Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Audiobook Review: The Bullet Catch by John Gaspard

The Bullet Catch

Author:
John Gaspard
Narrator: Jim Cunningham
Series: Eli Marks Mysteries (Book 2)
Publication: Spoken Realms (July 3, 2018)
Length: 8 hours and 6 minutes

Description: Newly single magician Eli Marks reluctantly attends his high school reunion against his better judgment, only to become entangled in two deadly encounters with his former classmates. The first is the fatal mugging of an old crush's husband, followed by the suspicious deaths of the victim's business associates.

At the same time, Eli also comes to the aid of a classmate-turned-movie-star who fears that attempting the Bullet Catch in an upcoming movie may be his last performance. As the bodies begin to pile up, Eli comes to the realization that juggling these murderous situations - while saving his own neck - may be the greatest trick he's ever performed.

My Thoughts: The second Eli Marks mystery begins when he attends his fifteenth class reunion. Eli is recently divorced and "on a break" from his new relationship. He runs into an old crush who is married to another one of their former classmates - one Eli could never stand. 

Eli also reconnects with on old friend who has become a television actor trying to transition to movie actor. The movie is being shot in Minneapolis and, since it concerns the mysterious death of a magician, the friend asks Eli to be his magic consultant. The climax of the film includes a dangerous classic trick called the Bullet Catch which has killed a number of magicians. The actor is afraid that the trick will kill him which will guarantee an audience for the film but not be at all good for him.

When the old crush's husband dies in what looks like a particularly brutal mugging, Eli is there to offer support to the grieving widow. He also gets drawn into the victim's history and business dealings as people around the victim are also being killed. A mysterious character who is filled with movie quotes also interacts with Eli because the first murder victim owed him money and he wants Eli to look into the death. 

I loved the Minneapolis setting. I also loved the group of retired magicians who are friends of his Uncle Harry and who have served as Eli's mentors as he learned to be a magician. I liked the various magic tricks performed. I liked Eli who is smart and observant. 

The narrator did a great job bringing all the various characters to life and illuminating their personalities with his voice. 

I bought this one August 3, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Standing Dead by Margaret Mizushima

Standing Dead

Author:
Margaret Mizushima
Series: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery (Book 8)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (March 7, 2023)

Description: Deputy Mattie Cobb and her sister, Julia, travel to Mexico to visit their mother, but when they arrive, they discover that she and her husband have vanished without a trace. Back in Timber Creek, Mattie finds a chilling note on her front door telling her to look for “him” among the standing dead up in the high country.

The sheriff’s department springs into action and sends a team to the mountains, where Mattie’s K-9 partner, Robo, makes a grisly discovery—a body tied to a dead pine tree. Mattie is shocked when she realizes she knows the dead man. And then another note arrives, warning that Mattie’s mother is in desperate straits. In a last-ditch gambit, Mattie must go deep undercover into a killer’s lair to save her mother—or die trying.

My Thoughts: Lots of threads wrap up in this eighth book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. Mattie Wray and her recently met sister Julia go to a small town in Mexico where there mother has been hiding from the gang that murdered her husband and kidnapped her and her children when Mattie was two. But Mattie and Julia find that their mother and her husband hve fled again, leaving them disappointed.

When Mattie returns to her job as a Colorado Sheriff's Deputy and K-9 officer, she finds a note on her door saying that she'll find him among the standing dead. She alerts the sheriff and grabs her K-9 Robo and heads up to the high country to find out who "he" is. 

Discovering the dead body of her mother's husband begins a hunt for her missing mother and leads to more notes and more kidnappings. Meanwhile, her fiancĂ© veterinarian Cole Walker is dealing with cases of selenium poisoning up in the same high country and with canine coronavirus closer to home. 

With Mattie as the target of a murderer who was part of the original gang that killed her father, the rush is on to finally unravel that plot and save her mother and sister's lives. 

Excellent addition to an engaging series. I really enjoy Mattie's relationship with her K-9 Robo. 

