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Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002); Genres: Adventure, Fantasy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010); Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, IMAX; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011); Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, IMAX; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005); Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Thriller, IMAX; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009); Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, IMAX; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007); Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, IMAX; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004); Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, IMAX; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (a.k.a. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) (2001); Genres: Adventure, Children, Fantasy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Smurfs, The (2011); Genres: Animation, Children, Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Toy Story (1995); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Toy Story 2 (1999); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Toy Story 3 (2010); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Fantasy, IMAX; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tangled (2010); Genres: Animation, Children, Comedy, Fantasy, Musical, Romance, IMAX; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011); Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, IMAX; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006); Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Titanic (1997); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Avatar (2009); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, IMAX; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Black Swan (2010); Genres: Drama, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Hunger Games (2012); Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Aladdin (1992); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Musical; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Beauty and the Beast (1991); Genres: Animation, Children, Fantasy, Musical, Romance, IMAX; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Lion King, The (1994); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Drama, Musical, IMAX; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Spider-Man 2 (2004); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, IMAX; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Incredibles, The (2004); Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ice Age (2002); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011); Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, IMAX; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009); Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cats & Dogs (2001); Genres: Children, Comedy; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 101 Dalmatians (1996); Genres: Adventure, Children, Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bug's Life, A (1998); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The (2005); Genres: Adventure, Children, Fantasy; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Batman Begins (2005); Genres: Action, Crime, IMAX; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 2012 (2009); Genres: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Day After Tomorrow, The (2004); Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005); Genres: Adventure, Children, Comedy, Fantasy, IMAX; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Alice in Wonderland (2010); Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, IMAX; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Cars (2006); Genres: Animation, Children, Comedy; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Cars 2 (2011); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, IMAX; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Kung Fu Panda (2008); Genres: Action, Animation, Children, Comedy, IMAX; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Laputa: Castle in the Sky (Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta) (1986); Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Children, Fantasy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Howl's Moving Castle (Hauru no ugoku shiro) (2004); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Cat Returns, The (Neko no ongaeshi) (2002); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Fantasy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari no Totoro) (1988); Genres: Animation, Children, Drama, Fantasy; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba) (1995); Genres: Animation, Drama, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no takkyûbin) (1989); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Drama, Fantasy; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Ponyo (Gake no ue no Ponyo) (2008); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Fantasy; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi) (2001); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Fantasy; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no tani no Naushika) (1984); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | movielens |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Topeak Alien II Multi Tool; Brand: Topeak; Review: This has pretty much all the tools you'll need. I learned the hard way, you will probably need full sized versions of many of these tools as this tool alone is inadequate for home mechanic use. There is really no way to handle the tool and get some leverage for tough jobs. It is also small and clumsy - it was pretty tough to attach my bottle cage with the allen key as I kept having to change the angle. I think it feels kind of flimsy as well - as though I might break it if I turn too hard. It is certainly adequate to have on the road to cover most emergencies.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: White Lightning Wash & Shine; Brand: White Lightning; Review: I had been putting off cleaning my bike for a while and it looked pretty awful from all the commuting miles I put on it. This stuff completely removed all the grit with ease. Definitely worth it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: White Lightning Easy Clean Bicycle Chain and Parts Cleaning Brush Kit (2 Piece); Brand: White Lightning; Review: I used this along with the White Lightning degreaser to give my bike a long overdue scrub. The brush is adequate for scrubbing the drivetrain. I did not use the scraper much. I also used a toothbrush to get into a few hard to reach spots. A larger brush may have helped me a bit, but if you're looking for just the basics, this is all you need along with a bottle of degreaser.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: M-Wave Tilburg S Seat Bag; Brand: M-Wave; Review: Note that this is a 'small' bag. I managed to fit a spare tube, patch kit, c02 pump, tire levers, and a baggy of baby powder. That's just about all that is going to fit. I can, with difficult, shove my car key and some credit/id cards in there as well. Maybe if your phone is tiny, you could get it in there, but an iphone will not fit.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mens Basic Padded Bike Short - Cycling Shorts Biking Pant - Made in USA; Brand: AERO|TECH|DESIGNS; Review: These are my first pair of bike shorts, so I don't have any real comparison. They are very comfortable and have given me a much smoother ride than my previous cargo/jean shorts. These were the most inexpensive shorts I could find. After 2 weeks and maybe 200 miles, they are performing admirably. I wear 32w pants. In most clothes I wear Medium however I ordered Large - which are of appropriate snugness. You may want to order one size up to be safe.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Maks Cycling Jersey with Sublimation Print Race Cut Short-Sleeve Bike Biking Shirt; Brand: Maks; Review: I had maybe 3 rides while wearing this before the zipper became misaligned. I was able to force it back into position, but it kept getting misaligned. Yesterday the zipper became totally unstuck and I could not get it to zip at all - the handle of the zipper also broke off from me zipping it up and down so many times. It lasted about 2 weeks - maybe 10 rides. I cannot attempt to return the jersey as it has been worn a good bit - I also had a fall while wearing it and tore the shoulder a bit. I could still use it without the zipper in warm enough weather. The fabric is decent enough - it breathes well and is comfortable. The jersey fits as expected. The pockets are pretty big. The zipper malfunction is enough for me to deem this jersey a poor investment. I recommend against purchasing this brand of cycling jersey. Put in a couple more dollars for a product that will last.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Shimano Unisex PD-R540 SPD-SL; Brand: SHIMANO; Review: I've only been using this for a few rides. I was nervous about clipless city commuting. This was an easy transition. I turned the tension down and it's no problem clipping in and out. I haven't had any accidental clipouts yet. Still getting used to the new pedaling motion, but I can already appreciate the extra power and stability. Definitely a good buy for clipless beginners.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Soffe Men's Ranger Panty Running Short; Brand: ; Review: I was pretty nervous putting these on for the first time. There were parts of my legs that have never before seen sunlight. The tan lines will fade soon, though, because I can never wear go back to wearing my old shorts. 7 miles in 90 degrees F and 75% humidity and these really held up. No bunching. No pooling sweat. No chafing. The lining is very comfortable and keeps everything secure and really breathes. If you are serious enough to run with a heat index in the triple digits, these are the shorts for you.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: XLoop High Profile Sport Cycling Triathlon Sunglasses; Brand: X-Loop; Review: They are cheap and they work. That's the selling point for me. I use these almost daily for running/cycling. My first pair broke after about a year of use. They worked well enough for me to get a replacement. Although after about 2 months of use, I can already hear the plastic cracking when I put them on. Honestly if they break I'll probably just order a 3rd pair. They stay secure and are comfortable. They seem to get foggy/sweaty pretty easily...I have never spent more than $10 on sunglasses, so I don't know if there are products that are better at preventing this.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ledge Sports Gooseberry Hydration Pack; Brand: Ledge; Review: I bought this 5 months ago and only just started using it a few weeks back. It worked well enough on my first few runs - the longest was 16 miles. It held just enough water to last for that trip. This morning when I was getting ready for a long run, I noticed it was leaking. I thought it would last the trip, but it was leaking at a very considerable pace. I managed to stop halfway at a park when I was close to empty to refill, but the leak was enough for me to be empty again by the time I finished. This was my fifth run with the pack. I don't know if I did not maintain the product properly or something - the included instructions were very sparse and I followed what information was there. It's probably too late to get a replacement/refund since I ordered the product 5 months ago. Aside from the leak, it works well enough I suppose. It does chafe considerably, but everything chafes while running...it seems like it would be the nature of the product to chafe. It feels very small on me. The chest strap rests on my collar bone. Maybe I have a broad chest - I am 5 '11 around 180 pounds.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: High Sierra Classic Reservoir; Brand: High Sierra; Review: Used this to replace another reservoir. It did not fit exactly in the hydration pack, but it has been much more resilient than the initial reservoir. I've had this on maybe half a dozen or so 15+ mile runs in the past few months. It is enough water to last me about 2 hours.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 2XU Run Visor; Brand: 2XU; Review: It is a visor. There's not much too it. I use this for long runs in the sun. It is lightweight and doesn't get uncomfortable even when it's all sweaty. For some reason, mine started to develop weird orange stains. Maybe from the sunblock I was using?; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Champion Men's Compression Short; Brand: ; Review: I will wear these year round except except for temps above 85F - that's usually when I have to bear all in my tiny running shorts. These help to cut back on chaffing. They don't get uncomfortable even with profuse sweating. I've worn these through a marathon. No complaints.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sub Sports Mens Winter Warm Vest Long Sleeve Thermal Base Layer Fleece -L; Brand: ; Review: I have determined to keep my running schedule through the winter (without retreating to the treadmill). I did not realize how much I needed this shirt until I wore it. I wore this for 10 miles on the trail in 20F weather this weekend with a fleece shirt over top. My chest and arms stayed quite warm. It did a good job wicking away the sweat - I did not notice that wet clammy feeling I have come to expect from running in the cold. I wore it on another shorter run in the low 40's F and I felt almost TOO warm. This is the first compression shirt I have worn - I did not realize how tight it would be. I needed my girlfriend's help to pull the shirt off of me after my run. I usually go for medium in athletic shirts, I ordered a large and it was quite snug - although the fabric is designed to stretch considerably.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sub Sports Mens Winter Warm Compression Shorts Thermal Base Layer Brushed Inner; Brand: Sub Sports; Review: These are great in the cold (30's-40's F). I wear regular compression shorts at 50's+ temperatures. I hate wearing full pants while running unless it is sub-freezing cold. These are warm and still allow the freedom of shorts. I wear my summer running shorts over top - just because they are very snug and I'm too modest to go without. No issues with sweat or chaffing - I just ran a marathon in these last week in 30-35 F weather. No complaints.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Drymax Cold Weather Run Crew Socks; Brand: Drymax; Review: Keeps my feet nice and warm in the cold and wet winter weather. Even when they're soaked through, they manage to keep my feet pretty warm.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Drymax Cold Weather Run Crew Socks, Red, Small (W5-7 / M3.5-5.5); Brand: Drymax; Review: Keeps my feet nice and warm in the cold and wet winter weather. Even when they're soaked through, they manage to keep my feet pretty warm.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: ASICS Contend No Show Sock, Surf Assorted, Pack of 3; Brand: ASICS; Review: These were like $1.50 as an add-on. They fit alright and provide decent support as running socks. They don't have that little bit of fabric on the ankle to keep from sliding down into my shoes, so my shoes have been rubbing right up against my ankle. I started to develop a rash in the area after a particularly sweaty run. These are great for the price...but as running socks, they're just ok.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Altra Trail Gaiter Protective Shoe Covers; Brand: ; Review: They work, but not sized very well. I bought the Large for my size 12 shoes, they are way too big. They still work, but I would have preferred to get a medium.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_Sports_and_Outdoors |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Penn Plax 3-Inch Bubble Disk Air Pump Accessories; Brand: Penn Plax; Review: It bubbles a lot--so I'm a happy camper.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Penn Plax Airline Tubing for Aquariums –Clear and Flexible Resists Kinking, 25 Feet Standard; Brand: Penn Plax; Review: It's air line--it does what it needs to!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: MidWest Deluxe Bolster Pet Bed for Dogs & Cats; Brand: MidWest Homes for Pets; Review: Decent pillow for the pup's kennel that fits the crate perfectly--but I think it's a bit expensive for what it is. Fairly thin, but looks to be well made. We'll see how well it holds up. Sticker shock happened when I realized the kennel itself was only 10 more bucks than this pillow!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: MidWest Homes for Pets Snap'y Fit Stainless Steel Food Bowl/Pet Bowl; Brand: MidWest Homes for Pets; Review: The stainless bowl fits perfectly in the metal grate of the kennel--so it's doing exactly what it is supposed to! Easy to get the bowl in and out too--but does require a strong hand--the clamp holding the bowl is pretty darn tough.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: MidWest Homes for Pets Dog Crate | iCrate Single Door & Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crates; Brand: MidWest Homes for Pets; Review: Awesome kennel for the price! Works well, folds up easily, looks to be pretty well made.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hydrofarm Active Aqua Air Pump, 8 Outlets, 12W, 25 L/min; Brand: Hydrofarm; Review: Quite a heavy duty little pump. Two outlets, variable speed, and pretty quiet for how much air it pumps out. So far it has worked every day for months now, not a single fault thus far.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Uxcell Aquarium Non-Return Air Pump Check Valves; Brand: uxcell; Review: Small, a little noisy, and definitely cheap. Would have preferred something quieter that had barbs rather than smooth stems.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Roseate Pensione House; City: Cebu City Cebu Island Visayas; Review: I shall never recommend this place ever! We stayed here for a night and it was so terrible! First, we arrived there at 1:30 pm. The lady receptionist was so uncourteous as she was busy surfing the internet. She checked for my reservation and yes, we had a reservation. I was so surprised when the receptionist called a room boy and asked him to clean the room. She then told us to wait FOR A MINUTE at the lobby. So okay, we waited for more than 30 minutes! Not to mention, it was so damn hot since the lobby has no airconditioner. I even went to the convenience store nearby just to kill the time expecting that the room would be good once I get back. I was informed through email that the check-in time is 1:00pm. Hello? It's already 2pm! Then, the receptionist handed us the room key and she said that the room boy was waiting on the second floor. Our room was beside the Fire exit. It was so small and it's as if you cannot breathe inside the room because of it was DUSTY everywhere. Once you run your finger through the table, you can really see a thick formation of dust! The floor was so wet since it was just mopped like seconds ago! The bathroom was so small and you can see that the toilet seat was dirty. I even wiped it with tissue paper and alcohol. The worst part is, THERE IS A GUM (CHEWED BUBBLE GUM) ON THE HEADBOARD OF THE BED. I was so devastated! GROSS!!! Also, the towels and blanket were so dirty. Good thing, we brought our own towels. I've been traveling with my boyfriend across the country but I haven't experienced this one. Plus, their "free breakfast" is such a joke! Really!! Danggit and Bangus were not available. So you just have to pick one among corned beef, ham or 2 tiny longganisa. We should have eaten in Mcdo across the street. During our check-out, the receptionist didn't even thank us for staying in their extremely distressing pension house. This is the WORST pension house , ever!!; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Villa Simprosa Boracay; City: Boracay Malay Aklan Province Panay Island Visayas; Review: We stayed here for 5 days during Laboracay 2015. We arrived at 2 am and they still managed to accommodate us since we informed them prior to our arrival. Villa Simprosa is just a stone's throw away to the beach. There is a small convenience store right beside it. It's also located near D'Mall. The room is quite spacious and very clean. I have been recommending it to my friends and relatives and they also had a good stay.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Hong; City: Melaka Central Melaka District Melaka State; Review: It exceeded my expectation. We booked a room in this hotel a few days before our trip to Malaysia. We just decided to have an overnight trip to Malacca before heading to Kuala Lumpur. The rate is quite cheap, given that they have an attached bathroom for each room. Other hotels in Malacca offer shared bathrooms with the same price as Hotel Hong. Upon arriving at 9:00 pm, the kind receptionist, Ah-May gave us our room key as well as the WiFi password. They also provide a map. When we asked about some good restaurants or places to visit, she offered to tour us around the vicinity so that we would know where to go on the next day. Such a sweet gesture.. The room was very clean, the bed was big and very comfy. I loved the pillows and I had a good sleep. The only thing which didn't delight me was that there were no cable channels. Everything was in Malaysian or Chinese. It didn't bother us that much though, since our main agenda is to enjoy the unique environment in Malacca. Overall, I highly recommend this hotel if you want to stay near Jonker Street and Red Square.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Carmelence View; City: Tagaytay Cavite Province Calabarzon Region Luzon; Review: At first, we had no idea where Villa Carmelence2 is located coz I read somewhere that it's different from Carmelence Lodge. Gladly, the owner always responds promptly to my text messages. It is very accessible since it is just before the Sky Ranch. We got a very warm welcome when we arrived. I love how the two cheerful attendants (forgot their names, sorry!) took care of our requests during our stay. The room was very clean and I love its interior. The bathroom was very spacious with two rain showers. They provide towels, toiletries, organic soap and shampoo. It would be nice if they will provide bathrobes,though. But no biggie, they have 4 towels, anyway. I know it's crazy but we were able to choreograph a dance inside it since there is a huge mirror, too! Bathroom/dance studio in one, no kidding! Haha! Breakfast was surprisingly good, I love the bacon! They also provide free water, tea, coffee. We just bought some food from Walter Mart. The VIEW.. ahhh the VIEW from Sky King's Suite was spectacular, breathtaking, perfect! We didn't bother going out coz this place is a piece of heaven with cable tv and WIFI!! 😊 The room also has a fridge, hair blower, bedroom slippers. It was really a memorable and fun experience. I highly recommend Villa Carmelence 2!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ace Hotel Suites; City: Pasig Metro Manila Luzon; Review: Checking-in was a breeze. The suite was spacious and clean. The bed was very comfortable and gave us a really good sleep. There is a working area, a living area and a clean bathroom. The room has a mini ref and a closet where a safety deposit is placed along with the laundry bin and slippers. I also love how they set up the television. You can turn it around either facing the bed or the living area. The best part of our staycation is that it has a free access to the water spa (which I enjoyed) and their buffet breakfast offers lots of bacon. I’m easy to please and bacon can instantly brighten my day. :); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Landmark Hotel Riqqa; City: Dubai Emirate of Dubai; Review: We stayed for 4 days at Landmark Riqqa on my first visit to Dubai. It is not very pricey and it's quite close to two Metro Stations: Al Rigga and Union Square. Also, two shopping centers, Al Ghurair Center & Reef Mall, are just a stone's throw away. Our room was neat and the housekeepers would knock or call everyday to ask if we'd like them to clean up our room at no additional cost. Toiletries were provided on a daily basis. They accept unmarried couples, as long as you can present a valid Emirates ID or a copy of your passport.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: San Juan Surf Resort; City: San Juan La Union Province Ilocos Region Luzon; Review: San Juan Surf Resort is a well-maintained establishment in San Juan, La Union. We're glad we stayed in this resort because it is just a few steps away from the beach. Also, it is close to a few go-to restaurants in La Union. We were assigned to a room at the ground floor right next to the garden. The room has a double-sized bed with fresh and clean covers. They provide toiletries and bath towels, too. You can grab some beer and grilled hotdogs at the store along the beach while enjoying the sunset.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Linden Suites; City: Pasig Metro Manila Luzon; Review: I've had organized four parties (despedida, 2 birthdays, Chrismas,) in this hotel. The suites are always clean and very spacious. They are not too strict when it comes to visitors, so you can have as many guests as you want as long as you don't cause disturbance or inconvenience to other hotel guests. Nevertheless, they have a policy that visitors can only stay in the suite until 11pm. Well in our experience, nobody knocked and asked our visitors to leave. That's why I highly recommend this hotel for parties. But keep in mind not to cause too much noise. It's also fine to arrange the room according to the theme of the party you are having. You can claim food deliveries at the lobby. There is a limit with the number of persons who can use the swimming pool. It depends on the type of room you are getting. So don't assume that all your guests can be accommodated in the pool area. Corkage charges apply for bringing alcohol. So better bring home the empty bottles upon check out to avoid additional charges.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Sleep Inn Manchester Airport; City: Londonderry New Hampshire; Review: Couldn't ask for a better experience. Friendly and courteous staff. Room was exceptionally clean. Very reasonable rates for area around the airport. Breakfast was good but could have had a wider selection. Fits the needs of the business traveler.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lazydays RV Resort; City: Seffner Florida; Review: It's not just the space but the atmosphere. Lazydays RV Resort staff are very accommodating to your needs. Great pool and showers and restrooms are very clean. If you are seeking a quiet stay, chose a site away from the rally center.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Days Inn Suites by Wyndham Sutton Flatwoods; City: Sutton West Virginia; Review: The park is very woodsy and quiet. It would be a great place to spend some time but be cautious if you have a big rig. The registration is in he co-located Days Inn. Not typically a problem but in this case, the sigh directing you to the place to register is right at the entry to the park and on a steep hill. The lower section is much better suited for larger RVs. THe top area has steep grades and tight corners which are not exactly the best for a 44+ foot rig.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: River Plantation RV Resort; City: Sevierville Tennessee; Review: The park is very clean and well kept. Rules are reasonable and enforced! Some of the sites need to be a bit more level but overall, you will not be disappointed with staying here if you are in the Pigeon Forge/Smokey Mountains area of TN; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Crowne Plaza Danbury; City: Danbury Connecticut; Review: I stay here each month when I travel to the corporate offices. The remodel resulted in a very nice accommodations. Nothing to complain about and as a business traveler I'm picky. The only miss here is their food service. It's a third party and both the breakfast area and Jay's Bar are subpar. The morning team is unfriendly. The food is the same daily and nothing to be excited about. The staff at Jay's is great. Can't say the same for the selection or the quality Great place to stay but plan on eating elsewhere.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Downtown Suites; City: Boquete Chiriqui Province; Review: Room was very large and well kept. Checkin process was fast, efficient, and friendly. The location is close to the middle of Boquete and makes exploration easy. The staff made you feel welcome. Highly recommended.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Keen Emerson Cross Hatch Messenger Bag; Brand: ; Review: I see a few people wish this bag were bigger... Check out the Brooklyn II in this same color... It mat be this size you are looking for!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Forever Women's Long Sleeve Owl Print Knit Cardigan; Brand: Forever; Review: I am interested in this sweater and have read great reviews... I just wanted to see if anyone could help me out a little more ( I am very indecisive!) Wanted to know what color you guys got and what you think?! And about the fit... I would like it a little baggy, not perfectly fit- I am 5'6", 130 pounds. Would small be a little baggy or should I go with medium? Thank you!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: JOVIVI 8pcs Mixed 18G Black Acrylic Fake Plugs Cheater Earrings with O-Rings 6G/2G/0G/00G Look; Brand: Jovivi; Review: I do really like the largest size that came with this pack. I was hoping they were all a little bit bigger so I have only gotten use out of the large ones because that is what I was looking for. They do look like a natural gauge. My only downfall to this is the rubberband ring that is around both the front and the back is not very secure, I have already lost one and am holding on to the other one that keeps trying to slide off.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: SODA Women's Escort Faux Suede Slouchy Knee High Wedge Heel Boots; Brand: SODA; Review: Great color. Great fit. They are a simple shoe to class an outfit up or still look cute with a casual outfit. The wedge heel is more of a rubber base so it does not clank like high heels would which gives it more of a casual feel. Fits true to size.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Alegria Women's Ella Mary Jane Pump; Brand: Alegria; Review: Comfortable shoes. I got these for work in the service industry because they have a little bit of 'slip resistance' and I needed something with a little heel and comfort (I am a cocktail waitress at a high end restaurant.) Unfortunately, they only lasted me a little over half a year until the rubber on the bottom came completely off of both of them. I would expect for the price it would be a much better quality, So I personally will stick to PayLess, but these would be great for any woman who needs to work, stand and walk in an office setting, and want to do it comfortably and in style!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Keen Brooklyn II 1000586 Shoulder Bag; Brand: ; Review: To my fault I went off the look of this bag by the picture instead of reading into it. I was thinking it would be a thick, wool (esque) fabric but it is a polyester bag so I sent it back. But, I will definitely give this bag credit when it comes to all of the storage compartments in it, and of course the awesome strap.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: VIV Collection Women's Sexy Shiny Metallic Stretchy Black High Waist Faux Leather Leggings; Brand: ; Review: These tights fit how you would expect any cotton tights to fit. I am 5'5" 120lbs and they work for me!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: The Hidden Life of Trees: The International Bestseller - What They Feel, How They Communicate; Author: Peter Wohlleben (author); Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A New Earth; Author: Visit Amazon's Eckhart Tolle Page; Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Practising the Power of Now; Author: Eckhart Tolle; Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life; Author: Visit Amazon's Byron Katie Page; Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael A. Singer Page; Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael A. Singer Page; Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma; Author: Visit Amazon's Peter A. Levine Page; Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael A. Singer Page; Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Magic of Awareness; Author: Visit Amazon's Anam Thubten Page; Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bringing Down the House (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Chicago (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Matrix: Reloaded (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: View from the Top (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Wedding Planner (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The In-Laws (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Don't Say a Word (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Bad Boys II (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Men of Honor (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Rock (1996); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Double Jeopardy (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The General's Daughter (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Air Force One (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 4 (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Con Air (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Seabiscuit (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hollywood Homicide (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Santa Clause 2 (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: I Am Sam (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Unfaithful (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Boat Trip (2003); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Flawless (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Phone Booth (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Narc (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Watcher (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Daddy Day Care (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: S.W.A.T. (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Identity (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Underworld (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Holes (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Out of Time (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Radio (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dark Blue (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Losing Isaiah (1995); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 1 (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Fighting Temptations (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: American Outlaws (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Cold Creek Manor (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: ER: Season 1 (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Paycheck (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Riding in Cars with Boys (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Craft (1996); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bad Santa (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Nobody's Baby (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Stateside (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Pay It Forward (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fried Green Tomatoes (1991); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Rudy (1993); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bob the Builder: Bob Saves the Day! (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Little People: Fun to Learn Collection (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Braveheart (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Elf (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Forever Young (1992); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Finding Nemo (Widescreen) (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Patch Adams (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rain Man (1988); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Erin Brockovich (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: GoodFellas: Special Edition (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Awakenings (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Legends of the Fall (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Deep End of the Ocean (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Stepmom (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Civil Action (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: We Were Soldiers (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Forrest Gump (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Terms of Endearment (1983); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lean on Me (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Shrek (Full-screen) (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Field of Dreams (1989); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Bob the Builder: Building Friendships (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Saving Private Ryan (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A River Runs Through It (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Mummy (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Monsters (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Stepford Wives (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Van Helsing (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: As Good as It Gets (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Saw (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Shadow of Fear (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ladder 49 (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Employee of the Month (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bob the Builder: Tool Power! (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Shield: Season 1 (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Closer (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Meet the Fockers (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Secondhand Lions (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Good Will Hunting (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pulp Fiction (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 48 Hrs. (1983); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bob the Builder: Dig (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Notebook (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Shield: Season 2 (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Fisher-Price Dora The Explorer Dive and Swim Mermaid Dora; Brand: Nickelodeon; Review: The Dora swim and dive is very well made and worth the price, my granddaughter loves the doll and has much fun with her.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition with Blue Eyed North Pole Pixie-Elf; Brand: The Elf on the Shelf; Review: Bought this for my grandchildren and they have enjoyed the elf tremendously during this Christmas season. Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for all you do.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: DC Superman 2.75" PVC Figure; Brand: DC; Review: was nice on birthday cake.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: DC Wonder Woman 2.75" PVC Figure; Brand: DC; Review: great on birthday cake.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Barbie Mariposa and The Fairy Princess Playset; Brand: Barbie; Review: Great for granddaughters barbies; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Barbie Mariposa and The Fairy Princess Doll; Brand: Barbie; Review: Barbie was a nice surprise for the price; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Big Hero 6 6" Fred Action Figure; Brand: Big Hero 6; Review: nice toy for price; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Big Hero 6 6" Wasabi Action Figure; Brand: Big Hero 6; Review: Great toy and priced affordable.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Marvel Superhero The Avengers Justice League Iron Man Captain America Thor Hulk Hawkeye pvc action figure toy Doll; Brand: Dinglongshan; Review: Awesome for price; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ben 10 Ultimate Alien Playset Alien Creation Chamber Includes Exclusive Ultimate Humungousaur; Brand: Bandai; Review: Grand son loves; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Toys_and_Games |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Russell Athletic Men's Dri-Power Closed-Bottom Sweatpants with Pockets; Brand: ; Review: as expected; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Russell Athletic Men's Dri-Power Closed-Bottom Fleece Pocket Pant,; Brand: ; Review: as expected; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Carhartt Men's Force Cotton Short Sleeve Henley Relaxed Fit; Brand: ; Review: Good stuff; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: OLUKAI Mens 'Ohana Koa Grey; Brand: OLUKAI; Review: Good product; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Calvin Klein Men's Cotton Classics Short Sleeve V-Neck T-Shirt; Brand: ; Review: Good purchase; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Peninsula International Hotel; City: Suva Viti Levu; Review: Stayed four nights in this so called international hotel, and discovered it was anything but,we would have left on viewing the room only there was no other half decent hotel available.the reception staff are sour faced and very unhelpful,not a good start,the rooms, where do i start honestly,there was a stink of mildew and damp in the bedrooms, we spoke with other unhappy guests and discovered the cielings had only one coat of patchy paint,i had to ring to get the windows cleanes as they were so very filthy,i was in the room on two ocassions when the cleaner came and noticed that no washing liquid was used to clean the utensils and plates,infact one fork had hard ingrained dirt between the prongs,yuk!.we ate at the restraunt and were overcharged and had to fight for a refund,while we ate we were subjected to one of the wait staff ladies sitting on the ground behind the desk picking her feet,seriously,unless absolutely desparate this place should be avoided as its awful and really depressing to stay in,the staff are lazy,sour and couldnt give a fig,especially the receptionist,management need to revisit exactly what it means to boast an international hotel standard as this nasty little place is anything but.very very disappointed.this place wouldnt last a day outside suva.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Capricorn Apartment Hotel; City: Suva Viti Levu; Review: I give this filthy establishment zero stars.do not stay here.the photos are ancient,the pool is scummy and green,the hot tub advertised hasnt seen water in over 20 years,bed linen rarely washed.half the letters on the wall on outside of hotel fell off years ago and never got replaced,Mister Patel the owner was extremely nasty and abusive to the poor cleaning ladies when we pointed out our many complaints and said if he got any more he would fire them all,the staff are expected to use diluted cheap cleaning produts and get paid less than $3 per hour,they also double up as the massage girls and recieve less than $7 an hour for all their hard work.The "double beds" are in fact just big singles and far to short and narrow for two adults,our curtaind were hanging off the hooks and there was a 60 cm gap when closed. thick scum surrounds the taps and cock roaches and bed bugs lie in wait on your return up the filth lined stairs.we have stayed in numerous hotels around the world and this takes first prize for filth rudeness and misrepresentation,cancel now and go stay anywhere but here.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Copthorne Hotel Palmerston North; City: Palmerston North Manawatu Wanganui Region North Island; Review: Unfortunately a few things let this hotel down,the rooms are very dull and lack colour,the bed was small for a double with an uncomfortable mattress,only two pillows.the loops on the bathrobes were broke.no instructions for spa,should cater for those having never used one or motor will burn if not full when turned on.on standing to shower,the vent right by your head is absolutely thich with layers of dust,awful,hasnt ever been clean by the look of it.location very central,breakfast very good.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Kingsgate Hotel Dunedin; City: Dunedin Otago Region South Island; Review: Great central location.clean room.major internet connection issues which management couldnt sort,ended up having to ring helpline ourselves.it was necessary to iron a shirt each day as was a business trip,the ironing board was flimsy and very old,its little things like this that make for comfort and point of difference.restraunt very average,mash very lumpy and menu very 80s.we would stay again but these points need to be addressed.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Scenic Hotel Te Pania; City: Napier Hawke s Bay Region North Island; Review: Great location,wonderful sea views,stroll to town and right accross from spa pools,worth a visit.room service food good,buffet breakfast excellent,would stay here again.bathroom v clean,staff friendly,down on business and couldnt really fault it,nice to see a decent ironing board.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Taum Resort Bali; City: Kuta Kuta District Bali; Review: Just back from a lovely week in Bali.centra was a lovely hotel to stay in.staff are lovely,not too over bearing.nice big clean room and good bathroom,serviced daily.pool was just lovely,5 min taxi to beack,shops,tranquil and peaceful after the bustle of the manic scooter filled streets.had to plug kettle in behind t.v as no socket in kitchen area.could do with a good scrub with jif/ ajax in bath but not a major.would be happy to stay agai and recommend,breakfast very good.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sheraton New Orleans Hotel; City: New Orleans Louisiana; Review: Beautiful hotel in the heart of the buzzing french quarter,lovely spacious rooms,we got an upgrade to a penthouse suite as there was a very loud bachelor party in a room next door,the rooms are serviced daily and beds very comfortable,the hotel lobby is massive,biggest ive ever seen with a circular bar,staff are great,loved staying here,so close to everything.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miranda Holiday Park; City: Thames Coromandel Peninsula Waikato Region North Island; Review: Stayed here on a few ocassions and never disappointed.very well layed out safe and spotlessly clean.great catering facilities in large kitchen area,clean bathroom/shower facilities.use of hot spring pool onsite included in price.will go back,its great so close to Auckland.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Glow Worm Motel; City: Waitomo Caves Waitomo District Waikato Region North Island; Review: Finding accommodation on new years eve without booking was very hard so i mustnt complain.the owner we found to be very upbeat and helpful,cant fault him,the motel units were spotless and functional although very dated and sparcely furnished with not a sigle picture on the walls.the bed clothes were also tired but again,clean.bathroom definitely needs a good modern update,some cash needs to be invested here so travellers dont feel ripped off.$100 was over priced and we were glad it was only a one night stay.no frills what so ever,probably wouldnt recommend and thats a shame since the owner was nice and could have a nice little business,given its proximity to waitomo caves.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Scenic Hotel Marlborough; City: Blenheim Marlborough Region South Island; Review: my husband and i stayed here about 5 weeks ago just for one night,it was just gtreat,cant fault it atall,great location.very clean,good bathroom,will definitely stay here again,very impressed and we stay in hotels all over n.z a lot,well done; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Sydney; City: Sydney New South Wales; Review: stayed 4 nights 2 weeks ago,lovely room,great views,great bathroom/ produts best yet .very impressed with the food although very pricey.now for the big nasty draw back,the fridge mini bar was very well stocked as was the bed side mini bar,if you removed any item and even put it back immediately the item is charged to your room straight away,not good if youre not using the item,there are signs up but who often read them,i lifted a box of crisps and put them down again just to read the back and got charged,its unessesary and shouldt happen,obliged is with late check out,great central location,would recommend but dont touch the mini bar!Aahh and no wifi unless you pay,not good either.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Novotel Queenstown Lakeside; City: Queenstown Otago Region South Island; Review: 5th time staying here and can't fault it in.any way.Cant beat the central location. Asked for a lakeside view and got upgraded with no hassle.Efficient staff.Lovely rooms.We will always come back here to stay. 10/10; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Novotel Queenstown Lakeside; City: Queenstown Otago Region South Island; Review: Stay here every time we come to Queenstown about 3 times a year.Great central location..nice rooms.Breakfast ok but not fantastic but still nice.service is polite and friendly and we love the spa.dont have any complaints really and will continue to return.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Beauregard Matakana Accommodation; City: Matakana North Island; Review: Stayed here for one night to get out of Auckland. Lovely clean modern cottage, close drive to the quaint Matakana village where we enjoyed the wonderful markets and restraunts of which there are many. We would highly recommend a night or longer in one of these charming cottages.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Executive Residence Boutique Hotel; City: Dunedin Otago Region South Island; Review: Stayed here for two nights with my daughter to see her off to uni. No complaints, friendly helpful reception, clean well appointed room and good continental breakfast.Tiny observation, put a new carpet in the lift it's very worn out!!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Opal Hot Springs And Holiday Park; City: Matamata Waikato Region North Island; Review: 3 out of 5 and that's being generous. The pools look like they havnt been upgraded since built, very 60s. No comfort sitting in the water as the base of the pools ate grainy and uncomfortable. There should be an adults only pool where no kids are allowed so adults can relax without a ball bouncing off the back of your head! This place has potential but needs $$ invested to make it worth another visit.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Russell TOP 10 Holiday Park; City: Russell Bay of Islands Northland Region North Island; Review: Stayed in our camper van on a powered site only to park up in our spot to find no water so really quite disappointing, you need water not power as we have solar. We weren't told this. Probably won't be back in light if this as it makes staying more than 1 night a mission.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Millennium Hotel Queenstown; City: Queenstown Otago Region South Island; Review: So currently staying at the millenium. Finding it very nice, the walk into town is just enough to give you exercise but not kill you. Breakfast buffet very goid, rooms nice, no complaints. Have stayed here a few times.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: 20 Potluck Dishes That'll Win Over Any Holiday Party; Abstract: These put the P in Party and Potluck.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Doctors Want FDA To Warn Women About Cheese And Breast Cancer Link; Abstract: Up to 12,000 members of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine agreed that the federal government should add label to cheese products that would warn women about the risk of having breast cancer.; Category: health
Title: NFL world reacts to officials handing Packers win over Lions; Abstract: It's a regular occurrence for NFL officiating to cause controversy, with the Packers seeming to benefit from a questionable call against Lions defensive end Trey Flowers.; Category: sports
Title: Trump's 'bombshell' offer to family of British teen killed in car crash: Diplomat's wife is in next room; Abstract: "The bombshell was dropped not soon after we walked in the room: Anne Sacoolas was in the building and was willing to meet with us," Dunn's mother said.; Category: news
Title: Minnesota boy, 6, found safe in dark cornfield after search; Abstract: A 6-year-old boy missing in Minnesota was found safe early Wednesday after a search by hundreds of volunteers and the use of a drone with a thermal camera that helped locate the child in a dark cornfield.; Category: news
Title: These Tasty Shrimp Appetizers Are Sure to Please; Abstract: Shrimp=guaranteed crowd pleaser.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Fort Worth shooting: Officers weren't asked to do welfare check. Here's how it changed things; Abstract: When Atatiana Jefferson's neighbor called police, he says he expected them to go check and see if she was OK.; Category: news
Title: Senate to try to override Trump emergency declaration veto Thursday; Abstract: The Senate on Thursday will attempt to override President Trump's veto of a resolution nixing his emergency declaration on the border wall. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) set up a veto override vote for Thursday at 1:45 p.m., as he wrapped up the Senate's work on Wednesday and set the schedule for Thursday. The vote will come less than two days after Trump vetoed the resolution, which passed the House and Senate last month. ...; Category: news
Title: Bill O'Reilly said he doubts mom works 4 jobs. She says he 'doesn't have a clue'; Abstract: Gina Giambone says she actually juggles 5 part-time gigs to earn enough for her and her adult special-needs daughter; Category: finance
Title: Mom diagnosed with rare breast cancer during pregnancy delivers 'miracle' baby boy; Abstract: She said her son is her "miracle child," and a reminder that she is "blessed."; Category: health
Title: Bride asks her 4 grandmothers to be flower girls; Abstract: Lyndsey Raby was happy to share the spotlight with her favorite women.; Category: news
Title: Woman honored for aid during fire; Abstract: A Columbia woman has been awarded the Sons of the American Revolution Medal of Heroism after she helped an 82-year-old woman escape a house fire.; Category: news
Title: Why Healthy People Faint and How to Treat Them; Abstract: Know the best way to respond when someone faints and the signs that indicate they should seek further treatment.; Category: health
Title: This Is the Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer's; Abstract: While dementia and Alzheimer's disease are often used interchangeably, there are important differences between them.; Category: health
Title: Four flight attendants were arrested in Miami's airport after bringing in thousands in cash, police say; Abstract: Four American Airlines flight attendants were arrested at the Miami International Airport and charged with money laundering after bringing large amounts of cash into the country, police said.; Category: news
Title: Hawaii airport and homes evacuated as fast-moving fire hits West Maui; Abstract: A fast-moving blaze is burning near the airport in West Maui, Hawaii, as firefighters scrambled to save nearby homes.; Category: weather
Title: 50 Foods You Should Never Eat, According to Health Experts; Abstract: This is so depressing.; Category: health
Title: Hanni Lévy, who survived Holocaust in Berlin hideout, dies; Abstract: Hanni Lévy, who survived the Holocaust hiding out in Berlin, has died. She was 95.; Category: news
Title: Melania Trump receives warm welcome on first solo Capitol Hill visit amid Syria, impeachment drama; Abstract: President Donald Trump is a lightning rod on Capitol Hill, but his wife, however, apparently is not.; Category: news
Title: There's a blood shortage so why are gay men still barred from donating?; Abstract: "Just by having sex with another male, I'm automatically eliminated from donating blood."; Category: health
Title: Mitch McConnell snubbed by Elijah Cummings' pallbearer in handshake line at U.S. Capitol ceremony; Abstract: A pallbearer appeared to refuse to shake Mitch McConnell's hand as Rep. Elijah Cummings was lying in state at the Capitol.; Category: news
Title: Queen Elizabeth and Michelle Obama Shared 'Instant, Mutual Warmth' When They Broke Royal Protocol; Abstract: Queen Elizabeth Welcomed When Michelle Obama Put Arm Around Her; Category: lifestyle
Title: Justice Dept. appeals order on Mueller grand jury testimony; Abstract: The Justice Department is appealing a judge's order directing the department to produce to the House secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.; Category: news
Title: A 2,000-pound great white shark is swimming off the coast of Florida; Abstract: A great white shark that weighs over 2,000 pounds and measures 15 feet, 5 inches long has been swimming along the US East Coast.; Category: news
Title: Mississippi woman found after being missing for days by writing S.O.S. with rocks; Abstract: "S.O.S" spelled out with rocks saved a woman missing in a national park for days, according to a release from the National Park Service.; Category: news
Title: Nunes Aide Is Leaking the Ukraine Whistleblower's Name, Sources Say; Abstract: A top aide to Rep. Devin Nunes has been providing conservative politicians and journalists with information and misinformation about the anonymous whistleblower who triggered the biggest crisis of Donald Trump's presidency, two knowledgeable sources tell The Daily Beast.; Category: news
Title: 'Rock bottom': Residents' health suffer in states that refused to expand Medicaid; Abstract: "I've gone years without medication, and it's gotten to a point where you hit rock bottom. And it's just like, 'Okay, if I go, I go,'" one uninsured woman said.; Category: news
Title: Rodgers rips Packers' road focus after blowout loss to Bolts; Abstract: CARSON, Calif. (AP) There's a saying around the NBA about visiting teams that play terribly at Staples Center after spending the previous evening out enjoying Hollywood's innumerable pleasures for young millionaires. LA nightlife is undefeated. Aaron Rodgers wouldn't go so far as to say explicitly that the young Green Bay Packers enjoyed too much of the good life during their weekend on the coast. But the 35-year-old superstar said something...; Category: sports
Title: Is Tofu Good For Weight Loss? Dietitians Say Yes - and Here's How Much You Should Be Eating; Abstract: Marinated, sautéed, puréed, baked, or scrambled, tofu has become one of my favorite foods to eat.; Category: health
Title: Black cat visits field during Cowboys-Giants game on 'Monday Night Football'; Abstract: ; Category: sports
Title: What Are Ocular Migraines and How Are They Different from Regular Migraines?; Abstract: For starters, ocular migraines are pretty rare.; Category: health
Title: This Simple Hack Will Keep Spiders Out of Your House; Abstract: It's chemical-free! The post This Simple Hack Will Keep Spiders Out of Your House appeared first on Reader's Digest.; Category: lifestyle
Title: 21 Costco Bulk Buys to Score for Thanksgiving; Abstract: Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and the time is nigh for resurfacing that gravy boat and thinking about how many extra leaves you need for the dining table. This particular holiday is a favorite for many people, including me and mine, but also a stressful one, because getting a big meal with lots of components on the table is not instinctual for even the most perfectly capable cooks. There is a lot to say about being more prepared and relaxed...; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Creative Recipes That Let You Step Outside the Thanksgiving Box; Abstract: Go beyond tofurkey this year.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Listen to John Legend and Kelly Clarkson's updated version of 'Baby, It's Cold Outside'; Abstract: The coaches from "The Voice" have covered the holiday classic with new lyrics updated for the #MeToo era.; Category: music
Title: Mother Is Freed After 15 Years in Prison for Father's Abuse; Abstract: A domestic violence survivor in Oklahoma walked free from prison on Friday, according to a corrections spokeswoman, after spending 15 years behind bars for failing to report that her boyfriend was also abusing their children.; Category: news
Title: I Was 24 & Had Just Scored My Dream Job In Fashion. Then An Accident In The Hamptons Changed Everything.; Abstract: One in four adults in the U.S. are living with a disability, but you wouldn't know it given the lack of representation in media, Hollywood, and the workforce. We're shedding light on the real stories not the caricatures of this dynamic and vibrant community of individuals. Read more stories from our Voices of Disability series. By the time I was 24, I was living a life that felt like a dream. I was pursuing a career in the fashion industry,...; Category: health
Title: If You're Over 40 And About To Start Weight Lifting For The First Time, Here Are 5 Things You Need To Know; Abstract: Over 40? 5 Things You Need to Know about Lifting Weights for the First Time.; Category: health | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Fujifilm X-S1 12MP EXR CMOS Digital Camera with Fujinon F2.8 to F5.6 Telephoto Lens and Ultra-Smooth 26x Manual Zoom; Brand: Fujifilm; Review: All of the reviews I have read elsewhere on the net on this were AWESOME!! Getting it for $345 and change after tax and shipping should be even better! :); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Polaroid XS100 Extreme Edition HD 1080p 16MP Waterproof Sports Action Video Camera With Full Mounting Kit Included; Brand: Polaroid; Review: bought this a while back. used it to record everything, all the time. just know that I haven't been able to figure out how to view anything recorded on my tv yet and there is no sound since it is waterproof and there is no mic. i paid about $30 more than the deal of the day todays price but there are other attachments you can buy later as add-ons...; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: WD Blue 1TB Mobile Hard Disk Drive - 5400 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 9.5 MM 2.5 Inch; Brand: Western Digital; Review: Just be forewarned... Fresh Install: I'm only getting around 850 GB capacity and my PS4 now shuts down regularly in game, regardless of the game and regardless of whether it's on blu-ray or on the hd........ This never happened before the straightforward upgrade... For all of you stupid haters out there, my system seems to run slower than before the replacement drive. You van all go to he1L under your little troll bridges. This review is legit.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Compucessory Air Duster Cleaning Spray (CCS24300); Brand: Compucessory; Review: CHEAP... but only 3.7 ounces.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Zyxel C1100Z 802.11n VDSL2 Wireless Gateway CenturyLink; Brand: ZyXEL; Review: A little noisy but sure is a lot better than PK5001Z and the PK5001A.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: WD My Book Live 2TB Personal Cloud Storage NAS Share Files and Photos; Brand: Western Digital; Review: Everything may be lost, which totally defeats the purpose of such an item. I have written WD and asked them to cover it anyhow. I will update this if they do. If there is no update, they did not. Thanks.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Rii 2.4GHz Keyboard I8 Air Mouse Remote Control Touchpad For PC Android TV box Black; Brand: Rii; Review: must use chip that comes with it for it to work.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Etekcity S1 in-Ear Stereo V4.1 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones with Built-in Mic (Black); Brand: Etekcity; Review: etekcity is really a great company. i really enjoy their products. they make good products at fair prices. the sweatproof feature on these headphones is great for working out at the gym doing cardio. thank you etekcity for such great products.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kitchsmart 10 LED,; Brand: Kitchsmart; Review: It keeps turning off on its own. ANNOYING.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Cobra Electronics CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Cam with GPS; Brand: Cobra; Review: Overheats a lot and blitzes out without warning. I am sick and tired of this device. I have owned two and the only times I have needed it, the video feed was destroyed as evidenced during playback. Hey Cobra: Maybe you could have made an ugly white version to atract less sunlight? Thanks for nothing.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Nucleus Anywhere Intercom with Amazon Alexa (N1001R31B); Brand: Nucleus; Review: The incredibly simple things I need it for are all in beta. And the app works almost as well as Rob Lowe acts. ;p Nice concept but garbage execution.; Rating: 1.0/5.0 | amazon_Electronics |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Hotel Rialto; City: Venice Veneto; Review: This hotel is located on the Grand Canal...mid point between the Venice rail station and Saint Marks Square. A balcony room overlooking the canal and adjacent to the Ponte Di Rialto made this a gorgeous place to watch from our balcony, the Venetians go about their business on the water and the tourists shopping on the Rialto Bridge. Loved the shutters that opened out to the balcony....perfect to watch the world go by. An easy place to carry your luggage to as there is only a stroll to the reception from a taxi wharf or a vaporetto (water bus) stop. The rooms are smallish but the character and the charm of this delightful place make up for that. My wife and I spent 5 lovely nights in Venice and the hotel was perfect for us. I would recommend it to anyone based on our enjoyable experience.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Templers Boutique Hotel; City: Haifa Haifa District; Review: The Templars Boutique Hotel in the German Colony of Haifa is a beautiful hotel situated in a position that offers a glorious view of the Bahai Gardens...from the bottom looking towards the top. The view is just a step outside the front door of the hotel. The hotel room we had, offered a large room that was both comfortable and amenity convenient. The bathroom was spacious with a good shower...important after a day touring in the hot Israeli sun. The breakfast on offer with our room was sensational to say the least. The staff went out of their way to make our short stay pleasant. The only downer is that if, like us, you have a lot of luggage there are no lifts...only stairs. Having said that the staff did help with our cases. If you have a car at your disposal while staying at Templars the car park is unsecured and open at the rear of the row of buildings in which the hotel is a part. Still, a lovely establishment in which to put your head down each night.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Panorama; City: Hong Kong; Review: Arrived here mid afternoon for a 2 night stay after arriving from London. We wanted to break up our journey back to Melbourne. No one we know had mentioned this hotel during their visits to Hong Kong so we were looking forward to something different. This hotel is in a great location close to Nathan Road and the ferry terminal and of course lots of shopping. The hotel itself is quite comfortable with the room we had being quite large...Harbour View with breakfast and wifi included in the tariff. Checkin was reasonably smooth and the room afforded us two lovely views of the Hong Kong Island in one direction and a view of one of the world's tallest buildings and surrounds in the other. I don't think we could fault anything with this hotel as far as we were concerned. The staff, the service, the buffet breakfast will certainly encourage us to come back here again. Based on our experience I would recommend this hotel gladly. Tip: I booked and paid for this hotel over 60 days in advance and received a 20% discount off the rack rate. Where possible I do this with all hotels that we stay at.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel San Giorgio; City: Civitavecchia Province of Rome Lazio; Review: Recently my wife and I stayed for a few nights at this establishment prior to embarking on a cruise. From the outside the hotel looked impressive and very welcoming....inside was just the same. The hotel is close to the port but I would recommend taking the shuttle that the hotel offers (@10 Euro pp) as it takes you right to the ship, let alone that it takes the hassle out of walking to the port with all your luggage. Our only negative was that our room was over two levels. Upstairs was the bed and tv....that's it. Downstairs was the bathroom,which was a very good size and well equipped, and a siiting area and closet. We thought it was impractical. However, having said that, the staff were lovely and friendly and we would certainly stay there again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Royal Plaza on Scotts; City: Singapore; Review: My wife and I have just arrived at this hotel and from check-in until now (we are here for another 2 nights), the staff have been extremely accommodating. The room is very comfortable and spacious for two people with all that you need. We were fortunate enough to be upgraded to the Royal Club on the 14th floor so I can only speak of our experience in regard to this. The hotel is only a short stroll to Orchard Road shopping ladies and the MRT is equally as close. Fantastic breakfast in Royal Club lounge. Those that have complained about poor views may be right (ours isn't much either) but you are here to sleep basically. Viewing is for the day when you wander around. No complaints from us.....great hotel. Would recommend to anyone based on our experience. Thanks RP on Scott's.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Village Hotel Changi by Far East Hospitality; City: Singapore; Review: We stayed here because we had an early flight to catch the next morning. Well....weren't we pleasantly surprised! The room was spacious and clean and well appointed. The internet was complimentary. Two swimming pools which we took advantage of....one on the ground floor just behind the cafe and the rooftop infinity pool was just so relaxing. Close by is the village with a street market and many places to eat. If I have a criticism of this place it is that it needs a bit of clean up at the rear where the ground floor pool is. Oh...the cafe's (sorry can't remember what it is called) buffet lunch was outstanding!! This place is a little gem as far as we were concerned. Ideal for a stop over.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Millennium Hotel Paris Charles De Gaulle; City: Roissy en France Val d Oise Ile de France; Review: We spent overnight in Paris as we had a flight the following day...early. When we arrived at the hotel at 9.15pm or so. I could not believe it when the receptionist advised us, after taking our checkin details, that the room wasn't ready yet!! This room was booked in April of this year with and estimated time of arrival at the hotel. The excuse given was because airline crew had only recently departed. So what...my room was booked well in advance. Secondly, when we did go to our room...the whole building was musty and in need of some serious work....it looked very tired. The room itself while spacious was also in need of some desperate work. The air conditioning sounded like it needed to be replaced....it was noisy and didn't work ie it wasn't blowing any air at all and the room was quite warm and humid. To the manager's credit he provided us with a fan which helped some. The breakfast was very slow in replacing hot food that had emptied out and there was only one girl to tidy the tables considering there were many people at the time. Millenium needs to refurbish this place very quickly. I should say that at our checkin another client was also complaining about his air conditioner.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Martin s Brugge; City: Bruges West Flanders Province; Review: This a perfectly located hotel adjacent to the wonderful historic attractions of beautiful Brugge. The rooms were very comfortable and well appointed, great breakfast, very courteous and helpful staff. We were lucky enough to have a room with a balcony, albeit tiny by balcony standards...but it was lovely nonetheless. To sum up...it contributed to a lovely stay in Brugge. Thumbs up to Martins Hotel Brugge!!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Radisson Blu Resort Fiji Denarau Island; City: Denarau Island Viti Levu; Review: We stayed here 3 years ago and loved it so much that we are staying here again. This is our first full day since arriving and we are already in unwind mode. The staff, the pools, not to mention the great climate, and The Radisson Blu and all it offers amounts to a great place to stay. My only disappointment, and this was my fault, is we are staying in a Garden View room rather than a Lagoon View room. The difference being that the latter is a one bedroom suite rather than just one bedroom with a fold out couch for a 3rd person. Oh well....we only need to sleep in the room. This really is a great place to stay for young families. A kid's club is also provided and from what I can tell the kids are really involved. Thoroughly enjoying our time here again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Silverland Sil Hotel Spa; City: Ho Chi Minh City; Review: This hotel was a very basic hotel with not much to offer other than it's location. Certainly it is not worth it's 4 star classification. Having said that it's okay for a one night layover but any longer and you'll become enemies with whom you are travelling with...the rooms are pretty compact (ours was anyway). As previously mentioned the location is good with much happening close by.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Milan Hotel; City: Moscow Central Russia; Review: We stayed at Milan Hotel for an overnight layover between flights. The distance from the airport is quite considerable but the comfort and facilities of the establishment made it worthwhile. If I was travelling to Moscow for a few days unfortunately this wouldn't be the place for me....it's a fair way out from the sights of the centre of Moscow. Overall, despite the distance from DME a nice place to stay. Tip: Prebook a car and driver to pick you up on arrival at this airport. After exiting the Arrivals hall you will be accosted by many men asking you "taxi". To be honest I felt uncomfortable with the situation. We followed this suggestion from someone else and were glad we did.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: EdenStar Saigon Hotel Spa; City: Ho Chi Minh City; Review: This place is a gem of a hotel....4 stars with 5 star facilities including a lovely roof top swimming pool. The rooms are exceptionally comfortable and spacious. Breakfast is sumptuous and plentiful. It's location is amongst most sites although to get around by taxi if you have to isn't expensive. Service staff are exceptionally accommodating. Recommend this place to anyone.