Book Review: The Scent of Murder by Kylie Logan

The Scent of Murder
Author: Kylie Logan
Series: A Jazz Ramsey Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (May 7, 2019)

Description: First in a new series from national bestselling author Kylie Logan, The Scent of Murder is a riveting mystery following Jazz Ramsey as she trains cadaver dogs.

The way Jazz Ramsey figures it, life is pretty good. She owns her own home in one of Cleveland’s most diverse, artsy, and interesting neighborhoods. She has a job she likes as an administrative assistant at an all-girls school, and a volunteer interest she’s passionate about—Jazz is a cadaver dog handler.

Jazz is working with Luther, a cadaver dog in training. Luther is still learning cadaver work, so Jazz is putting him through his paces at an abandoned building that will soon be turned into pricey condos. When Luther signals a find, Jazz is stunned to see the body of a young woman who is dressed in black and wearing the kind of make-up and jewelry Jazz used to see on the Goth kids back in high school.

She’s even more shocked when she realizes that beneath the tattoos and the piercings and all that pale make up is a familiar face.

The lead detective on the case is an old lover, and the murdered woman is a former student. Jazz finds herself sucked into the case, obsessed with learning the truth.

My Thoughts: This book introduces Jazz Ramsey who is the daughter of a fireman who died while fighting a fire and who is a dog trainer like her father. Jazz lost her father and her cadaver dog within a short time of each other. She's happy in her work as an administrative assistant at a private girls' school in Cleveland. 

When she takes a friend's dog for training at an abandoned building that will soon be redeveloped, she is surprised when the dog finds a body instead of the evidence she hid. She's even more surprised to recognize the young woman under the bizarre horror makeup as a former student at the school where she works.

She begins asking questions to try to find out how the young woman - Florie Allen - died and who killed her. Her questioning does have her running into her former boyfriend who is a homicide cop. Their relationship fell apart because they just didn't seem to have time for each other and not because they didn't love each other. 

As Jazz investigates, she learns about a lot of secrets Florie was keeping. There are a variety of people who might have wanted her dead from a high school rival to any of the people that she was blackmailing.

I enjoyed the story and liked Jazz. I learned a lot about cadaver dogs and the people who train them. 

Favorite Quote:

In an effort to convince herself that maybe finding Florie's body wasn't all that different from training a dog to search for the bits and pieces of people who donated their bodies to science, she sat up and sat back and did her best to look and sound confident.

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

Audiobook Review: The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters

The Curse of the Pharaohs
Author: Elizabeth Peters
Series: Amelia Peabody (Book 2)
Narrator: Susan O'Malley
Publication: Blackstone Audio (May 23, 2003)
Length: 10 hours and 6 minutes

Description: Victorian gentlewoman Amelia Peabody Emerson and her archaeologist husband are busy raising their young son; yet Amelia dreams only of the dust and detritus of ancient civilizations. Happily, circumstances are about to demand their immediate presence in Egypt. Sir Henry Baskerville had just discovered a tomb in Luxor when he promptly died under bizarre circumstances. The tabloids scream of The Curse of the Pharaohs!

Amelia and her husband arrive to find the camp in disarray and the workers terrified. A ghost even appears. It is not at all what Amelia considers an atmosphere conducive to scientific discovery. Thus the indomitable Victorian sets about bringing order to chaos and herself close to danger. How Amelia triumphs over evil and those who would stand between her and her beloved antiquities makes for a delightfully spirited adventure.

My Thoughts: This is the second Amelia Peabody adventure and is told in her own distinctive and eccentric voice. When the story begins, Amelia and her husband Emerson are stuck in England because neither wants to leave their young and precocious son Ramses bur are worried for his health if they take him to Egypt.

When Lady Baskerville comes to see them in England, they are persuaded to go to Egypt - leaving Ramses behind - to work on a tomb discovered by her late husband who died mysteriously. The newspapers are saying that he died of a mummy's curse which neither Peabody nor Emerson believes. However, something is wrong. There are other murders and attacks and the native workers are very reluctant to work on the tomb in case the curse might be real.

Peabody and Emerson compete with each other to be the first to discover what is really going on and find themselves in all sorts of danger as they investigate. 

I love Amelia Peabody's eccentric viewpoint. The book is filled with quirky characters who all might have reasons for the troubles at the tomb. I especially liked the old woman who is certain that Emerson was her lover in a past life. 

The narration was excellent. Susan O'Malley does a great job with the pacing and with making each character distinct. 

I received this one as part of my Audible membership. You can buy your copy here.

Book and Audio Review: Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Angels' Blood
Author: Nalini Singh
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Series: Guild Hunter (Book 1)
Publication: Tantor Audio (May 7, 2010); Berkley (Feb. 2, 2009)
Length: 10 hours and 29 minutes; 372 p.

Description: Nalini Singh introduces readers to a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires.

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.

My Thoughts: Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter. She is hired to retrieve vampires who have jumped their contracts with Angels or who have otherwise broken the law. Elena is a born hunter who has been disowned by her father because she doesn't fit into his social and business positions. She was a survivor of an attack by a rogue vampire when she was a child. Her two older sisters were killed and her mother later committed suicide. Elena is haunted by that time which lost her her family and her safe life.

Now an adult, Elena is contracted to a hunt by the Archangel of New York. Raphael is powerful, immortal, beautiful, and completely in charge. The brutality of some of his actions make him someone to be feared. Elena also fears him and doesn't want to come to his attention.

But the Archangels have a problem: one of their own has fallen prey to blood lust. Uram can only be killed by another Archangel but it will take a talented hinter to find him. And Uram is leaving quite a trail of dead bodies and fear behind him. 

This is a paranormal romance. Therefore, Elena becomes fascinated with Raphael despite her fear and Raphael becomes intrigued with Elena because of her courage and determination no to become another notch on his bedpost. 

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story which introduces all powerful and immortal angels to the pantheon. The characters are well-developed. I liked Elena's circle of friends and Raphael's circle of angels and vampires.

ANGELS' BLOOD is the first book in a series that has currently extended to 14 novels and 4 novellas with no end in sight. 

Favorite Quote:

Raphael stood in front of the elevator he's been told would transport him to the Cellars. But it appeared he had no need to go down below. His quarry had been flushed out.

The message was pinned to the side of the elevator doors, held up by a nail that had been driven with enough force that concrete dust littered the ground.

You want to play, angel boy? Then let's play.

Find me.

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

Book and Audio Review: The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick

The Mystery Woman
Author: Amanda Quick
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Series: Ladies of Lantern Street (Book 2)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (April 23, 2013; Berkley (April 23, 2013)
Length: 8 hours and 41 minutes; 385 p.

Description: The second Ladies of Lantern Street novel from Amanda Quick explores the crimes, passions and paranormal secrets of Victorian London.

