ARC Review: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

The Broken Girls
Author: Simone St. James
Publication: Berkley (March 20, 2018)

Description: Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming--until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . .

Vermont, 2014. As much as she's tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister's death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can't shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past--and a voice that won't be silenced. . . .

My Thoughts: THE BROKEN GIRLS was an amazing mystery filled with secrets. Fiona Sheridan is a freelance journalist living in Vermont. The year is 2014 and she is still haunted by the death of her older sister in 1994. Her sister's boyfriend and local golden boy Tom Christopher was convicted of the murder but Fiona still has questions and spends a lot of time at the site where her sister Deb was found - the playing fields of long-closed boarding school Idlewild which was where troublesome girls were sent.

When Fiona learns that Idlewild Hall was purchased and is going to be restored as a new boarding school, she decides to write a story about it. Idlewild Hall has always had rumors of being haunted and even the local kids were afraid to explore it. When a body is found during the restoration, Fiona becomes even more determined. First, to find out who the girl was and then to learn the secrets buried at Idlewild Hall.

The story is told in two main sections. One section tells the story of four girls who were roommates in 1950 and what happens when one of them goes missing. The girls were throw-aways from their families. Katie was raped at thirteen which embarrassed her family enough to send her away. She is smart, beautiful and a magnet for trouble. Roberta went mute after she saw her Army veteran uncle about to commit suicide. Both situations, Roberta's issues and the uncle's attempted suicide were also embarrassing. CeCe is the illegitimate daughter of a rich powerful man and his housekeeper who was sent to Idlewild Hall after her mother tried to kill her. Sonia is a orphan and a survivor of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp.

The second section takes place in 2014 when Fiona begins her investigation. She's dating the son of the retired police chief but his family is against the relationship. Cops and journalists aren't supposed to be that close. The former police chief is a firm member of the good old boys club that is known for doing favors for friends rather than following the letter of the law.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked the way the two time periods (or three if you count 1994 when Fiona's sister Deb was murdered) were all interwoven. The book was filled with secrets that were gradually revealed. The characters were all engaging. The ghost that haunted Idlewild Hall and showed people their worst moments added a wonderful creepiness to the whole story.

I highly recommend this book.

Favorite Quote:

Sonia's chair jerked: Katie, kicking it from the desk behind. Sonia had never seen a girl who got bored as fast, or as dangerously, as Katie. Roberta had the ability to be still, and CeCe rarely got bored at all, but behind Katie's tilted, dark-lashed eyes lurked a restless intelligence that sometimes looked for trouble.

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

Friday Memes: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

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:

Barrons, Vermont
November 1950

The sun vanished below the horizon as the girl crested the rise of Old Barrons Road. Night, and she still had three miles to go.

Friday 56:

The records from Ravensbruck were destroyed," Ginette said, her voice clipped with calm anger. "They were incinerated right before the Russians liberated the camp in 1945. Records survive from many of the other camps, but Ravensbruck was obliterated. Willfully forgotten, if you will."

This week I am spotlighting The Broken Girls by Simone St. James. I got this eARC from Edelweiss. Here is the description from Amazon:

Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming--until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . .

Vermont, 2014. As much as she's tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister's death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can't shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past--and a voice that won't be silenced. . . .

Book Review: Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn

Martians Abroad
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Publication: Tor Books (January 17, 2017)

Description: Well-known for her bestselling series Kitty Norville, Carrie Vaughn moves to science fiction with Martians Abroad, a novel with great crossover appeal. Polly Newton has one single-minded dream, to be a starship pilot and travel the galaxy. Her mother, the Director of the Mars Colony, derails Polly's plans when she sends Polly and her genius twin brother, Charles, to Galileo Academy on Earth.

Homesick and cut off from her plans for her future, Polly cannot seem to fit into life on Earth. Strange, unexplained, dangerous coincidences centered on their high-profile classmates begin piling up. Charles may be right―there's more going on than would appear, and the stakes are high. With the help of Charles, Polly is determined to find the truth, no matter the cost.