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Quest on Chapel; City: Melbourne Victoria; Review: Quest on Chapel is a perfect place for any length of visit to Melbourne. In the hub of upmarket South Yarra, close to many attractions, great shopping, great eateries and close to public transport. Great apartment (we stayed in a one bedroom), clean, good size and very helpful staff. We have enjoyed our stay very much. Recommended.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport; City: Tullamarine Greater Melbourne Victoria; Review: We stayed overnight before an early flight. We were greeted by a cheerful receptionist. The restaurant, Vargas, was very good. The bed comfortable, the room spacious. Overall we enjoyed our brief stay.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Vet Recommended - Waterless Dog Shampoo - No Rinse Dry Shampoo for Dogs, Detergent and Alcohol Free, Apple Extract; Brand: Vet Recommended; Review: This is an excellent product with a mild but very pleasant fragrance. It's perfect for sprucing up doggies between regular baths and when back ends need cleaning.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Petosan Microfiber Fingerbrush Oral Cleaner for Pets; Brand: Petosan USA; Review: I can't brush my dogs' teeth with any success unless I can feel their teeth under a finger. Otherwise, it's just hit or miss. These microfiber finger brushes fit snugly and do a good job, and the dogs are much more willing to have their teeth cleaned this way than they are to have an alien object stuck in their mouths.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Oliver & Iris Bolster Donut Lounge Dog Bed; Brand: Oliver & Iris; Review: This is not a bad dog bed for the price, and it's a well-padded, comfy bed. It is a bit light weight, however, and if you have a dog who must scratch and turn and rearrange bedding for a good 10 minutes before lying down, the pillow inside keeps coming out.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Only Natural Pet EasyDefense Herbal Shampoo & Conditioner; Brand: Only Natural Pet; Review: Love the conditioner and shampoo.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Weruva Grain-Free Canned Dog Food; Brand: Weruva; Review: My favorite pet store no longer carries this Weruva flavor, which my dogs think is the best one. So it's great to be able to get it from Amazon.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: TowelSelections Women's Wrap, Shower & Bath, Terry Spa Towel, Made in Turkey; Brand: ; Review: Nice, soft material. Would order again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: AngelStar 19037 Handmade and Hand-Painted Glass Angel Feather Coaster, 4-Inch, Set of 4; Brand: AngelStar; Review: Beautiful!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Magikuchen Premium Accurate Stainless Steel Set of 5 Colorful Measuring Spoons; Brand: MagiKchen; Review: Love the colors of the spoons. They come on a round ring, so you can easily take them off, or leave them connected. The ring has an easy closure, which can opened/closed without a hassle, which other measuring spoons that I've had, have the problem of. With the different colored handles, it is easy to spot which spoon one needs for measuring. Reasonably priced, and metal is very sturdy.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: ZENDORI POSTER "Some See A Weed, Some See A Wish" Dandelion Poster Print on Canvas Paper (No Frame) -; Brand: Zendori; Review: I put it in a frame, and it looks awesome!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Brooklyn Basix Premium Magnetic Wood Key Ring Holder and Shelf for Mail, Letter, Phone,; Brand: Brooklyn Basix; Review: Nice quality, magnets are strong!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Home_and_Kitchen |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Sexy Lace Boned & Underwired Shelf Bra,! Feel Sexy! A/B/C Cup 32-44; Brand: Feel Pretty; Review: Absolutely love. Boyfriend bought it. A little self conscious at first, but love the freedom!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Empire Intimates Satin Shelf Bra w Open Quarter Cups Show Nipples; Brand: Empire Intimates; Review: It took some convincing by my boyfriend, but he recently convinced me to have some piercings. Very comfortable!!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Forever Womens Plus Size Leopard Stripe Tie Dye Floral Print Sheering Maxi Dress; Brand: Forever; Review: Not crazy about the material. And doesn't flow that well.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: ACVIP Women's Flower Printed Halter Short Beach Dresses Blue; Brand: ACVIP; Review: I did not get the dress I ordered and it does not have a tie as pictured. But the one I received fit great and feels fantastic. I ordered one size up..; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Flongo Punk Rock Silver O Ring Black Leather Vintage Necklace Neckband Buckle Choker; Brand: Flongo; Review: Very cheap!; Rating: 1.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Vetoquinol Enisyl-F Oral Paste for Cats, L-Lysine HCI Nutritional Supplement 100 ml; Brand: Vetoquinol; Review: My cat has feline herpes, and we were recommended this product by our vet for flare-up control. We often use it in conjunction with the lysine gel and treats. (The gel is harder to dose, but if you know how much to dose from using the pump, you're set. And the gel is much less expensive. The treats are more expensive than the pump, but they are really easy to give to kitty-she comes running for them. So, we buy all three and change it up, so she doesn't get bored or mad. But the pump is the definite favorite for taste and ease.) She hates it when I put it on her fur (most of the time, I have to distract her or surprise her-which isn't too hard), but she LOVES the taste of it. The pump feature makes dosage easy. And the nozzle cover keeps it super clean. Love this stuff. Would totally recommend it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Vetoquinol Viralys Gel L-Lysine Supplement for Cats, 5oz -; Brand: Vetoquinol; Review: My cat has feline herpes, and we were recommended this product by our vet for flare-up control. We often use it in conjunction with the lysine pump and treats. (The gel is harder to dose, but if you know how much to dose from using the pump, you're set. And the gel is much less expensive. The treats are more expensive than the pump, but they are really easy to give to kitty-she comes running for them. So, we buy all three and change it up, so she doesn't get bored or mad.) She hates it when I put it on her fur (most of the time, I have to distract her or surprise her-which isn't too hard), but she likes the taste of it. It's easy to squeeze. And the cover keeps it super clean. Love this stuff. Would totally recommend it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kuranda Dog Bed - Chewproof - All Aluminum (Silver) - Ultra Duty Outdoor Bed - 40 oz. Solid Vinyl; Brand: Kuranda; Review: FINALLY found something my Plott can't (or doesn't want to) chew. I was looking for raised beds, specifically because our cats have a horrible habit of peeing on plush dog beds. Alas, all our old plush beds are garbage. I figured a raised bed wouldn't be a problem, because there is more airflow/it's easier to clean and get all the "dog" smell out/it's not something they can "dig" in. Well, enter the second problem, Patrick the Plott. He chews a lot. A lot, a lot. Plush beds only last maybe a month or so before he destroys them (or the cats pee on them!), and framed beds get chewed. So I needed something rigid and durable, but I wanted something comfy. I had a Coolaroo before with an Aussie and it was never that comfy for her. Also, it kind of deteriorated in the sun. Material frayed, metal rusted. Hardware constantly came loose. So I was looking for something better. Patrick would have chewed through a Coolaroo in a day. The Kuranda met all my requirements. It's attractive, durable, and it has rubber leg bottoms so it doesn't scratch our wood floors. It's aluminum so it's very light and easy to transport. It's super easy to clean and yes, it works with the cats (whoo-hoo no pee!). Patrick took to it within seconds of assembly. Well, actually he tried to lay on it during assembly. Our other dog, Abigail (a Lab mix) didn't care for the Kuranda. So it became Pat's bed. BUT I bought a fleece cover for winter, I put in on the bed, and lo, she fell in love. SO I bought a second Kuranda for her (with a fleece topper), and they are both happy as can be. Our cats frequently cuddle with them on the beds. Everyone is so happy, and I thank Kuranda for the harmony (seriously!) that their beds have brought us.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cat Crib; Brand: Cat Crib; Review: I have cats ranging from ages 6mos-10yrs, and weight 5-15lbs, shorthairs and long hairs. They ALL like these beds. Some more than others, but they all use them. I love having more space. (gah, traditional cat beds were taking over my home!) And they are more discreet. When people come over they are not bombarded with cat furniture. I love them!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Illumiseen LED Dog Collar - USB Rechargeable - Available in 6 Colors & 6 Sizes - Makes Your Dog; Brand: Illumiseen; Review: Really bright, even in daylight. User friendly. Lights up our black dogs nicely. Makes walks and runs at night a reality, even with burned out or nonexistent streetlights.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Ashton Court; City: Exmouth Devon England; Review: We stayed here for the weekend on a trip with Harry Shaw from Coventry. The bedroom and bathroom were clean and newly decorated and we had clean towels every day. There was tea, coffee and soap in the rooms.The staff were very helpful especially the waiting staff. We also found the manager and the barman courteous. There was plenty of food and a good selection although average cooking. The carpets were a little worn. We stayed in a four star hotel in Sidmouth only one month before and paid three times as much. We thought it was very good value for money and would go again.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Gwesty r Marine Hotel; City: Aberystwyth Ceredigion Wales; Review: I have just spent Christmas at this Hotel on my own with just my dog. I could not have stayed at a better place. Many of the other guests were on their own too and everyone was very friendly. The food was extremely good and there was so much of it. The hotel was very clean and management and staff went out of their way to please. My bedroom was on the third floor but there is a good lift and I had marvellous view of the sea. The entertainment was good. The bed room was a little dated but it had everything that I needed and I have stayed at many four and five star hotels over the years but this one beats the lot. I would recommend it to anyone.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pen Y Gwryd Hotel; City: Nant Gwynant Caernarfon Gwynedd North Wales Wales; Review: This is a really different hotel. As well as walkers there were several older couples like ourselves. We played darts and table tennis in the evening before dinner, which was a pleasant change from the usual entertainment. The food is excellent and the helpings huge. I would recommend their pecan pie. I would love to have had a swim in the natural outside pool and then a warm up in the sauna but was too tired after a days walking. It was our second time staying there and I would recommend it to all ages.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Cavalletto Doge Orseolo; City: Venice Veneto; Review: My daughter and I have just got back from staying at this hotel. Our room was on the corner with a lovely view of the canal and all the gondolas. We stayed on a Saturday night and although the Hard Rock Café is nearby the windows were equipped with shutters so we did not hear the noise. The breakfast was very good and plenty of it and the staff very helpful and friendly. The room and bathroom were clean and tidy and we had everything we needed. Very good value for money. I would not hesitate to stay there again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pontins Southport Holiday Park; City: Southport Merseyside England; Review: I stayed at Christmas 2014. Our chalets were spotless and warm. The staff worked very hard especially the blue coats and all the children seemed to be having a great time. The down side was that we had to queue for our food and except for the last day and it was not very warm due a problem with the ban marie. The same staff were on duty late at night and at breakfast and they could not have got much sleep but they were all very polite.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Bancourt Hotel; City: Torquay English Riviera Devon England; Review: I have just visited this Hotel on a coach holiday. All the staff were very friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The room was clean and well equipped. The breakfasts were excellent and the dinners good. There was entertainment every night. It was very good value for money.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Royal York Faulkner Hotel; City: Sidmouth Devon England; Review: Marvellous hotel. Food was exceptional and plenty of it and staff very attentive. Room was very clean and quiet and we had a sea view. Good entertainment in the evenings. I would definately stay again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ashley Court Hotel; City: Torquay English Riviera Devon England; Review: Stayed at this hotel last weekend with a coach party. Had a large, clean en-suite room although a bit dated. The meals were excellent and several choices for breakfast and dinner. The waitresses were very helpful and went out of their way to please. There was entertainment every night which other members of our party enjoyed but as this hotel is not far from the sea we when for a walk along the front.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Malvern Hotel; City: Sandown Isle of Wight England; Review: This hotel is very good value for the money. The rooms are clean and recently decorated and well equipped. There is a set menu for dinner but there is more choice for breakfast. There is not a lift which could deter some people.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Langham Hotel; City: Eastbourne East Sussex England; Review: We stayed at this Hotel for a few days on a coach trip. I have family in Eastbourne and two lots of them joined my partner and I for dinner on two separate evenings. The staff went out of their way to make them welcome, especially the children. This hotel is very clean, the food is excellent and the bedrooms are very quiet but the main thing which stood out is the staff and the owner who do their utmost to make your holiday special.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Royal York Faulkner Hotel; City: Sidmouth Devon England; Review: My partner and I have just stayed at this hotel for the second time as a couple although my partner has stayed several times over the years on his own. It is on the sea front with fabulous views from the front bedroom windows. We had bubbly and chocolates in our room on arrival . Also tea and cake in the afternoon was included in our package price of dinner, bed and breakfast. The rooms are very clean and quiet although if one opens a window the sound of the waves at night will lull you to sleep. The staff are also very helpful and the food exceptional.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Old Sydney; City: Sydney New South Wales; Review: This hotel has spectatular views of the harbour bridge, opera house and the lights from the roof top swimming pool at night must not be missed. It is within walking distance of the harbour and many of the attractions.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Norfolk Lodge Hotel; City: St Helier Jersey Channel Islands; Review: Stayed there with my partner on a group holiday. We had a lovely, big, clean room which was very quiet. The staff went out of their way to help us. The food was much better than we had expected for a three star rating. One of the best hotels we have ever stayed in. The only negative comment I would make is that the swimming pool could be a little warmer.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Royal York Faulkner Hotel; City: Sidmouth Devon England; Review: My partner and I stayed at this hotel for the third time. This time we had a balcony with a sea view. It was well worth it. Sat outside for morning tea and in the evenings. The sound of the waves was bliss at night.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Cherrybrook; City: Two Bridges Dartmoor National Park Devon England; Review: Ideal base for fishing West and East Dart, Cherrybrook and Walabrook. Our hosts Sue and Chris were very welcoming and friendly. Very peaceful place to stay. The Moor can be accessed from the garden with great walks.Room very comfortable and clean. Huge breakfasts.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: Michigan State basketball loses 2020 commit PG Jalen Terry; Abstract: Jalen Terry, a 2020 point guard at Flint Beecher High, has decommitted from Michigan State's basketball program.; Category: sports
Title: NFL world reacts to officials handing Packers win over Lions; Abstract: It's a regular occurrence for NFL officiating to cause controversy, with the Packers seeming to benefit from a questionable call against Lions defensive end Trey Flowers.; Category: sports
Title: NFL players who should be traded before the deadline; Abstract: The NFL trade deadline is Oct. 29, and if recent seasons are any indication, there could be plenty of wheeling and dealing. These 25 players are top trade candidates as we get closer to the deadline.; Category: sports
Title: USC roars to a 35-31 comeback win over Colorado; Abstract: BOULDER, Colo. (AP) Kedon Slovis threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Michael Pittman Jr. with 2:15 left and Southern California escaped Folsom Field with a 35-31 win Friday night over the hard-luck Colorado Buffaloes, who nearly pulled off their first ever victory over the Trojans.; Category: sports
Title: President Donald Trump greeted with boos at Game 5 of World Series, fans chant 'lock him up'; Abstract: President Donald Trump was greeted with a thunderous chorus of boos from the sold-out crowd of baseball fans at Nationals Park.; Category: news
Title: Trump-Xi Trade Deal Hits Another Hurdle After Chile Cancels APEC; Abstract: President Donald Trump's plan to ink the first installment of a trade accord with Xi Jinping next month was thrown into question Wednesday after Chile canceled an upcoming summit where the two leaders had planned to meet.; Category: finance
Title: Former NBA first-round pick Jim Farmer arrested in sex sting operation; Abstract: Farmer, 55, was booked for trafficking a person for a commercial sex act.; Category: sports
Title: Michigan high school football playoff schedule 2019: Time, date for each game; Abstract: The MHSAA unveiled the 2019 Michigan high school football schedule, with time, date for each pairing.; Category: news
Title: Man wins $1 million in the lottery for the second time; Abstract: For many, winning a big lottery jackpot is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.; Category: news
Title: Brett McMurphy's College Football Bowl Projections After Week 10; Abstract: It's going to be a fun bowl season for the Group of Five. The post Brett McMurphy's College Football Bowl Projections After Week 10 appeared first on Stadium.; Category: sports
Title: Potential Florida State football coaching targets; Abstract: Luis Torres of the Orlando Sentinel looks at potential Florida State football coaches following the firing of Willie Taggart; Category: sports
Title: Michigan football's Jim Harbaugh has a fix for College Football Playoff: 11 teams; Abstract: On Tuesday night, the season's first look at the College Football Playoff standings will be made public. But what if they took Jim Harbaugh's advice?; Category: sports
Title: Allegations against Biden 'not credible,' testified US official now touted by Trump; Abstract: Allegations against Joe Biden are "not credible," senior diplomat Kurt Volker said in closed-door testimony now touted by President Trump.; Category: news
Title: Does Georgia's future schedule hint that playoff expansion is coming?; Abstract: Georgia and Ohio State have agreed to a home-and-home series in football. The first game will be Sept. 14, 2030 in Athens. The return will take place on Aug. 30, 2031 in Columbus.; Category: sports
Title: Trump mocks Bloomberg as 'little Michael,' predicts he won't do well in 2020 race; Abstract: President Trump said he doesn't think Michael Bloomberg would perform well in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary but that he'd like to run against him.; Category: news
Title: College football Week 11: Picks and preview; Abstract: ; Category: sports
Title: Big Ten football standings 2019: Where Michigan, Ohio State stand; Abstract: Big Ten football standings for the 2019 season, updated each week. How are the Buckeyes, Wolverines and Spartans faring?; Category: sports | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: VillaWare V515 Pasta Drying Rack; Brand: Villaware; Review: I love this rack, before had noodles spread all over dining room table. Now their on the counter, dry in no time, neat and clean. If you make pasta this is the rack to get.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Panasonic SD-YD250 Automatic Bread Maker with Yeast Dispenser, White; Brand: Panasonic; Review: So simple to use, and makes perfect bread everytime (so far). I use the Prepared Pantry bread mixes. Fabulous everytime. Also have used my own recipes in it without fail. I love it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: OXO 1044082 Good Grips Large Cookie Scoop, Multicolor; Brand: OXO; Review: Just in time for Christmas baking, nice sturdy scoop. Had a Pampered Chef one and it broke, so went with Oxo.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rösle Stainless Steel 10-inch Colander; Brand: Rosle; Review: Collapses for easy storage. Great for straining my chicken broth, fits easily over another pot for straining. Very good purchase.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chicago Metallic Commercial II Non-Stick Perforated French Bread Pan; Brand: Chicago Metallic; Review: Works like it should; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mure & Peyrot Bread Lame, Made in France, Model Adour, Professional Dough Scoring Tool with Safe Locking; Brand: Mure & Peyrot; Review: It was okay. Maybe I need to work with or more. Parry knife worked just as well!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: KitchenAid KSM1APC Spiralizer Attachment, 1", Silver; Brand: KitchenAid; Review: Perfect for Apple pie; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Elegance Linen Quilted Pet Dog Children Kids Furniture Protector Microfiber Slip Cover Sofa, Chocolate; Brand: Elegance Linen; Review: Good value; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Home_and_Kitchen |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Raising Dragons (Dragons in Our Midst, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Bryan Davis Page; Review: I grew up reading this series and I am even more thrilled that Billy and Bonnie's story continues in future series! These books are an amazing read because they are so easy to get drawn into! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dragon lore and Christian fiction.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Circles of Seven (Dragons in Our Midst, Book 3); Author: Visit Amazon's Bryan Davis Page; Review: Following the story of Billy and Bonnie as they journey on their most dangerous and brutal adventure yet, readers learn of faith in the unseen and are easily sucked into this world the author paints. This book has to be one of the most exciting and edge-of-the-seat thrilling Christian young adult reads. Intertwining dragon lore within a present day world is absolutely fascinating!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Creative Haven Owls Coloring Book (Adult Coloring); Author: Visit Amazon's Marjorie Sarnat Page; Review: This book is filled with beautiful pictures with intricate design patterns to color. I love a hard coloring task because it really helps me unwind and I like to be as detailed as possible. However, I would not suggest this for people who may have issues seeing smaller detail work and/or issues coloring in tiny "cracks". I highly suggest the use of colored pencils as opposed to crayons because the crayons smear into the next line frequently. The price is right!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Creative Haven Owls Coloring Book (Adult Coloring); Author: ; Review: This book is filled with beautiful pictures with intricate design patterns to color. I love a hard coloring task because it really helps me unwind and I like to be as detailed as possible. However, I would not suggest this for people who may have issues seeing smaller detail work and/or issues coloring in tiny "cracks". I highly suggest the use of colored pencils as opposed to crayons because the crayons smear into the next line frequently. The price is right!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Color Me Stress-Free: Nearly 100 Coloring Templates to Unplug and Unwind (A Zen Coloring Book); Author: Visit Amazon's Lacy Mucklow Page; Review: This coloring book is filled with intricate and well designed patterns that give hours of stress release and mind wandering moments. Each pattern page is unique and has larger patterns as well as the smaller and more intricate ones. It is great that these pages are not printed back to back so the colors will not leak into another patterned page. I absolutely love coloring and have bought many coloring books in my past and this has to be one of the best purchases I have made.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Hiding Place; Author: Visit Amazon's Corrie Ten Boom Page; Review: I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get into this book at first. I actually struggled for a few days to force myself into reading. The show of God's hand in Corrie ten Boom's life is amazing. Through Corrie's account of her personal experiences I was able to feel such strong emotions in response to the brutality endured. This is a book that will remain iconic in my faith and my daily life. An absolute must read!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Hiding Place Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.; Unabridged edition; Author: John and Elizabeth Sherrill Corrie Ten Boom; Review: I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get into this book at first. I actually struggled for a few days to force myself into reading. The show of God's hand in Corrie ten Boom's life is amazing. Through Corrie's account of her personal experiences I was able to feel such strong emotions in response to the brutality endured. This is a book that will remain iconic in my faith and my daily life. An absolute must read!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Redwall; Author: Visit Amazon's Brian Jacques Page; Review: These books have been a childhood favorite! Explore the world of woodland creatures from keeping peace to defending their home from vile sea rats and other dangerous does. Each book can be repetitive in the good versus evil sense, but there is a storyline that carries throughout. It's a shame that Amazon does not have the Kindle version for the larger portion of this series. I hope that the publisher will bring it back so that more people can enjoy this type of fantasy lore.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Holly's Heart, Volume 3: Freshman Frenzy/Mystery Letters/Eight is Enough/It's a Girl Thing (Holly's Heart 11-14); Author: Visit Amazon's Beverly Lewis Page; Review: These books are truly amazing! With a story line that is easy to follow and get lost in, Beverly Lewis writes about a typical girl in middle school weaving in love, family, friends, and many others. The character, Holly Meredith, goes through sibling troubles, best friend issues, guy problems, and family drama. Any middle school aged girl and older will simply fall in love with the adorable Holy Meredith!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Garfield Makes It Big: His 10th Book; Author: Visit Amazon's Jim Davis Page; Review: Garfield comic strips are the best! From sarcasm, wit, to dry humor, Garfield's adventures pretty much involve sleeping at some point. The Garfield comics have been released in full color which helps a vivid imagination! I own every single book and have turned this into a treasured collection for my children!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: My Sister's Keeper; Author: Visit Amazon's Jodi Picoult Page; Review: Where should I begin? To be honest, I was hesitant to pick this book up because I know Jodi Picoult writes on difficult modern day topics. I have to be honest. Of the two I have ready page by page, I don't know which one made me cry the most. In Perfect Match, Picoult writes about the struggles of a young boy sexually assaulted by a priest, and here, she writes about a family struggling to stay afloat amidst a medical nightmare. As I made my way through, chapter by chapter, I must admit, I could easily feel resentment towards Anna Fitzgerald's mother for even creating Anna for the sole purpose of helping Kate. I agreed with Anna 100% in the lawsuit that would change how the Fitzgerald family would operate and the tension it created. Without specifically giving away the ending, it was shocking to me and broke my reader "heart". To sum things up, Jodi Picoult did an absolutely amazing job creating a book with fully developed characters that became as real as if I were in the book myself. It only took me a day and a half to read this entire book!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: My Sister's Keeper; Author: Visit Amazon's Jodi Picoult Page; Review: Where should I begin? To be honest, I was hesitant to pick this book up because I know Jodi Picoult writes on difficult modern day topics. I have to be honest. Of the two I have ready page by page, I don't know which one made me cry the most. In Perfect Match, Picoult writes about the struggles of a young boy sexually assaulted by a priest, and here, she writes about a family struggling to stay afloat amidst a medical nightmare. As I made my way through, chapter by chapter, I must admit, I could easily feel resentment towards Anna Fitzgerald's mother for even creating Anna for the sole purpose of helping Kate. I agreed with Anna 100% in the lawsuit that would change how the Fitzgerald family would operate and the tension it created. Without specifically giving away the ending, it was shocking to me and broke my reader "heart". To sum things up, Jodi Picoult did an absolutely amazing job creating a book with fully developed characters that became as real as if I were in the book myself. It only took me a day and a half to read this entire book!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Girl With No Name; Author: Visit Amazon's Diney Costeloe Page; Review: At first this book was quite a chore to start reading. It took me about a week to push through the first chapters. Once I kept reading, I found that I couldn't hardly put it down! The story takes place in World War 2, about a Jewish girl, Lisa, who had to leave her family behind in Germany for a better chance at life in London. She lives with a couple, who are unable to have their own children, as their foster daughter. She gets put in a school where she meets Hilda Lang, so becomes her best friend and learns a great deal of English from the Lang family. Lisa endures bullying and verbal abuse from the children at the school she attends while in London until a young gangly bloke, Harry, defends her, threatening that if the aggressors were to bother her again,they'd have to answer to him. The girl discovers that the bloke who'd just saved her comes from her hometown in Hanau, which creates a special connection between the two. Fast forward a bit and the bombs and destruction begin in London. Lisa hangs out with Harry one day and she's caught outside heading to her friend's house during an air raid, and she is shielded by a man who died saving her. She doesn't remember who she is and is sent to a children's home called St. Michael's. She goes by the name of Charlotte now; since a nurse in the hospital she recovered in gave her that name. The newly named Charlotte is sent to another town with the other children at the home because the home is so close to an airfield. Charlotte makes her home with an older lady, Ms Edie, in the country village called Wynsdown... I don't want to give too much away, but whoever takes the time to read this review should consider reading the book. If you are interested in World War 2 historical fiction, I recommend this book. This is an eye opener into the account of what most of the Jewish children experienced in their escape from Nazi Germany.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: redeeming Love; Author: Visit Amazon's Francine Rivers Page; Review: A story about God and his ability to work on even the most callous of souls and how his love is truly a redemption.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: If I Live (If I Run Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Terri Blackstock Page; Review: This book definitely held a powerful conclusion to the series and was definitely worth the wait. I picked up the first two about a month ago and read both of them in less than 48 hours. The cliffhanger and the unknown left me vying for the third (and I am super thankful that I only had to wait a month). Ultimately, I had a general idea how this series was going to end since I understand Christian principles and how evil cannot prevail. What I didn't know were the details that would lead to justice being served. Us readers have been following Casey Cox, a young woman who has been accused of murder; hide, live in fear, and learn to trust God throughout these books. It was completely shocking but not too surprising to see how Detective Keegan (one of the antagonists) had the entire police force tied around his finger when it came to tying Casey Cox to murder. Detective Keegan and his sidekick Sy Rollins have been burying themselves deep in corruption through extortion and murder. Keegan is undoubtedly a psychopath in a war zone, removing anything and anyone that could incriminate him and tie him to the corruptive things he has done. The fact that Keegan was prideful and found his whole situation humorous in the end indicated that he had no intention of showing remorse for the actions he did that caused a lot of people pain. Watching Casey's and Dylan's love develop has been amazing and more powerful than a lot of people can identify with. This is the type of love, in its truest form, that is pure. With Christ at the center, love can only grow; which is exactly what we see here. Overall, this book was an amazing conclusion to the series and I found myself enjoying this gift that Terri Blackstock has given us. I completed this book in less than six hours! I absolutely love how Blackstock lays out a detailed storyline that is easy enough to follow but still full of intrigue and mystery.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Oaks 212 Margaret; City: Brisbane Brisbane Region Queensland; Review: We are five adults who arrived at the hotel at 730am and were thrilled to learn that our two bedroom apartment was ready! The master bedroom had a king bed with a private bath; the second bedroom had two twin beds. There was a second bathroom with a tub. The fifth person slept on a very comfortable rollaway. Complimentary instant coffee and tea with creamers and sugar was replenished daily. It was a wonderful location close to the botanical gardens and walking distance to both South Bank and Eagle Street (cultural center and restaurants). Nearby was a coffee shop with free internet (with purchase). We were on the twelth floor with a balcony that ran the length of the living room and master bedroom; the view included a sliver of the river nearby. One evening we even had the pleasure of a kookaburra sitting on the railing!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Econo Lodge Newton Falls; City: Newton Falls Ohio; Review: This is a very basic hotel with a minimal breakfast. It was clean and convenient, and very reasonably priced.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Americas Best Value Inn Bryce Canyon; City: Tropic Utah; Review: Rather rustic but has all the basics and conveniently located by Bryce Canyon National Park. There was a good restaurant next door and the room had cable TV and a coffee maker. We had a first floor room but could hear people walking above us so we requested a change which was no problem. Where the service was exceptional is when we left behind our phone charger; they located it and mailed it on to our next location free of charge.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: El Vu Motel; City: Bowman North Dakota; Review: Bowman is a small town; however this hotel was clean and comfortable, everything worked, there was a fridge as well as a coffee maker, and was reasonably priced. It was quiet and the front office was friendly.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Annex Katsutaro Ryokan; City: Taito Tokyo Tokyo Prefecture Kanto; Review: This hotel, actually a Japanese ryokan (mattresses on the floor), is a 10 minute walk from the Nippori Station which is on the Tokyo Loop and the JR Yamanote line as well as a direct stop from the Narita Airport and two stops from Ueno Park. This part of Nippori is a step back in time with wonderful little local shops and a quaint feel. The staff is very friendly, there are two washers and dryers available at very reasonable rates with free detergent. The room has a small fridge and there is tea and coffee available. They will also hold your bags for you at no additional cost. And if you want the excitement of the big city, you are just a 12 minute ride to the Tokyo station.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos Beach Resort; City: Cabo San Lucas Los Cabos Baja California; Review: We did an exchange thru RCI to get a one bedroom: everything went smoothly, the resort was beautiful and peaceful and a short 10" walk to town. They do want you to do a "vacation rental presentation" but it was low key and gave us an opportunity to see the Pueblo Bonito Sunset, their newest resort (a gorgeous resort set into a hillside with a very good "Bistro" where we had lunch twice). The coolest part of the location is that we were very close to some really fun places and good restaurants on the beach such as The Sand Bar and The Office. The resort's restaurant, "Cilantros", was wonderful with very good food and service. This is one of the only swimmable beaches in Cabo, another big plus. There is free WiFi over at the Pueblo Bonito Rose outside the deli in front of the spa in a nice courtyard. We would definitely return....great location!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Luiz Leblon Guest House; City: Rio de Janeiro State of Rio de Janeiro; Review: ; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Sennheiser HD 518 Headphones (Black); Brand: Sennheiser; Review: Great sound! Highly recommend these.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CORSAIR CSM Series, CS550M, 550 Watt, 80+ Gold Certified, Semi Modular Power Supply; Brand: Corsair; Review: Still working great!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: TP-Link TL-WDN4800 N900 Dual Band PCI-E Wireless WiFi network Adapter Card for PC; Brand: TP-LINK; Review: Works exactly as described. If you need a wireless card this works great.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Soundfreaq SFQ-04 Sound Kick Bluetooth speaker; Brand: Soundfreaq; Review: Bought for my chef and he's used it every day without issues.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Verbatim 4.7GB up to 16x Branded Recordable Disc DVD-R (25-Disc Spindle) 95058, Silver; Brand: Verbatim; Review: Works perfectly for burning data or media. I bought these to backup my Wii games and they work well, however you must burn at a slow speed or there is a chance of the disc not burning properly. I recommend these.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Solo Vintage Leather Padfolio iPad mini friendly VTA133; Brand: ; Review: There is a review on youtube where you can see that this iPad holder is high quality. If you're up in the air about which of the many leather padfolio holders to choose that are listed on amazon then look no further. I definitely recommend this if you are in business and need to use this for taking notes or for presentations. The feel of the leather is genuine. The fit on the iPad holder is snug and works perfectly.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: WD Red 8TB NAS Hard Disk Drive - 5400 RPM Class SATA 6 Gb/s 128MB Cache 3.5 Inch; Brand: Western Digital; Review: I bought this for my home NAS and it runs like a champ. I did not know at the time when I bought my WD Caviar drives that they are meant for use for low energy so they shut off often. I was able to transfer my data to a backup drive, replace my drives in my Drobo with these WD Red NAS drives and reload my data. Extremely pleased with my purchase and I highly recommend to anyone in the market for a good consumer brand NAS drive.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: NiteCore-D4+CAR-Adapter+BBOX-T Bundle Nitecore D4 Charger Integrated LCD Panel Display for Li-Ion Ni-MH Ni-Cd Batteries with EASTSHINE Car Adapter and EASTSHINE; Brand: Nitecore; Review: This charger does exactly what you need it to do...charge batteries! I have only charged my 18650's for my vape, but I plan on purchasing smaller sizes for appliances around the house and using this charger. I highly recommend you don't skimp on getting a good charger for your batteries...especially for vape batteries.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds By SSIG, Comfortable Cordless Headphones with Microphone, Stereo Sound, Noise Cancelling; Brand: SSIG; Review: I purchased these bluetooth headphones to run with and they have good sound and keep a good charge. I have issues figuring out how exactly the rubber ear pieces are supposed to work. I thought at first they wanted you to stretch them over your ears, but they aren't big enough to do that. I assume they are supposed to "wedge" themselves in your outer ear and help keep the earbuds in. My personal opinion after running with these are that they sound great and do fit in the ear snugly. I guess you could say they are sweatproof as the electronic pieces stick out from your ear and don't allow sweat to fall on them. They do however fallout out from time to time while running. They include three different sizes and I have tried them all. These do feel good to run with though as they are wireless and you don't have that hindrance of cords bouncing around. Other than having to push them back in my ears every mile or so they are not bad. I received this set at a discount in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_Electronics |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: 10Pcs 1.34Feet Long Dia. 1/4" Round Cotton Kerosene Oil Lamp Wicks Burner; Brand: GHH; Review: Product received looks nothing like the picture. The wicks I received are probably going in the trash. I could not use it. When I tried to return, I got an e-mail to send a picture of how I am using them before they would approve a return. I am using these in a glass lantern that you can see through and these wicks are not attractive nor do they fit in the lamp. I feel I got the bait & switch. It rarely happens on Amazon.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Winco 811642017703 upc Champagne Bottle Stopper; Brand: Winco; Review: These are not the quality you would find at Williams Sonoma but they are not the same price either. They work and that is all that matters.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Greenleaf Large Scented Fresh Paper Drawer Sachet; Brand: GREENLEAF; Review: This i snot as aromatic as one I had from years ago. The old was still has more of a scent than this new one. I am not certain if this is an anomaly or if they just don't make them the way they used to make them.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: GoPong SF-02 Hidden Sunscreen Alcohol Flask-2 Secret 8oz Suntan Booze Bottles-Smuggle Liquor for Cruises, Concerts, Dorms and; Brand: GoPong; Review: great look. They leak a little.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Craig Frames 1WB3BK 17 by 21-Inch Picture/Poster Frame, Smooth Finish, 1-Inch Wide, Matte Black; Brand: Craig Frames; Review: Nice frame; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hanna Kay Mattress Protector King size; Brand: Hanna Kay; Review: Everyone should have one of these.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Aromatherapy Hosley Fruits & Flowers Pomegranate Scent Reed Diffuser Refill Oil- Set of 2/140 ml Each - Made in; Brand: Elegant Expressions, Hosley; Review: I can barely smell this scent. I think 3 stars is generous.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Home_and_Kitchen |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Sundely Ni-MH Ni-CD Battery Charger For Yaesu/Vertex STANDARD HORIZON Radios FNB-V57, FNB-57, FNB-64, FNB-83, FNB-V94; Brand: SUNDELY; Review: Great product at fair priced. Fast service.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: NineLeaf 1PK Label Tape Black on White Compatible for Brother TZe-231 TZ 231 TZe231 TZe 231 P-Touch; Brand: NineLeaf Tech; Review: Works as advertised. No problems; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: SanDisk 8GB Mobile MicroSDHC Class 4 Flash Memory Card With Adapter- SDSDQM-008G-B35A; Brand: SanDisk; Review: Great price on quality item.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lexar High-Performance MicroSDHC 300x 32GB UHS-I/U1 w/Adapter Flash Memory Card - LSDMI32GBB1NL300A; Brand: Lexar; Review: Works great in game camera.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Steren Satellite Finder With Analog Meter 200-992; Brand: STEREN; Review: Did not work.; Rating: 1.0/5.0 | amazon_Electronics |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Apex Hotel; City: Istanbul; Review: The Apex is a small, family-run hotel with charm and style. I was in Istanbul for eye surgery and wound up with a longer recovery than I had planned for; everyone at the Apex was wonderful to me, even running out to get food for me when I couldn't see well enough! The hotel is small, but very clean and cozy. The rooms are also not huge, but they are exceptionally clean and cared for. A classic Turkish breakfast of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, cheeses (yummy cheeses!), breads, eggs, and so on, is served each morning on a terrace with a fantastic view of the water. The Apex staff also were really receptive to any problems I had with the hotel - my TV had some problems initially, but as soon as I asked about it, it was fixed. Hey, I'm as much a TV addict as anyone, but you're really not going to want to watch a lot of TV with the beautiful surroundings you have within a 200 yard radius of the hotel. The wireless worked flawlessly for me, both in my 3rd floor room and on the cute terrace downstairs (I loved working there, because they'd serve me tea and I could play with the hotel's mascot-kitten while working!) I'm planning another trip back within the next two months and will stay at Apex again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cape House Langsuan Bangkok; City: Bangkok; Review: I've stayed in Bangkok perhaps 15 times before, usually in Sukhumvit. This time I decided to move a bit farther and am really glad I did. The Cape House was wonderful. They kindly let me check in a bit early (as soon as my room was ready) and then when I was checking out they helped me, as well. The hotel is tucked just a few hundred yards from the Sky Train station, and convenient to anywhere as a result. The room is lovely - try for a room on the higher floors, for a view of the city and perhaps some fireworks. I ordered rooms service and don;t recommend the Caesar salad (too much dressing) but the pizza and the tiramisu were heavenly. If you are staying a while, know that there's a clothes washing machine tucked under one of the counters. I will definitely stay here again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square; City: Bangkok; Review: The location of this hotel could not be any better. Wow. It's 100 yards to the stairs of the Siam Sky Train station, and just across the street from there is Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery, and a block down is Central World. For the price, you cannot beat the location. Beds are Thai Style - a bit hard for me. The room is very typical for this kind of hotel - entry, bed, desk in corner and small sofa next to bed. It is clean and comfy and quiet (which can be hard to find in Bangkok). I usually stay in the Sukhumvit area at one of the 5 stars, but have gotten tired of crowded and broken-up sidewalks, trash, and ladies-of-the-evening standing forlornly every 10 feet or so. This area is more spacious, cleaner and not so much for the single-guy travelers. Room service here is great, by the way.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Anachak Boutique Hotel; City: Siem Reap Siem Reap Province; Review: We enjoyed our stay here. Arrived super late, and plane was late, but the hotel had someone waiting outside customs for us, with a clear sign and an air-conditioned car. The initial impression was mediocre, but it got way better. I had a king suite (you really don't need to upgrade, as all rooms are big, unless you just have to have a king) and it was clean, comfy, had AC and working wi-fi, no coffee pot but I showed the housekeepers and one appeared quickly. My travel friend had the deluxe queen and it was more charming than the king suite, also had the same amenities. We had hot water for showers all times of day and night - which we needed after long treks out in the dust and heat. The staff really make the place - they are so kind and thoughtful. They were not pushy, but they helped us with drivers and directions and even invited us to their New Years party (they gave us notice that the party was behind the hotel while we were there, and might be noisy, but they stopped the noise well before 10 pm and it was no trouble at all). There are several kittens that live on the well-landscaped grounds, and there are bikes available, too. When it came time to go back to the airport, we were offered a tuk-tuk for free, but we didn't want to start the trip dusty and hot, so the manager made sure we had a car (and one of the most thoughtful and informative drivers I have had the pleasure of meeting). The hotel is just two blocks from Old Market and Pub Street, but those two blocks give you plenty of privacy and insulation from noise and craziness. Great location.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Drury Inn Suites New Orleans; City: New Orleans Louisiana; Review: The hotel is well located for sightseeing. Rooms are modern, clean, and comfy. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Breakfast is free, but carb-heavy, with bagels, waffles, potatoes, cereal, yogurt, scrambled eggs, and anemic sausage patties. Still, did you catch that part about it being free? At 530 pm they also have a kickback gathering, with three free drinks and a knight meal. One night it's hot dogs and Mac/cheese with chili, baked potato, and salad, and the next night it's meatballs and pasta. There is also a soda station with fresh popcorn each evening.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Coushatta Inn; City: Kinder Louisiana; Review: Room was spacious but outdated. Same for lobby. We found a potato chip in the chair in our room, so housekeeping needed to be more thorough. Also dirt and dust around bathroom door indicated room needed a good steam cleaning. Elevator was being serviced - that would have been better done at 2 am, when not busy (so it costs more... Believe me, we left plenty of money at location to pay for this!) Beds were comfy. We thought we'd reserved at the Grand, but turned out we had this one - it's the farthest from casinos and does not have the nice, air conditioned corridor the other two have. Shuttle was a good 25 minute wait because of shift change. Free internet. Lazy river was nice, but, again, walk from this hotel was farthest.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Time Hotel Old City; City: Istanbul; Review: I stayed at the Time Hotel twice. The first time I had a reservation well in advance and the price was half that of the second time, which was a surprise stop in Istanbul just a couple of weeks later. The staff are super friendly and accommodating and the rooms are large, though a little dated. I ordered room service just once - don't do it, as there are so many amazing restaurants in Istanbul and room service is expensive (delivery fee is added) and the food is just so-so. Breakfast was good, with a good selection of Turkish favorites, including cheeses and fresh breads. The hotel is just 50 meters or so from a metro stop, a few hundred meters from an entrance to the Grand Bazaar and a few hundred meters more to the Blue Mosque.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Edenpark; City: Brunssum Limburg Province; Review: As everyone has said, great location in a quiet area of town that is still close to shopping and restaurants, as well as convenient to NATO/AFNORTH and major roadways. Free parking. Inexpensive rooms. The single rooms are comfortable and clean, as are the family rooms (with bunk beds!) Once when I stayed I underestimated the cost of some items I picked up at the grocery store nearby, and when one of the owners saw me at the register trying to figure out what to do, she stepped up and paid for my groceries and let me repay as soon as I could get to an ATM. Nice people. Delicious breakfast.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel der Platengarten; City: Ansbach Middle Franconia Franconia Bavaria; Review: I'm staying in the hotel now, for two weeks. Reservations and check-in were simple, and the hotel emailed back and forth a couple times to ensure I had the room I wanted, when I wanted. I am in a single room with a balcony that overlooks the charming courtyard. The room itself is bright and clean, with a small refrigerator, closet, desk, tv, and beautiful antique bed. My cat is staying with me, and the hotel staff have been very kind and also careful when cleaning the room. The staff here are the absolute stars, the reason to come to this hotel. The two sisters who work here lived in the US previously, and they speak impeccable English and are helpful and friendly, as is the young man, who also studied in the US. Small touches make the difference and make you feel like a cherished guest: there is a self serve refreshments bar in the lobby, where you can have a cappuccino from the machine, a hot tea, some bottled water, juice, or even drop a fizzing multivitamin tablet into a glass of water. There is a small courtyard where you can sit and eat or drink or enjoy the internet, and the hotel is bordered by a beautiful gardens, just a few steps from the courtyard, that should not be missed. Breakfast is a treat, with a wide selection of fresh-baked breads and jams, cheeses, meats, yogurt, nuts, sweets and cookies, and (my favorite) eggs with sweet happy faces drawn on. If you want to partake of some of Ansbach, the location can't be beat - you cross two streets and you have many, many blocks of restaurants, bakeries, shops, gelaterias, churches, museums, and more at your disposal. It's maybe a 10 minute walk to the mall.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Inn Hotel Premium Wien Hauptbahnhof by Quality; City: Vienna; Review: Stayed for two nights at Christmas, two people. I reserved a room for two, even added that we needed twin beds. When we arrived, though, we were charged an extra 10 euro for each day for the second person. We also were charged 16 euro each day for breakfast, and I JUST realized they charged us times 4 (2 people, 2 days), when we had booked WITH free breakfast for at least one person. Grrr. Be careful. The hotel is fine, rooms are smallish but comfortable. No amenities, other than shampoo/wash, one bottle water, one tea bag, and two coffee pods. You can purchase more coffee, tea, or water at the front desk. I was underwhelmed with the breakfast selection, which had been described as a "rich buffet" - it's predominantly a cold breakfast, though (reconstituted) scrambled eggs and hot dogs were also available. I don't eat pork, but my mother enjoyed the salamis and prosciutto available. Also there were yogurt, muesli, cheese, breads, and some vegetables. For 16 euro, I would have liked an omelette station, or at least they could have done that as a special thing on Sunday or Christmas.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Landgasthof Hotel Bergwirt; City: Herrieden Middle Franconia Franconia Bavaria; Review: Tried to go to here for a beer and possibly dinner the other night. My husband had been in here a few weeks before, in the afternoon at around 4:30, and had a beer. On the night he and my mother and I tried to go, though, we walked through the door and toward a table and were told, in a rather harsh manner, that the pub was not open yet and would open at 5 (this was maybe 4:40). We walked out, but couldn't help wondering why they don't just post their hours on the door? Or why they didn't lock the door until they are open? On this evening, the man and a lady were sitting at one of the tables.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: DoubleTree Istanbul OldTown; City: Istanbul; Review: I can't complain about this hotel in any way - from staff to amenities to the location, it's all been great. At checkin, as others have said, you will receive a beautiful, warm, chocolate cookie. The lobby is spacious and perhaps a little too quiet; I wouldn't have minded seeing some people having coffee or drinks there, add some vibrancy, but usually it's just one or two other people on their way in or out. Since the hotel is just a few stories tall, there is no wait for elevators. Elevators are secure, with the card needed to operate them, and there is an x-ray machine at the door, for safety. The rooms are spacious, and (since i live in Europe now and all the bathing facilities in my home are either shower/tub combo or the "tiny plastic coffin"), I requested a large shower and I got a shower with glass doors and plenty of room. The soaps and lotions are lovely - lavender scents this month - and while there are no other supplies, the front desk will bring up what you might need. Beds are super comfy, the AC works fine but you also can open the windows to let cool air (or the city vibe) in. TV is a respectable sized flatscreen and has 5 premium movie channels in English. My one disappointment, and it's not anything earth shattering, because of the location you can go just outside for anything you might need: the prices of hotel services are in euro and are a bit pricey. I did order room service and I highly recommend the dessert assortment (baklava, kunefe, ice cream, etc), but found the steak wrap to me really bland. The fries, though, were perfection!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Anthemis Hotel; City: Istanbul; Review: The location of this hotel cannot be beat. We took a taxi from the airport and the driver coulld not find the hotel, so finally dropped us at the Sutanahmet Station.It is just a block up from there - go up where the yellow-signed ATMs are. The staff were exceptionally nice - refreshing drink on arrival, took care of suitcases, made sure we had what we needed. We sent laundry out and it was back in 12 hours, about 2kg for 60 lira, and there is a laundry near the hotel if you prefer to take your own. The hotel is surrounded by good restaurants and shops. Hagia Sophia is 4 minutes’ walk. The Grand Bazaar is maybe 10 min walk. The room was small; people have commented on that. It was no more than 10x10 plus a small bathroom. We had asked for a shower (no bathtub to climb in) and the manager wrote ahead to tell us they were arranging that for us, which they did. They also moved us up to the second floor without us asking, commenting that it can be noisy on the the first floor. The room had a lovely tv, was very clean, and had a fridge. Beds were comfy. No complaints on the room, but warning you it will likely be smaller than you expect. Breakfast was great, the view is amazing. When we left we had a LOT of trouble getting a taxi. Taxis don’t come up there often; we were directed to a taxi “station” three blocks away, but it was unmanned, and maybe 100 taxis passed us by, some with passengers and some without. FInally a shopkeeper took pity on us and worked to get a taxi for us - we were changing hotels to meet a group on the other side of the horn. I recommend this hotel and would stay here again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Best Western Hotel Nuernberg City West; City: Nuremberg Middle Franconia Franconia Bavaria; Review: We came to the hotel very road weary, with a confirmation from an online site. The site did not send confirmation to the hotel. The staff at BW, especially K, did everything to make us comfortable and ensure we had a room. When they realized my mother had been stung by a bee (nothing to do with the hotel), they offered to run to the pharmacy, provided ice, etc. The hotel has a nice cocktail lounge and it comfortable to sit there and people watch. There is ample and reasonably priced parking behind the hotel. Great place to overnight before going to the airport.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Honey-Can-Do HMP-01260 Large mesh pop Open Hamper, White; Brand: Honey-Can-Do; Review: This thing is already trashed & I'm looking for a new one. Just didn't hold together well - haven't even had it a year.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The HomeCentric Luxury Silver Decorative Pillows Cover, Beaded Tree Throw Pillows Cover, 18"x18" Pillow Case, Square Silk; Brand: The HomeCentric; Review: Little bead things fall off easily; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sleeping Partners Ultra Soft Plush Blanket, Twin, Taupe; Brand: Sleeping Partners; Review: No problems with it. Had it a year now; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pillow Perfect Indoor/Outdoor Nivala Corded Throw Pillow, 18.5-Inch, Set of 2; Brand: Pillow Perfect; Review: Cute pillows. Unfortunately one of mine had a hole in the seam.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pile of Pillows Pillow Forms Cushion Insert, 20 by 20-Inch, 4-Pack; Brand: Pile of Pillows; Review: I've had them two months & they are already flatter than a pancake; Rating: 2.0/5.0 | amazon_Home_and_Kitchen |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Be A Cheapskate Now; Author: K Watchorn; Review: Oh boy, was this book made for me! Saving money has long been a hobby for me and this book just reinforced everything I had been doing! I don't take it to extreme levels like eating rotten food or anything like that just like to make sure I clip coupons and do things like that in order to make ends meet a little easier. I discovered early on that if you are intentional about saving, it really does add up! This book is a great guide for anyone looking to be a little more frugal. It goes through chapter by chapter ways to save money and how to easily implement them into your life. I received this book at a discount in exchange my review. I would highly recommend it to anyone!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Stress Less, Invest more: P2P Lending; Author: K Watchorn; Review: I am always looking for new ways, in the current economy, to maximize what we have. When I saw this book, I decided to give it a try and learn more about peer to peer lending. I know there are many sites that do things like this in the non-profit world but I was wondering how it worked in order to make money! The book was well-written and easy to read. It lays out a good plan of how to invest in peer to peer lending You never know, I might even try it! I received this book at a discount in exchange for my review but I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn a different way of investing!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Killing Japan: The Final Year of World War II; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael O'Brian Page; Review: I enjoyed this treatment of the final year of World War 2. My interest in WW2 started about 15 years ago when I received a last minute trip to New Orleans to visit the National D-Day museum (which eventually became the National WW2 museum) right near Christmas. While working with this amazing group of people trying to preserve the history of that time in our journey as a nation, my interest was peaked at the strategy behind what we did. I was fortunate enough to read this book which was well-written and went into a surprising amount of depth in the final years of WW2. I would recommend this for anyone but especially those in the younger generations who have no idea when happened during that final year and some of the incredibly difficult decisions that needed to be made. I received this at a discount in exchange for my review. This is a great read for anyone!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tom Hanks: Nice to Meet You (Biographies of Famous People) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's James Diamond Page; Review: I love Tom Hanks since I saw Big many, many moons ago. I don't think I can ever think of a better performance! The best part of this book was the behind the scenes stories of Big. How they practiced the piano that was handmade for the movie and how Tom Hanks would have the child actor do the scene for him so I could act it in a way that the boy would. My only complaint: I would love it to be longer! I received this product at a discount for my honest and unbiased review. The discount has not influenced or impacted my judgement of this product and I am in no way required by the seller to leave positive remarks about their product. This is how I rate/review my products: 5 stars I love it! I highly recommend to everyone without reservation! 4 stars I like it, but there are some flaws. I would probably purchase it again. 3 stars - It was okay, but I would probably not buy it again. 2 stars There may be worse products out there, but you can definitely find better choices. 1 star I dislike the product, I wish I had not purchased it and I don't recommend it. Thank you for taking the time to read my review and I hope it helps you make an informed decision about buying this product. If this review was helpful to you, please click on the YES button. This will make it easier for others to find the review so that they may be helped as well.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Chronicles of Kale: A Dragon's Awakening; Author: Visit Amazon's Aya Knight Page; Review: This rating was because the book kept me going!! I loved the plot line and the well-drawn characters! Would recommend for everyone,; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Medium; Author: Visit Amazon's Ori Koskas Page; Review: I enjoyed reading this book. At first, I had no idea where the author was going with Daniel Cohen but you catch up really quickly! Daniel has a near death experience that allows him to have supernatural powers. He can see ghosts AND communicate with them. One of the ghosts has a special mission that takes Daniel from his home in Israel to a new life and a lot of money in Vegas back home to Israel where a new chapter of his life starts with a wife, son, and a new leash not on life but around his neck. Unfortunately, Daniel learns that once you use your leverage, the lever can work both ways. The writing is very good and easy to read. I enjoyed the character development especially what happens to the ghosts and Daniel together. I hope Ori Koskas continues to write and tell his stories.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: 13 Gifts (Willow Falls); Author: Visit Amazon's Wendy Mass Page; Review: This book is probably the best of the series that I have read. It puts all the characters together into a mysterious novel of love, friendship, life, and solving the puzzle of who you are as a person.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Mango-Shaped Space; Author: Visit Amazon's Wendy Mass Page; Review: This book is absolutely amazing. The emotions toward the end make me cry so much. Wendy should make another book about mustard.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable; Author: Visit Amazon's Dan Gutman Page; Review: This book was amazing! I never wanted to put it down. It was a great summer read! My favourite character was pep because her personality reminded me of my best friends personality.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Genius Files #2: Never Say Genius; Author: Visit Amazon's Dan Gutman Page; Review: This book was very adventurous and drew you in as soon as you started. I bet people had a really hard time understanding it if they didn't read the first one.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Sea of Shields (Sorcerer's Ring); Author: Visit Amazon's Morgan Rice Page; Review: Great book all around, another wonderful piece to the epic sorcerers ring series and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a great fantasy, knights in armor story; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Chased by Fire (The Cloud Warrior Saga) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's D.K. Holmberg Page; Review: This a great book now one of my favorites, its an amazing chase and a great action packed book with a cliff hanger after each chapter making impossible to put the book down. Personally this book is on my top ten list up there with Percy Jackson and other Rick Riordan books but if you're looking for other great series try books by R.A. Salvatore and the Last Thane by Douglas Niles or the Hollow Crown by Diana P. Francis and lastly try this new book called the Thorn of Dentonhill by Marshall R. Maresca all these are great reads for fantasy lovers.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Macdonald Burlington Hotel; City: Birmingham West Midlands England; Review: ABSOLUTLY FANTASTIC!! I have stayed in quite a few hotels in the city centre and so far this is my favourite place to stop whilst in the area. Literally a few moments away from New street train station, I had a very warm welcome from the reception supervisor she made me feel at ease and was most helpful. I chose to stay here for 3 nights for a special occasion and we had a suite. The room was very large, large living room and bedroom and stunning bathroom with lots of little extras in the room. We had all you could want - hair dryer, iron and ironing board, shampoo, slippers, dressing gowns plus more! Hotel and rooms are SPOTLESS, pillows amazing-The only thing I was let slightly down by was the mattress and the noise from the tramp line-but didn't ruin my experience. We ordered breakfast in bed the night before - great selection, and wow the food was amazing. Sine I stayed in the hotel I have returned to Birmingham for a few days this hotel was booked and I had to stay in a different hotel and it was an awful experience compared to this amazing place!!! Can't wait to return!!! :) thank you; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Longshoot Hotel; City: Nuneaton Warwickshire England; Review: The hotel is very basic however this obviously reflects in the price. We had 1 night stay at the hotel on a Saturday evening due to visiting family and we paid £40 for us both - we only needed the bed. Arriving at the hotel i wasn't looking forward to stopping but i kept reminding my self that it was for 1 night only - and it did the job. Although the rooms are dated and not well lit it has all you want for 1 night. The beds were comfy, hotel provides a hair dryer, tv, powerful shower and small bath. Lots of places to store clothes and a top tip is to take your own toiletries and milk (kettle is provided) This place is basic however it does what it says for a great price. The pub on the grounds had a nice atmosphere too and over the road an Aldi is available to you to get any items you need.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Grange Clarendon Hotel; City: London England; Review: I booked here after looking at hotels within the local area and reading reviews. We arrived into Euston station and arranged an Uber taxi to take us to the hotel easily walk-able however we had a long journey with luggage it was around £4 to take us to the hotel. Pleasantly surprised by the local area has some lovely parks and quiet streets, On the main roads you''ll find shops,bars and a bunch of places to eat also a supermarket. We were checked inn quite quickly and we had been placed in the basement lifts are available to all floors plus stairs. Small bar/dining area also located on the floor where reception is - if any of the party travelling have wheelchairs you'll be fine at this property. We arrived to our room even though it was in the basement it was light and the windows could open the only thing I didn't like is the large metal bars in front of the window I know this is for security but felt a bit locked in. The room was clean however a used condom was on the floor, we dumped our bags and reported it to reception. We headed out for the day to discover London we arrived back to the hotel and the condom was still on the rooms floor - awful. The bed was awful so old and uncomfy the pillows were useless and tiny! I ran a bath however gave up after 20 minutes as it was so slow! and the shower power was also terrible! We went to bed at around 11pm for our day ahead, however our room was placed next to staff exit/entrance and we had staff laughing,knocking,banging the door and our sleep was beyond poor. I reported this to reception the next day to be told their isn't a door for staff this was a pure lie as I had seen the staff in their uniforms leaving the exit. The receptionist told me they would tell the manager but nothing came back. Overall it isn't a bad hotel I just wouldn't ever use it ever again,I would pay more for my hotel next time then stay at this one-I did email the hotel prior my arrival to let me know I was celebrating my recent engagement nothing was mentioned on arrival or in our room. I am sorry but this just isn't the place I would pay to stay at or recommend to any of my family and my customers (I am a travel agent).; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: PALOMA Foresta Resort; City: Beldibi Kemer Turkish Mediterranean Coast; Review: The hotel is situated on lovely grounds with stunning gardens. We arrived at our hotel early morning and check inn was a breeze we were given a fantastic room in the main block with a large balcony, very comfy bed and were given lots of extras. We decided to spend at our time at the adult only pool and beach, the staff were helpful and they worked extremely hard to keep up guests demands. The only thing that let the hotel down is the food - it is targetted mainly for the locals and Germans not a great choice but made the best of the food available. Great choice of drinks - white russian is amazing. The beach has a private bar which serves food pizzas,sandwhiches etc and the night turns into a club which was great for us. We would return if the food improved - not 5 star.