ARC Review: Eyes of the Forest by April Henry

Eyes of the Forest
Author: April Henry
Publication: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (August 24, 2021)

Description: After a bestselling fantasy writer disappears, only his biggest fan believes he’s in danger. Instead of re-reading his books, she must venture into the real world to uncover the truth in this fast-paced mystery by New York Times-bestselling author April Henry. For readers of Courtney Summers and Karen McManus.

Bridget is RM Haldon's biggest fan. She and her mom sought refuge in Haldron's epic fantasy series Swords and Shadows while her mom was losing her battle with cancer. When Bridget met Haldon at one of his rare book signings, she impressed the author with her encyclopedic knowledge of the fantasy world he'd created. Bridget has been working for him ever since as he attempts to write the final book in his blockbuster sword and sorcery series. But Haldon has gone missing, and Bridget is the only person who seems concerned. Can Bridget piece together Haldon’s cryptic clues and save him before it’s too late?

Master mystery-writer April Henry weaves another heart-stopping young adult thriller in this story that seamlessly blends suspense with an exploration of fan culture.

My Thoughts: This is a story told from multiple viewpoints. Bridget is high school student who has read RM Haldon's fantasy series Swords and Shadows and is an expert on the world the author created. She was introduced to the series when she was young. She and her mother read the stories together while her mother was dying of breast cancer. Bridget met Haldon at one of his rare signings and impressed him enough with her knowledge that he hired her to keep track of the details and answers his questions.

RM (Bob) Haldon is the author who is stuck trying to write the final book in the series. He is getting pressure from his publisher, his agents, the people who turned his story into a television series, and many, many fans. It has been some years since the last volume was released.

Derrick is another teenage fan whose mother works as Bob's personal assistant and housekeeper. Derrick is big into LARPing and the world he and his dad live in is based on Haldon's world but the names have been changed at Haldon's lawyers insistence. Derrick is obsessed with getting the final story.

While chatting with his housekeeper, Bob floats the idea of being kidnapped and forced to write the final book. He didn't believe that the housekeeper and Derrick would actually kidnap him and refuse to release him. Derrick plans to sell chapters on the Dark Web but his mother has more extensive plans. She has always resented her ex-husband and son's obsession with living in a fantasy world. So she forces Bob to do a number of things on the spy cam which they are publishing to the Dark Web which are designed to humiliate him.

The fourth viewpoint character is Ajay who is Indian-American and who becomes Bridget's friend. He is introduced to Haldon's Swords and Shadows epic by Bridget as she reads him the stories during their lunch period where he supplies Indian food that he has cooked. 

Bob convinces Derrick to let him send an email to Bridget which is an encoded cry for help. It takes her a while to decode it but no one, including Ajay, believes her when she tries to tell people that Bob is in trouble. The local police are sure that she is just one more obsessed fan. She's on her own to try to locate and rescue Bob.

This was an intriguing story with lots to think about. It was brought home to me that a story and a world created in an author's mind can take on something like reality in the mind of an obsessed reader like Derrick. I could also understand Bridget's deep interest in the story because of memories of her mother that the stories recalled. And I could also understand Bob's difficulty with finishing up a series because of the sense of both finality and responsibility to his readers. 

Favorite Quote:

Good writing rained trouble down on a character. In the best writing, the trouble was caused by the character's own action. Which pretty much summed up Bob's current situation.

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

ARC Review: All Night Long with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews

All Night Long with a Cowboy
Author: Caitlin Crews
Series: Kittredge Ranch (Book 2)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (August 24, 2021)

Description: If you play with fire…

One of the most notorious cowboys in Cold River, Jensen Kittredge always has willing women with sweet smiles vying for a place in his bed. So when the prissy high school librarian sidles up to him in the most disreputable bar in town with a scowl on her face, he has no idea what to make of it. Much less the attraction he feels toward the bespectacled creature who wants something from him… but not that. Yet.

Someone gets burned…

Harriett Barnett doesn’t care for dens of iniquity― or the insolent cowboy she certainly shouldn’t find attractive. But one of her students needs her help, and if she needs to corral the infamous Jensen to save him, she will. Trouble is, the town’s favorite Kittredge brother is a lot more than she bargained for. Harriett's happy little life is orderly and neat, just how she likes it―until Jensen blows it all apart with his particular brand of addictive passion. Can a modern-day schoolmarm really tame the wildest cowboy in town? Or is Harriet headed for a terrible fall?

