ARC Review: An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo

An Evil Heart
Author: Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder (Book 15)
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 11, 2023)

Description: Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates the brutal death of a young Amish man in An Evil Heart, the latest installment of the bestselling series by Linda Castillo.

On a crisp autumn day in Painters Mill, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder responds to a call only to discover an Amish man who has been violently killed with a crossbow, his body abandoned on a dirt road. Aden Karn was just twenty years old, well liked, and from an upstanding Amish family. Who would commit such a heinous crime against a young man whose life was just beginning?

The more Kate gets to know his devastated family and the people―both English and Amish―who loved him, the more determined she becomes to solve the case. Aden Karn was funny and hardworking and looking forward to marrying his sweet fiancé, Emily. All the while, Kate’s own wedding day to Tomasetti draws near...

But as she delves into Karn’s past, Kate begins to hear whispers about a dark side. What if Aden Karn wasn’t the wholesome young man everyone admired? Is it possible the rumors are a cruel campaign to blame the victim? Kate pursues every lead with a vengeance, sensing an unspeakable secret no one will broach.

The case spirals out of control when a young Amish woman comes forward with a horrific story that pits Kate against a dangerous and unexpected opponent. When the awful truth is finally uncovered, Kate comes face to face with the terrible consequences of a life lived in all the dark places.

My Thoughts: The fifteenth Kate Burkholder has Kate trying to solve two murders just days before her long-awaited wedding to Tomasetti. 

Twenty-one-year-old Aden Karn was shot to death via a crossbow while riding his bike to work. Everyone from his parents to the girl he is courting tell Kate that he was a friendly, hardworking, helpful man that everyone loved. It doesn't look like anyone wanted him dead but nothing about the murder looks like an accident either. 

Kate investigates but penetrating the Amish wall of silence isn't easy from Kate despite the fact that she was once a part of the Amish community herself. That might, in fact, make it harder. Then a second body is found. She was a part-time prostitute from a nearby town. She was found wrapped in plastic and with evidence of physical and sexual abuse on her body. 

Kate feels that the two cases are connected but the connections are anything but clear cut. With Tomasetti busy with a kidnapping case of his own, Kate isn't able to call on his assistance as much as she would like. But the more she investigates, the more she comes to learn that Aden Kern wasn't the man everyone said he was.

This was another excellent episode in this long-running series. I liked the way Kate is reconnecting with her brother and sister as the wedding plans build. I liked the setting of the story and the connections to the Amish community where Kate grew up. I liked Kate's determination to find the killer even though she really comes to hate the victim. Tomasetti reminds her that she doesn't fight for the victim because of who they are but because of who she is. 

Favorite Quote:

Every case has its own unique personality. Some are orderly from the get-go; not quite cooperative, but the puzzle pieces come together with some degree of congruity. Other cases are a study in chaos. Every move is a misstep. Every lead is a dead end. Every break, a false flag. The murder of Aden Karn falls into the latter category. It's like trying to put together a puzzle in which the pieces simply do not fit.

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

ARC Review: A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert

A Cryptic Clue
Author: Victoria Gilbert
Series: A Hunter and Clewe Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (July 11, 2023)

Description: A retired librarian gets back to the books—and into a devilish murder case—in acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert’s new series, the perfect literary adventure for fans of Kate Carlisle and Jenn McKinlay.

Sixty-year-old Jane Hunter, forced into early retirement from her job as a university librarian, is seeking a new challenge to keep her spirits up and supplement her meager pension. But as she’s about to discover, a retiree’s life can bring new thrills—and new dangers

Cameron “Cam” Clewe, an eccentric 33-year-old collector, is also seeking something—an archivist to inventory his ever-expanding compendium of rare books and artifacts. Jane’s thrilled to be hired on by Cam and to uncover the secrets of his latest acquisition, a trove of items related to the classic mystery and detective authors. But Jane’s delight is upended when a body is discovered in Cam’s library. The victim, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, was the last in line of Cam’s failed romances—and now he’s suspect number one.