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Stretton Lakes Holiday Lodges; City: Oakham Rutland England; Review: WOW! This place is incredible! The both of us were truly blown away. We were very impressed by the lodges. We booked a weekend away in February for a last minute break, we had high expectations but the Clover lodge honestly went beyond expectations. We arrived at around 9 pm. It is quite difficult to find via sat nav so make sure you know where you are heading as the postcode doesn't take you directly to the lodges. The keys were left for our arrival along with a nice cold bottle of champagne but, most importantly, a beautifully warm hot tub was waiting for us underneath the beautiful star lit sky. The lodge had everything and more that you could need for a great stay from fluffy dressing gowns to every possible kitchen utensil to use for your meals. The lodges even have a dishwasher and washer/dryer. The only thing I would suggest is disposable slippers being supplied for walking to/from the hot tub. The surrounding area is so peaceful, we awoke to some stunning views of the tranquil scenery a perfect place for a romantic break - local towns offer shops, pubs, places of interest, supermarkets and a selection of restaurants. Complimentary tea, coffee, milk, bath bombs, soaps dishwasher tablets and washing powder are provided. I have stayed in many top hotels around the world and even travelled on incredible cruise ships and this place is up there as one of my favourite places to stay. GO! Visit, sit back and truly enjoy every moment.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Radisson Blu Hotel Birmingham; City: Birmingham West Midlands England; Review: Just returned from this fantastic hotel and wow I was really impressed! We arrived at the hotel around 1pm to see if we could drop our bags off and was surprised our rooms were ready! Speedy check in and upgraded to include breakfast the following morning. We were allocated rooms on the 15th floor 1505 & 1507 which both had large baths and fantastic views over the city. The room included complimentary bottled water, tea & coffee making facilities, a fridge, shower products, WiFi and a very comfortable bed! The rooms were very well cared for and sparkling clean. We even had turndown service & left bed time pillow spray for a relaxing sleep-one of the best sleeps I’ve had! The hotel has everything nearby including the famous Bullring which is about 5-8 minute walk, perfect location for restaurants and theatre goers! Mail box is also very near. The breakfast is £12.50! And worth every penny, they have a HUGE amount of food on offer with the self service buffet! Looking forward to my next stay; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Forest Holidays Cropton North Yorkshire; City: Pickering North Yorkshire England; Review: I’ve regularly use lodges as mini breaks and so far this year this was my 5th lodge break but first at this great hideaway! Myself, partner and my dog travelled and stayed Monday-Friday back in October! It was perfect! The lodge was extremely clean and was waiting for us to unwind - huge tip would be to ensure you get your food & drink before heading to your lodge as nothing is around apart from a lidl about 7 miles away! Do organise this before getting to your lodge. Lots of storage for food however the fridge is small and doesn’t have a freezer. Some beautiful walks around which we enjoyed plus lots of activities going on at the park if you want it! WiFi extremely good as you don’t get any phone signal - but this was good as I could totally forget the world outside the lodges. Beautiful surrounding and can’t wait to return!!; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Cole Haan Men's Pinch Weekender Chukka Boot; Brand: ; Review: my boyfriend love it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CLARKS Men's Desert Chukka Boot; Brand: ; Review: My BF love it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CLARKS Men's Desert Chukka Boot; Brand: ; Review: My BF love it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CLARKS Men's Desert Chukka Boot; Brand: ; Review: My BF love it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CLARKS Men's Desert Chukka Boot; Brand: ; Review: My BF love it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CLARKS Men's Desert Chukka Boot; Brand: ; Review: My BF love it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CLARKS Men's Desert Chukka Boot; Brand: ; Review: My BF love it; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Motel 6 Orlando International Drive; City: Orlando Florida; Review: First mistake - we checked in at midnight after a day at the park and a long dinner. People were coming in trying to rent a room at the last minute and couldn't meet the requirements (under 25, no credit card to put on record, couldn't afford the room rate). The parking lot was a little scary, with groups of people hanging around their cars. The room WAS attractive...laminate wood floors, modern theme, newly remodeled bathroom. The bath towels were slightly larger than a hand towel and we only had 3, when we'd reserved for 4. I ended up follow hotel staff into the laundry room to get more towels. The walls were very thin, you could hear conversations on both sides, and not all of it was pleasant. The room smelled faintly of smoke. Also, being on the first floor, there was a lot of traffic back and forth from the back parking lot to the front desk area. Needless to say, we wouldn't allow our girls to leave the room by themselves, and we were just a couple rooms down from the ice machine. The second day, we returned from the park and the room absolutely REEKED of smoke. We decided to just pack our things up and not return to the hotel for the second night. We didn't say anything to the front desk, since it wasn't anything they specifically did, it's just not a hotel we'd choose to patronize again.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Four Points by Sheraton Orlando International Drive; City: Orlando Florida; Review: This was our second stay...and our last. Our room actually isn't bad and appears to be clean. Most of he staff is very friendly and helpful. But, the clientele is sketchy and I wouldn't let our teenage girls walk the property alone. Elevator keys didn't work half of the the time. Housekeeping sent me on a wild goose chase for ice. We are here as part of a large group. 2 families had to change rooms due to the poisonous stench (like chemicals in the airconditioning unit). One had to move three times! But wait...there's more...someone lost control of their bowels in the elevator. The smell was horrific. Obviously it was likely an accident and unintentional, but added together, it's been a miserable stay.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista South; City: Kissimmee Florida; Review: Check-on was friendly and efficient. I used my Hilton Honors app to check in earlier in the day and was able to actually select the desired room. The kids chilled in the hot tub while we were entertained by a fabulous bartender in the hotel bar. Small, but very good wine selection by the glass. The point I want to make here is that we felt our teenage girls were in a safe environment and could be out of our sight for a bit. We've stayed in a couple doozies where I wouldn't let them go right outside of the room for ice (won't be staying at that particular hotel again). Our room was spotless and everyone that worked there was extremely courteous and helpful. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet each morning. Everything was very fresh.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hilton New York Fashion District; City: New York City New York; Review: When I arrive, check in with extremely quick and efficient. I was welcomed as a Hilton honors yes, and given a pretty bag of complementary waters. The clerk offered to move my room further away from the elevator, as that was a big game going on, and evidently books were in celebratory mode in the hotel. I had no issues with noise whatsoever. I ordered room service for dinner, and the steak au poive was fabulous. Nice selection of wines by the glass.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Residence Inn Jacksonville South Bartram Park; City: Jacksonville Florida; Review: We were in town for a family funeral and rented 6 rooms. We had no issues upon arrival. The rooms are nicely appointed and very clean. They pipe some essential oil type scent into the common areas, which smelled great! We cooked out on the gas grill by the pool and then reminisced around the glass fire pit (too hot to light it though). Plenty of space for family to kick back and enjoy some libations. Each time we walked by the front desk, we were asked if there was anything we needed. Complimentary breakfast, just missing bacon! The ONLY thing I’d change is the bell indicating the elevator. It’s so soft, I missed seeing the 2nd elevator open. Will definitely stay here again!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: InCharacter Costumes Men's Bavarian Guy; Brand: Fun World; Review: Super cheap looking and didn't fit right.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Chaco Men's Flip Vibe Sandal; Brand: Chaco; Review: I really like these sandals. I had a pair before and lost one and these ones fit slightly larger even though they are the exact same size. Still great sandals though.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: ExOfficio Give-n-go Boxer Brief; Brand: ExOfficio; Review: Best underwear I've found yet!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Saxx Men's Ultra Boxer Brief; Brand: ; Review: Super soft material. Can't decide how much I like the flaps on the inside that cup your junk. I was looking for underwear that didn't ride up and these ride up like crazy however.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: O'Neill Men's Loaded Hybrid Boardshort; Brand: ; Review: Love these shorts! Fit great and so functional! The string on the inside to tighten the waistband without a belt is very nice for going in and out of the water.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Saxx Mens Ultra Boxer Fly, Light Heather, Large; Brand: ; Review: Super soft material. Can't decide how much I like the flaps on the inside that cup your junk. I was looking for underwear that didn't ride up and these ride up like crazy however.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Comfort Inn Suites Riverton; City: Riverton Wyoming; Review: As parents of a high school swim team member we find ourselves staying in a lot of different towns around the state. When our team went to Riverton, other parents who had been there before told us, "The best place to stay is the Comfort Inn", -and we're so glad they did! The room appeared clean and smelled clean as well, the king bed was excellent, the 5 pillows a very nice touch. The young lady at the desk (Michelle?) was extremely pleasant and capable, clearly customer- oriented, and a tribute to the management of this hotel. Despite have multiple high school students from several different sports staying in the hotel at the same time that we were there, she managed to place us in a very quiet room at my request, and we slept quite well. Staff the following morning was also pleasant, as was the breakfast. In all, even though this was the most expensive hotel in Riverton, I believe it was probably worth it, and would definitely stay there again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dollar Inn Hot Springs; City: Hot Springs South Dakota; Review: Room was clean & service okay, but room smelled old/musty/dank. Breakfast wasn't much either. Would NOT stay here again unless no other choices. Not terribly expensive, but still overpriced for quality.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: USA Stay Hotel and Suites; City: Hot Springs South Dakota; Review: Located on the Hot Springs Bypass, this was a quiet, very nice hotel. The room was quite clean, the linens and pillows comfortable, the bed excellent. All staff exceptionally pleasant & helpful. Essentially full breakfast, kept well stocked. The hot tub was exactly that - HOT. Great if you like it that way! No complaints at all about our stay here, would definitely stay here another time.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fairfield Inn Suites Gillette; City: Gillette Wyoming; Review: We have stayed at this particular Fairfield Inn previously, and thought we recalled it fairly favorably, but were very disappointed with this visit, and won't likely rebook with them unless there are no other viable options. The room we were originally allotted had a horrendously noisy heater. When we requested a different room, we were told there were no others available, that all rooms were full. Somehow, (magically one presumes), they did manage to find another room - but the heater in it was only moderately less noisy. We took it, as the town was very busy due to some major high school events, but the heater rattled and growled all night, and made for a very poor night's sleep. The pool area is nice, and the room and bedding were clean, no complaints there, however, I have to say that we have quite honestly experienced softer toilet tissue at highway rest stops, and the facial tissues were of no better quality. In all, pretty disappointing for a hotel in the Fairfield/Marriott chain. There are many other options in Gillette, including some newer HIE and Wyndham hotels. We will book somewhere else on our next trip.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Country Inn Suites by Radisson Gillette WY; City: Gillette Wyoming; Review: Overall this property is very nice. The rooms are clean, beds are comfortable, breakfast was fine, staff was capable and pleasant. Just two caveats really - the first is this hotel's dramatically substandard quality tissues and toilet paper. Perhaps this is a new costcutting measure, but at the expense of customer satisfaction. Management's response to this comment in a survey was just a standard canned reply. At their room rates they can certainly afford to take better care of their customers. The other issue was the cold "hot" tub in the water park that is used by both this hotel and the Fairfield which adjoins it. Country Inn management responded to this by saying that the water park is managed independently - so apparently not their problem? - and suggested that I was complaining about the cost. As a Club Carlson member, use of the water park is free, so cost was not an issue, but the unwillingness to address the coldness of the "hot" tub bothered me. It seems that even if it is managed independently, the hotel's clients use it and the management could do markedly better than to shrug it off as someone else's problem. There is no other hot tub available on the property. A proactive approach to getting this fixed would be far more appropriate in this usually customer-oriented business. Sour grapes? Not really. Just a very strong dislike for managerial indifference. Would I stay there again? Maybe. But there are other properties in Gillette that are just as nice, at pretty much comparable rates.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Comfort Inn Federal Way; City: Federal Way Washington; Review: This was a very pleasant place to stay overall. Close to shops & restaurants, and just a few minutes drive from Redondo Beach on Puget Sound. The room was clean and smelled fine, staff was capable, breakfast was pretty much standard fare with sufficient variety and delightfully fresh bagels. Oddly, although I see several reviews that mention very comfortable beds, in our room the bed felt old and seemed to sag in the middle - felt like one that was considerably past due for replacement. No other problems though, and would not hesitate to recommend this hotel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Grandview at Las Vegas; City: Las Vegas Nevada; Review: Sadly, our visit here started out badly at the time of our initial suite assignment. When we asked for a better location for our 10-day visit we were told we would have to wait about 2 hours to see if they could do better, and that they would call us. This was after a 9-hour drive to get there, but we said okay, and went to the casino next door to pass the time. 2 & 1/2 hours later we hadn't heard anything, and after waiting yet another half-hour we finally asked to speak to a customer service manager. A woman who wasn't wearing a name tag that we could see, unless it was under her long hair (- but wrote down that her name was "Juliet" when we asked), and who couldn't bother to even FAKE a smile, deigned to speak to us another 10 minutes later and told us - in so many words - that since we were with RCI we would "get whatever RCI has in its inventory". She also told us very specifically that we wouldn't have any chance at all of getting different rooms at any time before January 2 (-this was on December 27th). If she had even remotely attempted to be pleasant we might have felt differently, but if this attitude and demeanour are what Grandview encourages in their customer service management, we are absolutely certain that we wouldn't even consider hearing about a timeshare here. Most places at least try not to make it so abundantly clear that they really don't care about you. Our final room assignment, by the way, while it wasn't great, was relatively okay, however the taste of being treated the way we were still lingers. Moving on..... the resort has multiple buildings, some as tall as 20 stories. They all appear to be designed pretty much the same, with a common hallway entry into Suites A & B and then a separate entry into each side. They are each essentially 1-bedroom units, done in 2 different colour schemes. The "B" side of ours was done in reds, generally pleasing to look at and be in. The "A" side, however, was genuinely ugly in shades of gold & brown and something like faded avocado, making that side look and feel like something out of the 70's. That would have been sort of alright, except the furniture (in both sides) wasn't particularly comfortable at all to sit on. Maybe okay if you were only there for a few days, but pretty tiring after more than that. The couches made into queen beds, but since we didn't use those I can't comment on whether they would be any good to sleep on. There was a fairly comfortable king-sized bed in each bedroom, with a jacuzzi-style tub in the anteroom between there and the bathroom, which had a large walk-in shower. A full kitchen with a dishwasher and a stacked washer/dryer in a closet off the dining area rounded out the suites. These both worked fine. We had just one large towel; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Pacific Shores Resort and Spa; City: Nanoose Bay Vancouver Island British Columbia; Review: This resort itself is lovely, the setting gorgeous, the grounds well-maintained, the resort staff pleasant and helpful. The restaurant has a delightful view, a varied menu, fun staff, and a lovely outdoor patio. There are multiple hot tubs, one even down on the shoreline, where you can watch the tide ebb and flow. If you are a paying customer, this would no doubt be a wonderful place to stay. However, as ClubWyndham members using RCI points, all we could book here was a; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Clerks (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Matrix (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Titanic (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Magoo (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: White Squall (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Wild Wild West (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lifeforce (1985); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Breakfast Club (1985); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Battlestar Galactica (1978); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dirty Dancing (1987); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Happy Gilmore (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Relic (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pulp Fiction (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: American Pie (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sgt. Bilko (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blue Streak (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Office Space (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Raising Arizona (1987); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: South Park: Bigger (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Waterboy (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Blair Witch Project (1999); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Big Lebowski (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Forces of Nature (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Haunting (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 1941 (1979); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dune (1984); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gattaca (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sixth Sense (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1988); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Mummy (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: For Your Eyes Only (1981); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Full Monty (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jackie Chan's Project A (1983); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gone with the Wind: Collector's Edition (1939); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Friends & Lovers (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Very Bad Things (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Galaxy Quest (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Home Alone (1990); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Live and Let Die (1973); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Few Good Men (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Negotiator (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Patriot (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Natural Born Killers (1994); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: A Night at the Roxbury (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: As Good as It Gets (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The General's Daughter (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mercury Rising (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Enemy of the State (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Independence Day (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Cell (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Black Knight (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rush Hour 2 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bedazzled (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hollow Man (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: America's Sweethearts (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Emperor's New Groove (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Planet of the Apes (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Steel Magnolias (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mission: Impossible (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: What Lies Beneath (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: See No Evil (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rush Hour (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Charlie's Angels (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Top Gun (1986); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Eyes Wide Shut (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Interview with the Vampire (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pearl Harbor (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The 13th Warrior (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Risky Business (1983); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Princess Diaries (Widescreen) (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Animal Farm (1999); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Three Men and a Baby (1987); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mission: Impossible II (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Men in Black (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Jerry Maguire (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 4 (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hannibal (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Truman Show (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Osmosis Jones (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Traffic (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Running Man (1987); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cops & Robbersons (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Days of Thunder (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jurassic Park III (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Monkeybone (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dungeons & Dragons (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Scary Movie 2 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dude (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghosts of Mars (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Twilight Zone: Vol. 2 (1963); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Coyote Ugly (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Air Force One (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Golden Years (1991); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Don't Say a Word (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fight Club (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 12 Monkeys (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Cats & Dogs (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghost (1990); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Family Man (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Apollo 13 (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: American Pie 2 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Forrest Gump (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Animal (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Changing Lanes (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Wedding Planner (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Sum of All Fears (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ice Age (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: U-571 (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Billy Elliot (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: I Spy (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Being John Malkovich (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Braveheart (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Others (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Mummy Returns (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Hunt for Red October (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Whole Nine Yards (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Senseless (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Harold and Maude (1971); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Thirteen Days (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tomb Raider (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghost Ship (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Fast and the Furious (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Reign of Fire (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Trek: Nemesis (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ocean's Eleven (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Demolition Man (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Domestic Disturbance (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blade 2 (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Face/Off (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Collateral Damage (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bringing Down the House (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: One Hour Photo (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Corky Romano (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Congo (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: American Beauty (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Speed (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Perfect Storm (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: National Lampoon's Vacation (1983); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Beverly Hills Cop (1984); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Liar Liar (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dante's Peak (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Reindeer Games (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Forever Young (1992); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Spy Kids (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Bruce Almighty (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: End of Days (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Erin Brockovich (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Shipping News (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Vegas Vacation (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Stuart Little (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Great Outdoors (1988); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gone in 60 Seconds (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Rocky (1976); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Gremlins (1984); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: UHF (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Cable Guy (1996); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Romancing the Stone (1984); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Phenomenon (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blade (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Net (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kiss the Girls (1997); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: A Knight's Tale (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 28 Days (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shallow Hal (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Broken Arrow (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wagons East (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Waterworld (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Just Married (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Passenger 57 (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Frequency (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Six Days (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Final Destination (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Swordfish (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Hot Chick (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Coming to America (1988); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Trek: Insurrection (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: X-Men (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Never Been Kissed (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: City Slickers (1991); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fletch (1985); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Just Cause (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Big (1988); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kindergarten Cop (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Wedding Singer (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Meet Joe Black (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The First Power (1990); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Me (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Scooby-Doo (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Daredevil (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Nine Months (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Simone (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Matrix: Reloaded (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Patch Adams (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: I Am Sam (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Pretty Woman (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Entrapment (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: You've Got Mail (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Big Daddy (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Con Air (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ghostbusters (1984); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: X2: X-Men United (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chain Reaction (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dances With Wolves: Special Edition (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Stephen King's Cat's Eye (1985); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Runaway Bride (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Maid in Manhattan (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Analyze That (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: All About the Benjamins (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sex and the City: Season 2 (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Little Nicky (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Finding Nemo (Widescreen) (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Vertical Limit (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Medicine Man (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Terminator (1984); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Joe Dirt (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Driving Miss Daisy (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Daddy Day Care (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bicentennial Man (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cast Away (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Vanilla Sky (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dreamcatcher (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lucky Numbers (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Indecent Proposal (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rain Man (1988); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cube (1997); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: There's Something About Mary: Special Edition (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Joy Ride (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Deep Blue Sea (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: John Q (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Riding in Cars with Boys (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Zoolander (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Eight Legged Freaks (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Conspiracy Theory (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Undercover Brother (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Juwanna Mann (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Batman & Robin (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Count of Monte Cristo (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: XXX: Special Edition (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Survivor: Season 1: Borneo (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Universal Soldier (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Innerspace (1987); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Snatch (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Showtime (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Money Train (1995); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: K-19: The Widowmaker (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: I (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Meet the Fockers (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: National Treasure (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rising Sun (1993); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Golden Child (1986); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Captain Ron (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Meet the Parents (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Monarch of the Glen: The Complete Collection; Brand: Richard Briers; Review: I feel like I've found another family -- a bit more goofy than my own -- but just as entertaining. The characters are priceless. A bit pricey but covers 7 seasons. Originally I started watching this via Netflix but then realized I wanted to own it if possible. The scenary is absolutely breath-taking (I've seen some repeats of Harry Potter movie scenary). I know this is a series I'll re-watch over the years to pick up some details that I missed. It's a blast!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: TCM Greatest Classic Film Collection: Legends - Errol Flynn (The Adventures of Robin Hood / Captain Blood; Brand: Errol Flynn; Review: As a kid I watched Errol Flynn as Robin Hood many times on Family Classics on Sunday afternoons. Years passed and then I stumbled on this while searching on amazon.com. ABSOLUTELY fantastic!!! All four movies are wonderful -- what a treat. Robin Hood/the Sea Hawk/Captain Blood are still so entertaining -- I even saw my kids slowing down to watch and finally collapsing on pillows on the floor. Though remakes over the years as well as take-offs have been entertaining and memorable for their own special effects these old films from a much simpler time hold up very well. This is the first time I watched Don Juan -- wonderful. Turner's group did a great job of colorizing Don Juan and Robin Hood -- but to be honest I never missed the color during those early years. These DVDs will make an appearance often on those rainy days in Spring and frozen afternoons of Winter.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Down in the Delta; Brand: Alfre Woodard; Review: Great "sittin-on-the-sofa-on-a-rainy-Saturday-afternoon" type movie. The characters are rich in strengths and flaws and the story provides an interest-grabbing line that hooks the watcher quickly. Alfre Woodard, as well as the rest of the cast, does a fantastic job in fleshing out the characters with a gesture or a word. It is one of those stories that makes you fall in love with a family and town. I've watched this movie time and again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pollyanna VHS; Brand: Jane Wyman; Review: What a great movie! The age group that would be interested in this story probably has trended down a bit over the years but at 57 I still love it. The life lessons to be learned are excellent -- "Faith is not about everything turning out OK. Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out." - Anonymous. Presents a simpler time and makes you want to head to those small town picnics.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carousel VHS; Brand: Gordon MacRae; Review: Love it, love it, love it. The earlier musicals are the best. We watch them time and again. Rainy day fare with some microwave popcorn; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Movies_and_TV |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Liftmaster 971LM 390Mhz Garage Door Remote; Brand: Chamberlain; Review: Easy to set up. Good quality product. Unfortunately, it won't set up with my HomeLink in the car. Apperantly, if your car has HomeLink with red light then this unit would not work with it. But if your car has HomeLink with amber/yellow light this will set up easily.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ivation Sleek 3-in-1 Emergency Black-Out Motion-Sensing Light and Torch - Multipurpose: Power Failure Light, Flashlight; Brand: Ivation; Review: Like other review this is a bright light and that is what we wanted in our kitchen nightlight. When my parents visit, and my wife for kids need to use the kitchen frequently at night and I was looking for motion activated product which this product is. There is a light sensor so if your room lights are on then this product would not turn on. It would turn on when you turn off room lights, when you get to the room with motion when all lights are off and when power fails. It has very sleek design. The flash light function is also very good. Initially I had noticed that our motions were not picked up immediately but with trying different outlet locations we found optimal location. The only reason I gave 4 star because this product covers both the outlets and my wife did not like to loose the one whole outlet next to our cooking range.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: BLACK+DECKER HPB18-OPE 18-Volt Slide Pack Battery For 18-Volt Outdoor Cor; Brand: BLACK+DECKER; Review: I have many BD garden tools that are wireless and I bought this extra battery as I enjoy doing lot of garden work. The battery last very long with one charge and gets my job done. but i keep one spare on charge when I go to do work in garden in case i forget to charge otherwise.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Energizer ENLPLPAT2 Design Automatic Path Light; Brand: Energizer; Review: They look very modern, gives very bright nice adequate light and looks like made up of good material as well.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: TROND LED Desk Lamp Dimmable Eye-Caring (9W, 3 Color Temperatures, 7 Brightness Levels, Touch Control, Memory Function, Flicker-Free); Brand: TROND; Review: The product is what has been described. Positives First- Quality of the product- the material seems to be good quality. The product it self seems to be strong. Second- Function of the product - the light head is easy to rotate in the directions mentioned. The on/off is truly touch sensitive, has memory to last setting when the light was turned off. It is very easy to increase or decrease. This light is for my kid's study table and so far it is very soft to our and her eyes- no c/o any fatigue or eye strain. The lamp is of a good power strength. Some negative First - The stick/hand that holds the lamp is not able to keep holding the lamp and folds on it self if you lower that stick/hand close to 75' from the base either side- then it start itself lowing and folds to close position- like it came in box- so even the lamp could move 180'- it's truly not useful as only functional angle is barely 30 to 45' in the top upright position- so if you have a need to put a lamp in a tight spot and you been planning to lower then lamp forward or backward and expecting to hold it on it's own then it may not work for you. Second- the surface material on the base is very finger smudge friendly- though it wipes out very easily with the hand or simple paper napkin Third- the base is little more broad then I would have expected in a modern look table lamp- though I guess it's needed to keep the lamp from falling off table in various light position/s.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_Tools_and_Home_Improvement |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: Bugging out: UK museum names blind beetle after Greta Thunberg; Abstract: Britain's Natural History Museum on Friday named a tiny, blind and wingless beetle after climate activist Greta Thunberg.; Category: news
Title: Sacré bleu, France defeated at World Cheese Awards by American contender; Abstract: For the first time ever, America has come out on top at the World Cheese Awards.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Judge fast-tracks case over former White House official's refusal to testify in impeachment inquiry; Abstract: A federal judge on Thursday fast-tracked a case involving a key impeachment witness caught between House Democrats seeking to compel his testimony and a White House order to defy a congressional subpoena. Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee to the Federal District Court in D.C., called the legal dispute over the testimony of Charles Kupperman, a former deputy to former National Security Advisor John Bolton, a "matter of great public...; Category: news
Title: Niagara Falls: Boat stuck on rocks 101 years dislodged; Abstract: High winds and heavy rains dislodged the remains of a barge in the rapids above Niagara Falls that had been there 101 years.; Category: weather
Title: Schools in meat-loving rural Brazil went vegan. The community revolted.; Abstract: The world's No. 1 exporter of beef is home to a large and growing vegan movement. Sometimes, the cultures clash.; Category: news
Title: Arizona 'Wizard Rock,' missing 1-ton boulder, mysteriously returns; Abstract: Forest officials in Arizona were mystified in October when local landmark Wizard Rock, a 1-ton boulder, suddenly vanished from its position along Highway 89 in Prescott.; Category: news
Title: Pirates kidnap nine crew members from cargo ship off coast of Benin; Abstract: Pirates boarded a shipping vessel and kidnapped nine crew members off the coast of Benin in West Africa early Saturday morning, according to J.J. Ugland, the Norwegian shipping company which owns the vessel.; Category: news
Title: Alaska university accepting PB&J in lieu of cash for unpaid parking fines; Abstract: The University of Alaska in Anchorage is helping students address unpaid parking fines and combat hunger at the same time.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Netanyahu tells Islamic Jihad 'stop these attacks or absorb more blows'; Abstract: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza must stop rocket attacks or "absorb more and more blows" as an escalation of violence raged for a second day. "They have one choice: to stop these attacks or absorb more and more blows.; Category: news | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Neiko 01924A Ultimate Self-Adjusting Wire and Cable Stripper; Brand: Neiko; Review: don't waste your time with any other stripper. ok the cutter isn't the best but i don't care. the thing STRIPS!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: WELLER 0051303199 SOLDERING TIP TINNER/ACTIVATOR; Brand: Weller; Review: I had never used a soldering iron. i bought one at walmart and a spool of solder. nothing worked. i messed up the tip and was about to give up. i saw a youtube video of this product and ordered it. it really works. my tip is perfect and i am soldering great. i can't say enough good things about this product.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: DEWALT DW6913 Router Edge Guide with Fine Adjustment and Vacuum Adaptor; Brand: DEWALT; Review: It works fine as a guide. Once you understand the fine adjustment it works ok also. The dust extraction doesn't work. You will need to buy the the one just for the plunge base. It works very well. I would recommend this product.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shark Corp 10-2312 12-Inch Carpentry Saw; Brand: Shark Corp; Review: It took me awhile to use the saw correctly. Now I am making very accurate cuts. Very easy to use AFTER you learn how to control yourself and just let the saw cut.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wood Is Good 170-1012 12-Ounce Mallet; Brand: Robert Larson; Review: Love this thing; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: DEWALT DWP611PK 1.25 HP Max Torque Variable Speed Compact Router Combo Kit with LED's; Brand: DEWALT; Review: The very best. Best Christmas present I ever got. Thanks Dad!!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: iGaging 34-707 Wheel Marking Gauge with 1/32nd & 1 mm scale; Brand: iGaging; Review: Once you practice marking with this tool you will rely on it as much as I do. Very accurate and easy to use. Also very well made.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Irwin Tools Drill Press Vise, 4", 226340; Brand: Irwin Tools; Review: I used it a lot yesterday building a table. I need to drill A lot of holes. For the money you just can't beat it. It is real heavy. I would buy it again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kunz Pocket Plane Raised Handle; Brand: Robert Larson; Review: Completely useless; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Kreg R3 Jr. Pocket Hole Jig System; Brand: Kreg; Review: It's OK. Does what it supposed to do. But I should've bought K4. It's a pain in the neck to move that thing around. Don't give me wrong. If you try to save a dollar like I was I guess it'll work. But it's useless on half-inch stuff.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: PORTER-CABLE PC60THP 6-Amp Hand Planer; Brand: PORTER-CABLE; Review: The blades were completely out of adjustment different from one side to the other. I didn't know. Tore my stuff up. Getting my body back.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Stanley 12-136 No. 4 Smoothing Bench Plane; Brand: Stanley; Review: If you are just starting out and are interested in a decent hand plane then I would recommend this one. Please don't buy the contractor model. That one is a heart ach. It could turn you off about woodworking. Buy this one. Its fine for regular people. Took me 5 minutes to get the sole flat. That's no time at all. Fantastic blade. I really like it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ansen Tools Grit Sharp AS-422 Premier 8-Inch Double-Sided Diamond Sharpener Medium/Fine with a Non-Skid Rubber Base; Brand: ANSEN TOOLS GRIT SHARP; Review: Flat. Sharpens like it's supposed to do. Priced right. Happy with it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: BLACK+DECKER BDCJS20B Lithium Jigsaw Bare Tool, 20V; Brand: BLACK+DECKER; Review: For you people who are complaining about the fact that this jigsaw comes without a battery you must understand that the words " bare tool" means no battery.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: BLACK+DECKER BDCI20C 20V MAX Lithium Impact Driver; Brand: BLACK+DECKER; Review: Don't listen to the naysayers. For the DIY you can't beat it. I haven't built a deck or a giant 12 x 12 shed. But I have screwed the heck out of Lolita Screws. It's never let me down. It's more than enough. Yeah you can spend twice as much. But you won't get twice as much.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Critter Spray Products 22032 118SG Siphon Gun; Brand: Critter Spray Products; Review: I just finished painting a picnic table with it. I was shocked how easy it was to use. Of course you need a compressor. I have one so this is definitely cheaper than the airless ones for me. Incredibly easy to clean up. What a great tool to have around the house.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hitachi UU240F Heavy-Duty Portable Miter Saw Stand; Brand: Hitachi; Review: I really dislike the stand. I got it in a bundle with the saw. The saw is great. The stops are completely useless. The rails will not hold in place. If I set the stop for 25 it will cut accurate once before moving. Really useless. Dont buy this stand. Lots of other options.; Rating: 1.0/5.0 | amazon_Tools_and_Home_Improvement |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Fried Green Tomatoes (1991); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Grumpy Old Men (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghost (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pocahontas (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Sixth Sense (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Michael (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sister Act (1992); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Entrapment (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kiss the Girls (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pearl Harbor (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Father of the Bride 2 (1995); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Swordfish (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Along Came a Spider (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Rock (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 2 (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Double Jeopardy (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The General's Daughter (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Patriot (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 4 (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ransom (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Clear and Present Danger (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Father of the Bride (1991); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Con Air (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Green Mile (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Fugitive (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Murder at 1600 (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Holding Their Own: A Story of Survival; Author: Visit Amazon's Joe Nobody Page; Review: The main character is like a lot us us; "Jack of all trades and master of none." He doesn't have a million dollars worth of gear and supplies - he does have a wonderful & sassy wife who he loves like crazy and their witty banter helps them live through treacherous and unexpected circumstances. Sometimes rash, often pig headed, honorable and of service to his fellow man; Bishop is a guy I wish I had in the house next door!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Invasion America!: A Novel; Author: Alan Wing; Review: ...and everyone like me who knows we are not." I hated this book-because of how easily it could all come true; and I am thankful for this book, because the author's easy-to-read style and well-known characters (on both sides of the battle lines) made every one involved believable. Read this book...and take heed.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Post Grid: An Arizona EMP Adventure (Volume 1); Author: Mr Tony C Martineau; Review: A group of family friends & strangers thrown together by circumstance in the Arizona desert make the best of an untenable situation. Strong & well-developed characters I grew to miss when I put down the book, all underpinned with the reality that life in the desert with technology & modern society is hard; without it is near impossible. But survive-and thrive-they do, and I thank you for letting me tag along on their journey!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Protocol One; Author: Visit Amazon's Jacqueline Druga Page; Review: A Senator spends 80 million dollars to build survival shelters...and they don't lock so intruders can just waltz in. They have underground agriculture, but the weapons they have for security are a couple of old revolvers. These are the most naive people I have ever read about - and I usually love this author's books. Big disappointment for me; would not read a sequel if it was free.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Dark Titan Journey: Wilderness Travel; Author: Thomas A. Watson; Review: I love the Dark Titan series. A motivated, self-educated"regular guy" does what's right instead of what's easy. Characters to love and characters you love to hate, it's easy to tell the white hats from the black hats and I cannot wait for the next installment. Thank you - from a fellow Montanan & fan.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clear by Fire: A Search and Destroy Thriller; Author: Visit Amazon's Joshua Hood Page; Review: Combat as it is in real life, ugly & awesome at the same time. Real characters who think too much, worry too much and get the job done anyway. I will read everything this author writes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clear by Fire: A Search and Destroy Thriller; Author: Joshua Hood; Review: Combat as it is in real life, ugly & awesome at the same time. Real characters who think too much, worry too much and get the job done anyway. I will read everything this author writes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: State of Chaos (Collapse Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Summer Lane Page; Review: What I enjoy most about Summer's books ( and I read every single one I can find) is she tells a good story, she doesn't take herself or her characters too seriously, none of her people have endless money, supplies and skills, and when I am in "Summer World" (reading one of her books), things don't happen that jar me out of the story, like when you read some other authors and think, "that couldn't happen" and just like that, you're out of the story. Not Summer, not Summer World." Keep it up...and thank you for both the education and the entertainment!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hunt for the Enemy (Enemy Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Rob Sinclair Page; Review: I read all three in the series almost non-stop: cheering the heroes and booing the villains. Great stuff, well done.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Operation Red Dawn and the Siege of Europe (World War III Series) (Volume 3); Author: Visit Amazon's James Rosone Page; Review: Under have enjoyed all three in this series so far. I especially enjoy the author's use of realistic long-term timelines to move from a peacetime footing to war-time manufacturing, and the timelines to gear up such huge forces by all sides. Riveting and I cannot wait for #4!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Bunker: Surviving an Economic Collapse; Author: Visit Amazon's Wayne Bosak Page; Review: Prior to finding The Bunker, I had a list of four authors I buy everything they write: Darrell Maloney, John Grit, Boyd Craven III, and Jerry Young. I am hoping Wayne Bosak will have MANY more titles, because I will buy and devour them all! His thoughtful, well-developed, and true to life rural characters give me hope about our American community that I don't get from a lot of others writers - this book proves you can tell a riveting, can't put it down dystopian story full of wonderful characters and without the usual gore and MZBs (Mutant Zombie Bikers). What a joy this book was to read: thank you Mr. Bosak!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Days of Panic (EMP Survival Series) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Jack Hunt Page; Review: Jack Hunt's main character is a combat veteran struggling with a debilitating case of PTSD as so many of our veterans are. Believable characters you will root for and want to know better. I Wil read everything Jack Hunt writes!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Boys Briefs 2; Brand: Danny Roberts; Review: All together I thought the stories on the DVD were good; the most noteable, (and in my opinion the best story) being Doors Cut Down. The lead actor Israel Rodriguez was outstanding and more than believable in the role. The Pizza Delivery story was also good, as well as the short Irish story that just begins to take shape and then ends for no apparent reason. I know it was a short movie, but hey three minutes just didn't cut it. Danny Roberts of MTV Real World fame who hosted the movies got better as the stories moved along but he seemed a little uneasy throughout, better luck next time. All in all I would give the DVD 4 stars based mostly on the strength of the first story Doors Cut Down.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bram Stoker's Shadowbuilder; Brand: Michael Rooker; Review: Shadowbuilder was really a great movie; when I first rented it I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be an excellent movie. Bram Stroker who is best known for Dracula wrote this originally and it shows. The acting was very good for the most part as well, particularly by young actor Kevin Zegers (who played Christopher) the stigmata whom the Shadowbuilder seeks out in the hopes of undoing creation. If you liked the movie Warlock, End of Days, or both you will definitely like this movie. I suspect that the movie End of Days borrowed somewhat from The Shadowbuilder.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Komodo; Brand: Jill Hennessy; Review: I don't usually care for horror movies that center around animals attacking humans, alah "The Birds" or "Cujo" but this one worked out well. The offending animals are Komodo Dragons which actually exist on a small handfull of remote islands in Indonesia; and they aren't plotting their just hungry. Some illegal importer of exotic pets tosses about a dozen Komodo Dragon eggs into an off road ditch on an isolated North Carolina Island, not realizing the scope of what he's doing. Approx 12-15 years later some of the dragons are full size and have established a regular colony, much to the distress of the island's tourists and lone business (an oil company.) Actor Kevin Zegers turns in his usual great performance, and there were a few other noteworthy performances by some of the other cast members. The computer generated graphics are excellent and if you liked Jurassic Park you should love this movie.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Treasure Island; Brand: Al Ashton; Review: If you've seen any of the many versions of Treasure Island then you've seen them all. Whats makes this version at least different, (if not better) is the dramatic change at the end of the story. I realize its not what the author had in mind, but hey this is hollywood and they reserve the right to alter the story. The acting ranged from very good to very bad; with Kevin Zegers (Jim Hawkins) probably doing the best acting job in the movie. Another version, and in my opinion the best to date, features Christian Bale & Charlton Heston in the lead roles. This version was still one of the better ones though and all in all I give it four stars.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Not Another Teen Movie; Brand: Jaime Pressly; Review: This movie was extremely funny, fast moving, and loaded with referrences to at least a half dozen teen movies. One of the most enjoyable components in watching this movie is the effort you exert in trying to figure out which movie is being spoofed at any given time. Defintely one to rent or better yet to buy.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Vampire Clan; Brand: Drew Fuller; Review: After watching the movie I remembered some of the details around this true life story, and the movie was accurate to the facts. The best acting came from Drew Fuller, (Voodoo Academy) who played the lead role as the leader of this gang of twisted kids. He had the look and sound of a twisted genious down and was very well cast in the role. The remainder of the cast ranged from ok to blahhhhzay, again making Fuller's performance stand out. The movie takes you back and forth, starting with the arrest of the gang members and working out all the details throughout the movie. It wasn't as gory as expected it to be, and to be honest it shouldn't be seen as a horror movie. Unfortunately there were no extras to speak of, no commentary, cast bios, etc. Just the basics.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Brotherhood 3: Young Demons; Brand: Kristopher Turner; Review: I have seen all three Brotherhood movies, and I own a copy of each. I love DeCoteau's films and understand that they are ment to be B movies from the start, thats part of the fun afterall. Actor Kristopher Turner (who played Lex) was outstanding, and deserves nothing but credit for his contribution to the movie; hopefully he will be back in some of Director DeCoteau's films. Unfortunately, this movie did have some drawbacks, most notably the long drawn out chase seens through the high school, and the lightening in the background got old after awhile too. Most of the actors did a so-so job in their roles, the worst job coming from Ramses (Lex's brother.) Despite some really bad flaws in this third take of the Brotherhood series, I still liked it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: It Came From the Sky; Brand: Yasmine Bleeth; Review: This was a really great movie. Going into it I thought it might be aimed at a younger audience, but that wasn't the case at all, as there was some profanity and adult subject matter. At one part in the movie the 13 year old brain damaged son gets a hard on watching Pepper (Yasmine Bleeth) while having his feet massaged by his doting mother, much to everyone's embarrassment. The entire cast was excellent, Kevin Zegers in particular. Zegers was the movies principle character, and he played the part out beautifully. It reminded me of a similiar role that Leonardo DiCaprio played in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, in that he was so convincing in the role you actually believed he was brain damaged just as DiCaprio pulled off his role as a retarded boy. There were a few bonuses such as commentary and such, and the movie really is a must see (and own in my opinion.); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nova - The Lost King of the Maya VHS; Brand: ; Review: This well done documentary surrounding the mysterious first king of Copan, (Yax K'uK Mo) and the 400 year dynasty he established was very enlightening and a must see for any student of Maya history. For that matter, anyone who has visited the ruins of any Maya city will find this video entertaining; especially those who have been to Copan.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ancient Evil:Scream of the Mummy VHS; Brand: Jeff Peterson; Review: I bought this movie because I am a big fan of director David DeCoteau's B movies, and look forward to the somewhat silly horror he offers in all of his B movies. This movie was better than his average film though; and apart from a few mistakes in the plot about the Aztec culture, (they didn't have wrapped mummys, the characters repeated mispronunciation of the Aztec Rain God Tlaloc's name, its pronounced Tah-Lock not Ta-Lay-Lock) Then there was actor Trent Latta's New Wave looking Aztec High Priest outfit, that may have been a little over the top too, but well, it did help to make it a great mummy flick. I can honestly say that the whole cast did a good job acting as well, particularly Michael Lutz in his first role, playing the obnoxious jock (Morris); Trent Latta who played the lead villian (Norman); and Jeff Peterson who played the hero (Don). They all did a great job. All in all, I give it an 9 maybe 10 out of 10.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Timeline (2003) (Widescreen); Brand: ; Review: The scenery and the action scenes were great, but the romance was a bit sappy. The movie was also very well acted, especially lead actor Paul Walker.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Madhouse; Brand: Lance Henriksen; Review: The movie opens with a young psychiatric intern Joshua Leonard coming to a backwoods run down mental hospital to get credit for his doctorate. Instead of a mental hospital, he finds a real chamber of horrors, especially in the basement, where they keep the ones "people would rather forget." The plot was good, there is a boy/ghost running around the hospital, (too bad they never listed the actor's name in the credits) there are a string of murders, lots of good effects; and most importantly, a great plot twist at the end. There were also quite a few big name actors, such as Lance Henriksen, who had small roles in favor of the lesser known actors (probably to save money.) All in all, a pretty good movie.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mixed Blood; Brand: Marlia Pra; Review: Mixed Blood is a surprisingly good film, despite the low budget that Director Paul Morrissey had to work with. You also have to understand and appreciate the dark humor that the movie offers, similar to another great Morrissey flick "Spike of Bensonhurst" that also featured the late actor Rodney Harvey, (The Outsiders, Initiation) who had some of the best sarcastic / cynical comments along these lines. The feature also showcases the work of one of Brazil's best actresses Marilia Pera who also did a great job in this film in a leading role.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Teen Wolf: Season 5 Part 1; Brand: Dylan O'Brien; Review: The item description needs to be updated to reflect the fact that actor Colton Haynes doesn't star in season 5. In fact, he hasn't been on the show since season 2. Apart from this mistake, the fifth season has been fairly good.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Movies_and_TV |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: The Making of Pride and Prejudice (BBC); Author: Susie Conklin; Review: I have always been interested in learning how things work. This book was a wealth of information on the technical aspects of the making of this TV production. All the way from casting to the final wrapup it provides that behind-the-scenes insight which is not available to the general public. I was satisfied with the depth of information given, just enough to make me understand but not so much that I got lost in the technical language. After reading the book I went back and watched the series again and was amazed at how much more I noticed and appreciated. I highly recommend this book to any true Pride and Prejudice fanatic.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Who Killed the Curate?; Author: Visit Amazon's Joan Coggin Page; Review: This book began like gangbusters. I laughed so hard my sides were hurting. But...that became a problem, at least for me. I read a mystery basically for the mystery solving, the details, the revealing character traits of those involved. Lady Lupin Hastings is SO completely scatterbrained that I don't know how she could ever get herself from one destination to another much less solve a murder. After a while I found myself thinking she was too silly, too fey, too absentminded, too inane to be considered a real (even in fiction) person. Actually, she was not the one who solved the crime. I have read that Lady Lupin settles down quite a bit in the other books in which she is featured. Surely that has to be a good thing, probably a very good thing. Humor is great in a mystery but not when it totally overtakes the story.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Death at Bishop's Keep (Robin Paige Victorian Mysteries, No. 1); Author: Robin Paige; Review: I have read all of the previously recorded 17 reviews of this book and I definitely feel like the Lone Ranger. I looked at the top of the page to see that I was on page 124 (beginning Chapter 24 for goodness sakes!!) and I was about to tear my hair out wondering when this thing was going to get going. Not a good sign! I had purposely read all the reviews before I ordered this book thinking I couldn't go wrong with this one. I should have known that a book with no reviews with less than 4 stars had to mean something, either everyone else REALLY loved it or the people with alternative views had decided to stay home. Well, I forced myself to finish it. To add insult to injury, I figured out who the murderer was and even why (which is obvious once you know who). My theory is, both Kathryn and Sir Charles are very strong characters and in this book they are not yet working together. Because of this the book breaks up into his investigations and her investigations. Also, because the book takes place in Victorian times the female role has to be very carefully crafted. She can be slightly unconventional but not extremely so. Having effectively divided the book in half the authors cannot spend a large amount of time explaining how each detective comes up with their facts, conclusions, deductions. As a result I sometimes felt that information was just thrown at me without very much ground work so that I accepted it as a naturally drawn conclusion. I have read hundreds of mystery stories. Some I didn't care for but most I love. Some I absolutely adore. My taste seems to tend toward those written in the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's. I have been trying to branch out, sort of bring myself up to speed by trying modern authors but who still write in period settings. Unhappily, the Robin Paige books will not become part of my collection. I have, however, added Ashley Gardner to the adore column, just in case you think I'm always negative!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Hanover Square Affair; Author: Alan Gold; Review: If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would gladly do so. I thoroughly enjoyed my entire time of reading this book. Thankfully I started it when I could devote all my attention to it because that is what I ended up doing. Luckily I didn't have to feel guilty about ignoring those things I really should have been doing. The historical time frame was superbly rendered. The character descriptions were so real that I feel I came to know the people and like or dislike them just as the author wished me to. The main character, Captain Gabriel Lacy, had just enough angst to make me sympathetic but not so much as to make me tired of hearing about his past. There was some mystery about an occurance in his past which was kept covered just long enough, with little bits and pieces revealed along the way to keep me curious. The conclusion was completely logical and satisfactory. All in all, to my way of thinking, a superb way to spend my valuable time.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Murder on the Flying Scotsman (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries, No. 4); Author: Visit Amazon's Carola Dunn Page; Review: This "cozy" mystery was just not my cup of tea! The author began the book by throwing in a large number of characters and the most children I have ever seen in a mystery. It was very hard to get a handle on who they all were (even with the family tree in the frontispiece - which is actually a line from the book). Because there were so many people, I felt they were presented in a very shallow way. I like for characters to have some depth so that I know whether I like or dislike them. This just had a large group of people all wanting money. Greed, greed, and more greed. The intended murder victim was EXTREMELY obvious by page 21 and the murderer before I was halfway through the book. I think this author is just not for me. If you like true depth of characters, intricately woven plots, and atmosphere which makes you feel you are looking over the shoulder of the sleuth, my recommendation would be to choose another book.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Cater Street Hangman: The First Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne Perry Page; Review: This is the first Anne Perry mystery I have read and I wanted to begin with the first Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novel so that I could read them in order if I chose to continue with the series. I just loved it! It was a book that was almost impossible for me to put down. That phrase is used so often in reviews that I hesitate to use it but nothing else comes close to describing how truly absorbed I became in this story. Other reviewers have covered the plot so I will only say that I found everything I am looking for in a period mystery in this novel. I had no idea who the killer was up until the reveal and then could only marvel at how ingenious this author is in her thinking. I had suspected someone else of the crimes but was wholly satisfied with Perry's results. That says a lot coming from a longtime mystery reader. If there was a tiny niggle, it would be that Charlotte did not get quite enough time to realize that her feelings for Pitt were changing. But in the end, who cares? All's well that ends up with them becoming a team. I can't wait to dig into Callander Square, I just have to find a good clear space of time to be totally uninterrupted.