Audiobook Review: Night Candy by Max Tomlinson

Night Candy
Author: Max Tomlinson

Narrator: Terry Dien
Series: Colleen Hayes (Book 5)
Publication: Oceanview Publishing (July 25, 2023)

Length: 10 hours and 47 minutes

Description: 1970s San Francisco: the sights, the sounds, the serial killers

As the '70s draw to a close in San Francisco, things do not bode well for the city—or for ex-con PI Colleen Hayes, whose daughter Pam, in a tragic turn of events, has lost her baby. Pam leaves San Francisco, and Colleen, who moved there to reunite with her, starts to wonder what she's doing in the Bay Area.

Meanwhile, a serial killer given the name "Night Candy" is targeting sex workers, both male and female. The situation doesn't improve when Colleen's friend and ally—SFPD Inspector Owens—is arrested for the murder of his ex-wife, who was found burned in a fire the same night the pair had tried to rekindle their love. Could Owens have really done what they say? Even Colleen has her doubts.

But there are people depending on her: Owens, who needs help finding his ex-wife's real killer, and a trio of sex workers Colleen keeps her eye on—especially with Night Candy on the loose. Then, one of the three girls is next to disappear. If anything is to test Colleen's resolve, December 1979 seems to be it.

My Thoughts: When Colleen's police officer friend Inspector Owens is accused of murdering his ex-wife and the man in charge of the investigation is Owen's mortal enemy, she finds herself very involved in proving that her friend is not guilty of murder. Meanwhile, Colleen is worried about some working girls because the serial killer known as Night Candy is still targeting sex workers. 

Colleen is also still grieving the loss of a potential grandchild and the disappearance again of her daughter Pamela. She has to finally reconcile herself to the fact that she and her daughter will not develop the close relationship she wants. 

The story was filled with period details for 1979 including the fashions and songs on the radio. I enjoyed this engaging story which is filled with twists, turns, and plots. 

I bought this one April 27. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman

Baltimore Blues
Author: Laura Lippman
Series: Tess Monaghan (Book 1)
Publication: William Morrow Paperbacks (October 13, 2009)

Description: In a city where someone is murdered almost every day, attorney Michael Abramowitz’s death should be just another statistic. But the slain lawyer’s notoriety—and his taste for illicit midday trysts—make the case front-page news in every local paper except the Star, which crashed and burned before Abramowitz did. 

A former Star reporter who knows every inch of this town—from historic Fort McHenry to the crumbling projects of Cherry Hill—now unemployed journalist Tess Monaghan also knows the guy the cops like for the killing: cuckolded fiancé Darryl “Rock” Paxton. The time is ripe for a career move, so when rowing buddy Rock wants to hire her to do some unorthodox snooping to help clear his name, Tess agrees. But there are lethal secrets hiding in the Charm City shadows. And Tess’ own name could end up on that ever-expanding list of Baltimore dead.

My Thoughts: BALTIMORE BLUES begins the twelve-book Tess Monaghan series. 

When this story begins Tess is still dealing with losing her job as a newspaper reporter when her Baltimore newspaper folded. She is working part-time in her Aunt Kitty's bookstore and part-time for an uncle who works in city government. She fills the rest of her time rowing. She is sort of drifting through life including an on-again, off-again relationship with an old boyfriend who is still a reporter for the Baltimore Beacon Light - called the Blight by those in the know.

The death of Michael Abramowitz, a lawyer, causes Tess to change things in her life. Her good friend and fellow rower Darryl "Rock" Paxton is accused of the murder. It seems that his fiancé Ava who was working for Abramowitz might also have been sleeping with him. 

Rock had hired Tess to follow Ava and find out why she had changed. She was becoming distant and making excuses for not seeing him. Ava follows her and learns that she is a secret shoplifter and spends afternoons in a hotel room with Abramowitz. Tess confronts Ava who rushes right to Rock to get her side of the story in first. In her side, she is being taken advantage of by Abramowitz. Rock heads to Abramowitz's office inside of the offices the prestigious firm of O'Neal, O'Connor, and O'Neill and admits to punching Abramowitz. He insists, however, that when he left Abramowitz was not dead. 

