Stacking the Shelves (September 15, 2013)

Tynga of Team Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow.

I added four books to my Kindle this week.

The Second Ship by Richard Phillips was a Kindle Daily Deal this week. It sounds like an entertaining science fiction series.

Immune by Richard Phillips, the second book in the trilogy, was also a Daily Deal.

Wormhole by Richard Phillips is the third book in the trilogy and was also a Daily Deal. Now I just have to find time to read these monsters. They are all over 500 pages. 

Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur was added to my Kindle this week too. I had read Keri Arthur's books a few years ago and, when I started seeing her name again, I thought that they were being reprinted by a new publisher. I didn't realize until recently that Darkness Bound starts a whole new series. 

What did you add to your stack this week?

ARC Review: The Impersonator by Mary Miley

The Impersonator

Author: Mary Miley

Publication: Minotaur Books; 1 edition (September 17, 2013)

Description: In 1917, Jessie Carr, fourteen years old and sole heiress to her family’s vast fortune, disappeared without a trace. Now, years later, her uncle Oliver Beckett thinks he’s found her: a young actress in a vaudeville playhouse is a dead ringer for his missing niece. But when Oliver confronts the girl, he learns he’s wrong. Orphaned young, Leah’s been acting since she was a toddler.

Oliver, never one to miss an opportunity, makes a proposition—with his coaching, Leah can impersonate Jessie, claim the fortune, and split it with him. The role of a lifetime, he says. A one-way ticket to Sing Sing, she hears. But when she’s let go from her job, Oliver’s offer looks a lot more appealing. Leah agrees to the con, but secretly promises herself to try and find out what happened to the real Jessie. There’s only one problem: Leah’s act won’t fool the one person who knows the truth about Jessie’s disappearance.

Set against a Prohibition-era backdrop of speakeasies and vaudeville houses, Mary Miley’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition winner The Impersonator will delight readers with its elaborate mystery and lively prose.

My Thoughts: THE IMPERSONATOR was an excellent historical mystery filled with details about Vaudeville, bootlegging, and life in the Pacific Northwest in the 1920s. Leah has been in Vaudeville since she was an infant and has survived alone since her mother's death when Leah was twelve. She has gone from act to act and changed her name to fit ever since. 

But one night, Oliver Beckett comes to her with a proposition that will change her life. She is a dead ringer for his niece Jessie who disappeared at age fourteen. Jessie was the sole heir to the Carr fortune. Now the time of her twenty-first birthday and the seventh anniversary of her disappearance are approaching. Oliver wants Leah to impersonate Jessie, inherit the money, and share it with him. Leah turns him down at first but when she loses her job with her current act and can't find another, desperation forces her to take Oliver's offer. She is in training to become Jessamyn Beckett Carr.

After some quick tutoring, Leah first tries out her act on Oliver's mother who was Jessie's grandmother. Acceptance by her Grandmother and her Uncle Oliver and a story that will be hard for the trustees of "Jessie's" estate to disprove helps pave the way to meeting her aunt and cousins at Cliff House in Oregon. Jessie disappeared while in the care of this family. Her Aunt Veronica was consumed by her husband's last illness and Jessie was left at the mercy of her older cousins Henry and Ross and the teasing of her younger twin cousins Valerie and Caroline.

While learning about Jessie, Leah becomes determined to find out what happened to her. She quickly learns that other young women from the area had been murdered. Because they were poor and Chinese or Native their deaths weren't being investigated very thoroughly. Leah quickly begins to suspect that one of her cousins - either Henry or Ross - was involved. Leah also has to deal with a number of attempts on her life when she assumes the role of Jessie.

This was an excellent mystery. I enjoyed getting to know Leah and could easily empathize with her decision to try for a better life. I liked the period details and the mentions of Vaudeville stars that had later careers in radio and television. Jack Benny plays a key role as Leah's friend. I highly recommend this engaging and well-written novel. 

Favorite Quote:

Mother came to me every night in my dreams, but I wouldn't listen to her. Vaudeville had beaten me down and humiliated me beyond recovery. I couldn't go back for another punch in the face. I wasn't as talented as Mother thought. As I myself had once thought. And I had found work, I argued. I had taken a role in Oliver Beckett's production of She Stoops to Con, and if I played the part well, I had a shot at real money, a comfortable life, and something else. Something money couldn't buy. Suppose they were happy to see me? Suppose I really could take Jessie's place in Jessie's family?

I got this eARC through Minotaur Books' early reviewer program. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Impersonator by Mary Miley

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.

This week The Impersonator by Mary Miley is closest to hand. I got the eARC through Minotaur Books' early reviewer program. Here is the description of this September 17 release:

In 1917, Jessie Carr, fourteen years old and sole heiress to her family’s vast fortune, disappeared without a trace. Now, years later, her uncle Oliver Beckett thinks he’s found her: a young actress in a vaudeville playhouse is a dead ringer for his missing niece. But when Oliver confronts the girl, he learns he’s wrong. Orphaned young, Leah’s been acting since she was a toddler.