Under the plain gray skirts of Miss Beatrice Lockwood’s gown, a pistol waits at the ready. For Beatrice is a paid companion on a secret mission—and with a secret past—and she must be prepared to fight for her life at any moment.

Yet she is thrown oddly off guard by the fierce-looking man who joins her in foiling a crime outside a fancy ball—and then disappears into the shadows, leaving only his card. His name is Joshua Gage, and he claims to know Beatrice’s employers. Beyond that, he is an enigma with a hypnotically calm voice and an ebony-and-steel cane. . . .

Joshua, who carries out clandestine investigations for the Crown, is equally intrigued. He has a personal interest in Miss Lockwood, a suspected thief and murderer, not to mention a fraudster who claims to have psychical powers. The quest to discover her whereabouts has pulled him away from his mournful impulses to hurl himself into the sea—and engaged his curiosity about the real Beatrice Lockwood, whose spirit, he suspects, is not as delicate as her face and figure.

He does know one thing, though: This flame-haired beauty was present the night Roland Fleming died at the Academy of the Occult. Guilty or not, she is his guide to a trail of blood and blackmail, mesmerism and madness—a path that will lead both of them into the clutches of a killer who calls himself the Bone Man. . . .

My Thoughts: In this second book in the Ladies of Lantern Street series, Miss Beatrice Lockwood is working for Flint & March and is undercover as a paid companion protecting a young heiress when she meets Joshua Gage who helps her foil the abduction of her charge. Joshua is recovering from injuries that happened when one of his investigations as an agent for the Crown went badly awry, He has spent the past year in isolation at his family estate and has been left with a scarred face, a weak leg, and a determination to leave investigations in the past.

Joshua is called back to London from his brooding when he believes that Beatrice is the one who is blackmailing his sister. Psychic sparks fly between Joshua and Beatrice when they meet though each is wary of the other. The running joke through this whole story is Beatrice's acceptance of her psychic powers and Joshua's determination to deny that they exist and to rely instead on logic. Joshua quickly comes to see that Beatrice is in danger and it looks like the case that injured Josh so badly isn't over. 

This story had all the elements of an intriguing mystery and an inevitable romance. Both Beatrice and Joshua are strong characters who have a great deal in common as they are both investigators and competent adults. However, they come from different social classes. Beatrice can't see a future for them but Joshua is not a conventional sort of man. The villains include a Russian assassin called the Bone Man and a truly mad scientist.

This was a fun story for all of Amanda Quick's fans and anyone who like paranormal historical fiction.

Favorite Quote:

"There are no heroes," Joshua said. "There are only those who try to make the right choice when choice is thrust upon them."

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

Book and Audio Review: Night Shift Dragons by Rachel Aaron

Night Shift Dragons
Author: Rachel Aaron
Narrator: Emily Woo Zeller
Series: Detroit Free Zone, Book 3
Publication: Audible Studios (May 5, 2020); Aaron/Bach (May 5, 2020)
Length: 14 hours and 41 minutes; 397 p.

Description: They say family always sticks together, but when you're your dad's only lifeline and the whole world - humans, dragons, and gods - wants you dead, "family bonding" takes on a whole new meaning.

My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I'm in way over my head. I thought getting rid of my dad's bad luck curse would put things back to normal. Instead, I'm stuck playing caretaker to the Great Dragon of Korea. That wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn't such a jerk, or if every dragon on the planet wasn't out to kill him, or if he was my only problem.

Turns out, things can always get worse in the DFZ. When a rival spirit attacks my god/boss with the aim of turning the famously safety-optional city into a literal death arena with Nik as his bloody champion, I'm thrust onto the front lines and way out of my comfort zone. When gods fight, mortals don't usually survive, but I'm not alone this time. Even proud old dragons can learn new tricks, and with everything I love falling to pieces, the father I've always run from might just be the only force in the universe stubborn enough to pull us back together

My Thoughts: The final book in the DFZ trilogy has Opal learning about her new magic while waiting for her father to heal from injuries he suffered when he cursed Opal. Opal and her father are in hiding because his weakness would make him a target for a dragon who wants his lands. 

Opal does learn how to transfer power to her father but, being human, she can't transfer enough to heal him though she can keep him from dying. But time is running out and, while she was in hiding, her boyfriend Nik has gotten himself involved with the Gameskeeper who wants to put him back into the fights-to-the-death in his arena. Opal wants to free him from his obligation and the DFZ is also interested in what the Gameskeeper is doing.

The Gameskeeper is another Spirit who is intent on taking over what belongs to the DFZ. He is using her own rules against her in order to run his fights and gather power from her. In order to rescue Nik, Opal and her father who isn't at his best have to find a way to defeat the Gameskeeper with very limited help from her God. 

Opal and her father have finally managed to settle their differences and come to a better accord. Opal has been working to claim her adulthood and agency through all the books in this trilogy. Now all they have to do is find a way to defeat a rising god if they want to survive. 

I liked the worldbuilding in this series. I also liked Opal who is claiming her adulthood and building a life that satisfies her. I like her new relationship with her father. Emily Woo Zeller did a great job narrating this series. 

Favorite Quote:

"Let no defeat go to waste," Yong replied in a sage voice, flitting through the stacked boxes. "Anything you survive makes you stronger. That's why old dragons are the most dangerous."

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

Book and Audio Review: Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick

Crystal Gardens
Author: Amanda Quick
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Series: Ladies of Lantern Street (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (April 24, 2012); Berkley (April 24, 2012)
Length: 10 hours and 14 minutes; 345 p.

Description: New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick delivers “a promising start to a Victorian-era series”* with the first Ladies of Lantern Street novel…

Evangeline Ames has rented a country cottage far from the London streets where she was recently attacked. Fascinated by the paranormal energy of nearby Crystal Gardens, she finds pleasure in sneaking past the wall to explore the grounds. And when her life is threatened again, she instinctively goes to the gardens for safety.

Lucas Sebastian has never been one to ignore a lady in danger, even if she is trespassing on his property. Quickly disposing of her would-be assassin, he insists they keep the matter private. There are rumors enough already, about treasure buried under his garden and occult botanical experiments performed by his uncle—who died of mysterious causes. With Evangeline’s skill for detection, and Lucas’s sense of the criminal mind, they soon discover that they have a common enemy. And as the energy emanating from Crystal Gardens intensifies, they realize that to survive they must unearth what has been buried for too long.

My Thoughts: Evangeline Ames has come to the quiet, rural town of Little Digby to get over an attempted murder and to write the next chapters of her sensational novel. She has been there a couple of weeks suffering from both boredom and writer's block, when she is awakened one evening by someone breaking in. She flees to the nearest home, that of her landlord Lucas Sebastian. She attempts to hide from her assailant in the very scary gardens that surround the house. She had been warned by the locals that strange things happened in that garden and her own paranormal senses tell her that the locals are correct. Lucas comes to her rescue and exhibits some paranormal senses of his own doing so.