Favorite Quote:
"Wait," she told Robo as she reached the door, making sure he waited for Stella and her to enter first. It was a small bow to her being the boss but one she insisted on with this high-drive, alpha-male shepherd. It was easier if she kept him in line so he wasn't tempted to take over, like she'd been warned he might by his trainer.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, February 27, 2023

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (February 27, 2023)

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...

We had a snowy last week of February. We received 9.9 inches of new snow spread out over the week. The 23rd was our big day with 6.2 inches arriving. Along with the snow were cold temperatures and strong winds. We weren't hit as hard as people in the southern half of Minnesota, but it was enough to make things difficult some days.

Today (Sunday) is nice and sunny but a wintry mix is expected tomorrow which could make my annual wellness visit hard to get to. Luckily, my brother with his Subaru Outback equipped with snow tires will be my chauffeur. Wednesday is a busy day too with my annual mammogram and regularly scheduled blood draw, but the weather isn't supposed to be an issue. 

On the upside, baseball is back. I enjoyed a number of Spring Training games yesterday and expect to do so again today. Between the MLB network and my MLB.TV subscription, I have bunches of choices of games almost every day now through October. This may cut down on my reading a bit although I do usually read some while watching games. 

And The Voice is back starting next Monday. 

As for reading, despite having a number of series that I would like to finish, I decided to do a reread of the In Death series - all 56 books of it. Since I prefer reading on my Kindle and many of the early books were either paperbacks or hardcovers on my keeper shelves, this means buying the Kindle versions. I wasn't consistently buying the Kindle version until book 40. With this week's purchases I have the Kindle copies through book 29. I'm hoping to finish my reread before book 57 is released on September 5. I don't plan to write individual reviews of these. I did begin reviewing them starting with book 30 on this blog back in 2010 though I may have missed a few along the way.

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.)
  • Smolder by Laurell K. Hamilton (Review; March 21) -- 29th in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series has her planning her wedding, dealing with her family's disapproval of her fiancĂ©, and dealing with an ancient evil who wants what Jean Claude has. My review will be posted on March 16.
  • A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (Mine; Audible Plus) -- First in the Lady Sherlock historical mystery series. This was a reread inspired by reading the latest book in the series. My review will be posted on March 30.
  • The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix (Review; March 21) -- Second in an alternate history fantasy series. Lots of great characters and lots of action. My review will be posted on March 16.
  • Portrait in Death by J. D. Robb (Mine; Kindle) -- In Death book 16. I saw a quote from this one on Facebook and decided to reread it since I haven't read it since it was released on 2003. It inspired a goal to reread the entire 56 book series.
  • Magic Tides by Ilona Andrews (Mine) -- Long novella/short novel that stars Kate, Curran and Conlan in their new home in Wimington where the desire to keep a low profile is blown when the nephew of their contractor is kidnapped and Kate needs to set things right. My review will be posted on March 18.
  • Glory in Death by J. D. Robb (Mine; Reread) -- In Death book 2 has someone slashing the throats of prominent women. Eve and Roarke are having some trouble figuring out their new relationship. Eve's friend Nadine almost becomes a victim.
  • The Prince Next Door by Sue Civil-Brown (Mine since 2008) -- This contemporary romance also included a slapstick heist plot line. My review will be posted on March 21.
  • Rapture in Death by J. D. Robb (Mine) -- In Death book 4 shows that Eve can't get away from murder even on her honeymoon. This one features mind control with Roarke as one of the potential victims. 
  • Immortal in Death by J. D. Robb (Mine; Reread) -- In Death book 3 introduces Peabody as Eve's aide and features a drug that promises youth and beauty until it kills you. Eve's friend Mavis is accused of murder.
  • Ceremony in Death by J. D. Robb (Mine; Reread) -- In Death book 5 has witches and magic and the death of a cop and his granddaughter. 
Currently
  • Vengeance in Death by J. D. Robb (Kindle Reread)
  • Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller (Review; March 28) -- This one is taking me a while solely because it isn't an In Death episode.
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

None

Bought:
What was your week like?

