Friday, September 30, 2022

Friday Memes: The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is 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:
We tend to think of maps as perfectly accurate -- after all, that's the point of them. What good would a map that lied be? But in fact, many maps do just that. 
Friday 56:
This was such a bad idea, she thought. But it was too late now. She still could hardly believe she'd actually messaged him -- even for Swann.
This week I am spotlighting The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. I heard a lot about this book, so when it went on sale, I bought a copy for my Kindle. Here is the description from Amazon:
From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history.

What is the purpose of a map?

Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.

But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence...because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.

But why?

To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps...

Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and V. E. Schwab, The Cartographers is an ode to art and science, history and magic—a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.

Thursday, September 29, 2022

ARC Review: Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

Station Eternity

Author:
Mur Lafferty
Series: The Midsolar Murders (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (October 4, 2022)

Description: Amateur detective Mallory Viridian’s talent for solving murders ruined her life on Earth and drove her to live on an alien space station, but her problems still follow her in this witty, self-aware novel that puts a speculative spin on murder mysteries, from the Hugo-nominated author of Six Wakes.

From idyllic small towns to claustrophobic urban landscapes, Mallory Viridian is constantly embroiled in murder cases that only she has the insight to solve. But outside of a classic mystery novel, being surrounded by death doesn’t make you a charming amateur detective, it makes you a suspect and a social pariah. So when Mallory gets the opportunity to take refuge on a sentient space station, she thinks she has the solution. Surely the murders will stop if her only company is alien beings. At first her new existence is peacefully quiet…and markedly devoid of homicide.

But when the station agrees to allow additional human guests, Mallory knows the break from her peculiar reality is over. After the first Earth shuttle arrives, and aliens and humans alike begin to die, the station is thrown into peril. Stuck smack-dab in the middle of an extraterrestrial whodunit, and wondering how in the world this keeps happening to her anyway, Mallory has to solve the crime—and fast—or the list of victims could grow to include everyone on board….

My Thoughts: Mallory Viridian fled to Station Eternity so that people would quit being murdered around her. The murders started when she was a child and continued until she left the planet. Mallory was able to make some good of it; she became an author who lightly fictionalized her cases and made her living that way. But being forced to move from place to place and being denied any opportunity to be a police officer or a private investigator, left her rootless and very lonely.

When she learns that Station Eternity is getting ready to accept more human visitors, she is getting set to run away again, but there is no place for her to run. She's one of only three humans surrounded by thousands of aliens. She has made some friends with a gneiss named Stephanie and an AWOLArmy soldier named Xan Morgan. The third human is an ambassador sent from Earth to negotiate for alien technology. 

When the shuttle carrying new human visitors is attacked and Ren who is the symbiont of the sentient station is killed, Mallory is the only one who can investigate what happened since the regular law enforcement is busy trying to stabilize the station and save the residents.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story. The different alien races were well-developed, The rock-like gneiss, the hive-mind Sundry who look like blue and silver wasps, the Gurudev who look like a humanoid stick insect, and the phantasmagore who have chameleon-like abilities of disguise all have their own cultures and desires which may or may not play into the case Mallory is investigating. 

It turns out that many of the shuttle's survivors also have connections to both Mallory and Xan and agendas of their own. We learn about some of those connections in flashbacks that fill in information about them all. 

While this story was a mystery in that it had lots of mysteries to solve and actually did solve some of them, I think the real focus for me was the worldbuilding and all of the interesting life forms that lived in Station Eternity.

Science fiction fans will enjoy this story.

Favorite Quote:
"Me? I can't plan. I am the problem people plan around," she said, confused.

"I think you need to figure out who told you that, and go punch them," he said. The exit unfolded then, making Mallory jump. "Or tell me and I'll punch them," he added, walking past her to the exit. 
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne

Pretty Dead Queens

Author:
Alexa Donne
Publication: Crown Books for Young Readers (October 4, 2022)

Description: Seaview High's homecoming queen is dead . . . and she's not the first. From the critically acclaimed author of The Ivies comes a nonstop thriller about a decades-old mystery, a copycat killing, and the teen who won't stop until she discovers the truth.

After the death of her mom (screw cancer), seventeen-year-old Cecelia Ellis goes to live with her estranged grandmother, a celebrated author whose Victorian mansion is as creepy as the murder mysteries she writes. On the surface, life is utterly ordinary in the California coastal town . . . until the homecoming queen is murdered. And she’s not Seaview’s first pretty dead queen.

With a copycat killer on the loose, Cecelia throws herself into the investigation, determined to crack the case like the heroines in her grandmother’s books. But the more Cecelia digs into the town’s secrets, the more she worries that her own mystery might not have a storybook ending.