My Thoughts: MARTIANS ABROAD was an interesting science fiction story story starring Polly Newton and her twin brother Charles. Polly and Charles were born on Mars which is being colonized by Earth. Their mother is the Director of the Mars Colony. Polly's only goal in life is to learn how to pilot a spaceship. She is extremely disappointed and angry when she finds out the her mother has enrolled her and Clark in the Galileo Academy on Earth. The Galileo Academy is the school where the movers and shakers of Earth and the other colonies send their kids so that they can form connections that will benefit them for the rest of their life.

Polly is not at all excited to go to Earth and go to that school. She has good reason. The kids from off planet are treated as a lower class minority. They also have to deal with being less able to survive on Earth because they aren't used to the gravity. To make it even worse it looks like someone is staging some dangerous situations for Polly to deal with. First, one of the Earth girls who has become her friend is knocked off a cliff while they are on a field trip to Yosemite. Polly manages to save her but at the cost of fractured ribs. The next situation occurs when they are touring Manhattan which is now one big museum.

Polly, Charles and their friends identify the person arranging the accidents but they really don't know why the accidents are being arranged. They are fearful when they learn that their next field trip will be to the Moon. Space is dangerous enough without having someone arranging accidents. Polly is a great character. She is curious and brave and quite a hero though she says what she does is just what anyone would do.

This science fiction book reminded my of an oldie by Robert A. Heinlein. PODKAYNE OF MARS (1963) also has a brother and sister who are on their way to Earth. The female lead tells the story in both books. In Heinlein's book, the brother is younger and a socially maladjusted genius. In this book, Charles is Polly's twin. The genius part is the same and so is the maladjustment.

Science fiction fans will enjoy this story.

Favorite Quote:

"I just want to say thank you. You saved my life. So thank you."

Saved her life -- sounded very momentous. Huge, really, and it a way, scarier than falling. I didn't want to be responsible for something so important. I'd helped her because I could, because that was what you did -- helped people. At the colony, we couldn't survive without working together.

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

ARC Review: Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss

Deja Moo
Author: Kirsten Weiss
Series: A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Midnight Ink (March 8, 2018)

Description: A holiday tradition turns deadly, but is the paranormal museum to blame?

Maddie Kosloski is no fan of San Benedetto's Christmas Cow, a thirty-foot straw bovine that graces the town square every December. For one thing, the cow displaces her paranormal museum as the number one tourist attraction. Plus, every year, despite around-the-clock surveillance, the cow goes up in flames.

But this year, there's more than just a fire blazing in Maddie's wine-country hometown. One of the Christmas Cow guards has been found with an arrow in his chest, and Maddie's new haunted cowbell exhibit is fueling a panic. Are the spirits in her museum getting too hot to handle? If Maddie can't stop the hysteria―and the murderous archer―her holiday plans might not be the only thing full of holes.

My Thoughts: Maddie Koslowski runs the local paranormal museum. It is time for the yearly Christmas Cow display and she is featuring a set of cursed cowbells to draw tourists her way. Every year, someone finds a way to set the cow on fire but this year there is an added complication. the head of the dairy association is found shot with an arrow when the cow is destroyed by flaming arrows. Maddie's mother was on guard duty which encourages Maddie to get involved investigating the murder.

It isn't much later when a member of the town council is also found dead of an arrow shot. Maddie and her mom are busy trying to find out who killed the two and why. There are lots of suspects to choose from. The town councilor was having an affair with the dairy guy which could point the finger at her husband. Or, since her son was part of the group that burned the cow, maybe he was the one who killed the dairy guy. Then there is the question of whether or not the town councilor was taking bribes. Is the person angered by that the woman who wants to build a new housing development or the dairy farmer who wants to sell raw milk?

And while Maddie is trying to figure out who the killer is, the whole question of the cursed cowbells is creating an unsettled feeling in the town. Both Maddie and the police are getting lots of calls from people fearful that they will be the next to die because they are hearing cowbells.