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Evans Above; Author: Visit Amazon's Rhys Bowen Page; Review: Rhys Bowen is a new author for me and I am delighted to have discovered this series of mysteries. I enjoyed Evans Above for many reasons. The mystery is actually a good mystery. All the clues are given and discernible (if you read carefully) so all the action takes place in a very logical progression. The characters are very likeable and read like real people. The location descriptions are clear and recognizable even to those of us who live here in the "flatlands". I liked Evan Evans. He was not a bumbling, stumbling idiot but neither was he a self promoting intellectual who always knew what the clues meant but had to keep the meaning hidden until the last moment so that he got all the credit. A pleasant, enjoyable read that captured my interest immediately and held me in suspense so that I really wanted to know what was going to happen. I enjoyed it so much I was not even tempted to flip to the end to solve the mystery, I wanted it to unfold just as this talented author wrote it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Enchanting Pleasures; Author: Visit Amazon's Eloisa James Page; Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found Gabby to be a wonderful character. I get so very tired of authors constantly making their heroines so incredibly beautiful that men fall over with lust just from looking at them. Gabby was a "real" woman, she had normal flaws but still was comfortable in her own skin. She needed reassurance but was willing to believe another persons evaluations of her charms and intelligence. I found that charming. So many fictional heroines must be told over and over and over and over that they are beautiful, pretty, sweet, desirable, competent, worthwhile. I just get tired of it. She was a woman that I would actually like to have as a friend. For me, the recommendation doesn't come any higher than that. Quill was a little harder to like. He insisted on complete truth from Gabby once she was his wife but did not hesitate to lie to her in order to get what he wanted. Naturally, this was the character flaw that the author wanted us to see him work his way through. I personally think she did a great job of bringing him along slowly in order to make the changes to his personality believable. The information about migraine headaches was woven throughout the plot in a fascinating manner. Also, thank you Ms. James, for not making us suffer through encounters with Gabby's father. He was painted as a very unpleasant character and I had quite enough of him. A very pleasurable read. Highly recommended, especially if you like a heroine who actually could be a real person and not just a work of fiction.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Bride and the Beast (Once Upon a Time); Author: Visit Amazon's Teresa Medeiros Page; Review: Obviously Teresa Medeiros really wanted to do a story with a "dragon" as a central theme so she just plowed on ahead with it. All we have to do is suspend any thoughts of reality regarding the historical time period and the pathetic credulity of all the village people and enjoy ourselves. And that is just what I did. Could it have happened like this? No. Did it even come close to being believable? No. Did I thoroughly enjoy it? Yes, yes, yes. How's that for logic? This was a wonderful, charming, light read. I loved the humor shown by both the hero and heroine. He had just enough dark history to make him a sympathetic character. She was level headed and had her feet firmly planted on the ground but never to the point of me wanting to see her fall in the mud just to bring her down to the level of mortal human beings. (I must say though, I did not like her sisters. Kitty was sort of O.K., but just barely. Would conduct like theirs have been tolerated by the villagers? Now that I think about it, I didn't like any of the villagers either so that probably answers that question.) As another reviewer said, I got tired of her father very quickly. Even with his physical and mental problems he was definitely not a sympathetic character. Ms Medeiros made me chuckle at so many of the quips and comments made by the lead characters but they never descended into the realm of the ridiculous. For this I am truly grateful. I would recommend this book. It is easy to see through the very mild mystery but I really liked Gwendolyn and Bernard.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Suddenly You; Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Kleypas Page; Review: I honestly do not understand why an author spends so many words telling us how intelligent, smart, resourcefull and independent a heroine is and then proceedes to let us see how she is really none of those things. Or at the very least, only to a very superficial degree. Amanda Briars is supposed to be a very successful author of well written books and admired greatly by her readers. I can understand the motivation for her seeking "professional" help for an area of her life which she felt was lacking. What I cannot understand is why she never realized what a terrible position she was exposing herself to. Where was her highly touted intelect then? How did she even know who to go to for the hiring of a "professional"? She had supposedly only lived in London for a short period of time. Once she met Jack the second time every ideal and character trait she had went flying out the window. I know that she had to give in to his persuasion in order for the book to progress but could she not have exhibited some backbone? Did she have to give in instantly and incidently completely abandon her publisher who was responsible for giving her the opportunity to become a well known author in the first place? Jack supposedly represented everything she disliked in the field of publishing and yet she just fell right in with all his plans. And just because of money!! (My gosh, it's not even like she had a sickly sibling who needed an expensive operation and she had no other way to raise the funds. At least with that hackneyed story line you can at least forgive the avarice. But Amanda was well off and likely to continue to be so in the future.) It looks like the reqirement for this book was, let's skip the conscience and get straight to the sex. I'm sorry to say that I did not like this hero or heroine. I read the book and gave it three stars but my preference would actually be two and a half.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Callander Square; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne Perry Page; Review: I had expected the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series to be an equal collaboration between the husband and wife team with each having their particular fields of investigation. Thomas would have been on the official side and made the inquiries dictated by having the legal rights to do so. Those involved in the mystery would have been obliged to give him at least some cooperation simply because he represented a governmental agency. Charlotte on the other hand could proceed from the social aspect of the lives of those involved. By coming back together and sharing what they had learned they would help each other reach a final solution. For whatever reason Ms. Perry did not exactly construct this mystery in that way. To my way of thinking, Charlotte was not even that interested in the investigation. I did not like having her get bogged down by being immersed in helping General Balantyne with his family history. There were great stretches of time when she made absolutely no moves toward resolving the case at all. It seems that her only reason for being in the vicinity at all was to enable her to meet a secondary character and provide a link for the end of the story. And suddenly her sister Emily was front and center and having a huge part in the solving of the mystery by providing information I would have expected Charlotte to have been helpful in uncovering. Did I miss something in the first book? When did Emily ever exhibit any interest in Pitt or his profession aside from her dislike of anything which smacked of the tradesman and other "inferior" social orders? I also did not feel that enough clues were given for solving this mystery. I don't want a billboard but I do like to feel that my detective has some hint of where he is headed. You may not agree with me but I feel as if Pitt just wandered in and suddenly got it right. This series is very much an insiders view of the lives and thoughts of life during the Victorian era. I have read so many books having to do with this time period that I am not as shocked by the hypocrisy and double standards as some readers new to the era may be. I still think Anne Perry does a fantastic job of immersing the reader in that time period but now I have to read the third book to get a better feel for where she is going with the relationship between Thomas and Charlotte regarding detection. I wanted to read the series in order. Now I wonder if that is really necessary. With the exception of several references to Cater Street and the death of Charlotte's second sister this book is a stand-alone. I could have enjoyed it very much without having already read the first book. I liked this book very much. Not as much as the first but it was still way up there on my enjoyment scale. I will continue to read the stories in; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons); Author: Visit Amazon's Julia Quinn Page; Review: I began reading the Bridgerton series before I knew that it was a series. After beginning with book four I decided to go in order and thereafter have been reading in sequence. Books one, two, and four are fabulous. Three, not so. In all the other books Benedict is a non-character. I agree with another reviewer, all we know about him is that he is the tallest. This is a character that Ms. Quinn definitely short changed on her way to giving him his own story. Poor guy, all he ever seems to do is just hang around his brothers while they (Anthony and Colin, Gregory is still too young) are Bridgertons with a capital "B". Benedict has no substance. What does he do all day or even all night? If you are looking for clues in the other books, you will be sorely disappointed. I almost gave up on this book. I would read a chapter and then go fold the clothes from the dryer. Read a chapter and walk to the mailbox. Read a chapter and (horror of horrors!) go watch mindless drivel on television. It did not capture me. I had to read over 250 pages !!! before I actually cared about EITHER character. Sophie was cinderella. Even so, I didn't particularly care. I forced myself to finish it because I have an unwritten rule with myself that I cannot begin a new book until I've given the current one a fair chance. It was a duty, and not one I relished until I finally became engaged in the lives of these two people. All the other members of the family were still as interesting as in previous novels. I got a sneaking suspicion that Ms. Quinn thought of Benedict as "number two" also. Her writing is wonderful. She tells her stories with wit and a charm which make me want to keep reading. But, for me, Benedict and Sophie never became my friends. He treated her, even before he began to care for her, in a manner which would never have happened in that time period. They were both incredibly familiar with one another, even in the presence of others (beginning with Mr and Mrs Crabtree) and not just while they were alone. A servant would NEVER have been so forward as to throw a candle stump at someone so high above her in rank. Yes, Ms. Quinn wanted us to see her as a spirited heroine but many, many of Sophies actions were ridiculous for a servant. It finished well, not great, just well. Frankly, I was glad to get it over with because I have a mountain of books left to read. I'm thinking seriously about changing that unwritten rule. I've run across some real clinkers from some Regency romance authors lately but not, I'm glad to say, Julia Quinn. I think this was just a hiccup.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Little Scandal; Author: Visit Amazon's Patricia Cabot Page; Review: It seems, in reading the voting totals for reviews, that people do not particularly like to read a negative review. Well, why not? If I had given more credence to the negative reviews on this book, I would have saved myself some money and lots of time. The synopsis of the book has been fully explored by previous reviewers so I can just say why I didn't like this particular novel by Patricia Cabot. I have read other books by Ms Cabot and thoroughly enjoyed them. I started off liking this one because I thought I knew where it was heading (which is always dangerous because only the author knows where a book is truly going). It did not take me very long to begin to dislike the way Kate had of expressing part of a thought to herself and then, as a tease, going no further and leaving me dangling. If an author reveals too much too soon there is no more mystery, or confusion, or situation which our heroine needs to clear up. If an author does not reveal enough and leaves readers hanging too often, it gets frustrating. I got frustrated. A really big problelm for me was that I did not like Burke. He was way too violent for me. Not just the suggestion of an ability to becomme violent but actual fighting, hitting, hurting people, breaking things, and killing people (yes, killing). He knew he had a terrible temper and had to keep it under control but Ms. Cabot had him smashing things and people up every time he got the chance. I also did not like Kate. She supposedly had all these scruples and values yet she jumped into bed with him almost instantly. Yes, she left after their first encounter but she had to....the author made it happen so fast we weren't even to the half-way point in the book! From then on, it was nothing but an excuse to describe violence on his part until he found her and then sex over and over once they were reunited. Also, a very thin excuse for a mystery. If an author does not have enough material for the main characters to fill a book, why do they throw in a "mystery"? It must be very hard to write something convincing because most "mysteries" incorporated into historical romances are just not very interesting. Now I've had my say. You may not agree but at least you have been warned.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Big Sky Rancher (Montana Mavericks: Gold Rush Grooms); Author: Visit Amazon's Carolyn Davidson Page; Review: Believe me, I am being overly generous in giving this book two stars. The only reason I'm doing so is because I have read many, many of Carolyn Davidson's books and even though they can not all be 5+ this one is pitiful! It seems almost as if it was written by a different person. There is no spark, no life, no depth of character. There is not even any true feeling of what the landscape looks like, much less the people. Our hero was not loveable or gallant. He actually thinks he is handsome! A real gag for me. The heroine is someone I just wanted to smack on the head and tell her to grow up. She signed on for the mailorder bride situation. What did she think was going to happen when she finally got to her destination? She was totally dishonest in her representation of herself. And please, what in the world did the author think she was doing having HIM move into town to the boarding house to be close to HER? Bad, bad, bad, bad. Save your money. Instead, read Maggie's Beau, The Tender Stranger, Texas Lawman or A Marriage by Chance. All are by this author (obviously in her previous life) and all rate a 5 from me. Now if we could just have someone say, "Would the real Carolyn Davidson please stand up"!!!; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Darling Jack; Author: Visit Amazon's Mary McBride Page; Review: Author Mary McBride has written a story that has stayed with me long after I finished reading the book. Her depiction of Jack is truly amazing. He is a flawed hero whose problems began with his father and have escalated ever since. His relationship with the Baroness emphasized everything which was terribly wrong in his life. This story has a very dark side. Much more so than I am accustomed to reading from Harlequin Historicals. And yet, I always believed that Jack could be saved from himself and his (multiple) addictions. I just wanted his life to turn around and for him to be healed spiritually, physically and emotionally. Luckily Anna was able to do that for him. This author was so very wise to give Anna this type of personality. Anything else and there would have been an over-the-top story which would not have worked for me. If you want to become personally involved with the characters in a story. If you want to see good triumph over evil. If you want to see the quiet, sweet, loveable girl get the great guy, then this is the book for you. I have read it four times now and I love it each and every time.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Accidental Bride (Bride Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Jane Feather Page; Review: I wanted to like this book because Phoebe was not the physically perfect woman as is the case in so many romance novels. But the age difference really got in the way. Other reviewers say that Phoebe was 17 (and Cato was 37 and she was his fourth wife!!) but very far into the book Cato says she is 19 (probably just over 18 according to the dates given). Almost as if the author has realized that there is a problem and tries rather half heartedly to fix it. Why didn't Ms. Feather just start all three girls off a little older? Just a few years would have made a big difference. She could have even left Olivia at her original age and not caused any problems for Portia or Phoebe. As it was, I was very uncomfortable with Phoebe and Olivia being such close friends when one was the daughter and one the wife of the same man. And please, could Ms Feather not have at least given names to the two poor girls Cato produced with Diana? If that information was there then I missed it because it must have been given only once. I very quickly lost patience with Phoebe always looking like a rag bag, always having rats nest hair, always having dirt on her face, always being defiant, always, always, always. As another reviewer said, why couldn't she get a little back bone and stop her relentless pursuit of Cato. Did she only feel humiliation for mere seconds? Any normal woman wouldn't have spoken to him (or allowed him to touch her) for a week. Cato did change. But, wow, did he ever inflict verbal punishment every chance he had. It took so long for his attitude to change toward Phoebe that I had almost given up hope. And then he changed completely. Almost too much too late. At least for me. I would not recommend this book to a friend. If you decide to read it, you will do so with lots of information given through the review system and know what you are letting yourself in for. I will NOT be reading the other two books!!!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Holly and the Ivy; Author: Visit Amazon's Elisabeth Fairchild Page; Review: I really had to make myself keep reading this book because it was such a slow starter. Ultimately, I'm exceedingly glad I stayed with it and finished the book. Once I got into the feel and atmosphere I literally could not put it down until I had finished it. Lord Balfour is not your typical Regency buck. He is short (at least by hero standards) at 5'8" which means that he actually looks Mary Rivers in the eye. He is blind as a bat and doesn't know that his squinting looks like scowling and so adds to his reputation as Lord Thorn (his middle name is Thornton). He is completely self centered (but that is actually a defense mechanism caused by his very unhappy childhood) and expects total perfection from everyone around him. Oh, and by the way, he hates Christmas. Enter Mary Rivers, come to London from Glastonbury to stay with her Gran because it is her turn to do so. Gran is thought by her family to be very well off but Mary finds this is not true and she has to economize without making Gran suspicious because Gran is ill. Previous Rivers daughters have stayed with Gran for the Christmas season and have been treated to many expensive pleasures so Gran's lack of funds is a recent thing. I got confused by the name thing in the beginning. Was she Merry or Mary? Later on I figured out where the author was coming from but boy, oh boy, was it ever subtle! Mary is just what Balfour can't stand, always happy and smiling for no apparent reason. It took a long time for me to warm up to Lord Balfour because the author took so long to explain about Temple (and I had a problem knowing that there was Temple the elder and Temple the younger). If Ms Fairchild had been a little more revealing a lot sooner, I would have just fallen right in with this story and moved right along. As it was, I had to fight to make myself continue reading until I understood where Lord Balfour was coming from. Mary was always an easy character as was Gran. I really liked this book once I got involved. It is full of surprises and the character of Lord Balfour grows tremendously. He has to act like a terrible heel before he realizes what he has lost and then fight like crazy to right his mistake. Ms. Fairchild really invented a man with a load of problems and then allowed him to work through them and come out victorious. This book is essentially about the hero but without the right heroine he would never have been redeemed. Highly recommended. Just don't get impatient with it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: My Sweet Folly; Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Kinsale Page; Review: Oftentimes I wish the Amazon rating system allowed for more flexibility. Even as I think that I know that more leeway would just lead to the need for more leeway. I'll just have to settle for what has worked so well in the past. I would love to give this book more than 5 stars in almost every area. It is totally entertaining, absorbing, well written and has a whole host of characters you are interested in and love, like, or hate. I must admit that I had begun to feel true despair for Robert. Page 134 was the first glimpse of the true man without the "madness". I found it very wearing from the standpoint of my own emotions. I wanted so much to get to know him without the hindrance of his mania, delusions, paranoia; whatever he was suffering from. Folly is a fabulous character. She seems to others to be level headed, confident in her own abilities, a perfect parent able to guide Melinda through all the pitfalls of a London season and come out the other side with a worthwhile husband for her stepdaughter. But there is a hidden Folly, just as there is a hidden person inside each of us. The hidden Folly is totally captivated by a man she made up from sentences written on stationery. Now she must meet him face to face and risk finding out that she is, after all, still in love with him. Laura Kinsale has written a story that brings together two people who "know" each other but who do not actually "know" each other at all. They have a ten year history to fall back on but in actuality it does not help them in the least. It was a joy to watch Folly fall in love with Robert, even against her wishes. And also a joy to watch Robert come to understand that Folly was a woman to be trusted and loved, truly loved so that he could actually say those three little words. Ms Kinsale understands how very hard it is for men to gather their courage and say those three little words. There has to be a whole lot of trust there! Bravo! Ms. Kinsale. I look forward to reading more of your works.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jane and the Man of the Cloth (Jane Austen Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Stephanie Barron Page; Review: When I read the first Jane Austen Mystery (Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor) I knew that I had found a series which would keep me interested and reading as long as the author continued writing. I liked this second installment of this series and actually prefer to rate it a 4.5 star book. The writing is still very well done and it must be quite a challenge for this author to block out the modern day style of speech and produce readable prose from another time period. Unfortunately, because the speech patterns were so very different during Jane Austen's lifetime some of the sentences in these books just go on and on and on. I understand that it is realistic, but I also know that I found myself feeling that perhaps Ms Barron could have shortened up some of the sentence structure. Often it seemed forced and did not flow naturally. Ms Barron is not Jane Austen. I'll bet she even knows this without any of us telling her. What she is though is a very talented writer and I greatly admire and appreciate her willingness to tackle something as difficult as these books to give so many people so much pleasure. Having said that, I will have to admit that the novel bogged down in the middle for me. Ms Barron had so very much going on in this book with so many characters and they all had to be kept fresh and moving along toward a conclusion. I had a choice of three villians. One Jane became romantically attracted to. One died. Guess what, tag you're it! The bad guy was the only one left. I really never believed that Jane would have been attracted to a murdering smuggler, therefore, I actually only had two villians to choose between. I don't think I have ever read a book where so many people were so wet and cold so often as in this book. (We are in the midst of a very dry summer and I found myself distracted by thoughts that I coveted some of that stormy, wet, cool weather!) It really did make me wonder how they went about drying their clothes. How long did it take a wool cloak to dry out? Lots of things distracted me from being totally concentrated on the book and especially the mystery. There seems to be a very even split among reviews as to whether this second book is stronger or weaker than others in the series. For me, I vote weaker. I still loved it but I was easily distracted and very often wanted it to move along at a faster pace. I will be reading all the books and highly recommend that anyone even vaguely interested in Austen or her contemporaries do the same.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder at Shots Hall; Author: Visit Amazon's Maureen Sarsfield Page; Review: I made myself wait two days before writing this review hoping that I would be able to view this book in a better light but it is just not going to happen. I had originally read the only other review for Murder at Shots Hall before purchasing it and expected that it would be just the perfect cozy mystery which I love so much. I find that I am going in the polar opposite direction from the other reviewer. This book was originally published as Green December Fills the Graveyard but the title has been changed by Rue Morgue Vintage Press to better define the book within the mystery genre. (For anyone interested in the second Sarsfield mystery it was published as A Dinner for None in Britain and as A Party for Lawty in the U.S. Rue Morgue has retitled that selection as Murder at Beechlands. Just a little information so you will not accidently buy the same book multiple times.) I did not like this book. I am very irritated with myself because I even finished it but I wanted to see if I had spotted the murderer. I'm also sorry to say that I had but not the reasoning behind that character being guilty. I thought I would scream if I read one more time that Flik was lovely, just lovely, so lovely, really lovely, a lovely woman. Why was she lovely? Surely the author saw something in her imagination which made Flik lovely. Her hair, her eyes, her skin, her figure, her hands, her feet??? What, what, what??? We are just told ad nauseam how lovely she is. And that every man "fell" for her. Once again, why? This story all takes place over a very short time, a matter of days, and every single night the fog came down so that no movement could be seen, so thick that it actually dripped off people. This village was six miles from the sea and yet the salt in the fog stung skin and eyes. Really? Now that's a long way for salt spray to travel. But of course I'm forgetting. Every night these poor people had to endure gale force winds (just to make it more interesting). This book is so full of stupidity that I could spend all day trying to relate it all. Several examples: (1) The SCOTLAND YARD INSPECTOR told the constable left on the premesis to take his boots off and walk around outside in his socks at about 2:00 am (in the mud, rain and howling wind) so that he would not wake Flik up, she needed her rest! (2)The doctor (who had lived within a three mile radius of Flik for many years but had never met her until the first murder) actually almost balked against going to check up on a newborn infant whose parents thought he was dying because he wanted to go check up on Flik. (3)A broom comes flying out of the air and manages to hit a police constable smack on the head while he is wallowing; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Hero, Come Back; Author: Visit Amazon's Stephanie Laurens Page; Review: You know, when I buy an anthology I just never know what I will come up with. It's like going to the county fair. You pays your money and you takes your chance. Luckily for me, two out of three was not bad except that the "bad" one was officially called a novella and took up most of the book. ---4.5 stars, Stephanie Laurens, "Lost and Found" At less than 80 pages this was a very good story. Why this was so short I don't know but it would have done well as a longer offering. Anne Ashford and Reggie Carmarthen were very good lead characters and complimented each other admirably. He seemed to instantly realize how serious she was about finding a solution to Benjamin's parental (or lack of) situation and I liked seeing them work together. A feel good ending all around. ---2 stars, Elizabeth Boyle, "The Matchmaker's Bargain" This was the novella of the trio and I just can't make out why. Why was this author chosen to write the longest portion of this anthology? Is it mandatory that they be over 370 pages long? Do readers demand quantity instead of quality? For me, it was trite, contrived, unweildy and had very poor dialogue. Try an experiment some time when you are reading. Say the dialogue out loud. This was riddled with lines spoken by our heroine, Amanda Farleigh (masquerading as Miss Smythe to protect her identity) such as, "Sir, I must away", and "Sir, I beseech you to leave" and "Please, sir, unhand me". And our hero. Oh, yes, our hero! Mr James Reyburn (Jemmy to his friends and family) must have said "demmit" either aloud or to himself once on each page (somethimes more than once per page). Gosh how I grew to hate that word! I think the whole thing was drawn out just to make for more pages in the book. I felt that nothing was added to the story by having it that long..over 155 pages. ---4.5 stars, Christina Dodd, "The Third Suitor" A very good story. Needed to be longer. (Say, what if we take away about half from EB?) It was well thought out, it had wonderful characters who were likeable and realistic and the plot was interesting, tight, and workable. Lady Jessica Macmillian and Edmund Kennard Henry Chamberlain, Earl of Granville (posing as just regular Mr Harry Windberry) have not come to this out-of-the-way place by accident and therein lies this delightful tale. He doesn't remember her, she doesn't recognize him, but they have met before and she is actually the reason his nose was broken all those years ago. A true delight to watch them rediscover each other and fall in love in the process. This one was 112 pages but seemed much shorter because I was so interested in it. This book also contained 18 pages at the end selling stories available from this publisher which (stupid piled on top of stupid) actually included the three stories included in this very book! (Please, people, is there really not an; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dreaming of You; Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Kleypas Page; Review: This book has been reviewed so many times that it seems superfluous to do so again but I just can't resist. I am a demanding reader and when I find a book which satisfies me this much I honestly believe I need to give praise where praise is due. It was extremely satisfying to read an historical novel where neither the hero nor the heroine were members of the ton. Sara and Derek were characters whose personalities truly reflected their upbringing and environment. She is one of my all-time favorite people. Even while she was helping a bleeding, injured Derek to the club she was plying him with questions about his life, his speech patterns, Cockney slang, and gambling. Now that lady was intent on doing her research. Later in the novel Ms. Kleypas had to let that part of Sara's personality take a back seat to what was happening at the time and I found that I really missed "the mouse". My one objection to the authors character development with Sara was when she returned to Greenwood Corners. When Sara told Perry Kingswood that she was in love with him I actually felt betrayed. It was obvious that she didn't love him so why not have her say she was fond of him? Some other emotion not as strong and exclusive as love? (Believe me, if this is all I can find to say in a negative way about this book, it is really, really good!) Derek Craven stayed true to his character up until the last word in this book. He was so real and believable that I just wanted to hug him. Poor baby, what a hard time he had. And to finally accept Sara and his feelings for her made me want to shout for joy. This is not a new book, (copyright 1994) but it stands the test of time. It is filled with characters and situations you will enjoy and contains the most villainous female I have ever come across. But never fear, she got her just desserts.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Flowers from the Storm; Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Kinsale Page; Review: I definitely fit into the category of readers who think this book will be considered a superb, well written book for many years to come. It is intense and not a light read but well worth your investment in time and emotional connection. Maddy and Christian are total opposites. He is a rake, a scoundrel (he has gotten a married woman pregnant) and the world is his oyster. He's rich, well liked and the head of his noble titled family. But how quickly all those things were stripped from him and he literally was left with nothing. His own family considered him insane and had him committed to an asylum. Luckily for him, money did talk, and he went to an institution which was quite progressive for its time. I enjoyed learning more about how mental illness was handled during Regency times but found it distressing to read about the frustration Christian was going through. The problem was that he was not insane, he had had a stroke, but because of his inability to speak the people around him did not know how to communicate with him. Maddy was a Quaker. Her faith was the center of her life. She was thrown into Christian's world but only on the very fringes. He and her father met while working on a new mathmatical formulation and Maddy was the one who delivered messages from one to the other. What she knew about Christian was extremely unsettling to her and she would have preferred that there be no more contact. Once she actually met him she was uncomfortable finding that there were many sides to this man and she could not help admiring some of his kinder qualities. After hearing that Christian had died fighting a duel she was very surprised to find how sorry she was that he was dead. Imagine her amazement when she went to work in her uncle's asylum and there found Christian. Maddy was the one who could calm him and then learned how to communicate with him. The road was never smooth for these two people. How could it be? They did the best they could to learn how to cope and in the end did an excellent job of it, but nothing came easily to them. This novel requires the reader to make an investment in time to read it. It also requires that you allow each character to be who they are all the way through the book. If Christian had suddenly recovered from all symptoms of his stroke, his character would have been just another rake. If Maddy had given up her faith and beliefs, she would have been just another shallow heroine willing to forgo everything for money, marriage and position. Highly recommended. It is worth all your time and all the emotions you will invest to get these two people to the conclusion.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tempt Me (Langley Family Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Lucy Monroe Page; Review: This book is 327 pages of small print dealing with THE BIG MISUNDERSTANDING. If you like that type of plotting for your romance novels, you will love this book. Every time I thought this problem was about to be solved by our hero and heroine actually speaking more than four or five words strung together in a sentence to each other--BAM--here came another crisis. Irisa ALWAYS misinterpreted Lucas' actions mainly because his conversations with her usually consisted of phrases such as, "Trust me, sweeting" and nothing else. It is hard to know where a man is coming from if he will not talk to you. But then, she didn't talk to him either. She wanted him to prove that he desired her by being more physical with her but she never bothered to let him know that. He was obviously supposed to divine it by looking into her eyes. She was too confined by conventional rules of conduct to talk about her feelings but not too confined to put on boys clothes, sneak out of the house, make her way across London, at night, ALONE, and stand outside a woman's house to see if she was Lucas' mistress. Wasn't it fortunate for the plot that Lucas came to visit this woman on that very night even though it had already been established that his visits always occured during the day? One quibble which may be unimportant but which I found annoying, at the beginning of the book Irisa is 17, about to turn 18 because they are planning a birthday party for her, four years later she is 20. New math? Lucas was called The Saint initially by his mother to indicate her dislike of his strict code of conduct which she did not want to follow. The name was taken up by the members of the ton and actually seemed to fit him pretty well. He should have been a sympathetic character but I just could not warm up to him. There again, a tiny bit of dialogue would have gone a long way toward helping these characters become "real" people. Throw in irresponsible behavior on the part of Irisa, blackmail and kidnapping and you just have a long, boring mess. Did anyone ever figure out why the Earl and Countess of Langley hated Irisa? She was their own daughter and I know her birth could have been the cause of scandal for them but why did it make them hate her? Just never could figure that one out. Of course, without their hate, there would be no plot line but still, at least give me a good reason for the hatred. She was their meal ticket for staying firmly entrenched within the ton. Looks to me like they should have been doing everything possible to keep her happy. And throwing in the disfigurement accident with her brother. Please, he was just another character for the author to move around. At least he did provide someone for Lucas to have full sentence conversations with. Not recommended. Did not like it. My; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: A Reason to Live (Forrester Brothers); Author: Visit Amazon's Maureen McKade Page; Review: I honestly don't know what to think of my reactions to books by Maureen McKade. I've read seven of her books. Four I've rated 5 stars, three zero stars. I'm sorry to say that the only reason I gave this one two stars (zero in my personal notation book) is because I have enjoyed other stories from Ms. McKade so very much. I have my notes on other McKade books and am amazed. Evidently I either love her stories or I don't like them at all. Sorry to say, this is a don't like it at all for me. Widow Laurel Covey is on a mission to visit the families of soldiers who made death bed statements to her while she was a nurse for the Confederate side in the war which ended just six months past. Creede Forrester was searching for her to find out if she knew whether his son had died in battle. His information indicated his son was wounded but now that the war is over, he cannot find his son. Once he finds Laurel and understands what her mission is, his conscience will not allow him to let her make the last visitation trips alone. He goes along with her even though she plainly states that she does not want him. This story does not "resonate with heartfelt emotion" as the cover states, for me it was just plain depressing. Everything turned out well for Laurel and Creede in the ending but it was a struggle for me to wade through all the war recollections and emotional baggage Laurel was carrying. I know, I know. That was the whole point of the story, but uplifting it was not! A little bit of "happy" along the way would have gone a long way toward making this an easier read. So very much seriousness just weighed me down. I didn't WANT to finish reading it but I did. Was the introduction of the starving, orphaned kitten supposed to form some of the "happy" moments which were otherwise sadly lacking? If so, it didn't work out that way for me. How could we be expected to believe that a starving, orphaned kitten could walk fifteen miles from one campsite to the next? If the starving, orphaned kitten could do it, why did the perfectly healthy horses only make it those fifteen miles? See, I'm being picky, picky, picky. But once it starts, everything begins to snag my attention and I loose concentration and the desire to continue to read. Sorry to be so negative but I just cannot see myself recommending this to anyone without a strong warning first. I have two more Maureen McKade books left to read. If my yo-yo is correct, surely one of them should be a five star read.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Scottish Brides; Author: Visit Amazon's Christina Dodd Page; Review: I am so very glad to say that miracles (even minor ones) do still happen. This is an anthology (usually to be approached with extreme caution by me, yet I continue to buy them) which actually has four, yes, count them, four GOOD stories. I almost didn't buy the book because of the diverse range of ratings from other readers but I am wholeheartedly glad I went ahead and got it. The plots of the four stories are very well described in other reviews so I will just say that I acutally enjoyed all four of these stories. No one stood out more than another but I also did not find one to be significantly weaker than the others. Maybe the reasons some reviewers saw these stories in a negative way are the same reasons I liked them very much. They are all very simple love stories, relatively uncomplicated, containing very few secondary characters. Because of the brevity, the characters must deal with each other and their situations and not allow THE BIG MISUNDERSTANDING to take up page after page after page of unproductive activity. They are sweet and even innocent (even though each has a liberal sprinkling of sensual moments). I found all four stories entirely to my liking. I know that the book was published in 1999 and literary styles have changed but not all those changes suit all readers. I, for one, still enjoy a good, old fashioned love story.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Key: A Miss Silver Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Patricia Wentworth Page; Review: Patricia Wentworth books are good, old fashioned mystery stories. Her emphasis is always on the mystery. Everything else in the story is merely dressing to clothe the murder (or usually multiple murders) in the mystery. In this story the key referred to in the title was the actual key to the church in the village. All action and discussion had to center on finding out who had access to the four church keys and where each of those keys were when the murder was committed. I love the way Wentworth always has two stories in her mysteries. The first story is an explanation of what happened to the murder victim and how the crime was committed. The second story is how everything changes when Miss Maude Silver arrives on the scene and becomes involved in the case. She takes information which everyone believed to be the solution and turns all the facts upside down while uncovering the real killer. A Miss Silver mystery follows a formula which becomes obvious after you have read the second story. A murder takes place, things are not anywhere close to what they seem to be, a man and woman will be involved in a very gentle romance, Miss Silver will be called in and will solve the case. Even knowing that it will be written to formula I still love these stories. This particular one was written in 1946 and most of Patricia Wentworth's writings took place during this time. A large number (maybe even all) of her mysteries have some connection to the Second World War - some connections more prominent than others - and we see from yet another angle the impact of that horrible conflict on the lives of all who lived through it. My thought is that any Miss Silver book is a good story. It is fascinating to see how the very structured British class system is utilized to tie all these major characters together. Someone always knows someone who knew someone who had Miss Silver come to solve a mystery for them. The stories usually refer to previous cases Miss Silver has been involved in and I love to go find that book and reread it to refresh my memory. I used to think this population linkage was not possible until I sat down one day and realized how impossible it is for me to leave my house in my own little corner of the world without seeing or meeting someone I know. Please, if you are interested in an old fashioned, comfortable mystery story, read any Patricia Wentworth book. She also wrote many books which do not have a "featured" detective and those are wonderful too. Full of period atmosphere and wonderful good/bad characters. You will enjoy these books if you remember when they were written and don't try to judge them outside their time period.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Always; Author: Visit Amazon's Lynsay Sands Page; Review: The beginning of this book had some very cute, funny, touching writing and I hoped that it would be a good read for me. Unfortunately, it just seemed to take a lot of time and go nowhere. There was not actually much of a plot line so until at least half way through the book the only problems seemed to be Aric's inability to ever trust a woman and Rosamunde's difficulty in transitioning from life in a convent. His problem was not believable to me. The author never stated that he had LOVED the woman whom he caught cheating on him, just that he now didn't trust any woman. I know he had been engaged to her but even when he was getting drunk with Robert he never said anything about LOVING Delia. Had there been other times he had caught women cheating on him? He was so fanatical about his distrust that he would not even allow his wife to step inside a stable to attend sick horses? Why, had he had bad experiences with women cheating on him in stables? Did he assume that every woman of quality in a stable must be engaged in illicit behavior? His attitude was so all consuming and yet was based on one incident in his life. Way too overboard for me. Now Rosamunde had a much bigger problem to overcome and I could certainly understand her confusion over what was expected of her regarding the marriage bed. (The scene of the consummation of her marriage was truly funny but why does this author like to write scenes where people are standing outside the door while a marriage is being "legalized"? She does the same thing in "The Deed") Rosamunde had lived all her life in a convent, separate from all men save the priest who came to perform religious ceremonies. Nuns do not sit around and discuss sex all day so Rosamunde could be forgiven for her total lack of knowlege. My problems began with her over halfway through the book when she acted like a completely ditzzy woman in her handling of the sick horse situation. (Actually, the author must take full blame for having this character act so stupidly. After all, she wrote this stuff!) I kept saying to myself that it was silly but give her a chance. Then I read that she had covered the horse with men and women's clothing, put a hat on the horses' head, her husband's stockings on its four legs and had actually thought she could get the horse out of the great hall before everyone came back and nobody would notice? Have you ever been around a horse? They have a very destinctive (and lingering) odor. And this horse was made by our author to be "windy" on top of all its other problems. Why didn't she just cover the horse with a rug or a blanket? No thank you, I had passed my saturation point. Was this part supposed to be cute? believable? logical? If so, it failed my litmus test. I; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Raven Prince; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Hoyt Page; Review: .....I can't believe this book is actually as good as all the reviews say it is. I began to read it as soon as I got it out of the Amazon box. It has been my unpleasant experience with these reviews that a book which receives only super positive reviews just has to be too good to be true. But in this case, it is really as good as everyone says. The hero and heroine are both believable people. They have flaws, both physically and emotionally but this author has allowed them to live normal lives in spite of their past histories. Anna is sweet, caring, competent and would make a wonderful best friend. Edward has some rough edges but then, most of us want our hero to need the association of a loving woman to help him overcome those sandpaper tendencies. Elizabeth Hoyt allowed this romance to progress slowly and naturally. It felt as if these characters fell in love because they got to know each other. Yes, there are very sensual love scenes in the book but they fit the characters and the plot perfectly. If this is a debut novel, it is the best debut I've ever read. And believe me folks, I'm picky, picky. If I had to make a comment, it would be about the excerpts from the fairy tale which preceed each chapter. I wanted to get on with this story so much that I didn't want to slow down to read the fairy tale. I finally solved my problem by waiting until I had finished the book and then reading the fairy tale all at once. Wow, isn't that a huge problem???? There is an excerpt from the next book (The Leopard Prince) included and I see that the male lead is Harry Pye from this book. I'm glad. He had intrigued me. This book states that The Leopard Prince will be released in Fall of 2007 but I see that Amazon shows it to be released in April 2007. Hopefully we can all wait that long!!!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Rules of Seduction (Rothwell); Author: Visit Amazon's Madeline Hunter Page; Review: This is the first novel I have read by Madeline Hunter and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I am now looking forward to reading more of her works. Miss Alexia Welbourne and Hayden Rothwell are two characters who have been presented to the reader by an author who obviously wanted us to have a thorough understanding of what their personalities and histories were like. Alexia retained her personality and ideals throughout the entire novel. I appreciate that. Too often I find that romance novelists start a heroine out with the appearance of ideals and then have her immediately throw them out the window in order to jump into bed with the hero. Alexia was a complex person and her life underwent a fantastic amount of change and yet she handled all the new challenges with the calm, logical thinking which life had made her develop. She did not want to be attracted to Hayden yet her innate honesty would not allow her to deny that attraction nor did she blame anyone or any situation with causing it. She simply dealt with it by trying to understand him better. Hayden was a love. He was kind, generous, honorable and a man after my own heart. He had his demons to confront and Ms Hunter allowed him to do that in a slow, sure process that made him grow and become that man I wish to read more about, a man who was not afraid to tell Alexia that he loved her. It was a very moving experience to read about the coming together of these two characters. The next book in this series will be about Hayden's younger brother Elliot and Alexia's friend Phaedra. I'm actually sorry about that. Phaedra figured quite prominently in this book and I did not like her character and cetainly not her name. It was very hard for me to get a pronounciation formulated in my mind and I had to stop each time to figure out how to say it. Elliot yes, Phaedra no. Now Christian, wow, I can't wait to read about him. Wonder what happened to cause his behavior? Alexia said it best, he seemed to be just waiting for something. What? Or should we say who? (Should that be whom?) Maybe in the next book we can find out more about the ship that sailed. I find I am exceedingly bloodthirsty. I don't want innocent people to die but I wouldn't mind seeing something happen to that boat.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Once Upon a Wedding Night (The Derrings); Author: Visit Amazon's Sophie Jordan Page; Review: I found this novel to be delightful. I wondered at the title until I realized that the entire story hinged on what didn't happen on one particular wedding night. Lady Meredith Brookshire did stoop to deceipt in order to maintain her home and a way to care for her relatives and servants but at least she did have an outstanding motive. Some reviewers have criticized her for agreeing to the deception but I really don't know what else she could have done in the short time available to come up with a solution. I did get a tad irritated with her for never fully explaining to Nicholas just why she had come up with this scheme. At the points in the story where a full explanation would have cleared up a lot of problems she remained silent. Also, their passion was a fiery thing but I really would have liked to have seen their first sexual encounter take place some other time and place. She wasn't depicted as a brazen hussy but boy, she never said "No". The scene on the side of the road was also bothersome for me. Meredith just didn't seem to be the type of person who would act so impulsively and rashly in public. Maybe Ms Jordan will allow her characters in her next book to be a lot more "private". Nicholas Caulfield was a man with a streak of resentment and suspicion a mile wide. He had to react to Meredith in the way he did, disbelieving almost everything she said, because that is the way he dealt with everyone. In his mind trusting someone was the same as being used by them as a fool. He believed that she was pregnant and even wanted to do something to make life easier for her and even provide medical care for her. Then to find out he had softened toward her and once again allowed himself to be duped came as a huge disappointment. He was a hard man but the author wanted him to be that way and it made it all the sweeter when he finally capitulated and acknowleged his love for Meredith. As a debut novel I found it superb. As a 50th novel I would have found it superb. I just loved the character of Portia. Hopefully there will be a book for her and we will all get to catch up with Nicholas and Meredith at that time.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Regimental Murder (Mystery of Regency England); Author: Visit Amazon's Ashley Gardner Page; Review: I read the first novel in this series and rated it a huge, solid 5 stars. This one slipped a little for me but not actually by much. I have enjoyed both books so much that I will continue to read each and every installment unless Ms Gardner begins to assign chapters to the local kindergarten class and submit them as her own. This book struck me as a kind of "fill-in-the-blanks" novel. We got to learn much more detail about all the charaters who are, obviously, going to continue right along with Lacey in his adventures. It is a rare talent indeed for an author to juggle so many characters and yet keep the reader interested in each and every one of them. Captain Lacey absolutely grows by leaps and bounds in this book. I like him as a character, I want to see him succede, maybe even to prosper (at least a tiny bit, just to make life a little easier for him). Does he never eat anything but a half loaf of bread? I take that back, he did have a bowl of greens and some meat at one point in this story. (What can I say, I'm a worrier.) The mystery in this book did not seem to be quite as important to the overall effort but was used to give us more insight into Lacey and his past. The author continued to kill off all the suspects but she threw in a nifty little surprise at the end which I would never have guessed. She really got me there. Overall, a fascinating read. Wonderful atmosphere. Fully fledged characters. A great look at England during this time with all its social divisions. Ms Gardner has obviously done a lot of research and it pays off in my favor each time I open another of her delightful books.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: What A Gentleman Wants (Zebra Historical Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Caroline Linden Page; Review: This book was fascinating for me. I didn't know if Ms Linden was going to be able to keep me interested in the "deceived into marrying the wrong man" theme for long enough but, Boy, did she ever. Marcus and Hannah are mature enough that they made logical decisions regarding their marriage. Hannah actually tried to leave and go away when she found that David had signed his brother's name in the parish registry. She had no place to go but her conscience would not allow her to stay and let the Duke be responsible for her. The author was able to convince me that she really would have left and wasn't just giving lip service to the things she was saying. Marcus was willing to make great sacrificies in order to protect the honour of his family. By having the counterfieting plot woven into the story Ms Linden provided a bridge for these two characters to get to know each other and fall in love. Very, very cleverly done. Marcus seems to be a cold, unfeeling member of the English aristocracy. Hannah seems to be a provincal, plain widow. It was wonderful to watch this author move these characters toward the outcome we wanted to happen. I might have liked for Hannah to have been a widow for more that six months. That short time period bothered me a little. Wonder why the author didn't give her more time to get over the death of a husband she is portrayed as really loving? Read it. Judge for yourself. It is well worth the time and money.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Paragon Walk; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne Perry Page; Review: This is the third book in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels by Anne Perry and I am very glad to be able to give an enthusiastic five stars as my opinion of this offering. As a fan of these Victorian era mysteries I had wondered how Ms Perry was going to proceed with the investigative directions of Charlotte and Thomas. Now, after reading three, I feel that I have a better handle on which role will be played by each character and were they fit into the overall scheme of the books. The actual plot of the book has been very well described in other reviews. I enjoyed this title because it gave almost equal roles to Thomas, Charlotte and Emily. The residents of Paragon Walk were so fully developed and wonderfully rounded out that I began to think of them as real people. Perhaps there was a degree of closeness there which began to feel slightly artificial but it was a necessary part of the whole in order to make the ending believable. Neighbors in an upper class London street would probably not have been quite so much in each others pockets, but these were and the conclusion showed why that was so. I was able to see through two episodes which took place but never dreamed of the reason behind what the central dark portion of this case was all about. I found this an absorbing read. It held my interest and kept me wanting to find out what was going on and what was going to happen next. A distraction for me was Charlotte's sudden ability and desire to leave her child in the care of someone while she made many, many, many trips away from home to investigate the case with Emily. Did Pitt not have anything to say about her sudden abandonment of her home and child to investigate? (Now see, I wanted her to be more involved in book two and was slightly dissatisfied when she was not. Now that she is more involved in book three, I'm questioning if this would have been allowed by her husband. How is an author ever supposed to satisfy us all?) Another point, suddenly Aunt Vespasia (don't you just love that name? pure Victorian!) and Emily were manufacturing clothes right and left so that Charlotte could attend funerals and other functions with them. Did Pitt not mind? Did Charlotte not feel some sense of abandoning her decision to give up all that when she married "below her station" because she loved Pitt? I can't have it both ways but there was so much emphasis on clothes this time that it became an irritant to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the fourth in the series, Resurrection Row. It looks as if the characters will take turns being front and center in the solving of the mysteries. This one was rushed quite a bit at the end and could have done with a lot more explanation of what happened after the solving of; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dead as a Scone (The Royal Tunbridge Wells Mystery Series #1); Author: Visit Amazon's Ron Benrey Page; Review: Since a scone is not technically a living thing, how can someone or something be dead as one? I'm afraid my take on this book matches my take on the title. I didn't like it. Now, before everyone jumps down my throat because I am writing a negative review please remember that all literature does not appeal to all people. I just happen to not enjoy this particular book. I found it to be dull, uninteresting and to have a major character (Nigel Owen) who was a true pain in the keester. I've never run across a main player in a cozy mystery novel before who was presented in such a self-serving, conceited, unsympathetic manner. The authors really never gave me any reason to like him even the tiniest bit. Flick Adams was a nice person and seemed to be on the road to solving what she knew was a murder but then she just bogged down and all we heard about was the Royal Tunbridge Wells Tea Museum. (Could the authors not have shortened that name after repeating it the first fifty times? Would we as readers not have twigged to the fact that it was the Royal Tunbridge Wells Tea Museum if they had just referred to it as the museum, or the tea museum?) And what was accomplished with their habit of making lists of things? When describing pieces of Tunbridge Ware they list 14 different items made in this manner. When Flick cleared out Elspeth's desk after her death they listed 18 items in the desk. Why? None of them in either case was relevant to solving the case. And the way the historical aspects of the museum (pardon me, the Royal Tunbridge Wells Tea Museum) were added to the novel just made me groan. There might as well have been a symbol to denote: dull historical information upcoming! Please, work the information into the story in a more natural way so that I absorbe it almost without noticing I'm being fed information. Paragraph after paragraph was just relating facts in a very uninteresting way. It felt artificial, contrived. It did not flow naturally within the narrative. (I can't write it but I sure can recognize it when it is done well!) I did not know that the book was supposed to have any significance from the Christian reader point of view. It certainly did not come across in that way at all. The only way I even knew about it was from reading reviews here on Amazon. Don't let that put you off if you don't want to get involved in Christian specific literature. It did not signify. I know, I know, you all loved it. Well, maybe someone else will agree with me. It wasn't worth spending money for but if you can get it from the library, give it a go. If a friend of mine asked to borrow this book, I would gladly lend it but never want to get it back. I still can't figure out what a dead scone is.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: An Unlikely Governess (Avon Romantic Treasure); Author: Visit Amazon's Karen Ranney Page; Review: Others have reviewed the romance aspect of this novel very well. I would like my review to focus primarily on the mystery. I have often complained that writers of Regency romance novels seem to throw in a "mystery" when they don't have enough material to fill up their required number of pages. As a fanatical reader of mysteries I can say that most are totally insipid at their worst, easy to see through at their best. This book was neither of those. It was a romance novel with a genuine (read that as good) mystery woven throughout the framework of the novel. Then, for some reason, the author abandoned the story which was working so well and settled for only the physical side of the h/h relationship. Beatrice and Devlen were so totally dissimilar that they were fascinating together. Who would win? Her with her proper upbringing and strong moral values or him, with his total disdain for all things proper if it interfered with what he wanted to do? You just knew the clash had to be sizzling when it came about. I was wrong. It didn't sizzle, it fizzled. Another of my pet peeves is too little dialogue between hero and heroine. In this case, WAY, WAY, WAY too much dialogue. They sounded as if they were participating in a debate. Would she surrender her virginity to him? Should she? Would he be the first man in her sexual education? Should he? It felt as if they were discussing the weather or some other innocuous subject. I'd read about it for so long that I no longer cared what happened. I actually felt like Beatrice, well, that's finally done. The mystery surrounding the attempts on the life of seven year old Robert was truly the pivotal point of the story. Without the attempts on his life, this would just be another run-of-the-mill bodice ripper. Then tell me, why did the author abandon the mystery for such a long time and then settle the entire question on one measley page????? Had she run out of time? Run over her allotted number of pages? Or did someone say, "Sorry, kiddo, you need more sex scenes. Take out some of the mystery." To add insult to injury she committed the absolute no-no of mystery writers. She withheld information which would have allowed the reader to solve the mystery. This story required and deserved a much longer solution to the revelation of who was responsible for the attempts on the life of this child. The reveal was TOTALLY unsatisfactory. I am also completely flummoxed about the situation between Cameron Gordon and his wife Rowena. Why, in the name of heaven, did the author choose to make those details known about his condition after the carriage accident? What in the world did it add to the book? What was her purpose in writing it into the story? It was so bad I just shook my head in regret. As a romance this novel was, for me, just average. As a mystery-romance it promised to be,; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Trouble With Harry; Author: Visit Amazon's Katie MacAlister Page; Review: For me this book had some cute moments but it also had many more moments which were nothing but pure irritation. I did not find it funny that Harry did not tell Plum about any of his children before the wedding and had actually intended to introduce her to the children one a day until she had met them all. How ever did he intend to perform this miracle? In the first few pages the five got into more scrapes and mischief than most children get into in a full year. A bull in the foyer? With no person seriously trying to get the animal out? With Harry actually hiding in his office? See, I don'lt find that kind of scenario funny. To me it is so totally impossible that it makes me thoroughly dislike where the author seems to believe I can be led. Were we supposed to believe that Plum could have just hitched up her skirts and waded right in to become the perfect Mum to this crew? Also, Plum had been married for six weeks twenty years previously. How in the world did she gain enough sexual experience in that time to be able to write a book? Why did she even get the idea of writing a book? Did she write it soon after Charles left her? Did she write it because she needed money? Did she write it because she just wanted to share her vast knowledge? The author gives us no clues and answers no questions and because of that this part of the story made absolutely no sense. Had she not had a hankering for "Connubial Calisthenics" in all that time? What was it about Harry that triggered her overwhelming longing to once again practice these "arts" after being married to him for five hours? They were practically foaming at the mouth for each other yet neither knew the first thing about the other. It made me think, I'm sorry to say, about "connubial calisthenics" for hire. He lied, lied, lied. She lied, lied, lied. Is this funny? Not for me. I wanted very much to like this book. Harry was an older hero and he wore glasses and he wasn't gorgeous. Instead of sympathizing with him and his plight, I just wondered why he didn't get a grip and deal with his children and their horrible behavior. Plum was an older heroine which is refreshing in romance novels but I didn't like her because every time she found out another of Harry's lies she blamed herself and tried to figure out how to keep him from sending her away. When the brats were being brats she blamed herself and tried to come up with ways to keep Harry from sending her away. How could she be expected to be a perfect mother to five hellions? She had never been a mother to even one hellion. Unfortunately, not recommended. This author had a good idea but with kids who were so totally bratty and two adults whom I never liked, this story did not; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: After Glow (Ghost Hunters, Book 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Jayne Castle Page; Review: I really, really liked this book. It picks up just weeks after the events in After Dark which can be read in the book Harmony. The main reason I am so enthusiastic about this book is that After Dark took me into a completely new genre and After Glow has made me an avowed "Harmonic". This futuristic/romantic/mystery was a delight for me from beginning to end. Since I had already read After Dark it was fascinating to find that Jayne Castle had written this book as if the first book had been an installment, not a separate writing. All the lovely characters were there (except for those killed off in the first book, of course!) with Lydia and Emmett moving directly into their second adventure. As a futuristic novel I am happy to say that I had no trouble coming up with my concept of what the "world" (both above and below ground) looked like. That is pretty important as I have never ventured into any alien landscapes in my reading material. As a romantic novel I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the relationship between Lydia and Emmett mature. Some reviewers did not find favor with the lack of descriptions for the physical relationship side for this couple. As for me, I have a great imagination and appreciate Ms Castle giving me the opportunity to utilize it and fill in the blanks myself. Minute descriptive details are not always welcomed. As a mystery novel it was quite good. I consider myself a huge fan of mysteries and I was satisfied with this plotting. The author threw in a double blind but there is only so much she could do to draw attention away from the villian of the piece. Still, I kept on reading and I think that is what the author wants to hear. All in all, a lovely book. An absorbing book, and a book which makes me want to read more about those folks of Harmony.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: No Man's Bride; Author: Visit Amazon's Shana Galen Page; Review: After thinking it over, I've decided to be honest. Plenty of other reviewers have been kind, even lavish with their praise. Miss Catherine Fullbright, a 20 year old drudge in her fathers household who also liked to sleep late?, was such a contridictory character she fairly made my head spin. One minute cowering, shrinking and fearful. The next incredibly bold, daring and willing to anger her father in every way possible. Her split-personality happened so frequently and with such rapidity that it seemed completely unrealistic to me. I understand that this character was abused, I did read the book. But for me, a gradual change in her personality would have been much more realistic. Catherine needed to learn to have strength, learn to believe in herself despite what she was hearing from father, mother and sister. This prolonged verbal and physical abuse would not and could not have been thrown over in a moment but this author made this character do that. I could not believe the rapid change could come about like that. And then to have Catherine shrink back into her former cowering attitude just caused me to be confused. How would she react to the next situation? The hero, Quint Childers (so named by his parents because he would be the fifth Marquess of Ravenscroft, obviously a ha-ha moment for the author), Earl of Valentine, is a politician and views the entire world through how everything will translate to his career. He didn't strike me as hot or cold, neither strong nor weak, good or bad. I couldn't warm up to him at all and personally don't think the author gave him enough personality to make me care about him or any situation he might find himself in. The wedding was a farce. How did the family come up with a wedding dress for Catherine? This episode took place on the day Elizabeth was to marry Valentine using all the wedding arrangements already in place. The author had established that all of Catherine's clothes were dull and drab. She was much taller and heavier than Elizabeth so there was no possibility of wearing the dress already made. Were there no guests? No family members present? No best man? No clergyman with eyes in his head? Why did no person notice that both the bride and groom had to be held up (physically held up) to keep them from going to sleep in their drugged state? How was it accomplished that both bride and groom were transported from the church to the home of the groom, taken upstairs, completely disrobed and placed in the same bed? Obviously we as readers are just supposed to accept whatever is written and ask no questions. Sorry, I'm not that gullible. The three friends of Catherine (Josie, Ashley and Madeleine) are VERY obviously headed for books of their own. It doesn't matter, I will not be reading them. I am almost positive that given the descriptions of each of their personalities in this book I would have just the same reaction to their stories.