My Thoughts: Cecelia Ellis has lost her mom to cancer and now finds herself living with her estranged grandmother who happens to be Maura Weston, famous and bestselling mystery author. 

Cecelia has only read one of her grandmother's books, "the one on the boat," but it doesn't take long for her to learn that Maura's first mystery is a retelling of an actual murder that happened in town. Homecoming Queen Caroline was found floating in the school pool shortly after winning her crown. The book was a bestseller, a movie was shot about the story in town, Maura's fans make pilgrimages to see all the sights, and there is an annual MauraCon where her devoted fans come to congregate.

Even though Cecelia is accosted by fans who want to know all about her famous grandmother, her main goal is making a place for herself at the local school, finishing high school, and getting out of town. Cecelia quickly makes friends who are all life-long residents. Even though she doesn't know all the in jokes or the relationships, she's enjoying her new friends. 

But when Natalie, who is a shoo-in for this year's Homecoming Queen, is also found dead and floating in the school's swimming pool, Cecelia feels drawn to investigate. At first, the investigation is a way for her to fill up her mind to cover up her grief for the loss of her mother. But soon, it is the puzzle of it and all the things she learns that keep her going. There are so many parallels with the murder 52 years earlier that Cecelia begins to suspect that the man convicted of the crime might really be innocent. 

Naturally, there is a love interest or two. Ben is her grandmother's writing intern. He's a guy who was once in the in-crowd but a problem with Natalie caused his ouster. He has also recently lost his mother when part of their house fell into the ocean. Since Natalie's father is the mayor and Ben's grandfather is suing him, the breakup is understandable. And there is Gabriel who is handsome, hard-working, and the younger brother of one of her new friends but who has some secrets of his own.

I really enjoyed all of the ways Cecelia investigates and loved learning about all the various characters and their secrets. The story was a great mystery with just enough danger to keep up the suspense.

Fans of YA mysteries with engaging characters will enjoy getting to know Cecelia and all of the people around her. 

Favorite Quote:
I'll be the strange new kid with the dead mom, moving in with the town's most famous resident, and six weeks of work to catch up on, because death does not time itself conveniently to school schedules. Not to mention the lifetime of friendships I'll never edge in on. Kids in towns like these are born here, die here. Relationships go from womb to tomb.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

ARC Review: Secrets of the Nile by Tasha Alexander

Secrets of the Nile

Author:
Tasha Alexander
Series: Lady Emily Mysteries (Book 16)
Publication: Minotaur Books (October 4, 2022)

Description: In a brilliant homage to Agatha Christie, critically acclaimed author Tasha Alexander sends Lady Emily to Egypt during British colonial rule to investigate a crime that leads back to the era of the Pharaohs.

In Secrets of the Nile, Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, have joined his formidable mother on a holiday to visit the exotic treasures of Egypt. Their host, Lord Bertram Deeley, is a renowned amateur British collector of antiquities, who has invited his closest friends on a lavish cruise up the Nile to his home at Luxor. But on the first night of their journey, he suddenly collapses after offering a welcome toast, a victim of the lethal poison cyanide. Who amongst this group of his nearest and dearest would want to kill their generous host?

Emily and Colin’s investigation soon reveals that even his closest friends had reasons to want him dead: was it the archeologist whose dig Deeley was poised to fund until he suddenly withdrew support? The powerful politician whose career Deeley had secretly destroyed? The dyspeptic aristocratic English spinster whose hired travelling companion seems determined to protect her employer? Or could it be Mrs. Hargreaves herself, who may have spurned the advances of Lord Deeley when they were both younger?

A key clue may lie with several ancient ushabtis, exquisite three-thousand-year-old sculptures that played a role in a hidden story from the time of Ancient Egypt, one of a sister’s unshakeable loyalty to her brother, a tale of betrayal and revenge. In an unforgettable finale, Emily and Colin gather their fellow travelers together to unmask a killer whose motive is as shocking as it is brilliant.

My Thoughts: Lady Emily, her husband Colin, mother-in-law, and stepdaughter are traveling to Egypt so that her mother-in-law can spend some time with an old friend. They don't expect the old friend - Lord Deeley - to drink some of his special tisane at the end of their elaborate welcome dinner and die of cyanide poisoning. 

Lord Deeley had gathered quite an assortment of guests beyond the Hargreaves party, and it soon becomes apparent that all of them, including Mrs. Hargreaves, could have motives to murder him. There is a political colleague who blocked Lord Deeley's path to power, There's an archaeologist who dig he first agreed to fund but then reneged. There's his "best friend" who once had an affair with Lord Deeley's deceased wife. There's Mrs. Hargreaves who spurned his marital advances. 

