Page One Books is a new monthly subscription of hard and softcover books for three, six, or 12 months based on your preferences. You can choose among twelve genres, including mystery, masterpieces, cookbooks, classics, and more.
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.
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 March 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 points out the book that awaited me and the fact that it’s been made into a PBS series. Maybe I have a nice series binge to look forward to!
Page 1 Bookmark
A quote from Jane Austen that I strongly relate to! 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.
Mock Card Catalogue Card
This was an intriguing addition to this box! I’ve not seen these before, but it’s a reprinted card that must have been copied from a once hand-written card in a library. I imagine they’re all random, and I received an entry for Lady Chatterly’s Lover. Scandalous!
Rosemary ParmCrisps, 3 oz. - Found here for $10.51
I was delighted to discover a snack in the box! These cheese crisps were made from parmesan cheese and flavored with rosemary, which is one of my favorite herbs. These were so good! I loved how the salty richness from the cheese paired with the woodsy depth of the herb. I bet these would be so good with a glass of wine, but truthfully, my husband and I inhaled these too fast to find out for sure. Guess we’ll have to buy another package!
Sidney Chambers and The Perils of the Night by James Runcie - Retail Value $18 (found here for $14.56)
How prettily packaged is this book? I loved the ribbon treatment in addition to the classic brown paper; it felt special, and I loved that I had to open one more thing to see what book I received this month. This book, by James Runcie, stars a priest as a detective! It was released on May 21st, 2013, and is 368 pages long. From the publisher’s website:
1955. Canon Sidney Chambers, loveable priest and part-time detective, is back. Accompanied by his faithful Labrador, Dickens, and the increasingly exasperated Inspector Geordie Keating, Sidney is called to investigate the unexpected fall of a Cambridge don from the roof of King's College Chapel, a case of arson at a glamour photographer's studio and the poisoning of Zafar Ali, Grantchester's finest spin bowler.
Alongside his sleuthing, Sidney has other problems. Can he decide between his dear friend, the glamorous socialite Amanda Kendall and Hildegard Staunton, the beguiling German widow? To make up his mind Sidney takes a trip abroad, only to find himself trapped in a web of international espionage just as the Berlin Wall is going up.
This book was different from other things I’ve been reading lately, as it’s a collection of six short stories that take place from 1955 to 1961. The stories range from a mysterious death during a climbing accident, a suspected arsonist, the death of a cricket player, an electrocution, suspicious engagement, and the final one is a doozy: it takes place in Germany just as the Berlin Wall is going up. This format thankfully kept the story separate enough that it was okay to receive this, which is the second in the series. I was able to catch up enough on the main characters that I didn’t feel as though I was missing anything, which might have been an issue in another series. I read a lot of British books for these subscriptions, and this is no exception - the mention early in the book of “the River Cam” reminds me that all the books I’ve been reading take place pretty close to each other on a map! All the stories are in third-person and are a little bit more formal than other things in this genre I’ve been reading, but it certainly wasn’t too dense to get through. I think the idea of a vicar for a detective is rather interesting, which is probably why it’s also a successful television series.
Verdict: Page 1 Books is a neat concept from someone who clearly loves reading! I think it’s cool that you can swap out the book for something else for no charge if you don’t like what you’ve received. They also won’t send the subscription until you fill out a survey of your reading likes and dislikes, so you can tell they really care about getting the selections right. It’s like having a friend pick out a book for you that she knows you’ll like! Also: those parmesan crisps were delicious. I was not able to find retail values for all the items, but the snack and book total $28.51, which exceeds the $23.33 cost for this month.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you hurry! From Page 1 Books:
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.
Coupon - Use code MYSUBADD to save 10% off all subscriptions!
Value Breakdown: This box cost $20.00 (for this month) + $3.33 shipping, which means the four items I received cost about $5.83 each.
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