Tuesday, July 31, 2018

First Paragraph/Teaser Tuesday: Set the Night on Fire by Laura Trentham

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:
Ella Boudreaux drove past Abbot Brothers Garage and Restoration instead of pulling into to parking lot and marching inside like the part owner she was. She wasn't scared exactly. More like slightly nervous about her reception.
 
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:
She looked at her phone, up at the undercarriage, and back again. It wasn't as straightforward as the picture indicated, but eventually, she located what appeared to be the oil pan and plug. She needed to use the boxy end of the wrench to remove the plug.
This week I'm reading a romance that I got from NetGalley. Set the Night on Fire by Laura Trentham is part of the Cottonbloom series. Here is the description from Amazon:
Cottonbloom is the perfect place for starting over, finding your way back home―and falling head over heels. . .

Ella Boudreaux has a lot to prove to her family, friends, and foes―and to herself. So when her marriage ends she decides to invest her energy and money into a place that brings back some of Ella’s happiest memories: the Abbott brothers’ garage. Maybe, if she puts her mind to it, she can teach skeptical, stubborn Mack Abbott how to make the business a true success. Which would be a lot easier if the hunky mechanic didn’t make her motor run quite so fast…and hot.

Mack was furious when his brother, Ford, sold his share of the business. He’s in no rush to team up with a wealthy divorcée who shows up to the garage in stilettos―and the longest, sexiest legs he’s seen in forever. But Ella’s grit and determination won’t quit…and soon Mack can see that she’s been down a few rough roads herself. Neither Mack nor Ella can deny the fierce attraction that’s revving up between them. Could it be that true love has been in the backseat all along…and they’ve finally found the key?

Monday, July 30, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 30, 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...

This week saw the conclusion of my reunion festivities. A group of us women gathered for lunch on Tuesday at a local restaurant. I didn't know we'd be sitting on the terrace and didn't slather on sunscreen before. I came home with a very pink face but had a nice time.

I finished re-reading my Anne Bishop series and now have to concentrate on reading books that are actually on my calendar. Between having a guest and the reunion activities, my cushion of reviews and other posts is down to two weeks. I really like being a month ahead on my reviews and will be concentrating on reading to build up my cushion again.

Since the end of the month is coming, I'll also be working on my State of the Stack post this week to document my progress on managing all my review copies.

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.)
  • Lake Silence by Anne Bishop - a reread of my current favorite series
  • #MurderTrending by Gretchen MacNeil - This thriller combines crime with social media for an entertaining story. My review will be posted on August 8.
  • Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill is a spinoff from her Chicagoland Vampires series and was an entertaining story. My review will be posted on August 9.
  • Mortal Arts by Anna Lee Huber - Another in the Lady Darby historical mystery series. My review will be posted on August 8.
  • Shadowspell by Jenna Black is the second in the Glimmerglass trilogy. My review will be posted on August 10.
  • Guilt by Degrees by Marcia Clark has been on my TBR mountain since July 23, 2014. I enjoyed this thriller and the characters enough to want to read all the stories and added two new ones this week. My review will be posted on August 11.
Currently
The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y. S. Lee - trying to finish a series

Next Week
Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:
A Double Life by Flynn Berry
Deep Cover by Scarlett Cole
The Butterfly Conspiracy by Vivian Conroy

On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:
The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman
The Girl You Thought I Was by Rebecca Phillips

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?
After reading Guilt by Degrees, I wanted to complete my collection of the Rachel Knight stories and added these two novellas to my Kindle.
  • I was approved at NetGalley for What I've Done by Melinda Leigh which is the latest in the Morgan Dane series and will be released on Sept. 18.
  • I bought Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean since I've been seeing good things about it and I've liked her other books.
What was your week like?



Saturday, July 28, 2018

ARC Review: The Butterfly Conspiracy by Vivian Conroy

The Butterfly Conspiracy
Author: Vivian Conroy
Series: Merriweather and Royston Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (August 7, 2018)

Description: In late Victorian times, when new inventions cause both excitement and terror, a mysterious death at a zoological lecture brings together two unlikely allies in a quest through London's upper crust and underbelly to unravel the ingenious murder method and killer behind it.

