Book Review: Dragon Harper by Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey

Dragon Harper
Author: Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey

Series: Pern (Book 20)
Publication: Del Rey; 1 edition (December 26, 2007)

Description: For millions of readers the world over, the name Pern is magical, conjuring up grand vistas of a distant planet whose blue skies are patrolled by brave dragons and their noble riders, a paradise threatened by the periodic fall of deadly Thread. But not all dangers descend from the skies. Now, in their third collaboration, Anne McCaffrey and her son, Todd McCaffrey, spin a tale of a mysterious illness that may succeed in doing what centuries of Threadfall could not: kill every last human on Pern.

Life in the Harper Hall is busy for best friends Kindan, Nonala, and Kelsa. As the only female apprentices, Nonala and Kelsa are the butt of jokes and easy targets for the bully Vaxoram and his cronies. But when Kindan springs to Kelsa’s defense, he winds up in a fight for his life against the older, bigger Vaxoram–a fight that will lead to a surprising friendship.

Meanwhile, in nearby Fort Hold, a clutch of fire-lizard eggs is about to hatch, and Lord Bemin’s beautiful young daughter, Koriana, is determined to Impress one of the delightful creatures. At the hatching, Kindan Impresses a fire-lizard of his own . . . and wins the heart of Koriana. But Lord Bemin mistrusts harpers and will not hear of a match between his daughter and the low-born Kindan.

Then fate intervenes in the form of a virulent plague as fast-spreading as it is deadly. Arising suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the contagion decimates hold after hold, paying no heed to distinctions of birth. In this feverish crucible, friendship and love will be tested to the breaking point and beyond. For with Threadfall scant years away, the Dragonriders dare not expose themselves to infection, and it will fall to Kindan and his fellow apprentices to bravely search for a cure and save humanity.

The price of failure is unthinkable. But the price of success may be even harder to bear.

My Thoughts: DRAGON HARPER stars apprentice harper Kindan. It begins with him standing up for the girl apprentices from bullying by an older apprentice Vaxoram. They fight a duel with the loser becoming a servant to the winner. Kindan wins and is determined to redeem Vaxoram. But events intervene....

A new virulent plague is infesting all of Pern and threatens to kill everyone. The Dragonriders need to stay away from the infected Holds because Pern won't survive the next Threadfall without the Dragonriders. And it isn't long before the trusted elders at Harper Hall succumb to it, leaving the fate of Pern in the hands of Kindan and his fellow apprentices.

There is a romance too. Both the Lord Holder's daughter Koriana and Kindan impress two from a clutch of fire lizards and fall in love. But the Lord Holder isn't going to let his daughter marry a lowly harper.

This was an entertaining story that makes me eager to read the next book in the Pern series.

Favorite Quote:

Step by step

Moment by moment

We live through

Another day.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Dragon Harper by Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

J'lantir's brows were thick, gathered like thunderclouds as he glowered at his wing riders. He had called them to his quarters and met them in Lolanth's weyr. The presence of his bronze dragon, eyes whirling menacingly red, left his wing riders in no doubt as to his mood.

Friday 56: 

"I want to live for all that I can learn," Kindan said. Another finger. "For all that I can give." Another finger. "For all that I have yet to see." Another finger—he was up to nine. "I want to live for me and what I can offer."

This week I am spotlighting another book from deep in TBR mountain. Dragon Harper by Anne McCaffrey is the 6th book going by internal chronology of the series but the 20th book published in the Pern series which began in 1968. I have had this one one my stack since 2008 but have recently rediscovered the series. Here is the description from Amazon:

For millions of readers the world over, the name Pern is magical, conjuring up grand vistas of a distant planet whose blue skies are patrolled by brave dragons and their noble riders, a paradise threatened by the periodic fall of deadly Thread. But not all dangers descend from the skies. Now, in their third collaboration, Anne McCaffrey and her son, Todd McCaffrey, spin a tale of a mysterious illness that may succeed in doing what centuries of Threadfall could not: kill every last human on Pern.