That would be enough to keep any small business owner busy but Maddie is also dealing with an ex whose old girlfriend came back to town along with the son he never knew she had. She is also a suspect in the deaths because she is the one who won a substantial pot of money in the betting pool for when the Christmas Cow would be destroyed. While Maddie is investigating, she is also growing a new relationship with police detective Jason Slate.

This was a fun paranormal mystery will a bunch of engaging characters.

Favorite Quote:

"You're more experienced with this sort of thing. What would you do?"

"You already know my investigative technique."

"Yes, but I don't think asking questions until someone tries to kill you is terribly practical."

My grip tightened on the wheel. "I'm trying to change up that last bit."

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

First Paragraph/Teaser Tuesday: Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss

Every Tuesday Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posted the first paragraph of a book she is reading or planning to read. In 2018, Vicki from I'd Rather Be at the Beach is taking over this meme.

Here's mine:

I aimed the flashlight beneath the hood of my vintage pickup and frowned at the tangle of wires.

 

Link up here. It is very easy to play along:

• 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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Here's mine:

"You have to come to the Visitors Bureau. Now."

My brows drew together. "What's wrong?"

"Your mother is here."

I went cold. "Is she all right?"

"She's running amuck," Penny hissed. "Get over here.Now!" She hung up.

This week I am spotlighting Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss. I got this eARC from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:

A holiday tradition turns deadly, but is the paranormal museum to blame?

Maddie Kosloski is no fan of San Benedetto's Christmas Cow, a thirty-foot straw bovine that graces the town square every December. For one thing, the cow displaces her paranormal museum as the number one tourist attraction. Plus, every year, despite around-the-clock surveillance, the cow goes up in flames.

But this year, there's more than just a fire blazing in Maddie's wine-country hometown. One of the Christmas Cow guards has been found with an arrow in his chest, and Maddie's new haunted cowbell exhibit is fueling a panic. Are the spirits in her museum getting too hot to handle? If Maddie can't stop the hysteria―and the murderous archer―her holiday plans might not be the only thing full of holes.

ARC Review: Bones Don't Lie by Melinda Leigh

Bones Don't Lie
Author: Melinda Leigh
Series: Morgan Dane, Book 3
Publication: Montlake Romance (March 13, 2018)

Description: Shocking evidence hits close to home for attorney Morgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger as Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s acclaimed series continues.

Private investigator Lance Kruger was just a boy when his father vanished twenty-three years ago. Since then he’s lived under the weight of that disappearance—until his father’s car is finally dredged up from the bottom of Grey Lake. It should be a time for closure, except for the skeleton found in the trunk. A missing person case gone cold has become one of murder, and Lance and attorney Morgan Dane must face the deadly past that’s risen to the surface.

For Lance, the investigation yields troubling questions about a man he thought he knew. But memories can play dirty tricks. For Morgan, uncovering each new lie comes with a disquieting fear that someone is out there watching, because someone is killing every witness tied to this decades-old crime. Morgan and Lance follow in the shadows of a relentless killer and walk right into the cross fire.

My Thoughts: For twenty-three years Lance Kruger has been wondering what happened to his father. He left one evening to go to the grocery store and never returned, leaving ten-year-old Lance to care his mother who had and has a variety of mental illnesses including anxiety and agoraphobia. Lance was mentored by Lincoln Sharp who investigated the disappearance and has since formed his own private investigations business. After Lance was shot in the line of duty, he left the police force and joined Sharp as a private investigator. 

This is the third book in this series. In the earlier books, Lance meets widowed lawyer Morgan Dane and her three young daughters. Now Morgan is in private practice as a defense attorney and renting an office from Sharp. Together they have investigated a few cases and have been building a relationship. Not an easy thing for a harried mother of young children and a man who has a mother who still suffers from a mental illness.

As this book begins, Vic Kruger's car has been discovered in a nearby lake and there is a body which has been reduced to bones in the trunk. At first it is thought to be Vic's and the placement indicates that he was murdered. They soon learn that the bones don't belong to Vic but rather to a young woman named Mary Fox who disappeared the same day Vic did.