Oliver, never one to miss an opportunity, makes a proposition—with his coaching, Leah can impersonate Jessie, claim the fortune, and split it with him. The role of a lifetime, he says. A one-way ticket to Sing Sing, she hears. But when she’s let go from her job, Oliver’s offer looks a lot more appealing. Leah agrees to the con, but secretly promises herself to try and find out what happened to the real Jessie. There’s only one problem: Leah’s act won’t fool the one person who knows the truth about Jessie’s disappearance.

Set against a Prohibition-era backdrop of speakeasies and vaudeville houses, Mary Miley’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition winner The Impersonator will delight readers with its elaborate mystery and lively prose.

Beginning:

I felt his eyes before I saw his face.

Friday 56:

"I'll wager there was no love lost between those two brothers," I remarked. 

ARC Review: She Can Scream by Melinda Leigh

She Can Scream

Author: Melinda Leigh

Publication: Montlake Romance (September 17, 2013)

Description: In one moment, high school teacher and single mother Brooke Davenport interrupts a vicious assault, saves a young woman’s life, and attracts the attention of a serial killer.

Sixteen years ago, Brooke lost her roommate to a brutal murder. Now she teaches women’s self-defense, still trying to heal from the guilt and grief that plague her. Convinced the predator knows his victims and is stalking his prey online, she is determined to find him before he strikes again. Her brother’s friend, Luke has the computer expertise to help. But Brooke’s unexpected desire for Luke complicates her investigation, and her fixation with the case provokes a deadly reaction from the killer.

Injured in terrorist bombing overseas, computer expert Luke Holloway is still haunted by flashbacks of his young assistant’s death in the explosion. But Luke can’t refuse the request of a deployed friend to look after his sister, Brooke. Taking on responsibility for Brooke’s safety threatens Luke’s tenuous recovery, especially after he develops feelings for her that transcend a promise to a friend. When Brooke saves a young girl from a brutal assault and becomes a killer’s obsession, Luke vows to protect her at all costs.

My Thoughts: Brooke Davenport is a math teacher and divorced mother of two teenagers. She also teaches a self-defense class for young woman to help assuage the guilt she feels regarding the murder of her college roommate. She is suffering from survivor's guilt regarding Karen's death. When she answers screams and save another young woman from being kidnapped and killed, she becomes the focus of the killer and also obsessed with finding out who the killer is.

Luke Holloway is suffering from survivor guilt too. He is a computer security expert who was in an explosion in Manila and watched his young colleague die. He carried her down many flights of stairs despite his own burns and other injuries but she didn't survive. Now Luke is dealing with nightmares and other fears. When his best friend asks him to look after his sister Brooke while he is deployed overseas, he agrees but he hadn't bargained with trying to save her from a serial killer. 

Brooke and Luke had also not bargained on falling in love but, through the course of the dangers they face, they do. 

Even though the serial killer has chapters where he is the viewpoint character, Ms. Leigh had me completely fooled about who the killer was. I fell for the red herrings she threw out and was very surprised to learn the truth.

The story was well-written and filled with suspense. I recommend it.

Favorite Quote:

"Thanks for the help." Brooke smiled at Tony, then turned and hobbled outside. Please don't follow. Ack. He was right behind her. Lord, he was harder to get rid of than lice in a kindergarten class. 

I got this ARC through the Amazon Vine program. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Influential Magic by Deanna Chase

Influential Magic

Author: Deanna Chase

Publication: Bayou Moon Publishing (March 8, 2013)

Description: It's tough being a faery in New Orleans, a city fraught with vampires... especially when their very existence drains your life force. 

Willow Rhoswen, owner of The Fated Cupcake and part-time vampire hunter for the Void is having a rough week. Four years after her twin brother's mysterious death, Willow's life is threatened and the director saddles her with a new partner-her ex-boyfriend, David. To her horror, he's turned vamp, which causes her physical pain whenever she touches him... and any other specimen of the undead. 

In order to save Willow's life, David agrees to turn double agent against the most powerful vampire organization in New Orleans. Or so he says. And she's convinced they know something about her brother's death. Unsure where David's loyalties lie, she turns to Talisen, her childhood crush, to help her solve the mystery. Caught between two gorgeous men and a director who'll stop at nothing to control Willow's gifts, she'll have to follow her instincts and learn who to trust. Otherwise, she risks losing more than just her life.

My Thoughts: INFLUENTIAL MAGIC was an entertaining new urban fantasy novel that provides a new take on faeries and vampires. Willow Roswen is a faery complete with wings. Her magic is life magic. She uses her magic on herbs and other living things to infuse them with magic. She runs a cupcake shop and sell her projects. However, in her research, she has found some other products that could be put to questionable use. One of the most liable to misuse is a product that lets someone influence the person it is given to. It is especially being misused by her aunt who runs an organization called the Void.