Miss Merula Merriweather is not like other women her age: instead of hunting for a husband at balls and soirees she spends her time in a conservatory hatching exotic creatures. As the Royal Zoological Society won't accept a woman's accomplishments, she has her uncle Rupert take credit for her achievements. But at a zoological lecture, the guest of honor dies after contact with one of Merula's butterflies, and Merula's uncle is arrested for murder.

In an attempt to safeguard evidence to prove his innocence, Merula almost gets killed but for the timely interference of enigmatic Lord Raven Royston. Viewing natural history as a last resort to regain respectability lost by too many dubious business investments, Raven didn't expect his first lecture to take a murderous turn. Feeling partially responsible because he encouraged Merula to release the gigantic butterfly from the glass case in which it was kept, Raven suggests they solve the puzzle of Lady Sophia's sudden death together by looking closer at her relations with estranged friends, long suffering staff and the man groomed to be her heir, so close to her money and yet unable to touch any of it.

With the police looking for them, and every new discovery raising more questions than answers, especially about the murder method which left no traces of foul play on the body, Merula will have to risk her own life to get at the truth and save her uncle from the gallows in The Butterfly Conspiracy, Vivian Conroy’s enchanting series debut.

My Thoughts: Merula Merriweather finds herself deep in a murder investigation when an evening at a Royal Zoological Society meeting includes a dead body. Worst of all, Lady Sophia dies after a butterfly Merula has hatched lands on her arm. The first diagnosis is that the butterfly poisoned her somehow. Merula's Uncle Rupert is arrested for the crime since, of course, the butterfly research had to have been his since women don't do that kind of thing. Also, he had recently had a loud argument with Lady Sophia whose nephew had been courting his daughter Julia.

Merula and a new acquaintance - Lord Raven Royston - manage to escape before Merula's connection to the butterfly can be exposed. The two of them have to find out who killed Lady Sophia while keeping out of the hands of the police. Luckily, Raven has a useful and eclectic variety of friends who will be assisting them with their detecting. Galileo is a science nerd who volunteers to test a second butterfly to assure that the butterflies are harmless and couldn't have killed Lady Sophia. Bowsprit is Raven't valet and a very good detective himself with a wide variety of contacts.

Among the suspects are Mr. Simon Foxwell, Julia's suitor and Lady Sophia's sole heir and Lord Havilock, the evenings host who wants some of his specimens back from Lady Sophia. Their investigation adds more suspects including Miss Knight who was Lady Sophia's companion but was in danger of being let go because Foxwell seemed to be trying to isolate Lady Sophia and make her dependent on him. Also, a young woman who is now a milliner but whose mother was formerly Lady Sophia's cook until being let go for accidentally adding an almond to a recipe which almost caused Lady Sophia to choke.

The mystery was entertaining. I liked Merula's determination to take care of the uncle who took her in and raised her when she was more-or-less left on their doorstep. I liked Raven who had a difficult past of his own. I liked the way the two of them and their contacts managed to figure out who really killed Lady Sophia and why. The setting of London in the 1890s was well done. I am eager to join Merula and Raven on their next adventure in Dartmoor.

Favorite Quote:
He looked at her, pale and tired. "Believe me, Merula, there is nothing worse than having to suppose a thousand things and not knowing one of them for sure."
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, July 27, 2018

Friday Memes: The Butterfly Conspiracy by Vivian Conroy

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City ReaderThe 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:
"Merula!" Julia DeVeere's voice resounded from the other room. "Come in here and work your magic on my unruly locks."
Friday 56:
It sounded cynical, and Merula blushed painfully. She rushed to say, "I don't mean it to sound as if I'm analyzing a case. Your mother's death is not a case, of course."
This week I am reading The Butterfly Conspiracy by Vivian Conroy. I got this eARC from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:
In late Victorian times, when new inventions cause both excitement and terror, a mysterious death at a zoological lecture brings together two unlikely allies in a quest through London's upper crust and underbelly to unravel the ingenious murder method and killer behind it.

Miss Merula Merriweather is not like other women her age: instead of hunting for a husband at balls and soirees she spends her time in a conservatory hatching exotic creatures. As the Royal Zoological Society won't accept a woman's accomplishments, she has her uncle Rupert take credit for her achievements. But at a zoological lecture, the guest of honor dies after contact with one of Merula's butterflies, and Merula's uncle is arrested for murder.

In an attempt to safeguard evidence to prove his innocence, Merula almost gets killed but for the timely interference of enigmatic Lord Raven Royston. Viewing natural history as a last resort to regain respectability lost by too many dubious business investments, Raven didn't expect his first lecture to take a murderous turn. Feeling partially responsible because he encouraged Merula to release the gigantic butterfly from the glass case in which it was kept, Raven suggests they solve the puzzle of Lady Sophia's sudden death together by looking closer at her relations with estranged friends, long suffering staff and the man groomed to be her heir, so close to her money and yet unable to touch any of it.

With the police looking for them, and every new discovery raising more questions than answers, especially about the murder method which left no traces of foul play on the body, Merula will have to risk her own life to get at the truth and save her uncle from the gallows in The Butterfly Conspiracy, Vivian Conroy’s enchanting series debut. 

Thursday, July 26, 2018

ARC Review: Deep Cover by Scarlett Cole

Deep Cover
Author: Scarlett Cole
Series: Love Over Duty (Book 3)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (July 31, 2018)

Description: ARE THEY IN TOO DEEP?

Ex-Navy SEAL Cabe Moss always comes when called to duty―at all costs. Even though the death of his fiancée nearly destroyed him, Cabe won’t let his past interfere with any work that has to get done. When his latest task pushes him to team up with FBI Agent Amy Murray, a fierce beauty with the undercover skills to match, Cabe must admit that, for the first time in years, he wants to do more than just complete their mission together…

Amy was born ready for this assignment, but working side-by-side with the the strong, silent, and frustratingly professional Cabe seems to be the biggest challenge of all. But when the sparks begin to fly―and the stakes rise to dangerous heights―the only thing Amy is left worrying about ishow she can resist him. Their lives may be in danger, but their hearts hold the biggest risk of all…

My Thoughts: This is the 3rd Love Over Duty romance and is Cabe's story. Cabe is still grieving the loss of his fiance Jess when she was on duty. It has been two years and he is just starting to put the loss behind him. When he meets Amy, he's attracted but guilt has him leave without pursuing the attraction.

Imagine Cabe's surprise when Amy shows up as an FBI agent who is part of an operation which includes money laundering and a bunch of missing women. Amy goes undercover as a dealer in the casino which connects to the missing women to try to see what happened. Cabe is worried about her despite her experience and competence.

Amy recently transferred to the California office after reporting sexual harassment at her previous office in Georgia. She is very attractive. She's worried that her new colleagues will think she was wrong to blow the whistle on her harassing superior.

Cabe and Amy shouldn't begin a relationship both because of their issues but because it could compromise their current operation. But love can't be denied.

The story had enough action and enough romance including hot sexual scenes to keep me reading eagerly. I liked the relationship that Cabe has with the other members of his security firm. I also liked seeing where his two partners were in their romances which each had earlier books of their own.

Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this one.

Favorite Quote:
The very reason it was beating right now was Amy, and he wanted her to know that Jess was easing into the past. Not in a way that meant she'd be forgotten, but in a way that would enable him to build a new future instead of lamenting the one he'd lost.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

ARC Review: A Double Life by Flynn Berry

A Double Life
Author: Flynn Berry
Publication: Viking (July 31, 2018)

Description: Claire is a hardworking doctor living a simple, quiet life in London. She is also the daughter of the most notorious murder suspect in the country, though no one knows it.

Nearly thirty years ago, while Claire and her infant brother slept upstairs, a brutal crime was committed in her family's townhouse. Her father's car was found abandoned near the English Channel the next morning, with bloodstains on the front seat. Her mother insisted she'd seen him in the house that night, but his powerful, privileged friends maintained his innocence. The first lord accused of murder in more than a century, he has been missing ever since.

When the police tell Claire they've found her father, her carefully calibrated existence begins to fracture. She doesn't know if she's the daughter of a murderer or a wronged man, but Claire will soon learn how far she'll go to finally find the truth.

My Thoughts: Claire is a doctor in London living a seemingly normal life. Only a very few know that her father was a member of the upper class who was accused of murder and who fled the country rather than face prosecution. Claire was eight when someone broke in to their house and killed the nanny and attacked her mother.

After the attack and the manhunt and Claire's mother being vilified by her father's friends, her mother changed their names and moved the family to Scotland. Claire's brother was only fourteen months old when all these events went on.

It wasn't until Claire was a teenager that she began to do some research on the whole incident that she remembers only in nightmares. She becomes obsessed with finding her father. Even after getting her medical degree and moving to London to begin her career, she can't put the mystery behind her. She tracks and follows her father's friends and ingratiates herself into the life of one of their children to see if they know where her father is now.

Meanwhile, her brother has become addicted to Tramadol - an opioid - and Claire is trying to convince him to go into treatment. She is constantly worried about him and his seizures show her that her worry is justified.

In the continuum of writing styles which range from Hemingway to James Joyce, this book is much nearer the James Joyce end of the spectrum. The present and the past are integrated and entwined through the story. Claire has her mother's diaries to help her recreate the life her mother shared with her husband. She also has some childhood memories which make her question what happened.

My main complaint about the story was that the long buildup of Claire's life and attempt to track down her father comes to quite an abrupt and surprising ending. Fans of introspective mysteries will enjoy this one.

Favorite Quote:
Last winter, I read about a man who was stabbed in the neck by a stranger at the tube station in Walthamstow. He narrowly survived. In an interview afterwards, he said he hoped his attacker received the help he needed. He'd only agreed to the interview to raise awareness of planned cuts in the mental health budget. He said no, he wasn't frightened of using the tube again. Despite the interviewer's best  efforts, he showed no signs of being traumatized. He said he'd decided to think of the attack as he would, say, a bicycle accident.

What would my life have been like if I'd made that decision.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

First Paragraph/Teaser Tuesday: A Double Life by Flynn Berry

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:
A man comes around the bend in the path. I stop short when he appears. We're alone. The heath has been quiet today, under dark snow clouds, and we're on the part of the path where the oak trees form a tunnel.

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
He started to tell her about Eton, but part of her still expected him to say he was joking. "I'm surprised we weren't expelled," he said. "We once took all the furniture from the headmaster's room and assembled it on the lawn."
This week I am reading A Double Life by Flynn Berry. I got this eARC at Edelweiss. Here is the description from Amazon:
Claire is a hardworking doctor living a simple, quiet life in London. She is also the daughter of the most notorious murder suspect in the country, though no one knows it.

Nearly thirty years ago, while Claire and her infant brother slept upstairs, a brutal crime was committed in her family's townhouse. Her father's car was found abandoned near the English Channel the next morning, with bloodstains on the front seat. Her mother insisted she'd seen him in the house that night, but his powerful, privileged friends maintained his innocence. The first lord accused of murder in more than a century, he has been missing ever since.

When the police tell Claire they've found her father, her carefully calibrated existence begins to fracture. She doesn't know if she's the daughter of a murderer or a wronged man, but Claire will soon learn how far she'll go to finally find the truth.

Monday, July 23, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 23, 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...

I'm writing this on Saturday afternoon in the middle of my 50th reunion festivities. I am just back from the lunch provided by the school for anyone from their 50th reunion and older. The oldest attendee was the mother of one of my classmates who graduated with the class of 1947. Last night's mixers were filled with seeing people I have not seen for 50 years and catching up on their lives. I feel all talked out and still have this evening's dinner and social hour and tomorrow's wrap up pizza lunch to go. I expect next week to be a week of quiet and grunting instead of talking.

I did get a lot of reading done this week since baseball took a few days off for the All-Star Break. I also took advantage of Amazon Prime Day to buy myself a new Kindle. It is my 4th. My 3rd one is showing wear marks where I hold it and I thought it was time to do an upgrade. I did have a little bit of panic though because Amazon's website said that it was delivered but it didn't show up on my porch. I had been checking the website and my porch frequently during the day. When I went out to dinner at about 5 PM the website still said that the package was out for delivery. When I got home about 6 PM, I checked again and found that the website had been updated saying my package had been delivered at 9:42 AM.

The next morning by neighbor across the street came over and gave me my package. It had been delivered there by mistake. UPS and FedEx stop at her house at least once a day so she didn't immediately notice that the package was mine. Once I got it and charged it, I had a fun time transferring books to it. I was surprised that I was able to transfer my review books from Edelweiss and NetGalley since I thought they were proprietary to a certain machine. I though I'd still be using my old one until I had finished all my review copies. I also went to Edelweiss and NetGalley and updated where they should send future review books (and found more new ones to add to my stack.)

Next week should include good reading time too. I have a doctor's appointment Monday morning but then a clear and empty week.

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.)
  • Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop - re-read
  • Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop - re-read
  • Nine by Zach Hines - YA science fiction dystopian story that I have mixed feeling about. My review will be posted on August 3.

  • Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop - re-read
  • Slaying It by Chloe Neill - A novella in the Chicagoland Vampires series that ties up some loose ends and gets us ready for her new spinoff series. 
  • The Point by John Dixon - Science fiction thriller. My review will be posted on August 4.

  • Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop - re-read
  • The Body at the Tower by Y. S. Lee - The second Agency historical mystery. It's been on my stack since 9/16/2012. My review will be posted August 6.

Currently
Lake Silence by Anne Bishop - re-read for the 4th or 5th time

Next Week



Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:
Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
Paradox by Catherine Coulter
Murder, She Reported by Peg Cochran

On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:
Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
Between Frost and Fury by Chani Lynn Feener
Contagion by Erin Bowman

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

Bought:


Review:




What was your week like?



Saturday, July 21, 2018

ARC Review: Murder, She Reported by Peg Cochran

Murder, She Reported
Author: Peg Cochran
Publication: Alibi (July 31, 2018)

Description: A Park Avenue princess discovers the dark side of 1930s New York when a debutante ball turns deadly in this gripping historical mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, Anne Perry, and Rhys Bowen.

Manhattan, 1938. Tired of being trapped in the gilded cage of her family’s expectations, Elizabeth Adams has done what no self-respecting socialite would think to do: She’s gotten herself a job. Although Elizabeth’s dream is to one day see her photographs on the front page of the Daily Trumpet, for now she’s working her way up as the newsroom’s gal Friday.

But fetching coffee isn’t exactly her idea of fun. So when veteran reporter Ralph Kaminsky needs a photographer to fill in for a last-minute assignment, Elizabeth jumps at the chance. At the Waldorf Hotel, Elizabeth is tasked with tracking down the season’s “It girl,” Gloria DeWitt, who will be making her society debut. Working her own connections to New York’s upper crust, Elizabeth manages to land an exclusive interview with Gloria.

Then Gloria’s stepmother is shot dead in a Waldorf bathroom, placing Elizabeth at the scene of a headline-worthy scandal: “Murder of a Society Dame.” Now Elizabeth will have to get the scoop on the killer before her good name gets dragged through the gossip columns—or worse. . . .

My Thoughts: Socialite Elizabeth Adams has taken a job as a gal Friday for a newspaper because she doesn't want the typical life of girls of her class. She studied photography at college but is finding herself running errands for other reporters and typing the society reporter's notes. One day a reporter named Kaminsky grabbed her to take some photos at the debut of a young woman who could be the next "It Girl" at the Waldorf Hotel.

Elizabeth first sees Gloria DeWitt in the Lady's Room where she catches her crying. She snaps a picture of her which ends up as front page story when her stepmother Frances is found shot to death. Elizabeth also sees Gloria in a blood-stained dress right after she finds her stepmother. All of a sudden, she and Kaminsky have a much bigger story on their hands.

This historical mystery was also an exploration of New York City in 1938. Sheltered Elizabeth - renamed Biz by Kaminsky - meets people she has never met before including Police Detective Sal Marino. She develops a crush on him which he returns. He introduces her to Italian food which she has never tasted and, at the end of this story, promises her a trip to Chinatown.

Biz is also shown trying to balance her life as the socialite her mother wants her to be with her new life working for a newspaper. Biz had polio as a child which has left her with only a slight limp and the fact that it gets worse as she gets tired. In the course of her work, she runs into fellow patient Irene who didn't fare as well and is now using leg braces and crutches to get around. Irene's family didn't fare as well during the Depression as Elizabeth's did either. Irene, now an orphan, is working as a coat check girl at the Waldorf and provides an essential clue.

I liked the historical detail that was part of this mystery. Biz was an interesting character too. I'm hoping that this is only the first adventure for Biz.

Favorite Quote:
"Kid, this is the newspaper business. There is no right or wrong. What counts is getting the story and the picture to go with it." He grabbed Elizabeth by the shoulders. "This could be your big break. You want to be a gal Friday forever?"
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, July 20, 2018

Friday Memes: Murder, She Reported by Peg Cochran

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City ReaderThe 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:
It was six-thirty at night and Elizabeth Adams was still at her desk. The newsroom was comparatively quiet--the usual cacophony of clattering typewriter keys absent for the time being.
Friday 56:
It was a short walk to the Colony at Madison and Sixty-first Street. Gloria chattered about a range of subjects from the DeWitts' horse's chances at Aqueduct that weekend to her opinion of the latest spring gowns from Paris beginning to appear in the shops.
This week I am reading Murder, She Reported by Peg Cochran. I got the eARC from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:
A Park Avenue princess discovers the dark side of 1930s New York when a debutante ball turns deadly in this gripping historical mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, Anne Perry, and Rhys Bowen.

Manhattan, 1938. Tired of being trapped in the gilded cage of her family’s expectations, Elizabeth Adams has done what no self-respecting socialite would think to do: She’s gotten herself a job. Although Elizabeth’s dream is to one day see her photographs on the front page of the Daily Trumpet, for now she’s working her way up as the newsroom’s gal Friday.

But fetching coffee isn’t exactly her idea of fun. So when veteran reporter Ralph Kaminsky needs a photographer to fill in for a last-minute assignment, Elizabeth jumps at the chance. At the Waldorf Hotel, Elizabeth is tasked with tracking down the season’s “It girl,” Gloria DeWitt, who will be making her society debut. Working her own connections to New York’s upper crust, Elizabeth manages to land an exclusive interview with Gloria.

Then Gloria’s stepmother is shot dead in a Waldorf bathroom, placing Elizabeth at the scene of a headline-worthy scandal: “Murder of a Society Dame.” Now Elizabeth will have to get the scoop on the killer before her good name gets dragged through the gossip columns—or worse. . . .

Thursday, July 19, 2018

ARC Review: Paradox by Catherine Coulter

Paradox
Author: Catherine Coulter
Series: An FBI Thriller (Book 22)
Publication: Gallery Books (July 31, 2018)

Description: With unparalleled suspense and her trademark explosive twists, #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter delves into the terrifying mind of an escaped mental patient obsessed with revenge in this next installment of her riveting FBI series. When he fails to kidnap five-year-old Sean Savich, agents Sherlock and Savich know they’re in his crosshairs and must find him before he continues with his ‘kill’ list.

Chief Ty Christie of Willicott, Maryland, witnesses a murder at dawn from the deck of her cottage on Lake Massey. When dragging the lake, not only do the divers find the murder victim, they also discover dozens of bones. Even more shocking is the identification of a unique belt buckle found among the bones. Working together with Chief Christie, Savich and Sherlock soon discover a frightening connection between the bones and the escaped psychopath.

Paradox is a chilling mix of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, old secrets that refuse to stay buried, and ruthless greed that keep Savich and Sherlock and Chief Ty Christie working at high speed to uncover the truth before their own bones end up at the bottom on the lake.

My Thoughts: This story begins with someone trying to kidnap five-year-old Sean Savich. Savich and Sherlock need to figure out who he is and track him down before he tries again. They soon learn that their would-be kidnapper is a criminal with a grudge who has had encounters with both of them.

Meanwhile, Chief Ty Christie is having her morning coffee on her deck at Lake Massey near Willicott, Maryland when she looks across the lake and sees one boater hit another over the head and dump the body into the lake. When dredging the lake for the body, they discover a cache of bones leading them to think that they have discovered the dump site for some unknown serial killer. These bones were found near an abandoned mansion that is the local haunted house since it was the site of a couple gruesome murders.

These two stories meet when Savich is called in to identify the body since an FBI agent known to him is missing. He discovers the agent's friend Federal Prosecutor Octavia Ryan is the victim and finds the agent - Sala Porto - bound and locked in a closet in the haunted house.

The would-be kidnapper and murderer is Victor Nesser whom Ryan managed to keep off death row by arguing that he wasn't competent to stand trial and got him committed to a secure mental health facility. Sections from Nesser's viewpoint definitely prove that point since he seems to be sharing his body with his deceased psychopath girlfriend Lissy.

I liked the complexity of the plot and how the viewpoint kept shifting. Ty and Sala are busy working on trying to identify the bones and track down their serial killer while Sherlock and Savich are looking for Victor. The characters were interesting and quirky. I liked the way the investigators followed their leads which expanded the story in interesting ways.

I think the book could have used some editing since some of the characters were described each time they appeared in the story and I didn't need to know that Savich wore a Micky Mouse watch each time he checked the time. Also, some of the dialog was quirky. So many characters seemed to want to tell their whole life story when they were introduced.

All in all, this was an entertaining thriller and a nice addition to a long-running series.

Favorite Quote:
She looked again at the bones. "I wonder how many people he dumped in the lake we'll never find? They're simply gone, forever." She looked at Agents Savich and Royal. "I've read there are hundreds of serial killers running loose around the United States, killing and getting away with it, sliding seamlessly back into their everyday lives, and no ever seeing what they really are."
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Book Review: Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer

Rubbernecker
Author: Belinda Bauer
Publication: Atlantic Monthly Press (August 4, 2015)

Description: Belinda Bauer is a phenomenal voice in British crime fiction, whose work has won the CWA’s Gold Dagger Award for Crime Novel of the Year and garnered rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. Winner of the 2014 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, Rubbernecker is a gripping thriller about a medical student who begins to suspect that something strange is going on in this cadaver lab.

“The dead can’t speak to us,” Professor Madoc had said. But that was a lie. The body Patrick Fort is examining in anatomy class is trying to tell him all kinds of things. But no one hears what he does, and no one understand when he tries to tell them.

Life is already strange enough for Patrick—being a medical student with Asperger’s Syndrome doesn't come without its challenges. And that’s before he is faced with solving a possible murder, especially when no one believes a crime has even taken place. Now he must stay out of danger long enough to unravel the mystery. But as Patrick learns one truth from a dead man, he discovers there have been many other lies closer to home.

A can’t-put-it-down page-turner from one of the finest voices in UK crime, Rubbernecker puts Belinda Bauer firmly on the map of world-class crime writers.

