Book Review: The Last Seance by Agatha Christie

Author: Agatha Christie

Title: The Last Séance

Genre: Thriller, Anthology, Paranormal, Mystery, Classics

Format: Ebook

Pages: 353

Published: September 24, 2019

Where I got It: Library

Summary: 

For lovers of the supernatural and the macabre comes this collection of ghostly and chilling stories from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. Fantastic psychic visions, specters looming in the shadows, encounters with deities, a man who switches bodies with a cat—be sure to keep the light on whilst reading these tales.

The Last Séance gathers twenty stories, some featuring Christie’s beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, in one haunting compendium that explores all things occult and paranormal, and is an essential omnibus for Christie fans.

Review:

Yayyyy more Agatha Christie! She really is a great read for the Spooky season!

Here we have twenty shorts. There were a couple I have read in the past, but a lot I have never read before so it was nice to check them out!

The Last Séance

This one was spooky! A nice way to start off the collection. 5/5

In a Glass Darkly

Another spooky one. I liked this one a lot. 5/5

S.O.S.

Loved the atmosphere. This was a nice one. Not sure about that ending. 4/5

The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb

Such a good one! I've read this one before. Nice! 5/5

The Fourth Man

Oof. This was a rough one to read for a few reasons...still a good read but man. 3/5

The Idol House of Astarte

Miss Marple!!!!! This was entertaining! I want more Marple. 5/5

The Gipsy

I wasn't sure how this was going to end! EEE! 5/5

Philomel Cottage

I was meh about this one. 2/5

The Lamp

Sooo bittersweet. So nice though. 4/5

The Dream

I feel like I read this one before....maybe not. Maybe it was something similar. But still enjoyable. 4/5

Wireless

I LOVED this one. I think this was on my top 3 of this list. 5/5

The Wife of the Kenite

Ooooo this was a good one. I had no idea what was going to happen. 5/5

The Mystery of the Blue Jar

Mmmmm. It was okay. Not sure how I feel about the ending. 3/5

The Strange Case of Sir Arthur Carmichael

This was weird but entertaining!! 4/5

The Blue Gernaium

I...barely remember this one. Whoops. 2/5

The Call of Wings

Awww I liked this one. It was good. 4/5

The Flock of Geryon

Another goodie. I really liked this one. 5/5

The Red Signal

Oooooooooo. Such a good one. Top 5 for sure. 5/5

The Dressmaker's Doll

Super horror with this one. Spooky. Creepy. Fun. 4/5

The Hound of Death

I wish I had liked this one more. It just didn't get me as much as I wanted. Still a nice read. 3/5 

Overall! I liked this collection. Lots of wins. Lots of good reads. A couple I was meh about or honestly....couldn't even remember it. I consider this a win! It would be a fun Netflix collection to make hehehe *wink*

Doing complicated and Harvard level math...............................4 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Library Love #26

Book Review: The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig

Author: Lauren Willig

Title: The Seduction of the Crimson Rose

Series: Pink Carnation #4

Genre: Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Chick Lit
Format: Paperback

Pages: 385
Published: January 6, 2008
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)


Summary: 

A continuation of the series that began with The Masque of the Black Tulip and The Deception of the Emerald Ring finds Mary accepting a secret assignment from spy Lord Vaughn to infiltrate the Black Tulip's operation in order to prevent an invasion of England

Review:

I started this and then stopped for a while. September was a wild month. Buuuuuut this was set to the side and not forgotten. I love this series, and I wanted to keep going. I finally picked back up to finish. 

Here we are with Eloise continuing her research on the Pink Carnation and other fellow spies. This time we will step back and see Mary's and Lord Vaughn's story. Mary accepts a secret assignment to infiltrate the Black Tulip's operation to prevent plans for an invasion of England. 

Mary is a rough character to like, but she is one you can't stop being curious about. There is a lot more deep down. Same with Lord Vaughn. The two are a match made in snarky Heaven.

It was nice going back to this! It's been so long. I had forgotten sooo many things.