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Book Review: Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Peters (Barbara Michaels)

Smoke and Mirrors

Author:
Elizabeth Peters writing as Barbara Michaels
Publication: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (June 7, 2022)

Description An idealistic young woman finds working a political campaign can be murder in this romantic suspense novel by “a master storyteller” (Mary Higgins Clark).

Young Erin Hartsock arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition—and little interest in politics. However, when she’s offered a position on a congresswoman’s campaign for the Senate, she’s more than happy to flee her dead-end job to take on what she expects will be boring administrative work . . .

But as the campaign heats up, disturbing events follow. There’s a string of dangerous fires, a violent attack, and a seemingly accidental death. Erin begins to wonder about her colleagues all while they grow suspicious of her. Someone’s got a secret—and with the election looming, Erin must quickly uncover who’s behind the chaos before she becomes a prime candidate for murder.

My Thoughts: After the death of her father and in the hopes of making a new start, Erin Hartsock arrives in Washington DC. After some disappointing jobs and being passed over for earned promotions, Erin is convinced by her roommate to write to her mother's college friend Rosemary White Marshall who is running for the Senate.

Rosemary likes Erin and offers her one of the few paid positions on her otherwise shoestring campaign. Erin finds herself doing all sorts of work from cleaning to working on speeches. She also finds herself over her head in the world of politics and working with people who are much more knowledgeable. 

Rosemary is a wonderful person filled with a politician's charisma and Erin comes to like her. She's less sure about Rosemary's secretary Kay who will be her immediate supervisor and seems like a demanding and mercurial person jealous of anyone who captures Rosemary's attention. 

There are quite a few others working on the campaign. Joe Esler is the campaign manager, Jeff Ross is the legal consultant, Nick McDermott is a volunteer who writes speeches and manages media and is tasked with keeping everyone's spirits up. And Will who does the research and is a professor at a local college. 

When pranks start happening - a few small fires - it first looks like Erin is the one who is responsible. But Nick stands up for her and the two begin an investigation into the pranks. And when Kay is found dead of an apparent drug overdose it is clear that someone is quite dangerous. And that villain is quite determined to keep secrets from the past buried in it. 

This was entertaining but also dated. The birth of Women's Lib is clear in the story. Erin seems to sitch between being a person ready to demand her rights and a person who is submissive and subservient. The men's attitudes, especially Nick's, vacillate between protecting the little woman and treating women like intelligent equals. 

There was almost too much going on in this story between the political campaign and the murder investigation and figuring out what buried secret from the past might be unearthed. However, I did enjoy the writing and the mystery.

Favorite Quote:
"It's an adventure. Exciting, unpredictable, challenging, hazardous. But I'd rather think of it as a great and honorable endeavor. 'The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it, and the flow from that fire can truly light the world.'"
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, February 24, 2023

Friday Memes: Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Peters (Barbara Michaels)

 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:
The face was thirty feet high. Dark hair crowned it, like a hillside streaked with snow. the yard-long lips curved gently, with just the hint of a smile. The eyes were mesmerizing, not only because of their size; by some trick of the setting they seemed to stare straight at the viewer, demanding his attention.
Friday 56:
Nick dropped to one knee, snatched her hand, and raised it to his lips. "Thank you. Thank you! The gracious enthusiasm of your response overwhelms me. You have made my day. Your ineffable condescension--"

"Oh, get up! I have to finish adding these checks."
This week I am spotlighting Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Peters. This one is a blast from the past for me. Back in probably the 1980s or 1990s, I didn't miss anything by Elizabeth Peters or Barbara Michaels. I likely read this one then but didn't keep a copy. I couldn't pass up the chance to read it again when it was a recent Kindle Daily Deal.

Here is the description from Amazon:
An idealistic young woman finds working a political campaign can be murder in this romantic suspense novel by “a master storyteller” (Mary Higgins Clark).
 
Young Erin Hartsock arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition—and little interest in politics. However, when she’s offered a position on a congresswoman’s campaign for the Senate, she’s more than happy to flee her dead-end job to take on what she expects will be boring administrative work . . .
 
