Sunday, June 30, 2019

Book Review: The Sixth Idea by P. J. Tracy

The Sixth Idea
Author: P. J. Tracy
Series: Monkeewrench (Book 7)
Publication: G.P. Putnam's Sons (August 2, 2016)

Description: The peaceful Christmas season in Minneapolis is shattered when two friends, Chuck Spencer and Wally Luntz, scheduled to meet in person for the first time, are murdered on the same night, two hours and several miles apart, dramatically concluding winter vacation for homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth.

An hour north of Minneapolis, Lydia Ascher comes home to find two dead men in her basement. When Leo and Gino discover her connection to their current cases, they suspect that she is a target, too. The same day, an elderly, terminally ill man is kidnapped from his home, an Alzheimer’s patient goes missing from his care facility, and a baffling link among all the crimes emerges.

This series of inexplicable events sends the detectives sixty years into the past to search for answers—and straight to Grace MacBride’s Monkeewrench, a group of eccentric computer geniuses who devote their time and resources to helping the cops solve the unsolvable. What they find is an unimaginable horror—a dormant Armageddon that might be activated at any moment unless Grace and her partners Annie, Roadrunner, and Harley Davidson, along with Leo and Gino, can find a way to stop it.

My Thoughts: Strangers meet on a plane and discover a very unusual connection. Lydia Ascher and Chuck Spencer discover that they are connected via a World War II science project around the invention of the hydrogen bomb. Chuck is in town to meet another man who has the same connection to that science project but Wally is killed and his house destroyed by fire before they can meet. Chuck is murdered outside his hotel in what looks at first like a simple mugging. Magozzi and Gino are pulled away from their winter vacation to investigate both crimes. They also find themselves investigating the kidnapping of a man is the end stages of ALS who is kidnapped from his home.

As they investigate they learn that the man with ALS was also part of that long-ago science project. Someone clearly wants to kill anyone with even the faintest connection to the project and Magozzi, Gino, and the Monkeewrench gang have to find out why.

When Lydia returns home to find two dead bodies in her house, Magozzi and Gino are sure that she is also connected. And she is. She has inherited a pulp paperback from her mother which was given to her by her father just before he died in a plane crash some sixty years ago. While all the other victims have had all their papers and computer stolen, Lydia's book escapes the sweep.

Meanwhile, the Monkeewrench gang which consists of Grace and Harley this time since Annie and Roadrunner are out east conducting a series of sales calls to get new contracts for the business, are trying to gather information and restore a deleted website created by Chuck so that they can figure out what is going on.

This was another fast-paced twisty episode in the long-running and engaging Monkeewrench series. I couldn't put it down.

Favorite Quote:
"We've done it before. Surely you've been alive long enough, Detective Rolseth, to realize that with great power comes great arrogance and a complete and utter lack of foresight."
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Book Review: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murders by Joanna Fluke

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murders
Author: Joanna Fluke
Series: Hannah Swensen (Book 1)
Publication: Kensington; Reissue edition (May 3, 2011)

Description: Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you've got the recipe for this delicious new mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her mouth and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother's attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden's most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah's famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can't get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn't watch her back, Hannah's sweet life may get burned to a crisp.

My Thoughts: Hannah Swensen has dropped out of grad school after a broken romance and found herself back home in Lake Eden, Minnesota, where she is running a cookie bakery and dodging her mother's attempts at matchmaking.

When the delivery man for the Cozy Cow Dairy is found with a bullet hole outside of Hannah's shop, Hannah gets involved helping her brother-in-law solve the crime and get his promotion at work. The town is filled with a number of eccentric characters and Hannah suspects and then clears a lot of them.

We are introduced to a number of characters including two possible love interests for Hannah in the new-in-town dentist and the new-in-town Homicide detective. I'm curious to know which, if either of them, will turn out to be Hannah's love interest.