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Love Is in the Heir (Warner Forever); Author: Visit Amazon's Kathryn Caskie Page; Review: Yes, I'm afraid I have to say it took me six and a half days to read this book. To make matters even worse, I read two others in the meantime. This author made a critical mistake for me right at the start (aside from the tiresome references to "heir" when she could have said "air" or "hair"). She actually allowed the Earl of Devonsfield to meet the twins and be able to instantly tell them apart. No other character was given this ability. Even though Griffin and Garnet were around the other people in the novel on a daily basis not one other person noticed the differences which were so very glaring to the Earl when he first set eyes on the men. Granted, no one else saw them standing side by side until page 213 but surely such marked differences in them as to make the Earl recognize their individuality must have been seen by someone else. This author had to go to extreme measures to keep the twins from being referred to by name. A guest in the home of the Featherstone sisters would have surely been known by name. How was he introduced? When Hannah met Garnet on the street after her intimate meeting with Griffin the night before would she not have addressed him as Griffin? She had been intimate with the man. They had been on a first name basis in the tent, why not on a public street? Instead she reverted to the formal Mr. St. Albans. (Obviously this was just another ploy to extend the length of time for Hannah not to know that she was dealing with twins. It just made me want to tell her to open her eyes and trust her instincts. She supposedly had already felt that she was dealing with "two different men". It just required way, way, way too much faith in the authors writing ability to convince me this charade would have continued to this point.) I also agree with other reviewers, far to many matches being made by too many people. After a while I felt that I needed to make a chart to keep up with them all. And please, to train a falcon to swoop down and not only pluck a feather from a hat but then to drop it above the head of one certain person? Not exactly the easiest thing for me to believe. I have not read other books by Kathryn Caskie. In this book she states in the author's notes that she likes to creat quirky characters. Well, good luck to her for future books and those of you who will be reading them.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Mistress; Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Quick Page; Review: I can be quite picky when doing a review of a romance novel and I am not going to do that with this book because I finally got almost everything I have asked for in the past from authors. (Is it being picky to say that the heroines name was almost impossible for me to pronounce? I gave her the nickname of Ginny and moved on.) This is a book where the hero (Marcus) actually talked to the heroine (Iphiginia). What a concept. See, authors, I told you it would work. These two characters discussed their problems, situations and feelings. Perhaps it was somewhat of a departure from what might have happened during the Regency period of English history but I'm not living during that time and the book was not written during that time. Mistress was written in 1994 and I now understand what other reviewers mean when they suggest reading the Amanda Quick books which were published a while back. It was written as a romance novel, not a sexual how-to manual. Many modern romance books are so sexually explicit I feel embarassed reading them. Perhaps that is old fashioned but I happen to be an old fashioned woman (and I like it that way!). The two main characters were interesting, intelligent, charming, and realistic in their interaction with each other. They discussed things with each other. They solved the mystery by working together. No, he did not believe her at first, why should he? But, after only a short time he understood her motives and they worked together. Was the blackmailer easy to spot? Yes, but only if you are like me and have read hundreds and hundreds of mystery stories. Ms. Quick actually did a very good job of continuing the mystery throughout the story. I highly recommend this book. Iphiginia is such a vivacious character that she turns Marcus' world upside down. One of the most compelling parts of this story (for me) takes place during a conversation between Marcus and his brother Bennet. Bennet does not know that Mrs Bright is a mistress-in-name-only. She has done such a good job convincing the ton, and Marcus does not contradict her, so everyone believes that there is a physical relationship between Marcus and Iphiginia. Bennet is absolutely appaled that his brother would countenance a marriage with a woman who, according to the standards of the day, is a totally unworthy person. He asks Marcus why he would want to marry her. Marcus replies, "When I am with her I do not feel as though I am made of gears and springs." Marcus had invented a clockwork man, an automaton which could function but could never feel emotions, whether joy or sorrow. He realised he did not want to be that type of man any longer and that this one woman held the key to a different life for him. I loved that comparison. Could I be picky? Of course. But then, I can't write a book. Amanda Quick can and I don't want to pick this apart because; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mistress; Author: Amanda Quick; Review: I can be quite picky when doing a review of a romance novel and I am not going to do that with this book because I finally got almost everything I have asked for in the past from authors. (Is it being picky to say that the heroines name was almost impossible for me to pronounce? I gave her the nickname of Ginny and moved on.) This is a book where the hero (Marcus) actually talked to the heroine (Iphiginia). What a concept. See, authors, I told you it would work. These two characters discussed their problems, situations and feelings. Perhaps it was somewhat of a departure from what might have happened during the Regency period of English history but I'm not living during that time and the book was not written during that time. Mistress was written in 1994 and I now understand what other reviewers mean when they suggest reading the Amanda Quick books which were published a while back. It was written as a romance novel, not a sexual how-to manual. Many modern romance books are so sexually explicit I feel embarassed reading them. Perhaps that is old fashioned but I happen to be an old fashioned woman (and I like it that way!). The two main characters were interesting, intelligent, charming, and realistic in their interaction with each other. They discussed things with each other. They solved the mystery by working together. No, he did not believe her at first, why should he? But, after only a short time he understood her motives and they worked together. Was the blackmailer easy to spot? Yes, but only if you are like me and have read hundreds and hundreds of mystery stories. Ms. Quick actually did a very good job of continuing the mystery throughout the story. I highly recommend this book. Iphiginia is such a vivacious character that she turns Marcus' world upside down. One of the most compelling parts of this story (for me) takes place during a conversation between Marcus and his brother Bennet. Bennet does not know that Mrs Bright is a mistress-in-name-only. She has done such a good job convincing the ton, and Marcus does not contradict her, so everyone believes that there is a physical relationship between Marcus and Iphiginia. Bennet is absolutely appaled that his brother would countenance a marriage with a woman who, according to the standards of the day, is a totally unworthy person. He asks Marcus why he would want to marry her. Marcus replies, "When I am with her I do not feel as though I am made of gears and springs." Marcus had invented a clockwork man, an automaton which could function but could never feel emotions, whether joy or sorrow. He realised he did not want to be that type of man any longer and that this one woman held the key to a different life for him. I loved that comparison. Could I be picky? Of course. But then, I can't write a book. Amanda Quick can and I don't want to pick this apart because; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Simply Love; Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Anderson Page; Review: I read the reviews for this book which were on Amazon at the time I purchased it and most seemed to be positive. I had never read any other book by Catherine Anderson so I figured I would give this a try. Somehow it got pushed aside and I lost track of it for over a year. In the meantime I read her short story SHOTGUN BRIDE in the anthology Tall, Dark and Dangerous and absolutely loved it. I went searching among my book stacks for this book. What a huge disappointment. Luke, our hero, was an awful character. Can I just tell you how awful? He was arrogant, insincere, conceited, devious, callous, mean spirited and a thoroughly rotten fellow. I don't care how awful his childhood was, this author was not able to redeem this man enough for me to even begin to like him. He was willing to do any mean and dirty trick to force a young girl to become his mistress. He had absolutely no regard for what it might do to her spiritually, mentally or physically. What a thoroughly rotten, dirty dog. And it wasn't just part of the way through the book, it was up until the next-to-last page. Even though they got married he didn't admit that he loved her until page 396. Then he tried to use money to keep her with him. Once again, yes he had a traumatic childhood, but he just came across as totally self indulgent and only interested in what he wanted. This book is seriously over-long. It was just the same song, same words, over and over and over. Boring, unwaveringly boring. The author put in short examples of Luke being kind but they never managed to divert me from his more usual self-centered behavior. Cassandra was the type of heroine who seemed to float through the world on a cloud of purity which shielded her from all of life's realities. She was 18 (and appeared to have the maturity level of a 13 year old most of the time) and wanted to be a nun. This author never convinced me that she had any personality. Her "goodness" was all that protected her from the big bad man. Now I'm not saying that couldn't be true, but it sure did get boring when it went on for 396 pages. In case you haven't already guessed, I didn't like this book. These characters were the same throughout the book. No growth, no change, nothing to make me like her or him. Sometimes I get tired of heroines with so much "spunk" they couldn't possibly be real people. In this case Cassie needed that "spunk". And she needed to receive it in an emergency transplant, at that. Luke, well, he would have been a more pleasant character if he had thought more often with his brain instead of relying only on what another part of his anatomy wanted.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Louisa and the Crystal Gazer: A Louisa May Alcott Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Anna Maclean Page; Review: This Louisa May Alcott mystery is an entertaining read. It is not violent or crude or excessively bloodthirsty. The writing is good, my overall take is that it is pleasant. If you want to read a very low key, undemanding type of historical mystery then this may suit you very well. I am trying very hard to be positive about what was, for me, just an O.K. book. My problem is that I could have put this book down at any point without finishing it and never wondered what the remainder would have been. I am a mystery fan. I am a fan of historical mysteries. This particular story just did not have enough heft to satisfy me. After all, one of her principal suspects was Phineas T. Barnum! It was always a given that he could not possibly have committed the murder because we know the life history of Mr. Barnum. He lived, breathed and walked upon this earth and he was never tried for murder. When an author takes the chance of using a true person in their fictional work they make their plotting extremely vulnerable. I knew at once that this character could be eliminated as a suspect. The person who was guilty was, for a rabid mystery reader, obvious. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to appear smart after the fact but I knew very, very early on that this person was going to be guilty. None of the above stated things make this a bad book. I simply want true, died in the wool mystery readers to know that this particular book will not be any challenge to their solving abilities. If you like light reading with some mystery thrown in, by all means read this book. I actually appreciated it more for the observations on Alcott's life history (always assuming that the facts are fully researched and accurate) than for the mystery. My overall rating --- not bad, just not intriguing enough to make me go out and buy any more in the series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Murder Will Speak; Author: Visit Amazon's Joan Smith Page; Review: I read the two editorial reviews above concerning this book and was totally amazed at how different they were. One negative and sniping the other positive and complimentary. It left me with only two options, either pass or take a chance and order the book. I obviously decided to order it and I'm quite glad I did. The review from Publishers Weekly gives the entire plot of the book so I am free to just go straight to my comments on how this novel struck me. This is my first time reading a Joan Smith Regency Romantic Mystery and I enjoyed it so much I have ordered a second book featuring the Berkeley Brigade. Naturally, as is sometimes the case in a work of fiction, some of the situations do not strike us as possible or even probable. This does not mean that the book cannot be enjoyed. It was published in 1996 but because of the very, very understated romantic aspect it seems to have been written much longer ago. The hero takes the heroine in his arms, but in a time of crisis. Even though he wants the time to be romantic, she does not give him enough encouragement for the episode to go any further. Corrine deCoventry and the Marquess of Luten have a history together and their friends know they love each other even if it has never been acknowleged. The next time Luten comforts Corrine they kiss. Compared to today's standard romance novel kisses this one passes almost unnoticed. My take on this novel is to read it for the mystery, the Regency setting, and the unusual grouping of characters who make up the Berkeley Brigade. The romance does play a huge part in the novel but it is not the only aspect of this book to concentrate on. I am honestly looking forward to reading my next Joan Smith Regency mystery to see how this "mystery club" gets involved in their next case and how they go about solving it. Don't be put off by the snide comments from Publishers Weekly. Obviously those of us who read novels set in Regency times are well prepared to deal with the "sneering" characters that reviewer saw protrayed here.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Desperate Viscount (Signet Regency Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Gayle Buck Page; Review: This is my second Gayle Buck novel and I thoroughly disliked the first book so I approached this one with caution and low expectations. I am very pleased to say that it was an absorbing, well written book. I appreciated the fact that it did not follow formula. Lord St. John and the circumstances which make him the desperate Viscount take up the major portion of this book. We are given every opportunity to get to know him, his circumstances, his prospects, his habits, his temper and his friends. The heroine is not even mentioned until Chapter 6 where her situation and character are very quickly established through an evening spent talking to her father beside the fire. St. John and Mary do not meet until page 66 and then it is only for him to help her during an emergency with her father. The encounter lasted mere minutes. When St. John admits that the only way out of his hellish prediciment is to marry into "trade" his friends come up with a list of five suitable candidates. Mary Pepperidge is the third name on the list and St. John chooses her because he remembers her name from their previous meeting. Yes, it was done in just that callous manner. He really did not care. If he had to get married it might as well be her. I read with astonishment that the couple never met again before they arrived at the church to marry. Wow! I would have liked to see more conversation between these two once they married. I felt that the ending was rushed quite a bit. Also, Mary really was made to get into too many scrapes in a very short time. Could the author not have indulged our soft hearts and shown more interaction between Mary and St. John when all turned out well in the end? These may sound like criticisms but they are actually not, just observations to show what would have made this a 5 star book for me. I liked this book, I will keep it and most assuredly read it again in the future.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dangerous to Know; Author: Visit Amazon's Mary Jo Putney Page; Review: Yes, you guessed it. These two stories are reissues. The Diabolical Baron is from 1987 and Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know was written in 1993. In fairness to the publisher, it does say on the cover that they are "together for the first time - two beloved romances" so we can't actually say that they did not tell us this book was a combination of two reissues. They could, however, have made the print bigger and more prominent. All carping aside, these are two good offerings from Mary Jo Putney. The Diabolical Baron is a full length book at 260 pages and Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know is a fair length short story at 60 pages. They do not have any connection to each other at all except for the fact that both heroes were born in England. The Diabolical Baron was the nineteenth Baron Radford, Jason Kincaid, who had just turned 35 and who was told in no uncertain terms by his Aunt Honoria that it was time to find a wife and produce an heir. Radford had actually come to the same conclusion on his own and so began his search for a suitable, docile female who would not disgrace him and who would produce a son to inherit his title and then fade into the background to allow him to continue his life as he wanted to lead it. His friend, George Fitzwilliam, came up with a list of eligible females, wrote their names on slips of paper, placed them in a bowl which had previously contained nuts and told Radford to choose his intended. Caroline Hanscombe was the name on the paper. He had no idea who she was. Caroline Hanscombe and her half-sister Gina had come to London for the season because her father and stepmother needed for one or both of the girls to make good marriages to help them out of their financial difficulties. Gina, although younger than Caroline, was eager for marriage and had quickly found the man she wanted to marry. He seemed to want the marriage also but circumstances would mean he would not come into any portion of a large inheritance for a long time. All the family fortunes were resting on Caroline. I just loved the methods she used to make herself disappear into the background. She did not want to marry so she purposely sabotaged her chances of attracting a suitor. She was totally surprised when Radford began to single her out. No matter how insignificant she tried to make herself he still came calling. Her father gave her no choice but to accept the proposal. If Caroline didn't marry Radford, Gina would not be allowed to marry her true love but would be given to an old man with a lot of money. Several complications were written into the book to make it very interesting. When Jason arrived to pick Caroline up, to take her and her chaperone/aunt to stay at his country home to make plans for the wedding, he discovered that Mrs. Sterling, her; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Leopard Prince; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Hoyt Page; Review: I allowed myself to get too excited about this book after I read The Raven Prince. That book was so very good and met all my criteria for a truly 5 star rating that I forgot to be cautious. This book is good, not very good which would rate a 4.5 from me, and not great, which would rate a 5 from me - just good. That in and of itself is not bad but I had allowed myself to expect more. The writing is still first rate and a true delight to read but the actual plot (and how the characters moved around within the plot) was not quite so satisfactory. The hero, Harry Pye, is the saving element in this novel from my standpoint. I liked the fact that he was not of noble birth but had made something of himself by hard work and determination. Those qualities made his personality believable and turned him into a sympathetic character for me. He took his job very seriously and tried to show his employer the proper amount of deference without becoming a toad. He was patient with her when she didn't understand the significance of certain occurances. Very patient and forebearing. Georgina on the other hand just seemed like a spoiled, rich, self-absorbed 28 year old spinster. Wonder why we were not allowed to be in at the initial meeting of these two characters when Harry applied for the job and was hired? Why did we not get to observe the interaction of these two people on that long carriage ride from London to Yorkshire? I have made that trip by car on modern roads and I can tell you it is not a short trip. I cannot even imagine how tedious and long it must have been in a horse-drawn carriage, in the rain. I could never, even at the end of the book, make a connection with Georgina. I actually did not like her very much. We don't have any insight into her personality traits previous to the beginning of the story so was her behaviour in going to visit Harry's cottage at night something unusual for her? I realize she was still a virgin so had not visited men in this way before but what made her so bold? She made me feel that she was forcing herself on him and that made me uncomfortable because his position on her staff did not give him much opportunity to turn her down - not that he wanted to in this case. Sorry, I just can't figure her character out. I agree with other reviewers, the sheep killing and murder mystery went on too long. I'm afraid that I think the whole book went on too long. I truly admire the way Elizabeth Hoyt writes. She has a way with words which I find extremely pleasing. I thought this time she had to force the fairy tale into the story. In this book, instead of being told at the beginning of each chapter (as in The Raven Prince) we had; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Guilty Pleasures (Guilty Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Lee Guhrke Page; Review: I read all the reviews posted here on Amazon before beginning to write this review and I was struck by how many referred to Daphne as an "ugly duckling" who turned into a "swan". I did not see her in this way. I thought the author did a wonderful job of describing her as a woman who was normal, like most women in the world. She was not a raving beauty but she was normal. Obviously a heroine must fall into two general catagories. She must be breathtakingly beautiful or she is plain. We as readers don't seem to give authors much leeway in describing their characters. Most people are neither beautiful nor plain, they are just average. That is were that term comes from. Daphne was normal, average. She wore glasses, but only if she wanted to see well (that is a bit of sarcasm for those of you who don't need glasses!). I absolutely loved the fact that Ms Guhrke did not make Daphne undergo dramatic changes in her appearance in order to become the object of the Duke's affection. Instead, he learned to love HER, not her outward appearance. The Duke of Tremore was not a hard character for me to understand. It was important for me to remember the historical setting of this novel. This man held a title which gave him incredible standing. He ranked above all his peers and beneath only royalty. How could he not have an exalted idea of his place in society? This particular man had assumed the duties of Duke of Tremore while his father was still living because his father was rendered totally incapable of discharging his duties because of his grief for his wife. It is very important to remember that this young man assumed the active role of being in charge of his family at the age of 12. That had to impact his character development in a tremendous way and this author showed that to us over and over in order to make us understand his handling of Daphne resigning her position. It was fascinating to watch Anthony court Daphne using the language of flowers. That is a subject which has interested me for a long time but this is the first work of fiction where I have been privileged to watch it work. It was very unusual, a very gentle method for allowing him to show his regard and ultimately his love for the woman he wanted to be his duchess. I just loved it. Anyone who doubts his profession of his love for Daphne missed the significance of the single, thornless red rose. This book contains sensual moments but it also contains quiet, gentle moments and I really like and appreciate that combination. I find it to be much more realistic. A relationship between two people can not always consist of physical passion. They need to connect on many levels and I feel this book did that. We were allowed to see the strengths and weaknesses of both the hero and heroine. An eminently satisfactory read; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: This Rake of Mine (Avon Romantic Treasure); Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Boyle Page; Review: I had previously read only one short story by Elizabeth Boyle in the anthology titled HERO, COME BACK. I wrote a review for that book and stated that I loved all the stories except.....yep, EB's. So, why did I buy this book? I obviously did not read my notes before placing the order. This one (even though it is a full length story) will fare no better with me. I did not like it. If you don't want to find out what happens in the book I would recommend you stop reading now. I was not enjoying the book, the plot, nor the characters but I had decided to read on because surely at some point Jack would come to realize he shared an historical event with Jane (Miranda) and everything could move on from there. Well! This author asked me to swallow a series of events which do not make logical sense to me. Miranda (Jane) was "ruined" by Mad Jack at the opera when he kissed her. I'm O.K. so far. Her parents (both parents, mind you, mother and father) were so title mad that they saw her ruination as the end of their plans for the future. They banished her to live with relatives but that is not all they did. Now it gets really stupid. They told everyone she had died and even had a funeral for her!!! She (Miranda) did not know this. She lived with one set of relatives until they both died. After moving to live with the second set of relations Miranda rebelled and decided to go teach at the school where she had been a student. Miss Emery made her living teaching and training young ladies from well-to-do families. She would have kept up with how her former students were doing. She read all the papers from London. Are we supposed to believe that she knew nothing of Miranda's disgrace? Are we supposed to think that she did not read in the papers that Miranda had died? How could she not have known, even if it had just been through gossip from her students and their parents? Four years after her banishment Miranda learned that her mother had died through the newspaper. People read those things with a vengeance because it was their most obvious source of news. For Miranda (now Jane) to never know that she had been killed off by her parents was just too much for me to swallow. And to have her hear it from Jack (even though at this point he still thought she was Jane) added a dimension which made me cringe. Her parents were so awful they would prefer to have her dead rather than married to him? Her father thought Jack would just spend all the dowry money so "let's tell everyone Miranda died" instead of accepting his offer of marriage? Yet when her father died he bequeathed his entire fortune to "Jane Porter". The whole book lost me right there. I read it all. I didn't like it when I started and I didn't; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Easy On the Heart; Author: Visit Amazon's Jodi Thomas Page; Review: I realize that it has been mentioned by another reviewer but I don't think it can be stated too often. THIS IS A REPRINT OF A SHORT STORY. It appeared in the anthology HOW TO LASSO A COWBOY which also includes "Tombstone Tess" by Emily Carmichael; "Finding Home" by Maureen McKade; "Coming Home" by Patricia Potter. I thoroughly enjoyed all four of these stories with the Emily Carmichael offering being the weakest one for me. When taken in the context of a short story, this is a very good read. I failed to make a thorough search through my notes on Jodi Thomas and so bought this in its present form as a single story. Now I have two copies of this story. While it is good, it is not that good! Just wanted to give you every chance to know that this is a reprint but it certainly does not say that on the cover or in any descriptive matter I have read. It does, however, reveal this information inside the cover on the copyright page. Too bad you don't get to see that if you buy it through an internet site. I make a point of purchasing all the western stories written by Jodi Thomas but even I didn't want to buy it twice.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Lord Next Door (The Sisters of Willow Pond); Author: Visit Amazon's Gayle Callen Page; Review: Wouldn't you hate to write a book and all a reviewer could think to say about it is that it is O.K.? Actually, this (for me) was a prime example of the three B's---blah, bland and boring! Sorry Ms Callen. I read the whole thing hoping that it would get better, become somewhat exciting, seem a little more probable. Once again, for me, it just did not happen. How likely is it that two people would live next door to each other for their entire lives and never meet (or her even SEE him)? Victoria found that Tom had written in her journal when they were both 10 years old. (Why did she leave the journal hidden outside under a bench?) Thus began a correspondence which lasted until they were 16 years old. He told her he was the son of the cook in the house next door. She was the daughter of a prominent banker. Naturally they would have been poles apart in the social order in 1828. But for them to have NEVER met? NEVER to have seen each other? NEVER to have talked? Please, that is simply totally unbelievable! Then in 1844 Victoria's life came crashing down when her father died. Now it is ten months later and her two younger sisters have left the home to find work to support themselves leaving Victoria to take care of their mother and to try to find some means of putting food on the table. They are only going to be allowed to remain in their home for several more months before the new owners arrive to take up residence. She has been selling off everything of value in order to keep her mother, their servant and herself alive. Now she is at her wits end. She decides to go next door and find Tom to get him to marry her. Do you believe that? Talk about improbable. She had not corresponded with the man since 1832 (because that is the last time he answered in the journal) but she decided to just waltz next door and find him and get married??? Of course you all know by now that Tom, the son of the cook, never existed. Instead she finds Viscount Thurlow, David, who admits to having pretended to be Tom but now he wants to marry for his own private reasons and so will she marry him? Could this get any worse? (Actually, yes it could. I've struggled through some much worse!) He has his secrets which he doesn't want her to find out and will never discuss with her. These have caused him to have a morbid fear of scandals and so he makes her promise, as a condition of their marriage, that she will never cause a scandal. She has her secret which she can never reveal to him without causing a scandal, but you'll notice that she marries him anyway. Could she not see that train headed her way? (If you read the book you will understand the reference to the train!!) Oh, what ever shall; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Husband Trap: A Novel (The Trap Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Tracy Anne Warren Page; Review: There were parts of this book which I really enjoyed. Other parts I did not like very much. I think I would have been satisfied to give it a 4 star rating if the author had just resisted the temptation to give us one last shot at the good twin/bad twin scenario. As it was, my chubby little finger hovered longingly over the 2 for a rating. I finally made myself give it a 3 because the entire middle of the book was quite good for me. I didn't care much for the beginning because of the good twin (Violet) forever being willing to give in to the bad twin (Jeannette). It was a pattern established over their entire lives. Understandably, if this had not been the case and Violet had not taken Jeannette's place at the last minute, there would not have been a story. I know the good twin married Adrian for many reasons; yes, she was in love with him, no, she did not want to cause her family any social disgrace, but I didn't like her being such a totally weak personality. All through the entire book she remained weak, even in the face of the evidence of her own abilities and strengths. I got tired of reading how she thought Jeannette would have responded to a given situation and then Violet did not seem to respond in that way but rather in her own personal way. Why did the author continue to bring up Jeannette's way of doing things and then have Violet do it differently? I got irritated and peeved reading about it. I liked the middle of the book where Violet began to be her own person and handle situations in her own way and be successful. She overcame many years of self doubt in order to make the lives of each person she came in contact with better. Adrian was pleased with her, comfortable with her, enjoying being with her. It was romantic to see them interact with one another. Then came the tragedy of the letter from a lover being found. Obviously Violet could not confess the truth without revealing the whole truth. Would this not have been a great time for this author to have brought these two people fully together? No, we needed more situations to occur in order to extend the book. It extended, presumably, in order to give Adrian time to realize his love for Violet while he searched for her. Why, why, why did Violet insist on remaining "Jeannette" after Adrian found her and told her that he loved her, Violet? And then to allow the evil twin to talk her into changing places AGAIN in order to test Adrian's ability to tell them apart was too much. I didn't like it. I thought it was unnecessary fill. And it just made Violet turn back into a spineless, wimpy jelly. Then, poof, it ended. Why? At least give us a glimpse into the future of these two to let us know that everything truly turned out fine (and; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cherish; Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Anderson Page; Review: For me, this book was just too depressing. This poor heroine went from one catastrophic experience to another. And the author didn't even give her time in between to get some kind of mental balance in order to move forward with her life. If even half these things had happened to a real person, she would have been a raving lunatic. Ms Anderson used very graphic language to describe the carnage associated with the death of everyone on the wagon train. She allowed her heroine to witness not just the deaths of all her family, friends, and neighbors but to also witness the brutal rape of the women, including her mother. This accounting actually made me queasy just reading it. After Race had managed to pull off an incredible miracle in rescuing Rebecca, Ms Anderson then had the bad guys find her again and try to rape and kidnap her. It was just one awful situation after another. The descriptions seemed to go on forever, in the most graphic detail possible. It weighed me down with a huge feeling of gloom and doom. And then to have Rebecca not only consent to have sex with Race, but to enjoy it - well, that was just too much for me to understand. It had only been a month since she had witnessed the rape and murder of each and every woman on that wagon train!! Totally unbelievable. Also, I understand that Race was an uneducated man. I understand that he did not feel that Rebecca could ever love him because she was so much "above" him but, goodness gracious, I got tired of the ungrammatical manner of his speech. Yes, it reflected his upbringing but it certainly did get hard to read after the first 100 pages. Perhaps if I had been enjoying the story I could have been more charitable but I was not liking any of it. I kept reading because I hate to give up on a book and because I sincerely hoped it would get better. It didn't. If someone is bored this summer and wants to perform a little service for me, try counting the number of apostrophies this author used in this book. Everything was: eatin', ridin', shootin', thinkin', ropin', lovin',singin', talkin', etc. PLEASE, PLEASE, give me an "ing" once in a while. Also, if all the men were forced by this author to say "ain't" then why did she make them say "isn't" every once in a while? It threw me off balance each time it happened. Not recommended. I have read Catherine Anderson books before and have been disappointed each time. This finishes it for me. I will not try again.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: And Then He Kissed Her; Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Lee Guhrke Page; Review: I think this is a wonderful book. The actual plot line is mentioned many times in other reviews so if you want to know what it is about you have many opportunities to find that out in other places. I want to give you my assessment of the writing and the characters. Laura Lee Guhrke has a way of writing that makes it actually easy to read her books. This prose is clear, uncomplicated and easy to understand without making me feel I am being talked down to. It flows, it is realistic. The phrasing of sentences is presented in a normal manner. I could HEAR these people speaking these words aloud to each other. It is very rare to find an author whose words have an almost lyrical ring to them but that is how this author's words sound to me. I just love her style. Therefore, she has passed the first hurdle to capturing my attention. Now I can go on to "meet" the characters. Emma and Harry are, as so many other reviewers have said, wonderful and easy to like. It was a huge departure for this author to have her two main characters interact with one another for a long period of time without there being any sexual tension between them. Not only was there no sexual tension, there was not even much liking or admiration from a personal standpoint, only from the business side. They each had formed what they thought to be correct opinions of the other, saw no need to change that opinion, and simply dealt with each other on a business footing. Fully half the book is given over to these two people coming to realize they don't know as much about the other as they thought. Emma is wonderful. Shy, a true innocent but with a resolve which could move mountains if they got in her way. Harry had been hurt. I think some reviewers don't give enough credence to how much his divorce had traumatized him. He HAD actually loved Consuelo and her treatment of him formed the basis of his behavior toward all other women from that time on. He couldn't see into the future. He had no idea he was going to fall in love with Emma. Why would we expect him to start off treating her as anything but a secretary? A wonderful book! I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it. I think Ms Guhrke made the first 200 pages go on a little too long and consequently could not tie up any loose ends for me but I'm not complaining. I will just imagine what happened when Harry introduced Emma to his family as his future wife. I will also assume that Emma was able to help Diana with her wedding plans. I can see how this could be the first in a series of books. Harry had sisters and the sisters had friends. Grist for the author's mill. I can't wait!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Envious Casca; Author: Visit Amazon's Georgette Heyer Page; Review: From the back cover: Murder Comes Home For Christmas The halls of Lexham Manor were decked with holly, the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, and the old Scrooge who owned the estate was stabbed in the upstairs bedroom. For Inspector Hemingway of Scotland Yard 'twas the season to find whodunit. All six holiday guests had a motive to commit murder. But not one of them could have entered the locked room to do it. And Hemingway soon discovered that this time the proof wasn't in the pudding. It was a turkey of a play, a ham performer, and a plum of an inheritance... My comments: Joseph Herriard and his wife Maude have been living with his brother Nathaniel at Lexham Manor for the past two years. Joseph was the brother who could never settle to anything for very long and eventually became an actor. Maude had been firmly ensconced in the second line of the chorus of dancers and had been quite a pretty young girl when she and Joseph first met. Nathaniel was the brother who went into business and made pots of money and settled into the huge old house because he could afford it and wanted to own it. Stephen and Paula Herriard are the children of the third brother, Michael, who does not enter into the story. Mathilda Clare is a distant cousin who has grown up with Stephen and Paula. She is not physically attractive but has the kind of personality which can hold a party or gathering together. Valerie Dean is a beautiful blond with cornflower blue eyes and not a brain in her head. She is engaged to Stephen and thoroughly disliked by Nathaniel. Paula has invited the author of a play she wants to appear in as her guest. He, Willoughby Roydon, is completely out of his element at this houseparty but consents to come to get financial backing from Uncle Nat. Edgar Mottisfont is a longtime friend of the family and has a business with Nathaniel as the principle, but silent, partner. The only person who actually wants this seasonal visitation to take place is Uncle Joseph and the sparks begin to fly immediately. Very interesting, a study not only of the characters but actually quite a good mystery. How the murder took place is the huge unknown because Uncle Nathaniel's body was discovered behind a locked door. The Scotland Yard Detective and his Sergeant have quite a time solving this mystery. Heyer did a wonderful job of hiding the guilty party becuse she gave us so many suspects who might have actually done the deed. I wish (because I always like to make this connection) that she had told us why she called this book Envious Casca. I never found that information given either directly or indirectly and I'm curious. Because this was originally published in 1941 and my copy is a reissue, that information might have been included on a page which was considered superfluous and left out over the years of reprinting. Or, Heyer might have just; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghost Hunter; Author: Visit Amazon's Jayne Castle Page; Review: My attention was completely focused on this book. I just wanted the world to go away so that I could enjoy it uninterupted. It didn't quite happen like that but I never left the book for longer than I had to. That is a ringing endorsement of how much I was enjoying this story. GHOST HUNTER had it all; excitement, mystery, romance, and two lead characters that I really liked. Elly was considered the unusual one in her family. Her parents and brothers had powers which she did not posess and so she was always treated as the delicate one. A future in botany was just fine with her, she loved that field of science and was content with her teaching role. What she wasn't content with was the seeming indifference Cooper Boone had to her and their upcoming marriage. He was not interested in a Marriage of Convenience but wanted to go directly to a Covenant Marriage. How could she commit to being his wife when he so obviously put being the Guild Boss ahead of her? Like any red blooded woman she broke the engagement, quit her job, and moved to the big city. Life began to change for her immediately and she learned a lot about herself. Cooper Boone had wanted to be a Guild Boss since the age of nine. He was a man who planned every move in his life. His only problem was that he did not remember to include Elly's possible reactions to his well laid plans. He was stunned to have her return his ring. He decided to give her six months to get tired of big city life and then he would tell her he had never considered their engagement at an end, the marriage had just been postponed. Imagine his surprise when he arrived in Cadence City to find Elly with a new haircut, sexy new clothes and a thriving herbal shop. Jayne Castle has written the third novel featuring Cadence City and ghost hunters with her usual style and high quality. It contained a wonderful romance and a good suspense/mystery plot which was not quite as exciting and absorbing as the plots of AFTER DARK and AFTER GLOW, at least for me. But the fantasy world which she has created is so interesting and the interaction between Elly and Cooper was such a delight for me to read that I am willing to accept whatever her creative imagination has to offer. I would love to meet this woman, she has incredible storytelling abilities.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Texas Rain (A Whispering Mountain Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Jodi Thomas Page; Review: I would prefer to give this book 3.5 stars. It was O.K. but not what I have come to expect from a Jodi Thomas novel. I already know that I will never want to read this one again. Once I discovered her books I became such a fan that I went back and bought every one of the stories I can get my hands on written by her. In my notebook most of the books receive either four or five stars. This one was just O.K. and for me that is a huge disappointment. I don't want to write a negative review of one of my favorite authors, but the truth is the truth and my truth is that I did not like this book very much. I didn't know anything about this book. I ordered it just because of the author. I put it aside for a while to read when I really wanted to savor a gold nugget of a novel. It didn't turn out that way for me. At one point I actually turned to look at the cover to see if I was reading a Jodi Thomas. Has she decided to change her writing style? It seemed to me that the rhythm was different, the flow was diffeerent, the descriptions, the female character. All seemed different. Most of the sentences seemed short and choppy. I did not like Rainey, maybe that was my major problem. I liked Travis, Teagen, Tobin, Sage and Martha but not Rainey. I was not enjoying the book. In fact, it seemed as if there were actually two books, one concerning Travis and one concerning Rainey. The amount of time the two of them were together in the first half of the book was a matter of minutes, minutes for goodness sakes! Over half of the book is written with them completely apart. For me, the letters didn't work to form a bond in which I saw them interacting as a couple. They were just two people who happened to be in the state of Texas. I know this is the first book in the Whispering Mountain trilogy. I do not think it was a good example of Jodi Thomas at her best. I will probably buy the next book, but I'm sorry to say I'm actually not looking forward to it. Maybe the more familiar Thomas style will reassert itself by then.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Scandal: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Quick Page; Review: This book would really rate between a 3 and a 4 star read for me but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt because I feel its overall good qualities came out on top. It is not the best Amanda Quick I've read. Emily Faringdon had an Incident in her life five years ago. The author used the capital I in each instance to indicate that the Incident had great importance in the life of this character. The Scandalous Incident happened because Emily lived her life inside a rosy haze of poetry and romantic literature. When she began to correspond with S. A. Treherne she allowed her imagination free reign to romanticize the heck out of this situation. After all, she knew she would never meet her literary soulmate. But, meet him she did. Because of the Incident Emily never had a London season, she never even traveled outside the small village of Little Dippington where she lived. It is my idea that her father used the excuse of the Incident to keep Emily at home so she could concentrate on her investment strategies which kept him supplied with money to gamble and buy horses. Her brothers also benefited from her gifts in the analytical lines. Now here is where I have some niggling feelings of uneasiness about this heroine. Would a woman with such outstanding analytical reasoning faculties really be so totally naive about men? Not just once, remember the Incident, but twice? Simon Augustus Traherne, Earl of Blade, had nursed his need for revenge for twenty-three years. He purposely sought out Emily and began a correspondence with her in order to have revenge on her father for the loss of his family home and fortune in a card game. Traherne also blamed Broderick Faringdon for the suicide death of his father. Simon was willing to use Emily in whatever way he could to get his revenge. He actually did not originally plan an engagement to Emily. Oh, no, he planned something much more ungentlemanly than that. When she literally begged him to marry her, well, what was a fellow to do? By separating Emily from her father and brothers he was putting an end to her financial help for them. They would certainly collapse under their debts within a very short time. She had handed him a revenge sweeter than any he had ever planned himself. Simon seemed cold and heartless and yet he began to immediately come under Emily's optimistic influence. He did things for people just because it would make her happy or it would keep her from being hurt. His character grew and matured throughout the entire book. He tried to remain a villan but it just didn't work. My problems with this book came in the constant conversations in which Emily used "romantic and poetic speak". I got exceedingly tired of hearing her refer to every interaction between herself and Simon as "...an intellectual connection. It is a noble thing of the mind, a relationship that takes place in the metaphysical realm." She thought they; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Wicked Games of a Gentleman: A Novel (The Boscastles); Author: Visit Amazon's Jillian Hunter Page; Review: After I read this book I read the reviews and the main theme seems to be that this is the best of the Boscastle series. If that is indeed the case, I will not need to read any of the others. I usually write rather lengthy reviews but this one will be short. I did not like this book. I do not like it when an author makes the hero (in this case Lord Drake Boscastle) so intent on his own pleasure that he pays absolutely no attention to what fulfilling that pleasure will do to the heroine (here Eloise Goodwin). Her place in society meant that she would be totally ruined if she became his mistress but he pursued her relentlessly with that one goal in mind. To those of you who loved or liked it, congratulations. To those of you who like your hero to display much more conscience, I would suggest you stay away from this one. I bought it in the grocery store. I should know better. I find I have a higher percentage of buying books I will like if I check them out on the Amazon review system first.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Master of Swords (Mageverse, Book 7); Author: Visit Amazon's Angela Knight Page; Review: For many reasons I hesitate to review this book. The thought which turned the tide for me was knowing that there are other people out there in the same situation I found myself in and my review may help someone make a decision. First off, I did like this book. My preference would probably be a 3.75* rating but it was better than just a 3*. My problem is that there were so many things which I found in this book which I am not accustomed to reading about. This was my first book written by Angela Knight. She has an amazing imagination and is wonderful in her descriptive abilities. I had no problem accepting her science fiction/fantasy universe. I am also still in the "infant" stage for reading science fiction/fantasy/romance. My previous sole ventures into that mix of catagories are the Jayne Castle books. MASTER OF SWORDS was (for me) extremely bloody and gory. I find that I don't like too much of that and this book definitely contained too much for me. To think about it in the abstract is one thing, to have it described over and over and over got to me after a while. Luckily the author had invented a method by which all her heroic characters could be "restored" because they sure did get bloodied a lot. (I was amazed to see that the author "threw away" two well established characters by letting them die. That was a surprise. I kept waiting for some way to be found to bring them back to life.) Also, the sexual encounters seemed excessive to me. Judging by reading other reviews posted here, that will not be a universally appreciated comment. My feeling was that this author knew her established fans expected a prodigious number of sexual encounters and she wanted to fulfill their expectations. If this is the norm in this series of books, it will have to be a factor for consideration in my future purchases. I must admit, I just loved Kel and may have to get MASTER OF DRAGONS just to find out about him. Why do we all like the character Kel so much? Will he be just as likeable after the spell is broken? I also found it rather jarring to be reading about characters whom I associate with history from long, long ago but to have them speaking in modern terms. That took some getting used to and I never did get completely comfortable with it. And please don't tell me that the action took place in the present, I know that. I'm just saying that I don't usually associate Knights of the Round Table with modern speech patterns. Again, that is my problem and I will use it to weigh the pros and cons of my future purchases. Overall, a good read. For me, it was too long. Lots of the action was repetitive and redundant and seemed to be there to give Gawain and Lark an excuse to have their energy depleted so that they needed to have sex in order; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Second Sight (The Arcane Society, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Quick Page; Review: This is my fourth time to write this review. If it doesn't work this time I will know that the paranormal forces are aligned against me and give up. The first two I erased myself. The third one disappeared into that great black hole in the Amazon computer (but only after two days) and it didn't even have any rants, raves, or rambling. Go figure. THIS REVIEW HAS WHAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM, STOP READING NOW! 1. This is billed as a paranormal romance. Don't believe it. If you expect to learn anything about the Arcane Society from this book you will be disappointed. Why was the society formed? We are told that the society was formed two hundred years previously by the alchemist Sylvester Jones but that is on page 5 and no more information is given. Who were and are the members? How do you join? How have they maintained the strict secrecy concerning the society all this time? WHAT DO THEY DO? None of these questions, which are actually quite basic, are ever answered. Venetia was commissioned to photograph the "artifacts" of the society. Do you know that not one of them is ever described? 2. What was the formula? What was it supposed to do? Again, no information. Just in the very last pages, what happened if you drank it, but what was its purpose? 3. The editorial and artistic decisions made in printing this book just made me MAD! The print is so big I could read it without my reading glasses and I DID NOT buy the large print edition. Each chapter begins on the right hand page and half way down, at that. This results in totally blank pages, half blank pages and enough white space between other chapter endings and new chapter beginnings to form another blank page. I actually added it all up. At a conservative estimate I got over 63 blank pages (or their equivalent) inside this 390 page novel. Padding, padding, padding just to make it into a long enough length for a hardcover book. Hopefully these issues will be addressed in the paperback version. FIX THIS! Also, the print is done in a washed out grey, not crisp black. Why? For atmosphere? Did I mention that the margins were "generous"? 4. The heroine, Venetia Milton, was (according to my way of thinking) cold and calculating. This was supposed to be because she was "modern" in her thinking for the late Victorian era. She chose to seduce Gabriel Jones after finishing her photography job at Arcane House because it was an isolated location so there was not much likelyhood of getting caught, she would never see him again, and she was on the shelf because of her age and family obligations. She wanted to find out what passion between a man and woman was like but never wanted to get married. When she thought he had died she was sad enough to cry, rub his coat (which she had kept with her even though; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Death at the Dog; Author: Visit Amazon's Joanna Cannan Page; Review: I had previously read another story by Joanna Cannan, THEY RANG UP THE POLICE, and gave it 5++ enthusiastic stars. My expectation was that this book would give me the same delightful reading experience. Sadly, this was not to be. Even though both stories featured the same detective, Inspector Guy Northeast, the resulting stories are very, very different. Someone had killed the local Squire while he sat in his customary corner seat in the local pub, The Dog. The lounge and public bar were filled with people and yet no one knew 1.) that he had been murdered and 2.) how anyone could have done it. The murder takes place very early on in the book and there are numerous people in the pub at the time of the crime. I had a hard time keeping all the characters identified in my mind. I got very confused as to who each one was, why they were there, and what they were doing. Inspector Northeast was no longer an untried policeman. He had solved at least one murder case before (see th first paragraph) and was dispatched from London to help the local officials get this one solved. It was a bit of a stretch for the author to have made the crime take place in the same county as before (Loamshire) and the local policemen remain just the same, and to have them welcome Northeast with open arms when they were so thoroughly against him in the other novel. But, that is the way it was set up so that is what we had to go with. I didn't actually like this story. I wanted it to be over. I didn't like any of the characters and especially not the lead female. Why would three men have been so completely smitten with that person? It made no sense to me at all. She was totally unlovely in my opinion and very much a departure from the typical heroine I have come to expect from English mystery stories written in the 1940's. Maybe that would have been acceptable but I didn't like any of the male characters either. Each character in this book was presented in such a shallow manner that I never got to know them very well and what I knew, I didn't like. The murder weapon I spotted very quickly. It was done-to-death in books written about this time. The method of looking into the pub is a total puzzle unless you have been to England and looked at those items and wondered what in the world they are. And it was never made completely clear to me as to how the fatal blow was struck. I don't want to give away the method so I can't be any more specific, but I've read the book and I'm not sure I could describe it to you even now. This book left me with a brooding, dark feeling. I didn't like anything about it, really, and would not recommend it to any of my friends. I gave it 3 stars because; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Raintree Haunted; Author: l-winstead-jones; Review: After reading book one in this trilogy (Raintree: Inferno by Linda Howard) and giving it a 2 star rating, I was very hesitant about even starting this book. To add to my problem, I have never read any other book by Linda Winstead Jones. I am so glad I went ahead and opened this book up. It is very, very good. This book concernes Gideon Raintree, the brother of Dante Raintree from book one. Whereas Dante had the gift of using fire, Gideon uses electricity and he can see and talk to ghosts. This comes in extremely handy for him in his chosen profession as a police homicide investigator. He uses his conversations with the ghost of the murder victim to find out who killed them and then sets out to gather the evidence to gain a conviction. All is going very well for him until he is assigned a new partner, Hope Malory. She is all business and really doesn't understand why Gideon seems to talk to himself so often. These two were simply wonderful together. Ms Jones gave each character a very distinct personality and let them stay within that character until there was a compelling reason for them to change. He and she were both completely believable as real people and the way they handled their investigations sounded very professional and realistic. This book could actually be a stand-alone. You might wonder what all the talk was about Dante, Mercy and Sanctuary but I imagine it would be entirely satisfactory on its own. I read it as part of the trilogy and feel that it was, by far, the one I enjoyed most. I am going to check out the other books written by Ms Jones and hope to find more I want to buy.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Raintree: Sanctuary; Author: Visit Amazon's Beverly Barton Page; Review: This is the third book in the Raintree trilogy. I read book one (Raintree: Inferno by Linda Howard) and rated it a 2 star book. Book two (Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones) rated 4.5 stars from me. This one falls somewhere in between. Mercy Raintree is the guardian for the 999 acres called Sanctuary deep in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina by the wizard clan known as Raintree. They engaged in The Battle two hundred years ago with the evil wizard clan Ansara and emerged the victors. Since then the Raintree clan has been strong and continue to expand their powers. Raintree members see it as their mission to remain close to the humans and help them with paranormal powers whenever possible, yet still hide their magic from discovery. They think the Ansara were beaten so badly that they dispersed and their few remaining members became almost completely absorbed by the human world. This last book in the trilogy shows just how wrong the Raintree really are. Books one, two and three all take place during the same one week period and form the platform for the epic battle which will take place to decide the ruling wizard clan of the world. This is the first book I have read by Ms Barton. She actually had the hardest job of the three authors because she had to tie up all the ends left dangling in the two previous books. I think book two could be a stand-alone but obviously you get the complete picture by reading all three. I wonder why the publishers didn't bring these out as a package deal. Or even as a related anthology. My main problem with Ms Barton's writing is that she seemed to forget that she had written something one time so she wrote it again. I am Ansara, you are Raintree. I am Raintree, you are Ansara. Eve is my daughter, I will never let her go. I will never let you take Eve from me, she is my daughter. Echo will learn to master her gift over time. Echo will master her gift as she matures. Over and over again I read the same phrases, sentences and thoughts. I wanted to say, Yes, O.K., I get it! You can stop now! It felt as if she had written a lot of the book in short bursts and then didn't re-read what she had done previously before beginning the story again. Overall, I would recommend this but probably only if you read at least book two also. I didn't particularly like the hero here (Judah Ansara) but if you like the really, really masteful type, he's your man. The reason he met Mercy originally was extremely cold and calculating and I personally did not see (or believe) that he had changed all that much by the end of the book.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Raintree: Inferno; Author: Visit Amazon's Linda Howard Page; Review: While reading the reviews for this book the word disappointed shows up so often I wish I knew how to say it in another language just to add some comic relief. I'm sure you know by now that this book Raintree: Inferno is the first book in a trilogy about a clan of good wizards (the Raintree) and a clan of evil wizards (the Ansara). This book was used to set up the background history and information necessary to carry the story forward and to tell the tale. I have read all three books and I will tell you that this is by far the weakest link in the chain. I expected more, much more, from Linda Howard. I am a very slow reader but it only took me four hours to read this book. That was not meant as a compliment! In the front of each book there is a note from the author for the reader. Linda Howard's note is even the shortest note. If it really took these three authors three years to bring this trilogy about, then I am shocked. Book two is really quite good and three is better than a lot of books I've read and they deserve to be reviewed elsewhere. This one just needs to be forgotten. I don't understand why the publishers didn't issue these three in a package deal. They actually could have been presented in one volume as a related anthology. It would probably have cost about the same as three individual books. This is not a stand-alone book. It makes no sense unless you read the other two books because this one just ends.....with absolutely no resolution to anything. Dante Raintree tells Lorna Clay to "Stay here." and drives off into the sunset without telling her where he is going or when he will be back. He has only known her a week and they have been through all kinds of horrible disasters but she is supposed to just sit down in his house and await his return. She, of course, doesn't. What in the world was to stop him taking her with him on his private jet? That is the last we see of them until the ending of book three. I felt like Little Nell had been tied to the railroad tracks and the train was coming. Help! This book needs help!! The problem is, it's waaaay too late.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Devil's Bargain; Author: Visit Amazon's Edith Layton Page; Review: This book was published in 2002 and the actual plot is presented (sometimes too thoroughly) in other reviews here. It contains a hero, Sir Alasdair St. Erth, who has focused over half of his life on managing to aquire proofs which will utterly ruin the couple who caused his father's death. This man has dedicated his life to revenge. He will not allow anything to take over that demon's place in his soul. Kate Corbet is the country cousin come to town. She was a wonderful heroine for me. She was 23 and had no expectations of meeting any man in London who would want to marry her. She was there for the fun of seeing the sights and broadening her horizons. She is smart, levelheaded, kind, witty, and sure of her own value as a person (even if she does not put much credence in being a beauty except in the eyes of her family). I loved the interaction between Alasdair and Kate. She was not afraid of him, she also did not believe he could be nearly as evil as members of society wanted him to seem. Ms. Layton wrote a book which needs to be read and savored for its depth of character. Yes, I do think it was a little too long, but on thinking back over it, I cannot come up with any specific parts which I think should have been left out. Yes, Alasdair's need for revenge was an overwhelming obsession. But, after all, is that not what the story is ultimately about? Ms Layton made Kate the perfect foil for this hero. She is innocent, he is worldly wise and weary. She is happy, he is dark and brooding. She is an optimist, he is very much a pessimist. They meet, like each other as friends, then grow to love one another. What more can we ask from an author? I would highly recommend this book. Slow down, enjoy it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever; Author: Visit Amazon's Julia Quinn Page; Review: .....but I didn't. And that is really too bad. It had most of the elements I want when I read a Regency and yet I still didn't love it. For me, Miranda was just too young. Ms Quinn wrote herself into a corner by establishing the age as 10 years old when Miranda fell in love with Nigel. I'm sure it sounded quite fetching when thinking about it from a promotional standpoint for the book but then she was stuck. Miranda kept saying that she was not a child anymore (Was she 19 or was she 20? I could never figure it out.) and yet she seemed to always act out as a child, with the episode in the bookstore being a prime example. And she didn't even just go there once and act awful, she did it twice! Her rage didn't come across to me as righteous indignation. It seemed like she was just throwing a hissy fit. She and Turner even reverted to childish behavior many times with the "Did not", "Did so" childish type arguments. She constantly told Turner that it didn't matter if he loved her or not, yet she kept trying to make him say that he loved her and punished him in various ways when he didn't say it. From my standpoint, all examples of a girl, young emotionally as well as in age. Not a mature woman ready to truly love a man. Ms Quinn did not do Miranda any favors by having her live such a sheltered, countryfied life completely without any socially maturing experiences before this story takes place. Turner was "tortured" for way too long and I didn't like him at all. I actually began to wonder why Miranda bothered with him. There was a huge lack of other male characters in this book. Turner needed someone to talk to so that he could verbalize his feelings and have some opportunity to see how awful he was acting. As it was, he only came across as totally self-absorbed and a man who made dreadful decisions when he was drinking too much. I knew early on I would not like him when he was such a pig about people using his given name (Nigel). I didn't think that little insight into his character served any purpose whatsoever unless Ms Quinn wanted us to see how disrespectful and selfish he was going to become. When the scene at the hunting lodge began to unfold I just thought to myself: No, Ms Quinn, don't do this. Surely she won't do this. Good grief, she did this. It was an awful scene and totally out of character for both these people at this point in the story. If you love all things written by Julia Quinn, go ahead and buy this book. Everyone else, think if over carefully before you spend your money on it. This is a great candidate for a library check-out or even a used book store. If I could get mine to you, you would be welcomed to it.