Life in the Harper Hall is busy for best friends Kindan, Nonala, and Kelsa. As the only female apprentices, Nonala and Kelsa are the butt of jokes and easy targets for the bully Vaxoram and his cronies. But when Kindan springs to Kelsa’s defense, he winds up in a fight for his life against the older, bigger Vaxoram–a fight that will lead to a surprising friendship.

Meanwhile, in nearby Fort Hold, a clutch of fire-lizard eggs is about to hatch, and Lord Bemin’s beautiful young daughter, Koriana, is determined to Impress one of the delightful creatures. At the hatching, Kindan Impresses a fire-lizard of his own . . . and wins the heart of Koriana. But Lord Bemin mistrusts harpers and will not hear of a match between his daughter and the low-born Kindan.

Then fate intervenes in the form of a virulent plague as fast-spreading as it is deadly. Arising suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the contagion decimates hold after hold, paying no heed to distinctions of birth. In this feverish crucible, friendship and love will be tested to the breaking point and beyond. For with Threadfall scant years away, the Dragonriders dare not expose themselves to infection, and it will fall to Kindan and his fellow apprentices to bravely search for a cure and save humanity.

The price of failure is unthinkable. But the price of success may be even harder to bear.

Book Review: The Witch with No Name by Kim Harrison

The Witch with No Name
Author: Kim Harrison
Series: Hollows (Book 13)
Publication: Harper Voyager; Reprint edition (September 9, 2014)

Description: It’s Rachel Morgan’s ultimate adventure . . . and anything can happen in this final book in the New York Times bestselling Hollows series.

Rachel Morgan has come a long way from her early days as an inexperienced bounty hunter. She’s faced vampires and werewolves, banshees, witches, and soul-eating demons. She’s crossed worlds, channeled gods, and accepted her place as a day-walking demon. She’s lost friends and lovers and family, and an old enemy has unexpectedly become something much more.

But power demands responsibility, and world-changers must always pay a price. Rachel has known that this day would come—and now it is here.

To save Ivy’s soul and the rest of the living vampires, to keep the demonic ever after and our own world from destruction, Rachel Morgan will risk everything. . . .

My Thoughts: As usual, Rachel has tons of problems to solve before she can get to her happy ending in this final book of the Hollows series. The elves want to kill the vampires and the demons. The old vampires want to get their souls back despite the fact that regaining their souls would make them walk into the sun. The Goddess is searching for Rachel and wants to kill her. She loves Trent but feels that she isn't a positive in his life. You know, typical problems ranging from the personal to the world destroying.

One of Rachel's more personal problems has to do with the relationship between Ivy and Nina. They are in love but Nina is still being controlled by an old vampire named Felix who is going insane. Cormel has demanded that Rachel find a way to reunite vampires with their lost souls. Rachel discovers that the souls are in the Ever After but finding them and reinserting them causes more problems than it solves.

Then there is Landon who convinces the vampires that he can free vampire souls from the Ever After but doesn't mention that his technique will also free the demons and destroy the Ever After and end all magic on Earth.

This book was packed with excitement as it ties up the loose threads from earlier books in the series. I breathed a sigh of relief when I got the end and think other long-time readers will feel the same way. I enjoyed this series and really enjoyed the place where Rachel ended up when the story was over.

Favorite Quote:

But what made my steps slow as I walked back to my car was knowing that Cormel knew I was right, otherwise he would've gone to find his soul. He knew I was right, but he wanted me to be wrong so badly that he was ignoring it.

Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a day.

I bought this book. You can buy your copy here.

Cherry-Picking Anthologies 2 (Hexed, Unbound, The Unquiet, & Mirror, Mirror)

I am not a big fan of anthologies. I much prefer longer works of fiction. However, occasionally, I am still tempted to purchase an anthology because it has a story by an author I do read. Most of the time, these anthologies sit on TBR mountain unread. Since my goal is to lower the number of books on the mountain, I am going to be checking out some of these anthologies, reading the story by the author I bought it for, and donating these books to someone who will like them better.