This was an engaging cozy mystery filled with great sounding cookie recipes that I really want to try. Written in 2000 and spending the past nine years on my TBR mountain did age the story. No one has a cellphone and cameras still have film. However, human nature is still human nature. This is the first book in a series that will reach 25 titles in 2020.

Favorite Quote:
As she started her engine and drove out of the school parking lot, she felt a little foolish about the elaborate precautions she'd taken. Modeling herself after a television detective was crazy unless she was dumb enough to believe that the prefix of every telephone number in the entire country was five-five-five.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, June 28, 2019

Friday Memes: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City ReaderThe 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:
Hannah Swensen slipped into the old leather bomber jacket that she'd rescued from the Helping Hands thrift store and reached down to pick up the huge orange tomcat that was rubbing against her ankles. "Okay, Moishe. You can have one refill, but that's it until tonight."
Friday 56:
Luanne was clearly surprised to see Hannah when she answered the knock at the door. "Hannah! What are you doing way out here?"

"I need to talk to you, Luanne." Hannah handed her the cookie bag. "I brought some Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies for Suzie."
This week I am spotlighting a book that has been on my TBR mountain since 2010. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke caught my attention because of the Minnesota setting. Here is the description from Amazon:
Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you've got the recipe for this delicious new mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her mouth and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother's attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden's most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah's famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can't get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn't watch her back, Hannah's sweet life may get burned to a crisp.

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Book Review: Mary Russell's War by Laurie R. King

Mary Russell's War 
Author: Laurie R. King
Series: Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes
Publication: Alibi (September 13, 2016)

Description: Laurie R. King illuminates the hidden corners of her beloved Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series in this dynamic short story collection.

In nine previously published short stories and one brand-new, never-before-seen Sherlock Holmes mystery—available together for the first time—Laurie R. King blends her long-running brand of crime fiction with historical treats and narrative sleight of hand. At the heart of the collection is a prequel novella that begins with England’s declaration of war in 1914. As told in Mary Russell’s teenage diaries, the whip-smart girl investigates familial mysteries, tracks German spies through San Francisco, and generally delights with her extraordinary mind—until an unimaginable tragedy strikes.

Here too is the case of a professor killed by a swarm of bees; Mrs. Hudson’s investigation of a string of disappearing household items—and a lifelong secret; a revealing anecdote about a character integral to >The God of the Hive; the story of Mary’s beloved Uncle Jake and a monumental hand of cards; and a series of postcards in which Mary searches for her missing husband, Sherlock Holmes.

Last but not least, fans will be especially thrilled by Mary’s account of her decision, at age ninety-two, to publish her memoirs—and how she concluded that Ms. King should be the one to introduce her voice to the world.

My Thoughts: This is a collection of short stories centered around Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. In the first, we are introduced to Mary's disreputable Uncle Jake. In the second, we learn Mary's reactions when war is declared in 1914 and what happens when she suffers an unthinkable tragedy.

We see Mary's first meeting with Sherlock Holmes from his point of view. We see the story about the events surrounding their marriage. Mrs. Hudson even has a case of her own in this anthology.

We read how Mary comes to decide that Laurie King should be her biographer and why the stories were framed as fiction. That story is the only one I had trouble with in this books because, while I can believe that Mary lives to a healthy 92, I can't quite get around the idea of an active Holmes at 132.

This was a wonderful collection. I liked hearing Mary's voice and Sherlock's too. I liked the illustrations using period postcards. This anthology makes me want to reread the series.

Favorite Quote:
Although we had addressed the primary negotiations of the marriage contract then and there (Holmes: I promise not to knock you unconscious again, unless it's absolutely necessary. Me: I promise to obey you, if it's something I'd planned on doing anyway.), the next stages were somewhat less straightforward.
I bought this one in October 2016. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

ARC Review: Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger

Girls Like Us
Author: Cristina Alger
Publication: G.P. Putnam's Sons (July 2, 2019)

Description: From the celebrated and bestselling author of The Banker's Wife, worlds collide when an FBI agent investigates a string of grisly murders on Long Island that raises the impossible question: What happens when the primary suspect is your father?