The two had met in a local bookshop when Lucas arrived in town to stay at Crystal Gardens. Lucas was fascinated by her but his main concern was learning who had murdered his uncle. After Evie's attack, he took advantage of the situation to get closer to her by providing protection. Someone was clearly trying to kill her. But Evangeline was no helpless victim. She might outwardly seem like an unobtrusive lady's companion but she was employed by an agency to do discreet private inquiries. The agency looked for young women with paranormal skills.  

Lucas and Evie get closer as they work to find out who killed his uncle, who is trying to kill her, why the paranormal energies are increasing at Crystal Gardens making the gardens more and more dangerous, and who is hunting for the hidden Roman treasure that is rumored to be buried in the Night Garden. Of course they also have to deal with the ramifications of their relationship in a time when a woman's reputation was worth more than gold. 

Evie had no intention of ever marrying because she believed herself too old, too poor, and of too low a social status but that doesn't mean that she isn't willing to explore her sensual side if the right man and the right situation comes along. And Lucas looks like the right man. Her justification is that it will help her be a better writer of her sensational novels if she has some experience. Lucas, having determined to have her in his life, is more than willing to accommodate her. When the two are compromised by spending the night together in the garden, Lucas seizes the opportunity and announces their engagement. It takes a while to reconcile Evie and it takes some serious but unconventional courting before he can win her hand. 

I love the relationship between Evie and Lucas. Neither one of them fits into the normal mode of society and wouldn't even if they didn't have paranormal powers. I like the banter between them. I like that Evie knows Lucas better than his own family and accepts him as he is. The rest of the world is pretty much afraid of him. He is a man of responsibility and honor who has a paranormal gift that makes him very valuable in solving the most difficult of murder cases. I also like the relationship that Lucas has with his much younger twin brother and sister. 

This was a very good romance that I recommend to lovers of historical romance, paranormal romance, and Jayne Ann Krentz in all her many names and genres. 

Favorite Quote:

"'For your own good' are the four most irritating words in the English language."

A flicker of amusement whispered through him. "Yes, I have been told that on a number of occasions."

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

Book and Audio Review: The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams

The Whispered Word
Author: Ellery Adams
Narrator: Cris Dukeheart
Series: A Secret, Book, and Scone Society Novel (Book 2)
Publication: Kensington Books (November 27, 2018); Dreamscape Media LLC (November 27, 2018)
Length: 298 p.; 8 hours and 34 minutes

Description: In this cozy mystery by a New York Times–bestselling author, a gifted bookstore owner can find the right book for any patron, but can she find a killer?

The proprietor of Miracle Books in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, Nora Pennington believes that a well-chosen novel can bring healing and hope. But she and the other members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society know that sometimes practical help is needed too. Such is the case with the reed-thin girl hiding in the fiction section of Nora’s store, wearing a hospital ID and a patchwork of faded bruises. She calls herself Abilene but won’t reveal much else. And when a customer is found dead in an assumed suicide, Nora uncovers a connection that points to Abilene as either a suspect—or another target. After a second death hits town, Nora and her intrepid friends must help the new, greenhorn sheriff discern fact from fiction—and stop a killer intent on bringing another victim’s story to a close…

My Thoughts: When Nora Pennington discovers a young woman wearing a hospital bracelet and clothing that's too big for her sleeping in a corner of her bookstore, it starts a chain of events that includes three murders and a hidden treasure.

Nora runs Miracle Books in Miracle Springs, North Carolina. It has been a perfect place for this burn-scarred woman to rebuild her life. She and her three friends, who also came looking for a new start, are all eager to help young Abilene Tyler make her own new start. But Abilene is on the run from someone who wants her dead.

The first victim is Amanda Frye who was one of Nora's most difficult customers - always complaining and never satisfied. When she and her friends go to deliver Secret Kindness bags, they discover Amanda drowned in a pond on her property. They use her landline to call the police and Nora sees something odd. She finds a misused book on her kitchen counter along with an empty bottle of pain pills. It looks like a suicide but Nora can't believe Amanda would ever mistreat a book that way. 

The town has suffered from some misfortune with the closing of a bank and a real estate project falling through. A new business named Virtual Genie has come to town to take people's treasure on consignment which looks like a lifesaver for people who need to sell things to make ends meet after the business failures. Some of her friends are suspicious about the aims of that company and suspicions grow when the murdered woman's son is seen arguing with someone from Virtual Genie and when he tries to sell some of her mother's treasured books even though he isn't the one who inherited them.

This was a nice cozy mystery. I absolutely loved all the references to books and Nora's gift for finding the right book at the right time for her customers. There were so many great quotations from books too. I liked that Nora is beginning a romance and deepening her friendships with the women who have banded together to form the Secret, Book, and Scone Society. 

Fans of feel-good cozies and book lovers will enjoy this offering and be looking for more in the series. 

Favorite Quote:

"The unique and magical nature of books is their ability to grant us temporary escape from our reality while also providing ways to cope with that reality when we're forced to return to it."

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

Book and Audio Review: Part-Time Gods by Rachel Aaron

Part-Time Gods
Author: Rachel Aaron
Narrator: Emily Woo Zeller
Series: DFZ Book 2
Publication: Aaron/Bach (June 9, 2019); Audible Studios (June 9, 2019)
Length: 336 p.; 11 hours and 8 minutes

Description: Life in the magical mess of the Detroit Free Zone is never easy. When you’re laboring under the curse of a certain prideful, overbearing dragon, it can be down right impossible.

My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I’m a Cleaner. At least, I used to be. Thanks to the supernatural bad luck that turns everything I do against me, these days I’m more of a walking disaster. Getting rid of this curse is the only way to get my life back. Unfortunately, dragon magic is every bit as sneaky and deadly the monsters behind it, and just as hard to beat.

But I’ve never been one to take her doom at face value. Cornered doesn’t mean defeated, and in an awakened city that rules herself, dragons are no longer the biggest powers around.

My Thoughts: This is the middle book of a trilogy and, therefore, doesn't really have a beginning or an ending. Opal Yong-ae works as a Cleaner in the Detroit Free Zone. She is desperate to earn money to pay her debt to her father - who happens to be an old and powerful dragon, but he has cursed her with bad luck because he doesn't want her to get free of him.

Opal has always felt like a failure in her family because, despite being genetically engineered to be an exceptional mage, she has never been able to get magic to work for her. Her spells are usually failures  which backfire on her. 