Cam vows to use his intelligence and deductive skills to clear his name—but with a slight case of agoraphobia, rampant anxiety, and limited social skills, he’ll need some help. It comes down to Jane to exonerate her new boss—but is he truly innocent?

My Thoughts: Jane Hunter has recently been downsized from her job as a university librarian and, at sixty, is looking for a job until she reaches retirement age. A chance to work for reclusive Cameron Clewe cataloging his large collection of rare books and artifacts seems like just the thing. She'll begin by cataloging his collection of golden age mysteries.

She isn't anticipating what actually occurs and she finds herself really investigating a mystery of her own when Cam's ex is found dead in the library killed with a candlestick during a fundraising gala. Ashley Allen was the victim. It doesn't take much investigating to learn that any number of people could have wanted her dead. 

Besides her ex Cam with whom she was seen having an arguement, the cook at Cam's estate could have held a grudge since Ashley had promised to finance his new restaurant and then backed out leaving him with all kinds of debts. Then there is the artist who was planning an art gallery and artists' cooperative with Ashley's help until she backed out of that deal too. Then there was her most recent ex who was a musician working in a studio Ashley had leased for him. 

I enjoyed this mystery and getting to know Jane and Cam. Jane was a curious and adventurous woman who had a difficult past. She raised her daughter, now an actress, herself after leaving a verbally abusive marriage when her daughter was a baby. Cam, about thirty, is the only child a rich man who suffers from anxiety, OCD, occasional depression and generally lacks social awareness. Although he could clearly benefit, he has never sought therapy since his father didn't believe in it. 

I enjoyed the cast of characters in this story. They provided a plentiful number of suspects in this cozy mystery. 

Favorite Quote:

"You want us to play Watson to your Sherlock?" Lauren asked.

I pursed my lips. "More like Archie to his Nero Wolfe."

Cam widened his eyes, but a slight twitch of his lips betrayed his amusement at my remark. "Without the fixation on gourmet meals."

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

Audiobook Review: The Miser's Dream by John Gaspard

The Miser's Dream
Author: John Gaspard
Narrator: Jim Cunnigham
Series: Eli Marks Mysteries (Book 3)
Publication: Spoken Realms (July 3, 2018)
Length: 7 hours and 56 minutes

Description: A casual glance out his apartment window turns magician Eli Marks' life upside down. After spotting a dead body in the projection booth of the movie theater next door, Eli is pulled into the hunt for the killer. As he attempts to puzzle out a solution to this classic locked room mystery, he must deal with a crisis of a more personal nature: the appearance of a rival magician who threatens not only Eli's faith in himself as a performer, but his relationship with his girlfriend.

But the killer won't wait and starts taking homicidal steps to bring Eli's investigation to a quick and decisive end. Things get even worse when his magician rival offers his own plausible solution to the mystery. With all the oddball suspects gathered together, Eli must unveil the secrets to this movie-geek whodunit or find himself at the wrong end of the trick.

My Thoughts: Magician Eli Marks's next mystery begins when he looks out of his apartment window into the projection booth of the theater next door and sees the body of the projectionist Tyler James lying on the floor. After calling the police and finding a way into the theater, they are surprised to discover that James had been shot in the back twice and the gun was still inside the locked projection booth - locked from the inside. 

Eli is encouraged to look into the crime by the mysterious and sinister Mr. Lime. Eli soon learns that James had a sideline selling movie memorabilia and might have had the only remaining print of an early Lon Chaney film on offer. The film was missing when they broke into the room but an envelope with $75 thousand in cash was found. 

Mr. Lime gives Eli four names of eccentric Twin Cities millionaires who might have had an interest in and the money to buy the film. One of them is a famous mystery author, one the scion of a famous Twin Cities banking family, and the other two made their fortunes as internet entrepreneurs. But none of them stand out above any of the others as the potential murderer. 