Unbound by Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, Jocelynn Drake

• Ley Line Drifter by Kim Harrison tells the story of Jenks' first case when another pixie comes to him for help with a haunted statue. I liked Jenks' concern for the futures of his children and his love for his wife.
• Reckoning by Jeaniene Frost tells the story of when Bones went to New Orleans during Mardi Gras to track down some ghouls who were visiting while Marie was away. He finds and kills them but loses an innocent that he involved along the way. He also learns that Marie hasn't sanctioned the hunt which puts him in danger from her. Interesting to read a story about Bones before he meets Cat.

Hexed by Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James, Jeanne C. Stein

• Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews tells the story of Dali and Jim. She has been crushing on him but thinks he can't want a clumsy, near-sighted, vegetarian of a tiger shifter. When Jim is cursed, Dali uses her talents to save him and along the way lets him know that she wants him.
• Blood Debt by Jeanne C. Stein has Anna Strong, bounty hunter and relatively new vampire, brought to an unearthly plane to stand trial for breaking sanctuary and killing an evil witch who was killing young vampires to use their blood to make a beauty cream. I haven't read any other Anna Strong stories but found this one interesting.

The Unquiet by J. D. Robb et al.

• Chaos in Death by J. D. Robb has Eve trying to solve a case where three former addicts are brutally murdered by a monster.

Mirror, Mirror by J. D. Robb et al.

• Taken in Death by J. D. Robb is a novella that has Eve working a kidnapping of seven-year-old twins after being called in because of the stabbing death of the nanny. This had a fairy tale feel because the kids saw the kidnapper as a wicked witch. Eve saw a criminally insane woman with cannibalistic tendencies.

What do you think of anthologies?

Teaser Tuesday: The Witch with No Name by Kim Harrison

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

The relief that he came to help me in the ever-after had almost hurt, even if he'd risked his life and an already failing reputation. There hadn't been a wisp of regret in him, and I shoved the coming heartache down because even though he meshed with my life perfectly, I did not mesh with his.

This week my teaser comes from The Witch with No Name by Kim Harrison. This is her final book in the Rachel Morgan urban fantasy series - book 13. Here is the description from Amazon:

It’s Rachel Morgan’s ultimate adventure . . . and anything can happen in this final book in the New York Times bestselling Hollows series.

Rachel Morgan has come a long way from her early days as an inexperienced bounty hunter. She’s faced vampires and werewolves, banshees, witches, and soul-eating demons. She’s crossed worlds, channeled gods, and accepted her place as a day-walking demon. She’s lost friends and lovers and family, and an old enemy has unexpectedly become something much more.

But power demands responsibility, and world-changers must always pay a price. Rachel has known that this day would come—and now it is here.

To save Ivy’s soul and the rest of the living vampires, to keep the demonic ever after and our own world from destruction, Rachel Morgan will risk everything. . . .

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 25, 2016)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading...

Not much is happening around here right now. The weather is improving and school is keeping me really busy. We are down to less than 30 days left of this school year. I am ready for a break because I'm really tired of correcting papers.

I spent some time this week browsing my TBR mountain and pulling some books I really want to read this summer. I also added some adult reads to my review stack too. Most are from authors I have enjoyed in the past or from a publisher who publishes consistently enjoyable books. I am not in the mood to try something new. I just want old favorites. I set up all my blog posts for June and made a stack of the books that are in physical form. More than half are Kindle books and are already stashed on my Kindle.

Read Last Week

Whirlpool by Elizabeth Lowell was a romantic suspense novel from deep in my TBR pile. I enjoyed it. My review will be posted on May 26.

The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King was another excellent addition to the long-running Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series. My review will be posted on May 25.

Currently

I am currently deep into Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs. This is the latest book in the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series.

Next Week

It's time to start reading the June 7 and June 14 releases.

Boundary Lines by Melissa F. Olson got added to my reading list because I just received Boundary Born for review. I've read the first in this trilogy and need to read the second before I get to my review book which is the 3rd and final of this trilogy.

To Love a Wolf by Paige Tyler is a review book that is in an urban fantasy series I've been reading since the beginning. It will be released on June 7.

Fan the Flames by Katie Ruggle is a review book. It is the most recent in a romantic suspense series I've been reading from the beginning. It will also be released on June 7.

Written Off by E. J. Copperman is a mystery from Crooked Lane Books. I got this eARC from NetGalley. It will be released on June 14.