She has teamed up with another Cleaner named Nik who is a product of the DFZ and has the scars and cyber-enhancements to prove it. They try to get around the curse by having Nik do the buying and selling but it isn't working. When Opal's dad calls in her debt, she has to find another way to make money fast. When she and Nik go to a more dangerous than normal part of the DFZ they are attacked and Opal has to use her magic to save him. 

Opal manages to save Nik but she manages to detach her soul in the process. She's been given the name of a shaman who might be able to help her get a handle on her magic. Opal has a low opinion of shamanistic magic because she's been trained in a different school. But the shaman makes sense and also turns out to be one of the priests of the spirit of the DFZ who offers Opal a job. 

Opal doesn't want to be a priest of the DFZ. She is trying to be free of all ownership. She is almost pathological about being independent. But when her dad needs her, she realizes that while she's angry with her dad, she doesn't want him deal. So Opal takes the DFZ's deal...

And we have to wait to read book three - NIGHT SHIFT DRAGONS - to find out how things work out.

I enjoyed Emily Woo Zeller's narration of this story. She made each character distinctive. 

Favorite Quote:

"Wait, you're not planning to eat that potato in your bag, are you? 'Cause we just sold your microwave and your convection oven."

"It's not for eating!" I cried. "That's my magic potato!"

I knew how bad that sounded as soon as it came out of my mouth. Unfortunately, everything I could have said to explain it made even less sense.

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

Book and Audio Review: Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

Crocodile on the Sandbank
Author: Elizabeth Peters
Narrator: Susan O'Malley
Series: Amelia Peabody (Book 1)
Publication: Blackstone Audio (August 23, 2002); Mysterious Press (February 10, 2010)
Length: 8 hours and 47 minutes; 246 p. 

Description: Amelia Peabody, that indomitable product of the Victorian age, embarks on her debut Egyptian adventure armed with unshakable self-confidence, a journal to record her thoughts, and, of course, a sturdy umbrella. On her way to Cairo, Amelia rescues young Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has been abandoned by her scoundrel lover. Together the two women sail up the Nile to an archeological site run by the Emerson brothers-the irascible but dashing Radcliffe and the amiable Walter. Soon their little party is increased by one-one mummy that is, and a singularly lively example of the species.

Strange visitations, suspicious accidents, and a botched kidnapping convince Amelia that there is a plot afoot to harm Evelyn. Now Amelia finds herself up against an unknown enemy-and perilous forces that threaten to make her first Egyptian trip also her last . . 

My Thoughts: Amelia Peabody is an independent woman. After caring for her father until his death, she learns that she has inherited his considerable fortune and decides to travel the world. She's 32 but proprieties demand that she have a companion. When her current companion proves to be unsatisfactory, she rescues a young woman named Evelyn Barton-Forbes to be her new companion.

Evelyn had run away with an unsuitable man who has now abandoned her in Rome. Her wealthy grandfather disinherited her and she is without hope. Amelia takes her under her wing and together the two head off for Egypt. 

Amelia falls in love with Egypt and with archaeology but danger seems to be following them. On a trip  up the Nile they meet the Emerson brothers who are archaeologists. The younger is Walter. He and Evelyn fall in love but she feels that, as a ruined woman, she has nothing to offer him. The older brother is Radcliffe who is as opinionated and strong-minded as Amelia herself. The two butt heads from the moment they meet. Their interaction was really fun to read.

The story is told from Amelia's point-of-view which is a unique one. She embodies most of the virtues and faults of the the wealthy Victorian lady tourist. She is certain that things would run better if people would just let her be in charge!

Susan O'Malley did a great job bringing Amelia to life. She also did an excellent job with the other characters. 

Favorite Quote:

"But why should any independent, intelligent female choose to subject herself to the whims and tyrannies of a husband? I assure you, I have yet to meet a man was sensible as myself."

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

Book and Audio Review: Carousel Seas by Sharon Lee

Carousel Seas
Author: Sharon Lee
Narrator: Elisabeth Rodgers
Series: Archer's Beach (Book 3)
Publication: Audible Studios (January 6, 2015); Baen Books (December 9, 2014)
Length: 12 hours and 36 minutes; 352 p.

Description: NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED

Welcome to Archers Beach in the Changing Land, the last and least of the Six Worlds, where magic works, sometimes, and the Guardian husbands the vitality of the land and everyone on it -- earth spirit and plain human alike.

Kate Archer, Guardian and carousel-keeper, has been busy making some changes of her own, notably beginning a romantic relationship with Borgan, the Guardian of the Gulf of Maine, Kate's opposite number, and, some would say, her natural mate.

Oh, and she's been instrumental in releasing the prisoners that had been bound into the carousel animals -- which she's inclined to think is a good thing. . .

Until a former sea goddess sets up housekeeping in the Gulf of Maine, challenging Borgan's authority; endangering Kate and everything she holds precious.

. . .because the goddess has fallen in love in Borgan; and she'll stop at nothing to possess him.

Archers Beach is about to suffer a sea-change -- and the question is whether Kate can survive it.

My Thoughts: Kate Archer is beset with problems both magical and mundane in this conclusion to the Archers Beach trilogy. Having released prisoners bound to the carousel she manages in a seaside town in Maine, she knows that she will have trouble with the Wise - powerful beings from the other linked worlds - but she thinks that the prisoners have all left Earth. She learns that, at least, one has remained behind and has determined to conquer Borgan and take over his guardianship of the Gulf of Maine.

In an attempt to win his affections this goddess kills two goblins that Borgan has spared, despite the fact that they would like him dead. This grieves and angers the sea who loved them and the sea changes making life hard for the citizens of the town. After all, no waves and invasions of jellyfish aren't going to draw the tourists needed for the booths and rides.

Of course the whole of the amusement park is being threatened by another mundane source. The owners are planning to sell the land where it sits so that condos can be built. This is very upsetting to the magical and non-magical folks who make their livings from the park. In facts, they had been petitioning to make the season longer than the 12 weeks it had shrunk to over the years. Now the committees are looking for other options - either a way to buy the land or a place to move the park.

If that wasn't enough, Kate is just getting used to her connection with the land and her growing magical abilities. She is still learning about her land and finding out about the trenvay who live there. Kate also expands her family by adding a cat and a liege-sworn to her retinue. Both add depth and complications to her life. 

This book was a thoroughly enjoyable contemporary fantasy with excitement, magic and romance. I highly recommend this trilogy. Elisabeth did a great job with the narration giving each character a distinct voice.

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

Book and Audio Review: Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz

Orphan X
Author: Gregg Hurwitz
Narrator: Scott Brick
Series: Orphan X (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (January 19, 2016); Brilliance Audio (January 19, 2016)
Length: 416 p.; 11 hours and 15 minutes

Description: The first in the international bestselling series!

Who is Orphan X?

The Nowhere Man is a legendary figure spoken about only in whispers. It’s said that when he’s reached by the truly desperate and deserving, the Nowhere Man can and will do anything to protect and save them. But he’s not merely a legend.