Meanwhile while working on this mystery, Eli is also suffering from jealousy because a new magician has come to town who is everything Eli wishes he was. The new guy also seems to be moving in on Eli's girlfriend. 

This was an entertaining mystery with engaging characters and a wonderful, wintry Twin Cities setting. 

This one was an Audible Plus title for me. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Scandal in Babylon by Barbara Hambly

Scandal in Babylon
Author: Barbara Hambly
Series: A Silver Screen Historical Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Severn House; Main edition (August 1, 2021)

Description: “You shall never have a penny of my money. Leave me alone or I will shoot you dead!”

1924. After six months in Hollywood, young British widow Emma Blackstone has come to love her new employer, glamourous movie-star Kitty Flint – even if her late husband’s sister is one of the worst actresses she’s ever seen. Looking after Kitty and her three adorable Pekinese dogs isn’t work Emma dreamed of, but Kitty rescued her when she was all alone in the world. Now, the worst thing academically-minded Emma has to worry about is the shocking historical inaccuracies of the films Kitty stars in.

Until, that is, Rex Festraw – Kitty’s first husband, to whom she may or may not still be married – turns up dead in her dressing room, a threatening letter seemingly from Kitty in his pocket.

Emma’s certain her flighty but kind-hearted sister-in-law has been framed. But who by? And why? From spiteful rivals to jealous boyfriends, the suspects are numerous. But as Emma investigates, she begins to untangle a deadly plot – and there’s something Kitty’s not telling her . . .

This gripping first in a brand-new series from NYT-bestselling author Barbara Hambly brings the sights and sounds of Hollywood to life and is a perfect pick for fans of female-fronted historical mysteries set in the roaring twenties.

My Thoughts: British widow Emma Blackstone has found herself in Hollywood as a companion to her sister-in-law Kitty Flint aka Camille de la Rose. Kitty is a movie actress and Emma makes herself useful caring for Kitty's three Pekinese, balancing her checkbook, and writing some of the scripts for Kitty's movies. 

While living in Hollywood in 1924 wasn't what the scholarly young woman from Oxford had in her future plans, the deaths of her husband in World War I and her brother in England of grave wounds he suffered during the war, and the loss of her parents in the flu epidemic along with her own case of the flu changed all of her plans.

After a horrible stint as a companion for a woman in England, being swept off to Hollywood by Kitty was a welcome change. She enjoys riding herd on her free-spirited sister-in-law and helping to hide all of her romantic relationships from the press and her powerful lovers. She has even developed a friendship of her own with cameraman Zal Rokatansky. But things get complex in a hurry when Kitty's maybe-ex husband Rex Festraw is found shot to death in Kitty's dressing room. 

The studio wants this covered up. They don't want to lose their star to a prison sentence, but Kitty isn't saying where she was during the crucial time period when Rex was shot. Emma wants to figure out who killed Rex and who is trying to frame Kitty for the crime. With the help of Zal and a mobster imported from New York, Emma is on the case despite being run off the road and shot at. 

This was an excellent historical mystery set in a very glamorous time period and setting. I liked that Emma could see the underbelly of the world she was living in. I liked that she was smart and a nice person. I liked the conflict she was facing about whether to stay in Hollywood or accept her aunt's invitation to return to Oxford and the life she left behind. 

Favorite Quote:

The Pekinese, not liking the producer's tone, gathered all her courage and challenged him with a sound much like that produced by a small rubber duck when it is trodden on. 

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 3, 2023)

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

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

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

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

Other Than Reading...

It was a nice week. We finally got some rain which helped our drought conditions but didn't help our solar energy production. The temperatures were summer-like for Duluth. Highs ranged from 63 on our rainiest day (slightly over an inch of rain) and 82 on our warmest days. 

This week I read either a book from my Review stack or an audiobook. I sorted my Audible library by length and have been picking the shorter books. It turns out that all of the books I listened to this week were mysteries. Two of the audiobooks were rereads of books I read years and years ago. The other two were new to me. 