Sharp, Lance and Morgan go back to the beginning and look at all the information about Vic's disappearance and now have a new disappearance to investigate. It also looks like the murderer has decided it's time to clean up any possible witnesses and more murders take place. Lance's mother is also attacked in what first looks like a suicide attempt.

This story is fast-paced and intense. The chapters from the murderer's point of view are chilling. I enjoyed the relationship that is building between Lance and Morgan. They are both great characters - strong, smart, and fierce.

Favorite Quote:

"Since you seem to be a little confused about the mechanics of a relationship, I'm going to lay it out for you. Straight. No bullshit." She caught and held his gaze. "A successful adult relationship requires support and sharing on both sides. It's not a one-way street where one person does all the giving and the other does all the taking."

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 12, 2018)

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. YA and middle grade reviews will still be posted on  Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

Other Than Reading...

My house closing went well on Monday despite the fact that they were having a snowstorm in Rochester that made driving interesting. The money showed up in my checking account on Wednesday. I had my taxes done on Thursday. I was a little worried about the effect of selling the house I owned with my brother but good record keeping actually made the sale show up as a loss which I could claim on my taxes. I owed a small amount of money to the State but got a big Federal refund which almost tempts me to go to my income sources and reduce the amount withheld. However, I think I'll wait a year because of the new tax laws. I'd much rather get a large refund than have to pay in for taxes.

My plan this week is to take the money from our house sales and pay off the mortgage on the house where we are living. I am looking forward to being mortgage free. I am also looking forward to Spring. The weather report for the coming week looks like we will have lots of melting going on. Last week's predicted snowstorm missed us completely as the wind off Lake Superior pushed it around us. I was a little disappointed but my brother who is the one who does the shoveling and snowblowing wasn't.

This week I also plan on concentrating on YA books since I got a little ahead on my calendar with reading a variety of adult books and need to catch up.

Read Last Week

• A Glimmer of Hope by Steve McHugh - urban fantasy for my Kindle First pick this month. My review will be posted on March 27.
• The Stone Girl's Story by Sarah Beth Durst - middle grade fantasy that was excellent. My review will be posted on April 3.
• Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance - cozy mystery and second in a series. My review will be posted on April 4.

• Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs - latest by a favorite author. My review will be posted on April 14.
• The Shadow of Death by Jane Willan - cozy mystery whose main character is a Welsh nun. My review will be posted on April 5.
• Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston - humorous paranormal romance. My review will be posted on March 22.

• Lord of the Pies by Nell Hampton - 2nd in series of mysteries solved by the personal chef to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge telling of murders committed in Kensington Palace. My review will be posted on April 7.
• Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope - fascinating main character with unique psychic gift in this police procedural mystery. My review will be posted on April 9.
• Whispers of the Dead by Spencer Kope - 2nd mystery starring Steps Craig as he and his team track down another serial killer. My review will be posted on April April 12.

Currently

I haven't decided which of the YAs on next week's plan I'll start with.

Next Week

From YA TBR mountain:

• Windwitch by Susan Dennard
• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
• Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

From my YA Review Stack:

• White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig (April 24)
• The Reckless Rescue (The Explorers Club) by Adrienne Kress (April 24)
• Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian (April 24)

Adult books:

• Find Her by Lisa Gardner (Mine)
• The Dragon's Glare by T.J. & M.L. Wolf (Dec. 23, 2017)
• Shattered Mirror by Iris Johansen (April 24)

Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:

• Searcher of the Dead by Nancy Herriman
• Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown
• Under the Shadows by Gwen Florio

On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:

• The Final Six by Alexandra Monir
• Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

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

Bought

• The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart
• Willnot by James Sallis
• Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton

• Xoe Meyers Trilogy by Sara C. Roethle 
• Discount Armageddon by Seanan MacGuire
• The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kristen (or maybe Kirsten) Weiss

For my Keeper Shelf:

• Lake Silence by Anne Bishop - I bought both a Kindle and Print copy.
• Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

Review Stack

• The Memory of Fire by Callie Bates (June 5)
• Girl with a Gun by Kari Bovee (June 19)

• The Butterfly Conspiracy by Vivian Conroy (August 7)
• Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston (March 27)

What was your week like?