But as the campaign heats up, disturbing events follow. There’s a string of dangerous fires, a violent attack, and a seemingly accidental death. Erin begins to wonder about her colleagues all while they grow suspicious of her. Someone’s got a secret—and with the election looming, Erin must quickly uncover who’s behind the chaos before she becomes a prime candidate for murder.

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Audiobook Review: The Fire's Stone by Tanya Huff

The Fire's Stone
Author: Tanya Huff
Narrator: Bill Hensel
Publication: Audible Studios (January 9, 2013)
Length: 11 hours

Description: It was a long fall from Clan Heir to common thief, but Aaron never wanted any part of his father’s brutal outlander reign. In fact, besides coin purses and jewels, there’s very little in all of Cisali that interests Aaron, until he stumbles—quite literally—into a prince’s bedchamber…

Prince Davish of Ischia is a skilled swordsman both on the field and beneath the sheets, at least when he isn’t outrageously drunk. But the wine helps him forget all the ways he’s disappointed his father, his family, and soon enough, his young bride-to-be…

A trained Wizard of the Nine with more raw talent than real-world experience, Princess Chandra has no interest in the politically arranged marriage. She flees to the royal city of Ischia seeking a way out of the union. But there, she discovers something far more shocking than Prince Davish’s rakish reputation…

The Stone of Ischia has been stolen. A powerful talisman, The Stone protects the city from the active volcano that looms over its terraces and streets. Without it, Ischia will be destroyed and the kingdom of Cisali will fall. Its only hope is an unlikely band of heroes—a failed thief, a drunken prince, and a runaway wizard—who must face pirates, powerful magic, and their own carefully guarded secrets in order to find and restore the Stone of Ischia.

My Thoughts: This was an excellent fantasy that combines "coming of age" with coming into self. There are three main characters who are all struggling to find their place in the world.

Aaron is a thief who is likely clinically depressed and who is just looking for a way to die. When he enters the room of an old woman, he meets someone who becomes a friend and a mentor. But when she dies, he sets off on a plan to steal the jewel on the head of the ruler's staff which she carved as a suitable grave gift. And if he dies, oh well.

Prince Davish is the third son who doesn't have a role in the kingdom or the interest or respect of his father. He fills his time becoming an excellent swordsman, a full-time drunk, and an indiscriminate lover of men and women. He surprises himself when he rescues a failed thief from the torture chamber overseen by his younger twin siblings. 

Princess Chandra is a Wizard of the Nine, powerful and rather naive. She has been abandoned emotionally by her grief-stricken father who can't get over the loss of his wife. She thinks her only value is as a wizard. She's determined not to marry which she feels with dilute her power. When her father plans a marriage with Prince Davish, she is not at all in favor and is determined to see Davish to convince him that they won't suit.

However, since someone has stolen the Stone which keeps the volcano the kingdom is built on from exploding, their personal problems will have to wait. When Davish and Aaron are sent to recover the Stone and Chandra tags along, they have a chance to learn a lot about each other and themselves when battling pirates, a churning sea, and a magician who doesn't want to give up the Stone.

I really enjoyed this story which was ably narrated by Bill Hensel. 

I bought this one August 29, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose

Cold-Blooded Liar

Author:
Karen Rose
Series: The San Diego Case Files (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (February 28, 2023)

Description: Sam Reeves is a kindhearted psychologist who treats court-ordered clients. After one of his patients—a pathological liar—starts revealing plausible new details from a long-unsolved serial murder case, he’s compelled to report anonymously to the SDPD tip line, though his attempts to respect patient confidentiality land him facedown and cuffed by the aggressive (and cute) Detective McKittrick.

San Diego homicide detective Kit McKittrick loves the water. She lives on a boat, and when she’s not solving crimes with the SDPD, she’s assisting her foster sister with her charter fishing business or playing with her poodle. But there’s nothing that intrigues Kit more than a cold case, so when an anonymous caller leads her on the path of a wanted killer, she’s determined to end the decade-long manhunt.

Sam is soon released but goes home with both a newfound distaste for the SDPD and a resolve—not unlike Kit’s—to uncover the truth. Kit and Sam repeatedly butt heads in their separate investigations but are forced to work together to find one of the deadliest serial killers the city has faced in years.