My Thoughts: Harriet Barnett is the new librarian in town; she's only been there three years. Harriet considers herself odd since she doesn't enjoy or even understand so many things that others her age do. She prefers solitude and reading and research. She's perfectly content being known as the local cat lady.

Jensen Kittredge is a local who has a reputation as the town playboy even though he's hiding his facility with numbers and business and he is hiding guilt at the death of one of his high school best friends. He is also a fire jumper which has made him something of a local hero. He's quick with a joke or a laugh and is a bigger than life presence.

The two characters don't sound like they would have much in common. But Harriet needs Jensen to come and be a role model for some students she's working with during summer school. She confronts him in the more disreputable of the local bars and convinces him to come speak to her students.

This starts a romance that changes both of their lives in very positive ways. 

I liked both main characters. I could understand Harriet's desires to march to the beat of her own drummer. Jensen was a great hero, too, once he finally managed to get over the guilt that had been guiding his choices since high school. 

Fans of Western romances who like quirky characters will enjoy this story. 

Favorite Quote:

And as Harriet believed that the only life worth living was one in which a woman could never possibly read all the books she wanted to, adding to that stack made her happy.

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

ARC Review: A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K. Hamilton

A Terrible Fall of Angels
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Series: A Zaniel Havelock Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (August 17, 2021)

Description: Angels walk among us, but so do other unearthly beings in this brand new series by #1 New York Times Bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton.

Meet Detective Zaniel Havelock, a man with the special ability to communicate directly with angels. A former trained Angel speaker, he devoted his life to serving both the celestial beings and his fellow humans with his gift, but a terrible betrayal compelled him to leave that life behind. Now he’s a cop who is still working on the side of angels. But where there are angels, there are also demons. There’s no question that there’s evil at work when he’s called in to examine the murder scene of a college student—but is it just the evil that one human being can do to another, or is it something more? When demonic possession is a possibility, even angelic protection can only go so far. The race is on to stop a killer before he finds his next victim, as Zaniel is forced to confront his own very personal demons, and the past he never truly left behind.

My Thoughts: As a child Zaniel Havelock was taken into the College of Angels and trained to become an Angel Speaker, someone who can talk with angels without going insane. A series of traumatic events convinced him to leave the college and build a new life for himself. He joined the army and then the police force and is now Detective Zaniel Havelock of the Metaphysical Coordination Unit which is better known as the Heaven and Hell Unit. 

Zaniel, who gained the nickname of Havoc while in the army, is at the crime scene with lots of clues that an angel was somehow involved. But a visit from an angel messenger tells him that even the angels don't know what happened that led to the brutal murder and rape of Megan Borowski.

Zaniel has to find out and, apparently, he is the only one who can. But he is also in the middle of trying to save his marriage to Reggie who is having issues with him being a police officer. He loves her and he certainly doesn't want to lose his three-year-old son Connery, but this case and its dangers are crowding in on his time. There is a most unusual demon involved.

This is the first of a new series for the author so there is a lot of worldbuilding which is well-integrated into the story. This is a world with angels and demons, guardian angels and totem animals, and of faith. Zaniel is an intriguing character. He's a man of faith but his faith isn't the narrow one taught at the College of Angels. We meet two of his fellow students in this story. One is Surial who has stayed in the College of Angels and risen up the ranks to a powerful position. The other is Jamie who was kicked out of the College when he went insane after an angel encounter and who has lived as a street person for at least ten years but who has now regained some sanity. We meet some of Zaniel's fellow police officers including a man who gets blissed out when he sees an angel, Zaniel's lieutenant who is a voodoo priest, and a colleague who is a witch with totem animals. 

The story was intriguing and I am looking forward to more stories set in this world. The main story plot is resolved here but there are still some dangling threads that I am eager to know more about.

Favorite Quote:

"We won today, Zaniel; don't steal the victory from yourself. There are too man days in our line of work that are losses; you've got to treasure the wind, or you'll burnout and you won't still be saving lives when you're my age."

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? (August 16, 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...

Another quiet week here in Northern Minnesota. After a couple of rainy, cloudy days, the sun came out and the temperatures are hovering around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Perfect walking weather and I took advantage of it. 