Winding around this story is the story of a young woman who lived in the village of artists that the archaeologist is excavating and who was having problems with mysterious break-ins at her sculpture studio and who was also having trouble with her new sister-in-law. 

While the blurb cites a homage to Agatha Christie, I see a homage to Elizabeth Peters and her wonderful Amelia Peabody. In fact, both Kat and Lady Emily have brief encounters with Amelia Peabody and her family. And Colin and Emily's young son Henry reminds me forcibly of Ramses Emerson.

The mystery was well done, and the ending came as a surprise to me. Looking back, the clues were there but I missed them. Fans of this series won't want to miss this engaging new episode.

Favorite Quote:
"Surely, Mr. Hargreaves, you don't mean to use the professional designation of a tradesman as an inducement?" Lady Wilona asked. "I am horrified merely thinking about it."

"Fear not," Kat said. "No one would ever mistake you for a detective, Lady Wilona."

"I should hope not!" She shuddered, indignant. 
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Audiobook Review: A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 4 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

A Liaden Universe Constellation, Volume 4

Author:
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Narrator: Kevin T. Collins
Series: Liaden Universe Constellation
Publication: Baen Books; 1st edition (July 16, 2015); Tantor Audio (July 26, 2022)
Length: 416 p.; 15 hours and 4 minutes

Description: BOOK 3 in the multivolume Liaden Universe ® short fiction collection. Tales of the Liaden Universe® brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans.

A dozen recent Liaden Universe short works are added to the collection in the third volume of A Liaden Universe Constellation. Ranging from comic to cosmic, only one of these works was first published before 2011. These welcome new additions bring the collected Constellation of Lee & Miller Liaden short stories to 45 works in three mega-volumes.

The nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados for their wit, world-building, strong characterizations, tender romance, and edge-of-the-chair action.

Since 1995, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller also created shorter tales, illuminating additional facets of the Liaden experience. Here is a vast tapestry of tales of the scouts, artists, traders, priestesses, sleight of hand magicians, and pilots who fill the Liaden Universe® with the excitement, action, and romance that readers of the hit series have come to adore. Contains all new entries published after 2011.

My Thoughts: This collection includes twelve stories of varying length. Together the stories tell more about favorite characters and/or illuminate different part of the massive Liaden Universe.

Code of Honor is Tommy Lee's story and tells about his life with the mercenaries and what happens when he is called home.

Guaranteed Delivery tells about Aelliana and Daav's fourth courier assignment.

Intelligent Design tells how Jeeves came to be Korval's butler.

Out of True tells about when Clay and Squithy meet the norbears and take them out into the greater galaxy,

Roving Gambler is a Quin story.

King of the Cats is a crossover, non-canon story about Kinzel calling Val Con to his world to help him rescue some cats.

Kin Ties tells what happens when Ren Zel dea'Juden and Anthora go back to Cassiaport on Korval's business and meet a woman bent on her grandfather's revenge.

Eleutherios tells the story of one Bedel on a strange and damage world.

The Rifle's First Wife is the story about how Diglon Rifle came to marry a Liaden Scout. 

The Space at Tinsori Light tells about Jen Sin yos'Phelium, pilot of Korval, who, injured, finds his way to Tinsori Light.

Landed Alien tells what happened to Kara ven'Arith after Theo was expelled from the Academy and before they met again on Codrescu Station.

Moon's Honor is a Lute and Moonhawk story. In this one, she becomes his apprentice when the Head of her Circle sends her out to get some experience of the world outside of Temple.

All of these stories were entertaining. They include stories that tell us more about characters who appear in the main line stories. They also include stories from other parts of the wide Liaden Universe. I especially enjoyed Out of True this time because I've now met the characters again in the Jethri novels.

It is good to have all the stories collected in one volume since they were originally published in a variety of places from chapbooks to the Baen website.

Favorite Quote:
Whoever had come, whoever had heard, and heeded his call. That one he would serve, as well as he was able, for as long as he could.
I bought this one. The Kindle copy in 2015 and the audiobook in 2022. You can buy your copiy here.

ARC Review: It's News to Me by R. G. Belsky

It's News to Me

Author:
R. G. Belsky
Series: Clare Carlson (Book 5)
Publication: Oceanview Publishing (October 4, 2022)

Description: Dashed dreams: she wanted to run for president one day, now she’s dead at 20

When Riley Hunt—a beautiful, smart, popular student at Easton College in Manhattan—is brutally murdered, it becomes a big story for TV newswoman Clare Carlson.