Rock's lawyer Tyner, also a fellow rower, hires Tess to do some investigating for him. Tess expands Tyner's remit and finds herself looking into who else might have wanted Abramowitz dead. She finds lots of people including victims of rape whose rapists were successfully defended by Abramowitz, victims of asbestos poisoning who were still waiting for the settlements they won, and serial killers on death row who were also unsuccessfully defended by Abramowitz. 

This was an interesting and engaging story with a main character who is drifting through her life. She's still dealing with the grief at her lost career as a journalist even when she comes to realize that journalism was not making her happy. 

I bought this one January 27, 2025, from a BookBub newsletter. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

On the last night of August, Tess Monaghan went to the drugstore and bought a composition book -- one with a black-and-white marble cover. She had done this every fall since she was six and saw no reason to change, despite the differences wrought by twenty-three years.

Friday 56:

"Hi, it's me in the kitchen." She figured the front desk attendant wouldn't want to admit he didn't recognize the voice of a fellow employee. "Hey, what room if Mr. Abramowitz in this week? I can't read it on the room service slip and you know how he is if his food is cold. He always threatens to sue!"

This week I am spotlighting Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman. I bought this first in a series thriller on January 27, 2025, from a BookPerk newsletter. Here is the description from Amazon:

In a city where someone is murdered almost every day, attorney Michael Abramowitz’s death should be just another statistic. But the slain lawyer’s notoriety—and his taste for illicit midday trysts—make the case front-page news in every local paper except the Star, which crashed and burned before Abramowitz did. A former Star reporter who knows every inch of this town—from historic Fort McHenry to the crumbling projects of Cherry Hill—now unemployed journalist Tess Monaghan also knows the guy the cops like for the killing: cuckolded fiancé Darryl “Rock” Paxton. The time is ripe for a career move, so when rowing buddy Rock wants to hire her to do some unorthodox snooping to help clear his name, Tess agrees. But there are lethal secrets hiding in the Charm City shadows. And Tess’ own name could end up on that ever-expanding list of Baltimore dead.

ARC Review: The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig

The Girl from Greenwich Street
Author: Lauren Willig
Publication: William Morrow (March 4, 2025)

Description: Based on the true story of a famous trial, this novel is Law and Order: 1800, as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr investigate the shocking murder of a young woman who everyone—and no one—seemed to know.

At the start of a new century, a shocking murder transfixes Manhattan, forcing bitter rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to work together to save a man from the gallows.

Just before Christmas 1799, Elma Sands slips out of her Quaker cousin’s boarding house—and doesn’t come home. Has she eloped? Run away? No one knows—until her body appears in the Manhattan Well.

Her family insists they know who killed her. Handbills circulate around the city accusing a carpenter named Levi Weeks of seducing and murdering Elma.

But privately, quietly, Levi’s wealthy brother calls in a special favor….

Aaron Burr’s legal practice can’t finance both his expensive tastes and his ambition to win the 1800 New York elections. To defend Levi Weeks is a double win: a hefty fee plus a chance to grab headlines.

Alexander Hamilton has his own political aspirations; he isn’t going to let Burr monopolize the public’s attention. If Burr is defending Levi Weeks, then Hamilton will too. As the trial and the election draw near, Burr and Hamilton race against time to save a man’s life—and destroy each other.

Part murder mystery, part thriller, part true crime, The Girl From Greenwich Street revisits a dark corner of history—with a surprising twist ending that reveals the true story of the woman at the center of the tale.

My Thoughts: This historical fiction story pairs up Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr on the same side in a sensational murder trial in 1800 New York City. Elma Sands leaves her home one evening saying that she is going to be married and is found a few days later in the Manhattan Well. 

The main suspect is young Levi Weeks who lived at the boarding house where Elma lived with her cousin and her family. Public opinion is immediate and firmly of the opinion that Levi murdered Elma. 

Burr is hired by Levi's wealthy and influential older brother to defend Levi. Hamilton pushes his way onto the defense team because he and Burr are political rivals, and Hamilton doesn't want Burr to get the positive publicity when an election is in the offing. Burr is interested in getting Weeks off which is what his brother has demanded. Hamilton would like to find the guilty party in order to restore Weeks reputation. 