Since I was approved for the next Guild Hunter book coming out on October 26, I decided to focus on rereading/listening to the earlier books in the series. The nice thing is that I have already reviewed them over the past few years and can just listen for pleasure this time. I'll be also reading my other October review books. My August and September calendars are all scheduled except for these Monday posts! I have 49 scheduled posts right now.

This week I have a doctor's appointment with my gastroenterologist Wednesday morning but otherwise my week is appointment free. I am overdue for an eye exam and new glasses and should schedule that appointment too. It is also time for my next oil change. Even though I only have 1200 miles on the car, they want the oil changed every six months.

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.)

• Crooked in His Ways by S. M. Goodwin (Review; September 7) -- Second Lightner and Law historical mystery has a great setting an intriguing characters. My review will be posted on September 7.
• The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters (Mine; Audiobook) -- This is the third book in the Amelia Peabody historical mystery series. My review will be posted on November 16.
• When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting (Review; September 21) -- This contemporary romance explores the friends to lovers trope. My review will be posted on September 15.

• Her Renegade Cowboy by Lora Leigh (Review; September 28) -- Back to back sex scenes with a little plot sprinkled in. My review will be posted on September 22.
• The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer (Mine; Kindle and Audiobook) -- Urban fantasy told from multiple viewpoints. Great story and characters. My review will be posted on November 11.
• A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman (Review; September 28) -- Nice historical romance set in 1815. My review will be posted on September 23.

• Murder at the Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell (Mine; Kindle and Audiobook) -- Nice historical mystery wherein a poor relation of the Vanderbilts finds herself trying to free her brother from being convicted of murder. Nice narration, great setting, and interesting characters. My review will be posted on October 18.
• Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh (Mine; Kindle and Audiobook) -- Reread/first listen of the fourth in the Guild Hunter urban fantasy series. I reviewed this one in 2011.

Currently

• Betrayal on the Bowery by Kate Belli (October 12)
• Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh (Mine; Kindle and Audiobook)

Next Week

• Mercy Creek by M. E. Browning (October 12)
• Digging Up Trouble by Kitt Crowe (October 12)
• In Hot Water by Kate Kingsbury (October 12)

• Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt (October 19)
• Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (October 26)
• Archangel's Light by Nalini Singh (October 26)

Reviews Posted

• Evil Dark by Justin Gustainis
• The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams

• At Summer's End by Courtney Ellis
• The Family Plot by Megan Collins

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

Review:

• Archangel's Light by Nalini Singh (October 26)

Bought:

• Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich (Kindle Daily Deal)
• Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor (Kindle Daily Deal)
• Steamborn: The Complete Trilogy Box Set by Eric R. Ashoer (Kindle Deal)

• Hades by Candice Fox (Kindle Daily Deal and Audiobook)
• The Fenway Stevenson Mysteries by Paul Austin Ardion (Kindle Daily Deal)
• Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh (Kindle and Audiobook)

• Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh (Kindle and Audiobook)
• Archangel's Shadows by Nalini Singh (Kindle and Audiobook)

What was your week like?

Book and Audio Review: Evil Dark by Justin Gustainis

Evil Dark
Author: Justin Gustainis

Narrator: Peter Brooke
Series: Occult Crimes Unit Investigation (Book 2)
Publication:  Angry Robot (April 24, 2012); Audible Studios (March 4, 2014)

Length: 10 hours and 57 minutes; 400 p.

Description: My name's Markowski. I carry a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.

A series of seemingly motiveless murders of supernatural creatures points to a vigilante targeting the supe community. Markowski wouldn't normally have much of a problem with that, but his daughter may be next on the killer's list...

My Thoughts: Stan Markowski is a detective in the Occult Crimes Investigation Unit in Scranton, PA. Though he doesn't think much of vampires or other paranormal beings, he is gradually coming around now that his partner and daughter are both vampires. His current case centers around the unexplained deaths of a variety of supernaturals including witches and werewolves. The FBI also comes to town with another case: someone is summoning demons and making snuff films and it looks like they are being filmed in Scranton.

As Markowski and his partner investigate they discover that Scranton may be the test site for a future race war pitting humans against supernaturals. There are lots of references to Helter Skelter and Charles Manson. There are defrocked bishops and millionaires with agendas. 

