Teaser Tuesday: A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

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

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

Teaser:

“What do you mean?” His voice was even and calm, and that is how I knew he was truly angry. A thundering, barking, pillaging Stoker was a happy Stoker. But stillness was the thing that betrayed his deepest rage.

This week I am reading A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn. It is the second Veronica Speedwell mystery. I got this one for review from Penguin's First to Read program. Here is the description from Amazon:

Veronica Speedwell returns in a brand new adventure from Deanna Raybourn, the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries... 

London, 1887. Victorian adventuress and butterfly hunter Veronica Speedwell receives an invitation to visit the Curiosity Club, a ladies-only establishment for daring and intrepid women. There she meets the mysterious Lady Sundridge, who begs her to take on an impossible task—saving society art patron Miles Ramsforth from execution. Accused of the brutal murder of his artist mistress Artemisia, Ramsforth will face the hangman’s noose in a week’s time if Veronica cannot find the real killer.

But Lady Sundridge is not all that she seems, and unmasking her true identity is only the first of the many secrets Veronica must uncover. Together with her natural historian colleague Stoker, Veronica races against time to find the true murderer—a ruthless villain who not only took Artemisia’s life in cold blood but is happy to see Ramsforth hang for the crime. From a Bohemian artists’ colony to a royal palace to a subterranean grotto with a decadent history, the investigation proves to be a very perilous undertaking indeed....

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jan. 9, 2017)

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

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

Other Than Reading...

I had a nice relaxing Christmas break at home in Duluth with my brother. I had excellent driving conditions both ways considering that it was winter and we had a few storms during my break. I got a lot of reading done and even some planning and organizing in our new home.

We've signed the contract and turned the keys over to the man who will be doing our estate sale at our parents' house. He needs a month to go through everything and get it all set up. The sale should happen early in February.

Next will be meeting with the realtor to have her tell us what we need to do to get the house ready for sale. Hopefully it will go on the market by March. While that is going on, I also need to sort through the things in my home to decide what I'll be taking to Duluth and getting someone to do an estate sale here. I want to put the house where I'm currently living on the market in June. Hopefully, it will sell quickly and I'll be all settled in my new Duluth home by fall.

Not that I'm counting but, I marked off the calendar Friday to learn that I have 99 work days left before retirement.

I didn't mean to fall off the internet last week but I arrived back at my townhouse on Dec. 30 to find that I had no internet. A call to the service department determined that I had an outdated router which had failed. I was promised that I would received my new router on Dec. 31 but I was skeptical. The router actually arrived on Tuesday afternoon. Now I know just how frequently I turn to the internet on any given day. I didn't have access to my calendar to see what I planned to read, couldn't pay the bills that had arrived while I was gone, couldn't do any blogging, and couldn't play any of my computer games. I was suffering withdrawal Friday and Saturday but had adjusted to the new normal Sunday and Monday. Of course, once my new router was installed, I spent 8 hours straight on the internet Tuesday trying to catch up.

Read Last Two Weeks

These three review books ended 2016 for me.

• Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder is the sixth book in the Study series. I really enjoy this fantasy series. My review will be posted on January 25 for this January 31 release.
• Killing Jane by Stacy Green was an entertaining thriller and the first book I've read by this author. My review will be posted on January 26 for this January 31 release.
• The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer was an excellent urban fantasy. My review will be posted on January 28 for this February 7 release.

I finished the week reading three by favorite authors.

• A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong is from my review stack. This is the second in the Casey Duncan series and will be released on February 7. My review will be posted on Feb. 2
• Dragon Spawn by Eileen Wilks is the thirteenth book in her World of the Lupi series. It's cliffhanger ending means it isn't, I hope, the final book in the series. This is a favorite urban fantasy series because of the werewolves. My review will be posted on March 25.
• Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews is also a long-running urban fantasy series. I always enjoy Kate's adventures and Kate and Curran's romance. They are busy planning a wedding while saving the world in this one. My review will be posted on Feb. 11.

Currently

I am currently reading Beauty and the Wiener by Casey Griffin. This book from my review stack will be released on Feb. 7.

Next Week

• I See You by Clare Mackintosh is a thriller from my review stack that will be released on Feb. 21.
• The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco is also from my review stack. It will be released on March 7. I didn't know when I chose it but it appears to be a YA book.

Reviews Posted

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen

Midnight Obsession by Melinda Leigh

The Golden Gate by Robert Buettner

The Ripper's Shadow by Laura Joh Rowland

Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury

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

Hex on the Beach by Gina Lamanna (Kindle)

Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet (Kindle)

I added two anthologies for my Kindle that were both on sale.