Eloise is adorable. I remember being not her biggest fan in my very first read-through of this series, but I've grown to adore her. 

Such a fun series. This isn't my favorite mainly because Mary is rough to like, but it's still an enjoyable read. Love the world. Love the characters. I can't wait to start the next one soon-ish.  

I'll give this a 4.

Audiobook Review: A Taste of Magic by Tricia O'Malley

Author: Tricia O'Malley
Narrator: Siobhan Waring & John Hartley

Title: A Taste of Magic

Series: The Scottish Charms #2

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Format: Audiobook

Published: August 25, 2026
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)


Summary: 

She’s hexed. He’s her ex. And if they can’t bake in harmony, Briarhaven’s big cooking competition might just go up in smoke.

Lyra MacGregor’s magic is as unpredictable as her love life—especially when her spellwork starts misfiring during the filming of Briarhaven’s favorite reality TV Bewitching Bake-Off. Even worse? She’s paired with Rabbie Campbell, her high school sweetheart turned heartbreak.

He’s never baked a thing in his life. She turns spoons into hedgehogs when he’s nearby. But with the cameras rolling, the curse deepening, and old sparks reigniting, they’ll have to cook up more than just a winning cake to survive. Because in Briarhaven, baking is spellwork, and love is the trickiest recipe of all.

Review:

I finished book 1, and I had to get my hands on book 2. I'm loving this town and this family. Plus...I had to know what the heck is up with Rabbie and Lyra. What happened between them the last time they were in town?

Lyra and her family have been back in town for about a year now. It is her turn to finally get her powers and lift her part of the curse. However, things are interrupted when a Baking Show picks Briarhaven to host the Christmas special. This is the chance Lyra has been dreaming about! She finally got a job at the bakery, but maybe this competition will help blast her Baking show to new heights. However, she is having issues with her magic, and now she's being partnered with her ex....

I really loved this one. I loved watching them go from enemies to baking partners to friends to being in love. It felt real. They finally are forced to TALK and hear each other out. *chef kiss*

Lyra is adorable. 

Rabbie is cranky and cute. 

Gimme all the hedgehogs. 

I just wanted to eat all the yummy desserts mentioned. 

This is a second chance, and I get scared of them, but the reason why they broke up was an easy fix once they matured, especially when they realized it was all a misunderstanding. 

The ending was lovely. 

The narrators were perfect. 

I loved this. So much fun. I want book 3!!!!

5 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #42

- Reading Romance Challenge #20 (MC Works in the Food Industry)

Blodeuedd's Monday: Itch! by Gemma Amor

Format: 352 pages, Hardcover

Published: October 9, 2025 by Hodder

Horror/borrowed

Ohh I like weird. Josie left her ex after said ex put her in a coma. She went home with her widowed dad, she works at a pub, and life is just pretty shitty. Then she finds a dead body and everything becomes effed up.

It itches, the ants from the dead body are inside her. There is an legend from the woods that there is something there, something that demands offerings.

But it is also a murder mystery. As she is spiraling out of control she tries to figure out what happened to the dead woman.

I liked it. Messed up, creepy and good

Something moves on the forest floor...

Josie is at rock bottom. Burned out, heartbroken and recovering from an abusive relationship, she lives a haunted existence after returning to her isolated hometown on the edge of the Forest of Dean.

But the tall, dense pine trees are not the only things casting shadows across her skin.

Josie's hopes of a fresh start are horribly derailed when she stumbles across a dead woman's decaying, ant-infested body in the woods. The grim discovery sends her into a downward spiral, forcing her to face uncomfortable truths about the victim and her own past - all whilst battling the swarming black ants that seem to have burrowed into her mind... and her flesh.

As Josie struggles with infestations of all kinds, she scratches the surface of an age-old mystery - a masked predator stalks the forest around Ellwood, a place deeply gripped by ancient folklore and strange customs. So when the village dresses up for its annual festival, Josie gets closer and closer to unveiling a monster, and begins to ask

Are these dark crawling insects leading her to uncover the truth?

Or is she their next victim?