Reviews Posted

• Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett
• The Black Dragon by Allyson James

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

I couldn't resist these. Most are additions to my review stack.

Keeper's Reach by Carla Neggers is the only non-review book I got this week. I'm following this series and this book was also a Kindle Daily Deal.

Now for the review books:

• Targeted by Kendra Elliot
• Written Off by E. J. Copperman

• Boundary Born by Melissa F. Olson
• Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg
• Seconds to Live by Melinda Leigh

• A Most Curious Murder by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli
• Dark Road Home by Anna Carlisle
• The Bluebonnet Betrayal by Marty Wingate

State of the TBR Mountain

• New in April - 17
• New in 2016 - 118
• Unread April - 14
• Unread 2016 - 71
• Total Unread - 1927
• Review Books - 24

To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

Book Review: The Black Dragon by Allyson James

The Black Dragon
Author: Allyson James
Series: Dragon (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley Sensation; First Edition edition (November 6, 2007)

Description: Scorching new romance from the author of Dragon Heat.

When Saba Watanabe is attacked by white dragons in human form on the streets of San Francisco, the only man she can turn to for help is the dangerously seductive Malcolm, a black dragon who once made Saba his love slave. But it's Saba who must use her rising powers to save Malcolm-and all of his kind.

My Thoughts: This urban fantasy set in San Francisco is populated with dragons, witches, imps and other magical creatures. This is the second book for the two main characters. Saba is a human witch and Malcolm is a black dragon. They had a relationship that began when he enslaved her to his will but she was never a very good slave. He returned to dragonspace and left her heartbroken but determined to become a stronger witch.

Luckily, she is stronger than when Malcolm first met her because she is attacked on the subway by a white dragon who is determined to enslave her. She could fight off the magical bonds but needed to use the dragon crystals Malcolm left with her to ward off the physical attack. The crystals summoned Malcolm from dragonspace.

Together the two need to find and defeat the white dragon before he manages to gain control over all the dragons. The book includes a magical archive, guarded by Malcolm, that holds over six trillion books. The white dragon has stolen one of the books which includes the true names of all the dragons. The one with the true name is able to control the dragon. The archive is also organized with a sort of magical database which was compromised when the book was stolen. Luckily, Saba's day job is as a programmer.

This book was fun. I liked the romance which was hampered by the fact that the principals were from very different cultures. I am also a big fan of dragons and think Malcolm was an excellent example of the type.

I recommend this book for urban fantasy fans.


Favorite Quote:

"So where is this white dragon now?" Axel asked.

"I don't know."

Axel glanced up and down the street as though expecting the white dragon to pop out of an alley at them. "Terrific."

"And I don't know why he's here."

"You're a lot of fun to be with, you know that?" Axel observed.

I bought this one in 2008. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Black Dragon by Allyson James

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

When Saba Watanabe was four years old, she woke screaming from a nightmare. In it black smoke pursued her, thick inky tendrils that threatened to devour her at every step. She ran and ran, her small legs pumping, her straight bangs flopping into her eyes and blinding her.

Friday 56: 

Then Saba saw it, hanging out from the back of his jacket—a thin, scaly, lizardlike tail with a barbed and pointed end.

"Axel," Saba called. "Your tail is showing."

I am spotlighting The Black Dragon by Allyson James. This one has been languishing on TBR mountain since 2008. Here is the description from Amazon:

Scorching new romance from the author of Dragon Heat.

When Saba Watanabe is attacked by white dragons in human form on the streets of San Francisco, the only man she can turn to for help is the dangerously seductive Malcolm, a black dragon who once made Saba his love slave. But it's Saba who must use her rising powers to save Malcolm-and all of his kind.

Book Review: Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett

Kindling the Moon
Author: Jenn Bennett
Series: Arcadia Bell (Book 1)
Publication: Pocket Books (June 28, 2011)

Description: Meet Arcadia Bell: bartender, renegade magician, fugitive from the law. . . .

Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

My Thoughts: Arcadia Bell has been in hiding for seven years since her parents were accused of murdering three occultists and attempting to murder the head of a rival occult organization. They said it would be safer if Arcadia was separated from them. Now Arcadia, nearly 25, is a half owner of a bar that serve primarily demons. She has taught herself all sorts of magic and kept herself in hiding.