• The Lyra novels by Patricia C. Wrede have long been on my keeper shelves. I read them years ago. I was glad to be able to get a Kindle copy of the books.
• The Annie Szabo mystery series by Meredith Blevins was recommended by one of my favorite authors and was also free when I downloaded it.

Death in the Abstract by Emily Barnes is an addition to my Review stack. It is a mystery that will be released on May 16.

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

ARC Review: Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury

Dead and Breakfast
Author: Kate Kingsbury
Series: A Merry Ghost Inn Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (January 10, 2017)

Description: Melanie West is getting her life back on track after a messy divorce when her grandmother, Liza Harris, asks her to open a B&B with her. Together, Liza and Melanie purchase a purportedly haunted mansion on the Oregon coast and jump right into clearing out the cobwebs. But while attempting to remove wallpaper in an upstairs bedroom, the new B&B owners stumble upon a very real skeleton in their closet.

The police suspect the skeleton is that of the wife of the previous owner of the B&B, but no one in town seems to want to say much about her. As the inn owners try to juggle renovations with their own amateur investigations, their grand opening looms closer and closer--and a friendly ghost in their walls starts playing tricks. But it all comes crashing to a halt when a new body is found stabbed to death on the beach below the inn--the victim chillingly close in resemblance to Melanie herself.

It seems someone doesn't appreciate newcomers prying into the small town's past, and now it's up to Melanie and Liza to get to the bottom of these murders to save their business...and their lives.

My Thoughts: Melanie West and her grandmother Liza Harris have pooled their savings to open a B & B together. They don't expect to find a skeleton in a hidden room when they are stripping wallpaper, but they do. Now their plans are on hold until the police release the scene. Liza and Melanie have to solve the murder if they want to avoid financial ruin.

When they learn that the skeleton belonged to the wife of the former owner, they start investigating people from the town who knew her. They investigate between painting, stripping wallpaper, and going through the things that were left in the house. They also investigate the cause of the eerie laughter that they frequently hear in the house. Will a ghost be an asset or a detriment to their new business?

While following the clues, Melanie finds herself in a number of dangerous situations. And when a second murder occurs with the victim bearing a close resemblance to Melanie, the danger gets even closer to home.

This was a fun mystery with a unique pair of detectives.

Favorite Quote:

We never could figure out what he was laughing at.

Paul had said that with a perfectly straight face and a note of conviction. Did he really believe there was a ghost, or was he just perpetuating a myth? She'd have given anything to know for sure.

I got this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury

Happy Friday everybody!

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

Beginning:

The paper covering the bedroom walls was a dull beige, with green ferns and brown spots that could have been pinecones or hand grenades, depending on what frame of mind you were in. Melanie West's frame of mind was definitely leaning toward the grenades.

Friday 56 (56%):

Liza smiled. "I'm worried about you. I know how much this means to you. I just don't want you to have any more big disappointments."

This week I am reading Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury. I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Here is the description from Amazon:

Melanie West is getting her life back on track after a messy divorce when her grandmother, Liza Harris, asks her to open a B&B with her. Together, Liza and Melanie purchase a purportedly haunted mansion on the Oregon coast and jump right into clearing out the cobwebs. But while attempting to remove wallpaper in an upstairs bedroom, the new B&B owners stumble upon a very real skeleton in their closet.

The police suspect the skeleton is that of the wife of the previous owner of the B&B, but no one in town seems to want to say much about her. As the inn owners try to juggle renovations with their own amateur investigations, their grand opening looms closer and closer--and a friendly ghost in their walls starts playing tricks. But it all comes crashing to a halt when a new body is found stabbed to death on the beach below the inn--the victim chillingly close in resemblance to Melanie herself.

It seems someone doesn't appreciate newcomers prying into the small town's past, and now it's up to Melanie and Liza to get to the bottom of these murders to save their business...and their lives.

ARC Review: The Ripper's Shadow by Laura Joh Rowland

The Ripper's Shadow
Author: Laura Joh Rowland
Series: A Victorian Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (January 10, 2017)

Description: The year is 1888 and Jack the Ripper begins his reign of terror.

Miss Sarah Bain, a photographer in Whitechapel, is an independent woman with dark secrets. In the privacy of her studio, she supplements her meager income by taking illicit “boudoir photographs” of the town's local ladies of the night. But when two of her models are found gruesomely murdered within weeks of one another, Sarah begins to suspect it's more than mere coincidence.

Teamed with a motley crew of friends--including a street urchin, a gay aristocrat, a Jewish butcher and his wife, and a beautiful young actress--Sarah delves into the crime of the century. But just as she starts unlocking the Ripper's secrets, she catches the attention of the local police, who believe she knows more than she's revealing, as well as from the Ripper himself, now bent on silencing her and her friends for good.