“Excellent…A smart, stylish, state-of-the-art thriller…might give Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books a run for their money.”—The Washington Post

Evan Smoak is a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He’s also a man with a dangerous past. Chosen as a child, he was raised and trained as an Orphan, an off-the-books black box program designed to create the perfect deniable intelligence asset: An assassin. Evan was Orphan X—until he broke with the program and used everything he learned to disappear. But now someone is on his tail. Someone with similar skills and training who will exploit Evan’s secret new identity as the Nowhere Man to eliminate him.

My Thoughts: Evan Smoak was taken from a foster home when he was twelve and trained to be an assassin. He was part of the Orphan Program which was an off-the-books government program. After some years and the death of his mentor, he goes rogue. 

To spend his time, he has become the Nowhere Man. When someone has a problem that they can't solve, the Nowhere Man steps in. But now, someone seems to have tracked down the Nowhere Man through some people who have come to him with problems.

Evan has to decide which of the people with problems is legitimate and which has been set up by his enemies so that they can get to him. 

The story was action-packed and very fast-paced. Evan is a great characters in the tradition of dark heroes of the past. He's a man who is alone because he doesn't know who he can trust. But people with smaller problems in the building where he has his tricked out condo are chipping away at his isolation by becoming people he can care about. But caring means putting them in incredible danger because his enemies don't care who they have to kill if they manage to kill him too.

Scott Brick did a great job narrating this one. He had distinct voices for the many characters and he had great pacing as the suspense and danger built throughout the story.

Favorite Quote:

The Post-It beside the wall-mounted phone had been replaced. The new one read: "Make friends with people who want the best for you."

He thought, What a goddamned luxury that would be.

I bought this one January 7, 2017. You can buy your copy here.

Book and Audio Review: Omens by Kelley Armstrong

Omens
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Narrator: Carine Montbertrand, Mozhan Marno
Series: Cainsville (Book 1)
Publication: Penguin Audio (August 20, 2013); Dutton; 1st edition (August 20, 2013)
Length: 14 hours and 36 minutes; 497 p.

Description: Number-one New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong begins her new series with Omens, featuring a compelling new heroine thrust into a decades-old murder case and the dark mysteries surrounding her strange new home.

Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

My Thoughts: Kelley Armstrong has created a fascinating new world and peopled it with intriguing characters. Olivia Taylor Jones seems to have the perfect life. She's wealthy, socially prominent, a Yale graduate and engaged to a handsome CEO of a tech firm who has political ambitions. But everything comes crashing down around her when she learns that she is adopted and that her birth parents are convicted serial killers serving consecutive life sentences. When her adoptive mother and fiance abandon her, Olivia is determined to make it on her own and find out the truth about her birth parents - the Larsens.

Searching for the truth (and running from the paparazzi) takes her to Cainsville, Illinois which is a town filled with more intriguing characters and with more than hints of a paranormal presence. Liv herself has always seen omens but now she is starting to trust what she sees. 

She is aided in her search by lawyer Gabriel Walsh who was Pamela Larsen's lawyer for her latest appeal and who has ties to Cainsville too. Gabriel is a fascinating but closed up character. I loved the relationship he and Olivia have. It isn't at all a romance but is a building partnership that goes through all sorts of ups and down through the course of the book. 

I couldn't put this one down as I investigated with Olivia and Gabriel. I loved watching Olivia recover memories of her past and build a new relationship with her birth mother. I loved watching her grow into herself and survive without the trust fund and social insulation. 

Fans of Kelley Armstrong won't be disappointed with this new venture. Like me, they will be very eager for more books exploring these characters and this world. The narrators did a great job with the characters and also with building suspense.

Favorite Quote:

"First you buy me a mocha. Then you let me help you hide a body. Now you take me to a biker clubhouse. Best. Day. Ever."

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

Book and Audio Review: Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant

Concrete Evidence
Author: Rachel Grant
Narrator: Meredith Mitchell
Series: Evidence (Book 1)
Publication: Janus Publishing (April 16, 2013); Tantor Audio (April 8, 2014)
Length: 323 p.; 11 hours and 22 minutes

Description: She wants revenge. He wants her.

Blackballed from underwater archaeology after accusations of artifact trafficking, Erica Kesling has a new job and a new life on the other side of the country and is working to clear her name. She's closing in on her goal when she's distracted by a sexy, charismatic intern who makes her want something other than revenge.

But Lee Scott is no intern. He's looking for the lead conspirator in an international artifact smuggling scheme, and Erica is his prime suspect. He'll do whatever it takes to win her trust and get her to reveal her secrets, even seduce her.

My Thoughts: Erica Kesling is having a bad year. First, she's betrayed by her mother who opened credit cards in her name, ran up a bunch of debts, and then died in a car accident. Second, she takes a job with treasure hunter Jake Novak whom she discovers is stealing and selling the artifacts she finds for him. She runs from him but he ruins her reputation as an underwater archaeologist on the whole West Coast.

Erica heads to Washington, D.C., and a job with Talon & Drake because she has a clue that someone from there is buying the stolen artifacts. Then she is saddled with a new intern. Lee Scott is undercover looking for the head conspirator in an international artifact smuggling operation. Erica is one of his prime suspects.

Lee has to find his crook as soon as possible as his stepfather Senator Joseph Talon is getting ready to make a run for President and doesn't need any scandal to derail his campaign. 

Lee and Erica fall in love despite many obstacles including that both of them are lying to each other about the reasons they are at Talon & Grant. There was a lot of emotional angst as their relationship grew. Erica doesn't know if she can deal with one more betrayal while trying to fight her way clear of, and get revenge on, Jake Novak. 

The story was packed with excitement and had a really twisty mystery plot. The narrator did a good job with the different characters and with keeping up the emotional intensity of the situations Erica found herself in. 

Favorite Quote:

"I'm sick of games and strategies," Erica said. "I'm sick of being a pawn."

"Pawns are more powerful than you think. Pawns who cross the board safely become queens."

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

Book and Audio Review: Illusion Town by Jayne Castle

Illusion Town
Author: Jayne Castle
Narrator: Barbara Rosenblat
Series: An Illusion Town Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (July 26, 2016); Recorded Books (July 26, 2016)
Length: 351 p.; 8 hours and 19 minutes

Description: A new adventure begins on Harmony… 

With its opulent casinos and hotels, the desert city of Illusion Town is totally unique—and will take you on a thrill ride you’ll never forget.

Hannah West isn’t the first woman to wake up in Illusion Town married to a man she barely knows, but she has no memory of the ceremony at all. For that matter, neither does Elias Coppersmith, her new husband. All either can remember is that they were on the run…

With Hannah’s dubious background and shaky para-psych profile, she could have done much worse. The cooly competent mining heir arouses her curiosity—as well as other parts of her mind and body. And even her dust bunny likes him.