This was an interesting combination of genres. It read as a hard-boiled detective story in an alternate present peopled by humans and supernatural beings. Markowski is a smart, competent cop who is eager to get to the bottom of the problem. His partner Karl is a recently-turned vampire and a James Bond fan. His daughter works as a police dispatcher on the night shift, naturally. 

Fans of hard-boiled detective stories and urban fantasy will enjoy this series. I'm eager to read about their next case.

Favorite Quote:

"Neil Charles Duffy," she said. "He's known locally as 'Duffy the Vampire Slayer'."

"Cute," Karl muttered. Clearly, he didn't think it was.

I bought this one April 24, 2012. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Evil Dark by Justin Gustainis

 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:

The city is Scranton. My name is Markowski. I carry a badge. The monsters from your nightmares are real, all of them. If you live in my town, protecting you from them -- and vice versa -- is my job.

Friday 56:

It was Wednesday morning, and tonight would be our night off. I wouldn't have minded working anyway, but McGuire will only authorize overtime if we're chasing a hot lead. And right now we had no leads - hot, cold, or room temperature.

This week I am spotlighting Evil Dark by Justin Gustainis which has been on my TBR mountain Since April 24, 2012. Here is the description from Amazon:

My name's Markowski. I carry a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.

A series of seemingly motiveless murders of supernatural creatures points to a vigilante targeting the supe community. Markowski wouldn't normally have much of a problem with that, but his daughter may be next on the killer's list...

Book and Audio Review: The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams

The Whispered Word
Author: Ellery Adams
Narrator: Cris Dukeheart
Series: A Secret, Book, and Scone Society Novel (Book 2)
Publication: Kensington Books (November 27, 2018); Dreamscape Media LLC (November 27, 2018)
Length: 298 p.; 8 hours and 34 minutes

Description: In this cozy mystery by a New York Times–bestselling author, a gifted bookstore owner can find the right book for any patron, but can she find a killer?

The proprietor of Miracle Books in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, Nora Pennington believes that a well-chosen novel can bring healing and hope. But she and the other members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society know that sometimes practical help is needed too. Such is the case with the reed-thin girl hiding in the fiction section of Nora’s store, wearing a hospital ID and a patchwork of faded bruises. She calls herself Abilene but won’t reveal much else. And when a customer is found dead in an assumed suicide, Nora uncovers a connection that points to Abilene as either a suspect—or another target. After a second death hits town, Nora and her intrepid friends must help the new, greenhorn sheriff discern fact from fiction—and stop a killer intent on bringing another victim’s story to a close…

My Thoughts: When Nora Pennington discovers a young woman wearing a hospital bracelet and clothing that's too big for her sleeping in a corner of her bookstore, it starts a chain of events that includes three murders and a hidden treasure.

Nora runs Miracle Books in Miracle Springs, North Carolina. It has been a perfect place for this burn-scarred woman to rebuild her life. She and her three friends, who also came looking for a new start, are all eager to help young Abilene Tyler make her own new start. But Abilene is on the run from someone who wants her dead.

The first victim is Amanda Frye who was one of Nora's most difficult customers - always complaining and never satisfied. When she and her friends go to deliver Secret Kindness bags, they discover Amanda drowned in a pond on her property. They use her landline to call the police and Nora sees something odd. She finds a misused book on her kitchen counter along with an empty bottle of pain pills. It looks like a suicide but Nora can't believe Amanda would ever mistreat a book that way. 

The town has suffered from some misfortune with the closing of a bank and a real estate project falling through. A new business named Virtual Genie has come to town to take people's treasure on consignment which looks like a lifesaver for people who need to sell things to make ends meet after the business failures. Some of her friends are suspicious about the aims of that company and suspicions grow when the murdered woman's son is seen arguing with someone from Virtual Genie and when he tries to sell some of her mother's treasured books even though he isn't the one who inherited them.

This was a nice cozy mystery. I absolutely loved all the references to books and Nora's gift for finding the right book at the right time for her customers. There were so many great quotations from books too. I liked that Nora is beginning a romance and deepening her friendships with the women who have banded together to form the Secret, Book, and Scone Society. 

Fans of feel-good cozies and book lovers will enjoy this offering and be looking for more in the series. 

Favorite Quote:

"The unique and magical nature of books is their ability to grant us temporary escape from our reality while also providing ways to cope with that reality when we're forced to return to it."

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