My Thoughts: This was an entertaining suspense story. San Diego homicide detective Kit McKittridge grew up in foster care and last landed with the McKittricks. Her fifteenth year was particularly traumatic when her foster sister Wren disappears and is later found dead. Fearing that the police are not investigating giving the case enough attention because they've branded Wren as a runaway, Kit and her foster father decide to pursue their own investigation.

Fast forward sixteen years...

Kit McKittridge is now a homicide detective who has a special talent for resolving cold cases. When the body of another young petite, blond girl is found in a shallow grave with her wrists restrained by pink sparkly handcuffs, Kit becomes the latest in her office to try to solve the murders which have spanned over 20 years. They haven't been able to identify all of the young girls and the discoveries of their bodies looks like accidents. 

Meanwhile Psychologist Sam Reeves is dealing with a current client who is a pathological liar and who seems to be throwing out hints that he knows something about the deaths of these young girl. When his attempt to report his suspicions anonymously fail, he's arrested by Kit and her partner Baz until he can tell them his connection to the case. Baz is really suspicious but something about Sam convinces Kit that he is just passing on a tip. 

Unfortunately, the man identified by Sam is found to be a potential suicide when the police get to his house. Because a reporter is ready to publish the story, the Police Department tries to get ahead of them by announcing that the man was the killer. Kit has reservations which are upheld when the Medical Examiner discovers a fast-acting sedative in his body.

Now Kit and the police are trying to find the real killer who might or might not have been a partner to the suicide victim. And Sam is also investigating since he is still considered a possible suspect and needs to clear his name to save his career. 

This story had great characters and a nicely twisty plot. I really enjoyed it. 

Favorite Quote:
"It's the ripples."

"Ripples," he repeated flatly.

"Yes, ripples. Murder doesn't just affect the victim. It touches family, friends, colleagues. The person who discovers the body, even if they're a stranger. No one in the victim's circle will ever be the same. You tried to do the right thing, but you got sucked into a case that never should have touched you or Miss Carville or her family. But this is where we are." She hesitated. "I'm asking you to trust me to do my job. To stay away from this investigation."
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

ARC Review: The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

The Neighbor Favor

Author:
Kristina Forest
Publication: Berkley (February 28, 2023)

Description: A shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he’s the obscure author she’s been corresponding with, in this sparkling and heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest.

Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming a children’s books editor, but she’s been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over email turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain—until he ghosts her without a word.

Months later, Lily is still crushed, but she’s determined to get a hold of her life, starting with finding a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, who she feels drawn to for reasons she can’t explain. But little does she know, Nick is an author—her favorite fantasy author.

Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet girl from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over email months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but—not when he can't get her off his mind...

My Thoughts: Two people meet by chance when she discovers that the author of one of her favorite books has finally gotten a website and sends an email, and the author writes back to her. This starts a six-month correspondence that lets them get to know each other before he ghosts her.

Lily Greene is the youngest in her very successful family and is feeling the family pressure to succeed. She wants to edit children's books but is stuck working as the assistant of a demanding publisher on nonfiction. Nick Brown is a man who writes for a travel magazine and is constantly on the move. Oh, and he wrote a fantasy book when he was twenty-two.

When Nick's college roommate who is now an agent in New York sells his book to a new publisher, Nick finds himself faced with a life change. Now he has to own up to his book and write two sequels. He's chosen to come to New York to do this partly in the hopes of meeting the woman he wrote all those emails to. 

However, Nick didn't expect to be renting an apartment on the same floor as Lily or finding it hard to tell her that he is the one who communicated with her for so long and then broke her heart when he stopped writing. 

They get together when she needs a date for her sister's wedding that isn't organized by one of her sisters and asks Nick to go with her or, at least, find her a date. 

I enjoyed this story of two people who find each other, lose each other, and find each other again. I liked that each of them was vulnerable. I liked the way their new relationship grew slowly and resulted in personal growth for both of them. 

Both of the characters are Black and some of the Black experience did inform their lives and choices. 