After days of intense media coverage, a suspect is caught: a troubled Afghanistan war veteran with a history of violent and unstable behavior. The suspect’s mother, however, comes to Clare with new evidence that might prove her son’s innocence.

As Clare digs deeper into the puzzling case, she learns new information: Riley had complained about being stalked in the days before her murder, she was romantically involved with two different men—the son of a top police official and the son of a prominent underworld boss—and she had posted her picture on an escort service’s website offering paid dates with wealthy men.

Soon, Clare becomes convinced that Riley Hunt’s death is more than just a simple murder case—and that more lives, including her own, are now in danger until she uncovers the true story.

My Thoughts: News Director for New York City's Channel 10 Clare Carlson has to deal with a new boss and a complex mystery in her fifth adventure.

The television station's owner has hired a new executive producer for the news division. Susan Endicott has come in to boost the station's ratings - not to make friends. She and Clare are in conflict immediately. Clare is more interested in the news than the ratings. 

When an attractive blonde co-ed named Riley Hunt is murdered just feet away from her dorm at Easton College, all the elements are there for a big news story. As Clare begins to investigate, she finds lots of questions. Who is Riley Hunt? Is she the bright, bubbly, friendly person everyone says she is? What about her fiancĂ© who's the son of the deputy police commissioner who takes over the case? What about her possible relationship with the son of a local crime boss? Why is she pictured on a website the bills itself as a dating app but is charging fees for the girls to go on "dates"? And, what about her strange relationship with her mother? Then there's the odd reactions of her roommate, a Wanna-Be actress. 

Clare is deep into her investigation when a homeless Afghanistan war vet is arrested for the crime. He had her cellphone and her blood on it and some of his clothes. But he is so mentally and emotionally damaged that he doesn't remember committing the crime. Clare is skeptical that he is the killer, and when he supposedly commits suicide in jail, she's even more skeptical.

Clare keeps investigating while juggling her new boss's attempts to shake things up in the newsroom. And three-times divorced Clare meets a new man - a professor at Princeton - who is also taking up some of time.

I really enjoyed this episode in the series. Clare is a great character who is excellent at her job but who has a train-wreck of a personal life. I like that she's witty, even though her boss doesn't appreciate her sense of humor any more than Clare's suspects do. 

Fans of mysteries with strong, but flawed, female characters will enjoy this story. 

Favorite Quote:
"But it's time for you to move on from this story now."

"I realize that."

"Just put it behind you."

"Yep."

"So is that what you're going to do?"

"Have we met?"

"Right." She sighed.

"So what are you going to do now?"
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, September 26, 2022

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (September 26, 2022)

 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.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This was a pretty quiet week. For the first week of Fall, the cool temperatures were very fall-like. So were the cloudy, foggy and rainy days. Luckily, I had lots of indoor things to do.

I really stacked up both my review stack and TBR pile this week. There were so many Kindle and BookBub deals that I just couldn't pass up. I also needed the next two books in the Kris Longknife series if I wanted to keep reading it which I do. I also had a chance to get cheap Kindle copies of books I already own in print and might want to reread someday. 

I've been keeping up with my Atlanta Braves baseball team too. They really didn't need the three-game losing streak they had this past week. As I'm writing this on Sunday morning, they are one and one-half game back of the Mets for Division championship. While they have already qualified for the playoffs, I really would like them to win the Division again. Their next game starts at noon today. 

I did some baking and cooking this week. I made a chicken and spinach lasagna which turned out pretty well and has left us lots and lots of leftovers. I also made raisin bran muffins which I haven't made for many years. They turned out to be as good as I remembered and are really handy because the batter can sit in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks until I want more muffins.

This coming week should be mostly quiet. I do have an appointment on Monday for a biopsy which will be done under local anesthesia. There's nothing else on my schedule. 

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.)
  • Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden (Review; October 11) -- Wonderfully realistic historical mystery with intriguing characters. My review will be posted on October 8.
  • Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews (Review; October 11) -- A cozy Christmas mystery in the long-running Meg Langslow series. My review will be posted on October 11.
  • Changeling by Molly Harper (Mine; Kindle & Audiobook) -- Nice YA fantasy with interesting magic and engaging characters. My review will be posted on October 25.
  • The Belle of Belgrade Square by Mimi Matthews (Review; October 11) -- Nice historical romance with interesting characters and a well-developed setting. My review will be posted on October 11.
  • Santa's Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt (Review; October 11) -- A Christmas mystery with Rosenfelt's usual snarky hero and engaging plot. My review will be posted on October 12.
  • Kris Longknife: Resolute by Mike Shepherd (Mine since 2008) -- Great space opera starring Kris Longknife. I like the characters and worldbuilding in this series. My review will be posted on October 13.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:
Bought:
What was your week like?