FBI Agent Nell Flynn hasn't been home in ten years. Nell and her father, Homicide Detective Martin Flynn, have never had much of a relationship. And Suffolk County will always be awash in memories of her mother, Marisol, who was brutally murdered when Nell was just seven.

When Martin Flynn dies in a motorcycle accident, Nell returns to the house she grew up in so that she can spread her father's ashes and close his estate. At the behest of her father's partner, Detective Lee Davis, Nell becomes involved in an investigation into the murders of two young women in Suffolk County. The further Nell digs, the more likely it seems to her that her father should be the prime suspect--and that his friends on the police force are covering his tracks. Plagued by doubts about her mother's murder--and her own role in exonerating her father in that case--Nell can't help but ask questions about who killed Ria Ruiz and Adriana Marques and why. But she may not like the answers she finds--not just about those she loves, but about herself.

My Thoughts: FBI Agent Nell Flynn is on leave after a shooting which injured her shoulder when she is called home to Suffolk County because of her father's death in a motorcycle accident. She and Homicide Detective Martin Flynn had a troubled relationship. They didn't speak for years and had only recently begun communicating by phone. She has very mixed feelings about her father.

While she is home, her father's partner Lee Davis encourages her to get involved investigating the murder of a young Hispanic girl whose body was found dismembered and buried in a sand dune. She learns that her father had been obsessed with an earlier investigation of another young Hispanic girl who had been murdered the same way a year earlier.

Nell and Lee's investigation leads them to a sex trafficking case with lots of very powerful and political men involved. It also leads to the investigation of the Police Department her father served and many of the men who were her father's friends and friends pf hers too. For a while, Nell even believes that her father might have been the killer. He was a suspect when Nell's mother was murdered in her home while Nell and her dad were on a camping trip.

This story was fast-paced and thrilling. The tension was high throughout the story. I really liked Nell.

Favorite Quote:
My father always felt like an enigma to me, even when we lived beneath the same roof. I wondered often if I knew him at all; whether he had the capacity or desire to really know me. Now it strikes me that we'll never get the chance. The thought fills me with a hard, uncomfortable sadness. I bite down on my lip. The pain keeps me from tears.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Book Review: Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal

Mr. Churchill's Secretary
Author: Susan Elia MacNeal
Series: Maggie Hope (Book 1)
Publication: Bantam; Later Printing edition (April 3, 2012)

Description: For fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Laurie R. King, and Anne Perry, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary captures the drama of an era of unprecedented challenge—and the greatness that rose to meet it.

London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Her indefatigable spirit and remarkable gifts for codebreaking, though, rival those of even the highest men in government, and Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined—and opportunities she will not let pass. In troubled, deadly times, with air-raid sirens sending multitudes underground, access to the War Rooms also exposes Maggie to the machinations of a menacing faction determined to do whatever it takes to change the course of history.

Ensnared in a web of spies, murder, and intrigue, Maggie must work quickly to balance her duty to King and Country with her chances for survival. And when she unravels a mystery that points toward her own family’s hidden secrets, she’ll discover that her quick wits are all that stand between an assassin’s murderous plan and Churchill himself.

In this daring debut, Susan Elia MacNeal blends meticulous research on the era, psychological insight into Winston Churchill, and the creation of a riveting main character, Maggie Hope, into a spectacularly crafted novel.

My Thoughts: This historical mystery introduces Maggie Hope who is in London to settle her grandmother's estate after being raised by her aunt in the Boston area. She is a college graduate in Mathematics who was accepted to graduate school at MIT. She thought her time in London would be short but, with war looming, the house isn't quick to sell. Maggie also comes to believe that it is necessary for her to contribute to the war effort.