But a honeymoon spent retracing their footsteps leads Hannah and Elias into the twisting underground catacombs, where secrets from both their pasts will come to light—and where the energy of their clashing auras will grow hot enough to burn…

My Thoughts: Hannah West is an orphan with a unique paranormal talent. She is a finder who recently found a family heirloom for Elias Coppersmith. They began an email relationship and Hannah finally agreed to meet him in person for a dinner date.

Neither expected to wake up the next morning in a hot sheets motel, missing memories, and evidence that they had undertaken a Marriage of Convenience. They knew that they were on the run from something but weren't sure what. Elias wanted her to use her skills to rescue some people who were trapped by an illusion spell in Ghost Town. So he thought they were being chased by people who didn't want his crew rescued.

But Hannah had recently completed a necklace which was her only inheritance from her mother and learned it was a psy map which led her to the long-missing Midnight Carnival which was built to house Arcane Society secrets and then lost. Hannah immediately filed her claim and believes her discovery is still a secret.

Unfortunately, Hannah's secret is known to one obsessed collector who will do anything to exploit the treasures of the Midnight Carnival. 

After Hannah and Elias rescue his missing people and discover that there is a conspiracy to steal from the Coppersmiths, they are sidetracked into Elias's problems. Hannah believes that once his problems are solved, he will end their Marriage of Convenience. But Elias is in no hurry to end the marriage and jumps into helping Hannah solve her problem. 

I enjoyed the way the romance built in this episode. I also enjoyed the way orphan Hannah had built her own family in the dark zone of Illusion Town. I liked her dust bunny Virgil who is a great companion. I also liked the references back to earlier books about the Arcane Society that make up attractions in the Midnight Carnival and include Virgil's toy Arizona Snow doll which becomes his constant companion. 

This was another fun episode of Castle's futuristic paranormal romances set on the planet Harmony.

Favorite Quote:

"Look, I'm an engineer, so I'm not always real intuitive or insightful when it comes to conversations of a personal nature, but I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and guess that we're talking about you."

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

Book and Audio Review: After Glow by Jayne Castle

After Glow
Author: Jayne Castle

Narrator: Joyce Bean

Series: Ghost Hunters (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (February 24, 2004); Brilliance Audio (July 1, 2009)
Length: 343 p.; 9 hours and 31 minutes

Description: Return to Harmony—where nothing is as it seems.

Life is complicated for Lydia Smith. She’s working at a tacky, third-rate museum, Shrimpton’s House of Ancient Horrors, trying to salvage her career in para-archaeology—and dating the most dangerous man in town. Just when she thinks she might be getting things under control, she stumbles over a dead body and discovers that her lover has a secret past that could get him killed. Just to top it off, there’s trouble brewing underground in the eerie, glowing green passageways of the Dead City.

Descending into these twisting catacombs, Lydia will learn just what it’s like to put her heart—and life—on the line…

My Thoughts: Lydia Smith is still working at Shrimpton's and trying to build her career as a consultant. She's dating Emmett London despite the fact that he's a former hunter turned business consultant. Lydia has found a rich new client who wants her to find artifacts to decorate his new development. But she is still trying to find out what happened during her "lost weekend" when she spent 48 hours lost in the catacombs under Cadence City.

When an old colleague contacts her saying he has some information about the time that she lost, Lydia is quick to go see him. Only she arrives too late and she finds his body. She immediately calls the police but there are suspicions of her involvement since she had recently found another body. When she and Emmett return to the scene of the crime, they find a carefully hidden clue but it isn't clear what the clue is supposed to tell them.

Then Mercer Wyatt is shot and Emmett is chosen to take over temporary control of the Cadence City Guild. This causes all sorts of conflicts between Lydia and Emmett because Lydia still blames Guild hunters for abandoning her in the catacombs which led to her lost weekend and losing her job as a para-archaeologist. 

Things get even worse when someone tries to kill Emmett by setting a large green ghost on him. And there is a plot that someone wants to challenge him to a hunter duel to take control of the Guild. This leads to Lydia proposing a Marriage of Convenience to Emmett so that she can protect him from being challenged to a duel. 

Now, Emmett wants to marry Lydia but he would prefer the more permanent Covenant Marriage and he would prefer that Lydia is marrying him because she loves him, not just because she wants to protect him. 

This story is science fiction lite. Twentieth Century Earth culture and most technology is just dumped onto the planet of Harmony. There are additions though. The residents are gaining psychic powers as the generations go on and there are alien ruins that provide all sorts of mysteries for scientists and treasure hunters to discover. And there are dust bunnies. Fuzz makes his second appearance in this story as someone who has adopted Lydia and who has a number of paranormal talents of his own including his psychic bond with Lydia which lets him find her when she's lost in the catacombs. Dust bunnies are small, six-legged and four-eyed creatures that look a lot like a ball of dryer lint. They are predators who are quite protective of the humans they adopt.

This was a fun paranormal romance which was also a mystery. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Joyce Bean did a nice job with the different character voices and the pacing of the story. 

Favorite Quote:

"Don't act dense."

"Sorry, but it's not an act. I feel dense at the moment. I'm also real tired of playing guessing games. Why don't you tell me why you're crying?  Keep it simple. Short sentences and no more than two syllables, okay? After all, I'm a hunter, remember? I don't do big words."

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

Audiobook Review: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

The Beekeeper's Apprentice
Author: Laurie R. King

Narrator: Jenny Sterlin
Series: Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes Book 1
Publication: Macmillan Audio (January 10, 2014)
Length: 13 hours and 26 minutes

Description: This program includes a preface read by the author.

From New York Times best-selling author Laurie R. King comes the book that introduced us to the ingenious Mary Russell - Sherlock Holmes mysteries.

In 1915, Sherlock Holmes is retired and quietly engaged in the study of honeybees when a young woman literally stumbles into him on the Sussex Downs. Fifteen years old, gawky, egotistical, and recently orphaned, the young Mary Russell displays an intellect to impress even Sherlock Holmes - and match him wit for wit. Under his reluctant tutelage, this very modern 20th-century woman proves a deft protégée and a fitting partner for the Victorian detective.

In their first case together, they must track down a kidnapped American senator's daughter and confront a truly cunning adversary: a bomber who has set trip wires for the sleuths and who will stop at nothing to end their partnership.

Full of brilliant deductions, disguises, and dangers, this first book of the Mary Russell - Sherlock Holmes mysteries is "wonderfully original and entertaining...absorbing from beginning to end." (Booklist). Named "One of the Century's Best 100 Mysteries" by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

My Thoughts: This story begins when orphaned, fifteen-year-old Mary Russell literally stumbles over Sherlock Holmes while she is out walking and reading. It narrates the growth of their friendship as she becomes his unofficial apprentice and grows into his partner.