I prepared and posted my State of the Stack post which details what Review books I have received, read, and have on the stack. 

This coming week's choices will complete my July calendar, so I spent some time picking out the books for August. After the Review books were slotted in, I added a couple of books from on-going series. I also looked at my 2009 collection and added a couple of books. Then I looked at 2023 and added some I'm especially eager to read. I didn't choose any audiobooks for August yet. I am happy with my current way of deciding on audiobooks by sorting my Audible library by length and reading the next novel on the list. 

There are no appointments on my schedule for the week. July 3 would have been my dad's 110th birthday. We lost both of our parents three months apart in 2006. We're having blueberry pie in his honor. My brother has both the 4th of July and the 5th off this week before starting a seven-day stretch without a day off. We don't generally celebrate on the 4th though he might brave the crowds to watch the fireworks. I won't. I'll keep busy reading and watching Braves baseball. 

June Reading

I read 34 books in June. That makes a total of 11,303 pages. I read 8 audiobooks for a total of 62.35 hours. Eighteen of June's books were from my Review stack. Four books were from deep in my TBR mountain. 

I added 57 books to my collection in June including 10 audiobooks including five that were $1.99 and two were from Audible Plus. I also added 23 new Review books. Fifty-three of the new additions are still on the TBR stack including 22 of the Review books. 

I've read 226 books so far this year. Since I set my Goodreads goal at 300, I am 77 books ahead of schedule. I'll likely raise my Goodreads goal to 365 when I reach 300. 

My To Read collection totals 2497 which does include Review books. I plan to go through the print books still on my stack from 2009 and decide if I still want to read them or take them out of the collection and donate them. There are only 18 print books hanging around since 2009 which won't lower the stack very much but it is a start.

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.)

• The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos (Review; July 18) -- First in a new mystery series set in rural Nevada. Sheriff Porter Beck investigates the death of a retired FBI Agent in a crime that has roots back in the days of nuclear testing in the 1950s. My review will be posted on July 11.
• The Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters (Audible Plus) -- Elizabeth Jones finds adventure, danger, and romance on her first trip to Denmark. My review will be posted on July 11.
• I Know What You Did by Cayce Osborne (Review; July 18) -- Petal Woznewski heads back to her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, when a bestselling novel fictionalizes the death of her best friend and accuses her of the crime. My review will be posted on July 12.

• Henrietta Who? by Catherine Aird (Audiobook; Mine since August 24, 2021) -- Historical mystery where a hit-and-run accident leads to uncovering all sorts of secrets. My review will be posted on July 13.
• A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke (Review; July 25) -- Juni Jessup needs to solve another mystery when the town's mayor dies after drinking a coffee poured by her sister. My review will be posted on July 18.

• Not by Blood by Chris Narozny (Review; July 25) -- Twisty psychological thriller. My review will be posted on July 13.
• Murder, Stage Left by Robert Goldsborough (Audible Plus) -- Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin investigate the death of a Broadway producer/director. My review will be posted on July 20.
• I Did It for You by Amy Engel (Review; July 25) -- Greer Dunning comes back to the town she fled after High School when a young couple are murdered which reminds her of the death of her older sister and her boyfriend. She has to deal with her guilt and find out what really happened. My review will be posted on July 18.

• The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair (Review; July 25) -- The latest episode of the Sparks & Bainbridge series has Gwen fighting to prove her sanity and the pair of them solving the murder of one of their clients. My review will be posted on July 19.
• Nightmare in Pink by John D. MacDonald (Audiobook; mine since March 29, 2021) -- The second in the Travis McGee series has him helping out an old Army buddy and uncovering a complex fraud. My review will be posted on July 25.

