Bad Alibi Book Box Review November 2020
Bad Alibi Book Box is a new monthly mystery/thriller book subscription box from the US that delivers one recently released novel, three to five themed items, and a short story and mini mystery riddle submitted by Bad Alibi fans. November’s box features two YA titles (both new to me) and an interesting assortment of items to go with. Let’s see inside.*
*They kindly sent us this box for review.
Each box comes with a small product card with the month’s theme on one side — November’s is Secrets and Ghosts — and a list of the contents and makers on the other. I like how the card includes the makers’ Instagram handles for further exploration.
The first book is a signed edition of the October release Corpse Artiste by author Selina Marcille. Here’s the description from the publisher:
“Eunice Griggs does not want to spend the summer working in her family’s mortuary, but her parents give her no other choice. Dead bodies and the smell of formaldehyde is not what she was looking forward to the summer before her senior year. Despite her hatred at first, she quickly finds her calling as makeup artist for the dead. With the summer coming to a close, she is looking forward to finishing her job and celebrating with friends as she tries to grab the attention of Shawn Linden. But when a body goes missing on her watch, Eunice is racing against time to get it back, lest a zombie outbreak be her fault.”
Corpse Artiste has great reviews on Amazon and Goodreads — one reviewer said “If Six Feet Under had a Scooby Doo zombie mystery, this would be it!” Zombie stories have never been my thing but I loved Six Feet Under and I think the book sounds fun (although “fun” feels like a weird word to use given the setting, but still!).
Bad Alibi Book Box also included a Corpse Artiste bookmark, magnet and pin.
The second book is The Beckwith Brothers by Ivana Sanders, a self-published YA thriller also released in October. Here’s the description from the back of the book:
“At one point everyone who lived in the quaint small Northern California town, Downers Grove, thought it seemed easy to exist and breathe in a beautiful place where nothing even remotely bad ever happened…not since The Beckwith Brothers went missing in the wooded mountains just outside of city limits fifteen years ago.
The Beckwith Brothers are rumored to have killed their own parents when they tried to abandon their children in the woods causing none of the Beckwith family to ever be seen again. These boys were a myth to the media and skeptics, legends to the intrigued and curious, foreign entities to be worshiped by a fringe group of outsiders, and a tool for the fame of a power hungry. However, when strange happenings start up just before the 15th Anniversary of The Beckwith Brothers’ mysterious disappearance the past intertwines into the present unearthing reserves of supernatural power, targeted obsession, forbidden romance, paranoia, and a string of murders all culminating with world changing events on Halloween night 1995.
After the Beckwith Brothers’ emergence from the forests, 17-year-old “odd beauty” with her head in the clouds, Seraphim “Sierr” Blake, and her close knit group of distinctive childhood friends: Fierce Fashionista Willow, Girly girl Carmen Cameron, and the Forever Skeptical Likable Loner who only goes by the initials of his name, JSF, are thrust into the perfect storm. Being faced with infatuation, temptation, and angst they find themselves battling high-school drama, predatory males, a violent secret society, serial killings, and twisted affections. As frightening as the turns their lives take are, Sierr is even more frightened to discover an unnerving trait about herself which is that she loves playing with fire… especially when she knows the fire loves her back.
Beware because… The Boys Are Coming Home.”
Okay this one sounds like a ride, if a bit wordy. Unfortunately the font is really small (maybe nine or ten point) which might make it literally difficult to read. I don’t know anything about self-publishing but it’s got to be cheaper to publish a shorter book than a longer one so maybe the small font was an effort to reduce the number of pages. Welcoming any insight here!
I love popcorn but this caramel and fruit-flavoured mix had zero appeal so I gifted the bag to a friend and her hubby. They raved about it! Couldn’t get enough. To each their own.
And an embroidery kit! Again I love the idea but I’m not crazy about the design so I gifted it to a neighbour who will enjoy it. I guess I could have used the materials to do my own design. (This one says Can You Keep A Secret.) Ah well. It found a good home.
Next, a tote with The Beckwith Brothers branding. Some of our totes are pretty ratty looking so I’m happy to put this new one into the rotation for groceries and whatnot. It feels sturdy and it’s a good, generous size.
Bad Alibi also included a 100% soy wax vanilla-scented candle from Candid Candle (here for it!), a one-page short story that gave me the chills, and a clever, even shorter mini mystery. Both stories were submitted by Bad Alibi fans, which I think is an innovative way to build community and get people excited to share their work.
November’s Bad Alibi Book Box is the second one I’ve tried and only the third one released. I appreciate being introduced to new writers but for my money I’d be happier to see popular/commercial thrillers. I’m curious to see how the box evolves!
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