has turned into a murder investigation. Armed with handbags stuffed with emergency chocolate, gin flasks, and a Colt .25, Lola and Berta are swiftly embroiled in a madcap puzzle of stolen diamonds, family secrets, a clutch of gangsters, and plenty of suspects who know their way around a safari rifle.
Gin and Panic is the next jaunty, compelling Discreet Retrieval Agency mystery from beloved crime writer Maia Chance.
This book is what is referred to as a “cozy mystery,” it’s a specific subgenre of crime books. Also called “cozies,” in these books the detective is typically some kind of layperson and not an actual professional or a cop; they usually have some kind of job that allows them to be around people a lot and be in a position to gather clues. The killers in these books are usually not violent or psychotic, and they’re brought to justice with very little fuss at the end of the story. Even though this is a term reserved only for books, Murder She Wrote (one of my favorite shows!) is a good example of the benchmarks of this subset.
I have to say, I wasn’t really crazy about this book. Don’t get me wrong - I don’t have anything against cozies! I know I do read a lot of horror, but I don’t need my books to be gruesome in order to be entertaining, I swear. My biggest issue was with the main character, Lola - I thought her disgraced-from-society background was a little thin, and I found her to be a bit shallow, even at times unlikeable. This book takes place in the 20’s, but it almost seemed to me that it was written in that decade, too - it seemed to use really tired jokes and cliches, particularly about the feminine condition, in an attempt to convey humor. There are only so many “emergency chocolate stash,” and “all problems can be solved with cake” jokes an author can make before you’ve lost me as a reader. I did a little reading on the series, and many reviewers agreed with me that this book had significant weak points, but a few of them also were sure to point out that Chance’s other works, even earlier books in this series, were much better.
Verdict: Sadly, this wasn’t my favorite box of the month! While I enjoyed the sticky notes, I’m not sure I’ll be able to use another vintage postcard, and this month’s book, while a harmless enough offering, wasn’t enjoyable to me, and I’m not sure I’ll continue to explore the author.
To Wrap Up:
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Books ship out on the 1st of each month for subscriptions purchased by the 25th of the prior month. Subscriptions ordered after the 25th will ship out the month after.
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Value Breakdown: This box cost $20.00 + $3.33 shipping (for this month), which means the three items I received (not counting the bookmark) cost about $7.78 each.
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