Currently

• High Stakes by Dick Francis (Audiobook from Audible Plus)
• Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh (Review; July 25)

Next Week

• Strange Bedpersons from the Jennifer Crusie Bundle (Mine since August 11, 2009)
• Against the Wild by Kat Martin (Mine since January 5, 2023)
• Murder in the Crypt by Irina Shapiro (Mine since January 11, 2023)

• Birder, She Wrote by Donna Andrews (Review; August 1)
• The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry (Mine since October 7, 2009)
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Mine since August 15, 2009)

Reviews Posted

• This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
• Some Like It Hawk by Donna Andrews
• Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt

• The Dane of My Existence by Jessica Martin
• The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
• Salvage Right by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

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

Review:

• Harlem After Midnight by Louise Hare (Review; August 29)
• A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly (Review; October 3)
• I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died by Amanda Flower (Review; November 14)

Bought:

• One Extra Corpse by Barbara Hambly (Kindle)
• Mace and Hammer by Darby Karchut (Kindle)

• Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon (Kindle)
• Girl Gone Missing by Marcie R. Rendon (Kindle)
• Sinister Graves by Marcie R. Rendon (BookBub; $1.99)

• In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle (Kindle)
• Into the Storm by Rachel Grant (Kindle; $.99)
• Murder, Stage Left by Robert Goldsborough (Audible Plus)

What was your week like?

State of the Stack #142 (July 1, 2023)

 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 

Dates indicate the date the review was/will be posted.

1. A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber (June 13)
2. Play for Me by Libby Hubscher (June 17)
3. Dead Man's Wake by Paul Doiron (June 20)
4. Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chen (June 20)
5. Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel (June 21)
6. Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen (June 22)
7. The Dane of My Existence by Jessica Martin (June 27)
8. Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt (June 28)
9. The Housekeepers by Alex Hay (June 29)
10. Salvage Right by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (July 1)
11. A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert (July 5)
12. An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo (July 6)
13. The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos (July 11)
14. I Know What You Did by Cayce Osborne (July 12)
15. Not By Blood by Chris Narozny (July 13)
16. A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke (July 18)
17. I Did It for You by Amy Engel (July 18)
18. The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair (July 19)

DNF

1. The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard by Kate Robards (June 20)

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. 
   

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. I Did It for You by Amy Engel (July 25)
2. The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter (August 8)
3. My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Leving (August 29)
4. Harlem After Midnight by Louise Hare (August 29)
5. The Golden Gate by Amy Chua (September 19)
6. Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss (September 26)
7. A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly (October 3)
8. 'Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt (October 10)
9. Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews (October 10)
10. Crooked Trail by Claire Kells (November 7)
11. The Engagement Party by Finley Turner (November 7)
12. Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi (November 14)
13. Trotting Into Trouble by Amber Camp (November 14)
14. Murder Checks Out by Victoria Gilbert (November 14)
15. Inheritance by Nora Roberts (November 21)
16. The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor (November 28)
17. Lost Hours by Paige Shelton (December 5)
18. The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong (December 5)
19. Death by Demo by Callie Carpenter (December 5)
20. Broadcast Blues by R. G. Belsky (January 2, 2024)
21. The Sign of Four Spirits by Vicki Delany (January 9, 2024)
22. Death at a Scottish Wedding by Lucy Connelly (January 9, 2024)
23. The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins (January 9, 2024)

All TBR Review Books

July

• Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh (July 25)

August

• Birder, She Wrote by Donna Andrews (August 1)
• North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan (August 8)
• The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter (August 8)

• Beneath Dark Water by Karen Rose (August 15)
• Board to Death by C. J. Connor (August 22)
• Nine Lives and Alibis by Cate Conte (August 22)

• My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine (August 29)
• Harlem After Midnight by Louise Hare (August 29)

September

• Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg (September 1)
• Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey (September 5)
• Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose by Nancy Springer (September 5)

• All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris (September 5)
• Catch Her Death by Melinda Leigh (September 12)

• Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong (September 12)
• Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman (September 19)
• Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas by Vicki Delany (September 19)

• The Golden Gate by Amy Chua (September 19)
• Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss (September 26)