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Bargain; Author: Visit Amazon's Mary Jo Putney Page; Review: According to the information provided by the author on the back of this book it is a re-write of her novel The Would-Be Widow from 1988. I know I am bucking the review ratings but I just did not like this book and my dislike can be traced directly to the heroine. Lady Jocelyn Kendal had waited until she had only one month to go before her 25th birthday to fulfill the conditions of her father's will. If she had not married by that time she would loose virtually all her inherited wealth and be left with only a small stipend to live on. None of the men who had courted her had come up to her standards except one. The only problem was that that one had no intention of asking her to marry him. While visiting a wounded returning soldier in the hospital she met another officer waiting for death to end his suffering. An idea comes fully formed into her mind and she asks this man she has never set eyes on before to marry her so that she can inherit. In fairness to Lady Jocelyn, she was honest with David Lancaster. He acted in a wonderfully gentlemanly manner and agreed to her proposal, even insisting on a quitclaim so that her fortune did not automatically go to him upon their marriage. I was not liking Lady Jocelyn at all but I was determined to continue reading to give the book a chance. I just totally lost it though when she married David the next day, went home after virtually saying , "Let me know when you die", and then she went to a ball that night and made an arrangement to have an affair with another man starting several months into the future. From there on I had to FORCE myself to continue reading because I disliked this heroine so much. Ms Putney never was able to convince me that Lady Jocelyn was a sympathetic character. I always saw her as unloveable, conniving, cold, and self centered. Even very late in the book when her personal demon was uncovered it did not change my feeling toward her. Sally Lancaster, David's sister, was much more interesting and likeable for me. That day she took David to Lady Jocelyn's home (yes, the lovely Jocelyn had not even THOUGHT to remove David from the hospital) she showed me a huge amount of courage and love for her brother. Lady Jocelyn showed me how small and petty she could be with her cutting remark about Sally's looks. Sally was even willing to spend the annuity David had negotiated for her as his part of the marriage bargain by having another doctor review his case. Altogether a character much more suited to my tastes. I understand that Mary Jo Putney is a favorite author for many Regency romance readers. I have previously only read two stories by her, the book Dangerous To Know which contains reprints of two stories. I really liked both those stories but this one, well, it's difficult to like; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's J.R. Ward Page; Review: I had noticed these books by J. R. Ward popping up on my Amazon recommended reading list for quite a while but since I have never read any vampire fiction I just ignored them. One day, my curiosity got the better of me and I ordered this, the first in the series. I am so very glad I did. How in the world can I possibly add anything new to all the praise this book has received. My only reason for writing a review is in the hope that someone will see themselves in my place and take a chance. I have a very vivid imagination (hence my love of fiction) but have never ventured into the realm of vampire fiction. I honestly did not understand the fascination with the subject matter. I still don't believe in vampires as a reality of this world but I certainly do believe that J. R. Ward can write a teriffic book. I decided to put aside all my preconceived notions and just read what the author had written. It is powerful in its intensity. She has a gift for description and a positive genius for making fantasy seem believable. Her naming of the brothers was absolutely brilliant! I would love to meet this woman just to hear what ideas are whirling around in her brain! If you are hesitating over trying this genre of fiction, you can take the word of one who also hesitated for a long time. I really enjoyed this book, I am now ready to begin book two but I'm dying to see what in the world kind of woman Ms Ward pairs Zsadist with (book three). I'll bet he turns out to be the most gentle of the bunch! I do want to add that this is a very sensual romance. There are many explicit sexual encounters. Some people do not wish to read books which cross the lines of conventional, more subdued romance so you may want to consider that when deciding on this purchase. I found the sexual scenes to be within the context of the story, not just there to boost the "rating" level but I would have been very content if some of them had been left out. I enjoyed the plot, the characters and the writing so much that I would have not minded at all if the author had not been so "modern" in her inclusion of the quantity of sexually explicit scenes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Duke And Miss Denny (Zebra Regency Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Joy Reed Page; Review: I have recently found myself to be rather disenchanted with the current crop of favored romantic fiction authors so I have decided to step back in time to look for different reading options. One of the new authors I've discovered is Joy Reed. I enjoyed reading this book so much I think I will look into the used book market for more of her work. This book was written in 1998 so it is probably considered to be very old fashioned in its composition. There are no sex scenes. There are only two times in the book when the hero and heroine kiss. The enjoyment of this book is dependent on the reader making a connection with the lead characters. Miss Judith Denny is the daughter of a vicar from a very small town. She is in London for a season under the sponsorship of her sister Fanny, Lady Spicer. Judith's idea is to enjoy each and every aspect of her time in London. She is not the one who is counting on her making a great match but her sister thinks the season will have been a failure if Judy doesn't find a husband. Lady Spicer is so full of all the "must do's" and "must not's" for Judith that it is almost impossible for Judy to remain true to her own personality. When Judy meets the Duke of Ashland she is herself, which intrigues him, then she tries to be "correct" which confuses him. Judy discovers that she can only be herself. Besides, a Duke would never be interested in her, would he? James, the Duke of Ashland, was immediately drawn to Miss Denny because she was the most natural person he knew. They began by being friends, then they fell in love. He knew he had fallen in love with her but they both had obstacles to overcome before their relationship could move on to marriage. He was a lovely character for me. He had all the potential to be a complete snob, even in the beginning before meeting Judith, but that is not how Ms Reed portrayed him. We always saw him as a very natural, nice man. I really liked him a lot. I liked Judy for the same reasons. This is not a Regency where you will find kidnappings, jewel thieves, highwaymen, the BIG misunderstanding, or any spitfire heroine. This is a book about a man and woman meeting, beginning to like each other as people, and then falling in love. In a word, realistic! I enjoyed the writing, it was Jane Austen like but never difficult to understand or follow. A good, old fashioned love story. Super entertainment.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Castle of the Wolf; Author: Visit Amazon's Sandra Schwab Page; Review: I gave this book two stars because of the unusual setting for an historical romance. The Black Forest in Germany is a dark, brooding place but it is also extremely awe inspiring and beautiful. Having lived in that area for four years it was very easy to visualize the setting. Everything else about this book just didn't work for me. For the remainder of this review you will be reading information some may view as spoilers. As far as I can figure out, this story takes place about 1827, no specific date is given. I am positive that expressions and word usage such as "Geez", "eww", "bro" (to denote brother) were not used during this time period. I will admit that I have not done extensive research in this area, but I feel confident I'm much closer to being correct than this author was. Why did Ms Schwab leave us to make up our own minds concerning Fenris' leg amputation? We know it was missing but was it the full leg as she seems to be saying on page 42 ("Cissy's gaze wandered over his body, over his shabby, dusty clothes, over the twist of his hip that rested the weight on his sound right leg and relieved the wooden left.") or was it an amputation above or below the knee? She never states anything plainly and I think it did matter. If the full leg, how did anyone get the wooden leg to tamper with it so that it broke? If a "peg", why would the valet or Fenris himself not notice it was almost sawn through before he put it on that day? How did anyone have the time it took to saw through the wood? Even the evil brother Leopold would have needed a darn good excuse for being alone with the leg for that length of time! And where was Fenris while all this was going on? This author made the physical disability change in its impact on Fenris to suit her whims. If he needed to move around a lot, it was of minimal impact. If she wanted to portray him in a sympathetic manner, it had a huge impact. Maybe she couldn't figure it out herself, she just used a physical disability to make the plot move forward. This is billed as a paranormal romance. Where, may I ask, was the paranormal? Was Ms Schwab trying to make us believe the gargoyles talked/communicated with each other? Who, what, when, where, was there a/the wolf? Who/what "pounced" at the end? The aspect of the Wolfenbach Hoard was silly. No other person believed it, why did Leopold? Cissy was certainly a gullible woman to be in her late twenties. And her obsession with fairy tales bordered on the unnatural, in my estimation. But then, I didn't like her anyway! Celia made me grind my teeth together. She called Fenris, "a total hoddypoll", "an addled-brained daftie", "a bugbear", "a total bird-witted dodo", "a bugaboo" and these were not used as terms of endearment (although by the end of the; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Master of Dragons (Mageverse, Book 8); Author: Visit Amazon's Angela Knight Page; Review: This book has already had the plot explained so often I feel comfortable just giving my reaction to it. If you don't know the story line, others have explained it wonderfully in other reviews. I had only read one other Angela Knight novel before (Master of Swords) and wanted to read this one because I enjoyed the Kel character in the other book. I liked Kel just fine in this book but otherwise I found things not so much to my liking. I did not really like or dislike Nineva. As a matter of fact, for me, she almost got in the way of my enjoying this book. I had expected much more plot action but it turned into mostly sex. I actually became bored with that aspect of the book and would skip over those pages, and pages, and pages in order to get to where something (anything) was happening in the line of moving the story forward. I freely admit that I have not read (and now will not) the first six stories concerning this series. I must confess that I am confused. In Master of Swords Gawain and Lark were looking for the black grail being used by the followers of Geirolf to increase the evil beings capable of fighting those defending the Mageverse. Was that the third grail they found? I thought it was the second and had expected Kel and Nineva to find the final black grail and destroy it. If I misunderstood, perhaps this kept me from enjoying the book as much as I had hoped. My bones of contention are: 1.) too much sex; 2.) a heroine I didn't particularly like; 3.) a goddess imprisoned on a sword that I never cared about; 4.) new characters introduced throughout the book but never expounded on (example: Evegnii introduced on page 239-240 yet never heard from again). I liked the character of Kel. I felt that he deserved a better/stronger/more mature heroine than Nineva. I also found that I could put this book down and walk away from it and never even think about coming back to it until I happened to see it on the table. Whoa!! Bad news for my level of enjoyment! Not a bad book, but it did not make me want to read the others which came before it. I'm just not interested!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Nalini Singh Page; Review: So---all you folks out there who know your fiction. Does this book fall into romance, fantasy, paranormal, science fiction or a combination of those plus something else I don't know about? Where it falls probably doesn't matter except in telling someone where to look for it in the book store. Just skip all that worry, go to the Information desk!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wish I had known it was going to be so good so that I could have waited until after dinner to start it. As it was, my sweet, wonderful husband had to have a bowl of cereal because I just didn't want to stop reading. Of course, nothing says he couldn't have cooked something but have you heard that old saying "when pigs fly"? Well, I don't notice many pigs flying around in my neighborhood. One of my favorite things about this book is that it is well balanced. Not too much Psy, not too much Changeling, not too much science fiction, not too much future technology. Just enough of each to blend into a totally absorbing, believeable read with characters who were interesting and likeable. I need to like the characters, especially the leads, in order to fully involve myself in a book. This one suited me perfectly. It also contained the right amount of sensual episodes so that I could see these people as human (not superhuman over-sexed unrealistic maniacs who thought of nothing but sex). The author also paid the reader the supreme compliment in allowing us to use our imaginations during the sensual encounters and did not describe them to death. Thank you Ms Singh, I appreciate your restraint. Very highly recommended. You will be surrounded by a future world which is different from our own but which stays just enough the same to make you feel comfortable.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Whirlwind Baby; Author: Visit Amazon's Debra Cowan Page; Review: Once again the Amazon system has kept me from giving a book the rating I would prefer. If I had my druthers, I'd druther give it 3.5 very solid stars. But---since I'm hampered by the numbering system, I'll give it four stars but let you know why I'd prefer 3.5 stars. Debra Cowan is too much of a favorite of mine to just give it 3 stars. This book is a sweet look at the relationship which grows between Emma York and Jake Ross. Jake runs the Circle R ranch in Texas. One Friday night he finds a baby has been left on the porch of his home. A letter accompanies the baby giving her name as Molly and her birth date but no information as to the identity of her parents. Jake has been a widower for five years. He lost his wife and baby from complications during his wife's pregnancy and he has never forgiven himself because he feels he was responsible for her death. She was trying to provide him with the child he wanted and put her own life in danger. When Jake finds the baby he knows that he cannot stand to have little Molly around because she reminds him of all he has lost. It is imperative for him to find someone to care for the baby while he searches for a family to take Molly permanently. Only two women answer Jake's ad for a baby nurse. One is an English nanny with very strict ideas on the care of children. The other is Emma York, a young widow from Illinois who desperately needs a job. Jake is much more impressed with the way Emma handles Molly and so he hires her to care for the baby and to be the cook and housekeeper for the ranch. But things are not what they seem. Emma has some really big secrets she is keeping to herself. Luckily, this author lets us in on these secrets very early on. I really resent it when even the reader is kept in the dark for a prolonged period with just hints given out periodically. We find out what is going on in Emma's life very quickly and it changes the entire book. This book is a continuation of other books by Debra Cowan in the Whirlwind, Texas saga. If you have read any of the previous three books, you will be delighted to find the characters from those books come back in this story and so you can find out what has been happening to them since their story ended (some play a more prominent role than others, but all are at least mentioned). I have thoroughly enjoyed all the other Whirlwind books and this was no exception. All throughout this story there is the mystery of thefts which are occurring in and around Whirlwind. I kept waiting to find the significance of the thefts and to understand why it was important. When the mystery was solved, it fell totally flat for me. I went back and read the several; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Her Royal Spyness; Author: Visit Amazon's Rhys Bowen Page; Review: Whoever did the cover art for this book needs to win an award. That is what caught my attention in the first place, then I noticed the author and realized that it might be a mystery. Luckily for me it was so I snapped it up. The actual plot of the book has been described fully and well in other reviews so any information you need along those lines is readily available from many other sources. Although, I must confess that I'm still looking for the diary entries mentioned in the review from Booklist. Perhaps the chapter headings is what was meant? I have read many of Rhys Bowen's EVAN EVANS books and always enjoy her handling of a mystery. I was expecting this book to have the same depth of mystery involvement but I'm afraid I was slightly disappointed along those lines. This is the first of what will obviously be a new series for this author. The greater part of the book is given over to the development of Lady Georgiana, her family and friends, and her place in the aristocratic society of the England of 1932. The writing is first rate. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the world they inhabited. Because actual historical characters are interwoven throughout the story, and because it is so well written, it is possible to believe that these are real people and I am reading about happenings in their real lives. My only criticism of the book is that I know how very talented this author is in plotting mysteries. This one was not quite hard enough to figure out. In actual fact it was quite easy. I do want to keep in mind, though, that a lot of information had to be given about Lady Georgiana in order to set her up as our major character and I am assuming that future books will give her a broader scope in which to relate to a wider range of people. I think that this title was an absolute stroke of genius. Congratulations on that one, Ms Bowen. I just loved reading about Georgie going to have tea with Her Majesty. Wonder who got to eat all the lovely cakes and tarts?; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Amaryllis; Author: Visit Amazon's Jayne Castle Page; Review: In many ways it seems almost unfair to judge this book (which was published in 1996) by the standards of science fiction/fantasy/romance books written today. These types of books and authors have moved in lightning fast style from what they were when the genre and sub-genre first began to be written. Nevertheless, I have to confess that I found myself bored while reading this first in the Castle series of "flower" books. Amaryllis Lark, as a character, should have appealed to me since she is the type character I tend to want to read about. But even I found her TOO rigid, TOO prissy, TOO single-minded, TOO straight laced, TOO everything. She was not a psychic detective, as some reviews have stated, she simply fell into investigating the death of her academic mentor because she was too stubborn to let go of her idea that something MIGHT have been wrong in his death. No clear reason for her doubt ever stuck in my mind so I was constantly left wondering why she continued to think he might have been killed. She just went on and on and on insisting on investigating when there did not seem to be anything to investigate. Why? Give me some reason to believe that a mystery actually exists. (In fairness to the author, she did manage to hide the culprit very well, but by the time it was revealed, I just wanted to get it over with and be finished.) Lucas Trent was a very good character for me. He was portrayed as the opposite of Amaryllis and Ms Castle did a very good job in making me see him as such. I do wish that she had given him more passion. He seemed to be rather lukewarm during situations where his emotions should have registered off the top of the scale. I have read in some of the reviews that this is a "steamy" romance. No, not by today's standards. If you read this book believing that, you are destined to be very disappointed. I agree with another reviewer, if everything in this book is to be compared to Earth, why not just have the action take place on Earth using a time/dimension vehicle to move it out of our own world? All the descriptions are very shallow; as an example, at one point the characters eat a straw-peach pie. Not one single description of what that fruit looked like, smelled like or tasted like. Coff-tea. What was it? What did it smell like, taste like? Where did it grow? Did it grow? Give me some descriptions to tell me why this was not Earth. A fern-tree. Well, I know it was big but how big? How tall? How wide? Was it even green? I have read all the Jayne Castle books about Harmony, AFTER GLOW, AFTER DARK, GHOST HUNTER and will receive the newest release in a few days. I just LOVE those books. I can envision the alien world of Harmony. I expected that these "flower" books would give me the same enjoyment level.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Silver Master (Ghost Hunters, Book 4); Author: Visit Amazon's Jayne Castle Page; Review: Celinda Ingram is a professional matchmaker and has been living in Cadence for four months. Her particular paranormal ability as a para-resonator makes it possible for her to feel whether two people are compatable and would make good candidates for a full Covenant Marriage. Only her family and a few close friends know just how powerful her ability really is, people can get very uncomfortable being around a person they believe can read their mind. She, of course, cannot go that far, but she can read much more deeply than usual para-resonators. She lives in the Old City part of town with her dust bunny Araminta and just wants to get on with her life after the horrible scandal in Old Frequency, her hometown. Davis Oakes is the owner of Oakes Security and is a fourth generation descendant of a ghost hunter family. His ties to the Guild are strong but he is not a ghost hunter himself. After suffering a traumatic experience while rescuing a kidnapped child, he cannot afford to pull any ghost light because his ability comes from a spectrum of color unknown to most people. Using it has unusual and possibly deadly consequences. His dust bunny pal is Max. I really liked this book. It is not necessary to have read the three previous books in the series (After Dark, After Glow and Ghost Hunter), but if you have you will be delighted to catch up with the lead characters from those stories. Lydia and Emmet London are very prominent in this book and we get to attend the wedding of Elly St. Clair and Cooper Boone. The dust bunnies, Fuzz and Rose, also make an appearance. The Jayne Castle style of writing paranormal romance books is slightly different from most other authors I've read. Her books tend to be less violent than others. And even though they contain some really bad guys, you don't have to wade through blood and gore to get to your hoped-for conclusion. I am also enjoying the fact that all the Ghost Hunter series, so far, have been connected. This has given me the feeling of getting to know the characters and being involved in their lives for a long time. If you are just starting the series, you may want to know that After Dark is the first, Lydia Smith and Emmet London meet then. After Glow continues the story with Lydia and Emmet. Ghost Hunter is the story for Elly and Cooper. I would highly recommend this particular book and this entire series. Just be warned that these are, in my opinion, love stories first and foremost. The paranormal element adds an exciting dimension and this one in particular has a wonderful surprise element to Davis' powers. I am never bored reading this series but readers more accustomed to authors such as J.R. Ward, Angela Knight or Sherrilyn Kenyon may find the intensity level in the Ghost Hunter books a little too tame for their liking. Personally, I like them all. They are just different. Ms Castle also managed to; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Darcy's Diary; Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Grange Page; Review: The aspect of this novel by Amanda Grange which pleases me most is that she has been successful in turning Fitzwilliam Darcy into a flesh and blood man. Since Pride and Prejudice is essentially written from Elizabeth Bennet's point of view, at times I want an explanation of what Darcy is thinking. This book managed to do that for me. Even knowing that these words, thoughts and ideas do not come from Jane Austen, I am still completely satisfied with thinking "my" Mr. Darcy would have been like this. He was arrogant, he did believe in his own self-importance, he did interfere in Bingley's life. But, he also learned from Elizabeth and Bingley and the situations he found himself in that he could change. He didn't need to stay so stiff and formal. He could actually learn to tease and be teased and the world as he knew it would still remain on its axis. I found this book to be slow going at first. I really didn't think I was going to be able to accept this Darcy as the same one who lives in my imagination. But a strange thing happened as I continued to read. I began to really like this man. Amanda Grange had made him a true, real, loveable person for me. As most of the other reviewers have said, I also am a huge fan of the Jane Austen books. Ms Grange does not try to be Jane Austen. She tries to be herself, giving us her version of how she thinks Fitzwilliam Darcy might have responded to his situations. I applaud her effort and recommend this book as a worthwhile read. This is just a little extra information in case you get confused (as I did). This book came out in Britain in 2005 in hardcover and was titled DARCY'S DIARY. It has a full head portrait of Darcy on the cover, quite interesting but maybe just a little too feminine for "my" Darcy. The paperback was published in 2007 and is titled MR. DARCY'S DIARY. I, of course, was not careful and managed to buy them both. The paperback has only a partial portrait, probably because the publisher discovered that each of us has our own mental picture of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Both books are identical in every way except as I have stated. Now, my advice is to just read and enjoy one copy or the other.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Shooting Party; Author: Visit Amazon's Isabel Colegate Page; Review: I first became aware of this novel while watching the added features from the DVD. This author, Isabel Colegate, participated in an interview concerning her reactions to the film (1984 starring James Mason, Edward Fox and John Gielgud) in which she seemed to be very satisfied that the film had captured the essence and feeling of her novel. I had enjoyed the film so much it made me seek out the book and purchase it when I found it on Amazon. The plot of the story has been fully discussed in other reviews and editorial comments. I knew I had enjoyed the film version but it was as nothing compared to the written word. Isabel Colgate is a new author for me but she has a wonderfully flowing and lyrical style of writing which kept me rivited to the story for its entirety. Another reviewer states that they did not believe the book took place in an atmosphere where the participants in the house party were aware that their lives were about to change. I strongly disagree with that statement. Yes, the sense of foreboding was felt more strongly by some characters than others, mostly among the male characters. But it is very plain throughout Sir Randolph Nettleby's thoughts and writings in his Game Book that he feels that change is coming, it is just over the horizon, and it is not going to be a change advantageous to himself nor the English rural way of life. All of the characters are vividly and fully drawn in this gem of a novel. Even the most insignificant, little Flo Page who is sent to give a message to Tom Harker, is wonderfully alive in her role of sitting on the doorstep in the cold and dark, waiting for him to come home, until her lantern has used up almost all its fuel. No character was too insignificant for this author to use as an example of how different the layers of this society were. Cicely, grand-daughter to Sir Randolph, was constantly being chided by her mother for being too familiar with her maid, Ellen, and too interested in how her romance was progressing with John, a footman. Minnie Nettleby invited Charles Farquhar for the weekend, not because he was good at shooting, but because it was understood that Aline Hartlip was having an affair with him. It could even be said that the entire horrible incident which occurred was the fault of Gilbert Hartlip's wife. If she had not felt the need to practically goad him into unsportsman like behavior, it would have been just another shooting party like so many others. Now for the uncomfortable part. I, personally, tend to humanize animals and other living creatures. My dogs are always called my babies and are treated like people. The hummingbirds, cardinals and gold finches are all given names (even though I can't tell them apart - logic doesn't matter here). You can see my point. I must say that this book does have an element in it which may cause discomfort to; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Marriage Bed (Guilty Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Lee Guhrke Page; Review: I first learned of the characters John and Viola Hammond in a previous Laura Lee Guhrke novel, Guilty Pleasures. I was very much opposed to the John Hammond character which I glimpsed in that book, but I went ahead and bought this book anyway. In my own private way, I was issuing a challenge to this author. I don't like reading about adultery, especially a man who seemed to be such a totally unrepentent adulterer. So - come on, Ms Guhrke, convince me he doesn't deserve for me to thoroughly dislike him. Well.... Somewhere along the way I became sympathetic toward John. He was wrong, originally in not being truthful with Viola concerning his feelings toward her and in walking away from their marriage without insisting they talk about their problems. Therein lies the rub. He was a man who could not, and I mean never, "talk" about his feelings the way women want to "talk" about their feelings. Yes, his actions after he left Viola were stupid, and hurtful, and totally wrong. But is no man allowed to change? To grow from his life experiences? I think that is called maturity and reviewers who did not watch John mature through this book were just so mad at him they couldn't allow him any leniency. It took him a long time to begin to see how his actions had an impact on women. He found it impossible to believe that any of his former mistresses could have been in love with him. For him, it was a business transaction. He was oblivious to what it meant to the women. He was callous and yes, a cad. Doesn't that make it even more remarkable that this author was able to rehabilitate and humanize this man who seemed so lost to redemption? This book is written very much from the perspective of the male character. It was necessary for the book to be written in that way so that we could watch the incredible changes which had to take place within John's thoughts and feelings. Viola, I had some trouble liking until later on in the book. She did not want to take any responsibility for any of the problems she and John were having. According to her, everything which happened was all his fault. Not so. If she had not made the fatal mistake of refusing to discuss how hurt she was after learning that John had continued to see his mistress while he was engaged to her, I have to believe they would have still had problems but problems which could be solved. It is portrayed in historical novels (particularly in the Regency period) that men had mistresses as a matter of course. John even told Viola later that he began at 15 to have a mistress. It was very much the accepted thing to do among their social set. Did it make it right for him to continue the relationship while engaged to Viola? No, but she acted as if he was the first man on the planet to have a; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Emma (Collins Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Jane Austen Page; Review: Any person considering reading PERSUASION by Jane Austen must have several thoughts in mind before beginning. This book is a classic, written by a master. It requires an investment of your time, your patience, your understanding and your attention. It is a book to be savored, not galloped through as if it were a modern fiction bodice ripper. If you are willing to approach this book with an open mind, expecting only to receive pleasure from the written word, you will most likely enjoy it tremendously. I read a lot of modern romance fiction. One of the things I have noticed on researching a book through the Amazon review system before I buy it is that so often reviewers state that they were able to finish the book in two hours, three hours, four hours. Do they honestly think that is a compliment to the author? One thing I can guarantee here, you will never be able to say that about PERSUASION. Slow down, read for pleasure, read for the pure joy of observing Jane Austen's manner of combining words. Her punctuation style is totally different from modern fiction. It requires that you hold thoughts in your mind long enough for her to have completed her lengthy and complicated sentence structure. Fans of Jane Austen often say that one specific book is their favorite. My favorite is the one I happen to be reading at the time. I've read them all multiple times and am always able to find nuggets of pleasure either not noticed before or now understood from a fresh perspective. PERSUASION is a book which shows very clearly Miss Austen's feelings on the English class system and how appearances are very often deceiving. Anne Elliot's own family is (in their minds at least) in the top strata of society. In actual fact, they are very small fish in a wide pond and do not amount to much except when within their own corner of England. Anne spends much time with the Musgrove family and all those surrounding that happy, boisterous group. Although lower in the social standings, they are loving, kind and generous, traits which are totally lacking in her own father and older sister. Anne is considered of no consequence to her family yet is loved and admired by those outside her social set who can see her value and worth. This is a story of young love lost with the opportunity to reclaim that love when maturity has given new insights into reasons, details and personalities. This book does not specifically leave you with a "happily ever after" feeling. Anne will never be mistress of Kellynch-hall, probably never even live there again. Captain Wentworth is a career naval officer with all that implies in his future service during wars. And yet, you cannot help but feel that Anne and Frederick will be quietly, calmly, gloriously happy for their remaining days. Partially because of the eight long years of separation which allowed them both to mature and grow and partially because they are just so very right for; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Emma (Bantam Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Jane Austen Page; Review: Any person considering reading PERSUASION by Jane Austen must have several thoughts in mind before beginning. This book is a classic, written by a master. It requires an investment of your time, your patience, your understanding and your attention. It is a book to be savored, not galloped through as if it were a modern fiction bodice ripper. If you are willing to approach this book with an open mind, expecting only to receive pleasure from the written word, you will most likely enjoy it tremendously. I read a lot of modern romance fiction. One of the things I have noticed on researching a book through the Amazon review system before I buy it is that so often reviewers state that they were able to finish the book in two hours, three hours, four hours. Do they honestly think that is a compliment to the author? One thing I can guarantee here, you will never be able to say that about PERSUASION. Slow down, read for pleasure, read for the pure joy of observing Jane Austen's manner of combining words. Her punctuation style is totally different from modern fiction. It requires that you hold thoughts in your mind long enough for her to have completed her lengthy and complicated sentence structure. Fans of Jane Austen often say that one specific book is their favorite. My favorite is the one I happen to be reading at the time. I've read them all multiple times and am always able to find nuggets of pleasure either not noticed before or now understood from a fresh perspective. PERSUASION is a book which shows very clearly Miss Austen's feelings on the English class system and how appearances are very often deceiving. Anne Elliot's own family is (in their minds at least) in the top strata of society. In actual fact, they are very small fish in a wide pond and do not amount to much except when within their own corner of England. Anne spends much time with the Musgrove family and all those surrounding that happy, boisterous group. Although lower in the social standings, they are loving, kind and generous, traits which are totally lacking in her own father and older sister. Anne is considered of no consequence to her family yet is loved and admired by those outside her social set who can see her value and worth. This is a story of young love lost with the opportunity to reclaim that love when maturity has given new insights into reasons, details and personalities. This book does not specifically leave you with a "happily ever after" feeling. Anne will never be mistress of Kellynch-hall, probably never even live there again. Captain Wentworth is a career naval officer with all that implies in his future service during wars. And yet, you cannot help but feel that Anne and Frederick will be quietly, calmly, gloriously happy for their remaining days. Partially because of the eight long years of separation which allowed them both to mature and grow and partially because they are just so very right for; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sense and Sensibility (Word Cloud Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Jane Austen Page; Review: Any person considering reading PERSUASION by Jane Austen must have several thoughts in mind before beginning. This book is a classic, written by a master. It requires an investment of your time, your patience, your understanding and your attention. It is a book to be savored, not galloped through as if it were a modern fiction bodice ripper. If you are willing to approach this book with an open mind, expecting only to receive pleasure from the written word, you will most likely enjoy it tremendously. I read a lot of modern romance fiction. One of the things I have noticed on researching a book through the Amazon review system before I buy it is that so often reviewers state that they were able to finish the book in two hours, three hours, four hours. Do they honestly think that is a compliment to the author? One thing I can guarantee here, you will never be able to say that about PERSUASION. Slow down, read for pleasure, read for the pure joy of observing Jane Austen's manner of combining words. Her punctuation style is totally different from modern fiction. It requires that you hold thoughts in your mind long enough for her to have completed her lengthy and complicated sentence structure. Fans of Jane Austen often say that one specific book is their favorite. My favorite is the one I happen to be reading at the time. I've read them all multiple times and am always able to find nuggets of pleasure either not noticed before or now understood from a fresh perspective. PERSUASION is a book which shows very clearly Miss Austen's feelings on the English class system and how appearances are very often deceiving. Anne Elliot's own family is (in their minds at least) in the top strata of society. In actual fact, they are very small fish in a wide pond and do not amount to much except when within their own corner of England. Anne spends much time with the Musgrove family and all those surrounding that happy, boisterous group. Although lower in the social standings, they are loving, kind and generous, traits which are totally lacking in her own father and older sister. Anne is considered of no consequence to her family yet is loved and admired by those outside her social set who can see her value and worth. This is a story of young love lost with the opportunity to reclaim that love when maturity has given new insights into reasons, details and personalities. This book does not specifically leave you with a "happily ever after" feeling. Anne will never be mistress of Kellynch-hall, probably never even live there again. Captain Wentworth is a career naval officer with all that implies in his future service during wars. And yet, you cannot help but feel that Anne and Frederick will be quietly, calmly, gloriously happy for their remaining days. Partially because of the eight long years of separation which allowed them both to mature and grow and partially because they are just so very right for; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Visions of Heat (Psy-Changelings, Book 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Nalini Singh Page; Review: I'll bet the people at Berkley Sensation are dancing little jigs in delight for having this wonderfully talented writer on their list. I read SLAVE TO SENSATION and was bowled over by Nalini Singh's talent. Now I've finished VISIONS OF HEAT and cannot believe how seamlessly the two books work together. If at all possible, I would recommend reading SLAVE TO SENSATION first. It lays all the groundwork for the paranormal environment where the books take place. VISIONS OF HEAT can be read as a stand-alone book, but I am personally glad that I had already met so many of the characters depicted in this book. It was wonderful to revisit Saschia and Lucas along with all the other Changelings from book one. Faith NightStar was unaware of the fact that her subconscious had been preparing her for the changes which were about to take place in her life. Living in total isolation, within her own compound, she had time to read anything and everything which caught her interest. Only later did she see that she had been choosing reading material which would help her understand the world she would walk into when she went in search of Saschia Duncan, the E-Psy who had escaped the PsyNet shortly before. Faith needed the empath to tell her why she had begun to "feel" emotions during her dreams. Dreams which had become increasingly dark and frightening. Due to the Silence Protocol, Psy did not feel any emotions. Was this a sign that Faith was beginning to go insane? If her handlers thought so, she would be placed under protection, used as long as she could predict financial data accurately, and then be left to exist within her deranged mind until her body finally died. Vaughn D'Angelo was a true alpha male in personality, even though he was not the alpha of the Changeling pack. His interactions with Faith were so crucial to her ability to survive in the world outside her bubble existence. His past history explained why he was always much closer to being jaguar than human. Too many weeks on his own at a young age had left him closer to feral than human. Together these two damaged individuals helped each other through feelings of guilt and fear so that Vaughn could claim Faith as his mate, and she could submit to all that term meant. I loved it. Some reviewers wanted it to be "hotter". Not me. With these books, the story, the plotline, the building of block upon block is the ultimate pleasure. Yes, there are sensual moments. No, they are not excessive. I look forward to book 3, CARESSED BY ICE, due out soon. Nalini Singh is peppering her books thusfar with lots and lots of potential heros and heroines for future adventures. I look forward to many stories in this fascinating universe.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Yours Until Dawn (Avon Historical Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Teresa Medeiros Page; Review: What in the world was Teresa Medeiros thinking when she wrote this book? I have read many other books by this author and have been delighted by them. This one made me so upset and angry that I've waited two days to write this review. Every time I think of the way this plot twisted (and then twisted again) I get mad, and I feel cheated. The only way this author could have been more successful in writing about things I REALLY don't want in the plot of a Regency novel would have been for her to get my complete list. She did manage to leave out a few of my all time no-no's but not enough so that you would notice. I began to read the book (without any idea of what it was about) and was thinking that it was going very well. Then I began to wonder why no background information was given for Miss Samantha Wickersham. The book continued, Samantha (the nurse) was making inroads into the torment and self-pity suffered by Gabriel Fairchild (the blind patient) and gradually bringing him back into the realm of the human being. Still no background information except for things such as Samantha saying "my sister" or "my parents". Samantha won over the hearts of all the servants with her concern for her patient, who had been blinded while trying to save the life of Admiral Lord Nelson aboard ship during a naval battle. I did not rebel at all when the two lead characters began to be attracted to each other, after all, that's why I read romantic fiction. Then, the whole thing went to pieces. I will give Ms Medeiros credit, I NEVER saw that plot twist coming. I just wish she could have resisted temptation and not done it in the first place. If you want to read a story about a shallow, self-centered, cowardly heroine, this is the book for you. And Samantha doesn't learn from her mistakes (in my opinion) because she compounds the mistake by making the whole list of them all over again! And, I absolutely cannot stand it when an author has a man vow that he is so much in love with one woman that there can never be another in his life (after all, he is supposedly diligently trying to locate her!!) and then proceedes to prove to us that, oops, sorry, didn't mean that. And in this case, in such a short space of time (several months) and in such a horrible situation. What in the world was Ms Medeiros thinking with the episode which occured the night before Gabriel was to sail off to war again? Awful! Simply awful! As you can tell from reading all of these reviews, this book has at least one plot twist. I cannot be as specific as I would like because it isn't fair to spoil the plot for other readers. If I could be specific, I would have REALLY blasted this book. A favorite author of mine, but definitely a book of hers; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: None But You, (Frederick Wentworth, Captain: Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan Kaye Page; Review: I read Persuasion (once again!) last month and was then surprised to see that Susan Kaye had written this book presenting the story from the viewpoint of Captain Frederick Wentworth. I read the reviews here on the book page and decided to order it because most of the reviews were decidedly favorable. I am most happy that I made that decision. I found this book to be a fascinating indication of how Ms Kaye perceived Frederick Wentworth. This book does not just give readers the Frederick Wentworth we all know from the Jane Austen novel. It takes up during the time Captain Wentworth is still living his life with no expectation of having Anne Elliot in it in the future. I absolutely loved the details Ms Kaye provided regarding the men who choose the naval life as their career. I also appreciated her explanation for why a captain of a ship could have so very much free time on his hands as to go for an extended visit to his brother and sister. A very large portion of this novel takes place before Admiral and Mrs Croft become the tenants of Kellynch Hall, while Frederick is still under the impression that Anne is gone from his life forever. We see their past history told in small pieces, with a wealth of detail added showing how this author thinks their engagement was ended. All of this portion of the book is the idea of Ms Kaye but I was happy to accept them as possible episodes which could have taken place between Anne and Frederick. When Frederick does meet Anne once more he is convinced that he is totally immune to her charms and indeed is determined to find some woman, but not Anne, to be his wife. He knows that it is time for him to consider marriage and so he sets about selecting the woman to fit that need. I really enjoyed the characterization of Louisa Musgrove and Frederick's reactions to her. It fit my ideas of her very closely and I appreciated seeing his reactions to her. I also loved how Frederick was able to view the household of the entire Musgrove family and compare it to his own childhood. It gave me a lot to think about regarding his character formation. This book leaves off after the episode of Louisa's accident at Lyme. We are told that she is recovering, but then comes the cliffhanger. We will all just have to wait until Book Two is published to finish off this story. I can hardly wait to read how Susan Kaye imagines all the interactions at Bath, not to mention the heir, Mr. Elliot.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Knightley's Diary (A Jane Austen Heroes Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Grange Page; Review: Mr. Knightley's Diary was just a little slow and tedious for me. I don't think this can all be put at the feet of Amanda Grange except in her choice of subjects. Anyone who has ever read EMMA by Jane Austen knows that Knightley is not as often at the forefront of that novel as some other Austen lead male characters. This caused Ms Grange to use her imagination to a much greater extent in giving us Mr. Knightley's thoughts and even some of his words. It became rather boring reading about him dining in someone else's home practically every night. This was the major way Ms Grange conveyed the action for this book and is, indeed, how it happened in EMMA. The saving grace for EMMA was that we saw many, many more character interactions for that main character and since she was the lead in the book, we got much more actual conversation. I wish I had counted how many times Knightley was portrayed as walking to Hartfield. Surely it must have numbered close to a hundred because the book covered a full year in the lives of these characters. Also, Mr. Woodhouse and his continual grousing just plain got on my nerves. I don't remember having that reaction to him in EMMA so I'm not quite sure why he irritated me so sorely in this book, but he did. Somehow this book did not portray any passion and not very much feeling for me. If I had never read EMMA, this book would not tempt me to pick it up. I read Mr. Darcy's Diary by this author and rated it 4 solid, lovely stars. This one is O.K., but the stars are mostly given out of appreciation for previous books written by this author. I just don't think she had enough material to work with. Mr. Knightley is certainly no Darcy or Wentworth!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: It Happened One Autumn: The Wallflowers, Book 2; Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Kleypas Page; Review: As I'm sure you realize by now, this is the second in the "wallflower" series by Lisa Kleypas. I have not read the books in order, this one just came up as the one I chose when I closed my eyes and reached into the box. (I have so many books to read I should be ashamed of myself for buying more than I can read, but I'm not. Buying books is a compulsion for me. Some of my friends buy shoes, I buy books [and purses!] but we will just overlook that little purse thing. Purses are essential to life, right?) Now, about this book. I am a fan of the writing of Lisa Kleypas. Some of her books I like more than others but I don't think I've ever read one of her books which I would rate below a three. I thoroughly enjoy the "wallflower" concept. All four of the girls are completely different. They strike me as real, honest-to-goodness people. I like for an author to make me believe that I could meet their heroine and get to know her. Lillian Bowman is the daughter of a very wealthy American. She is a wallflower because of her unwillingness to control her tongue, bow and scrape to the English peerage and subjugate her intelligence in order to make a man feel superior. The only fault I found with Lillian was that she often carried her rebellious ways too far and got herself into needless trouble. But, and here is the point in Lillians favor, that turned out to be just exactly what Marcus, Lord Westcliff found so stimulating about her. Marcus did NOT want to be attracted to Lillian. He did not want to consider marriage to any woman but Lillian should have been so far down his list as to be completely off the page. Yet, despite everything he tried to do, he could not resist watching her, and being intrigued by her. The whole "magic" perfume theme was O.K. for a while but I was glad when it began to take a backseat to the fact that Marcus couldn't stay away from Lillian just because she was Lillian. Very, very satisfying for me. I do recommend this book. I don't think it matters one whit whether you read these books in order or not. This is my third one with only Daisy's story to go. If I had to rank them right now, DEVIL IN WINTER is absolutely, totally, unequivocally first. Then Annabelle and Lillian have to fight it out for second. Who knows, Daisy just MIGHT move Evie out of first place but I don't think so.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Last Man in the World: A Pride & Prejudice Variation; Author: Visit Amazon's Abigail Reynolds Page; Review: I decided this past summer to give myself a treat and re-read all the Jane Austen books which I like best. In doing so I also discovered many, many selections for what I call take-offs. This book is one of the ones which caught my attention so much that I wanted to read it. I had never before read anything written by Abigail Reynolds. I chose this particular title because the dialogue in Pride and Prejudice from which it is taken has always been a huge favorite of mine. Lizzie and Darcy really let their hair down during this scene and I have always wanted it to go on longer. Now I had my chance. I really appreciate the way Ms Reynolds handled this interaction between my two favorite literary characters. I willingly accepted her Darcy. Elizabeth was a little harder for me to fall in step with. I wondered if the reason Elizabeth found herself engaged to Mr. Darcy was quite strong enough. Would MY Elizabeth not have straightened out the problem immediately with one of her tart, straightforward statements? Perhaps. But, as I continued to read I was more and more willing to accept THIS Elizabeth and her actions. I have to say that I don't think I have ever read a book where the main characters (Elizabeth, Darcy and Georgiana) misunderstood each other so often as they do here. Austen's Elizabeth would have asked a lot more questions to clear up details. Alas, this Elizabeth (nor Darcy, nor Georgiana) asked enough questions. I finally had to let go of my pre-conceived notions and just accept these characters as written. From there on out I felt better. I enjoyed Ms Reynolds depictions of Pemberley. I liked the book as a whole and fully intend to get the other books in the series. I think that says a lot for my enjoyment level. I am probably not what most people would consider an Austen purist so this book was a good, entertaining read for me. If you insist on any author staying completely faithful to every word written by Jane Austen, you are never going to be happy with this or any other variation on the canon. My advice, if you can allow yourself to imagine "what if..." then this book will give you pleasure.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Listening Eye (A Miss Silver Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Patricia Wentworth Page; Review: Patricia Wentworth mysteries are books which I love to read multiple times. I first read this particular title several years ago and found that I did not specifically remember who the culprit was. Happy days for me again! Paulina Paine lost her hearing as a result of a bomb blast during the war and has learned to make the best of a bad situation. She has developed her ability to lip-read to a fine art. Often she would find herself privy to conversations which she did not want to overhear. Such was the case when she noticed the two men talking when she visited the art gallery to see the works of two young men included in the current exhibition. David Moray had painted, and sold, a picture of Paulina and even she had to admit that it was a really good depiction of her. Such good things could not be said for the art of Wilfrid Gaunt, her cousin Hilda's son. While taking a break from walking around the gallery Paulina lip-read the remarks of one of the two men who seemed to have met by accident. Only one part of the conversation was shown to her but it was enough to send her trembling from the gallery to the comfort of a good cup of tea. Paulina had seen the plans for a robbery being made and they included the murder of the person being robbed. No location, person or specific item was described. Paulina knew that the police would never believe her, there was just not enough information to give them. She did, however, know about Miss Maude Silver and she immediately made arrangements to meet with Miss Silver and tell her all about the crime which was to take place. As is often the case, once Paulina had told her story to Miss Silver, she felt so relieved that she declined to go to the police and even refused to take a taxi home. On her way home, she fell under a bus and was killed. Something which I am always fascinated by in a Patricia Wentworth mystery is to see how she will bring all her characters together in one place so that they are all involved in the mystery. This time, these people are all brought together by the fact that Lucius Bellingdon bought the picture of Paulina Paine painted by David Moray. A gathering of people is assembled at Merefields, the country house of Lucius Bellingdon and we have a chance to meet and get to know each of these characters as Miss Silver quietly sits and listenes to anything anyone says, no matter how trivial it may seem. I enjoyed this story, although it is not my favorite Miss Silver story. This one seems to have quite a bit of repititious material in it. That in itself is not unusual, Miss Silver has to relate everything she finds out to the police and to her employer. But in this book she also seems to tell it all to quite a few other people. Wentworth; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord Darlington's Darling (Signet Regency Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Gayle Buck Page; Review: On page two of this book I came upon what I thought was a whopper of a typo. Lord Darlington, Marquis of Thursgood, was described by this author as being 20 years old. As I read further, I realized that Gayle Buck actually meant it, she had made this lead character 20 years old! What age would the heroine be? Well, that didn't matter because she never told us. Five years ago (remember, when he was 15) Sylvan's father was killed in a curricle racing accident. The family was left with a mountain of gambling debts and the family home was mortgaged to the hilt. Sylvan and his "man of business" (the author never even bothered to give this poor soul a name!) worked tirelessly to work off all the debts and were now solvent. (For this "man of business" think angel, a la the Cary Grant character of Dudley in the black and white movie THE BISHOP'S WIFE. There can be no other explanation for how this man and a 15 year old boy could save this family's fortunes.) Sylvan has six younger siblings and his mother to care for. He has managed to marry off one of the sisters (she must be 19) and betroth another one (must be 18) because now it has come to his attention that Bethany (his youngest sister at 17) has formed an unfortunate attachment. Because there is now enough money, the mother, brother and sister leave for London for Bethany to have a Season and to help her forget the unfortunate attachment. All of this load to be carried by a 20 year old young man? (And by the way, the other three siblings are never mentioned but it can probably be assumed they must have been boys. Wonder which garret room this author consigned them all to while mother, brother and one sister whooped it up in London? Remember, they all had to be younger than 17. Maybe they were all away at school?) I looked everywhere to try to find out if this book, copyright 2002, was actually a rewrite of a previous book. I never found anything to say that it wasn't written in 2002. It is only 5 years old. Why is it so completely dull and boring? Surely in 2002 authors were allowed to have their characters show passion, maybe some sensuality? Not here they didn't. The heroine of this piece is Miss Abigale Fairchilde who is too timid to say boo to a goose! I don't especially like a super feisty heroine but I would like for her to at least not be afraid to finish her sentences. This (very) young girl was so timid, and reticent, and shy, and tongue tied that she could hardly speak two or more words strung together. Everyone bent her to their will. She never wanted to harm, hurt, injure or inconvenience anybody, whether the harm, hurt, injury or inconvenience was real or just possible or even imagined. My goodness she was dull! And then, at the end, she became super action; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine's Guide to Life and Love; Author: Visit Amazon's Patrice Hannon Page; Review: It is very obvious that Patrice Hannon has taught English literature, and in particular Jane Austen, because of the idea and execution of this book. I found myself utterly charmed by her Jane Austen "voice". At first, I was a little hesitant about how I would bridge the time-span gap for Jane Austen giving advice on life and love to twenty-first century heroines. Hannon herself advises readers (in the Author's Notes) to not "dip in" and read sections out of order but to proceed in an orderly fashion so that the framework of the book can be revealed in a very particular way. I had a dilemma. Should I follow my inclinations and read Chapter Five, A Heroine Knows a Hero When She Sees One--Or Does She? first, as I wanted to? Or should I follow the advice of the person who actually put this book together from concept to print? Luckily for me, I decided to follow her advice and I read it all the way through for my first, but surely not my last, "dip". It is sound advice. A reader needs to understand who's who and what is happening to and around "Jane" in order to keep from being confused. Jane Austen is still living in the early 1800's. The letters are all from would-like-to-be heroines who are living in the twenty-first century. How was this possible? I still can't answer that question. The final page and a half of the book may be an explanation. But then, maybe not. Two friends could have some really good conversation over that. I'm looking forward to it! Austen gets letters from modern young women asking her very specific questions of how she or her heroines would have dealt with problems they are encountering now. All the answers come from Austen's real life experiences or from her writings and the experiences of her characters in all her books. Once I caught on to the technique used, it was absolutely fascinating for me to read the question and then try to figure out which examples could be used to supply the answer. I wasn't always right but it was fun to try. Ms Hannon has a vast knowlege of the Austen books. She uses passages from those books along with "Jane's" expanding on the subject to give advice to would-be heroines. I don't think she ever used the same example twice. It was phenomenal. The writing is in the style of Jane Austen and rings wonderfully true. If this author had not been able to "sound" like Jane Austen, this would have been a painful book to read. Because she was "being" Jane, I learned historically accurate facts concerning her life. It was as if I was reading a biography only lighter, friendlier, smoother. There are chapters on character, family, friends, being in the world, knowing a hero when you meet him, s_x, marriage, beauty tips, money and happy endings. The questions asked in the correspondence are very, very real and current for today's woman. The answers are all taken from people and; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Wicked Ways of a Duke; Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Lee Guhrke Page; Review: Laura Lee Guhrke is one of my favorite authors of historical romance. Why then did I give this book only three stars? It didn't give me any of those exciting, breathless moments I enjoy so much in a romance novel. Prudence Bosworth is a 28 year old "girl bachelor" who has been on her own in London since the age of 17. Her aunt and uncle took her in after her mother died but Prudence and her aunt and cousin always had problems. She saw herself as a burden for the financially strapped family and after one too many disagreements took herself off to London to make her way in the world. She works as a seamstress at Madam Marceau's and has managed to work herself into the position of head seamstress after eleven years of hard work. Prudence knows that she is not considered to be a beauty and that the only way for her to have a 29" waist is for her to be laced into her corset so tightly she can just barely breath. She is the type person who always sees the best in people and makes the best of any situation she is in. I liked Prudence. She reminded me of a perfectly normal woman and I actually could not find any fault with her for believing what she was told. Rhys de Winter, the Duke of St. Cyres comes to her rescue at a time when she needs a little outside help. But Prudence is a very practical woman, she knows there will never be another meeting between the Duke and the seamstress. The Duke of St. Cyres (pronounced sincere - thanks, Ms Guhrke!)is a rogue from his head to his toes. Very early on we get the full force of his character when he rescues a serving girl from the unwanted attentions of another member of the peerage (with Prudence looking on) and then later winds up with the serving girl in his bed. And believe me, he was NOT thinking about Prudence! As you will know from reading the description of this book, St. Cyres (at 33) has just become Duke after the death of his uncle. He is totally awash in debt. He has spent the last ten years living in Italy and spending every penny he had. Suddenly all the responsibility for the title and lands with all that implies falls into the lap of one who doesn't want it but must find a way to save it. Let's all hear it for the idea of 'rake marries an heiress for her money'! Several things were different about this book. It is an historical novel but is set in 1894 so there are some modern conveniences most of us are not used to finding when we read novels set in the Regency Period (which is much more prevelant in my experience). We therefore have things such as electric lighting at the Opera House and railroad travel. These things are mentioned in a very nonchalant way and don't really play much of a; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Caressed By Ice (Psy-Changelings, Book 3); Author: Visit Amazon's Nalini Singh Page; Review: My ratings for the two previous books in this series were 5 stars, whole heartedly given. I just could not do less for this third book. I am simply blown away by the fact that this hugely talented author can have such a complex story system going and still keep all three books connected, yet separate. There are many, many reviews for this book (which you probably know by now is the third in a series)and I actually went back and read each of them before beginning my review. The plot of the book is so superbly related by so many good reviews that I see no reason to re-invent the wheel. I find myself shying away from series books. It has been my unfortunate experience to find that so often the first book will be really good, sometimes just good, but after that the quality suffers and what comes after #1 cannot be relied on. That is absolutely not the case with this author and this series of stories. For me, it has been a building experience. I really enjoyed this chance to have almost all the characters from the first two books play such an integral part in Caressed By Ice. The story of Brenna and Judd was totally fascinating to watch. I did see (in other reviews) some references to Brenna "persuing" Judd with people not liking that element in this story. My take on that situation is that Judd was mentally conditioned to NEVER experience emotion. How else would he have overcome that obstacle without being pushed to do so? Brenna felt an instinctive tug in his direction long before she understood why. She was even willing to choose to be with him even though she did not feel that he was her "true mate" as it was understood within the wolf breed. Ms Singh gave each character just exactly the traits needed by the other character to resolve the problems which would have normally kept them apart. I am completely enamored of the writing of this author. This is not even a genre of fiction which I customarily read and yet I have jumped at the chance to continue reading this series. My strong recommendation is that you read at least the first in the series, SLAVE TO SENSATION before starting here. That book lays the groundwork for all the world building which Ms Singh uses to have her characters operate in. Without understanding the basic premise of the series, book three could be a little (or a lot) confusing. This series is, for me at least, very detailed, very intricate, very involved. I can't just sit down and breeze through one of these books while paying attention to it with half my mind. The author does not necessarily do what you expect her to do. She doesn't necessarily have her characters react as you would expect. It is not a boilerplate bodice ripper paranormal book. Her writing style is different. When Judd finally figures out the answer to a question he has been pondering there is; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Second-Degree Green Belt Sudoku (Martial Arts Puzzles Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Frank Longo Page; Review: My own big mouth got me in trouble and now I'm absolutely compulsive about solving the puzzles in this book. I had complained to my daughter that a friend and I were tired of not being able to find any hard sudoku puzzles. For Christmas, I received this book. Let the games begin! I have been solving these puzzles for about 10 years but at that time they were called Number Place and were contained in the Dell monthly puzzle magazines. I routinely solved all the puzzles in ink. They were very good puzzles but not nearly as hard as this Second Degree Black Belt. I even ordered special books of Number Place puzzles directly from Dell. Then I began to hear about this whiz-bang puzzle from Japan. Of course, I had to try it. Imagine my surprise when it was just my old friend the Number Place, only dressed up. Now on to this particular book. I absolutely love it. The puzzles are, for the most part, quite challenging. I have never heard of any of the techniques mentioned here by other reviewers. I just use dogged determination (and a pencil, now) and work at it until I'm done. I was beginning to wonder why they seemed so much harder than usual puzzles. I'm glad I read the other reviews posted here so that now I understand that these are different from the average sudoku. I suppose if people must use all those unusual solving techniques that would explain why I am having to re-grid some of the time. If you want to move beyond the basic sudoku puzzle level, and past what others call "hard" or "challenging" this book will be a great find for you. I tend to be very stubborn. I don't immediately "see" numbers revealed - as my friend does - but I have a huge amount of patience and even work with a separate eraser which I need - often. One little quirk about this book actually caused me to pass it over while shopping in a bookstore. I picked up the book and while leafing through it could immediately come up with quite a few numbers for spaces. I thought it would be too easy so I put it down. Once I received this as a gift I began to solve the first puzzle and learned the secret. You may get lots of numbers at first but then -- watch out, here comes the brick wall. I am going to look for more information on the solving techniques mentioned by others here. It may be just the thing I am looking for to keep me from having to erase and start over, or worse yet, re-grid the puzzle. A super good book. Be prepared to be challenged and love it!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Compromising Situation (Zebra Regency Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Shannon Donnelly Page; Review: This book fooled me for a while. I have read so many Regency novels that I thought I knew what to expect. The governess, Miss Maeve Midden, would be caught in a compromising situation (hence the title) with her employer, Captain Andrew Derhurst - lately having become Lord Rothe - and the two would have to marry. Naturally they would already love each other, probably just not realizing it quite yet. Well, stop that little idea right now. That is not what happens in this book at all. And for that I am quite thankful. This book takes off in a slightly different direction and does it very well because of the splendid writing talents of Shannon Donnelly. Lord Rothe's neice, Clarissa, was sixteen years old and had definite ideas about whether or not she needed a governess. Miss Maeve Midden has been sent by an employment agency to take over the job of governess to multiple children in a large family. Somewhere along the way an error occurred and Miss Midden finds herself in the unpleasant situation of having to tell her prospective employer that she cannot accept the position. She wants, above all else, to find a family which will need her for many, many years and which will keep her away from London. What we are left to find out is, why? I enjoyed this book very much. Andrew had immersed himself in his military career to the point of excluding any softer, more gentle feelings. He never expected, nor wanted, to take over the title. Ms Donnelly painted him with a wonderful understanding of his past and present while allowing us the opportunity to wish for his future. She drew the character of Maeve with such compassion and sensitivity that I never once felt the need to say (silently): Why doesn't she just tell him? This book is not THE BIG MISUNDERSTANDING. It is a complete cast of characters behaving in a very human manner. They make mistakes, they misunderstand, they get to know each other, they learn to like each other, and then they begin to care about each other. It does not just concentrate on the relationship between the hero and heroine. That type of book is ultimately shallow and boring. No, all of these characters are important and have a large part to play in the book. Recommended. Very old fashioned in its makeup, even though it was written in 2000. The only kisses are engaged in right at the end of the book. If you want a higher level of intimacy, you will not like this book. If you enjoy reading a well written story, told in a very believable manner, you will want to keep this one for your collection. I will hang on to this one, probably read it again, and look for others written by this author.