ARC Review: Silence in the Library by Katharine Schellman

Silence in the Library
Author: Katharine Schellman
Series: A Lily Adler Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (July 13, 2021)

Description: Regency widow Lily Adler didn't expect to find a corpse when visiting a family friend. Now it's up to her to discover the killer in the charming second installment in the Lily Adler mysteries.

Regency widow Lily Adler has finally settled into her new London life when her semi-estranged father arrives unexpectedly, intending to stay with her while he recovers from an illness. Hounded by his disapproval, Lily is drawn into spending time with Lady Wyatt, the new wife of an old family friend. Lily barely knows Lady Wyatt. But she and her husband, Sir Charles, seem as happy as any newly married couple until the morning Lily arrives to find the house in an uproar and Sir Charles dead.

All signs indicate that he tripped and struck his head late at night. But when Bow Street constable Simon Page is called to the scene, he suspects foul play. And it isn't long before Lily stumbles on evidence that Sir Charles was, indeed, murdered.

Mr. Page was there when Lily caught her first murderer, and he trusts her insight into the world of London's upper class. With the help of Captain Jack Hartley, they piece together the reasons that Sir Charles's family might have wanted him dead. But anyone who might have profited from the old man's death seems to have an alibi... until Lily receives a mysterious summons to speak with one of the Wyatts' maids, only to find the young woman dead when she arrives.

Mr. Page believes the surviving family members are hiding the key to the death of both Sir Charles and the maid. To uncover the truth, Lily must convince the father who doesn't trust or respect her to help catch his friend's killer before anyone else in the Wyatt household dies.

My Thoughts: Lily Adler is settling into her life in London when her father pays an unexpected visit. She and her father don't get along. He doesn't respect her and much favors his godson Frank Wyatt. He sends Lily to pay a call on his friend Sir Charles since he doesn't approve of Sir Charles' recent wedding to a younger woman. 

Lily calls and finds the new Lady Wyatt an unexceptionable lady. However, she also finds herself present when some money is discovered to be missing. At first a servant is blamed but Lily quickly realizes that the money was actually stolen by Sir Charles' nephew Percy which leads to an embarrassing moment for an outsider.

When Lily arrives the next morning to ride with Lady Wyatt, she comes upon a difficult situation again. This time she learns that Sir Charles has been found dead in his library. Since it looks like murder, Simon Page from the Bow Street Runners is called in but the Wyatts don't want to cooperate with his investigation.

Mr. Page knew Mrs. Adler from an earlier case and drafts her to do some investigating since she is of the correct social class and would be welcomed by the Wyatt's when he would not. It also helps that the Wyatt's were neighbors in the county and Mrs. Adler is familiar with them.

When a young maid also dies, Lily, Simon and Lily's friend Captain Jack Hartley are all very busy trying to find out who committed the murders. 

This was an entertaining Regency mystery with interesting characters. I really like Lily Adler's determination to solve the crime but also her worries that her life as an investigator could hurt her socially. I liked the way she stood up to her father's bullying. 

Favorite Quote:

Simon cleared his throat. "I should have learned the last time not to argue with you."

She patted his hand. "Everyone learns not to argue with me eventually. Except my father. That man will never learn."

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

ARC Review: Back from the Brink by Emery Hayes

Back from the Brink
Author: Emery Hayes
Series: Nicole Cobain Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (July 13, 2021)

Description: Dead bodies and bad cops make for a brutal Montana spring-and a small-town sheriff's worst nightmare in the second thrilling installment of the Nicole Cobain mysteries.

It's a glorious spring in Blue Mesa, Montana, but not all is well in paradise. The authorities have been waging war against drug traffickers who use "mules" to carry the dope and cash across the Canadian border. And murder gets thrown into the equation when sheriff Nicole Cobain is called to the lake to assist Border Patrol but finds their boat adrift and a dead man in the ice. When the police drag the lake looking for bodies, they recover a satchel containing money and drugs--a satchel marked with the Border Patrol seal.

The evidence points to corrupt elements within the Border Patrol who are involved in the drug trade. Then, another murder victim turns up--the brother of Frank, a Border Patrol agent who's been trying to root out the bad agents.

Nicole suspects that the two missing agents may have been responsible for the theft of the money and drugs, but when one of them is found dead from a single gunshot wound, the trail suddenly grows cold. As the bodies pile up, Nicole begins to feel that she's the only good guy on the scene--and on the brink of a terrible discovery that could shake the community to its core.