They are opposed by a younger and less successful prosecutor named Cadwallader Colden who has a history of failing to convict a number of previous cases. 

All of these characters are viewpoint characters as is Catherine Ring who is Elma's cousin and the proprietor of the boarding house where they live. This is a twisty story that stays as close to the truth as Willig can manage. Elma's murder hasn't been solved to this day. The many characters, all with their own agendas and biases, get a chance to tell their stories. 

I didn't form particularly good opinions of either Burr or Hamilton, but seeing what things were like for those patriots after the American Revolution was something of a revelation. I might be the only English-speaking person who has never seen the musical Hamilton or heard the recordings which means that I went into the story knowing almost nothing about Hamilton. I had some vague recollection of a Burr-Hamilton duel but had to visit Wikipedia for the details. 

I particularly liked the notes at the end letting me know what happened to the main characters of the book and how Willig researched the case to try to tell the story that was closest to the truth of what happened. 

Fans of Willig's work, mysteries, and early American History will enjoy this one. 

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

Book Review: Phantom Evil by Heather Graham

Phantom Evil
Author: Heather Graham
Series: Krewe of Hunters (Book 1)
Publication: MIRA; First Time Paperback edition (July 13, 2020)

Description: Return to where it all started: New Orleans, the birthplace of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI’s elite paranormal investigation unit. Rediscover the first case in book 1 of the New York Times bestselling series, only from Heather Graham.

Though haunted by the recent deaths of two teammates, Jackson Crow knows that it’s the living who commit the most heinous crimes. As a police officer using her sometimes-otherworldly intuition, Angela Hawkins already has her hands full of mystery and bloodshed.

Under the oversight of Adam Harrison, Jackson and Angela will join a newly formed unit of the FBI, with the extraordinary opportunity to use their psychic talents.

And the first assignment calls to them too strongly to resist. In a historic mansion in the French Quarter, a senator’s wife falls to her death. Most think she jumped; some say she was pushed. Yet others believe she was beckoned by the ghostly spirits inhabiting the house—once the site of a serial killer’s grisly work.

In this seemingly unsolvable case, only one thing is certain: whether supernatural or all too human, crimes of passion will cast Jackson and Angela straight into danger.

My Thoughts: This paranormal romantic suspense title begins the long-running Krewe of Hunters series. 

FBI Agent Jackson Crow returns from a leave of absence to find that he is being charged with forming a new unit. The purpose of the unit is to investigate unusual crimes with a possible paranormal twist. Despite a number of possibly paranormal events in his life, Jackson is a skeptic. He much prefers the idea of human killers to ghostly ones. 

Jackson's new team consists for five others. Angela Hawkins is a police officer in Virginia who has a sensitivity to ghosts. Whitney Tremont is a Creole from the French Quarter who has done camera work for a paranormal television series. Jake Mallory is a musician with a gift for finding people. Jenna Duffy is a registered nurse. Will Chan has done theater work as a magician.

There first case takes them to New Orleans to investigate the death of the wife of a State Senator. Mrs. David Holloway died in her French Quarter home by falling off a balcony. The case was ruled a suicide caused by depression after the death of her child. The Senator believes that she was killed by the ghosts who inhabit the house. The ghosts include Madden C Newton, a carpetbagger responsible for the torture killings of at least twenty. 

I enjoyed this story which was originally published in 2011. I liked the combination of paranormal and normal investigations. I liked the wide variety of suspects. I liked getting to know Jackson and Angela who begin a romance in this book. The other members of the team have lesser roles in this one but I'm eager to read their stories in the other books in the series. 

I bought this one January 12, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos

Shades of Mercy
Author: Bruce Borgos
Series: Porter Beck (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 16, 2024)

Description: In the usually quiet high desert of Nevada, Sheriff Porter Beck faces one of his greatest challenges―a series of unlikely, disturbing and increasingly deadly events of unknown origins.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, doing the same lawman's job his father once did now that he's returned home after decades away. With his twelve person department, they cover a large area that is usually very quiet, but not of late. One childhood friend is the latest to succumb to a new wave of particularly strong illegal opioids, another childhood friend―now an enormously successful rancher―is targeted by a military drone, hacked and commandeered by an unknown source. The hacker is apparently local―local enough to call out Beck by name―and that means they are Beck's problem.

