It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Oct. 9, 2017)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup. YA and middle grade reviews will still be posted on  Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

Other Than Reading...

The Locust Street house is getting closer to closing. Fingers crossed, the closing has been scheduled for Friday at 10 AM. This week saw more mold abatement and a new round of mold tests which, thankfully, came out clear.

My townhouse will be getting new carpeting this week and a minor price change in hopes that it will draw more interest and finally get sold.

The new house had landscaping done this week to deal with way overgrown shrubbery and to landscape around the new garage. We still need to find and hire someone to grind out the stumps of the trees that were removed near the new garage.

I've been watching The Voice and lots and lots of playoff baseball games. I also got a lot of reading done this week and some work on setting up posts on my blogs. I'm filling in my November calendar and have lots of empty spaces for books from my TBR mountains. I just have to choose which ones I feel like reading.

Read Last Week

Mind Game by Iris Johansen - 22nd in the Eve Duncan series - posted Oct. 19

Fate by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - on TBR mountain since 2010 - posted Oct. 20

 Make It Count by Tamar Sloan - review YA - great story - posted Oct. 18

Blade Bound by Chloe Neill - final book in Chicagoland Vampire series - posted Oct. 21

 The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi - begins a new space opera series - posted Oct. 28

Death at the Emerald by R. J. Koreto - 3rd Lady Frances Ffolkes historical mystery - posted Oct. 26

The Wicker King by K. Ancrun - DNF - couldn't get into the style or the frequently changing viewpoint characters

Currently

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Next Week

Review Stack

 Unholy City by Carrie Smith (Nov. 7) - 3rd Claire Codella Mystery

Much Ado About Murder by Elizabeth J. Duncan (Nov. 7) - 3rd Shakespeare in the Catskills mystery

TBR Mountain

India Black by Carol K. Carr - since March 14, 2011

The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress - since Dec. 12, 2012

Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:

 Death Overdue by Allison Brook

A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Byron

Osiris by Eric C. Anderson

On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:

Berserker by Emmy Laybourne

The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg

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

 Werewolf Boxed Set by Anne Marsh - Kindle free

Halayda by Sarah Delena White - saw on another blog

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli - saw on another blog

No Place Like You by Emma Douglas (Dec 5) - new review book from NetGalley

What was your week like?

ARC Review: Death Overdue by Allison Brook

Death Overdue
Author: Allison Brook
Series: Haunted Library Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (October 10, 2017)

Description: Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut until she's offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies.

The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie’s determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it’s the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case, disturbing secrets come to light and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.

Now it's due or die for Carrie in Death Overdue the delightful first in a new cozy series by Allison Brook.

My Thoughts: Carrie Singleton is ready to leave Clover Ridge, Connecticut, when she is offered the job of events coordinator at the public library where she works. Though she spent summers in Clover Ridge, she never intended to stay when she came to visit her great-aunt and great-uncle. This job is just the challenge she is looking for and it becomes more than a challenge when her first guest speaker dies after eating a cookie.

Al Buckley had come to talk about the murder of a housewife that happened fifteen years earlier. He was the police detective in charge but messed up the case because of his drinking. Once he got himself straightened out, he began investigating again and now believes that he knows who murdered Laura Foster. Someone doesn't want the identity of the killer to come out.

Despite knowing Al for about fifteen minutes and having no experience as a detective, Carrie decides to solve the crime that has baffled the police for fifteen years. She teams up with Jared who is Laura's youngest son (and a potential suspect). Together they interview people who know Laura and who knew Al to try to solve the crime.

Carrie is also dealing with a co-worker who is jealous that Carrie got the job she wanted and the ghost of a former library employee who is the vengeful co-worker's aunt. After living with her aunt and uncle since her arrival in town, now that she has a full-time job, she is looking to get a place of her own. She gets a great deal on a cottage owned by the mysterious Dylan Avery who was a childhood friend of Carrie's brother Jordan.

There is a romantic triangle here as Jared wants to do more than investigate with Carrie and Carrie is fascinated by the mysterious Dylan. There are also quite a few suspects in Laura's death including her husband, son with anger management issues and even Jared who is keeping secrets of his own. Then there is Laura's secret lover as a possibility.

This was a nice mystery which reads as a first book. The plotting is fine if you can get behind the assumption that Carrie would attempt the solve the mystery at all. I felt that there was some inconsistent character development with some of the side characters. I do look forward to reading more by this author about Carrie and her ghostly assistant.

Favorite Quote:

As he lifted the blueberry yogurt cookie to his mouth, I noticed the remaining cookie was dark brown. Chocolate! No wonder. Al was probably a chocolate freak. Someone must have brought it, because I didn't remember buying chocolate cookies.

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

Friday Memes: Death Overdue by Allison Brook

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The 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:

Time to move on. I crossed the Green and headed for the library.

Friday 56: 

"We haven't made any progress in our investigation. Any ideas what to do next?"

This week I am reading Death Overdue by Allison Brook. It is the first in a new cozy series. I got my copy at NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:

Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut until she's offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies.

The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie’s determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it’s the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case, disturbing secrets come to light and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.