Mary is very bright and intending to attend university to study both religion and chemistry. She is the daughter of a Jewish mother and a Christian father from California. She is an heiress currently under the guardianship of an aunt who dislikes her and is indifferent to her care. She finds a home where she is accepted, cared for, and loved with Sherlock Holmes and Mrs. Hudson.

This story talks about her early cases from discovering who stole the cashbox and some hams from a pub her farm manager's lady friend owns to the kidnapping of an American Senator's six-year-old daughter to attacks from a secret adversary who uses bombs and bullets to try to murder Sherlock and any of his friends. 

I enjoyed this different view of Sherlock Holmes in his country retirement but who hasn't stopped all investigations. It was intriguing to see him through the eyes of a modern young woman who is his match in intellect though lacking his training and exeperience.

I loved the setting and time period. Mary and Sherlock's adventures take place in the shadow of World War I and see them traveling to the Holy Land to get away from their English villain and also solve a problem for Sherlock's brother Mycroft. The descriptions and Mary's reactions to her times in the Holy Land were very vivid. 

Jenny Sterlin had a great voice for Mary but was somewhat too soprano to handle Sherlock as well despite the textual information that his voice was higher than the average male. However, she manages to do a very good job with the emotions and attitudes of the characters. The pacing was excellent and the mysteries compelling. 

This was an excellent introduction to characters who have appeared in seventeen books now that CASTLE SHADE has been released. It is a wonderful series filled with great historical detail, actual historical figures, and mysteries surrounding them which enable Mary and Sherlock to shine.

Favorite Quote:

His words were placid, but what lay beneath them shook me breathless, for what he was proposing would in another man be sheer recklessness. Holmes the painstaking, Holmes the thoughtful, calculating thinker, Holmes the solitary operator who never so much as consulted another for advice, this Holmes I thought I knew was now proposing to launch himself into the abyss, trusting absolutely in my ability to catch him.

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

Book and Audio Review: Carousel Sun by Sharon Lee

Carousel Sun
Author: Sharon Lee
Narrator: Elisabeth Rodgers
Series: Carousel Tides (Book 2)
Publication: Baen Books; 1st edition (January 14, 2014); Audible Studios (August 26, 2014)
Length: 336 p.; 11 hours and 58 minutes

Description: The long-awaited sequel to Carousel Tides, enchanting contemporary fantasy by Sharon Lee, award-winning co-creator of the popular Liaden Universe saga. When magic meets mundane, sparks fly: These are exciting times in Archers Beach, Maine! An unprecedented Early Season has united townies and carnies in an effort expand into a 12-month resort, recapturing the town's former glory.

Kate Archer, owner-operator of the vintage wooden carousel, is caught up in the excitement - and is quite possibly the cause of it. Because Kate leads a double life, as carny, and as Guardian of the land. Her recent return to the home she had forsaken has changed the town's luck - for the better - and energized the trenvay - Earth and water spirits who are as much citizens of the Beach as their mundane counterparts.

But the town's new energy isn't the only change afoot. Joe Nemeier, the local drug lord, whose previous magical consultant was vanquished by Kate, has acquired a new ally - and this one plays with fire.

My Thoughts: Kate Archer is back home in Archer's Beach, Maine, and running the family carousel. She is also the guardian of the land and the carousel acts as a prison for beings sent there by the Wise. As a guardian of the land her presence can lead to prosperity for the area. In fact, those others who are involved in the local amusement park are eager to expand their season from twelve weeks to year round. Kate gets involved some committee work to encourage that to happen.

Of course, she is also still trying to defeat the local drug lord Joe Nemeier who hasn't hesitated to import wizards from elsewhere in the Six Worlds to help him succeed in his enterprises. Kate temporarily defeated him in the first book in this series but the problem of Joe and his henchmen still weighs on Kate. He wants to take over the forest that is the safe place for her grandmother and mother who need the land for survival and healing. 

Kate is also dealing with her relationship with Borgan who is the guardian of the sea around Archer's Beach. He was hurt at the end of the first book but Kate manages to rescue him from those who hoped to take over for him while he was weak. They spend a lot of this story figuring out what their new relationship was going to be. 

I loved the way Lee wove the world we know with a fantasy world filled with magic and magical characters. I also loved the language of this story and Kate's very Maine-ish powers of understatement. Kate is a very engaging main character. Elisabeth Rodgers is an excellent narrator who brings the characters to life.

I recommend this story for lovers of contemporary fantasy. You won't want to miss the first book in this series - Carousel Tides - either.

Favorite Quote:

Spellcraft lessons aren't easy for me. I'm not one of those crime-fighting, half-fey princesses found in urban fantasy novels, who revel in their powers, and need no lessons in their use, or in control.

By contrast, I'm only one-quarter fey, my power will turn on and eat me if I'm not constantly vigilant, and I'm much better at hacking than spellcraft.

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

Book and Audio Review: Orchid by Jayne Castle

Orchid
Author: Jayne Castle
Narrator: Tana Eby
Series: St. Helens (Book 3)
Publication: Pocket Books (September 7, 2010); Tantor Audio (Jan. 17, 2019)
Length: 340 p.; 8 hours and 56 minutes

Description: The wildly popular alter ego of bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz creates “delectably entertaining paranormal romantic suspense” (Booklist) in the “unique, synergistic world of St. Helen’s” (Library Journal ), the not-so-distant space colony where hearts and minds are gloriously in sync!

A top psychic for exclusive Psynergy Inc., Orchid Adams has her hands full with a baffling murder—which doesn’t exactly allow time for husband hunting. Is it even possible there’s a man on St. Helen’s who measures up to her dreams of wedded bliss? Take her new client, Rafe Stonebraker: primitive and elemental, an unlicensed P.I. with some serious secrets, Rafe is hardly marriage material. So why does his powerful presence have Orchid imagining the most outrageous affair? Rafe is embroiled in solving a strange theft while thwarting a hostile takeover of Stonebraker Shipping; he needs a wife—and fast—to salvage his credibility. Orchid Adams doesn’t fit the profile he had in mind, but she fits in his arms. Will their electrifying connection end up getting them burned?

My Thoughts: The final book of the St. Helens trilogy stars Orchid Adams and Rafe Stonebraker. Orchid is the author of some very popular psychic vampire romances and a part time employee of Psynergy Inc. because she is a very powerful and rare ice prism. Rafe is a hunter talent who tests way off the charts and who is planning to take over the family shipping business. However, Rafe needs a wife before he can do that.

Rafe has hired Mr. Batt who successfully found matches for his friends Lucas Trent and Nick Chastain. Even with his unique and somewhat primitive power, he has hopes that Hobart Batt can find a proper wife for him. Unfortunately, Rafe s under a time crunch and can't wait. So Rafe begins looking for his own full spectrum prism by hiring a selection of them from many agencies.

