ARC Review: Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Pride and Premeditation
Author: Tirzah Price
Series: Jane Austin Murder Mysteries (Book 1)
Publication: HarperTeen (April 6, 2021)

Description: Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit.

When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates.

Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.

My Thoughts: This book resets Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as a mystery set in London. I am one of the minority who hasn't read the original nor have I seen any of the screen adaptations. My only knowledge of the original story is that of anyone who lives in this culture. Midway through reading this story, I did read the Spark Notes summary of the plot.

Lizzie Bennet is the second daughter of a competent but not very ambitious lawyer. She would very much like to work for him and become a lawyer herself. She has spent years helping in his office which deals mainly with contract law trying to convince her father to take her on as an employee. She is distressed that her father has taken Mr. Collins as a partner and intends to leave the business to him because she sees that Collins is incompetent among other faults.

When Collins steals credit for a discovery Lizzie makes, her father tells her that she needs to find her own case and solve it by logic. Luckily, one of her street sources tells her that there has been a murder. She quickly goes to the site to find that Mr. Bingley has been accused of killing his wastrel brother-in-law. She convinces Bingley to let her investigate but her plans to be hired are thwarted when Bingley hires his old friend Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Lizzie and Darcy don't hit it off. In fact, each gains a very negative opinion of the other. But Lizzie is determined to solve the crime. She is assisted in her investigation by Mr. Wickham who is a Runner and quite often underfoot when she is investigating. She also learns that Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy are enemies. Wickham blames Darcy for getting him fired from Pemberley and Associates. 

This was an engaging mystery. Fans of the original Pride and Prejudice will enjoy seeing the characters recast into new roles in this one. Though some characters seem to retain their original roles like Mrs. Bennett who is still the discontented hypochondriac wife willing to do anything to marry off her five daughters. Her strong interest in society gossip does provide a very helpful clue as Lizzie investigates.

I recommend this one to fans of historical mysteries.

Favorite Quote:

Lizzie strode off, filled with renewed purpose and just a bit of unease. To be followed was such an exciting thing! She'd never been followed before, at least not in the course of her work for the firm. Lydia following her around assemblies her first season certainly didn't count.

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

ARC Review: The Sign of Death by Callie Hutton

The Sign of Death
Author: Callie Hutton
Series: Victorian Book Club Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (April 13, 2021)

Description: USA Today bestselling author Callie Hutton returns with her second Victorian Book Club mystery, in which Lady Amy and Lord William sleuth the death of a teetotaler who took a fatal dunk in the drink.

Bath, England, 1891. Mr. James Harding was a lot of things--businessman, well-to-do, probable scoundrel--but a drinker he most assuredly was not. So when Harding is believed to have drunkenly fallen to his death into the icy River Avon, Lord William Wethington is immediately suspicious. Finding Lord William's name on a letter in the victim's pocket, the local constabulary summons William to identify the victim. Police detectives learn that William had been one of Harding's business clients--and undoubtedly not the only client the dead man had cheated.

William entreats Lady Amy Lovell, a fellow member of the Mystery Book Club of Bath, to help him deduce what really happened to the late Mr. Harding. Lady Amy, a celebrated mystery author herself, once called on William to help her solve a real-life mystery, and now she fully intends to return the favor. But it won't be easy.

Practically every one of Harding's many clients had ample reason to want to do him in. And there's precious little time to narrow down the list: William and Amy soon become prime suspects themselves when the police discover them ruffling through files in Harding's house. Lady Amy will have to be as clever as her characters if she's to save William from the gallows...and herself from Harding's real killer.

My Thoughts: In this adventure it is Lord Wethington who becomes a murder suspect. His man of business was found floating in the River Avon with Wethington's card in his pocket. William had begun to have questions about Mr. Harding's business ethics and wondering if he was cheating him.

As William and Lady Amy investigate they discover that William wasn't the only one the Mr. Harding was cheating. Other members of Bath society and even fellow members of their mystery book club had reasons to want Mr. Harding dead. 