Beck's investigation leads him to Mercy Vaughn, the one known hacker in the area. The problem is that she's a teenager, locked up with no computer access at the secure juvenile detention center. But there's something Mercy that doesn't sit quite right with Beck. But when Mercy disappears, Beck understands that she's in danger and time is running out for all of them.

My Thoughts: The second Porter Beck thriller is packed with action and has a really twisty plot. 

Porter Beck is a sheriff in Nevada, in a country with more cacti than people, but big city problems are creeping in. One of his childhood friends has just died of a fentanyl overdose and others are in danger from that drug. 

Also, when a prize bull on another childhood friend's ranch is hit with a missile which was snatched from the Air Force's control by an unknown hacker, his county is invaded by the alphabets - FBI, NSA, etc. as they are searching for the hacker. 

Beck has received an email from the hacker asking him to be alert because they might need some help from him. Beck comes to believe that the hacker is a sixteen-year-old girl who is being held at a camp for juvenile offenders after a variety of computer crimes including stealing $80 million from a Federal Bank. 

Learning this the friend who lost his bull is also involved with Mexican drug cartels adds another group who want something or someone from his county. And a Chinese spy trying to recover his sleeper agent who has gone AWOL adds more complexity. 

I really enjoyed this thriller. I couldn't put it down. 

Favorite Quote:

Beck gazed at the screen once again. Hello, Lisa1957. He clicked on the message. It was brief: And so it begins, Sheriff. I hope this note finds you well. I have done a lot of homework on you, and I hope my instincts about you prove true because I have a feeling I am going to need your help very soon.

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

Book Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Series: A Flavia de Luce Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Delacorte Press (April 24, 2009)

Description: It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

My Thoughts: This was an interesting historical mystery set in England in 1950. The mystery is told to us by eleven-year-old chemist Flavia de Luce. Flavia who lives with her father and two older sisters is a chemist with a particular interest in poisons. 

The story begins with her being bound, blindfolded, and thrown into a closet - by her two older sisters. She manages to escape but begins to plan her chemical revenge. Oil of poison ivy added to her rather vain oldest sister's lipstick will make an interesting experiment for Flavia.

However, events turn deadly when Flavia finds a man dying in the cucumber patch in her family's garden. She had recently overheard him arguing with her stamp-collecting father. The family's gardener Dogger was also listening in. Now, with the man dead, and her father accused of the murder, Flavia needs to find the true killer to save him.

The mystery leads Flavia to a missing famous stamp and a suicide that happened thirty years earlier to which her father was a witness. 

While I didn't like Flavia at the beginning who seemed quite a sociopath to me, I did come to like her and enjoy her using her great intelligence and knowledge of chemistry to help the police find out what happened to the man in the garden and the very valuable stamp. 

This is the first of a ten-book series. 

Favorite Quote:

"I found a dead body in the cucumber patch," I told them.

"How very like you," Ophelia said, and went on preening her eyebrows. 

I bought this one November 29, 2017. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

It was as black in the closet as old blood.

Friday 56:

Since the entire adult population of Bishop's Lacey had been huddled round one another's wireless sets, no one, including the fire department, had spotted the blaze until it was far too late. 

This week I am spotlighting The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. This book has been on my TBR stack for years. As I'm trying to read or discard print books that have been on the TBR pile for years, I added this one to my calendar so that I actually would read it. 

Here is the description from Amazon:

It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

ARC Review: The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen

The Rumor Game
Author: Thomas Mullen
Publication: Minotaur Books (February 27, 2024)

Description: A determined reporter and a reluctant FBI agent face off against fascist elements in this gripping historical thriller set in World War II-era Boston.

Reporter Anne Lemire writes the Rumor Clinic, a newspaper column that disproves the many harmful rumors floating around town, some of them spread by Axis spies and others just gossip mixed with fear and ignorance. Tired of chasing silly rumors about Rosie Riveters' safety on the job, she wants to write about something bigger.