But Arcadia's parents have been spotted returning to the United States and the Luxe organization has given her two weeks to prove their innocence or turn herself in to face their punishment. She has to find the demon who was present when the killings were done to prove her parents' innocence. She turns to demon expert and photographer Lon Butler for help. He is an Earthbound demon himself who gift is empathy. He can read emotions if he's within five feet of his subject. He also has a charming 13-year-old son named Jupe who quickly wins Cady's heart.

The two of the spend time together trying to find the demon, avoid being found by the Luxe order, and solve the mystery surrounding her parents' past and her own heritage.

I liked this story which was filled with interesting characters. Cady is not the typical kickass urban heroine. She's a young woman trying to make a life for herself and learn about her powers. She has a pet pygmy hedgehog and many friends among the Earthbound despite the fact that she is a human magician.

This is the first book in a series and I'm eager to read more about Cady and Lon.


Favorite Quote:

I sighed and pushed myself out of my chair with a groan, carefully scanning Lon's face for clues to his feelings. Funny that after all my years living in hiding, I was struck by the realization that someone else's secrets might be just as interesting as mine.

I bought this one on March 23, 2012. You can buy your copy here.

Spotlight: Janet Marillier

I have decided that 2016 is the year when I take a look at books on my TBR mountain and read them or donate them. I'm starting with the books that have been on the stack the longest. Hopefully by the end of 2016, my TBR mountain will be only a foothill.

So, I'm still looking at the books on my TBR mountain that have been there since 2008. I have come to Janet Marillier. I must have been planning to immerse myself in her books because I have seven of her books from a variety of series and never got to them.

I'm donating:

1. Daughter of the Forest, Son of the Shadows, and Child of the Prophecy - These are the first three in the series that is now up to six books.
2. I have both books in her Children of the Light Isles series: Wolfskin and Foxmask. In fact, I just found a second copy of Foxmask on my stack.
3. I also have The Dark Mirror which is book 1 of the Bridei Chronicles.

Amazon tells me that I bought most of these on July 10, 2007. I just don't read those epic fantasy series anymore. Interesting how a person's taste can change over the course of time. 

Have you read any of these?

Teaser Tuesday: Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

I retreated back to Mrs. Marsh again and reached for her cat.

"No!" she whispered. "Not Tiddlywinks!"

"I need bait, Mrs. Marsh. He won't be hurt, promise." Well...hopefully.

This week my teaser comes from Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett. I purchased this urban fantasy on March 21, 2012 and it is has been on my TBR mountain ever since. Here is the description from Amazon:

Meet Arcadia Bell: bartender, renegade magician, fugitive from the law. . . .

Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 18, 2016)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading... 

The weather is finally improving. After a cold start to the week, temperatures rebounded into the 60s with a momentary jump into the 70s. I am loving the longer days and warmer temperatures. One of these days I'll even have to head outside for a walk. 

My Atlanta Braves finally won their first game of the season on Friday night. For a while, I thought they really would go 0-162. I'm also still glued to my TV when The Voice is on, even though one of my favorites didn't make it to the top 12.

I usually don't start counting this early but we have only 34 student contact days left this year (and one teacher work day) before I will have finished my 40th year as a school librarian/media specialist. I'm eager for summer when I can set my own schedule.

I am reading down my review stack. Currently I have only 17 review books on my stack. I hope by summer that I will be able to concentrate on reading books from my TBR mountain. I am so eager to dig into the many books I have bought and set aside until I had time to read them.

Read Last Week

The Thing Is by Kathleen Gerard was an engaging contemporary fiction title that deals with grief, living again, and a really cute dog who has special powers. My review will be posted on May 19. The book is available now.

Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop is the fourth book in her Others series. I really love the characters and the world-building in this series. This episode was particularly intense. My review will be posted on May 21.

Currently

I am currently reading The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King. I love this historical mystery series but hadn't realized this book was coming out. When I saw that it had been released, I immediately added it to my Kindle and made a spot for it on my reading calendar.