Now it's due or die for Carrie in Death Overdue the delightful first in a new cozy series by Allison Brook.

ARC Review: A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Byron

A Cajun Christmas Killing
Author: Ellen Byron
Series: A Cajun Country Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (October 10, 2017)

Description: Maggie Crozat is back home in bayou country during the most magical time of the year. In Pelican, Louisiana, Christmastime is a season of giant bonfires on the levee, zydeco carols, and pots of gumbo. Except, this year, the Grinch has come to stay at the family-run Crozat Plantation B&B. When he floods travel websites with vicious reviews, Maggie thinks she’s identified him as rival businessman Donald Baxter. That is, until he’s found stabbed to death at Maggie’s workplace. And Maggie and her loved ones become top suspects.

The Crozats quickly establish alibis, but Maggie’s boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, remains under suspicion. With Bo sidelined during the investigation, Maggie finds herself forced to work with an unlikely ally: longtime family enemy Rufus Durand. Her sleuthing uncovers more suspects than drummers drumming, and lands her in the crosshairs of the murderer.

The sleigh bells are jingling, and the clock is ticking for Maggie and Rufus, who must catch the killer or it will be the opposite of a Joyeux Noël in A Cajun Christmas Killing, the recipe-stuffed third installment of USA Today bestselling author Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country mysteries.

My Thoughts: Maggie Crozat is back in Pelican, Louisiana, after a break up with her boyfriend in New York City. She's working with her family in their plantation bed and breakfast. Currently they are dealing with a flood of bad reviews on tourist websites and possibly losing the house. Her uncle's business which restores historical properties for new uses and which own the plantation is under a hostile takeover attempt.

When they learn that an unpleasant guest is actually the head of the group planning the takeover, they are upset. However, Maggie doesn't expect to find his dead body when she is leading a tour at her job. It takes little investigation to find out that Steve Harmon had many more enemies than the Crozats. Adding to the suspect pool is Maggie's former boyfriend who is now employed by Harmon as his "art adviser." It seems that life hasn't been going well for the ex-boyfriend who would like to get Maggie back. This throws a little confusion into Maggie's current love life especially when the ex-boyfriend attempts to exploit her current boyfriend's autistic son who is showing quite a talent for art.

Add in a health scare with Maggie's father, job insecurities caused by a gung-ho new supervisor at the plantation where Maggie works, and Maggie has a full plate of things to do as Christmas is coming in Louisiana.

This story was engaging. I like Maggie and could empathize with her as she tries to find some time to fit in her own art career around her family responsibilities. I like that she has a close supportive family. I like that her new boyfriend is a loving father who still has a reasonable relationship with his ex - despite the kerfluffle about exploiting their child.

The story had a great setting and the mystery was well-developed. Even the recipes in the back of the book sound good. Readers who know Maggie and her family will enjoy her third adventure. Readers who haven't met her yet won't be lost starting with this book but will want to read the earlier two books to catch up on the earlier mysteries.

Favorite Quote:

"He smells like sweat and gasoline," Gran' said as she watched him go. "It's surprisingly appealing. did you know he once wrestled an alligator?"

"Half the guys in Louisiana claim they've wrestled an alligator If alligators could roll their eyes, they'd be doing it."

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

Book Review: Osiris by Eric C. Anderson

Osiris
Author: Eric C. Anderson
Publication: Dunn Books (September 12, 2017)

Description: It’s a dilemma no Washington politician wants to confront—rescuing 5,000 Americans trapped in Baghdad.

Enter a crusty Marine, embattled Army officer, two Turkish spies and the ultimate cyber-warrior tasked with countering an ISIS regime carving out a new caliphate. Can they rescue an American embassy under siege by a weapon that even Washington’s military might can’t defeat? This is indeed a test of sheer will and technical expertise pitted against national pride and suicidal zealotry.

OSIRIS takes readers on a twisted path from the glittering palaces of Qatar to the dusty hell of central Iraq, replete with drunken Russian pilots, conniving American politicians, and unlikely heroes.

This is the first book in a trilogy ripped from today’s headlines that could leave tomorrow’s Europe on the brink of a new Dark Age.

My Thoughts: In this near-future military thriller things in the always boiling Middle East boil over into warfare. The story is told from a number of viewpoints in a number of Middle Eastern countries. One thread has the American Embassy in Baghdad under attack including a car bombing with a vehicle filled with radioactive materials. Rescuing the 5000 Americans trapped and dying of radiation sickness becomes a priority for the Americans.

This story had bunches of political maneuvering in the United States with everyone trying to find a way to cover their behinds. We see Turkey and Qatar adding to the chaos. In Turkey, the characters we follow are intelligence agents trying to find out what is going on and advising their bosses. In Qatar, agents are hired including an agent named ODIN to magnify the chaos by conducting cyberattacks.We see the Israelis taking advantage of the chaos to advance their own agenda.

This all-too-plausible thriller reminded me a lot of Tom Clancy's work but with even less character development than Clancy. The story is told from multiple viewpoints and is filled with techno-babble. This one doesn't have as much techno-babble about weapons but substitutes acronyms for various intelligence and military organizations. I wish I would have known about the glossary in the back before I started reading. Keeping the various alphabet agencies and organizations straight was quite a challenge.