Special Agent Devon Mulvey, one of the few Catholics at the FBI, spends his weekdays preventing industrial sabotage and his Sundays spying on clerics with suspect loyalties―and he spends his evenings wooing the many lonely women whose husbands are off at war.

When Anne’s story about Nazi propaganda intersects with Devon’s investigation into the death of a factory worker, the two are led down a dangerous trail of espionage, organized crime, and domestic fascism―one that implicates their own tangled pasts and threatens to engulf the city in violence.

With vibrant historical atmosphere and a riveting mystery that illuminates still-timely issues about disinformation and power, Thomas Mullen delivers another powerful thriller.

My Thoughts: THE RUMOR GAME is set in Boston during World War II. Annie Lemire writes The Rumor Clinic which debunks the many harmful rumors floating around town. Most are just gossip mixed with fear and ignorance. Annie is tired of chasing rumors and wants to tackle something bigger. When she begins looking into attacks on Jews by Irish toughs, she doesn't get much support from her editor. 

Special Agent Devon Mulvey is one of the few Irish Catholics with the FBI. He's dealing with internal prejudice which hampers his investigation into the murder of a Jewish man who worked at a munitions plant. His brief is to look into preventing industrial sabotage which means that he can't interest his partner or anyone else in the FBI about the murder.

Devon and Annie grew up in the same Boston neighborhood but lost track of each other over the years. When they meet again over the same murder case, they are coming from wildly different points of view. Annie learned she was half-Jewish when her father died. Ostracism forced her family to move out of the area. Devon's family moved out too when his father made enough money. 

Now they find their investigations uncovering things neither of them want to learn which alter their viewpoints about events. Devon doesn't want to acknowledge that his father and cousins could be part of a plot to force the US not to take the fight to Europe. Nor does he want to acknowledge that the campaign against local Jews is being orchestrated by those same relatives. Annie isn't sure who to trust, but knows that it isn't the Boston Police and maybe it isn't Devon.

This was an engaging thriller about a piece of the activities on the Home Front that I hadn't heard about before. I enjoyed the story and the characters. 

Favorite Quote:

Loose lips didn't just sink ships, they also angered parents and scared teenagers who needed to enlist. They confused, terrified, alarmed. The made us worry we were weaker than we feared, vulnerable in a newly dangerous world. 

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

ARC Review: The Golden Gate by Amy Chua

The Golden Gate
Author: Amy Chua
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 19, 2023)

Description: Amy Chua's debut novel, The Golden Gate, is a sweeping, evocative, and compelling historical thriller that paints a vibrant portrait of a California buffeted by the turbulent crosswinds of a world at war and a society about to undergo massive change.

In Berkeley, California, in 1944, Homicide Detective Al Sullivan has just left the swanky Claremont Hotel after a drink in the bar when a presidential candidate is assassinated in one of the rooms upstairs. A rich industrialist with enemies among the anarchist factions on the far left, Walter Wilkinson could have been targeted by any number of groups. But strangely, Sullivan’s investigation brings up the specter of another tragedy at the Claremont, ten years earlier: the death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford, a member of the Bainbridge family, one of the wealthiest in all of San Francisco. Some say she haunts the Claremont still.

The many threads of the case keep leading Sullivan back to the three remaining Bainbridge heiresses, now adults: Iris’s sister, Isabella, and her cousins Cassie and Nicole. Determined not to let anything distract him from the truth—not the powerful influence of Bainbridges’ grandmother, or the political aspirations of Berkeley’s district attorney, or the interest of China's First Lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek in his findings—Sullivan follows his investigation to its devastating conclusion.

Chua’s page-turning debut brings to life a historical era rife with turbulent social forces and groundbreaking forensic advances, when race and class defined the very essence of power, sex, and justice, and introduces a fascinating character in Detective Sullivan, a mixed race former Army officer who is still reckoning with his own history.

My Thoughts: It's 1944. It's San Francisco. Detective Al Sullivan gets involved in the murder of presidential candidate Walter Wilkinson who is shot to death and stage in a humiliating way in the Claremont Hotel. Wilkinson was a controversial candidate with enemies at all ends of the political spectrum. But another reason, far more personal, is a possible motive for murder too.