My Thoughts: This episode of the Nicole Cobain mysteries sees Sheriff Nicole Cobain dealing with dead bodies, corrupt cops, and missing evidence. She's called by the Border Patrol because of a found body encased in ice on a lake where the ice is breaking up. When she arrives the Border Patrol officers are missing.

As she and her medical examiner and boyfriend MacAulay investigate the body, they discover another crime scene. This one has an execution style killing and a missing pregnant girl. She's an undocumented alien in an area known for them because of its near proximity to the Canadian border. 

Nicole doesn't know who she can trust when she knows the local Border Patrol is filled with corruption. She can't trust any of the evidence they discovered relating to the body on the lake or the young man killed execution style. 

This was a tension-filled and fast-paced thriller. I also liked that Nicole was working on her relationship with MacAulay and growing to trust him more. I liked her relationship with her young son as she tries to fit in motherhood while holding a much-more-than-full-time job. 

Favorite Quote:

"Oooh, you get mad like a man," he said, sitting back in his chair and folding his hands over his midsection.

"And that's supposed to make me warm up to you?"

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. 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.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 5, 2021)

 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...

This was a quiet week. Our weather has been pretty nice - sunny and warm. Our central air conditioning is doing a good job of keeping things comfortable. The next couple of days are supposed to top out in the 90s but I don't have to go out in the heat. We got our most recent power bill and were unsurprised that we made more power than we used. We are building up our cushion for winter. February was the last month when we actually had to pay. 

This week saw the arrival of two review books that seem to have a long enough lead time since they are being published August 10 and August 17, but I'm far enough ahead that I had to rearrange my calendar and scheduled posts. Now I have ten posts already scheduled for August and ten posts already scheduled for September. Books I'm reading now that are already on my calendar are scheduled for August posts. Books I throw in will be reviewed, if I decide to review them, in September. It's not hard to get ahead when posting 4 review a week but reading 7 books a week. 

June Report

I read 33 books in June including 15 audiobooks and 11 review books. Total pages this month were 11,859.

I added 56 books to my collection in June. I got 27 new audiobooks mostly with their associated Kindle book. I also got 10 new Review books. 44 of my new arrivals are still marked TBR.

My current TBR pile consisting of print books, Kindle books, and audiobooks totals 2339. I did go through some of the physical books and take some off the pile this past month. I should do more since I have a number I am no longer interested in reading. It would help if I had somewhere to donate the ones I don't want. 

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.)

• Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne (Review; August 10) -- This second-in-a-series urban fantasy stars a sigil agent who needs to travel from his home in Scotland to Australia when some of his fellow agents go missing. Lots of witty banter and great characters. My review will be posted on August 4.
• Murder At Morrington Hall by Clara McKenna (Mine) -- This was a fun historical mystery set in 1905 and stars a young American woman who comes to England to marry into the aristocracy. My review will be posted on September 18.
• The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick (Mine; Audiobook) -- This was another fun story that combines Paranormal Romance and Historical Mystery. Great characters and witty banter. My review will be posted on September 16.

• Evil Dark by Justin Gustainis (The paperback has been on my stack for about 10 years, but I read the Kindle and listened to the audiobook) -- This is a hard-boiled mystery set in a world with witches, vampires and fanatical humans. My review will be posted on August 14.
• The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams (Kindle and Audiobook) -- This cozy mystery is perfect for booklovers. Former librarian turned bookstore owner and three friends come to the aid of a young woman hiding in her bookstore. Lots of references to books and reading. My review will be posted on August 12.

• Cast in Oblivion by Michelle Sagara (Mine; Reread) -- 14th Chronicles of Elantra sees all the politics around the Cohort taking their Test of Names to become members of the Barrani High Court. I first read and reviewed this one in 2019.
• Cast in Wisdom by Michelle Sagara (Mine; Reread) -- 15th Chronicles of Elantra has Kaylin exploring the borders between fiefs and discovering an ancient lost Academy that existed before the fall of Ravelon and the rise of the towers. I read and reviewed this one in 2020.