Once he hires Orchid, he knows he has found the right woman for him. He has lured her by encouraging her to help him with his after-hours private investigations. But a search for an alien artifact stolen from a research lab soon becomes more difficult and more dangerous than he had intended. It also links to some bad experiences Orchid had when she was part of a research project at a noted lab. 

Besides their case, Rafe and Orchid are also dealing with family issues. Rafe's cousin is his rival for the job of CEO of Stonebraker Shipping and he seems willing to do anything to get the job. Meanwhile, someone is after Orchid and the others who were with her during the research project but she isn't sure why.

This was a fun paranormal romance set in an intriguing world. I listened to this one and enjoyed the way Tanya Eby read the story. 

Favorite Quote:

He had set out to hunt himself a wife and he had found the one he wanted. He could not believe that they were not a good match. Affinity Associates had fouled up the registration. It was the only possible answer.

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

Book and Audio Review: Zinnia by Jayne Castle

Zinnia
Author: Jayne Castle
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Series: St. Helens Book 2
Publication: Pocket Books (October 12, 2010); Tantor Audio (Dec. 18, 2018)
Length: 356 p.; 8 hours and 51 minutes

Description: Capturing the “lively sensuality” (Library Journal ) of the passion-filled, near-future space colony of St. Helen’s, the wildly popular alter ego of bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz delivers “delectably entertaining paranormal romantic suspense” (Booklist)!

Ever since a false tabloid story ruined her reputation and her interior design business, Zinnia Spring has been labeled the “Scarlet Lady” of St. Helen’s. Now, headstrong Zinnia makes a living using her psychic abilities—a highly prized skill that attracts the attention of another planetary outcast, Nick Chastain. The rough-edged casino owner craves what he doesn’t have— respectability—and he enlists Zinnia to help find his father’s journal and dig up answers to his own mysterious past. Zinnia doesn’t have to be psychic to know what else Nick wants; soon they’re reaching the electrifying heights of ecstasy—and danger. For when a ruthless killer crosses their search, it will take everything in their power to keep their feet on terra firma and survive a deadly trap!

My Thoughts: Zinnia Spring is on off the chart prism talent who works best with matrix talents. She had been declared unmatchable by the very reputable marriage agency she hired to find her a husband. She has also had her reputation and new business ruined by false accusation in a tabloid. That followed her parents' deaths and the bankruptcy of the family business. But that doesn't stop her from confronting casino owner Nick Chastain when one of her clients, who was negotiation to sell him a rare book, disappears.

Nick didn't have anything to do with the disappearance of Zinnia's client but he really wants the diary that the man was going to sell him. When they go to the man's store that find no diary and the dead body of Zinnia's client. Next thing Zinnia knows she's on the cover of the tabloids again. This time she's supposedly having an affair with Nick.

Nick is an off-the-charts matrix talent who thinks it is time to become respectable. A part of that means finding a marriage agency approved wife. He has some problems with that though because he refuses to be tested to certify his talent but a marriage counselor who owes some money to the casino can be pressured to find Nick a wife without going through the pesky process Nick wants to avoid.

Nick and Zinnia find that their two talents mesh perfectly but also know that marriage agencies seldom match high level prisms with high level talents. They are fighting their attraction to each other all the while they are trying to find the missing diary and the criminal who is killing people to keep it hidden. 

This was a nice romance and an intriguing mystery. It is also the second book in the St. Helens trilogy which is sort of a science fiction romantic suspense series. I enjoyed the characters and the paranormal powers they had. 

Favorite Quote:

"Hold it right there." She braced both hands against his shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to kiss you."

"Why?"

"Damned if I know."

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

Audiobook Review: Hard Magic by Laura Anne Gilman

Hard Magic
Author: Laura Anne Gilman
Series: Paranormal Scene Investigations (Book 1)
Narrator: Romy Nordlinger
Publication: Audible Studios (September 24, 2013)
Length: 10 hours and 47 minutes

Description: Welcome to P.U.P.I. - Private, Unaffiliated, Paranormal Investigations. A handpicked team trained to solve crimes the regular police can't touch - crimes of magic.

"My name's Bonnie Torres. Recent college grad, magic user, and severely unemployed. Until I got a call out of nowhere to interview for a job I hadn't applied for. It smelled fishy, but the brutal truth was I needed the work - so off I went. Two days later I'm a PUPI - me and Nick, Sharon, Nifty, and Pietr. Five 20-somethings, thrown into an entirely new career in forensic magic.

"The first job we get is a doozy: proving that the deaths of two Talents were murder, not suicide. Worse, there are high-profile people who want us to close up shop and go away. We're sniffing out things they'd rather keep buried. Looks as if this job is gonna get interesting. The only problem is, we're making it up as we go along...."

My Thoughts: This was an entertaining start to an urban fantasy series. I read this one when it was written in 2010 but just downloaded the audiobook which was part of my Audible subscription in the Audible Plus Catalog.

Because this is the first book of a four book series, a lot of time is spent introducing the characters and setting the scene. It is set in the same world as her Retrievers series and her Sylvan Investigations series. The world is a bit of a twist on the real world where Ben Franklin discovered that Current is for more than electricity. Some humans have the ability to use it for a variety of magical things including translocation. 

Bonnie Torres is a twenty-one-year-old college graduate who is looking for a job. She is a Talent which means working in any sort of business with lots of technology is contra-indicated since Talents usually zap any technology near them. Bonnie is bi-sexual. She is also an orphan. Her lone jack (unaffiliated Talent) father was murdered and she was given to the guardianship of Council Talent Jay. This means that she has a foot in both camps of the magical world. It also means that she doesn't have money issues so long as she's willing to keep depending on Jay - which she doesn't want to do.

She receives a surprise job offer from an unexpected source. Two men, one lone jack and one Council, have plans to open an investigative business to look into paranormal crime. She and four other recent college graduates have been recruited for this new venture. All of them paranormal abilities of one sort or another.

After a bunch of training and lots of worry about whether or not the new business will be successful, PUPI gets its first case. A woman doesn't believe that her parents, both Talents, committed suicide. She wants PUPI to investigate. Unfortunately, there are others who want the business to fail and who want to derail the investigation. And the investigative team is making up their techniques and procedures as they go along.

The story was engaging and entertaining. I found the worldbuilding intriguing. The characters were also interesting and well-developed people. I liked Bonnie's desire to make good in her new career choice. I look forward to reading more in the series and more in the world. 

Favorite Quote:

He was wearing another of his crunchy-granola outfits today, and I was starting to wonder which was the real Stosser, the stylish-image conscious guy, or the one who didn't seem to remember that his hair was Pippi Longstocking red?

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