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Give Me A Texan (Zebra Historical Romance); Author: Linda L. Broday; Review: An anthology always has at least one popular author to anchor it so that fans of that author will buy the book. In this case, Jodi Thomas was the anchor for me, and the fact that there was also a story by Linda Broday was a pleasant addition. The two other authors, DeWanna Pace and Phyliss Miranda were new to me. "Amarillo by Morning", Jodi Thomas, Fort Worth 1889, 4 stars Hank Harris was invited to dinner but he didn't discover until later what the catch was for the invitation. He, along with two other men, were there to meet the spinster sister of Dolly Tucker. Marriage was definitely the ultimate goal, although not necessarily the goal of Aggie. She was the last of the unwed sisters in her family and was being sent from the home of one sister after another in an attempt to find her a husband. Aggie didn't want to get married but her father wanted to re-marry and his home wasn't big enough for two women. I liked this story. Aggie was a very unusual character. Physically beautiful but painfully shy is a combination which is hard to write about convincingly but Jodi Thomas managed to make me believe that Aggie could actually be more concerned with being a gunsmith than with being a wife. I have no idea when the story was actually written by Ms Thomas but I am glad to see that it reminds me much more of the writing she has done in the past. I am not a fan of the Whispering Mountain series and so was glad to see the Jodi Thomas style I enjoy more than the stories I've read from her lately. "A Shade of Sunrise", DeWanna Pace, February 19, 1916, No stars Briar Duncan was the station master for the railroad in Amarillo. He has a seven year old daughter, Violet, and is a widower. The heroine of the story is Mina McCoy, a poor Irish girl who speaks throughout the story with an Irish brogue. Let me quote a paragraph from the book: "The stranger wore a lampshade tunic with baggy trousers gathered at the ankle and a matching yellow turban that offered an exotic halo to a mixture of doe-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips. A woman?" Please, a penniless Irish waif? A telegraph operator penniless Irish waif? A thick Irish brogue spouting, tree climbing, pants and turban wearing penniless Irish waif in Amarillo, Texas in 1916? I tried to read it, really I did. I even went back after I read the other three and tried to read it again. No luck. It just wasn't going to happen. I can't tell you what happened. I didn't care! "The Love Letter", Linda Broday, Spring 1889 Texas Panhandle, 4 stars Amanda Lemmons is a single woman trying to live her life the way she wants to live it. She has a small parcel of land and raises sheep. That is a huge problem when you are smack in the middle of cattle country. Payton McCord had; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Merely Married; Author: Visit Amazon's Patricia Coughlin Page; Review: Adrian Devereau, the Duke of Raven, is not just a rake and a scoundrel. He is REALLY a rake and a scoundrel. He is handsome, extremely rich and unmarried. All qualities fervently sought by young women, girls and their mothers as prime husband material. And they want to take him on as a "project", to reform him. Adrian, however, has had one horrendous experience with a woman he was in love with and vowed never to be used by a woman again. So far he has managed to keep himself out of the clutches of any mother intent on seeing her daughter married to his title and his money, and as an afterthought, to himself. When one of his friends tells him about the "Plimpton Solution" he seizes upon it as a way to satisfy all his worries. And as fate would have it, a potential "Plimpton Solution" female seems to fall right into his life. Surely this is a sign? Plimpton married a woman only to have her die very soon after the marriage. His problem was that he actually had come to love his wife and truly grieved when she died. All the members of the ton left him alone to deal with his grief. Therefore, no matchmaking. When Raven learns that a woman has been given refuge in the rectory,which just happened to be the home of his friend Will Grantley, he decides to have Will perform a marriage service and his other friend, Sir Colin Thornton, can draw up all the legal papers. Since all three are very much influenced by how much they had been drinking throughout the evening at the local pub, this seems like a very good idea at the time. After all, the apothecary said that the woman was dying. Except that she didn't die. Leah Stretton not only survived, she got Will and Colin to tell her all about her new "husband". She decided to use the situation to her advantage and therefore, made a very spectacular entrance into Adrian's home during a dinner party he was giving in order to convince the biggest gossips in town that he was well and truly married but that his wife was unwell and staying in the country. Leah has a proposition to make to the Wicked Lord Raven. One which will give them both an opportunity to end up with what they want. Of course the trouble is, they both actually want quite different things. I was enthralled by this book. It was witty - the conversations between all the characters in the book were smart and humorous. Not just the two lead characters were given this treatment by the author. Ms Coughlin had me laughing and chuckling and smiling over dialogue between Adrian, Leah, Will, Colin, and the best depiction of household staff I've come across in quite a long while. This book is also clever. It takes a plot which has admittedly been done many times before and makes it fresh by giving the reader a hero and heroine who seem to delight; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Without Reserve: A Pride & Prejudice Variation; Author: Visit Amazon's Abigail Reynolds Page; Review: After I read "The Last Man in the World" I figured I was home free with this author. I really enjoyed reading that book. Then I began to read this one. Obviously, somewhere along the way I became confused about what this series of books was intended to do because this one just threw me for a loop. Ms Reynolds took situations from the basic Pride and Prejudice but about all I recognized was that Darcy had proposed marriage and Elizabeth had refused him, Darcy had unmasked Wickham, and Lydia had eloped with Wickham after going to Bath with Colonel and Mrs Forster. Everything else is very, very much a new story. I had not realized that I was going to be reading a romance novel where the author used the names of people and places which I was familiar with but in very unfamiliar circumstances. In this book Abigail Reynolds has veered off so far from the original text and ideas of Pride and Prejudice that it really made me uncomfortable in spots. After having Elizabeth and Darcy go through torture for page after page concerning his love for her, then her love for him, she began to put in very explicit sex scenes. First they were in the form of dreams for Darcy. Then they began to be actual occurrances with Elizabeth. I didn't like for my beloved characters to be kidnapped like that. Maybe I would not have objected so much if these sexual situations had happened #1 - after they were married, or #2 - toward the end of the book, but this book is just filled with the situations I prefer to use my imagination for regarding Darcy and Elizabeth. I love the way Jane Austen wrote Darcy and Elizabeth. I allowed myself to accept Ms Reynolds changes in these characters for "The Last Man in the World" because I thought she had held basically to the actual story and moral character of the people in the original. In this book, she just went too far toward the physical for my taste. I read other fiction which includes senuality even more pronounced than this but they don't feature Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. It feels as if she took two people who I know and love and turned them into characters in what is commonly called "a trashy novel". I didn't like that. I have the other three books. I'm hoping PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't let them be like this one! I gave it three stars. Maybe 2.5 would have been more reflective of my feelings.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: If His Kiss Is Wicked; Author: Visit Amazon's Jo Goodman Page; Review: In order to ask Restell Gardner for his help Emmalyn Hathaway had to resort to taking laudanum to calm her nerves and give her the courage to leave the safety of the home of her uncle. Emma had been abducted and beaten weeks earlier and the vicious nature of the attack was still evident on her face. She needed help in making sure she and her cousin, Marisol, were safe from any future attacks. Restell Gardner loved to tease his step-mother. He said that since his older brother was now safely married what he wanted most was to become a rake. What she wanted was to see him married. He had established a reputation for helping people solve problems and for providing them with protection. He has a great many contacts and a large number of people owe him favors since that is the price he requests for his services. When I first began reading this book I did not think I would like it very much because of the ages of the characters. Restell is 26 and Emma is 22. I find that I often have a very hard time believing in a hero who is so young. It is a tribute to Ms Goodman's writing talent that I very soon completely forgot the ages of the characters. They are written with such wit and wisdom that it was never a drawback. I enjoyed the very, very clever nature of the conversations between Restell and Emma. This book is written in a rather formal style (which I really liked) and required that I pay close attention to what was written in order to fully understand what the characters were saying. The offer of marriage from Restell seemed to come rather quickly, but at least it did give me time to see these two interacting as husband and wife over the majority of the novel. Emma's terrible trauma had a profound effect on her both physically and psychologically. Ms Goodman was considerably hindered by not being able to use current knowlege concerning this type of a mental trauma incident in this novel. Instead, she had to rely on the relationship between husband and wife with a huge helping of understanding on the part of Restell in order to help Emma overcome her mental wounds. I enjoyed this book very much. The mystery, in all its aspects, takes up fully as much of the book as the romance does. I knew who the villian was, I just couldn't figure out the why of it. My only small criticism is in the title. I don't remember seeing that line within the body of the work and it just doesn't seem to have been the right title for this book. But other than that, I can recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good mystery, a good romance and a good author.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Uncommon Reader: A Novella; Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Bennett Page; Review: This novella may be only 120 pages long but it is packed with all the intriguing situations you might expect from a much longer novel. As I began reading I couldn't help but wonder what I would have done if I had found myself in Mr. Hutchings place. There he was, doing what he did every Wednesday in his City of Westminster mobile library van parked outside the kitchen entrance to the palace. Obviously he never expected to look up and find Her Majesty in his part of the universe. And Norman. Norman was perhaps the most interesting character in the entire book for me. Would I have been as nonchalant about becoming the advisor for Her Majesty in her new adventures in reading? I think not. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I am one of those Americans who has a deep respect for the English monarchy. Not so much each individual, but the monarchy as an institution. Over here, a political dynasty is considered venerable if it lasts 100 years. To observe an institution such as the monarchy which has survived in spite of all the problems which have occurred within it is just completely amazing to me. I liked Mr Bennett's portrayal of The Queen. He was neither too kind nor too unkind. His balance was wonderful and, in the end, believable. His social commentary on how an older person must be suffering from a form of dementia if they begin to deviate from their previous norm hit quite close to home for someone who has just turned 65. I loved it when Her Majesty demonstrated that not only did she still have "it", she was willing to use "it" to prove who was still the boss. This lovely little book was, for me, warm and witty and clever and charming. I sincerely appreciate the fact that someone enjoyed it enough to recommend that I read it. Now I'm doing you that same favor. Please read and laugh and enjoy the story. I was a little worried about how Mr Bennett was going to end it, but I think he did just fine.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Jasper Fforde Page; Review: I read this book on a Tuesday, but I still love Thursday! Thursday Next that is. What an unusual name for a character. But then, all of the other characters have unusual names too, so....just enjoy them. Thursday Next is a young woman with a past, a present and a future. Sometimes, all within the same page of the book. This very, very clever book by Jasper Fforde was a delight for me to read because he has given us all permission to believe as many impossible things before breakfast as we want. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, you will get quite a kick out of the fantastic world Fforde has created in 1985 England. If you are a science fiction fan, this fell right into that catagory for me (even without any space aliens involved)because surely none of this is actually possible. Is it? I have seen reviews which say this book is a mystery. There I must disagree. I am a mystery reader and according to my definition, this book does not qualify as a mystery. We know all the bad guys, we know who the villans are immediately. We know who committed all the crimes. Adventure, yes but mystery, no. At least not in my opinion. I also saw it described as a romance. Huumm, don't know if I really agree there either. It was not actually known until the end of the book if Thursday would marry the man of her dreams but I don't think if actually qualified as a romance for me. I was fascinated by all the historical and literature references. Any reader of classic English fiction will have plenty of knowlege to be able to identify all the books mentioned. If you follow world history though, there you might be slightly confused until you allow Mr Fforde to dictate how his version of history changed the England of the 1980's. The supporting characters in this book are wonderful. They have been given just as much thought and attention to detail as the main character. I must confess that there are a lot of characters and sometimes I found myself asking, Now who is this? But usually by paying attention to what was happening in the book I could catch back up with no trouble. I absolutely loved meeting Mr. Rochester. Wow, what a treat. But I did think I had lost my mind for a while when everyone was discussing the ending of Jane Eyre and how totally unsatisfactory it was. I kept thinking maybe I had read an unauthorized version since I have not read that particular novel in quite some time. Ultimately, it all was explained by the books ending. My only criticism is that Thursday Next did seem to have quite a few adventures. I might have liked for some of them to have been saved for another book. But, as I told the person who recommended this book to me (thanks Nick) it is Fforde's book. He is the published, successful author, not me. I'm ready; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Glass House; Author: Visit Amazon's Ashley Gardner Page; Review: I am afraid that I am seeing a disappointing trend in the Captain Lacey Regency mystery novels written by Ashley Gardner. At least, the trend is showing up for me. I read the first book (The Hanover Square Affair) and gave it an enthusiastic five star rating. Book two is A Regimental Murder which I rated as four stars. Now this one I have gone to three stars. A lot of time has elapsed between my reading of book one and book three (almost two years) but I remember it very well and how excited I was to have found a modern author who could write such a compelling novel in a marvelous period setting. The writing is still very good. The period setting and attention to detail is still very good. What I found lacking was the intensity of the mystery. The first victim was a woman found dead in the Thames. Captain Lacey was called to view the body because she resembled a young actress who lodged in the same building as Lacey. It was not Marianne Simmons, and for that Lacey was eternally grateful, but his interest was aroused and he began to make his own investigations as to who this young woman was and why she had been killed, for obviously she had been murdered. No matter how hard Ms Gardner tried, I just did not really feel sympathetic toward this victim. She was not really a good person, even though she was not supposed to be actually a bad person. Her character was like the entire book for me, neither totally good nor totally bad, just sort of mediocre. Boy, talk about damning with faint praise! And if Ms Gardner is going to keep us guessing as to who the murderer is, she might want to stop killing off all the suspects and leaving us with just a very few possibilities. Even readers who are not mystery fanatics won't have much trouble guessing the villain if you kill off so many of the other suspects. All of the previous characters from the two other novels are back. Colonel and Mrs Brandon are very prominent and I am getting heartily sick of the couple and Captain Lacey quarrelling and wrangling. I know it all had to be repeated for first-time readers but I am still tired of it. Is Lacey supposed to be in love with her? If not, why are we hanging on to these two characters? I like the character of Grenville but just don't see where the author is trying to lead us in regards to his obsession with Marianne. Please, Ms Gardner, tell me that you explain that situation better in forthcoming books. I think this is considered a stand alone novel. I'm not so sure of that. If I ever recommend this series to a friend I will make sure to tell them to read the books in order. I have all the others, I will read all the others and fervently hope that book four will put me back to my original; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Zinnia; Author: Visit Amazon's Jayne Castle Page; Review: This book was like welcoming back an old friend. I read Amaryllis last year and have to admit to being less than enthusiastic about it. I have read all of the sci-fi/fantasy/romance books written by Jayne Castle and was excited to find that there were three older books written along these same lines which I didn't have. I immediately ordered all three from Amazon resellers and just couldn't wait to start reading them. Last year I read the first one and was not encouraged to try the second in the series. Let me say right now that I am glad, glad, glad that I went on ahead and read Zinnia. Zinnia had been dubbed "The Scarlet Lady" by the tabloid press when she appeared in a photo taken by a hidden cameraman as she exited the bedroom of one of the leading citizens of New Seattle on the space colony called St. Helens. The photo-opportunity was a set up. Zinnia had been consulting with a man she thought would be a client regarding the redecoration of his home. Instead, this client wanted attention drawn away from himself and a certain aspect of his private life and willingly ruined Zinnia's reputation in order to do so. She continued to dress exclusively in red as a form of defiance toward those who believed her guilty of the insinuations. Most people on St. Helens have psychic abilities of some type and level of proficiency but Zinnia is a little different. Her talent lies in being able to form the "prism" through which a little understood matrix-talent can focus and utilize their thought processes. Nick Chaistain is considered a bad boy type among the upper levels of society because of his illegitimate birth and because he owns a hugely profitable casino. His matrix-talent is so strong that he has never allowed himself to be tested. If people knew how strong his mental abilities were, they would likely consider him to be dangerous. Matrix-talents tend to be mentally unstable and are thought to be "a little weird". Nick keeps his talent carefully hidden. Customers in his casino would not want to know that he could very easily analyze the probability of their winning or losing. Nick and Zinnia team up when they accidently find that she is the only pure prism he has ever found to use his talen through and they both want to solve the mystery surrounding the death of Morris Fenwick. Even if they do both have slightly differing motives. I really enjoyed reading this book. These two main characters are absolutely right for each other. She is so sweet and good and nice and he is so tough and manipulative and misunderstood. Ms Castle has hit another home run for me. I began this book with little hope that I would enjoy it. I was not only able to enjoy it, now I can't wait to get on and read Orchid's story. Somehow I got the wrong impression about these books. I thought they were written about three sisters but I know now; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Orchid; Author: Visit Amazon's Jayne Castle Page; Review: I've read the other two books in this trilogy, "Amaryllis" and "Zinnia". My favorite was "Zinnia" and "Orchid" was quite a bit behind that book when it came to my enjoyment. Having said that, I will say that I am a huge fan of the fantasy/sci-fi/romance novels of Jayne Castle and fully intend to read each and every one she publishes. Now on to "Orchid". Orchid Adams is a writer of psychic vampire romance fiction. (A psychic vampire novel involves a very strong talent mentally kidnapping a - usually virginal - prism and forcing her to do his bidding. This, or course, turns into true love because the vampire is just misunderstood.) So far she has written three novels. I had hoped that Jayne Castle would give us some idea of what it might be like for an author to be involved in crafting a book. No. This book is all about Orchid's other job. She works part-time as a prism for Psynergy, Inc. Orchid, however, is not just a prism, she is an ice-prism. She has a talent which is truly remarkable and unusual among the general population. Rafe Stonebreaker (where do authors come up with these names?) is a psychic strat-talent which means that he is skilled in finding, locating, hunting, tracking, tracing. Those types of skills. They help him earn a living as a financial advisor by using his analytical skills on the stock market. As a hobby he likes to investigate problems such as finding stolen books or alien artifacts posed by friends and aquaintances. Rafe's talent is looked down upon by most of the inhabitants of the space colony St. Helens because his skills are considered primitive, a throwback to earlier times when hunting, force and violence were required to survive. Strat-talents are often criminals. But of course, not our Rafe. I liked him. I REALLY liked him in the other two books when there was a total air of mystery about him but even after meeting him in this story, I still liked him. He is in need of a wife and has registered with an official marriage brokerage firm. Orchid is working with him to provide him with a prism so that he can concentrate his strat-talent, but his ulterior motive is to use as many prisms as possible to help find a wife for himself. Orchid does not meet any of his requirements for a wife but he can't seem to stay away from her. A good book. I was somewhat disappointed because I read this one just days after finishing "Zinnia" and there are many instances of dialogue and situations which are word for word the same in these two books. As a mystery it seemed forced. The two culprits (yes, Orchid is caught two times by two different bad guys) were not fleshed out at all. Not very well done, in my opinion. The family conflict is settled much, much too easily. If it was that easy to solve, why had it gone on so long in the first place? This one; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Big Over Easy: A Nursery Crime (A Nursery Crime Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Jasper Fforde Page; Review: I read this book and thought it was extremely clever but I just could not bring myself to give it more than three stars. The basic plot premis is that the Reading, England, police department has a section called the Nursery Crime Division where Detective Inspector Jack Spratt works. Jack has just finished a case (The Crown v. Three Pigs) which should have resulted in the certain conviction of three pigs in the murder of a wolf. But, in an unforseen development, a jury of the pigs peers acquit them of the murder and his department head is telling Jack that the departmental budgetary meeting is going to result in the disbandment of the NCD. Not a good day for Jack. But things get even worse. Humpty Dumpty is found dead at the bottom of the wall where he liked to sit and think. Was it an accident, suicide or could it have been murder? Jack is assigned a new partner, Sergeant Mary Mary, who has transferred in from Basingstoke in the hopes of working with her hero and longtime contributor to Amazing Crimes Magazine, Detective Friedland Chymes. Jack doesn't want a new Official Sidekick, Mary wants to work with another detective, and Chymes wants to take over the Dumpty case so he can write it up for Amazing Crimes. Let the intrigue begin! The first book I read by Jasper Fforde was The Eyre Affair with the Thursday Next character. I just fell for the whole concept. I had wanted the Nursery Crimes stories to be as enjoyable for me, if not more so. Sadly I cannot say that it was. Fforde has the most incredible imagination. He has taken a topic which we are all familiar with, nursery rhymes, and turned them upside down and inside out. The characters are all familiar and yet he has given their entire world a skewed slant which makes them totally different from what we would expect. I can give him nothing but robust, appreciative applause for his ideas and concepts. But, I didn't enjoy this STORY very much. There was just too, too much going on in the story for my taste. Mr Fforde put in too many characters, too many situations and too many possible villains for me. He gave me one villain, explained why it couldn't have been that character and took him away (or did he?). He gave me another villain, exposed the falseness of the reasoning for his guilt and so took him away (maybe?). It just seemed to go on much too long. In fact, this is the same problem which I had with the Thursday Next novel, it too went on far too long to completely hold my attention. I wanted this to be over but it just kept plodding along and along and along. And the reveal about the true murderer was just so bizarre that I actually went back and re-read parts of it just to make sure I had gotten it straight. And the parts about the Jellyman and the Sacred Gonga, well, I; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Reasons for Marriage (Cynster Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Stephanie Laurens Page; Review: I need to explain right away that I am old fashioned in lots and lots of ways. One particular way is in my preference for romance novels which place their emphasis on the romance aspect of a story. This Stephanie Laurens novel is exactly that, it is a story about the romance between two unwilling people which turns into love. This book was originally published in 1995 and then reissued in 2004. Even after such a short time (in the grand scheme of things) much has changed in the world of romance fiction. The two aspects which make me cringe the most in the modern version of a romance novel are the "super feisty" heroine and the "sex manual" approach to romantic interludes. Both modern writing techniques can turn me off in a heartbeat if they are not handled very, very carefully by a competent writer. I'm pleased to say that neither of those approaches is used in this book. Lenore Lester is actually living in a dream world but she hasn't realized that yet. She is the center of the family consisting of her father, an aunt and three brothers. She is the one who handles all the estate matters and manages the household. Everyone in the neighborhood knows that it is she who keeps everything at Lester Hall running smoothly. She also enjoyes reading subjects of an intellectual nature but makes sure only her family is aware of that fact. After all, women are not supposed to use their brains for anything substantial. After a serious illness suffered by her father, Lenore agrees to have a week long house party in order to help raise his spirits even more. Her brothers will invite their friends with an eye to slightly unconventional behavior but it will not concern Lenore, she will just remain completely in the background, as usual. She is sure none of the gentlemen invited will pay her the least bit of attention because she has managed to come up with a disguise guaranteed to turn away any interest. Jason, the Duke of Eversleigh has come to the realization that he must marry in order to carry on his ancestral lineage. His younger brother was supposed to have accomplished this feat but his death in the battle of Hougoumont changed the agreement the brothers had made with each other. Now Jason begins to search for the perfect wife. Perfect for him, that is. One who fulfills all his reasons for getting married but will not intrude too often on the life he expects to continue to lead. His arrogance is such that he actually explains to Lenore the reasons for his wanting to marry her but she understands that he does not include love as a possibility. His jaded lifestyle has taught him that love within the ton is not needed, wanted, nor expected. This is one of those old fashioned books which allows the reader to use their own imagination to fill in the blanks. Just as in the old black and white movies, this author chooses to; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy; Author: Visit Amazon's Mary Street Page; Review: I tried to order this book for two years from AmazonUK without success. Each time it was on backorder for 6 weeks, then I would get a notice that it was not available. Eventually I just stopped trying. I was very happy to see that it was finally released in the States. This book was originally written in 1999. That by itself was probably a very adventureous undertaking for Ms Street. At that time the flood of Pride and Prejudice look-alikes had yet to hit the market. Now, if you love Jane Austen and her books, you can find plenty of authors who have tried to explain or expound on those original treasures. I have read many, many variations on the Pride and Prejudice novel. Some are much better than others, some are absolutely dreadful. This book rated four stars from me. It did have its faults but it also had quite a few reasons for enjoyment. This book follows Pride and Prejudice completely. You could actually read them simultaneously if you wanted to perform such a feat. What I wanted to see the most was what Darcy was doing during the times he is absent from Elizabeth. I got some of what I wanted but not in enough detail. This book is written in first person and yet there are no conversations with anyone outside the characters written by Jane Austen. Why not? This device would have been wonderful for letting the reader see Darcy from a whole different viewpoint. A true opportunity missed, from my perspective. The characters fell somewhat flat for me. Ms Street apparently didn't want to deviate from the narrative established by Ms Austen for Elizabeth, especially, so we don't get any new discourse between her and Darcy. I realize this is a fine line for an author to walk but expanding on the established interactions between Darcy and Elizabeth would have been an acceptable thing. Elizabeth's words are quoted but in italics as rememberances by Darcy. Not as direct, while they were standing toe-to-toe intercourse. Definitely a disappointment for me. Often Darcy could not even gauge Elizabeth's reactions because her bonnet hid her face. If you've read this far you probably wonder why I gave this book four stars at all. I enjoyed what I was reading. Yes, it did have some problems but I also liked what WAS there. Darcy struggled with his inclination to fall in love with Elizabeth and I was able to believe the change in his personality which made it possible for him to be willing to accept her and her family. When Elizabeth rejected his marriage proposal she spared him absolutely nothing in her criticism. It took a while for him to get over the initial hurt of her rejection but after a while he began to look at himself from her perspective. He had never once questioned his own character and personality. No other person had ever had the courage to point out his flaws, not even his parents. Suddenly he began to know that she was right, he; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord Deverill's Secret; Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Grange Page; Review: Amanda Grange is the author of Mr. Darcy's Diary (also published as Darcy's Diary) which I thoroughly enjoyed and Mr. Knightley's Diary which I found to be slightly slow and tedious. When I discovered that she had also written this Regency romance I was anxious to see how I would enjoy a book written by her not involving characters from the works of Jane Austen. Cassandra Paxton has gone to Brighton after being in mourning for a year with two goals in mind. She wants to get her home there in pristine condition so that she can sell it, and she wants to find out what her brother meant in a letter he wrote shortly before he died in a riding accident. In the letter Rupert states that he has done something "terrible" but gives no clue as to what it is. Cassandra decides to question Rupert's friends to see if any nasty surprises remain for her to find and clean up. The first friend she calls on is an impoverished earl, Justin, Lord Deverill. Cassandra is reassured by Lord Deverill that Rupert was probably just referring to a gambling debt and there is no need for her to worry. Since Rupert's other friends all say the same thing, Cassandra knows she should just accept their advice and enjoy the time she has left in Brighton before she goes back to the country for good. Unfortunately, she seems to be having quite a few accidents, any of which might have proven fatal if fate had not intervened. I was quite disappointed in this book. It does not have nearly enough depth to the characters nor to the plot. I found myself thinking quite often that any sixth or seventh grade girl would find this easy reading. There was a mystery. But it wasn't very interesting. There was a romance. But it was hard to tell it was a romance because there wasn't much feeling shown between our hero and heroine. There was an old family legend, a bit of espionage, and a revolting man who offered to set Cassandra up as a mistress for gentlemen. All of this should have held my interest. None of it did. It was rather bland and very flat. The author included a description of an evening spent at the Brighton Pavillion with the Prince of Wales as host. The descriptions were not terribly well done and the "entertainment" entered into by the Prince after dinner was a curiosity but only raised questions from me concerning firing pistols indoors. I'm sorry to say that I do not recommend this book for Regency romance readers UNLESS.....you want very large print, a light fluffy read and a surprise ending which anyone in their right minds will see coming from a mile away. The choice, as always, is yours.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Till Next We Meet; Author: Visit Amazon's Karen Ranney Page; Review: TILL NEXT WE MEET is one of those books which come along so seldom that I just had to savour every page of it. I really appreciate reading a romance novel when the hero, here Colonel Moncrief of the Lowland Scots Fusiliers who has just become the Duke of Lymond, is a wonderful man from the first page to the last in a book. The heroine, Catherine Dunnan, is also a sympathetic character who seems to be more real life person than fictional character. The plot of this story has been told many times over. Catherine's husband, Harry, is serving in the Army in Canada having left her after one month of marriage when her father offered to buy him a commission. (Evidently dear old dad caught on to Harry pretty quickly.) He doesn't reply to her letters so Catherine writes to his commanding officer to find out if Harry is safe. In typical Harry fashion, he throws his wife's letter at his Colonel stating that he has no intention of replying, "Here, Colonel, you write her. She is forever prattling on of things that bore me. I only married her because she was an heiress, but a month of marriage was enough for me." This is the beginning of a correspondence which Moncrief knows is wrong, but he just can't seem to stop himself from pouring out his thoughts to the woman whose letters affect him so deeply. Except that Catherine thinks the letters are written by Harry. Catherine is in deep mourning for Harry six months after being notified of his death. She agrees to see Colonel Moncrief after he shows up at her home unexpectedly. For some reason which he cannot explain, even to himself, Moncrief tells Catherine he has another letter for her from Harry and he will return on the next day to give it to her. Actually, he has to write it first. When he does return, he is faced with disaster. I very much enjoyed reading this book. As I stated earlier, I appreciated having this hero presented from the very beginning as a kind, generous, gentle, understanding and yet entirely masculine man. Catherine took a little while for me to warm up to but she was presented by the author as a woman who had invested so much of her love and hope for the future in the man she married that the loss of that man totally devistated her life. I liked the mystery aspects of the book, it added some interest away from the relationship between Moncrief and Catherine. Something else to hold my attention. I was very surprised to be made aware of a dispicable villain. I am quite a mystery fan and Ms Ranney managed to surprise me in that disclosure. A very well written book. It has very sensual scenes between husband and wife and they are extremely well written. I think Ms Ranney did a wonderful job of making Catherine discover the physical need she had for Moncrief over time so that she could come to grips with; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Heaven Sent; Author: Visit Amazon's Pamela Morsi Page; Review: I've read my copy of this book so many times that the cover is beginning to show obvious signs of wear. Just as a curiosity I came here to the book page to read the reviewes posted and could not believe that there were none. Wow, what a shame. Pamela Morsi writes the most interesting plots with characters that you can get to know and love. This book doesn't have any dates telling when it took place but people still travel on horseback and in wagons so a good estimation would be the late 1800's, and it is situated in Oklahoma. Hannah May Bunch is a preachers daughter, 26 years old and a spinster. When her mother became ill with cancer, Hannah, though still a child, stepped in and took over the raising of her four siblings and the running of the house. These duties continued after her mother died and so Hannah was always too busy to worry about getting married. Besides, she is not tiny, not fragile and not beautiful. Now her father has remarried, her three brothers have all married, and her sister is sixteen. Hannah realizes that it is time for her to find a man of her own and to establish her own home. She has just the man in mind and even though she doesn't love him, and he seems too shy to begin courting her, she knows that she would be the best wife he could ever want. Hannah comes up with a plan straight out of the Bible for helping Will Sample ask that special question. Now all she has to do is execute it. Henry Lee Watson is a moonshiner. He makes the best moonshine in this part of the state and he is proud of his accomplishments. So what if the "good" folks of Plainview don't really accept him because his mother was a half-breed who was never married to the man she lived with. They certainly come to him when they want something special to drink and he is making plenty of money. He is invited by Preacher Bunch to come help at the building of the new church because Henry Lee is an excellent carpenter. His skills will be needed for the finishing touches of the new church. He didn't know that helping out the preacher would lead his life down a path he never envisioned. A true romance, this book places all its focus on the interactions of Hannah and Henry Lee and the community in which they live. Each and every character is completely and fully drawn. Hannah isn't the first person to learn that forcing the Bible to say what you want it to say can have totally unforseen results. Henry Lee isn't the first man to find himself in an awkward situation with a life changing decision to be made. Pamela Morsi writes his character with such sweetness and with the actions of a true gentleman so that we forget the way he makes his living. And she manages to have a book based on one; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Resurrection Row: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne Perry Page; Review: I am reading all the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries written by Anne Perry in order. It has been quite a while since I read book number three in the series. The books don't have to be read in order to enjoy them but there does seem to be a progression in the growth and depth of the two main characters which is best noted if you start at the beginning and read them cronologically. If nothing else, try to read the first book(The Cater Street Hangman) before venturing off into others of the series. Book number one sets up the relationship between Charlotte and Thomas and gives you the social background so very necessary to understand their characters. This was my least favorite of the four books I've read. Anne Perry makes a point of presenting her stories by crossing over into all levels of Victorian London. This one concentrates on the inequities between those of the upper class and those who are the very poorest of the poor. We are given a thorough understanding of the sweatshops and workhouses which existed and how they impacted the lives of those who were forced to live in them. This book is 216 pages long. The discovering of the murder took place on page 141. That was much too long for me. I became disenchanted with the whole thing long before that. In this book, for me, the mystery took a back seat to the discussion of social conditions for the poor in Victorian London. I expect some social commentary from Anne Perry, that is one of the things I like so much about her books. This time, that is what took center stage. When the book first began I had nothing but admiration for this authors creativity in having the "death" of the driver of the hansom cab turn into a riddle with no apparent solution. But one body led to another, one grave led to another, and I actually lost track of how many bodies and how many graves. To me, this book was a study of many characters, not a mystery at all. And the solution? I could not help but be disappointed. Not with who had committed the murder but with how the author had explained it all and honestly probably expected me to be satisfied. I'm glad I read it. I don't agree with some reviewers though, I do think Charlotte had much more of a part in this story and that part seemed to come about in a much more natural manner. It happened because she was Pitts wife and he would have naturally talked to her about the case and she would have naturally asked him questions. I do wonder about the authors use of Charlotte's brother-in-law (since he had not remarried since the death of Charlotte's sister Sarah he was, technically, still a part of Charlotte's family) as a possible suspect and for him to be infatuated with Lord Fitzroy-Hammond's young widow. Maybe she used him to show that Charlotte has truly let go of; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mine to Possess (Psy-Changelings, Book 4); Author: Visit Amazon's Nalini Singh Page; Review: Every time I read one of Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series books I am amazed to find that the quality of her writing has not diminished in any way. These books are a HUGE departure for me. They contain a level of senuality which I had not been accustomed to and which I have objected to when done by other authors. With Ms Singh, I have yet to feel that the sex is there just so that she can gather in the reader who only wants to read about sex. The sexuality of her characters seems to happen in such a natural way that I simply read it, incorporate it into the story, and move on. Having said that, how can you say that sex between a human and a leopard/man (changeling) could ever be normal? O.K., maybe not normal in our world but it definitely works in the fantasy/future world created by this author. I had not intended to review this book. It has been done, with the plot wonderfully detailed by many very good reviews. Yet I just couldn't resist adding my praise to all the others who have become avid followers of this series. I was curious about Clay Bennett in the last book and wondered it there would be a story for him. He was portrayed as so cold and unfeeling it made me wonder about his history. Talin McKade had been a pivotal part of Clay's life 20 years ago. When she comes back into his life now he finds her a damaged woman. A woman who has suffered because of what happened on the fateful night when Clay confronted her foster father. Only later did Clay come to realize that Talin had been suffering much longer than he knew. As a 14 year old boy, what could he have done to protect her? As a result of what happened that night Talin ran away and hid from Clay, until she needed him. Then they had to begin their relationship all over again, with all the baggage each was carrying strapped firmly across their hearts. As usual, a wonderful love story. As usual, a fascinating look at an alien world of the future. As usual, I can't wait for the next book to come out. And coming from a thoroughly traditional, conservative woman, that's saying a whole bunch!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Cranford Chronicles (Vintage Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Gaskell Page; Review: Let me begin this review by saying that if you are thinking about reading this book only because of the BBC series, you will find it very disappointing. The makers of that series used the authors name, the title of the book and some of the characters but the remainder of their production is pure invention. I am enjoying watching the BBC program, but it is not this book. Ms Charlotte Mitchell provides an Introduction and Notes for this book. It is my belief that it is essesntial to read the Introduction in order to fully understand Cranford. Elizabeth Gaskell had written a series of stories which appeared at irregular intervals in a magazine edited by Charles Dickens titled Household Words. The stories first appeared together as a novel in 1853. Ms Mitchell uses the Introduction to explain the chronology for the publishing of this and other novels by Elizabeth Gaskell. She also takes this opportunity to explore the question of whether or not Cranford was ever meant to be taken seriously by readers of Ms Gaskell since her other novels are so very different in tone from this one. One of the things I really appreciate which Ms Mitchell did was to include the Notes section to explain words and phrases which appear in the book which were very well understood in the 1800's but which may be unfamiliar to readers today. I read a lot of historical romantic fiction and these Notes gave me concrete explanations for words and phrases I have been too lazy to research for myself. I thought I knew what they meant before, now I know for sure. Items such as: 1. gigot - a sleeve style described as leg-of-mutton 2. baby-house - a dolls house 3. sarsenet - a soft thin silk material 4. blind man's holiday - a proverbial term for night or twilight Ms Mitchell states in the Introduction that Gaskell later came to regret the fact that she had caused Colonel Brown to be killed in the first story. If he had remained a character longer in the series, I think that Cranford might have gone in a very different direction. As it is, Cranford is the story of a certain class of women, either unmarried or widowed, who live in a small English villiage. The main character is Miss Matty Jenkyns who only comes into prominence after the death of her older sister, Miss Deborah. The women relish their lack of male inhabitants and see themselves as lucky in not having to deal with the ways of men, which they see as uncouth and almost barbaric (they will speak too loud!). There is a very strict social structure among these women, even as to what time of day they can visit each other and what kind of clothes they should be wearing when the visits take place. These rules are in place to keep everyone on an even keel, so that everyone understands the rules, and no one may change the rules without the approval of the most prestigious ranking member; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Captain Wentworth's Diary (A Jane Austen Heroes Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Grange Page; Review: This novel is Amanda Grange's attempt to fill in some of the blanks left for the reader of the Jane Austen novel Persuasion. It gives us the perspective of the happenings in that novel from Captain Frederick Wentworth's point of view. I enjoyed reading this book. I did not realize that the first 117 pages would all be this authors imaginings of the meeting and then gentle courtship between Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth. We are given much detail of the meetings between these two characters and are allowed to see how their admiration for each other turns to love. Commander Wentworth (his rank at that point in the story) was understandably stunned when Anne Elliot told him that she could not accept his offer of marriage after all. He reacted in a completely normal way, he was hurt, surprised, and very angry. So angry that he immediately left the area determined never to think about her again. The story picks up eight years later. I am glad that the author did not give us any details of what happened to Wentworth (now having the rank of Captain) during the time of his battling the French in the war with Napoleon. Instead, we see what he was doing during these years through reminiscences with Harville and Benwick. When Frederick goes back into Somersetshire he feels Anne has lost her youth, her beauty and her bloom. Yet after only a short time of being around her he finds himself wondering if he has actually managed to erase all tender feelings for her after all. I have now read three of these 'interpretations' of Jane Austen novels as written by Amanda Grange. Of Mr. Darcy's Diary, Mr. Knightley's Diary, and Captain Wentworth's Diary, I can definitely say that I enjoyed Mr. Darcy's Diary the most. After that would have to come Captain Wentworth's Diary. I thought Ms Grange managed to write about the time when Anne and Frederick were meeting and falling in love very well. She made me see Frederick as a caring, concerned, loving suitor for Anne. As always, Ms Grange followed the original novel very closely except in places where there was no information given in the original. I enjoyed this book and can say that I think Jane Austen fans who are not quite so determined in having an author follow the exact example set down by Miss Austen will be able to enjoy this book. Anyone expecting to read an exact extension in wording and thoughts of the Austen works will not be quite so satisfied.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Polferry Riddle: An Anthony Gethryn Mystery; Author: Philip Macdonald; Review: Whenever I want to settle down with a mystery from the "old school" one of my favorite authors is Philip Macdonald (also spelled sometimes as MacDonald). It always seems to me to be a shame that this author is not more widely known and that it is necessary to search for his mysteries. The Polferry Riddle is a wonderful example of Macdonald's belief that an author should play fairly with the readers of mysteries. He gives the reader all the information as it is collected by the amateur detective (here Anthony Ruthven Gethryn) and the members of Scotland Yard. Dr. Hale-Storford and his wife Eve have just moved into a country house with a collection of family members, guests and their housekeeper when a fierce storm strands a boat upon the sands below their home. Two friends are rescued from the boat and offered shelter for the night. Upon taking the two men to their bedrooms to retire for the night Hale-Storford discoveres that his wife is dead from having her throat slashed. What an exciting story. The evidence seems to lead one way and then another. No sooner do Gethryn and the Scotland Yard detectives follow up one lead and figure out the truth about it than they are lead down another course and must try to prove or disprove these new clues. Throughout the entire investigation the reader is given all the thoughts and clues which the professionals receive themselves. Each time I was given a solution to the crimes, for there are multiple crimes here, I honestly thought the solution was at hand - except for the fact that there was still so much of the book left to be read! This book was written in 1931 and contains all the hallmarks for the elite British upperclass private citizen working with Scotland Yard to solve a crime. As compared to some stories written during this Golden Age of the mystery, Macdonald seems to me to make his detective more approachable, more down to earth. I enjoy reading about the relationship Gethryn has with his family and with the Scotland Yard men he works with. If you are interested in reading books by this author I would suggest doing some research into his writing career. Many of his novels were published in Britain under one title and in America under another. Some books have as many as three titles. All of this is good to know so that you do not buy the same book multiple times. My favorite reference book for this type of information is Twentieth Century Crime and Mystery Writers, Second Edition, with editor John M. Reilly, published in 1985 by St. Martin's Press. That book contains material which is very difficult to find anywhere else. I know it is hopelessly out of date now but since I use it for authors who were writing long before the reference book was published, it still comes in handy for my purposes. I hope you will give this classic mystery a try. I think it will be time well; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nothing Can Rescue Me; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Daly Page; Review: Don't you love to read a book which involves you so much that you just have to sneak a peek at the first line of the next chapter? Even if you really should stop reading to go do something else? Only then you find yourself hooked and don't want to stop reading. Elizabeth Daly and her fictional detective Henry Gamadge do that very thing for me. Florence Hutter Mason wants Gamadge to come to Underhill to solve a riddle for her. She doesn't even think of it as a mystery, its too trivial for that but it is getting on her nerves. So, Florence sends her nephew, Sylvanus Hutter, to talk his old school friend into coming for the weekend to solve her riddle. It is 1942 and Florence has moved her entire family to their country home to avoid as much of the war preparations in New York as possible. There are the servants, of course, but none of them would be playing this joke on her. There is Sylvanus, Tim Mason (Florence's much younger husband), Sally Deedes (recently divorced and an old friend), Evelyn Wing (the Secretary), Susie Burt (the orphaned daughter of Florence's best friend) and Glen Percy (a longtime friend of Susie's - an advertising copy writer who wants to write seriously). In order to pass the time, Florence has begun writing a novel. Over the past week, strange writings have begun to appear in the novel during the night and they seem to be getting more and more threatening. Henry Gamadge is a consutant who makes his living researching and authenticating old books, autographs and inks. He also happens to find himself involved in mysterious happenings on a rather regular basis. At this time, Henry's wife is visiting an aunt of hers who lives out West and so Henry is at loose ends. He agrees to travel to Underhill on Saturday but must return to New York on Sunday afternoon to be at work on Monday morning at his rather hush-hush job concerning the war effort. Underhill is a home he is very familiar with having spent many happy days there during his youth. I am NEVER disappointed with a story by Elizabeth Daly. This one was first published in 1943 but, for me, it is as fresh and exciting as the very first time I ever read it, probably sometime in the 1970's. This book definitely qualifies as a prime example of the "cozy mystery" classification. It is full of money, greed, wills and more wills, "the spirits", automatic writing, planchette and a faithful ladies maid. A mystery to be solved by watching out for the clues and paying attention to all the little details. If you've never read any Elizabeth Daly mysteries, prepare to be hooked!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: By Possession (Medievals); Author: Visit Amazon's Madeline Hunter Page; Review: When I look at the notebook I keep of all the books I read, one thing about the books I have read by Madeline Hunter is very obvious. I enjoy her Regency era books more than those set in medieval times. Even though it is true that I read many more Regencies than medievals I don't think sheer numbers can be the answer. I will be the first to admit that I am not as familiar with the 14th century but I have read other books set during that time and liked them very well. I liked this one too, but I can tell it will never be on my list for must-read-again. I enjoyed the character of Moira Falkner. She was a kind, sweet person with an independent spirit which I could admire. She had made a decision to safeguard Brian, the eight year old son of her friend Claire de Valence after Brian's father was killed while on a Crusade. The country of England was in turmoil and the step-brother of Addis de Valence had been granted lands and wealth because of an alliance with the ruling powers. Moira grew up having to deal with the fact that her mother was the mistress of a lord. Being born a serf was a hard enough hurdle to try to overcome but her mother's relationship just added to her traumatic childhood. Moira became a part of Claire's household at a very early age and learned to better herself, perhaps too much so for her own good. She could only stand by and watch as Addis fell in love with the gloriously beautiful Claire and yet never noticed her at all. I also liked Addis. He was a man posessed. He knew that his soul cried out for Moira but he took a long time to put the pieces together to understand why that was. These parts of the story seem to me to have been not very well done by this author. We, as readers, are left to make many assumptions on our own. Judging by reading many of the other reviews of this book, lots of readers seem to have reached differing conclusions. Why didn't Ms Hunter just come out and say that Addis couldn't remember, or didn't know, who had helped him during his times of crisis? Because of the way the situation is handled, it is very possible to misunderstand Addis's reaction to Brian. Addis had been presumed dead for eight years, he had served six of those years as a slave. Upon returning home he finds everything is completely different and, oh, yes, he is told he has a son he never knew about. But still, his reaction is quite a bit over the top when the reader is given no insight whatsoever into why he reacts as he does. Not a shining hour for Addis. My problems with this book are: 1.) It is too long. Much of the material just seemed to be a repeat of what had gone on before. He would tell her she; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The case of the gilded fly,; Author: Visit Amazon's Edmund Crispin Page; Review: It has been a long time since I first read The Case of the Gilded Fly and I'm really glad that I found some time to sit down and enjoy it again after all these years. That is one of the things I love so much about these old, classic mysteries. No matter how much time has passed the story always seems just as exciting as it was the first time around. Modern mystery writers could do themselves a huge favor by immersing themselves in writings of the 1930's, 40's and 50's. Gervase Fen is an Oxford don who specializes in English literature but really wants to work on murder cases. His longtime friend, Sir Richard Freeman, Chief Constable of Oxford, really wanted to study and critique English literature. These two made wonderful counterpoints because they both wanted to concentrate most on the thing the other did for a living. These two characters are wonderfully written by Edmund Crispin. Mainly, for me, because we get to see the best of both professions but given to us from the point of view of the character we would not necessarily expect. The book opens in a most clever way. All the characters make the railway journey from London to Oxford within days of each other. Each is described during the train trip in wonderful detail concerning their reasons for going to Oxford and the reader is thoroughly acquainted with the characters by the time they all arrive at their destination. Because of the abrasive nature of one character, it is pretty obvious who the murder victim will be but Crispin takes his time leading up to the murder. By the time it happens, you are very much in sympathy with whoever decided to do this person in and Fen's quandry about whether or not to prove the person guilty is rather easy to understand. Because, Fen does know immediately who the murderer is. I, on the other hand, was not so quick off the mark. I had someone else chosen and resolutely hung on to that person until the bitter end. Crispin has the Gervase Fen character utilize his vast knowlege of English literature very extensively. Sometimes, it can be somewhat confusing to someone (such as myself) who has only a basic smattering of knowlege of the subject. Still, one of the references did prompt me to do a little research to seek out the quote and read it in its entirety. I must confess that I find myself still scratching my head to try to decide if I think the (first) murder could have taken place in just that way. Wow, what a marksman! and on the spur of the moment too! Also, the motive for the first murder seemed to be rather weak for my taste. I would have liked for a weightier matter to have been the catalyst from which this malevolence sprang. I love these old mysteries. I think they contain huge doses of character and charm. I really like to set aside uninterrupted time to fully involve myself in; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: From Lambton to Longbourn: A Pride & Prejudice Variation; Author: Visit Amazon's Abigail Reynolds Page; Review: This is the third of the Abigail Reynolds Pride and Prejudice "variations" which I have read and I'm finally understanding the concept (just color me a slow learner!). Having said that, I can say that these books are so completely different from each other that it can be really quite confusing. Each Darcy is totally different from the last one. Each Elizabeth is totally different. This is quite a feat for Ms Reynolds to carry off in five books and still keep the Pride and Prejudice fanatics, of which I am one, happy. So far I have really liked one (The Last Man in the World), been rather surprised and unhappy with one (Without Reserve), and am now sitting firmly on the fence with this one. My assignment is to come up with a review stating what I liked and what I didn't like about this book. What I liked: 1.) It was a Pride and Prejudice variation. 2.) I think Ms Reynolds managed to get the "voice" of the period down very well in this book. 3.) The characters of Mary and Kitty were much more pleasing and came closer to being real, average young women in this novel. 3.) Georgianna came out of her shell quite a bit, but here I think this plus may also bleed over into the minus category somewhat. She came out of her shell almost too much. 4.) The characters of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were well done. More of him, less of her. I liked that. What I didn't like: 1.)If the reader is not completely familiar with the original Pride and Prejudice, this book opens so abruptly that some readers will take a long time to figure out what is happening. It literally begins the moment after Lizzy has told Darcy in the private parlor of the Inn at Lambton about the problem with Lydia and Wickham. A non-Austenite might feel slightly lost for a while until the background is finally filled in. 2.) Did Ms Reynolds have to turn Darcy into such a thoroughly lovesick puppy? I read another review published here in which the writer says that Darcy seemed to have a hair fetish. After I finished laughing out loud I realized that that reviewer had hit on a totally true fact. I wanted Elizabeth and Darcy to have more private time in the Austen original but here it just became repetitious. At least it was confined to kissing in this variation. 4.) The confrontation with Lady Catherine is one of the pivotal points in the original Pride and Prejudice yet it is totally left out of this variation. I wonder why that was (unless Lizzy and Darcy were kissing in the garden when she came by and they just missed her visit!)? This could have been used by Ms Reynolds to have both Lizzy and Darcy confront his aunt and would/could have made for some very interesting reading. Overall, I think a three star rating is a very fair judgment for my own personal opinion. And, after all, this is; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Jane and the Wandering Eye: Being the Third Jane Austen Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Stephanie Barron Page; Review: Having read the first two books in this series and enjoyed them both I thought I would just pick this book up and begin a delightful reading experience. Sadly, that did not turn out to be the case. Even though a three star rating is not actually considered bad, it does say that I did not find the pleasure in reading this one which was so evident for me in the previous two. Right away I began to have trouble. Maybe it was a lack of concentration on my part, maybe not. I had to go back and read the first chapter a second time in order to get all the many characters placed in my head. Even so I still lost track of one of them. I didn't think that Stephanie Barron did a very good job of clearly defining who was who for the characters. This was magnified by the fact that they were all in fancy dress, wearing masks, and Jane didn't know any of them, even if they had not been in costume. Lord Harold Trowbridge had gotten in touch with Jane (he knew her from another one of her mystery adventures) and asked her to keep an eye on his niece, Lady Desdemona. Lady Desdemona has been made an offer of marriage by the Earl of Swithin. She turns him down flat and leaves London to stay with her grandmother in Bath. Lord Harold wants Jane to keep an eye on Mona to make sure she doesn't do anything foolish, such as form an unacceptable alliance, just to prove to Swithin that she is serious about not marrying him. How was Jane Austen, a spinster on the fringes of high society, in very perilous financial circumstances, supposed to accomplish this task? That weakness in the plot was such a glaring problem that I began to read with a frown on my face and it didn't leave my countenance very often. The murder which happened at the fancy-dress ball was what ultimately threw the characters together but under normal circumstances I don't think Jane would have been very likely to become a confidant for Lady Desdemona. I needed something more substantial to tie these two women together in the first place. I found that the sentence structure and word usage was not always well done. I had to fight to comprehend some of the sentences and read them over and finally arrived at the meaning. I do not read these books because I am a fan of the writings of Jane Austen. I read these books, first and foremost, because I love a good mystery. Having them "told and solved" by Jane Austen is just a plus for me. This mystery was not a very good mystery. I went back and read the last half of chapter 16 and the first half of chapter 17 over again to make sure I understood who, what, when and why. That is not a ringing endorsement. I pay close attention when I read a mystery because I like to solve it; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cousin Kate; Author: Visit Amazon's Georgette Heyer Page; Review: The Georgette Heyer novel, Cousin Kate, did not improve for me with the passage of years. I read this book first many years ago and only recently found it on my bookshelf and decided to give it another try. I must admit that I much prefer the Heyer mysteries to her romances, but I usually like just about anything she wrote. This book is probably one of the exceptions to that statement. Katherine Malvern is a 24 year old spinster who grew up "following the drum". Her father was an active duty Army officer and so Kate, her mother, and her nurse Sarah traveled with him wherever he was posted. During times of war, they were as close to him as it was safe to be. Kate's mother died first, then her father, leaving her a virtual orphan since neither side of her parents families acknowleged them after their marriage. Kate has just been fired from her position of governess because an unmarried man within the household began making romantic advances toward her. This was definitely not her fault but she suffered the consequences anyway. Her only alternative was to travel to London where her old nurse Sarah was living with her husband and his family. Because Sarah felt it was unfair that none of Kate's relations knew of her plight she wrote a letter, without Kate's knowlege, to Lady Minerva Broome of Staplewood, an estate some fifty miles from London. Instead of answering the letter, Lady Minerva came in person to pursuade Kate to come to Staplewood for a visit while she got her life back on track. If Kate should so desire, Lady Minerva would provide a new position for Kate to go to after her visit was over. On her arrival at Staplewood, Kate finds a household divided into two distinct camps. Those loyal to Sir Timothy Broome, and those loyal to Lady Minerva. There are quite a few characters in this novel but the principal players are Torquil Broome, the nineteen year old son and heir, Dr. Delabole, who resides permanently within the home to care for both Sir Timothy and Torquil, and Philip Broome, Sir Timothy's nephew from his first marriage. This will never be my favorite Georgette Heyer novel. It is quite dark, very Gothic in its feel, and the principal characters were not very likeable for me. Perhaps that is too harsh. I liked Kate most of the time but often felt that she was too good to be true and really couldn't see the forest for the trees. She hung on to her doubts about what was happening within the household much too long for believability. Sir Timothy was not brought to life for me. I always wanted to find out more about him, to get to know him somehow. Lady Minerva was very well fleshed out by Ms Heyer but was very much a classic villainess and so I couldn't have any sympathy for her. Toward the end of the book I thoroughly disliked her (proving that Heyer had done a wonderful job; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The ghost stories of Edith Wharton; Author: Visit Amazon's Edith Wharton Page; Review: Edith Wharton is an acknowleged giant of the fiction novel. But this particular book of hers needs to come complete with a disclaimer. I would suggest: DON'T EXPECT TO READ THE AVERAGE GHOST STORY HERE. My one negative thing to say about this book is actually a positive. I could only read one of these stories at a time because I had to think one story over before I went on to the next . My tendency is to sit down with a book and read it cover to cover with minor stops along the way for everyday life to intervene. I have been reading this book for over a week now because each story makes me stop after I have read it to have a nice long thinking session regarding what I have just read. I loved that. My favorite story of the eleven story collection is titled, "Afterward". The title means that a person did not know if they had met the ghost at Lyng in Dorsetshire until long, long afterward. A superb rendering of a mystery which began so quietly that Mary Boyne didn't even know she was involved in it until it was too late. Another favorite is "Kerfol" which takes place in Brittany and involves a pack of dogs and how they got where they were. Or were they there at all? And then there is "Bewitched" a masterpiece which made me shiver while reading about the frozen New England winter even though it was 90 degrees outside my house. Wharton's descriptions of the physical appearances of all those involved in this wonderfully frightening tale is straight from the Grant Wood painting American Gothic, except with all the wintery background painted in by Edith Wharton. Very highly recommended. These are not the modern man's ghost stories even though they were published in 1973. Some have no resolution, you have to decide for yourself how you think the situation ended. Some may not seem like ghost stories at all until you think about them afterward. Some are like those odd occurrances which make you wonder if you really got all your information straight and if you might, just might, be imagining things. A bonus for me were the black and white drawings which accompanied each story. The writing is wonderful but I had expected that from Edith Wharton. What I had not expected was to be so totally engrossed.