Favorite Quote:
"It's not what it looks like," Nick said quickly.

"Riiiight." Lily backed away from him.

"Last weekend was Yolanda's half-birthday," Nick said, lowering his voice. "We had a small celebration at her apartment and I forgot my boxers."

"It's really not my business. But how could you possibly have forgotten your boxers, of all things?"
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Audiobook Review: Blood Red by Mercedes Lackey

Blood Red

Author:
Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Tamara Marston
Series: Elemental Masters (Book 9)
Publication: Audible Studios (June 3, 2014)
Length: 12 hours and 17 minutes

Description: Rosamund is an Earth Master in the Schwarzwald, the ancient Black Forest of Germany. Since the age of 10, she has lived with her teacher, the Hunt Master and Earth Magician of the Schwarzwald Foresters, a man she calls "Papa". Her adoptive Papa rescued her after her original Earth Master teacher, an old woman who lived alone in a small cottage in the forest, was brutally murdered by werewolves. Rosa herself barely escaped, and this terrifying incident molded the course of her future.

For like her fellow Earth Masters of the Schwarzwald Lodge, Rosa is not a healer. Instead, her talents lead her on the more violent path of protection and defense - "cleansing" the Earth and protecting its gentle fae creatures from those evil beings who seek to do them harm. And so Rosa becomes the first woman Hunt Master and the scourge of evil creatures, with a deadly specialty in werewolves and all shapeshifters.

While visiting with a Fire Master - a friend of her mentor from the Schwarzwald Lodge - Rosa meets a pair of Elemental Magicians from Hungary who have come looking for help. They suspect that there is a dark power responsible for a string of murders happening in the remote countryside of Transylvania, but they have no proof. Rosa agrees to help them, but there is a catch: One of the two men asking for aid is a hereditary werewolf.

Rosa has been taught that there are three kinds of werewolves. There are those, like the one that had murdered her teacher, who transform themselves by use of dark magic, and also those who have been infected by the bite of these magical werewolves - these poor victims have no control over their transformative powers. Yet, there is a third kind: Those who have been born with the ability to transform at will. Some insist that certain of these hereditary werewolves are benign. But Rosa has never encountered a benign werewolf!

Can she trust this Hungarian werewolf? Or is the Hunter destined to become the Hunted?

My Thoughts: This story is Little Red Riding Hood reimagined and set in Eastern Europe and the forests of Germany. 

In the Prologue, young Rosamund has an encounter with a rogue werewolf when she goes to her teacher's house in the world. She uses her untrained magic to call for help and the Hunt Master of the local white lodge comes to her rescue. He recognizes her talents and takes her with him to be raised and trained in his lodge. 

When the story begins, Rosamund is the first female Hunt Master and is traveling to Romania because the locals have called for help to get rid of some werewolves. On her way back to the Schwarzwald, she stops in to visit a friend of her adopted father. This Fire Master is a noble who offers to teach her how to get along in society and also to introduce her to the masters of other lodges who might need her services. 

When the meets two Elemental Magicians who have come from Hungary asking for help, she joins forces with them despite the fact that one is a heriditary werewolf. She has heard that there are benign werewolves, but she's never met one herself until now. Most of what she hunts are werewolves gone rogue.

As the three travel into Hungary in search of the villain who has caused hundreds of deaths over the past forty years, they find a problem much bigger than they had anticipated and need to use all their strengths to defeat this powerful evil being. 

I like the 19th century setting for this story. The descriptions of the scenery and societies were detailed and colorful. I liked the growing friendship between Rosamund and the two Elemental magicians. I liked that this was a coming of age story which allows Rosamund to expand her world and her options. 

I bought this one September 28, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon by Marcy McCreary

The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon

Author:
Marcy McCreary
Series: A Ford Family Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: CamCat Books (September 7, 2021)

Description: How far would your family go to protect its secrets?

In the waning days of the Catskills hotel era, Stanley and Rachel Roth, the owners of the Cuttman Hotel, were practically dynasty―third generation proprietors of a sprawling resort with a grand reputation. The glamorous and gregarious matriarch, Rachel. The cunning and successful businessman, Stan. Four beautiful children. A perfect family deserving of respect and loyalty. Or so it seemed.