Currently

• Cast in Conflict by Michelle Sagara (Mine)

Next Week

• More Than Fiends by Maureen Child (Mine since April 17, 2008)
• At Summer's End by Courtney Ellis (Review; August 10)
• The Family Plot by Megan Collins (Review; August 17)

• A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K. Hamilton (Review; August 17)
• All Night Long with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews (Review; August 24)
• Eyes of the Forest by April Henry (Review; August 24)

Reviews Posted

• Death at the Crystal Palace by Jennifer Ashley
• Fallen by Linda Castillo

• A Thin Disguise by Catherine Bybee
• Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant

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

Kindle

• Cast in Conflict by Michelle Sagara
• Hex on the Beach by Kelley Armstrong, Jeaniene Frost, & Melissa Marr

Audiobooks (& Kindle)

• Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy
• Death on the Green by Catie Murphy
• White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz

Review

• At Summer's End by Courtney Ellis (August 10)
• A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K. Hamilton (August 17)

What was your week like?

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.

Friday Memes: Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant

 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:

He arrived at Regina Guerrero's house at the usual time. As he walked up the front path, he waved to her son, Ricky, who played in the yard. The four-year-old grinned, his wide brown eyes the only part of his face not covered in dirt. Gina needed to take better care of that kid.

Friday 56:

She stared at the flies. "Go away, Jake."

He left, and the police officers went with him. She was alone, locked in a cell without food, and they hadn't given her water since midday. The Mexican summer heat was unbearable. She no longer cared about food. She just wanted water.

This week I am spotlighting Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant. The Kindle copy was free and the Audible copy was included in my membership. Here is the description from Amazon:

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.

ARC Review: Fallen by Linda Castillo

Fallen
Author: Linda Castillo 
Series: Kate Burkholder (Book 13)
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 6, 2021)

Description: In New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo’s new thriller Fallen, a rebellious Amish woman leaves the Plain life, but the secrets she takes with her will lead Chief of Police Kate Burkholder down a dark path to danger and death.

When a young woman is found murdered in a Painters Mill motel, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is shocked to discover she once knew the victim. Rachael Schwartz was a charming but troubled Amish girl who left the fold years ago and fled Painters Mill. Why was she back in town? And who would kill her so brutally?

Kate remembers Rachael as the only girl who was as bad at being Amish as Kate was―and those parallels dog her. But the more Kate learns about Rachael's life, the more she's convinced that her dubious reputation was deserved. As a child, Rachael was a rowdy rulebreaker whose decision to leave devastated her parents and best friend. As an adult, she was charismatic and beautiful, a rabble-rouser with a keen eye for opportunity no matter who got in her way. Her no-holds-barred lifestyle earned her a lot of love and enemies aplenty―both English and Amish.

As the case heats to a fever pitch and long-buried secrets resurface, a killer haunts Painters Mill. Someone doesn’t want Rachael’s past―or the mysteries she took with her to the grave―coming to light. As Kate digs deeper, violence strikes again, this time hitting close to home. Will Kate uncover the truth and bring a murderer to justice? Or will a killer bent on protecting a terrible past stop her once and for all―and let the fallen be forgotten?

My Thoughts: Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called to a motel for a dead body and finds the remains of young woman she knew from her own youth. Rachael Schwartz was another who left the Amish way of life. Now, she's returned to Painters Mill in time to be beaten to death with a baseball bat.

As Kate tries to discover who murdered Rachel she uncovers a number of secrets from Rachel's past. Rachael never fit in as an Amish young girl. She was too much of a troublemaker. She didn't like the rules. It doesn't help that when she left, she wrote a tell-all book about growing up Amish that has upset most of the community.

Kate also learns that she was still a troublemaker and not quite ethical. Her bank accounts and income shouldn't support her lavish lifestyle. Kate and Tomasetti discover that she was probably a blackmailer. Maybe it was her blackmailer that ended her life.

Even when the blackmailer is discovered, Kate is unconvinced that he was also her murder. Her continued investigation into Rachael's past and her murderer put Kate in the crosshairs of villains who will do anything to protect their secrets. 

This was an excellent, action-packed thriller. It is a wonderful entry into the Kate Burkholder mystery series.

Favorite Quote:

It's the pink polish on the toenails that turns me inside out and rouses the stir of outrage. And for the hundredth time I'm reminded that just a day and a half ago this young woman cared about such trivial, everyday things as a pedicure. She painted her nails and put on makeup. She went shopping and combed her hair. She laughed and breathed and touched the lives of thoe people around her. I take all of it in, the broken heap of what's left, and for an instant I'm frightened in some base and primal way.

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