Saturday, September 24, 2022

Book Review: The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich

The Recovery Agent

Author:
Janet Evanovich
Series: Gabriela Rose (Book 1)
Publication: Atria Books (March 22, 2022)

Description: #1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich returns with the launch of a blockbuster new series that blends wild adventure, hugely appealing characters, and pitch-perfect humor, proving once again why she’s “the most popular mystery writer alive” (The New York Times).

Lost something? Gabriela Rose knows how to get it back. As a recovery agent, she’s hired by individuals and companies seeking lost treasures, stolen heirlooms, or missing assets of any kind. She’s reliable, cool under pressure, and well trained in weapons of all types. But Gabriela’s latest job isn’t for some bamboozled billionaire, it’s for her own family, whose home is going to be wiped off the map if they can’t come up with a lot of money fast.

Inspired by an old family legend, Gabriela sets off for the jungles of Peru in pursuit of the Ring of Solomon and the lost treasure of Lima. But this particular job comes with a huge problem attached to it—Gabriela’s ex-husband, Rafer. It’s Rafer who has the map that possibly points the way to the treasure, and he’s not about to let Gabriela find it without him.

Rafer is as relaxed as Gabriela is driven, and he has a lifetime’s experience getting under his ex-wife’s skin. But when they aren’t bickering about old times the two make a formidable team, and it’s going to take a team to defeat the vicious drug lord who has also been searching for the fabled ring. A drug lord who doesn’t mind leaving a large body count behind him to get it.

The Recovery Agent marks the start of an irresistible new series that will have you clamoring for more and cheering for the unstoppable Gabriela Rose on every page.

My Thoughts: Gabriela Rose is a Recovery Agent. She travels the world looking for lost treasures. This time she is looking for the Ring of Soloman because she needs the proceeds to help out her parents and her hometown which was almost completely destroyed by a hurricane.

As a descendant of Blackbeard, Gabriela has piracy in her blood and a hidden trunk of old diaries and maps. Unfortunately, the trunk is hidden in the home she gave her ex-husband Rafer when they divorced. When Gabriela is caught by Rafe breaking into the house to search for the trunk, Rafe decides to tag along on the treasure hunt. 

The hunt takes them from Peru to Costa Rica and California as they search for the ring which is also coveted by El Dragon and his army of twisted followers. They explore caves and underwater lava vents. They team up with drug lords who just want to get rid of their competition. And Gabriela is almost sacrificed to El Dragon's god of death.

The adventure was over the top. The humor consisted mainly of comments by people who were really lacking in verbal filters. I love the uber-competent Gabriela and am looking forward to her further adventures. 

Favorite Quote:
Gabriela got coffee and returned to her bedroom. I'm living in a television sitcom, she told herself. I'm being stalked by a guy who worships the God of the Dead and my ex-husband is naked and in my kitchen. I never aspired to being normal, but this is too weird even for me.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, September 23, 2022

Friday Memes: The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is 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:
Gabriela Rose was standing in a small clearing that led to a rope-and-board footbridge. The narrow bridge spanned a gorge that was a hundred feet deep and almost as wide. Rapids roared over enormous boulders at the bottom of the gorge, but Gabriela couldn't see the river because it was raining buckets and visibility was limited. 
Friday 56:
"When was the diary with the clues written?" Pepe asked.

"The sixteenth century," Gabriela said.

"Chances of those candles still being here aren't good," Pepe said. "The wild pigs would eat them."
This week I am spotlighting The Recovery Agent by Janet Evanovich. I heard a lot about this book. So, when it was on sale for my Kindle, I bought a copy. Here is the description from Amazon:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich returns with the launch of a blockbuster new series that blends wild adventure, hugely appealing characters, and pitch-perfect humor, proving once again why she’s “the most popular mystery writer alive” (The New York Times)

Lost something? Gabriela Rose knows how to get it back. As a recovery agent, she’s hired by individuals and companies seeking lost treasures, stolen heirlooms, or missing assets of any kind. She’s reliable, cool under pressure, and well trained in weapons of all types. But Gabriela’s latest job isn’t for some bamboozled billionaire, it’s for her own family, whose home is going to be wiped off the map if they can’t come up with a lot of money fast.