Sullivan finds himself investigating the cream of society in the Bainbridges. Any of three attractive Bainbridge young women - sisters Nicole and Cassie and their cousin Isabella - all have their own reasons for wanting him dead. Or it is possible that there is a Chinese connection since he's been rumored to be having an affair with Madame Chiang Kai-Shek.

Sullivan, a mixed-race former Army officer passing for White, finds himself dealing with all sorts of prejudices and presumptions as he investigates from his superior's certainty that no woman of good family could be involved in murder to a DA who is all too ready to frame one or the other of the Bainbridge girls if it will help his political career. Al also dealing with his half-sister's eleven-year-old daughter who is going astray and is in debt to the mob after the disappearance of her mother. 

This story was filled with incredible historical detail and has extensive notes of the sources the author used. As a liberal, I was extremely uncomfortable reading about the prevailing attitudes and prejudices of the day. However, the story was compelling and hard to put down.

Favorite Quote:

"There's a suspicion line in every society, Miriam, and you're either about or below it. The people above that line, they never even think about it. They walk the streets like they own them. They take for granted that the law is there to protect them, because it is.

"But if you're below the line, different story. Below the line, you're what the law protects against. Society has its constant eye on you, not just cops but average people and people lower than you--everyone. You start to look and feel like you're doing something wrong even when you're not."

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

ARC Review: All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris

All the Dead Shall Weep
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Gunnie Rose (Book 5)
Publication: Gallery / Saga Press (September 5, 2023)

Description: #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author returns with the fifth installment in the bestselling Gunnie Rose series as sisters Lizbeth Rose and Felicia as well as brother Eli and Peter, are reunited in Texoma only to break apart before the Wizard’s Ball held in San Diego, which will determine all their fates.

Following the murderous events of the “gripping…thrill-ride” (Karin Slaughter) Serpent of Heaven, Lizbeth Rose is awaiting the arrival of her sister Felicia and her husband’s younger brother Eli in Texoma. Both needed to leave the seat of the Holy Russian Empire in San Diego after Felicia’s burgeoning wizardly power in death magic became the reason for kidnapping and assassination attempts from her mother’s family of high-powered wizards in Mexico.

Yet bad news has traveled ahead of them, as Eli is called back to San Diego, taking Peter along with him, splitting them apart in more ways than one as their enemies’ plans for revenge come to fruition. In this fifth installment in the beloved and bestselling Gunnie Rose series, #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris has crafted a family drama of murderous and magical thrills.

My Thoughts: The fifth book in the Gunnie Rose series takes place in Texoma. Lizbeth and Eli have settled in Lixbeth's home country after leaving San Diego. There are major adjustments to make for this newly married couple. Lizbeth has just lost a baby and is dealing with grief. She is also wondering if Eli regrets both their marriage and their move since he can't really use his grigori talents. 

Lizbeth's half-sister Felicia and Eli's brother Peter have arrived from San Diego for a visit and to get out of San Diego. Felicia is now fifteen and is coming into her grigori powers which are looking to be very strong. Her major talent is death magic which makes her a very attractive commodity for magical families looking to increase their power.

When a militia comes to Texoma and kidnaps Eli and Peter, Lizabeth and Felicia go after them. After rescuing them, Eli and Peter head off to San Diego without explanation. Lizbeth fears that Eli has left her forever. But several visitors coming courting Felicia for their families and a couple of kidnapping attempts keep both Felicia and Lizbeth busy. 

This alternate history story with magic was an entertaining story. I like the worldbuilding and I like the characters. 

Favorite Quote:

I was aching to kill Thomas. I was indifferent about Joanie. I'd opened my mouth to tell Felicia this when a newcomer rode into the scene.

Prancing up on a gorgeous black horse was a man in a fancier uniform. He had more insignias on his arms, a different hat, and even medals. His neat white beard and trimmed white hair said that he looked in the mirror a lot. The newcomer dismounted easily, walked over to Joanie, and glanced from her to Thomas with clear disapproval. 