Maggie has taken in a number of roomers to help defray her expenses including a school friend from her high school days, and Irish nurse, a ballerina, and two twins who are in the theater. Her school friend Paige suggests that she get a job for the new Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Maggie wants to be a Private Secretary - a position she is highly qualified for, but her gender is relegating her to the typing pool where she spends a lot of time working closely with Churchill.

Meanwhile, there is the mystery of the death of the young woman whose place Maggie has taken, IRA operatives working in England in the hopes that they can gain more for Ireland if Germany wins the war, and spies of all kinds.

Maggie has secrets surrounding her too. Her aunt told her that both of her parents died when she was an infant. However, she can only find her mother's grave and begins a search for her father. It seems she is the only one who doesn't know the truth about him as her employers know things she doesn't.

This was an entertaining mystery absolutely steeped in the time period. From fashion, to rationing, to bomb shelters and air raids, to the constant haze of smoke that seemed to hover over all scenes, the 1940s came vividly to life. I enjoyed learning more about the secret war to defeat Hitler and Maggie's code-breaking activities.

Favorite Quote:
Maggie had come to see the Nazis not as a people, as selfish and misguided and ultimately defensible as any other, but as robots blindly following the orders of a madman.
I bought this one Feb. 8, 2016. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, June 24, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 24, 2019)

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.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Other Than Reading...

We are still waiting for our solar installation to go active. While this week saw electrical inspections and an inspection by the building inspector, MN Power's installer didn't arrive. I found out Friday afternoon that the one meter installer employed by MN Power was in Florida all last week. He should be back and get us up and running early this week. I find it hard to believe that only one person can do this job for a city of 80,000+, but that's the story my contractors got.

So, I have been walking and going to Curves and doing lots of reading. I have only one book left for my July review copies and have a gap before needing to start my August releases. After reading the first in the Baker Street Letters series, I decided I wanted to read the rest of the series. I went to Amazon Marketplace to get used trade paperbacks and am waiting for them to arrive. I am also waiting for used hardcovers in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. I have paperbacks but really prefer reading hardcovers or on my Kindle and used hardcovers were half the price of Kindle copies.

I'm also watching lots of baseball games. My Atlanta Braves are first choice, but I'll have any game on just for some background noise.

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

  • A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King (Mine since before February 2008) - This is the second book in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes historical mystery series and is a re-read. My review will be posted on July 18.
  • A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King (Mine since before February 2008) - This is the third book in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes historical mystery series and is a re-read. My review will be posted on August 18.
  • The Moor by Laurie R. King (Mine since before February 2008) -- This is the fourth book in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes historical mystery series and is a re-read. My review will be posted on September 8.


  • The Baker Street Letters by Michael Robertson (Mine since Oct. 2, 2016) -- This contemporary mystery features a lawyer who is renting the 200 block of Baker Street and has to deal with letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes. This is the first in a series. My review will be posted on July 20.
  • The Duke Is But a Dream by Anna Bennett (Review July 30) -- This was an entertaining historical romance. My review will be posted on July 24.
  • A Highlander Walks Into a Bar by Laura Trentham (Review July 30) -- This is a contemporary romance that is second in a series. I liked it but it was nothing special. My review will be posted on July 23.

Currently


Next Week




Reviews Posted




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

Bought:








Review:


What was your week like?


Sunday, June 23, 2019

Book Review: Off the Grid by P. J. Tracy

Off the Grid
Author: P. J. Tracy
Series: Monkeewrench (Book 6)
Publication: G.P. Putnam's Sons (August 2, 2012)

Description: Off the Florida coast, Grace MacBride, partner in software company Monkeewrench, thwarts an assassination attempt on a retired FBI agent. A few hours afterward in Minneapolis, a young girl’s throat is slashed. Later that day, two men are killed execution style. Minneapolis Homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth struggle to link the three crimes, but the wave of murders across the country has only just begun. Piece by piece, evidence accumulates, pointing to a suspect—and a motive—that shocks them to the core. It puts the entire Midwest on high alert...and Monkeewrench in the line of fire.