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Body in Berkeley Square (Mystery of Regency England); Author: Visit Amazon's Ashley Gardner Page; Review: If you are a fan of this series, which I am, you will be both pleased and a little unsettled to see that so many issues are resolved in this novel. In many instances it is much better to read series books in order so that you understand what has gone on before to build the characters into the people we encounter in this situation. I was very pleased to see that Ashley Gardner did a truly superb job of bringing new readers up to the present with this entire cast of characters with short, concise wording and descriptions. This, of all the other books I've read in this series, can truly be a stand alone. One of the failings of this series, from my point of view, is that the same characters are present in all the previous books. After finishing the last book I realized that I had definitely had enough of Colonel Brandon and his wife Louisa. I wanted them to go away! Imagine my delight when I looked at the back cover of this book and discovered that Colonel Brandon was the only suspect in the murder of Henry Turner. I did not honestly think that Ms Gardner would give him up to the hangman but it did seem pretty definite that I would get to see him wiggle and squirm for a bit. This book is difficult to review without tripping over spoilers. I read a mystery so that I can solve it, not read about the solution in a review. So, what I have said previously about the major suspect is not a spoiler. You still need to read the book to find out who the culprit was and why the crime was committed. I think Ms Gardner did a very good job of building this mystery into multiple layers. As with an onion, peel back one layer and you are confronted by the next layer. The story took me in a lot of different directions which I had not anticipated and I thoroughly enjoyed each twist and turn. I do recommend this series for anyone who wants to experience the atmosphere of England in 1817. The social and cultural layers of Regency England are another aspect of this story which I enjoyed. Knowing something of the Bow Street Runners and how they operated I did wish that more attention could have been given to Milton Pomeroy. He seemed to be included almost as an afterthought in this issue and I think Ms Gardner missed a chance there, but, all in all I can say I enjoyed the book and truly WANTED to continue reading to find out the solution. On the negative side, the revelation about Mrs. Bennington was a little too much for me to believe. I just keep wondering why the author wanted that character to become so important. Maybe the next book will answer that question. A lot of issues are resolved, yes. But, new issues take their place. I was afraid that Ms Gardner had given up on Captain Lacey but; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Stately Home Murder (C. D. Sloan Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Aird Page; Review: Catherine Aird has been writing "English cozy" mysteries for many years now. This one seems to have been published first in 1969 as THE COMPLETE STEEL and then in 1970 with its present title. The Earl of Ornum has had to do the unthinkable, open Ornum House to paying customers. Times are hard for the landed gentry and in order to pay the taxman he made the decision which would have displeased his father immensely. On one of these tour days a young boy left his mother and sister to go exploring on his own and makes his way into the dungeon area, specifically to the armoury. Just the spot any self respecting 10 year old boy would want to explore. His mother and other members of his tour group join up with him just as he raises the visor on a set of armour and finds a very dead body inside. Enter Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan and Detective Constable Crosby to find out what has been going on behind the scenes at the stately country house. Catherine Aird used the same characters in most of her mysteries and one of the interesting things about her books is that there is never any time period mentioned. No character ever ages. They all just continue along as if each book is the first one written. There are the usual list of participants from the Berebury Police: Sloan, Crosby, Superintendent Leeyes, the Pathologist Dr. Dabbe, police photographer Dyson and his assistant Williams. Then we come to the family and servants of Ornum House: the Earl and his Countess, their son and daughter, a nephew and his wife and the black sheep nephew nobody wants to talk about, and various excentric aunts and family retainers. Add to this mixture a whole bevy of servants from the butler, to the cook, the gardner and all the housemaids and you have a country house teeming with suspects. In some ways I really enjoy a Catherine Aird mystery. It will always have atmosphere and a fairly difficult-to-spot villain. But in other ways I often close the book thinking that I wish she had resisted the temptation to make her main characters irritating to me. Sloan never seems to answer a question put to him by Leeyes. You have to wait for Leeyes to dig the information out of him. Leeyes makes references to night classes he has taken which are somehow relevant to the case at hand and which the author uses to provide us with useful information which I would have preferred to get by Sloan making plain, honest-to-goodness statements. Crosby is always saying the wrong thing and butting in with comments not totally acceptable in the situation. Leeyes is impatient for Sloan to have solved the case yesterday. And yet, even having said these things, I like the books and have read most of them several times. Aird puts quite a bit of humor into her stories, although on a very dry wit level which is more appropriate for a murder scene. I suppose I'm; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hole in One: A Sloan and Crosby Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Aird Page; Review: Catherine Aird has been one of the authors I typically turn to whenever I am in the mood for a good cozy mystery. I have just recently read this book even though it was published in 2005. I have to admit to being disappointed. Partially this is my own fault. I read one of her first novels (The Stately Home Murder - published in 1969 under the title The Complete Steel) just one day previous to starting this book. The contrast was unavoidable. All of the usual cast of characters is present, Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan, Detective Constable Crosby, Police Superintendent Leeyes, Pathologist Dr. Dabbe and all the other crime scene technicians. No time seems to have elapsed from the book written in 1969 to the one written in 2005. It was slightly jarring for me because I read two of the books so close together. This phenomenon of the non-passage of time is, however, the way all of Aird's books are written. The story is that two women golfers are playing a round at a private golf course. One of the women is unfortunate enough to hit her ball into a bunker (sand trap) which is notorious for being difficult to get out of. While hitting her ball several times she is still in the trap but uncovers a human skull. Sloan and his investigative unit must uncover (an unintended pun!) the identity of the victim and why he was placed in that exact spot. It certainly doesn't help matters any to know that Superintendent Leeyes is a member of the club and is in the running for nomination to the clubs governing board. He wants the mystery solved and solved quickly and quietly. It is my own personal opinion that this book qualifies as a short story or novella, not a full length novel. It only took me -- a very slow reader -- four hours to read it from cover to cover. That is not a good sign for me. The actual story begins on page 15 of a 202 page novel. The print is rather large and there are 27 completely blank pages within the story plus many other blank half pages at the end of chapters. They actually count the blank pages to add up to the 202 total. That is way, way too much white space for me. This means that all of this blank space was included so that the book would appear longer. It was something which irritated me. The story is totally centered around the game of golf. I don't play golf but I do enjoy watching the game on television, going to tournaments, and listening to my husband tell me about his latest round. This book was golf overkill. If you don't know anything about the game, you will be confused and probably bored to tears. And I watch lots of British golf tournaments also. They don't refer to the golf clubs in these old fashioned terms any more. It just made the book seem terribly dated. Too much detail about; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: By Force of Instinct: A Pride & Prejudice Variation; Author: Visit Amazon's Abigail Reynolds Page; Review: I gave in to temptation and ordered all five of these Pride and Prejudice variations at one time. I have been allowing some time to elapse between reading each book because basically they are all telling the same story, just with "variations". From this point on, there is information in my review which some may consider spoilers. This book, BY FORCE OF INSTINCT, was well written and pleasant to read. I have rated it with three stars because it just did not rise to the level of a four star book for me consistently enough. I enjoyed it but I also began to lose patience with it and wondered why the author continued to write when she had essentially solved the problem for the two main characters. Our story begins just after Elizabeth Bennet has read the letter from Fitzwilliam Darcy explaining his feelings and misgivings about her and the true happenings between his family and Wickham. Elizabeth is mortified to know that she has misjudged Darcy so terribly and just wants to retreat into some private place to recover emotionally from what she now knows. But she will not be allowed to do that. Due to family commitments Darcy is unable to leave Rosings Park immediately as he had planned. He has to stay on for another week and he and Elizabeth are together frequently. It is an extremely trying time for both of them. All of the Reynolds "variations" are explorations of what might have happened to these two people if just one circumstance had changed. In this book Elizabeth and Darcy are thrown together enough after "the letter" to give them a chance to view each other more realistically. I was actually fine with the book until it began to portray characters in such completely unfamiliar roles that they made me uncomfortable. Georgiana is an insecure, spoiled brat. I realize that she is a 16 year old girl but in those times she was old enough to be considered eligible for marriage so this was not a favorable aspect of her personality for me. She does something spiteful which causes a huge problem for Elizabeth and Darcy. Too much character deviation for my taste. Mr. Bennet makes a conscious effort to dislike Darcy, even after Elizabeth tries desperately to convince him of her love for Darcy and his innate goodness. I didn't understand Mr. Bennet's pigheadedness and the author didn't help me understand. Once again, too much character deviation for my taste. Elizabeth's Uncle Gardner played a pivitol role in the engagement but he was shown to be a very harsh, stern, immoveable person. Yet again, too much character deviation for my taste. And now we come to the sexual content of the book. Never, in my wildest dreams would I imagine Elizabeth Bennet initiating a sexual encounter with Fitzwilliam Darcy but that is exactly what this book portrays her as doing. And from then until the final pages of the book it is just one time after another of the author describing these characters trying to keep their; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Cornbread Gospels; Author: Visit Amazon's Crescent Dragonwagon Page; Review: This book was given to me by my daughter because she has heard me talking about when my husband and I went on a trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and met Crescent Dragonwagon (as a consumer, not personally). Her restaurant did indeed serve wonderful food and the entire trip was a fantastic experience. I must confess, when I found out that this recipe book concentrated solely on cornbread I was skeptical about it holding my interest. I was wrong. Let's get the negatives out of the way first: 1. There are no pictures of the finished dishes. I REALLY like pictures. ****EDIT 1/3/2010**** In fairness to Ms Dragonwagon I would like to point out that she added pictures of some of the finished recipes here on the Amazon book page. They are really good photos and will give you an idea of how some of the recipes will look after they are prepared. I'm still cooking up a storm from this book and I'm sure you will too if you decide to try it. Enjoy!**** 2. With the exception of the cover, the entire book is black, white, and a kind of pumpkin/orangie color. Not very exciting visually. 3. It is my opinion that much too much emphasis was given to the differences between cornbread as made in the South and cornbread as made in the North. Why go to so much trouble? Just put in the recipes and let me decide if I want to try them. 4. After a while (by about page 100) I really wasn't paying very much attention to the huge amount of information regarding cornmeal and history. Too, too much information. Now for the positives: 1. It is very obvious that this book was a labor of love for this author. She knows her cornmeal from top to bottom. She even states in the book that this project was six years in the making and I can certainly believe it. 2. Each recipe begins with an anecdote concerning where it came from, who gave it to her or how it evolved over the years. These were simply fascinating to read. 3. Each recipe has obviously been tried, used, and tried again by Ms Dragonwagon. Even within the instructions for the recipes she puts in little nuggets of information to help with preparation, cooking or presentation. I appreciated that and it made each recipe seem very warm and personal. 4. These recipes are GOOD! I have tried four so far and absolutely loved each one, my hubby on the other hand only liked two. DAIRY HOLLOW HOUSE SKILLET SIZZLED CORNBREAD - The first words out of hubby's mouth were, "Does this cornbread have sugar in it?" He didn't like it, I liked it but will not add the sugar next time. We are firmly entrenched in the no-sweetener-in-cornbread camp. On cornbread, now that's a whole other story. I must confess to liking this but I'm more lenient in food basics than my sweet darlin'. JANE'S TEXAS-via-VERMONT MEXICAN CORNBREAD - I invited two friends over to taste test; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: It's In His Kiss (Bridgertons); Author: Visit Amazon's Julia Quinn Page; Review: If I were to compare this book to a cookie recipe, I would call it a forgotten cookie. You know what those are, don't you? Little puffs of meringue that you cook in a very low heat oven and then turn the heat off and forget them until they dry out and become firm, usually overnight. I was just fascinated to read of all the high expectations unfulfilled and disappointments expressed regarding this book. Thankfully I didn't read the reviews until I had finished the book. I wonder if Julia Quinn has ever gotten over all the uncomplimentary things reviewers have expressed about this book. Really, it just wasn't deserving of all that hard feeling. Was it the best book in the Bridgerton series, probably not. Was it the worst historical romance book I've ever read, positively not. I think we as readers hold our favorite authors to a standard which we would never be able to achieve ourselves and then are disappointed when they prove their mortality. Now, about the book. Since there are something like 97 other reviews already written I think I can move along rather rapidly here. Hyacinth Bridgerton is the youngest of the eight Bridgerton children. She has been somewhat spoiled (oh, well, she has been very spoiled) and allowed to be rather eccentric for a young woman of a prominent family in the top of London society. She is noted for her quick wit, her fearless nature and her high intellect. Now here I must confess Ms Quinn fell down quite painfully. Never, not once, did I see any evidence of Hyacinth being intelligent. Mouthy, yes. Stubborn, yes. Daring, yes. Intelligent, no. She takes on the task of doing the translation of a diary written entirely in Italian and yet admits (to herself) that she can't do the job perfectly because she doesn't actually speak Italian fluently. She fooled some of the people some of the time, but....ultimately she didn't fool the readers. I never read one "intelligent" conversation which Hyacinth engaged in with anyone. I think Ms Quinn mixed up wit with intellect. Gareth St. Clair is the hero of the piece and comes off as being much more fully developed than Hyacinth. He had a reason for his angst. He didn't do a very honorable thing when he set out to compromise Hyacinth in order to ensure her marriage to him but at least he had a reason for doing it. Ms Quinn wrote him as a rake, she had to make him do something rake-like. Otherwise, he was just too much of a sympathetic character so he needed something to put his character into character. I don't think this book is the best in the Bridgerton series but I'm going to cut this author some slack. Whoever made the decision to have eight siblings and write a story for each one must have begun to rue the day quite quickly. By the time she got around to Hyacinth I think she had just run out of steam. If we are disappointed in this; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fisherman's Bend; Author: Visit Amazon's Linda Greenlaw Page; Review: I am sorry to say that I did not enjoy reading this book. It is written in the first person style and that is something I usually try to avoid. This is the second Jane Bunker mystery, the first being SLIPKNOT. I kept waiting for the knot called the fisherman's bend to play some part in the story but it never did, that was a disappointment. Also, this author does not seem to be very interested in descriptive passages. Not of her main character, the other characters in the story or the landscape. I had hoped to revisit the wonderful coastal towns and villages of Maine through reading this story but it just never happened. Aside from one mention of the houses and forest along one roadway I got no descriptions to remind me of those wonderful days I spent in Maine. I found the character of Jane Bunker to be flat and uninteresting. I think her frugality was supposed to show us an aspect of her past and her personality but all it succeeded in doing was to annoy me. Why did I have to read about her wrestling with herself over whether or not to fill up her gas tank? After all, she was going to be reimbursed for it. Many references were made to her adventures in the previous book but they were not actually explained. I also didn't like the fact that she looked on almost every man she met as a potential "suitor". The main word used to describe the captain of the research vessel is "attractive" and she wonders if he finds her enchanting. Enchanting? After meeting her two times? Good grief! Then there would be a mention of past failed relationships but not anything concrete. I kept feeling as if I had missed reading something somewhere. Yes, there are "quirky" characters in the book. For me, there were too many quirky characters. And most of their quirks were just plain irritating, especially the speaking style of Willard Kelley. The positive side of this book comes about when this author is writing about boats and ships. It is obvious that she is very comfortable with those subjects and that is fine, she does a great job in that area. The mystery, on the other hand, was actually not interesting to me at all. In fact, none of the mysteries were interesting. I didn't care where they were leading because I figured out the main mystery when it was first being described. The reaction of one of the people who arrived at the scene was a complete give-away. And the ending was a shock. Not because of the revelation of the bad guy but how abruptly the story was concluded. Did the timer go off and someone shout "Time's Up"? I would never recommend this book to one of my "reading" friends who likes to read mysteries. It was unsatisfactory for me.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Garden Spells: A Novel (Waverly Family); Author: Visit Amazon's Sarah Addison Allen Page; Review: I began reading this book without any knowlege of it beforehand. I'm glad I approached it in that way, otherwise I might have passed it by and never experienced this sweet debut novel. If this book is anything to go by, Sarah Addison Allen will have many years of writing warm, enjoyable novels to keep readers entertained. The book was a magical, joyful ride for me. Not terribly complicated but just deep enough to show the reader a family in need of healing. A contemporary romance with some dark overtones about what can happen when people make the wrong choices in their lives. Claire made the wrong choice when she decided to separate herself from the townspeople in Bascom, North Carolina. The memories she had of the life her mother had led made Claire desperate to cling to the things which would never change. She didn't even want to admit the indesputable fact that all things change and she would need to learn how to change with them. Sydney made the wrong choice when she decided to separate herself from her entire family by leaving Bascom as soon as she had graduated from high school. It took her ten long years to realize that everything she was running from was exactly the thing she needed in order to make her life have a purpose. Her daughter, Bay, deserved the stability living life as a Waverley family member could give her. Bay was portrayed as a remarkable child, old and wise beyond her six years. And this author made me accept that level of maturity in one so young. She had already seen the dark side of life and it had left its mark on her. But there was also fun and laughter and delight and love. Sydney suffered all the physical and psychological abuse because she had originally wished to be just like her mother, a free spirit, with nothing to tie her down. Neither sister really knew the other. Just as it can happen in any family, you think you know a sibling, a parent, a child, but then something happens to make you realize you only know as much as another person allows you to know. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. This author did not start out by explaining anything about the abilities of the Waverley women. But by reading deeper and deeper into the book each of their abilities was revealed. This is not a book about witchcraft or doing magic tricks or spells. The magic portrayed here is much, much more subtle. Did the apple tree really have any power? Or was it just that people believed that it did and that made their lives change? I can't wait to see how Ms Allen handles her second book. I'm glad to say that this gentle, Southern voice rings clear and true.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Second-Degree Brown Belt Sudoku (Martial Arts Puzzles Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Frank Longo Page; Review: This book would rate 5 glowing stars from me except.....that the format of the book is such that I have to remove the page from the book to be able to solve the puzzle comfortably. This is a personal quirk of mine and it may not bother you at all. I like to have the sheet flat and to be able to move my hand around on the page freely. I solve the problem by using a box-cutter and removing four or five pages at a time. Each sheet contains two puzzles on each side. It would be nice if the puzzles were a little larger but I have adapted to what I have been given. I have actually come to this book after solving the puzzles in the Second Degree Black Belt Sudoku by Frank Longo. I loved that book so much that I bought it again last weekend. While I was in the bookstore I saw the Brown Belt edition and wondered what the difference would be. Inside the book Longo himself describes the Brown Belt as "300 puzzles of hard level of difficulty". In the Second Degree Black Belt Sudoku he says: "This book consists of 300 puzzles of super-tough level of difficulty." I had already found that I could believe his word for describing his own puzzles. I decided to give the Brown Belt a try. Please do not expect any detailed instructions for Sudoku solving in this book. Only the most basic solving technique is given. Once again, I just love these puzzles. They are "hard" but not impossible. I find that if I take my time and pay close attention I can solve these on the first try. I still have to put in my "little numbers" for the puzzles but they really do solve themselves very well from that stage on. If I could hold the number possibilities in my memory longer I probably could do these without the "little numbers". This book is NOT for a beginning Sudoku solver. Mr. Longo gives the puzzle fanatic some honest-to-goodness workouts for your brain. I am not mathematically inclined in real life. But, by solving these puzzles I have discovered that I am determined, resolute, stubborn, patient, and very thorough. If you think your personality fits even just some of those definitions, try this book. Just remember, they are meant to be a challenge. Don't expect anything to come easily.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dark Light (Ghost Hunters, Book 5); Author: Visit Amazon's Jayne Castle Page; Review: It is painful for me to have to give this book three very mediocre stars but that is exactly where it falls on my enjoyment scale. I have read the other four Jayne Castle books about the planet Harmony and loved each one. I don't know what happened with this one but for me it was just not very good. The reason I gave it three stars at all is because I am hopeful that any book which follows it will get right back on track and live up to the quality of the previous books. I'm not giving up on the series just because of one middle-of-the-road product. Years ago a mysterious curtain opened in space and a new planet was discovered. The people of Earth named this new planet Harmony and began to travel there and to colonize it. The atmosphere and conditions were very much like Earth. Then, without warning, the curtain closed again and the colonist on Harmony were stranded. Now, two hundred years later, they exhibit unusual paranormal abilities which not only allow them to survive, but to thrive. Sierra McIntyre moved to Crystal City to get away from her family of overachievers. She considers herself an underachiever so she wants to start over someplace where she will not be compared to her other family members. Fine so far. Now for the improbable. In order to get a job she starts work for a tabloid newspaper, the Curtain, even though she has no experience in journalism. But, of course, she is writing investigative, hard hitting stories, not like the other stories which appear in the Curtain, and she wants some serious questions answered by the new Crystal Guild boss, John Fontana. The Guild boss is the man in charge of all the "ghost hunters" who have the paranormal power to control ghost energy found in the catacombs below the city. If these powers are not strictly contained they could be used in harmful ways. Fontana immediately sees the advantage of joining forces with this reporter (who has been a true nuisance for him since he took over as Guild boss) so he proposes that they enter into a Marriage of Convenience in order to investigate these problems together. Huh? What? After being in the same room with each other for about one hour Fontana asks Sierra to enter into a Marriage of Convenience (not a permanent Covenant Marriage) with him and she agrees? Even though her family views the Marriage of Convenience as little more than a legalized affair, she still just says, OK, sure, why not! Pleeese Ms Castle, don't do this!! None of the characters in this book are very well drawn. The entire book feels rushed, as if it was one of those Uh-Oh,-I-haven't-written-about-Harmony-in-a-long-time books. The plot is not strong, the mystery is not interesting or difficult to figure out (when they caught one bad guy, there was only one other character left!). In this series of stories each heroine has a dust bunny. Sierra states several times that dust bunnies are companions not; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Darcy's Passions: Fitzwilliam Darcy's Story; Author: Visit Amazon's Regina Jeffers Page; Review: Once I received this book I was very anxious to begin reading it. I am an avid fan of Pride and Prejudice and I have enjoyed many versions of the story from the perspective of Fitzwilliam Darcy. I was sincerely touched by the credit given in the acknowledgments section by this author. She has been a teacher for many years and she states that she wrote this book after being encouraged to do so by the students in one of her classes. But then I began to read the book. I must confess that it has taken me months to read this book. I started it from the beginning on two different occasions before I finally was able to read it all the way through. Even then it took me a full week to complete it. The book follows the original Pride and Prejudice along exactly but without the delicate wording and phrasing which I so love by Jane Austen. This author specializes in language arts and composition yet I found that she over wrote this story. It seemed to be that if two words would have been sufficient she would use five. I found it to be difficult to read. For me it was ponderous, verbose and ultimately those things made it boring. There is no lightness or wittiness here. The decision to follow along with the original story and yet change the dialogue wording was a mistake. I know those original words, the substitutions were unsatisfactory. Oddly enough, once the original novel finished Ms Jeffers continued to write and those many pages were much more interesting for me. I still found the constant restating of the love Darcy and Elizabeth had for each other to be tedious. I never thought I would say it, but I longed for some of Darcy's taciturn ways to return. This Darcy never stopped talking and his conversations with Elizabeth turned into soppy sentimentality for me. And something which caused me to cringe whenever I read it, Ms Jeffers had Darcy "smirk" frequently, he "smirked" quite often. My understanding of the meaning of this word would not have made that a complimentary description. According to three dictionaries, I was correct. Unless, of course, the word used to mean something entirely different. An author takes on an ambitious task when they try to retell a story which is so completely familiar to readers. I can only say that I agree with Lady Catherine de Bourgh, I am seriously displeased.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Secret of Chimneys (Agatha Christie Signature Edition); Author: Visit Amazon's Agatha Christie Page; Review: Superintendent Battle is a favorite character for me in the Agatha Christie novels. I enjoy watching how Dame Agatha allows him to interact with the main characters, often with someone who should be a prime suspect. That is what happens in this novel. The Secret of Chimneys is the first Christie novel to feature the stolid, intelligent Scotland Yard superintendent who is seen to have a twinkle in his eye quite often when dealing with the "bright young things" filling the pages of an Agatha Christie mystery. Battle has a soft spot in his heart for these young people and he is always a shrewd judge of people. This particular book is always a delight for me to read. This time I found myself wondering if it is okay to chuckle out loud while contemplating a murder mystery. The answer had to be a resounding yes. If you were to write out a list of everything you would expect to find in a mystery from one of the Golden Age of British Mystery Writers, this book would probably contain almost every item on the list. There are political intrigues, hunting for gold in Africa, switched identities, memoires on their way to be published, a fantastic jewel stolen and never found, secret rooms, incriminating love letters, a trunk left at a railway station, gunshots in the night, a deserted house, missing revolvers, a secret code, a dead body placed on the side of the road, a future King of a small Baltic nation. And I could go on and on. This book sometimes swerves a little too far toward the comic side for my particular tastes but you need to be on your guard just the same. Don't ever assume that someone is exactly who or what they proclaim to be. My very favorite Agatha Christie books are the novels which feature Miss Marple. Having said that, if you love Agatha Christie, just read this offering of hers for the sheer pleasure and exuberance of her writing. Do I think it is her best book, no. Do I love it every time I read it, yes. I highly recommend this book, as I do any book written by Christie. They will keep your brain whirring and clicking over at top speed.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Lenox Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Finch Page; Review: A definition from The Oxford American Dictionary, copyright 1999. precious: adj & adv; 4. adv,colloq. extremely, very (tried precious hard) In my opinion the main problem with this novel is that the author tried precious hard. I don't know if some of it was written with tongue in cheek or as an inside joke for himself, maybe to even include some friends. I do know that I felt as if there was a joke somewhere and the author was laughing because I hadn't gotten it. Take for example the naming of some of his characters. --Lady Jane Grey: I actually put this book down and went to do some research on that real-life person to try to figure why Mr. Finch had purposely used such a well known name. I can't answer that question but my mind came to a screeching halt and then revisited that question every time she made an appearance. --Lady Victoria McConnell (Toto): With all the names available to this author for a nickname for this character why did he chose the one which always made me think of a small dog wandering through the Land of Oz? --The cousins Claude and Eustace: Can it possibly be just a coincidence that Finch chose to use these two names and made them related in this way? Could an editor not have convinced Mr Finch that it was just barely possible that some potential readers might remember the cousins in several P. G. Wodehouse novels named Claude and Eustace? I wasted a lot of time whenever these two characters came on the scene wondering if this was a joke, an accident or a deliberate usage of the names because of their connection to the Wodehouse stories. They certainly had nothing to do with humor in any way. Charles Lenox, our amateur detective, is written to be the younger son of a noble English family. Money was no object for Lenox. Why then did he only have one pair of boots? I cannot possibly tell you how tedious it was to read ad nauseaum about his cold, wet feet. And putting on wet boots, and having to go out in the cold and wet again. And taking off wet boots. And warming his cold feet by the fire. See? Tedious. I also found myself, after having finished reading the book, completely unable to describe the physical appearance of any of the characters in this book. The only possible exception to this problem might be the private detective Lenox hired to help him. Might be, may be. There are two attempts written to enable Lenox to display his Sherlockian deductive reasoning. Both examples are bad but the second time concerning a pocket watch is laughable. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle might have Holmes perform some incredibly implausable deductions, but at least they were entertaining. A great mystery story for me is one I enjoy in spite of its imperfections. The improbable situations, the implausable plot or the clues and lines of inquiry with no resolution ever given by an author. This book did; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Hostage to Pleasure (Psy-Changelings, Book 5); Author: Visit Amazon's Nalini Singh Page; Review: How can Nalini Singh continue the intensity of the writing in these books? This is book five in this series and it is every bit as captivating and enthralling as the first book was for me. Her characters are allowed to grow and mature from one book to another. Her plot builds from one book to another so that the paranormal world she has created does not remain stagnant, it changes, the focus has begun to shift. She has added new elements which ratchet up the danger level. I am totally amazed that she has maintained this level of suspense and interest in an imaginary world. Ashaya Aleine is the perfect M-Psy. She is a scientist first and foremost. Nothing else matters to her except to carry out the directives given to her by the ruling Council. In the previous book, Mine To Posess, Ashaya proved that all of that was a lie. She engineered the rescue of two children who were being used in experiments at the lab where she was doing her own research. In doing so, she let it be known to the Changeling leaders that she would be requiring a payback for the rescue of the children. She carried on this conversation while knowing she was locked into the sight of a sniper's scope and could be killed at any second. That sniper was Dorian Christensen. Now, in order to keep from perfecting the horrible experiments she has been ordered to do, Ashaya knows it is time for her to die. Dorian has hated the Psy Council ever since they protected a known sociopathic killer who kidnapped his younger sister and tortured her for days before killing her. His search for revenge has been his one focus which has allowed him to maintain his sanity. Now, Ashaya Aleine, the cold as ice M-Psy has stepped out of his dreams and into his life. He should have killed her when he had the chance. And yet the changeling part of him, the leopard part of him, demands that he protect this woman. How can he be attracted to a Psy and yet remain true to the memory of his sister? This series of five books about the Psy-Changeling world is so incredibly detailed that they actually become almost real to me as I am reading the story. This author has the most marvelous ability to utilize words to paint pictures so vividly it is as if I'm right there. She describes the sights and sounds and smells of this world in such a way that it feels as if one book just flows seamlessly from one to another. But the reader does need to be aware that there are five books written so far. Each book builds very substantially upon the previous book and I personally would not want to try to pick up book #5 and try to begin the story here. I strongly recommend that the best way to fully understand this futuristic world is by starting with the first book, Slave to Sensation. Ms. Singh keeps; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Silver Lining: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Maggie Osborne Page; Review: Some books just need to rate higher than 5 stars in my opinion. This is one of my American Historical Romance books which deserve that designation. In fact, I'm willing to go to 6.1* on this one. Maggie Osborne created a character in Low Down that was so wonderful, sympathetic, and believable that she just deserves to be rated off the scale. Yes, this heroine's name is Low Down. This woman at 28 years of age had lived such a hard life that it just made me want to sit her down and fix her a cup of hot tea while we talked. She was fortunate enough to be adopted from one of the orphan trains when she was four years old but the situation she found herself in was far from fortunate. Her adopted mother referred to her as low-down so often that she became known by that name and it stuck. At the time of this story Low Down is panning for gold in Piney Creek, Colorado (just being one of the boys) when an epidemic of small pox struck. After everyone who could leave had gone, she was the only person left to nurse the 60 some men through the illness. They wanted to show her how grateful they were so after they were recovered they offered to give her anything her heart desired. The trouble was, the only thing she had ever wanted was a family and she figured she could get that only by having a baby. Needless to say, the men were shocked, but being honorable men, they decided to make sure she got her wish. Trouble was, there were no volunteers. The very unwilling hero in this story is Max McCord. He had his future completely mapped out. He was engaged and would be married in two weeks. His future bride was the social leader of the small Colorado town outside of Denver and her Daddy owned the bank. Max really wanted to run his cattle ranch full time but Philadelphia Houser's father had offered him a job in the bank and he had accepted. Everything was going to be glorious for him, the woman he wanted to marry, a newly finished ranch house to take her to after the wedding, a new job and the ranch to run in his own way. Then, he drew the scratched green marble out of the hat and his life changed forever. Because the preacher of the mining camp insisted that he had to marry Low Down. She might only want a baby but the preacher said that wasn't going to happen without a wedding first. This book has a full cast of characters who are essential to the telling of the story. Every person in the McCord and the Houser families had to share in the burden of making all of these situations come right. As Max says in one part of the story, the ripples from that marble just kept getting wider and wider. Eventually they even affected the workers on the ranches because of the; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Touch of Texas; Author: Visit Amazon's Tracy Garrett Page; Review: This debut novel by author Tracy Garrett was quite a good book. One of my favorite catagories of romantic fiction is the western historical but for a while publishers didn't seem to be putting out many new books in this genre. I was pleased to find this book by Tracy Garrett and even more pleased to enjoy reading it. I appreciated the things this author did with the plotting of this book which gave it more interest and kept it from being just another cookie cutter romance. The addition of characters after the first half of the book was a calculated risk and could have gone very wrong if not handled well. Happily, this author took the time to make those new characters come to life by giving them as much depth and description as she had with the major characters in the book. She also took a calculated risk by having the villain dispatched so early on in the book. I looked at the page number and realized that there was quite a bit of this story left to read. How was the author going to fill those remaining pages? The answer to that question was very satisfactorily answered and helped to keep the book fresh and interesting. The Rachel Hudson character was so well developed that I can say that I liked every instance of change and growth that I watched her go through. Her character could have been entirely too meek and submissive just because of her background but that never happened for me. I had sympathy for her and the struggles she continued to go through but I never wanted to lecture her about the necessity of growing up and moving along with life. The portrayal of her relationship with her brother was completely realistic. Not too syrupy sweet and clingy but showing a willingness to let him grow up and learn the lessons of life. In the case of Texas Ranger Jake McCain, I liked his character, his determination and his grit. These were traits necessary for a man to have in order to function under the hardships of working alone as a lawman in the old West. Perhaps his struggle with the reality of his parentage went on for a while longer than I wanted it to, but I do understand how the double burden of being a half breed and a bastard probably would have been a huge hurdle to overcome. I liked the idea the author had about how the death and burial of his Indian mother came about. I just wish that more information had been given about it. I have come up with three different scenarios to fill out the details of this incident but have no way of knowing which might have actually occurred. Burial with Native American tribes was very much a ritualistic episode. I wish more details had been given. Was this a true traditional burial practice or was it completely fictionalized by the author? I don't know. It went by so quickly, with so little detail, that I; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Under Enemy Colors; Author: Visit Amazon's S. Thomas Russell Page; Review: I must confess immediately that this is the first naval fiction book I have ever read, in any historical time period. I get queasy just standing on shore watching a boat bob in the waters of our local river but I saw that a friend of mine had read this book and I was curious. I am extremely glad that I decided to branch out a lot and include this nautical historical tale in my reading. This was a wonderfully written, exciting book for me. I have nothing to compare it to, nothing from other authors to help me in my understanding of the technical aspects of the book. I didn't need any previous experience. I was able to figure out anything of a technical nature because the author presented it in such a reasonable, rational manner that I soon deduced what was happening and didn't let my lack of knowledge hamper my enjoyment. When I finally closed the book at well past midnight last night (this morning) I realized how sorry I was to see it end. All of the characters who will obviously be included in the next installment are characters I want to meet again. Mr. Russell made me invest the emotions of sympathy, devotion or dislike by his vivid development of the men and women involved in the story. As other reviewers have pointed out, Lieutenant Charles Hayden has a serious problem to overcome while serving in the Royal Navy. Having a mother who is French and a father who was English, Hayden has always lived in two worlds. Now, in the year 1793 and with the French Revolution taking place he is glad that he decided to put himself firmly on the side of the British. Yet no matter how often he reminds himself that he is English the French blood flowing through his veins remains a constant reminder that such decisions are not as easily implimented as made. Circumstances continue to cause him to realize that his parentage can be both a help and a hindrance, depending on how he chooses to use his childhood experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this chapter in history. To be able to do so while enjoying a fictional re-enactment of the time period made for an absorbing reading experience which I shall not soon forget. Lt. Hayden has been written to be a very proficient hero, able to command ships, even on a temporary basis, while either in port or during naval battles and to outwit his enemies on their own soil or in the political games being played. It seems impossible to believe that Hayden would have been considered such an unimportant part of the Royal Navy simply because of his lack of "connections" or that Captain Hart could have risen to such a prominent position, again, simply because of the "connections" of his wife. And yet, Hayden's abilities have been noted, and noted by very important people within the Royal Naval hierarchy. Even viewed from the perspective of a reader completely unfamiliar with the subject matter of; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Impulse & Initiative: A Pride & Prejudice Variation; Author: Visit Amazon's Abigail Reynolds Page; Review: This book represents the fifth and final Pride and Prejudice "variation" that I've read by Abigail Reynolds. When I discovered these books I made that mistake familiar to most book-a-holics, I bought all five of them before reading any one. It was not completely a mistake but it certainly did teach me a lesson I will not soon forget. As all of the other books do, this novel takes up after Darcy has proposed marriage to Elizabeth Bennet and been rejected. He leaves Rosings Park and goes to London to contemplate his future without Elizabeth in it. His cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, arrives in London on military business and finds a drunk and dejected Darcy in residence. After managing to cajole the reason for his depressed state of mind from Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam challenges Darcy to travel to the Bingley estate near Longbourn to try to win the lady's favor, to give it one more gallant try. Sounds fine so far, right? I, like most Pride and Prejudice devotees, always wanted to understand Fitzwilliam Darcy better. Jane Austen devoted most of her writing to explaining the character of Elizabeth Bennett and left most of us wondering what Darcy was like when he wasn't interacting with Elizabeth. Abigail Reynolds took up a truly great challenge to write five books to endeavor to give readers such as me some answers, to fill in some of the blank spaces of what Darcy may have been like. All five of these books have been different. They can each be read completely as a stand alone. Upon looking back at my reviews of the other four books I find that I have rated three of them as 3 star reads (okay, but with some problems) and one as a 4 star read (really quite good for me). This one falls very firmly within the 3 star range for me. Impulse and Initiative made no effort to follow the original story line for Pride and Prejudice. Although many of the original situations still take place or are referred to in this book, they are moved either forward of the original placement or backward after other events take place. In this "variation" Elizabeth and Darcy get married by about half-way through the book after he has convinced her to become engaged to him and then their passions overwhelm them and they run headlong to be married by a bishop in a cathedral chapel. All within a matter of days of her arrival at Pemberley and with none of Lizzy's family present except for Mr. & Mrs. Gardiner who are staying with Lizzy at Pemberley and only Colonel Fitzwilliam's parents and Georgianna there to represent Darcy's side of the family. Quite a rushed affair to be sure. But then it didn't really matter. Every chance they got both Elizabeth and Darcy told anybody who cared to ask that the reason they married so quickly was because they had been intimate and needed to marry. For two people who supposedly valued their privacy so much, they certainly didn't hesitate to confide that; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Silent in the Grave; Author: Visit Amazon's Deanna Raybourn Page; Review: I realize that this book is considered to be a Victorian mystery but I think anyone who buys it solely for that style of story will be disappointed. From my perspective Silent in the Grave is much more than that. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that the mystery aspect is only a thread used by the author to keep all the characters connected. I didn't find as much enjoyment from the mystery element as I did from the wonderfully comprehensive, detailed characters Ms Raybourn developed in this novel. Yes, the novel is set within the Victorian period and this is one of the reasons so many of her plot extensions work so well. The subjects touched upon were still either commonly accepted folklore or subjects people were becoming more educated about during the reign of Queen Victoria. We are also given information regarding the strict code of conduct to be followed by the different social orders during these times. Ms Raybourn manages to hit upon quite a few subjects considered taboo during this time simply by having different members of Lady Julia's family, the Marches, exhibit so much eccentricity. It seemed as if each member we were introduced to had taken on a different aspect of individuality outside the limits of polite society. Ultimately, as truly good authors can do, all of these different societal upheavals were brought together for a satisfactory conclusion to both the mystery and the novel as a whole. As a person who has been an avid reader of mystery stories for over forty years now, I do not consider this to be a mystery in the usual sense. Yes, Lady Julia was trying to find if her husband died of natural causes and if not, then who the person responsible for his death was. But along the way, this story turned from being a mystery to being a character study of each and every character introduced into this story. I must say that I give Ms Raybourn full credit for her extraordinary way with descriptive writing. She made all of the characters come alive for me and solving the question of who was responsible for the death of Sir Edward was not nearly as important as determining how Lady Julia would react as she learned more and more of the truth of what had been happening in her life for many, many years without her being the least bit suspicious. Even though I had figured out who the responsible person was, I continued to read because this author had made me so interested in the situations and characters involved in this story. I would highly recommend this book, not so much as a mystery, but as a wonderful reading experience. And I really applaud this author for having the courage to end the book without the obligatory happily ever after ending. Sometimes, life just doesn't work out that way and books don't have to either. Now I need to read the second book in the series to find out what my; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Texan's Luck; Author: Visit Amazon's Jodi Thomas Page; Review: When Jodi Thomas writes a GOOD western historical romance it is really hard for me to find fault with it. This book is the telling of the final part of a story which began when three young women were forced to leave a wagon train through no fault of their own. Bailee, Sarah and Lacy were left alone to fend for themselves and happened to encounter a truly horrible man named Zeb Whitaker. The women thought they had killed Whitaker when he tried to kidnap Lacy. They left his body on the prairie and made their way to the nearest town and turned themselves in as murderers. The problem came when the sheriff couldn't find the body of the man they were supposed to have killed. In order to provide safety for the women in a very hostile sitution Sheriff Riley organized a wife lottery. Lacy was married by proxy to Frank Walker Larson after his father drew her name. Larson was serving in the Army and made it very plain that he did not want a wife, not Lacy, not any woman. The only part of this book which makes me a little uneasy is the very beginning, when Lacy takes it upon herself to seek out Captain Larson and demand that their marriage be consummated in order to establish its legality beyond question. This was not a violins-and-candlelight moment for either character. It was rushed, crude and rather unsettling from my viewpoint. It did, however, give an excellent portrayal of just how little these two people knew each other. Zeb Whitaker escaped from jail and went looking for the three women who he thought had stolen his gold. Lacy was the only one of the three who lived in a town so she was the first logical target. What follows is a wonderful telling of how Lacy and Walker learned to deal with each other and the situations they were thrown into. In the process Lacy learned what it was in Walker's life which made him determined not to be married. There is also a chance to catch up with what has happened with Bailee and Carter McCoy from The Texan's Wager. I recommend all three of the books in this trilogy but my special favorites are The Texan's Wager and this book, A Texan's Luck. Just to be sure you get the whole story I would suggest you get Sarah's story also, When A Texan Gambles. If you already know the writing of Jodi Thomas, you will understand what a treat you have coming. If you have missed her western historical romances so far, this is a very good place to start.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Colonel Brandon's Diary (A Jane Austen Heroes Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Grange Page; Review: Whenever I think about the characters created by Jane Austen invariably I think of Marianne Dashwood as a twit. I just don't understand her, probably because she and I would be considered exact opposites. Amanda Grange has done me a huge favor by writing this book. She has helped me see Marianne in a more complete context and I can now appreciate the differences between Marianne's personality and my own. All of this was accomplished because Ms Grange has written such a very good book about Colonel Brandon. This "diary" covers a period of twenty years, from 1778 to 1798. When we first meet James Brandon he is just 18 years old and very much in love with Eliza, his father's ward. Eliza returns his feelings and they begin to make plans to marry. They both know that they are very young, Brandon knows that he needs to have a profession so that he can support a wife but they are both willing to wait until circumstances are right for them to tell his father of their plans. Then, in one terrible conversation everything changes. Because Eliza weds someone else, Brandon cannot stand the thought of remaining at home and continuing with his schooling so he enlists in the military and leaves for India. All of this portion of the book is the work of Ms Grange's imagination and I enjoyed it very much. It filled in huge gaps in the life history of Colonel Brandon which Jane Austen chose not to include. The story of how Eliza's child became the ward of Colonel Brandon is believable and compelling, given the type character he has. His inheritance of Delaford gives him the opportunity, the duty, to leave the military and to bring the estate back to its former glory. I found that Amanda Grange had brought all the characters necessary from Sense and Sensibility into this novel with a great amount of skill. The meeting of each character was done with great attention to detail as to the Austen work but it also made complete sense from the Amanda Grange standpoint. I congratulate her on this accomplishment. By looking at Marianne through the eyes of Colonel Brandon I saw a completely different young woman. I saw how she could have been so easily lead astray by Willoughby. I understand better how vulnerable she was as a person because of her lack of experience in meeting people outside her family and small communities. Even while growing up at Norland she lived an isolated life to a large degree. Marianne is still not my favorite Austen character, she isn't even among the top five or six, but Colonel Brandon is. Thank you, Amanda Grange for giving me this personal look into the heart and soul of this quiet, good man.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Conquest; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Chadwick Page; Review: I have an Amazon Friend who has been telling me for almost a year that she thought I would enjoy the novels of this English author. I was reluctant because I've read (and been disappointed by) books set in medieval times before, albeit by different authors, and I was not much interested in the historical period. Gladly I can say that the writing of Elizabeth Chadwick is on an entirely different level from my previous experience with this genre. This is a wonderful book which takes place over a space of 23 years, from 1065 to 1088. All of the main characters, and there are quite a few of them, are written as complete people. Not just the good traits, not just the bad. People are never one dimensional in real life, why should we accept them when written that way in a novel? This particular author has a wonderful talent for letting the reader see all sides of a character so that they fit naturally within the story. Her descriptions of daily living, war, birth and death are vivid and compelling even if sometimes difficult, for those of us who are squeamish, to read about. Yes, the descriptions for the Battle of Hastings were unsettling for me to read but I know they reflect reality. War was never clean and sterile. It still isn't. The good thing is that this is not a book about war, it is a book about what impact that war had on the lives of these characters before, during and after that war. The book is divided into two sections. The first centers around Ailith and the second around her daughter Julitta. I found it extremely interesting that Elizabeth Chadwick allowed both mother and daughter to make the same mistake, namely to put themselves in a position to love a man who could not be their husband. And yet Chadwick used Julitta's father, Rolf, as the character who could understand her situation best since he had lived through those same kinds of situations with her mother. I didn't want to like Rolf, but after watching him mature over 23 years I just couldn't help myself. That is the sign of a truly good author from my standpoint. Someone who writes well enough to make me change my mind. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The history is there, the fully drawn characters, the complete immersion in the time period. I was sorry to see it end. Thank you Elizabeth Chadwick for sharing your talent in this way and thank you my Amazon Friend for recommending this book. Don't you think that is the wonderful part of this Amazon amateur reviewing/sharing community?; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: And Then There Were None: The World's Favourite Agatha Christie Book; Author: Illustrated by Cover Art Christie Agatha; Review: Whenever I'm going to be doing something labor intensive, but not very exciting, I enjoy listening to an audio book. Some people like to point out every instance of failure as a novelist they can think of regarding Agatha Christie. I, on the other hand, choose to overlook any defects in her stories and just enjoy them. When you add the narration by Hugh Fraser it makes the experience all that much more satisfying. I did not find any defects or glitches in this recording and Fraser has a warmth and intimacy to his voice which makes it seem that he is right there in the room with you, almost telling you the story personally. Ten people were invited to Indian Island, Sticklehaven, Devon. Ten people who didn't recognize the name of their host (or in some cases, their employer) but who went nevertheless for their own personal reasons. Everything seemed to be going well until the recording was played which accused each of them of the crime of murder. In each bedroom was a large framed piece of parchment, a poem which most of them recognized from their childhood. When the deaths began to happen, they realized that the poem was put there as a warning of what was about to happen. And they were trapped on the island. Even if you have read this story by Agatha Christie you will still enjoy the narration by Hugh Fraser. He is so permanently linked in my memory with the Hercule Poirot stories presented on PBS that I feel as if I am visiting with two old friends, Fraser and Christie. Highly recommended by a Christie fan and a fan of audio recordings.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Limehouse Text: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Will Thomas Page; Review: My copy of this book is the hardcover edition which I must admit I ordered accidently. I'm very glad I did. The nicely embossed dust jacket of this book adds another dimension to the reading experience. I find that cost is such an important factor in publishing books now that often readers are not given the tactile experiences that add to the rich experience of the printed word. I was feeling kindly toward the book even before I started reading because the publishers had gone to the trouble to make me like the material I was holding in my hand. A lot of thought had obviously gone into the presentation of this novel. This is, as I'm sure you know by this time, the third installment in the adventures of Cyrus Barker, a Victorian private enquiry agent born in Scotland, and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn, a Welshman. The nationality of Barker seems to be questioned often throughout the novel but he always describes himself as a Scot. I began my exploration of this series with the third book and did have a little trouble finding my feet with the characters in some instances. Llewelyn often thinks about the time he served in prison and yet no explanation is ever given by the author of why Thomas was imprisoned. Perhaps this information has not been revealed in any of the other books either, but I would have liked some information about why he was jailed and much more of what led up to him becoming Barker's assistant. Also, the fact that he is a widower is mentioned often but not much more than mentions. Of Barker himself, very little background information is revealed but it is obvious that the author is building his backgound very slowly in order to keep him a mysterious character. The plot is actually quite simple, Barker's previous assistant was killed approximately a year ago and his murderer has never been found. Now, an important clue has come to light and Barker, Llewelyn and the many characters introduced set out to uncover or keep covered the facts of the case. My enjoyment in reading this book was in the Victorian atmosphere depicted and the regions of London which are concerned. Most often writers of period mysteries tend to keep their characters firmly entrenched in the best neighborhoods, among the best people. Mr Thomas has not done that and so he has provided himself with a rich vein of material to keep this book interesting. My knowledge of the Limehouse section of London was practically nil. Now, through vivid descriptions, I can "see" the area much better. The descriptions of Chinese martial arts techniques provided me with another topic which was new to me. The solution to the mystery itself, well, I have a few quibbles about that but not enough to keep me from buying the first two books in the series. I have no problem with the "lets gather all the suspects in one room for the solution" style of mystery writing. I do have a problem when; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: 9 X 13: The Pan That Can (Better Homes and Gardens Cooking); Author: Visit Amazon's Better Homes and Gardens Page; Review: This cookbook is filled with bodacious recipes. I couldn't believe it when I started going through to find any recipes I might be interested in trying and saw how many of my old tried-and-true favorites are included. I finally stopped flagging the ones I wanted to try when I got to page 281. I had run out of sticky notes. My book looks like it has feathers! Seriously though, I have tried 5 recipes so far: the classic lasagna on page 56 (very good), meatball and polenta casserole on page 92 (good but needs work for my family),zucchini-sausage casserole on page 121 (fabulous), corn bread for a crowd on page 272 (not iron skillet good but very tasty), and coca-cola cake on page 295 (just like my 30 year old original). At no time does this cookbook profess to be completely "healthy" or "easy" or "quick". But, if you can gather ingredients and then follow simple directions I just don't see how you can go wrong. I make it a point to always follow a recipe exactly the first time, then make any adjustments to suit my family when I make it the next time. These adjustments are noted on the recipe page. This book will be no different but I just couldn't be happier with all the choices I now have, all contained in one book. And every recipe is not for cooked foods either, there are many dishes which don't require cooking, just preparation. Dishes such as layered salads, and gelatin desserts. Also included are 16 vegetarian entree recipes plus many in the lasagna and casserole sections which could be adapted to be vegetarian with no trouble at all. There are breakfast dishes, coffee cakes and french toast, meats, poultry dishes, fish and seafood, bars and brownies, plus catagories I've already mentioned. I am very impressed with the recipes. What I am not so impressed with is the book itself. I am not a fan of spiral binding for any book but I bought this one knowing it was bound in that way so I can't actually complain about that. I don't like it but I won't complain. What I really don't like is the lack of pictures showing finished recipes. There are 16 pictures of 16 finished dishes. All 16 are located together in the first quarter of the book. It would have been nice to have had each picture at or near the recipe it showed. Also, the paper quality is not quite as good as I would want it to be. I don't know if these pages will be able to stand up to the kind of wear and tear one of my cookbooks takes (and I try to be VERY careful but accidents happen). Also, the color chosen for the major pages is an orangey-pumpkin which I don't like at all. I also miss index tabs. Those tabs make it so much easier to navigate within a cookbook. And some thicker paper for the chapter divisions would have been nice. Having outlined all of the drawbacks,; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes!; Author: Visit Amazon's Guy Fieri Page; Review: This is a book which is ALL about the star. If you enjoy watching Guy Fieri on his Food Network program Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives you will thoroughly enjoy this book. It is much more about the program and the people Guy meets along the way of making the program than it is about the recipes. When I watched Guy compete on The Next Food Network Star series I didn't want him to be the winner. I had picked out someone else because Guy's personality was just too "large" for my tastes. Since that time I have become a convert. He is just exactly as he appears on television and that personality has been moved directly onto the pages of this book. Even down to him giving every member of the crew a nickname. Like it or not, those names have stuck. Guy is, of course, Guido! There are pictures galore of Guy, the Chevy, the crew, the diners, the people who work at or own the diners, and the customers enjoying the food. It's almost like having that program in a "to go box" presentation. I enjoyed this and continue to go back and re-read the information about certain locations. Now, do I ever expect to try any of these recipes? Well, maybe, maybe not. They are all converted from amounts used to feed large numbers of people. Often conversions don't translate well from restaurant size quantities to small portion sizes. Also, what makes these diners so unique is that the chef/cook/owner will feel a little adventuresome one day and add a handfull of this and a pinch of that and change the taste altogether. No, the fun of this book is in reading the Guido-isms. Such as at Panini Pete's in Fairhope, Alabama. Guy says, "Everything works together in this sandwich, nothing overpowers anything else. It's slam-a-jam-a-bama." Buy this book for the pleasure of reading about all of these unique eating spots which still exist in our modern fast food world. How can you resist a place called the Penguin Drive-In that has Black Bean Hummus on its menu in Charlotte, North Carolina? The team even visited a place in my own hometown that I have never heard of. I've got to go check that place out. Soon!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder on a Girls' Night Out: A Southern Sisters Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne George Page; Review: This is a super, delightful book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the whole thing and can't wait to order the other seven in the series. I usually shy away from books writen about women detectives in the South. I have had some very unpleasant reading experiences in that genre. Not so with this book. Anne George hit everything spot on when it came to the locale, the characters and their personalities, the local and regional vernacular, the customs of the region, and on and on and on. This book was a humdinger! I really loved reading about these characters because I actually know each and every one of them. I loved reading about this location because I've driven through these places more times than I can count. I loved reading the dialogue between Mary Alice and Patricia Anne because I've participated in those conversations all my life. Wow! What a writer. And as if that wasn't enough, the mystery was actually quite interesting. From a very picky mystery reader those are words of high praise indeed. Haven't we all ridden down a highway and seen a "joint" like the Skoot 'n Boot and wondered what went on inside that place on a Saturday night? Well, now we know. Somebody got murdered inside this joint. In fact, killed enough ways to murder him three times - which turned out to be two times too many. The book was totally laugh-out-loud funny. I even made my poor husband sit through times when I read it out loud to him. He smiled politely. Then I read those same passages out loud to my daughters and they almost collapsed on the floor laughing. What can I say, it's a woman's world inside the covers of this book and Anne George captured it perfectly.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Tender Stranger; Author: Visit Amazon's Carolyn Davidson Page; Review: If you are someone who thoroughly enjoys the modern day version of an historical romance story, this book will probably not be very satisfactory for you. It is one of those older (published in 1999) books which places all its emphasis on showing a growing relationship and the emergence of love between the hero and heroine. It doesn't rip and romp, it simmers with warmth and affection. There is, however, a generous dollop of adventure thrown in. Quinn Yarborough is a bounty hunter by trade and he prides himself on always getting his quarry. When Ted and Estelle Wentworth hire him to locate their daughter-in-law he is determined to find her and bring her back to New York City, no matter how long it takes. Quinn's mother worked for the Wentworths so Quinn and Damian grew up playing together. Now that Damian is dead, Quinn can't help but wonder if Estelle Wentworth is right and Erin just might have been responsible for the fall down the stairs which killed Damian. Erin Wentworth has done everything she can to distance herself from the parents of her dead husband. She is now just outside Denver, living alone in a tiny cabin which clings to the side of a mountain. Winter is fast approaching but Erin doesn't have any other options except to stay. She knows her in-laws want her back in New York, but only so that they can have control of her unborn child. Quinn finds Erin just as the winter storms begin to make travel down the mountain impossible. He and Erin are trapped together and they both discover that they need each other to help face the sorrows and troubles which are coming. Set in Colorado in 1875 this Western historical romance is just the kind of love story I enjoy reading. Here the emphasis is on the love which develops between two people. There are huge turning points in the lives of the characters, but Carolyn Davidson wrote these turning points in such a way as to make them totally believable. These are not the impossible and improbable situations I frequently see portrayed in romance stories. This novel may move too slowly for some readers. It certainly will not be as sexually explicit as most romance fiction written today. Oddly enough, that is precisely why I rate this book as being over 5 stars in my personal rating book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Murder on a Bad Hair Day: A Southern Sisters Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne George Page; Review: Here we go again! Patricia Anne and Mary Alice seem to always be in the wrong spot/right spot for murder. This time Anne George wrote a mystery which had a very, very clever method for murder. I've read so many mysteries that I could probably not even count them all but this well thought out idea was a first for me. The sisters are back. Doing all the things normal women do; shopping, cleaning house, putting up the Christmas decorations, walking the dog, going to gallery openings. But they are also doing some things I prefer never to do, like getting involved in the investigation of the death of Mercy Armistead right after her new gallery opened with a showing of Alabama "Outsiders" artwork. According to the first reports Mercy died of a heart attack. That theory didn't stand up very long after the Medical Examiner finished his report. The characters in this book are just as delightful as the ones we met in the first book. Bonnie Blue is back but now we get to meet her father and her brother. Both figure prominently in the mystery. We get caught up on what is happening in the lives of both sisters' families and an engagement is announced. One of the things I really love about this series is how familiar the situations are. I've made a pie using Jiffy Pie Mix and Lucky Leaf Cherry Pie Filling. I've slathered Cool Whip all over desserts. I make fruit cake cookies at Christmastime. These instances provide such a connection with the characters in these books that they instantly turn into friends. People you want to call on the phone and chat with, women you want to meet for lunch and go "finger fabric" with (as one of my friends puts it). Make new friends, read these mysteries just for the pure fun of it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: For You Alone (Frederick Wentworth, Captain; Book 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan Kaye Page; Review: One of the really tough things for an author to do is to maintain the tension and expectations of her readers over a long period of time when writing a story in two parts. Susan Kaye "almost" pulled it off. If Amazon would give me the option, I would gladly rate this book as a 4.5 star reading experience. Since I don't have that option, I'm afraid that it will have to fall back to a 4 star rating. Captain Frederick Wentworth and Anne Elliot have always been two of my favorite Austen characters. Susan Kaye filled in the blanks for me concerning Captain Wentworth in her first installment of this story in "None But You". I enjoyed that book. I enjoyed this one also but I am left with some unfinished business regarding characters and situations which puzzle me somewhat. Did Ms Kaye just forget about poor little George Tuggins? He is left with Frederick's brother and new sister-in-law and just drops completely out of sight. Not particularly well handled by Ms. Kaye in my opinion. It would have only required several sentences to have resolved the circumstances of Tuggins and the poor boy deserved that consideration. What was the actual need to have that character in the book in the first place if he was going to be dropped out and forgotten? I also did not like the wedding scene for Frederick and Anne and the situation which followed it. