Sunday, January 31, 2021

State of the Stack #104 (Jan. 31, 2021)

This is my monthly post which details progress made on review books. I want to thank the authors and publishers who have contributed their books. 

Read This Month 

If the book is already reviewed on my blog, the link goes to the review. If not, the link goes to Amazon.
  1. Beneath the Keep by Erika Johansen (Jan. 27)
  2. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (Jan. 28)
  3. Rafael by Laurell K. Hamilton (Feb. 4)
  4. The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa (Feb. 3)
  5. Hide in Place by Emilya Naymark (Feb. 2)
  6. A Lady's Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett (Feb. 6)
  7. The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris (Feb. 16)
  8. Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh (Feb. 17)
  9. Dragonfly Girl by Marti Leimbach (Feb. 18)
Read Previously But Posted This Month 

Link goes to my review.
  1. All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz (Dec. 29)
New This Month 

Links go to Amazon.
  1. Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg (March 9)
  2. The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst (March 9)
  3. Bones of Hilo by Eric Redman (June 8)
  4. Back from the Brink by Emery Hayes (July 13)
  5. The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick (May 4)
  6. Animal Instinct by David Rosenfelt (April 6)
  7. Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner (June 8)
  8. Death in Daylesford by Kerry Greenwood (June 1)
  9. City of Dark Corners by Jon Talton (May 11)
  10. Undercover Wolf by Paige Tyler (May 25)
  11. Phantoms and Felonies by Lucy Ness (March 30)
  12. Silence in the Library by Katherine Schellman (July 13)
  13. A Wicked Conceit by Anna Lee Huber (April 6)
All TBR Review Books

Links go to Amazon.

March
April
May
June
July
August


Saturday, January 30, 2021

Book and Audio Review: Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood

Cocaine Blues

Author:
Kerry Greenwood
Narrator: Stephanie Daniel
Series: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Publication: Poisoned Pen Press; Reprint edition (November 3, 2015)
Length: 210 p. (5 hours and 48 minutes)

Description: From the author of the bestselling Phryne Fisher Series comes Cocaine Blues, the first historical mystery featuring the sensual, posh, and intrepid murder detective Phryne Fisher...

"Phryne can not get enough of adventure and the reader can not get enough of Phryne."—Deadly Pleasures

The London season is in full fling at the end of the roaring 1920s, but the Honourable Phryne Fisher—she of the green-gray eyes, diamant garters, and outfits that should not be sprung suddenly on those of nervous dispositions—is rapidly tiring of the tedium of arranging flowers, making polite conversations with retired colonels, and dancing with weak-chinned men. Instead, Phryne decides it might be rather amusing to try her hand at being a lady detective in Melbourne, Australia.

Almost immediately from the time she books into the Windsor Hotel, Phryne is embroiled in mystery: poisoned wives, cocaine smuggling rings, corrupt cops, and communism—not to mention erotic encounters with the beautiful Russian dancer, Sasha de Lisse—until her adventure reaches its steamy end in the Turkish baths of Little Lonsdale Street. Tension and danger rise like steam, and Phryne must save herself and other young women before it's too late.

My Thoughts: The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher has gotten tired of the London social set and takes off for Australia to look into the marital troubles of the daughter of one of her dinner party seatmates. She books into the exclusive Windsor Hotel and is soon deep into a number of mysteries.

Phryne traveled to Australia with a female doctor named Doctor Elizabeth McMillan who is taking over a women's hospital. The doctor is very useful to her in her investigations. Phryne also hires a young woman named Dorothy Bryant as her lady's maid who has just been let go from her job as a housemaid after she rejected the attempts of the son of the house to seduce her.

Between searching for an abortionist whose most recent victim is a patient at Dr. McMillan's hospital, she also gets involved with some Russian dancers who are trying to bust a cocaine ring because their mother died from cocaine usage. Not to mention her investigation of Lydia Andrews to discover if her husband is really trying to kill her.

The setting is well done. Australia at the end of the 1920s is fully realized. Phryne is a great character who is quite an original. She's daring, smart, brave and not at all the usual sort of young woman. I enjoyed the audio of this story and thought Stephanie Daniel did a great job with all the accents. 

Favorite Quote:
The apparition of Miss Fisher, clad in rags, escorted up to the front door by a shirtless dancer and two grinning cab-drivers made a lasting impression on the doorman, who had previously been willing to bet that he had seen everything.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, January 29, 2021

Friday Memes: Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood

 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:
The glass in the French window shattered. The guests screamed. Over the general exclamation could be heard the shrill shriek of Madame St Clair, wife of the ambassador, 'Ciel! Mes bijoux!'
Friday 56: 
Dorothy rushed off to see her mother and explain her changed circumstances, while Phryne visited an Elizabeth Arden beauty parlour in Collins Street. There she spent a luxurious couple of hours being massaged, steamed, and pomaded, with an ear alert for gossip. She heard nothing useful except the interesting comment that cocaine had become the drug of choice for the dissolute upper class.
This week I am spotlighting Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood which is a recent purchase in book and audio. It is also the first in the Miss Fisher's Mystery series. Here is the description from Amazon:
From the author of the bestselling Phryne Fisher Series comes Cocaine Blues, the first historical mystery featuring the sensual, posh, and intrepid murder detective Phryne Fisher...

"Phryne can not get enough of adventure and the reader can not get enough of Phryne."—Deadly Pleasures

The London season is in full fling at the end of the roaring 1920s, but the Honourable Phryne Fisher—she of the green-gray eyes, diamant garters, and outfits that should not be sprung suddenly on those of nervous dispositions—is rapidly tiring of the tedium of arranging flowers, making polite conversations with retired colonels, and dancing with weak-chinned men. Instead, Phryne decides it might be rather amusing to try her hand at being a lady detective in Melbourne, Australia.

Almost immediately from the time she books into the Windsor Hotel, Phryne is embroiled in mystery: poisoned wives, cocaine smuggling rings, corrupt cops, and communism—not to mention erotic encounters with the beautiful Russian dancer, Sasha de Lisse—until her adventure reaches its steamy end in the Turkish baths of Little Lonsdale Street. Tension and danger rise like steam, and Phryne must save herself and other young women before it's too late.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

ARC Review: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Author:
Elle Cosimano
Publication: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (February 2, 2021

Description: Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano’s adult debut Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a witty, fast-paced mystery series, following struggling suspense novelist and single mom Finlay Donovan, whose fiction treads dangerously close to the truth as she becomes tangled in real-life murder investigations...

My Thoughts: Romantic suspense author Finlay Donovan is in the middle of a hard stretch. Her ex-husband wants custody of their two children, the bills are piling up, and her latest book is completely stalled.

When she is discussing her book with her agent in the local Panera's, a woman overhears the discussion and thinks that she's a contract killer. She offers her $50,000 to get rid of her husband. Finlay thinks it is crazy. But...$50,000!

She decides to check out the husband and sees him doctoring his date's drink. She manages to switch drinks on him and dumps him in the back of her minivan when he passes out. She decides to return him to his wife. Only before she can, someone closes the garage door on the running van and the man dies.

Now, she's really stuck! Luckily, her babysitter comes along and offers to help her bury the body for 40% of the take. They choose an empty lot on her husband's sod farm. Things spiral from there...

Between the police investigation, conflicts with her ex and his new fiancé, another woman wanting her killer dead, and her agent's pressure to get her book turned in, Finlay is quickly in over her head.

This story had a great bunch of characters. It was amusing if highly unrealistic. It was fun to follow along as Finlay got in and out of all kinds of trouble. 

Favorite Quote:
I could practically hear Steven's voice in my head telling me I was being ridiculous, imagining the worst and making up stories. It was the argument he always fell back on, the one he'd unloaded on me when I first suspected he'd slept with Theresa behind my back.

Only this time, I hated that he was right.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

ARC Review: Beneath the Keep by Erika Johansen

Beneath the Keep 

Author:
Erika Johansen
Series: The Queen of the Tearling (Book 4)
Publication: Dutton (February 2, 2021)

Description: As a kingdom descends into darkness and new alliances are forged under fire, a battle begins over a prophecy that will change the course of history in this much-anticipated stand-alone prequel to the bestselling Queen of the Tearling trilogy. 

The Tearling, founded as a utopia, has collapsed and reverted to feudalism. As the gap between rich and poor widens and famine threatens the land, rumors of a prophecy begin to spread: a great hope, a True Queen who will ascend and save the kingdom.

But rumors will not help Lazarus, a boy on the verge of manhood, trapped in the clandestine underworld known as the Creche. Enlisted from his earliest days to kill without mercy, he has never seen sun or sky, not until a quest for vengeance propels him aboveground. There he finds a calling amid a royal court rife with intrigue and danger, where he meets Niya, Princess Elyssa’s handmaid, who is not what she appears to be and whose true identity will spell death if revealed.

With a righteous rebellion gathering inside her kingdom, Princess Elyssa finds herself torn between duty to the throne and her growing loyalty to the Blue Horizon, a group of fierce idealists who promise radical change. Elyssa must choose quickly, for threats beset her on all sides, and the powers wielded by an uncanny seer and her shadowy master are preparing to decide the Princess’s fate for her. It is only a matter of time before Lazarus, Niya, and Elyssa will be called into the service of something greater than they have ever imagined: the fight for a better world.

My Thoughts: This prequel to the Tearling trilogy was a dark fantasy filled with intriguing characters. The story is told from multiple viewpoints including a young boy who was sold into the Creche as an infant and trained as a cage fighter in death matches and a lady-in-waiting to the Crown Princess who is an agent for the Blue Horizon group that wants social justice. The Crown Princess Elyssa also has a viewpoint role.

The story talks about a feudal world that is in the process of a revolution. Continuing drought has convinced some of the peasants chained to their land that they have to revolt. Led by Aislinn Martin who had seen her family killed by the bailiffs of Lady Andrews who owns the land after Aislinn caught her attention, the peasants take over a number of the estates on their way to the city to lay their case before the Queen.

Princess Elyssa sees that her mother is a tyrant much more concerned with her own comfort and holding on to her authoritarian grip on her country than caring for her people. Elyssa was raised by a secret member of Blue Horizon and wants to make things better for her people. But she is taken over by a man from the Creche with a grudge against the Royal Family and his witch Brenna who has magical powers.

Our cage fighter who knows himself as Christian but has earned the fighting name of Lazarus has one friend. She was sold into prostitution when she was a child and has taken to using the poppy to cope with her life. When she disappears into the land above, Christian is determined to find her which leads him to work his way into the Royal Guard as a guard for Princess Elyssa.

The story is dark and complicated and each character has to face all sorts of trials. The worldbuilding was interesting. I especially liked the chapter headings which feature quotes from books written about the time period where our characters are living their lives. 

This was an interesting and exciting story whether or not you were already familiar with the trilogy. It has made me want to read the trilogy again with better understanding of what led to the events there.

Favorite Quote:
"No," Elyssa whispered, turning away from the wall and moving back to the window to stare out across her kingdom, this damnable, maddening kingdom that had once had such potential to be great. Everyone seemed content to accept the fall...everyone except the Blue Horizon, with their better world.

It doesn't matter that they don't know how to get there, Elyssa realized suddenly. It doesn't even matter if we never do. The important thing is to die trying. 
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Book and Audio Review: Cast in Flight by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Flight

Author:
Michelle Sagara
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Series: Chronicles of Elantra (Book 12)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (October 25, 2016); Harlequin Audio (October 25, 2016)
Length: 459 p.; 16 hours and 31 minutes

Description: Private Kaylin Neya already has Dragons and Barrani as roommates. Adding one injured, flightless Aerian to her household should be trivial. Sure, the Aerian is Sergeant Moran dar Carafel, but Kaylin's own sergeant is a Leontine, the definition of growly and fanged. She can handle one Aerian. 

But when a walk to the Halls of Law becomes a street-shattering magical assassination attempt on the sergeant, Kaylin discovers that it's not the guest who's going to be the problem: it's all of the people who suddenly want Moran dar Carafel dead. And though Moran refuses to tell her why she's being targeted, Kaylin is determined to discover her secret and protect her at all costs—even if keeping Moran safe means dealing with Aerian politics, angry dragons and something far more sinister.

My Thoughts: This episode in the Chronicles of Elantra focuses on the Aerians but with a healthy helping of dragon. Kaylin offers the Aerian Infirmary Sargent shelter in her sentient home when Moran is injured fighting shadow. She is already sheltering the only female dragon and a couple of Barrani who were rescued in an earlier episode and who are both more and less than they were before their ordeals. 

When there is an assassination attempt on Moran when she and Kaylin are on their way to work one morning, things get more exciting than usual for Kaylin. A whole bunch of people want Moran dar Carafel dead. Finding out why and keeping them from succeeding is the focus of the book. There are more assassination attempts, all sorts of Aerian politics, and angry dragons. 

Kaylin learns more about Shadow and what it means to be outcaste in this world as the dragon outcaste has a prominent role in the chaos that is swirling. There isn't much Kaylin won't do for her adopted family - the Hawks - and she is really tested in this one. 

Fantasy lovers will enjoy this fascinating world filled with all sorts of people from a wide variety of races. Each episode deepens the world building and explores new areas.

Favorite Quote:
"Mortality is change. From your births to your deaths, you are in a constant state of flux. There is no single you; your identity evolves, unravels and is remade. It is a constant process. The Kaylin of five years ago is not you. The Kaylin of ten years from now will not be you. The separate states of you are continuous, contiguous. They are connected. But they are not the same."
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, January 25, 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jan. 25, 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 at my house. I spent the whole day Wednesday watching the Inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. I found it inspiring and hopeful. Otherwise, I decided to do my first 2021 reread of The Others series. 

I did go out and grocery shop twice last week. I'm pretty sure it was the first time in January that I actually left the house and drove my car. I didn't need much but I wanted an excuse to do some walking. I got a new step counter after my beloved Fitbit died and I've been walking so little that I was starting to feel guilty about my sloth. 

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.)
  • The Awakening by Nora Roberts (Audiobook) - Contemporary fantasy. First in a duology. Great worldbuilding and wonderfully descriptive writing. My review will be posted Feb. 11.
  • Written in Red by Anne Bishop (Audiobook) - First 2021 reread of my favorite series. This is book 1.
  • Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (Audiobook) - First 2021 reread of my favorite series. This is book 2.
  • Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop (Audiobook) - First 2021 reread of my favorite series. This is book 3.
  • Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop (Audiobook) - First 2021 reread of my favorite series. This is book 4.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Bought:
Review:
What was your week like?


Saturday, January 23, 2021

Book Review: Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg

Spellbreaker

Author:
Charlie N. Holmberg
Series: Spellbreaker (Book 1)
Publication: 47North (November 1, 2020)

Description: A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in an all-new fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them. But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.

Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn’t turn her in. Working together, Elsie’s trust in—and fondness for—the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.

For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there’s so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she’s destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it’s too late to save everything she loves?

My Thoughts: Elsie Camden is a spellbreaker. She is unregistered and using her powers is illegal. She was also abandoned by her family when she was six and soon found herself in a workhouse. She was rescued from the workhouse by an organization she calls the Cowls. For the fifteen years since her abandonment, she has been doing jobs for the Cowls which they send her in letters. She sees herself as a sort of Robin Hood helping to make magic available to help people. 

She is caught undoing a spell by Bacchus Kelsey and blackmailed by him to use her ability to help him. Bacchus is in England trying to buy a spell which will help him and his people. Bacchus is the bastard son of an Englishman. He lives in Barbados. As Elsie gets to know him, she begins to like him.

Elsie learns that Bacchus has had a secret spell laid on him which mimics polio and sucks energy from him. The spell he wants to buy would let him remain ambulatory when the current spell holding the polio back wears out. Those who control the spell won't allow him to buy it. Once Elsie discovers it, she agrees to remove it leaving the mystery of who placed the spell on him in the first place. Elsie and Bacchus are also looking into another mystery. Someone is killing magic users and stealing the opus that remains when a magician dies. 

The story had interesting worldbuilding and an intriguing system of magic. I really liked Elsie and understood how she could have been drawn into the conspiracy. Her abandonment as a child made her particularly susceptible to anyone who seemed to want her and value her. 

This is the first of a duology which means that the ending is unresolved. I'm eager to read the next story to learn more about these intriguing characters and see the end of the mystery.

Favorite Quote:
"Sometimes I wonder if it's better to be informed or ignorant. Or, rather, informed and depressed, or ignorant and happy."

Elsie nodded. "If only one could be informed and happy."
I got this one from Kindle First. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, January 22, 2021

Friday Memes: Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg

 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:
Elsie hadn't meant to burn down the workhouse.
Friday 56: 
Elsie straightened. "I have to be home in the morning. But I can come back the day after." Hopefully the squire's work would hold out and Ogden wouldn't notice her absence. Three employers...How would she make this work?
This week I am spotlighting a recent arrival on TBR Mountain -- Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg. I really enjoyed her Paper Magician series and decided to give this new series a try. Here is the description from Amazon:

A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in an all-new fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them. But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.

Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn’t turn her in. Working together, Elsie’s trust in—and fondness for—the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.

For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there’s so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she’s destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it’s too late to save everything she loves?

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Book Review: Widow's Island Novellas 5 & 6 by Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot

Below the Bones

Author:
Kendra Elliot
Series: Widow's Island Novella (Book 5)
Publication: Montlake (October 27, 2020)

Description: A former FBI special agent must come out of retirement to solve a murder in the fifth novella in the Widow’s Island series from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kendra Elliot.

Former FBI special agent Cate Wilde is a new bakery and bookstore owner—and retirement is now complete with a doctor boyfriend. Although she struggles with PTSD, the sweet life she’s living is a far cry from the gruesome work she left behind six months ago.

But when skeletal remains turn up on Widow’s Island—and the MO of the killer is too familiar to Cate—the dream comes to an abrupt end. What if the case she solved eight years ago isn’t as closed as she thought? Her hometown needs her, and despite her mental health and her boyfriend’s protests, she has no choice but to return to her dangerous past life.

Soon Cate is in a desperate race to stop a cold-blooded murderer from killing again, once and for all…only this time, she’ll have so much more to lose.

My Thoughts: This mystery, with ties back to an earlier case, lets Cate Wilde finally find closure and realize that her career as an FBI agent was yesterday's dream job. Now, she's happy as a bookstore and bakery owner on Widow's Island. She does have a few pangs when some bodies are discovered that bring back on earlier case. 

Her FBI boss isn't sure she should quit and tries to pull her back in. So does a former boyfriend who's also an FBI agent. But Cate is happy with her doctor boyfriend and happy not to be in tense situations like she found herself in as an agent.

She does use her investigative skills to figure out who is copying the murders. The first murderer was found and convicted and is now in prison. Somehow, he's still fixated on Cate and seems to know too much about her current life. 

The story packed a lot of activities into its short length. I liked that Cate and Henry affirmed their relationship and that Cate found closure. 

Favorite Quote:
She'd left the FBI last winter and moved back to the island, her childhood home. Now she owned a bakery and a bookstore.

A much quieter, less stressful life.

But sometimes a little dull.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

A Broken Bone

Author:
Melinda Leigh
Series: Widow's Island Novella (Book 6)
Publication: Montlake (November 3, 2020)

Description: The mysterious death of a local teen leads to a hunt for a killer in the sixth Widow’s Island novella by #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

On Widow’s Island, the secrets are dark…and everybody has one. So when Deputy Tessa Black responds to a call about an explosion in a quiet neighborhood, she gets more than she bargained for: the body of a teen who went missing weeks ago.

Until recently, Gavin was living in a reputable foster home. But now that he is found dead—Tessa can’t help but wonder if sinister forces are at play. Who would want to hurt him, and why?

With the help of her partner, Park Ranger Logan Wilde, Tessa tries desperately to decipher what happened to Gavin before another life is cut short. Someone on Widow’s Island knows the explosive truth. Will Tessa find the answers she needs before someone else turns up dead?

My Thoughts: Tessa Black responds to a suspected explosion and finds a dead body covered in debris. She also finds that someone has been squatting in the abandoned and derelict house. She soon learns that the body belongs to a teen named Gavin who was in foster care on the island. It had been assumed that he had run away since he had done so previously.

Now Tessa and her boyfriend Forest Ranger Logan Wilde become involved in the investigation to find out who murdered Gavin. Tessa is already under a lot of pressure since she gave up her job as a police detective in Seattle to come home and care for her mother who has dementia. She also has a minor half-sister who needs her care. She feels guilty that she stopped looking for Gavin too soon.

Their investigation leads to the foster home where Gavin was living where they encounter allegations of abuse by the foster father which leads to removing the other three boys from the home. But something isn't sitting right with Tessa about the allegations and the truth is found once she and Logan manage to catch up with the squatter.

I liked the action in the story and liked the way Tessa's relationship with Logan is growing.

Favorite Quote:
"What--or who--was our squatter afraid of?" Tessa asked.

"There aren't any dangerous animals on the island. Humans are the most dangerous species here."
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Book Review: Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery

Chasing Perfect

Author: Susan Mallery
Series: Fool's Gold (Book 1)
Publication: HQN; Reissue edition (July 21, 2020)

Description: Welcome to Fool’s Gold, California, a charming community in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. There’s lots to do and plenty of people to meet, especially women. Because there’s just one tiny problem in Fool’s Gold: the men don’t seem to stick around. Maybe it’s the lure of big-city life, or maybe it’s plain old bad luck, but regardless of the reason, the problem has to be fixed, fast. And Charity Jones may be just the city planner to do it.

Charity’s nomadic childhood has left her itching to settle down, and she immediately falls in love with all the storybook town has to offer—everything, that is, except its sexiest and most famous resident, former world-class cyclist Josh Golden. With her long list of romantic disasters, she’s not about to take a chance on another bad boy, even if everyone else thinks he’s perfect just the way he is. But maybe that’s just what he needs—someone who knows the value of his flaws. Someone who knows that he’s just chasing perfect

My Thoughts: Charity Jones is looking for a home when she comes to Fool's Gold, California, as its city planner. After a childhood with a mother who was always sure that the next man and the next place would be better, Charity longs for roots. She falls in love with the town and the people she meets including local boy-made good Josh Golden.

Josh had a career as a world-class cyclist before giving up the sport and coming home. An accident in a race has shaken his confidence. Josh also had a difficult childhood. He was abandoned by his mother at a local hotel when he was ten and still recovering from a serious accident that had him in pain and on crutches. He was adopted by the town and aided in his recovery. He has always felt that it was some lack in him that caused his mother to abandon him.

While Fool's Gold looks perfect, there are a couple of problems. First of all, it has a severe shortage of men and one of Charity's jobs in to lure business to the city - especially if those businesses employ lots of men. Second, somehow $750,000 that was supposedly sent to the city by the State government has gone missing. No one really suspects Robert, the city financial officer and one of the few single men in town, of the crime but answers need to be found soon.

I liked the setting and look forward to reading more stories set in Fool's Gold. I liked both Charity and Josh very much and was rooting for their romance. I could understand why they were reluctant to share their goals for their futures with each other since both were more intrinsic than overt. The story had a nice blend of characters from the matchmaking mayor to the barracuda television reporter who really wanted to rekindle her relationship with Josh. I liked that the attraction was instant between Charity and Josh and that both of them were reluctant to pursue it until they got to know each other. I loved the happily-ever-after ending. 

Favorite Quote:
Pia laughed. "I'm not sure I'm the marrying kind. I don't even know if I want kids. I'm still at the keeping-a-plant alive stage of my life. Next, I'll consider getting a pet."

"At least you have a plan."
I traded for this one from Paperback Book Swap December 5, 2013. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Book and Audio Review: Old Bones by Aaron Elkins

Old Bones

Author:
Aaron Elkins
Narrator: Joel Richards
Series: The Gideon Oliver Mysteries (Book 4)
Publication: Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller (April 1, 2014)
Length: 218 p.; 8 hours and 29 minutes

Description: "With the roar of thunder and the speed of a galloping horse comes the tide to Mont St. Michel,” goes the old nursery song. So when the aged patriarch of the du Rocher family falls victim to the perilous tide, even the old man’s family accepts the verdict of accidental drowning.

But too quickly, this “accident” is followed by a bizarre discovery in the ancient du Rocher chateau: a human skeleton, wrapped in butcher paper, beneath the old stone flooring. Professor Gideon Oliver, lecturing on forensic anthropology at nearby St. Malo, is asked to examine the bones. He quickly demonstrates why he is known as the “Skeleton Detective,” providing the police with forensic details that lead them to conclude that these are the remains of a Nazi officer believed to have been murdered in the area during the Occupation. Or are they? Gideon himself has his doubts. Then, when another of the current du Rochers dies—this time via cyanide poisoning—his doubts solidify into a single certainty: Someone wants old secrets to stay buried . . . and is perfectly willing to eradicate the meddlesome American to make that happen.