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

ARC Review: The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos

The Bitter Past
Author: Bruce Borgos
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 18, 2023)

Description: In the tradition of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, Bruce Borgos's The Bitter Past begins a compelling series set in the high desert of Nevada featuring Sheriff Porter Beck…

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. Born and raised there, he left to join the Army, where he worked in Intelligence, deep in the shadows in far off places. Now he's back home, doing the same lawman's job his father once did, before his father started to develop dementia. All is relatively quiet in this corner of the world, until an old, retired FBI agent is found killed. He was brutally tortured before he was killed and clues at the scene point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. If that wasn't strange enough, a current FBI agent shows up to help Beck's investigation.

In a case that unfolds in the past (the 1950s) and the present, it seems that a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and now someone is looking for that long-ago, all-but forgotten person, who holds the key to what happened then and to the deadly goings on now.

My Thoughts: The story begins when Sheriff Porter Beck is called to the isolated home of retired FBI Agent Ralph Atterbury where he finds Atterbury has been tortured to death. Atterbury had been researching a crime that had happened in 1957 which concerned nuclear testing and a Russian spy.

When the FBI in the person a Sana Locke shows up, Beck finds himself in the middle of the sort of investigation he thought he had left behind him when he retired from the Army. Someone is looking for a Russian agent left over from 1957 and wants to find him very badly, badly enough to leave a trail of dead elderly men behind him. 

Beck is the perfect man for this job. He has an eidetic memory and experience in intelligence having worked in Russia while he was in the service. His only problem is that he was forced to retire from the Army because he suffers from night blindness which he is keeping from his fellow police officers and everyone else. 

I really enjoyed the flashbacks to 1957 told from the viewpoint of the Russian spy sent to discover the U.S.'s nuclear secrets. I liked that he found that he couldn't do what he had been sent to do after coming to know some people and falling in love with the top scientist's daughter. 

The story was filled with twists and turns including a father who was the sheriff on the county before Beck and whose dementia is increasing. I liked his adopted sister and his relationship with her. I liked Beck's twisty brain. 

I will be eager to read more books in this series when they become available.

Favorite Quote:

"I'm afraid we have another problem, Sana."

She looks up at me. "Will it require me staying awake any longer?"

"It might. The guy we killed this morning is not the person who killed Abernathy."

That's enough to get her to her feet. "Please tell me you're joking."

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

ARC Review: The Bride Wore White by Amanda Quick

The Bride Wore White
Author: Amanda Quick
Series: Burning Cove, California (Book 7)
Publication: Berkley (May 2, 2023)

Description: A psychic desperate to escape her destiny—and a killer—finds her future in the coastal town of Burning Cove in New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick’s latest novel.

Being Madame Ariadne, Psychic Dream Consultant, wasn’t Prudence Ryland’s ideal gig, but it paid well which was reason enough to do the work—until she realizes that her latest client intends to kill her. But Prudence, a master at reinvention, finds a new job and home as far away as possible and is finally able to relax—which turns out to be a big mistake. Letting her guard down means being kidnapped and drugged and waking up in a bloodstained wedding dress in the honeymoon suite next to a dead man. With the press outside the hotel, waiting with their cameras and police sirens in the distance, it’s obvious she’s being framed for the man’s murder. Prudence knows who is responsible, but will anyone believe her?

It doesn’t seem likely that rumored crime boss Luther Pell or his associate, Jack Wingate, believe her seemingly outrageous claims of being a target of a ruthless vendetta. In fact, Prudence is convinced that the mysterious Mr. Wingate believes her to be a fraud at best, and at worst: a murderer. And Jack Wingate does seem to be someone intimately familiar with violence, if going by his scarred face and grim expression. So no one is more shocked than Prudence when Jack says he’ll help her. Of course, his ideas for helping her involve using her as the bait for a killer, but Prudence feels oddly safe with Jack protecting her. But who will protect Prudence from her growing fascination with this enigma of a man?

My Thoughts: This latest in the Burning Cove series stars dream reader Prudence Ryland and consultant Jack Wingate. The story begins with Prudence facing down a murderer who has come for a reading. She uses her psychic talent to make him pass out. It confirms to her that she really needs to change careers. 

Her next job is in an academic library filled with male chauvinists. When she's kidnapped and wakes finding herself wearing a bloody wedding gown and next to a corpse, she's sure that someone is trying to frame her for murder. After all, one of her former clients tried to bully her into marrying the man who is now a corpse.