Fast forward forty years. The Roths have lost their clout. When skeletal remains are found on the side of the road, a 1978 missing persons case—involving a coffee shop waitress who worked at the Cuttman—is reopened. Each member of the Roth family holds a clue to the case, but getting them to admit what they know will force Detective Susan Ford to face a family she'd hoped never to see again.

It will have you guessing who did what to whom...until the bitter end.

My Thoughts: Fifty-three-year-old Susan Ford is on desk duty until the wound in her leg heals and Internal Affairs finishes their investigation of the incident where Susan shot a young black drug dealer. She claims he had a gun, but no gun was found at the scene. 

When bones are found by a local highway, the first thought is that Trudy Solomon who disappeared forty years earlier has finally been found. This might bring resolution to a case that had been plaguing her father, retired Detective Will Ford, for all that time. The whole Trudy Solomon investigation loomed large in Susan's memory too. It happened at the same time her grandfather died, her parents divorced, and she lost her best friend to other friends. 

But the body is not Trudy's and a run of her Social Security cards finds Trudy in a memory care unit in Massachusetts, Will asks Susan to help him try to find out what Trudy's missing years contained. So, with her department's permission, Susan and Will begin to dig into the disappearance of Trudy Solomon again. They discover a couple of murders, family secrets of all sorts, and unknown babies. 

This was an engaging, character-filled mystery with all sorts of twists and turns. I enjoyed getting to know Susan and her parents. I also found the problem of possible police targeting of Blacks and the Black Lives Matter thread to be timely.

Favorite Quote:
"I sorted the old interview files, separated the living from the dead. The doctor Trudy had the appointment with is dead. Max Whittier, the guy from the parking lot who saw Ben drop off Trudy, is dead. Trudy's best friend, Maxine Cohen, is dead." I scanned Maxine's file. "According to her statement, she was shopping in Middletown when Trudy disappeared and claims to have no idea as to what might have happened to her."
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, February 20, 2023

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (February 20, 2023)

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 another quiet week. I did something unusual this week; I drove my car. After a couple of warm, sunny weeks, the roads were clear of snow and ice. I ventured out only to go to the mall and buy new license tabs for my car. Probably less then 5 miles round trip. But still -- I drove in the winter. With snow forecast for every day this coming week, I won't be driving again for a while. 

Otherwise, I listened to four audiobooks and read four books from my review stack. I'm making good progress on my March releases and should finish up all the March review books this week. 

I took advantage of some deals at BookBub and Amazon and received a surprise gift of a hardcover book from Minotaur. I'd already read and reviewed the eARC. I also got four new review books one of which I had requested months ago.

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.)
  • Bones Under the Ice by Mary Ann Miller (Review; March 21) -- Interesting debut to new series set in a small town in Indiana. The characters were complex and the mystery was too. My review will be posted on March 14.
  • A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (Review; March 14) -- This is the seventh in the Lady Sherlock historical mystery series. It takes place on a ship sailing from England to points East. Charlotte has to conceal her identity from Moriarty's minions while solving the murder. My review will be posted on March 9.
  • Sinister Magic by Lindsay Buroker (Audiobook; Mine since last May) -- Start of a new urban fantasy series starring a half-elven assassin and featuring all sorts of being including dragons. My review will be posted on March 21.
  • The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian (Review; March 21) -- Second in the Secret Staircase series. This time Tempest and her crew need to discover who murdered the distasteful author and dropped his body right in the middle of a seance. My review will be posted on March 14.
  • A Mansion for Murder by Frances Brody (Review; March 21) -- 15th in a series of historical murders set in 1930. Interesting characters and a nicely complex mystery. My review will be posted on March 15.
Currently
  • Smolder by Laurell K. Hamilton (Review; March 21)
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:
Bought:
What was your week like?

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Book Review: Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evanovich

Twisted Twenty-Six

Author:
Janet Evanovich
Series: Stephanie Plum (Book 26)
Publication: G.P. Putnam's Sons (November 12, 2019)

Description: This isn't just another case. This is family.