My Thoughts: Gideon Oliver is lecturing on forensic anthropology at a law enforcement convention in France when he is called in by one of the participants to look at some bones recently found in the cellar of the Du Rocher home. Gideon has been there before since he's acquainted with one of the Du Rocher relatives who is also a college professor in California.

Gideon finds himself in the middle of a mystery and a family squabble for the inheritance of the recently deceased Du Rocher who found himself caught by the tides at Mont St. Michel. Events and divisions hark back to the Occupation and questions about loyalty. 

History suggests that the bones belong to a German officer murdered by members of the Resistance including some Du Rochers. But Gideon isn't convinced. He has quite a different theory. More questions arise when another member of the family - a much hated one - is murdered by drinking wine laced with cyanide.

This story was written in 1987 but felt even older to me. I think it was that the plot centered on events that happened during World War II and that many of the current family were involved in those events. Also the family rivalry and sniping at one another felt old-fashioned to me. This is the fourth in the series of eighteen books and the first that I have read which means that this was my introduction to Gideon. I found him to be an interesting character and would like to read more books in the series to learn more about him.

I chose the audiobook version since it was an Audible Daily Deal and sounded interesting. I enjoyed Joel Richard's narration. The pacing was excellent and the characters were vocally distinct. 

Favorite Quote:
"Well, my Uncle Beau Will'm," Ben said, slipping into an East Texas drawl, "that is, my Uncle Beau as was married to my mother's sister Essie, he said ain't no problem at all keepin' peace in the family, just so long's you don't ever make the mistake of tryin' to get 'em all together."
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, January 18, 2021

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jan. 18, 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... 

There wasn't much other than reading this week. I'm in between sports seasons. I did watch a couple of football games just to have the TV on. My team is finished for the year. I will be watching the Green Bay game later today even though they are bitter rivals to my Minnesota Vikings. 

I lowered the review stack quite a bit this week by finishing all the February 9 releases. The next couple are not releasing until Feb. 23. I even put one March release on this week's plan. I've been trying to alternate audiobooks with print books just to have some variety. If my reading follows the plan I'll only have two more books to read to finish my February calendar with scheduled review posts.

I added quite a few to TBR mountain but many were not totally new to me. I've read the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine as review books and decided to buy my own Kindle copies and audiobooks for a repeat reading. It is the same with the Carousel Tides series by Sharon Lee. I read them but now want to listen to the audiobooks. I also bought the short story collections set in that world which will be new reads for me. 

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.)
  • Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (Review; Feb. 2) - Nice contemporary mystery with more than a dash of humor. My review will be posted on January 28.
  • Rafael by Laurell K. Hamilton (Review; Feb. 9) - The latest urban fantasy from this prolific author has all her usual elements but is much shorter than her usual which was a good thing. Great story still. My review will be posted on Feb. 4.
  • Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine (Mine; Audiobook) - I missed this one when it was published but wanted to do a combo read/listen before I tackled the last in the series which is on my review stack. Excellent thriller. My review will be posted on Feb. 9.
  • The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa (Review; Feb. 9) - This return to the world of the Iron Fey is told from Puck's point of view and was excellent. Great characters, descriptions and worldbuilding. My review will be posted on Feb. 3.
  • Hide in Place by Emilya Naymark (Review; Feb. 9) - Great thriller about a woman who is a retired police officer and who needs to search for her kidnapped son. Lots of information about why she left the force which is part of the reason her son was kidnapped. My review will be posted on Feb. 2.
  • A Lady's Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett (Review; Feb. 9) - This historical romance/mystery was filled with interesting characters, a great romance, and an intriguing mystery plot along with great period details. My review will be posted on Feb. 6.
Currently
  • The Awakening by Nora Roberts - I bought the hardcover on release but wanted to listen as I read so bought the audiobook this week. This begins a new fantasy series for the author.
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Bought for Kindle
Bought Audiobooks
Review Books
What was your week like?