This one is for fans of dense, political thrillers. I found it a compelling read but am not at all sure I know what really happened in the story.

Favorite Quote:

Roman bureaucrats decreed al-Baghdadi was nothing more than a terrorist. The jihadi knew better - this was a revolution. A revolution that ended in Baghdad, then Tehran, and on to Europe and Istanbul, where president-for-life Erdogan was busily undoing all the modern Turkish state's founder had fought to accomplish, thus becoming a direct threat.

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

Adult and YA Teasers (Oct. 3, 2017)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser on Inside of a Dog:

A decision made in a moment -- abetted by the shrieks from the Academy grad's office as other NCOs reported in on More's sudden acquisition of men and supplies. He could stay here in the rear and gather dust or ride with a man who was intent on accomplishing a mission. Faheem opted for mission -- let the Navy puke gather ribbons by driving a desk chair.

-- Osiris by Eric C. Anderson




Teaser on Ms. Martin Teaches Media:

She liked to scare people, that was her thing. Leaping out of a dark room and making someone scream, and then laughing about it. He hated when she did that, though it was sort of cute.

-- The Breathless by Tara Goedjen

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Oct. 2, 2017)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup. YA and middle grade reviews will still be posted on  Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

Other Than Reading...

This was another week filled with meetings and ticking off the boxes on the To Do list.

1. The mold people came and cleaned up at the Locust Street house. 
2. The engineer also came and signed off on the basement work. 
3. Still waiting for the basement people to come and do some cosmetic repairs where they chipped blocks. 
4. Then a new inspection and we should finally be able to do the closing again and be done with that property.

 My realtor is advertising my townhouse again and hosting an Open House. Hopefully, that will drum up some interest. I might have to replace the carpeting in the bedrooms and/or reduce the price.

At the new house,

1. the electricians came and wired the new garage. 
2. The people came to install the new garage door opener. 
3. They noticed that the garage builders had done something incorrect regarding the wrap around the garage door. We called them and they were supposed to have someone come fix it on Friday but no one showed up. Looks like another phone call on Monday morning. 
4. The people came to give us a bid on installing gutters on the new garage and tying in the gutters on the house. 
5. I interviewed a cleaning service to do housekeeping on a bi-monthly basis and set up a schedule. 
6. And finally, a landscaper came to give a bid for redoing the landscaping around the new garage, removing some trees and trimming all the shrubbery.

I did manage to fit in some reading around these appointments and watched some baseball, The Voice, and Midnight Texas.

Read Last Week

Neogenesis by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller will be released in January. This is the newest in the pair's Liaden Universe novels and is an epic science fiction adventure. Look for my review late in December.

Best-Laid Plants by Marty Wingate is a cozy mystery about gardener and amateur sleuth Pru Parke and her husband Police Inspector Christopher. This episode has Pru exploring an Arts and Crafts garden when she discovers the garden's designer dead beneath a fallen statue. My review will be posted on Oct. 12.

Rituals by Kelley Armstrong concludes the Cainsville urban fantasy series and is filled with action, mystery, paranormal creatures and life-changing decisions. My review will be posted on Oct. 25.

House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick is a historical mystery with paranormal elements. It also tells of three romances that are all part of the bigger story. My review will be posted on Oct. 18.

Last Chance by Gregg Hurwitz is a young adult science fiction story about an alien invasion and a couple of teens who are supposed to be the secret weapons to defeat it. The story was filled with action, danger, self-sacrifice, and some romance too. My review will be posted on Oct. 13.

Golden by Jennifer Lynn Barnes has been on my TBR mountain since February of 2010. It is the author's first novel and tells about a girl with a psychic gift who has to battle evil at her new high school while navigating the social landscape and making new friends. My review will be posted on Oct. 18.

Currently

Fate by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is another of her early books that has been sitting on my TBR mountain since 2010. This is a sequel to TATTOO which I read recently.

Next Week

From TBR mountain:

• The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress
• Blade Bound by Chloe Neill
• The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

From my review stack:

• Mind Game by Iris Johansen (Oct. 24)
• The Wicker King by K. Ancrum (Oct. 31)
• Death at the Emerald by R. J. Koreto (Nov. 7)

Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:

 The Wicked Billionaire by Jackie Ashenden

Her Last Goodbye by Melinda Leigh

Enigma by Catherine Coulter

On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Satellite by Nick Lake

Devil's & Thieves by Jennifer Rush

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

 The Hunt by Chloe Neill (Kindle) - I read the eARC but wanted a finished copy

The Turncoat's Gambit by Andrea Cremer (Print) - I've already read the first two books in this series.

 Little Girl Gone by Gerry Schmitt (Print) - Saw this one someone's blog and was intrigued by the mystery and the Minnesota setting

Archangel's Viper by Nalini Singh (Kindle) - I read the eARC and wanted a finished copy.

Added to my review stack from NetGalley:

A Mortal Likeness by Laura Joh Rowland (Jan. 9)

What was your week like?