Inspired by an old family legend, Gabriela sets off for the jungles of Peru in pursuit of the Ring of Solomon and the lost treasure of Lima. But this particular job comes with a huge problem attached to it—Gabriela’s ex-husband, Rafer. It’s Rafer who has the map that possibly points the way to the treasure, and he’s not about to let Gabriela find it without him.

Rafer is as relaxed as Gabriela is driven, and he has a lifetime’s experience getting under his ex-wife’s skin. But when they aren’t bickering about old times the two make a formidable team, and it’s going to take a team to defeat the vicious drug lord who has also been searching for the fabled ring. A drug lord who doesn’t mind leaving a large body count behind him to get it.

The Recovery Agent marks the start of an irresistible new series that will have you clamoring for more and cheering for the unstoppable Gabriela Rose on every page.

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Audiobook Review: A Justified Murder by Jude Deveraux

A Justified Murder

Author:
Jude Deveraux
Narrator: Susan Bennett
Series: A Medlar Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (February 26, 2019); Recorded Books (February 26, 2019)
Length: 334 p.; 10 hours and 31 minutes

Description: New York Times bestselling romance author Jude Deveraux continues her breakout Medlar Mystery series with a twisted tale of guilt and revenge...

The small town of Lachlan, Florida, was rocked last year when two bodies were uncovered in the roots of a fallen tree. Despite their lack of investigative experience, Sara Medlar; her niece, Kate; and Jack Wyatt found themselves at the center of the mystery, working together to reveal the truth behind a decades-old secret in the sleepy town. After a narrow escape, they vowed to never again involve themselves in something so dangerous—until Janet Beeson is murdered.

When Janet’s body is discovered, everyone is shocked by the violence of the attack. The sweet little old woman has been shot, stabbed and poisoned, but no one can imagine who would want to harm one of the town’s kindest, most helpful residents.

Sara, Kate and Jack are determined to leave this case to the professionals. But they are soon bombarded by townspeople eager to tell their stories and clear their names with the trio who solved the Morris murders. Even the sheriff is hoping they’ll lend their skills to a crime that seems to have no explanation and no motive. And once the town gets talking, they begin to see that there are more secrets buried in quiet Lachlan than anyone could have imagined…

My Thoughts: I listened to this second case for the Medlars, but think it would have been better had I read it with my eyes. The narrator didn't make the voices distinct for me. I was often wondering who was doing the talking. It was even harder because parts of the story were told in flashbacks which give one or two of the current suspects motives. 

The story concerns the death of a woman who was described as sweet and forgiving. Her manner of death - shot, stabbed, and poisoned - seems to indicate that she wasn't as nice as first look told. 

Bestselling author Sara Medlin, her real estate saleswoman niece Kate, and adopted grandson Jack Wyatt were successful in their first case. But they have decided that it was too dangerous and wish people would quit coming to tell them about Janet. Even the Sheriff wants them to investigate. 

As they begin looking into Janet's life, they find a number of people who wanted her dead. The suspects range from the woman who sold Janet her house to teenage mean girls to Jack's foreman who is worried about losing custody of his son. There were others too. 

Sara, Kate, and Jack soon learn that Janet was never satisfied until she got revenge for even the smallest slight. The woman who beat her in a crocheting contest had her sheshed burned down. The beautician who accidentally dyed her hair green had Janet put her out of business by establishing a competitor next door. 

I liked the byplay between Jack and Kate and wonder if she's really as clueless about how much he likes her as she seems. 

It was a nice mystery with a sort of surprising ending. I just think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it with my eyes.

Favorite Quote:
Janet Beeson had a gunshot in her head and a large knife sticking out of her chest. Green vomit was on her chin and down the front of her shirt. Poison, maybe?

Sheriff Flynn recovered first. "Somebody really, really wanted her dead," he managed to say.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Kris Longknife: Defiant by Mike Shepherd

Kris Longknife: Defiant

Author:
Mike Shepherd
Series: Kris Longknife (Book 3)
Publication: Ace (October 25, 2005)

Description: As part of an agenda to oust her father from his political position, Kris Longknife is relieved of command. But when an alien enemy launches an invasion, she defies both government and military authority to lead a rag-tag fleet against the threat.

My Thoughts: Lieutenant Kris Longknife finds herself assigned to small, experimental ships designed to protect individual planets and made of the semi-smart metal that was used in an assassination attempt against her. The ships have all sorts of problems from equipment failures to the sheer impossibility of small ships taking on battlecruisers. 

Before the problems can be solved, but with some hope in sight, Kris is pulled from the ship and arrested for dereliction of duty. This is a put-up case because her father's enemies have found a way to get him out of power and are using Kris's earlier mission as a way to keep him out. 