My Thoughts: Patrick Fort tells most of this story. He has Asperger's which makes it difficult for him to communicate because he lacks an understanding of visual clues or idioms. Since his father's death when he was around 8 and a school social worker told him that his father went through a door, Patrick has been trying to understand death and find out where his father went.

After years of experiments with roadkill and the growing disgust of his alcoholic mother, Patrick tries and tries to understand. He gets a chance to move to Cardiff and take part in a class for new medical students which will have them working on dissecting cadavers for 22 weeks. He is their "disability" student. The students' first task is to determine the cause of death. Nothing is obviously wrong with the man they are dissecting. When Patrick discovers a peanut in the airway of a man who had been fed through a tube, he is initially just curious. He sneaks into the office where the records on the cadavers are kept and learns that the cause of death is listed as heart failure. He doesn't believe it and begins to believe that his cadaver was murdered. He also learns his cadaver's name - Sam.

Meanwhile, a second story thread follows patients who are in long-time comas or vegetative states and follows a man named Sam who is beginning to come out of his coma. Sam had been in a car accident and as he comes to consciousness he wonders who the strange woman is who visits him and where his wife and daughter are. He also sees a young doctor end the life of the coma patient who shares his room. Unable to move or speak and being cared for by a nurse who is more interested in making a conquest of the husband of another patient, Sam is helpless to do anything about what he saw.

As Patrick investigates, he comes closer and closer to solving the mystery of Sam's cause of death and also uncovers secrets in his own family. The story was unique because of the perspective of Patrick who sees facts but has trouble figuring out the reasons for actions.

I enjoyed the story and liked how the mystery gradually unfolded.

Favorite Quote:
Patrick stared at his tutor's hands, while bits of puzzle started a slow new circuit in his head. The scarred finger, the fragments of blue latex, the padlocked door -- he wasn't even sure they were bits of the same puzzle. There was so much confusion in Patrick's life that he couldn't assume anything. He tried to calm down; tried to think clearly.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

First Paragraph/Teaser Tuesday: Gravelight by Marion Zimmer Bradley

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:
The power of the wellspring surged around her, even through the thick stone walls that kept her from it. The hour was late, and the mountain would have been robed in moonlight save for the summer storm boiling up through Watchman's Gap.
 

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:
"Last time a flatlander tried that, he fell over backwards and we had to sweep him out with the sawdust," Evan said.
This week I chose Gravelight by Marion Zimmer Bradley which has been on my TBR mountain since before May 8, 2008 when I started LibraryThing and added all the books at my house. Here is the description from Amazon:
Wycherly Musgrave doesn't have good luck with cars and alcohol. Trying to outrun the memory of a young woman he may have killed in a drunk-driving accident, Wych sends his expensive sports car sailing off the road...and, with his usual impossible luck, survives the crash with no more than a few bumps and bruises. the car is totaled, stranding Wycherly in the tiny mountain town of Morton's Fork. Making the best of a bad situation, Wych decides to try to dry out.

Wycherly isn't Morton's Fork's only unusual guest this summer: A movie star has taken up residence in a converted schoolhouse. Sinah Dellon left Morton's Fork as an infant foundling. Now she's come home to learn who her people were - and why she has the ability to read minds. But Sinah's psychic powers do not help her with the townsfolk, who turn from her in fear and hatred.

Equally untrustworthy, according to the residents of Morton's Fork, are the RV-load of researchers from the Bidney Institute, come to investigate centuries of reported hauntings, vanishings, poltergeists, and other phenomena. They too are poking around in things better left unexplored. Before long, Truth Blackburn, heroine of Bradley's novel Ghostlight, discovers that the source of the psychic storm is a renegade Gate - and one with a connection to Truth's own tangled past. But she cannot close the Gate alone, and the true Keeper is nowhere to be found.

In despair, Wycherly Musgrave has made a pact with evil. In fear, Sinah Dellon feels her soul slipping away under attack from a vengeful spirit. In dread, Truth Blackburn must make a great sacrifice to save all the people of Morton's Fork, and the man she loves, from the power of the Gate.