With the police focusing on Willian, it is up to Amy and William to track down the clues and try to discover who really did murder the villainous Mr. Harding. That would be enough to keep any two people busy. But they also have to deal with William's mother moving in with him and being determined to marry her son off. Of course, Amy's father has long been very concerned about marrying her off. When the two parents get together, the pressure mounts for both William and Amy.

Both Amy and William have gradually been coming to opinion that their reservations about being married are softening. If left alone, they would likely have decided to marry soon anyway.

But Lady Amy has another problem to deal with. She writes mysteries under a male pseudonym because her father wouldn't let her sell her books under her own name. But now the publisher is demanding that she appear at a book festival in Bath which she would like to do but which her father really opposes. One thing that endears her to William is that he knows her secret and isn't at all threatened by Amy's exposure as a best-selling author. 

The story was filled with lots of characters who make good potential murderers. I liked the setting and the time period even though I could wish that women would have had more rights to their own lives.  I liked that William was determined to protect Amy despite her desire to get herself into all sorts of dangerous situations. I liked her combination of bravery and reality. She faints on her first visit to a morgue, for an example.

Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this one for its great characters and interesting plot. 

Favorite Quote:

Her aunt cleared her throat. "Amy, love. I have always admired your -- shall we say -- spirited personality. I love your ability to create stories that people want to read and the gusto with which you conjure up fake murders and solve the gruesome tales. But even I am a bit taken aback by your enthusiasm about going to a morgue."

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 5, 2021)

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

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

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Other Than Reading...

This week went by so quickly. It is hard to believe that it is already April and that the baseball season has begun. Last week's snow has melted away but there is no sign of things getting green yet. Days were pretty chilly yet last week but temperatures are supposed to be better this week. I need a little more warmth before I resume walking outside.

After finishing my Bridgerton binge, I went back to some books that have been on my TBR mountain since the end of 2013. I have been visiting Fool's Gold, California, via Susan Mallery's romances. I had quite a few of them but I'm the type who wants to read ALL of the series in order. I didn't have the novellas which were only available as ebooks and I was missing another of the trilogies. I even got the Fool's Gold cookbook which I've been browsing through and reading the story that weaves between the recipes. The recipes sound good even though they have too much feta or goat cheese for my tastes. I don't know if I'll be trying any of them.

March Reading

I read 35 books in March with a total of 12,384 pages. Twenty-six of the books were mine including six that I've had for at least one year. Thirteen of March's books were rereads. I also read 9 review books.

I added 46 books to my collection in March. Eight of them were audiobooks and 9 were review books. Twenty-five of my March books are still on TBR mountain. 

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.)

• It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn (Mine; Reread) -- This seventh book in the Bridgerton series tells Hyacinth's story. I enjoyed it but don't plan to review it on my blog.
• On the Way to the Wedding by Julie Quinn (Mine; Reread) - This is the final Bridgerton story and tells about Gregory's romance. I enjoyed it but don't plan to review it on my blog.
• The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick (Review; May 4) -- This is the 5th in the Burning Cove series. This series combines historical fiction, romantic suspense and paranormal activity into an entertaining story with lots of great characters and snappy dialog. My review will be posted on April 29.

• Only Mine by Susan Mallery (Mine) -- This book has been on TBR mountain since November of 2013. Dakota Hendrix finds her romance with Finn Andersson when he comes to Fool's Gold to save his younger brothers who are appearing on a reality show being shot there. This was fun but I don't plan to review it on my blog.
• The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald (Audiobook; Mine) -- This was an Audible $5 deal. I read this whole series back in the 1970s and was eager to revisit Travis McGee as he solves mysteries, rights wrongs. and takes his retirement between jobs. My review will be posted on April 20.
• Only Yours by Susan Mallery (Mine) -- This one has been on TBR mountain since November of 2013. Therapy dog trainer Montana Hendrix falls in love with Dr. Simon Bradley who is a famous plastic surgeon dealing with burn victims who is constantly traveling from on place to another. I don't plan to write a review for this one on my blog.

• Only His by Susan Mallery (Mine) -- Nevada, the third triplet, finds her romance when reunited with a teenage crush. This is a fun series but I don't plan to write a review for it on my blog. 
• Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron (Mine) -- This was a great mystery that begins a series starring Judge Deborah Knott. I really liked the characters and the Southern setting. My review will be posted on April 24.