October

• A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander (October 3)
• Caught on the Book by Laura Gail Black (October 3)
• Overdue or Die by Allison Brook (October 3)

• A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly (October 3)
• Rumor of Evil by Gary Braver (October 10)

• 'Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt (October 10)
• Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews (October 10)
• In the Wick of Time by Valona Jones (October 17)

• Second Term by J. M. Adams (October 17)
• Home at Night by Paula Munier (October 17)

November

• Forgotten Trail by Claire Kells (November 7)
• The Engagement Party by Finley Turner (November 7)
• Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally (November 14)

• Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi (November 14)
• Trotting into Trouble by Amber Camp (November 14)
• Murder Checks Out by Victoria Gilbert (November 14)

• Inheritance by Nora Roberts (November 21)
• The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor (November 28)

December 

• The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong (December 5)
• Death by Demo by Callie Carpenter (December 5)
• Lost Hours by Paige Shelton (December 5)

January

• Broadcast Blues by R. G. Belsky (January 2)
• The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins (January 9)

• Death at a Scottish Wedding by Lucy Connelly (January 9)
• The Sign of Four Spirits by Vicki Delany (January 9)

ARC Review: Salvage Right by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

Salvage Right
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Series: Liaden Universe (Book 25)
Publication: Baen (July 4, 2023)

Description: A door never closes, but a window opens . . .

With origins in the Old Universe, the malevolent, acquisitive intelligence of Tinsori Light sought to infect others with itself, and send those agents out into the wide new universe to infect even more.

For centuries, two heroes stood between Tinsori Light and the vulnerable universe—Light Keepers Jen Sin yos'Phelium and Lorith of the Sanderat.

Just when it seemed that they—merely human—must fail, Tinsori Light, enfeebled by aged systems, succumbed to the stress of a unique spatial event . . . and died, leaving the station a shell.

Luckily, the light keepers have back-up. A mismatched team of arcane specialists are on-station, working non-stop to preserve the Light, build trustworthy systems, and open the refurbished station for business.

In fact, ships are already incoming, and it becomes a matter of urgency to sort friend from foe. In particular, the Lyre Institute wishes to acquire Tinsori Light, and will do anything, spend anyone, to achieve that goal.

My Thoughts: The 25th book in the Liaden Universe series is primarily set on Tinsori Light. It is time for a cleanup operation. Since Ren Zel repaired the tear in the universe, Tinsori Light is now fixed in this universe. The malevolent intelligence that guided the Light in its goal of infecting the new universe has died and Tocohl has grabbed the reins of the station. 

Light Keepers Jen Sin yos'Phelium and Lorith of the Sanderat are no longer alone trying to prevent the Light from carrying on its evil plans. Hazenthull and Mentor Tolly Jones are also on site. So is Seignur Veeoni and her aide and bodyguard M Traven. 

All of them and many more new arrivals are trying to stabilize the Light, clean out any remnants of the old system, and get the station ready for doing business. However, things aren't going to be easy. There are still remnants of the old system trying to reassert dominance. But worst of all, the Lyre Institute is determined to claim the station as its own. 

This was another excellent episode in the Liaden Universe. It ties up a number of loose ends left in Neogenesis. My personal feeling is that Neogenesis should be read before this one so that a new reader can get some handle on the large cast of characters. Long time fans will enjoy meeting characters they have grown to care about again in this episode. It turns out to be a major Clan Korval reunion before the story ends. 

The authors see this book as a chance for the characters to get some redemption and the hope of a happy life. I agree with that and know that I am satisfied by the way things are on the former Tinsori Light which will now go on as Catalinc Station. 

Favorite Quote:

He rolled onto his back, wincing. 

"How you doin' there, Pilot?" Tolly asked.

"I have once again established that my head is harder than hullplate. Apparently this must be verified periodically." He took a breath.

I bought this eARC from Baen in March. You can buy your copy of the finished book here. I pre-ordered mine last October.