Next Week

Still coming soon are:

• Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs - This is another series that I am following. This one urban fantasy.
• Whirlpool by Elizabeth Lowell - This one will finally get off TBR mountain where it has been sitting I bought it October 24, 2006.

After those, I will be starting to read my June review books:

• To Love a Wolf by Paige Tyler
• Fan the Flames by Katie Ruggle

Reviews Posted

• Dying for a Taste by Leslie Karst
• Cold Girl by R. M. Greenaway
• 'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

None

State of TBR Mountain

• New in April - 8
• New in 2016 - 109
• Unread April - 6
• Unread 2016 - 64
• Total Unread - 1922

To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

ARC Review: 'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick

'Til Death Do Us Part
Author: Amanda Quick
Publication: Berkley (April 19, 2016)

Description: Calista Langley operates an exclusive “introduction” agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now, a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning—a black mirror, a funeral wreath, a ring set with black jet stone. Each is engraved with her initials.

Desperate for help and fearing that the police will be of no assistance, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels. Believing that Calista may be taking advantage of his lonely sister, who has become one of her clients, Trent doesn’t trust her. Scarred by his past, he’s learned to keep his emotions at bay, even as an instant attraction threatens his resolve.

But as Trent and Calista comb through files of rejected clients in hopes of identifying her tormentor, it becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista’s own secret past—and that only her death will satisfy the stalker...

My Thoughts: Calista Langley supports herself and her younger brother by running an "introductions" agency. She helps lonely people meet one another. However, she has begun to receive some odd gifts - mourning jewelry. That and she feels that she is being watched. She finds herself quite uneasy and that uneasiness escalates when the fortune hunter who threw her over for a rich woman comes back and wants to rekindle their relationship.

Trent Hastings has come to her agency, not as a client, but to check her out because his sister has become one of her clients. At first they rub each other the wrong way but they are soon working together to find out who is stalking her.

Along the way they find that other young women have received the same gifts of mourning jewelry and were later killed by having their throats slit. Trent, Calista, his sister and her brother are in a race to find the murderer before Calista becomes the next victim.

I liked that Trent was an author of mysteries and that his fame provided an entry into the homes of a number of people they wanted to interview. I also liked that everyone had an opinion, which they were very eager to share with Trent, about how the story should be written.

This was a darker Amanda Quick novel but very entertaining. I liked the Victorian setting. I also liked the relationship that grew between Trent and Calista.

Favorite Quote:

"I'm an author, Calista." Trent sounded abruptly weary. "The older I get, the more I am convinced that a truth only makes sense when it is revealed in the form of a story. Without that context, it is simple a random event with no meaning. It cannot teach us anything and it cannot be used for any purpose. But a good story—that is another thing altogether. It can set us on a new path. It may the wrong path, but at least it takes us somewhere."

Excerpt:
She belonged to him.

He was locked inside a cage the size and shape of a coffin. A dark thrill heated his blood like a powerful, intoxicating drug.

When the time came he would purify the woman and cleanse himself with her blood. But tonight was not the time. The ritual had to be followed correctly. The woman must be made to comprehend and acknowledge the great wrong that she had done. There was no finer instructor than fear.

He huddled inside the concealed lift, listening to the sounds of someone moving about in the bedroom on the other side of the wall. There was a narrow crack in the paneling. Excitement sparked through him when he caught a glimpse of the woman. She was at her dressing table, adjusting the pins in her dark brown hair. It was as if she knew he was watching and was deliberately taunting him.

She was passable in appearance, but he had seen her on the street and had not been particularly impressed with her looks. She was overly tall for a woman and her forceful character was etched on her face. She was dangerous. It was all there in her unnerving eyes.

The woman rose from the dressing table chair and moved out of sight. A moment later he heard the muffled sound of the bedroom door opening and closing.

Silence.

He slid the cage door aside and opened the wooden panel. The wall sconce had been turned down low but he could make out the bed, the dressing table, and the wardrobe.

He moved out of the lift. The heady exhilaration he always experienced at such moments roared through him. With every step of the ritual he came closer to achieving his own purification.

For a precious few seconds he debated where to leave his gift. The bed or the dressing table?

The bed, he decided. So much more intimate.