DNF

• Purrfectly Dead by Dixie Lyle (Review; April 27) -- I read half before deciding that I was tired of the story. I don't care for books where the narrator talks to the reader. While the dialog was cute and quirky, I quickly got tired of nothing but cute and quirky.

Currently

• Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg (Review; May 4)
• Wicked All Night by Jeaniene Frost (Mine)

Next Week

• The Brass Queen by Elizabeth Chatsworth (Mine)
• The Last Scoop by R. G. Belsky (Review; May 5)
• City of Dark Corners by Jon Talton (Review; May 11)

• A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan (Review; May 11)
• A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver (Review; May 11)
• Undercover Wolf by Paige Tyler (Review; May 25)

Reviews Posted

• A Wicked Conceit by Anna Lee Huber
• Animal Instinct by David Rosenfelt

• The Murder Game by Carrie Doyle
• Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs

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

Review

• Castle Shade by Laurie R. King (June 8)
• The Abduction of Pretty Penny by Leonard Goldberg (June 15)
• Fatal Family Ties by S. C. Perkins (July 20)

I recently got my first physical ARCs in more than a year. It was nice to get them but I already had the eARCs on my Kindle for both of these titles. The Logan books arrived a couple of weeks apart.

• The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton (June 29) - I've had the eARC since 10/27/20.
• A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan (May 11) - I've had the eARC since Feb. 3, 2021.
• A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan (May 11)

Bought in Print

• Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery
• Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook
• All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz

Bought for Kindle

• Only Yours by Susan Mallery
• Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Series Volume 5
• Almost Summer by Susan Mallery

• Only Us by Susan Mallery
• Halfway There by Susan Mallery
• Sweeter with You by Susan Mallery

• Yours for Christmas by Susan Mallery
• Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant
• Southern Discomfort by Margaret Maron

Audiobooks

• The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald
• Nightmare in Pink by John D. MacDonald
• A Purple Place for Dying by John D. MacDonald

What was your week like?

State of the Stack #106 (April 4, 2021)

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

Read This Month 

1. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (March 10)
2. Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee (March 24)
3. Phantoms & Felonies by Lucy Ness (March 25)
4. A Wicked Conceit by Anna Lee Huber (March 30)
5. Animal Instinct by David Rosenfelt (March 31)
6. The Murder Game by Carrie Doyle (April 1)
7. The Sign of Death by Callie Hutton (April 6)
8. The Unkindness of Ravens by M. E. Hilliard (April 10)
9. The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick (April 29)

DNF

These just didn't work for me.

1. The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
2. All That Fall by Kris Calvin
3. Purrfectly Dead by Dixie Lyle

Read Previously But Posted This Month 

1. Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine (March 2)
2. The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett (March 3)
3. The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst (March 6)
4. Spellmaker by Charlie N. Holmberg (March 9)

New This Month 

1. A Rogue's Company by Allison Montclair (June 8)
2. A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones (July 27)
3. Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee (March 23)
4. Fallen by Linda Castillo (July 6)
5. A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver (May 11)
6. Purrfectly Dead by Dixie Lyle (April 27)
7. Love Scenes by Bridget Morrissey (June 22)
8. Murder by the Bookend by Laura Gail Black (Sept. 7)
9. Fatal Family Ties by S. C. Perkins (July 20)
10. The Abduction of Pretty Penny by Leonard Goldberg (June 15)

All TBR Review Books

May

• Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg (May 4)
• The Last Scoop by R. G. Belsky (May 5)

• A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver (May 11)
• A Trail of Lies by Kylie Logan (May 11)
• City of Dark Corners by Jon Talton (May 11)

• Legacy by Nora Roberts (May 25)
• Undercover Wolf by Paige Tyler (May 25)

June

• Death in Daylesford by Kerry Greenwood (June 1)
• A Rogue's Company by Allison Montclair (June 8)

• Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner (June 8)
• Bones of Hilo by Eric Redman (June 8)
• The Art of Betrayal by Connie Berry (June 8)