Caught in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer, Sarah races through Whitechapel's darkest alleys to find the truth...until she makes a shocking discovery that challenges everything she thought she knew about the case. Intelligent and utterly engrossing, Laura Joh Rowland's Victorian mystery The Ripper's Shadow will keep readers up late into the night.

My Thoughts: Miss Sarah Bain is a photographer in Whtechapel in London in 1888. She supplements her income by taking "naughty" photographs of prostitutes which happens to be a crime. When her subjects start being murdered in gruesome ways, she decides that she has to protect them and herself by finding the killer.

Sarah is assisted by a street urchin named Mick, a homosexual aristocrat named Hugh, a Jewish butcher and his wife, and a lovely young actress. After years of keeping people at a distance, Sarah is building herself a new family. They bond quickly as they do their investigations and find themselves in all kinds of danger.

I enjoyed the Victorian setting with the fog, soot, and grunge that fill the pages. The corrupt police, prejudicial treatment of the immigrants, the attitude toward homosexuals, and the attitude toward a woman who has a career fill this story and add to the tension. I also enjoyed this version of the Jack the Ripper story.

Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this one.

Favorite Quote:

When I'm afraid -- when my heart is pounding, my every nerve alert -- that is when I feel the most alive. I don't know why; I only know that I've always been this way. Life without fear is like a photograph without dark shadows to contrast with the bright objects. Danger adds a pleasurable thrill to my usually quiet, staid existence.

I got this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

WoW: This Is Not Over by Holly Brown

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. She has a linky widget at her site each week for your post and to make it easy to find posts by other people.

The purpose of the meme is to spotlight books that we are eagerly anticipating. It is fun to take a look at what others are waiting for. I have noticed that it has expanded my wishlist though. Be warned!

This Is Not Over

Holly Brown

Jan. 17, 2017

You’ll have your deposit within seven business days, just like it says on Getaway.com. I’ve put through a refund to your credit card for the full amount, minus $200 to replace the stained sheets...

Miranda

When 30-year-old Dawn reads Miranda’s email, she sees red. People have always told Dawn she’s beautiful, and she just hopes they don’t see beneath—to how she grew up, to what she’s always tried to outrun. She revels in her getaways with her perfect (maybe too perfect) husband, the occasional long weekend in luxurious homes, temporarily inhabiting other people’s privileged lives. Miranda’s email strikes a nerve, with its lying intimation that Dawn is so dirty you need to throw out her sheets.

Beware of your “host”

I wouldn’t have left a review at all, if I didn’t feel it was my civic duty to warn others…

57-year-old Miranda thought she’d seen it all, but she can’t believe her eyes when she reads Dawn’s review. She’s a doctor’s wife but she needs that rental money, desperately. People might think her life is privileged, but they don’t know what’s really going on. They don’t know about her son. She won’t take this threat to her livelihood—to her very life—lying down.

Two very different women with this in common: Each harbors her own secret, her own reason why she can’t just let this go. Neither can yield, not before they’ve dredged up all that’s hidden, even if it has the power to shatter all they’ve built.

This is not over.

This is so not over.

Teaser Tuesday: The Ripper's Shadow by Laura Joh Rowland

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

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

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

Teaser (from 10% of the eARC):

"Look for the truth under the surface of what's before your eyes," he said often while teaching me photography, when I was a child. "It's what makes a good picture."

This week I am reading The Ripper's Shadow by Laura Joh Rowland. I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Here is the description from Amazon:

The year is 1888 and Jack the Ripper begins his reign of terror.

Miss Sarah Bain, a photographer in Whitechapel, is an independent woman with dark secrets. In the privacy of her studio, she supplements her meager income by taking illicit “boudoir photographs” of the town's local ladies of the night. But when two of her models are found gruesomely murdered within weeks of one another, Sarah begins to suspect it's more than mere coincidence.

Teamed with a motley crew of friends--including a street urchin, a gay aristocrat, a Jewish butcher and his wife, and a beautiful young actress--Sarah delves into the crime of the century. But just as she starts unlocking the Ripper's secrets, she catches the attention of the local police, who believe she knows more than she's revealing, as well as from the Ripper himself, now bent on silencing her and her friends for good.

Caught in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer, Sarah races through Whitechapel's darkest alleys to find the truth...until she makes a shocking discovery that challenges everything she thought she knew about the case. Intelligent and utterly engrossing, Laura Joh Rowland's Victorian mystery The Ripper's Shadow will keep readers up late into the night.