How far will Stephanie Plum go to protect the one person who means the most to her? The stakes have never been higher in this #1 New York Times bestseller from Janet Evanovich.


Grandma Mazur has decided to get married again - this time to a local gangster named Jimmy Rosolli. If Stephanie has her doubts about this marriage, she doesn't have to worry for long, because the groom drops dead of a heart attack 45 minutes after saying, "I do.

A sad day for Grandma Mazur turns into something far more dangerous when Jimmy's former "business partners" are convinced that his new widow is keeping the keys to a financial windfall all to herself. But the one thing these wise guys didn't count on was the widow's bounty hunter granddaughter, who'll do anything to save her.

My Thoughts: Reluctant bail bond enforcer Stephanie Plum is at it again. This time she needs to protect her Grandma Mazur. Grandma was recently widowed after a forty-five-minute marriage to local mobster Jimmy Rosolli. Jimmy had a sudden heart attack while playing slots. 

Grandma is busy planning his funeral and wake and making plans to spend her new inheritance since Jimmy's will says his current wife gets everything. However, there are some problems. Jimmy left three sisters, and two ex-wives who also feel entitled to his estate.

Then there are some mysterious keys that were in his keeping that other local mobsters really want to have. They are certain that Grandma has them but are giving her a break until after the funeral is over before they use strong measures to get the keys. 

Unfortunately, Grandma doesn't have the keys. Stephanie is on the case to not only protect Grandma from all those who wish her harm but to find the missing keys. She is also busy doing her normal recoveries of people who have missed their court dates and need to reschedule, Ove the cours of these twenty-six books, Stephanie has gotten much better at her job. But this time their is a very elusive shop lifter who is giving her and her buddy Lulu fits. 

There is the requisite car explosion which leads to Stephanie having to borrow her Great-Uncle Sandor's '53 Buick. This time she lobs a Molotov cocktail thrown through her parents' living room window back outside where it hits her own car causing it to go up in flames. 

There is also the usual juggling of two men in Stephanie's love life. Her off-and-on relationship with Cop Joe Morelli is in the on stage which means that her relationship with Ranger is kept in the friend zone. 

This is a fun series, and this was a fun episode. It did feel a little unfinished, but the action continues in Fortune and Glory.

Favorite Quote: 
"Excuse me?" Lulu said, leaning forward, in Wisneski's face. "Fat? Did you just refer to me as fat?"

"Yeah," he said. "You're fat."

Lulu sucker punched him in the face, kneed him in his jollies, and he fell to the floor like a sack of sand. 

"I am a big, beautiful lady," Lulu said. "I got class and style and all that shit. Don't you ever forget it."
I bought this one April 13, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, February 17, 2023

Friday Memes: Twisted Twenty-Six 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:
Some men enter a woman's life and screw it up forever. Jimmy Rosolli did this to my Grandma Mazur. Not forever, gut for an afternoon las week when he married her in the casino at Atlantis and dropped dead forty-five minutes later.
Friday 56:
"Unfortunately, you're creating a disturbance for our floor show," he said. "We're going to have to remove you."

In the next instant I was bookended by the two goons, who each had a hand under an armpit. My feet were four inches off the floor, and I was whisked out of the Mole Hole. Slam! The door closed behind me, and I stood blinking in the bright sun.
This week I am spotlighting Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evanovich. It is the 26th in the Stephanie Plum series of humorous mysteries. I've owned it since April 13, 2021. Here's the description from Amazon:
Grandma Mazur has decided to get married again - this time to a local gangster named Jimmy Rosolli. If Stephanie has her doubts about this marriage, she doesn't have to worry for long, because the groom drops dead of a heart attack 45 minutes after saying, "I do."

A sad day for Grandma Mazur turns into something far more dangerous when Jimmy's former "business partners" are convinced that his new widow is keeping the keys to a financial windfall all to herself. But the one thing these wise guys didn't count on was the widow's bounty hunter granddaughter, who'll do anything to save her.