My Thoughts: Grace MacBride has been sailing off the Florida coast with retired FBI Special Agent John Smith and has finally been able to put aside her outfit of riding boots and all black clothing when an unexpected assassination attempt on John by two Saudi nationals ruins their idyll. It seems John has been tracking potential terrorists and alerting local police when he finds their locations.

Meanwhile in Minneapolis, Rolseth and Magozzi are dealing with the kidnapping and murder of a young Native girl and two houses where the inhabitants have been murdered. It looks like military Vet Joe Hardy killed them and died himself before his pancreatic cancer finally killed him.

Found in the two houses with murdered terrorists are calendars with October 31 circled and major weapons caches. They learn that these houses were on the lists John sent on to law enforcement and, when checking other addresses, find that many of them also have dead terrorists inside.

When terrorists threaten John Smith and the Monkeewrench gang, they find themselves heading north to the Elbow Lake Indian Reservation where Magozzi and Rolseth have gone to retrieve Joe Hardy's computer. And they are trailing terrorists behind them who want them all dead.

This was a totally engaging episode from the Monkeewrench series with topics ripped from the headlines: kidnapping Native girls for the sex trade and terrorists bringing their war to the United States. The pace was fast and furious.

Favorite Quote:
Gino had found a hero in Joe Hardy and was reluctant to let go, maybe because he so desperately wanted to believe heroes existed. The superhero comic book influence. Amazing how pulp fiction was totally relevant most of the time. It just left out the little detail about heroes being flawed like everybody else. 
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Saturday, June 22, 2019

YA ARC Review: Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer

Call It What You Want
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publication: Bloomsbury YA (June 25, 2019)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer pens a new emotionally compelling story about two teens struggling in the space between right and wrong.

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father's failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they're both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they've built. But when Maegan learns of Rob's plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship . . .

In her compulsively readable storytelling, Brigid Kemmerer pens another captivating, heartfelt novel that asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

My Thoughts: This was an excellent, readable, angst-filled YA contemporary story about two kids who are both dealing with trauma.

Rob has become a social pariah at his high school since his father was arrested for embezzling millions of dollars from the people he was supposed be investing money for. If that wasn't enough, a failed suicide attempt has left him brain-damaged and helpless with only his wife and son to take care of him. He doesn't have any friends since his childhood best friend Connor has dropped him. Of course, Connor is also the son of his parents' friends and Connor's father is the one who turned Rob's father in.

Maegan was an A-student taking all sorts of AP classes when a moment of pressure caused her to cheat on the SATs which ended up invalidating the scores of all the people who took the exam with her. Now she has the reputation of being a cheat following her around. When her older sister comes home from Duke pregnant and not willing to name the father to their parents and not knowing what she is going to do, the pressure gets even greater. Her sister has shared her secrets with Maegan but swore her not to tell their parents.

Then the Calculus teacher decides to pair up Rob and Maegan for a class project and the two get to know each other. And Rob gets to know Owen who is a poor kid whose mother got taken in by his dad's schemes. And Maegan has a falling out with her best friend Rachel and Rachel's boyfriend Drew.

It seems like every page is filled with drama and moral dilemmas in this page-turning story. Fans of emotional drama will adore this one.

Favorite Quote:
After a moment, I consider that Owen is still silently sitting across from me with his sad little bag of chips and his orange.

He must see my eyes on his food, because he says, "So, my plan was to get all the snacks in one day, and then have a side dish for my cheese sandwich."

"Good plan."

"Yeah, well, the lady guarding the lunch line disagrees. She said I should have been more judicious with my money."

He says this without emotion, like he's discussing the weather, but it lights a fire of anger inside me. It's not like the lunch lady personally buys the bread and the cheese.
I received this review copy from Bloomsbury. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, June 21, 2019

Friday Memes: Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City ReaderThe 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:
Rob

I eat breakfast with my father every morning.