Willow is still haunted by the death of her twin brother. When her life is threatened, she is partnered with her ex-boyfriend who has become a vampire. Vampires and faeries don't mix. Vampires have death magic; faeries have life magic. Willow has a secret ability to sense vampires which makes her especially vulnerable to a vampire's touch. Willow is having a hard time getting over the change in her ex-boyfriend who had dumped her seemingly without reason. While she still loves him, she can no longer trust him or agree with the way he lives his life.

As is usual in many urban fantasy novels, this one has a love triangle. In this case her other love interest in a faery named Talisen who was her brother's best friend and who has been her friend since they were children. Willow has had a crush on him forever but is afraid, that if their love doesn't work out, she will lose his friendship too. She has watched Talisen after relationship after relationship and doesn't want to be yet another failed relationship.

This story has lots of plot lines  One of them is the investigation into her brother's death. Still another has to do with the buying and selling, using and misusing of influence. Another yet has to do with her aunt's desire to send Willow to testing to find out why she can sense vampires and learn about another new power she has recently discovered.

The story is well-written; the world building works; the characters are well-rounded and interesting people. Fans of urban fantasy will enjoy this one. 

Favorite Quote:

Our whole lives we'd been taught that our magic was a privilege. Something to be used to help people. it was not to be used as a weapon.

I bought this one for my Kindle. You can buy your copy here.

Teaser Tuesday: She Can Scream by Melinda Leigh

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. 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!

This week my teaser comes from She Can Scream by Melinda Leigh. I got this ARC through the Amazon Vine program. Here is the description of this September 17 release:

In one moment, high school teacher and single mother Brooke Davenport interrupts a vicious assault, saves a young woman’s life, and attracts the attention of a serial killer.

Sixteen years ago, Brooke lost her roommate to a brutal murder. Now she teaches women’s self-defense, still trying to heal from the guilt and grief that plague her. Convinced the predator knows his victims and is stalking his prey online, she is determined to find him before he strikes again. Her brother’s friend, Luke has the computer expertise to help. But Brooke’s unexpected desire for Luke complicates her investigation, and her fixation with the case provokes a deadly reaction from the killer.

Injured in terrorist bombing overseas, computer expert Luke Holloway is still haunted by flashbacks of his young assistant’s death in the explosion. But Luke can’t refuse the request of a deployed friend to look after his sister, Brooke. Taking on responsibility for Brooke’s safety threatens Luke’s tenuous recovery, especially after he develops feelings for her that transcend a promise to a friend. When Brooke saves a young girl from a brutal assault and becomes a killer’s obsession, Luke vows to protect her at all costs.

Teaser:

The buzz in his veins heated and rushed into his head. It had been a long time since his last kill, but if Christmas happened every day, it would lose its holiday luster. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Sept. 9, 2013)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

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.

On the Personal Front: 

The first week of school was a series of ups and downs. My new elementary computer lab is basically ready if you discount a SmartBoard that needs software loaded on the teacher computer before it will work and a number of non-working programs on the desktops. Also, we switched from Winnebago Spectrum to Follett Destiny over the summer for our library circulation program in each school and, somehow, they forgot to let us know that we needed to do a new inventory before we could add any new books to the system. Finding that out BEFORE school started would have been lots more useful than finding out on Thursday.

The first week was as exhausting as I had thought it would be. I came home from work and took a nap each day and still went to bed before 10 PM each night. It is hard to get much reading done when you can't stay awake. And that was only a four-day week! Next week we have a five-day week and our first late start which will happen every Wednesday this school year.

Last Week:

I was surprised that I still managed to read four books this week. Here they are:

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason was a fun story. It was historical. It was steampunk. It was a mystery. The main characters were the sister of Bram Stoker and the niece of Sherlock Holmes. My review will be posted on September 14.

The Impersonator by Mary Miley was a very engaging historical mystery. I loved the main character and the background historical detail about Vaudeville too. My review will be posted on September 14.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson is the beginning of a new series featuring evil super beings and the humans who are trying to kill them. I thought the main character was great and enjoyed the action and excitement in this one. My review will be posted on September 21.

Omens by Kelley Armstrong also begins a new urban fantasy series which is also a mystery. I couldn't put this one down and can't wait for more books in this series. My review will be posted on September 19.

Next Week:

I have chosen the next four books from my review stack (and one extra just in case) for this week.

Adult Books

Getting Rowdy by Lori Foster is a romantic suspense title that will be released on September 24. I have read the previous two books in the series and am eager to read Rowdy's story.

Declan's Cross by Carla Neggers is also romantic suspense. While it is the third book in a series and I haven't read the first two, the blurb sounds really intriguing. This book was released on August 27 but my stop on the blog tour is September 26.

Young Adult Books

The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School by Fowler DeWitt is a middle school title sent to me by a publicist. This book was released on September 3. 

The Real Boy by Anne Ursu was also received from a publicist. This is also a middle school title and will be released September 24. This is a follow up to Breadcrumbs which is still on my TBR mountain.

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia is also on my review stack. I got the ARC of this October 1 release at ALA in June.

What was your week like? What do you have planned for the coming week?