While awaiting her court martial, her Great-grandfather King Ray sends her on a diplomatic mission to sit with one of his old comrades who is dying and, incidentally, convince her planet to join the United Sentients. She has a fight on her hands when off planet agitators attempt their own takeover of the planet. 

Then, when returned home to Wardhaven, Kris learns that the planet's defense fleet have been sent to another potential member planet of the United Sentients just when a battle fleet of unknown origin comes to Wardhaven.

With the new government burying its head in the sand, it is up to Kris and quite a few co-conspirators to get her twelve ships functional and find a way to defeat the invading armada. Luckily, she isn't alone. Her Grandpa Al opens his space repair facilities to her, and she gets help from his crew along with private yacht captains, space tugs, the Army, the Navy, and even the local flying clubs. It is up to twenty-three-year-old Princess Kristine Longknife to meld all these elements together into a cohesive fighting force if she wants her planet to survive. 

I enjoyed the planning, conniving, space battles, and soul-searching even while hating the losses of friends that were the inevitable result of the battle.

Favorite Quote:
"Battles aren't so much won by the brilliant choices of the winner as lost by the dumb mistakes of the losers."
***
"Eighty years of peace create a certain way of thinking."

"Yes, Father. And those who don't break it may very soon find it listed as their cause of death."
I bought this one before 2008. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Book Review: When We Met by Susan Mallery

When We Met

Author:
Susan Mallery
Series: Fool's Gold (Book 13)
Publication: HQN; Original edition (April 29, 2014)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery invites you back to Fool's Gold, where a newcomer to town might finally meet the man she never knew she needed in this uplifting opposites attract romance…

Angel Whittaker earned his scars the hard way, but the scars that can't be seen are the ones that haunt him the most. Since he moved to Fool's Gold, California, he's cobbled together a life for himself as a bodyguard trainer. If he's not exactly happy, at least his heart is safe after the devastating loss he's experienced.

Working with pro-football superstars taught tough-talking PR woman Taryn Crawford one thing—she can go toe-to-toe with any man. But then dark, dangerous former Special Ops Angel targets her for seduction…and challenges her to resist his tempting kisses.

Even in four-inch heels, Taryn never backs down. Unless, somehow, Angel can convince her that surrender might feel even better than victory.

My Thoughts: This was another entertaining Fool's Gold romance. Taryn Crawford is still adjusting to life in Fool's Gold after her former football player partners vote to move the business from LA. She's high fashion and high heels and isn't sure she likes all the friendliness.

Angel Whittaker is a partner in the bodyguard school after a career in Special Forces. He's dealing with the deaths of his wife and son in a car accident. He feels guilty that he wasn't there to protect him. 

Angel and Taryn are attracted to each other, but neither is looking for a committed relationship. An affair suits them since neither is willing to risk their heart. 

I enjoyed this story. I liked that Angel got roped into being a troop leader for seven-year-old girls and that Taryn helped him with that. I liked that Taryn had a great group of female friends. 

This was an excellent addition to this long-running series. 

Favorite Quote:
They were a couple of broken souls, she thought, passing him the spare ribs. A man who had loved and lost and a woman who didn't believe in romantic love at all. 
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

ARC Review: Devouring Darkness by Chloe Neill

Devouring Darkness

Author:
Chloe Neill
Series: Heirs of Chicagoland (Book 4)
Publication: Berkley (September 20, 2022)

Description: In the newest installment of the USA Today bestselling Heirs of Chicagoland series, vampire Elisa Sullivan unearths an ancient grudge, with potentially devastating consequences.

As the only vampire ever born, and the daughter of two very powerful Chicago vampires, Elisa Sullivan knew her life was going to be…unusual. But she wanted to make her own way in the world, preferably away from her famous family. Then supernatural politics—and perhaps a bit of destiny—intervened, and Elisa had to steady her nerves and sharpen her steel to fight for the city of Chicago. Luckily, Connor Keene, son of the North American Central Pack’s Apex wolf, is right by her side.

When Elisa and her Ombudsman colleagues agree to escort a vulnerable supernatural to Chicago, they inadvertently set in motion a scheme of long-awaited magical vengeance. The city may pay an arcane price it can’t afford unless Elisa and her allies rise to the challenge.

My Thoughts: In this episode of the Heirs of Chicagoland series, Elisa and her colleagues have to find and capture a chaos demon who has damaged one of the wards built in 1872 which allowed her entrance.

While Elisa is busy dealing with the chaos demon, the Pack is dealing with interlopers from out of town who have come to lodge complaints. Connor is pulled between helping Elisa and helping with the pack. 