Well, I eat. He sits in his wheelchair and stares in whichever direction Mom has pointed him. If I'm lucky, all his drool stays in his mouth. If he's lucky, the sunlight doesn't fall across his eyes.

Today, neither of us is very lucky.
Friday 56:
Maegan

A breath of time passes, and then Rob says, "I know who your father is."

Oh. Right. I knew that. And I know why I knew it.

Rob's voice turns dry again, but there's no real humor in it. "I'm sure you know who mine is, too." He takes a sip of his coffee.
This week I am spotlighting a recent addition to my review stack. Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer was in a surprise package from Bloomsbury. Here is the description from Amazon:
New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer pens a new emotionally compelling story about two teens struggling in the space between right and wrong.

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father's failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they're both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they've built. But when Maegan learns of Rob's plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship . . .

In her compulsively readable storytelling, Brigid Kemmerer pens another captivating, heartfelt novel that asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Book Review: The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald

The Outback Stars
Author: Sandra McDonald
Publication: Tor Books; 1st Edition edition (April 17, 2007)

Description: Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is a hero.  She has the medals and the scars to prove it.

She's cooling her heels on Kookaburra, recovering from injuries sustained during the fiery loss of her last ship, the Yangtze, and she's bored -- so bored, in fact, that she takes a berth on the next ship out.  That's a mistake.  The Aral Sea isn't anyone's idea of a get-well tour.

Jodenny's handed a division full of misfits, incompetents, and criminals.  She's a squared-away officer.  She thinks she can handle it all.  She's wrong. Aral Sea isn't a happy ship.  And it's about to get a lot unhappier.

As Aral Sea enters the Alcheringa -- the alien-constructed space warp that allows giant settler-ships to travel between worlds, away from all help or hope -- Jodenny comes face to face something powerful enough to dwarf even the unknown force that destroyed her last ship and left her with missing memories and bloody nightmares.  Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is about to be introduced to love.

Author Sandra McDonald brings her personal knowledge of the military, and of the subtle interplay between men and women on deployment, to a stirring tale that mixes ancient Australian folklore with the colonization of the stars.

My Thoughts: This space opera mixes colonization of the stars with Australian folklore. Lietenant Jodenny Scott has survived what looks like sabotage from a rebel group and finds herself taking any opportunity to get off planet and away from desk duty. However, she finds herself on a very troubled ship and in charge of a department filled with misfits and incompetents.

Sergeant Terry Myell is one of the people in her department. He was falsely accused of rape and carries that reputation. He is also being bullied by Chief Chiba who is the leader of a gang and one od the ringleaders of most of the trouble-making on the ship.

As Jodenny tries to conquer the fears that are a remainder of the loss of so many of her friends and crewmates, she is also trying to get things back in shape in her department which is the centerpiece of shipboard smuggling. She is also falling in love with Myell who returns her feelings. But falling in love across ranks in their service is very much discouraged.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this one once I had read enough to understand what was going on. The story tells about a new way of space travel stumbled onto by an Australian ship on their way to Mars which allows most to escape Earth which has suffered some sort of environmental catastrophe. The mysterious creators of this faster-than-light network also terraformed a number of planets and left various monuments on all of them.

After Jodenny and Myell accidentally discover that the monuments provide another way of interstellar travel - one definitely not designed for humans, they find they have involved themselves in even more mystery and intrigue. Myell's visions of an ancient Aboriginal spirit guide gives him needed information to use this new network and has him doubting his sanity.

The story was very engaging and fast-paced. I liked both Jodenny and Myell and loved their relationship. This is the first book in a trilogy but, thankfully, doesn't have a cliffhanger ending. But there are questions still to be answered.

Favorite Quote:
"Did you enjoy your stay, Lieutenant?"