He made his way out through the tradesmen’s entrance and slipped, unseen, into the gardens. The gate was still unlocked, just as he had left it.

A few minutes later he was lost in the fog. The weight of the knife in its sheath beneath his greatcoat was reassuring.

The ritual was almost complete.

The woman with the unnerving eyes would soon understand that she belonged to him. It was her destiny to be the one to cleanse him. He was certain of it. The connection between them was a bond that could be shattered only by death.

Posted by arrangement with Berkley Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Jayne Ann Krentz, 2016.

I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Showers of Books Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Showers of Books Giveaway Hop hosted by BookHounds. My prize is a $15 Amazon Gift Card. Anyone who can use one and who is a follower of my blog can enter.

Enter Here

Check out the other participants:

Friday Memes: 'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

"I've got to get rid of her, Birch." Nestor Kettering reached for the brandy bottle and refilled his glass.

Friday 56 (Location 560 on my Kindle):

"Yes, we understand, dear," Martha said. "One can hardly put an advertisement in the newspapers, can one? Can't have just anyone turning up on your doorstep, demanding to be introduced to other people. Discretion is the key to your business."

This week I am spotlighting 'Til Death Do Us Part by Amanda Quick. I got this eARC from NetGalley. I have read all of Amanda Quick's books and am always eager to read the next. Here is the description from Amazon:

Calista Langley operates an exclusive “introduction” agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now, a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning—a black mirror, a funeral wreath, a ring set with black jet stone. Each is engraved with her initials.

Desperate for help and fearing that the police will be of no assistance, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels. Believing that Calista may be taking advantage of his lonely sister, who has become one of her clients, Trent doesn’t trust her. Scarred by his past, he’s learned to keep his emotions at bay, even as an instant attraction threatens his resolve.

But as Trent and Calista comb through files of rejected clients in hopes of identifying her tormentor, it becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista’s own secret past—and that only her death will satisfy the stalker...

ARC Review: Cold Girl by RM Greenaway

Cold Girl
Author: RM Greenaway
Series: A B.C. Blues Crime Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Dundurn (April 19, 2016)

Description: A popular rockabilly singer has vanished in the snowbound Hazeltons of northern B.C. Lead RCMP investigator David Leith and his team work through the possibilities: has she been snatched by the so-called Pickup Killer, or does the answer lie here in the community, somewhere among her reticent fans and friends?

Leith has much to contend with: rough terrain and punishing weather, motel-living and wily witnesses. The local police force is tiny but headstrong, and one young constable seems more hindrance than help — until he wanders straight into the heart of the matter.

The urgency ramps up as one missing woman becomes two, the second barely a ghost passing through. Suspects multiply, but only at the bitter end does Leith discover who is the coldest girl of all.

My Thoughts: RCMP investigator David Leith is called to the Hazeltons in northern British Columbia when a popular young rockabilly singer vanishes. Leith has been working the case of the Pickup Killer for a couple of years and it looks like this disappearance could be another victim. He finds himself working with a small insular team of investigators who might be too familiar with the area and the suspects. The head of the local force has trouble believing that anyone she knows could be involved.

Also posted to the area is Dion who was previously a detective in a more prestigious city until a car accident killed his partner, left Dion in a coma for six days, and has left with with a brain injury. Apparently, no one in his new office read his files because he is thought to be some combination of stupid and incompetent by his supervisor and by Leith. I enjoyed the parts from his point of view which seemed like good descriptions of the issues people with brain injuries suffer. One moment his is bright and insightful and the next he is confused and bewildered. He has useful insights to the case but his reputation and the petty behavior of another officer almost lead to disaster.

This was a gritty police procedural that really showed that police work is a matter of putting together massive amounts of information much of it obtained from people who are lying. I enjoyed the mixed assortment of characters who were witnesses or suspects.

While this story is complete and has a satisfying conclusion, there are still questions I want answered especially about Dion and his past.

Favorite Quote:

Leith thought about murder and its aftermath, all the damage done. There were the victims themselves; that went without saying. Then there were those left behind, their lives forever bent out of shape. The family of the killer, also in tatters. There were the cops, working night and day and getting ulcers. Like himself.

I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.