Things get much worse when the demon causes Cadogan House to disappear just before Elisa and Connor arrive for a brainstorming session about removing the demon from Chicago. Trapped in the house are Elisa's parents, Connor's parents and Lulu Bell's parents along with the head of one of the other vampire houses and all the vampires who were at home when Cadogan House was removed. 

Elisa and her team now have to figure things out on their own without the help of older vampires and the extensive library at Cadogan House. Lulu is so angry that she decides that she has to share a secret she's been keeping for ten years about her reasons for not using her magic.

The story was fast-paced and filled with action. I enjoyed the interactions of the characters and the worldbuilding in a Chicago with a variety of supernaturals. Fans of the series won't want to miss this latest episode.

Favorite Quote:
"So if this demon made it into Chicago, in order to stop her, we have to figure out her sigil, which only she knows. We have to find her, and we have to use metaphysical magic in order to lock her down again."

"Correct."

I blew out a breath. The world had just gotten very, very complicated.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Kris Longknife: Deserter by Mike Shepherd

Kris Longknife: Deserter

Author:
Mike Shepherd
Series: Kris Longknife (Book 2)
Publication: Ace; 1st Printing edition (November 30, 2004)

Description: A search for her lost friend leads the female space warrior into a galactic hellhole with no way out.

My Thoughts: This second book in the Kris Longknife series has Lieutenant JG Kris Longknife assigned to a ship which is testing the new smart metal. 

When she gets a distress call from her friend Tom, she uses some leave time to travel to Taurantic to try to rescue him. She is traveling with her bodyguard Jack and a new maid hired by her mother whose name is Abby. Not to mention Kris's computer Nelly who has just gotten a new upgrade and who is analyzing an artifact left by the Three which might or might not be influencing Kris.

Rescuing Tom is not beyond her small team's capabilities especially with the addition of another Navy Lieutenant named Penny. But the rescue was a trap set by Kris's old enemy Cal Sandfire. Sandfire wants Kris dead but she's only one small part of his bigger plan. 

With Kris stuck on Taurantic because of an Ebola outbreak and a strangely coincidental failure of the Comm System, Kris finds herself using her role of Princess Longknife to find out what is going on on the planet. She finds that Sandfire is building a space fleet using merchant hulls. The question is whether he is working on his own or at the direction of Henry Smythe-Peterwald the Twelfth.

Kris has met Hank Peterwald the Thirteenth who is her agemate and someone she should have a lot in common with considering that each has a trust fund hovering around a trillion and powerful parents. But a series of accidents whenever he's around leaves Kris uncertain about whether Hank is a villain or a dupe.

The story was filled with action and intrigue. I really like Kris's new maid who seems to have lots and lots of secrets and some really strange competencies. I like that Kris is smart and creative and driven to make things better for those around her. 

This is an entertaining series with great worldbuilding and great characters. 

Favorite Quote:
No question about it, excitement was something horrible happening to someone else as far away from your own thin and delicate skin as possible.
I bought this one back in 2004. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, September 19, 2022

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (September 19, 2022)

 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.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This was a quiet week with lots of reading, lots of baseball games as the season draws to a close, and lots of watching ceremonies surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Monday, I'll be up early (4:30 AM my time) to watch the funeral services and processions. 

Just when I thought I was getting a handle on my tall stack of October releases, I added two more to the pile. One is a novella, but still... However, nine read and eight to go.

This coming week will be spent catching up on the sleep I'm losing by getting up so very early and reading down my stack of October releases. I also hope to continue listening to my current audiobook. 

I haven't any appointments to take me away from home and likely won't leave the house. 

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.)
  • Treachery on Tenth Street by Kate Belli (Review; October 11) -- Another interesting mystery in the Gilded Gotham series. My review will be posted on October 4.
  • The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal (Review; October 11) -- This science fiction mystery takes place on a starship heading to Mars. It has great characters and engaging worldbuilding. My review will be posted on October 4.
  • A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril (Review; October 11) -- Culinary cozy mystery stars twin sisters who own a bookstore/chocolate store in a small town in Montana. Nice mystery with recipes for more accomplished cooks than I am. My review will be posted on October 5.
  • Blind Faith by Alicia Beckman (Review; October 11) -- Excellent mystery which weaves three or four time periods and three viewpoint characters. I really liked it. My review will be posted on October 6.
  • Canter with a Killer by Amber Camp (Review; October 11) -- Entertaining cozy mystery with a great setting and interesting characters. My review will be posted on October 6.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:
Bought:
  • Fledgling by Molly Harper (Kindle & Audiobook)
  • Calling by Molly Harper (Kindle & Audiobook)
What was your week like?