• A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams (June 8)
• Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert (June 8)

• The Abduction of Pretty Penny by Leonard Goldberg (June 15)
• Love Scenes by Bridget Morrissey (June 22)
• The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton (June 29)

July

• Fallen by Linda Castillo (July 6)
• Silence in the Library by Katharine Schellman (July 13)
• Back from the Brink by Emery Hayes (July 13)

• Fatal Family Ties by S. C. Perkins (July 20)
• A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones (July 27)

August

• Bad Scene by Max Tomlinson (August 3)
• Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron (August 10)

September

• Murder by the Bookend by Laura Gail Black (September 7)

October

• Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (Oct. 26)

Book Review: Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs

Wild Sign
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha and Omega (Book 6)
Publication: Ace (March 16, 2021)

Description: Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham must discover what could make an entire community disappear--before it's too late--in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Alpha and Omega series.

In the wilds of the Northern California mountains, all the inhabitants of a small town have gone missing. It's as if the people picked up and left their possessions behind. With a mystery on their hands and no jurisdiction on private property, the FBI dumps the whole problem in the lap of the land owner, Aspen Creek, Inc.--aka the business organization of the Marrok's pack.

Somehow, the pack of the Wolf Who Rules is connected to a group of vanished people. Werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham are tasked with investigating, and soon find that a deserted town is the least of the challenges they face.

Death sings in the forest, and when it calls, Charles and Anna must answer. Something has awakened in the heart of the California mountains, something old and dangerous--and it has met werewolves before.

My Thoughts: This episode of the Alpha and Omega series has Charles and Anna along with Colin Taggart traveling to the mountains of California because some people who had been squatting on land owned by the Pack have disappeared. This story finally tells us more about Bran's mate Leah who has been a side character in a number of the stories in this series and in the Mercy Thompson series too. 

It has always been sort of a mystery how Bran came to mate Leah and bring her back home to the Pack. Charles's mother died giving birth to him which put a barrier between Bran and Charles since Blue Jay Woman was Bran's mate and the love of his life. Since Charles was so young, he doesn't know Leah's story. Neither she nor Bran have ever discussed it though everyone can see that the mating wasn't a love match. 

The FBI comes to Anna and Charles and asks for their help since the disappearance of the town has come to their attention. They want to propose some sort of alliance with the werewolves - but not an official one. They are hoping that sharing the information they have about the town will ease relations.

Bran isn't interested in an alliance but he does want to know what happened in the Wild Sign settlement. He sends Charles who is his enforcer and who is a werewolf who uses Native American magic along with Anna who is an Omega wolf and Tag who is in danger of going berserker and who is somewhat resistant to magic. 

They travel to the town meeting some Sasquatches along the way and discover an empty town. Evidence suggests that the inhabitants were mostly white witches who were hiding from black witches. But there is something else magical going on. Apparently the people had made some sort of bargain with, in Anna's words, a "creepy primordial god." 

That primordial god is still looking for people that he can turn into walkers to recruit people to his service and he uses music to attract his victims. Anna is especially musical herself having been in college for music when she was first turned into a werewolf. Charles is also quite musical. Their playing and singing in the settlement attracted the god known as the Singer in the Woods to Anna.

It was creepy that the Singer in the Woods could attract with music and could also remove memories or bring long-buried memories to the forefront of a person's mind. Anna relives a time when she was captive and hunted in the Chicago Pack that Charles rescued her from and she also goes back to age seventeen before any of the werewolf stuff had ever happened to her. Both episodes caused both Anna and Charles a lot of pain since Anna forgot about her mate bond with Charles.

The part of the story involving the black witches and the "assisted living facility" where one of Charles's old enemies was now being held and tortured was interesting and also creepy especially since some of the witches were Hardesty witches. Members of that family have had roles in other books in the series.

This was an intriguing story that kept me reading late into the night. I'm sure I'll be rereading it often. It also had me visiting YouTube to hear some of the musical selections that were mentioned in the story. 

Favorite Quote:

But the song Leah had hummed lingered in Anna's ears, along with a nagging sense of unease because of the unfinished story. It felt important. There had been five years between the day someone had happened upon Leah's starving family and when Bran and someone else had rescued her.