Sure she did. She had enjoyed it so much she was thinking of recommending Mary River for anyone who enjoyed conspiracies, paranoia, and leaping onto mag-lev trains. Maybe they could package danger, sell it like a theme park. Throw in an unexpected journey to the other side of the universe with a handsome sergeant and they'd be sure to have a surge in customers.
I bought this one August 1, 2011. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Book Review: A Spell of Trouble by Leighann Dobbs and Traci Douglass

A Spell of Trouble
Author: Leighann Dobbs & Traci Douglass
Series: Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series (Book 1)
Publication: Amazon Digital Services, August 23, 2016

Description: When town trouble maker, Louella Drummond, drops dead in front of Isolde Quinn's pet store just minutes after threatening both Issy and her cousin Graeme, the police in the small lakeside town of Silver Hollow assume it's from natural causes.

... Until it's discovered that Louella was murdered.

Not just any murder, though. Murder by paranormal means. Dark magic that could only have been performed by a powerful witch. And every law-abiding paranormal knows that dark magic is forbidden and carries strict punishment at the hands of "the committee" - the mysterious entity that provides law and order within the paranormal community.

Being witches, Issy and her three cousins fear they are at the top of the suspect list. To make matters worse, a secret division of the FBI has gotten wind of the happenings in Silver Hollow and sent two agents to ferret out paranormal activity. Even worse than that, Issy is annoyingly attracted to one of them!

Armed with their unconventional posse of familiars, Issy and her cousins dodge the efforts of the 'real" police and the special FBI agents while following a twisty path of clues that lead to a shocking betrayal.

My Thoughts: Issy and her cousins need to find out who used black magic to murder town troublemaker Louella Drummond before the FBPI comes to town and does their own investigation. The FBPI has been noted to take any paranormals they uncover to a secret location and they never return.

Issy and her cousins are all witches as are many of the people living in the small town. In fact, one the the sheriff's deputies is a werewolf. Issy runs a pet shop, her cousin Raine is a landscaper, her cousin Gray runs the local beauty shop, and another cousin runs the candy store. All are white witches who enhance their products for good results.

Issy isn't expecting to fall for FBPI Agent Dex Nolan but Dex is unusual. He doesn't believe that paranormals exist.

This was an interesting mystery that combined magic and the mundane since the crime could have been committed to prevent a piece of land from being rezoned for a strip mall. Issy discovers that there is a species of endangered lizards on the land too which would be enough even with the fact they the lizards have magical uses.

This was a cute story and a nice mystery which begins a series.

Favorite Quote:
Part of her wanted to tell him he could continue waiting until the stars burned away. The other part of her, traitor that it was, wanted to cuddle up against his side and nuzzle his strong jaw, now covered by a hint of dark stubble. This close, he smelled of soap and fresh air and a hint of manly sweat.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

ARC Review: Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong

Wherever She Goes
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publication: Minotaur Books (June 25, 2019)

Description: From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a brand new psychological thriller about the lengths one woman will go to in order to save a child.

“Few crimes are reported as quickly as a snatched kid.”

That’s what the officer tells single mother Aubrey Finch after she reports a kidnapping. So why hasn’t anyone reported the little boy missing? Aubrey knows what she saw: a boy being taken against his will from the park. It doesn’t matter that the mother can’t be found. It doesn’t matter if no one reported it. Aubrey knows he’s missing.

Instead, people question her sanity. Aubrey hears the whispers. She’s a former stay-at-home mom who doesn’t have primary custody of her daughter, so there must be something wrong with her, right? Others may not understand her decision to walk away from her safe life at home, but years of hiding her past – even from the people she loves – were taking their toll, and Aubrey knows she can’t be the mother or wife she envisions until she learns to leave her secrets behind.

When the police refuse to believe her, she realizes that rescuing the boy is up to her alone. But after all the secrets, how far is she willing to go? Even to protect a child.