She flees to Burning Cove where Lucas Pell pairs her up with investigator Jack Wingate who is writing a book about criminal profiling. Although Prudence recognizes that Jack has the psychic gift of intuition, Jack is convinced that psychic gifts are not real and thinks Prudence is a fraud. However, he does agree to look into her case and try to find out who is trying to kill her or frame her for murder.

Sparks fly between Jack and Prudence as the danger to Prudence increases. And Jack is more than willing to use her as bait to bring the criminals out into the open.

The story was fast-paced and filled with 1930s historical detail. I loved the growing relationship between Prudence and Jack that began with a lot of verbal sparring. Fans of paranormal mysteries and great banter will enjoy this latest episode in the series.

Favorite Quote:

Luther had the grace to appear mildly apologetic. "Dealing with Wingate requires patience. The problem is that he tends to jump several steps ahead and land on a conclusion or, in this case, a plan, without taking the time to outline his logic."

"I see," she said. Looking at Jack. "I can't wait to hear this logic, Mr. Wingate."

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

ARC Review: Picture in the Sand by Peter Blauner

Picture in the Sand
Author: Peter Blauner
Publication: Minotaur Books (January 3, 2023)

Description: Peter Blauner's epic Picture in the Sand is a sweeping intergenerational saga told through a grandfather's passionate letters to his grandson, passing on the story of his political rebellion in 1950s Egypt in order to save his grandson's life in a post-9/11 world.

When Alex Hassan gets accepted to an Ivy League university, his middle-class Egyptian-American family is filled with pride and excitement. But that joy turns to shock when they discover that he’s run off to the Middle East to join a holy war instead. When he refuses to communicate with everyone else, his loving grandfather Ali emails him one last plea. If Alex will stay in touch, his grandfather will share with Alex – and only Alex – a manuscript containing the secret story of his own life that he’s kept hidden from his family, until now.

It's the tale of his romantic and heartbreaking past rooted in Hollywood and the post-revolutionary Egypt of the 1950s, when young Ali was a movie fanatic who attained a dream job working for the legendary director Cecil B. DeMille on the set of his epic film, The Ten Commandments. But Ali’s vision of a golden future as an American movie mogul gets upended when he is unwittingly caught up in a web of politics, espionage, and real-life events that change the course of history.

It's a narrative he’s told no one for more than a half-century. But now he’s forced to unearth the past to save a young man who’s about to make the same tragic mistakes he made so long ago.

My Thoughts: When Ali Hassan's eighteen-year-old grandson Alex skips out on going to college to go to the Middle East to join the holy war, the only one he will communicate with his grandfather...and only if his grandfather tells him the story of his life. 

So, Ali Hassan tells his story of growing up in Egypt. He was a poor boy who fell in love with movies. When he had a chance to work for the legendary Cecil B. DeMille on the set of The Ten Commandments, he was overjoyed. But the 1950s was a time of great turmoil in Egypt. The king had been forced to abdicate. The military government was in flux with the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood waxing and waning by the day. Ali's own cousin Sherif was getting more and more militant. And soon, Ali finds himself caught up in politics and espionage and shifting governments. 

His emails to his grandson and his grandson's return emails show a caring man determined that his grandson does not make the same mistakes that he had made in his own past. And the emails show a grandson who is gradually becoming more and more disillusioned with the choice he made.

The story was wonderful. The writing vivid and descriptive as though seen through a cinematographer's eye. The people were all well-developed and intriguing in their choices and actions. From Raymond Garfield who is making a documentary about the changes in Egypt and who is also likely a Jewish spy to Mona Salem who is the French-Egyptian love of Ali's life and who is informing on the actions of those rebelling against Nasser's new rule in Egypt, all of the characters have a variety of sides which are presented sympathetically. 

Read this one! It is filled with unforgettable characters in a turbulent time and place in world history.  

Favorite Quote:

I was beginning to realize that terrorists, dictators, and Hollywood filmmakers were alike in not accepting the world as it really existed, but insisting that the terms be changed for then, that logic be bent to their purposes, and that life as everyone else knew it be broken down and remade according to their expectations.

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