Rescued her from what?

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

Friday Memes: Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs

 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:

Sissy Connors, PhD, checked her GPS, adjusted her backpack, and continued her trek into the mountains. Common sense told her there must have been an easier way, but none of the trails on the USGS map seemed to go exactly where she needed to travel.

Friday 56: 

She wandered to her bedroom and over to the jewelry tower in the corner of the room. It was turned so she could observe herself in the full-length mirror, and she did so.

Straight dark blond hair, loose today, hung down to her shoulders in a shining wave. Large deep blue eyes surrounded by lashes she kept dyed, as she did her eyebrows, because they were several shades lighter than her hair.

This week I am spotlighting Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs. This is the sixth book in the Alpha and Omega series. I've been waiting for it since I finished book 5. Here is the description from Amazon:

Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham must discover what could make an entire community disappear--before it's too late--in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Alpha and Omega series.

In the wilds of the Northern California mountains, all the inhabitants of a small town have gone missing. It's as if the people picked up and left their possessions behind. With a mystery on their hands and no jurisdiction on private property, the FBI dumps the whole problem in the lap of the land owner, Aspen Creek, Inc.--aka the business organization of the Marrok's pack.

Somehow, the pack of the Wolf Who Rules is connected to a group of vanished people. Werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham are tasked with investigating, and soon find that a deserted town is the least of the challenges they face.

Death sings in the forest, and when it calls, Charles and Anna must answer. Something has awakened in the heart of the California mountains, something old and dangerous--and it has met werewolves before.

ARC Review: The Murder Game by Carrie Doyle

The Murder Game
Author: Carrie Doyle
Publication: Sourcebooks Fire (April 6, 2021)

Description: A murder at a boarding school is gruesome enough, but what if the murderer is your roommate? Perfect for fans of A Study in Charlotte comes a gripping prep school novel filled with dark mystery and suspense.

What if your best friend and roommate killed a teacher at your prep school? Or what if he didn't do it, but he's being framed, and you're the only person who can save him? What if you aren't sure which it is?

Luke Chase didn't mean to get caught up solving the mystery of Mrs. Heckler's murder. He just wanted to meet up with the new British girl at their boarding school, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it.

Little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that's anything but innocent, Luke Chase calls on his famous survival skills to solve the mystery and find the true killer. With plenty of suspects, Luke will need to use all his skills to solve the mystery and find the true killer.

My Thoughts: This is a boarding school mystery. Luke, his roommate Oscar, and two girls Pippa and Kelsey sneak out late one night to a local make-out spot. They weren't expecting to overhear a murder.

Since they snuck out which could have consequences including expulsion, they want to keep their presence at the scene a secret. But Oscar is the sort of troublemaking kid who soon becomes a focus of the investigation. Luke is the stand-up, rule following kind of guy who has a past which includes his kidnapping and desperate escape through wooded country. He is trying to live down his reputation as the Kidnapped Kid but he still has the skills he needed when he was younger. 

Once Oscar is accused, Luke becomes determined to find out who really killed the new Mrs. Heckler. He has lots of suspects besides his roommate who worked in her office to offset some demerits. Joanna Heckler was the sort of woman who always wanted the next new man which means that quite a few of the other male teachers now appear on Luke's suspect list along with her husband. 

I liked Luke's growing relationship with Pippa who is a new student at the school. She left England under a sort of cloud because she was seen arguing with her best friend just before her friend was murdered. She was blamed but not charged and has come to the US to start over. 

I liked the mysterious survival skills teacher who seems to know a lot more than he's saying and who pushes Luke to recover the skills that let him survive his own kidnapping. 

This was an entertaining story and well-plotted mystery with interesting characters. I hope this isn't Luke's last adventure in crime-solving. 

Favorite Quote:

The headmaster softened. "Luke, what happened to you was terrible. And I know you want to be a good friend to Oscar, which you are. But this is different. This is murder. And the police will solve this. You have to have faith in them."

Luke stood up. "With all dur respect, sir, I've learned that the only person I can have faith in is myself."

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