My Thoughts: WHEREVER SHE GOES was a fast-paced, tension-filled, twisty thriller. Aubrey Finch didn't think much about talking to a young mother and son when she is playing in the park with her daughter. But when she sees the boy again a few days later and sees him being dragged into a car, she knows she has to do something. The only problem is that no one has reported a child abduction and the police don't believe that Aubrey saw what she saw.

It is time for Aubrey to dust off her computer hacking skills and look into the case herself. Aubrey has a past that she is keeping from her husband Paul. She lost her mother in a car accident when she was two, her military father committed suicide when she was eighteen which caused her to drop out of MIT where she was in a computer technology program. She went astray and joined a gang of thieves who broke into empty houses and robbed them. After being shot by a homeowner, she chose to leave and reinvent herself. When she met Defense Attorney Paul, she didn't share any of her past secrets.

Paul and Aubrey's marriage is faltering and she feels guilty both for keeping her secrets and for what she sees as her lack of skills as a mother. Paul and Aubrey are separated and main custody of their three-year-old daughter Charlotte is with Paul. She empathizes with the young mother whose son has been taken and is even more concerned when she learns that the mother has been murdered.

As Aubrey tries to find the young boy, she discovers more and more about the young mother's past and her connection to the Russian mafia and finds herself in more and more danger. And the danger seems to be following her home to her husband and daughter.

This was nicely twisty with a bunch of possible villains. While I thought that Aubrey seemed a little lacking in self-confidence and a little too accommodating of her husband's perceived needs, I still found her an interesting character that I was pulling for and wanting to know more about. 

Favorite Quote:
No one helped my mother. No one helped my father. No one wanted to get involved. I cannot be that person. Ever. If there is any chance that a boy is out there, in trouble, and no one is searching for him, then I must be that one person. The person who cares. The person who gets involved.

Whatever the cost.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, June 17, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 17, 2019)

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.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Other Than Reading...
We are getting closer to the end of our solar project. The panels are installed as are all the connections. Today will be the City's electrical inspection. Then, the power company installs the new meter and turns us on. I am hoping that will be done by the end of the week. Shortly after that, the power company rebate should arrive to start offsetting the cost of the project. The electricians are still working at setting up our monitoring software. That should be ready when the project goes live.

Weather has been good this week and I have been doing a lot of walking around my neighborhood. I also made it to Curves four days this week. I didn't get there the two days they were installing the solar panels because they were too entertaining.

This week doesn't have too much on my calendar. According to my brother's work schedule, it looks like I'll be cooking at least three times this week. That's fair since he's been doing most of the cooking lately. I'll have to decide if I want to try something new or stick to old favorite recipes.

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

  • The Demon King by Ann Aguirre (Mine) - This paranormal romance was filled with action. I liked the characters and the worldbuilding. My review will be posted on July 11.
  • The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams & Lauren Willig (Mine) - This combination mystery and family drama was entertaining. My review will be posted on July 10.
  • Eye Spy by Mercedes Lackey (YA Review July 9) - This was a fun return to Valdemar great for middle grade and YA readers. My review will be posted on July 4.


  • Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag (Mine since Jan. 12, 2011) - Great romantic suspense thriller with interesting characters and a creepy plot. My review will be posted on July 13.
  • Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag (Mine since July 10, 2012) - Second creepy thriller featuring some of the same characters as Deeper Than the Dead. My review will be posted on July 14.
  • Down the Darkest Road by Tami Hoag (Mine since July 13, 2012) - Final story in the Oak Knoll series features some of the same characters as the first two Oak Knoll books and was the creepiest mystery yet. My review will be posted on July 21.


  • Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal - The second Maggie Hope historical mystery was as enjoyable as the first. I like the historical detail and Maggie's character. My review will be posted on July 17.

Currently

  • A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King (Mine) - I'm rereading the early books in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes historical mystery series that I haven't reviewed.  

Next Week




Reviews Posted




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

Bought:


What was your week like?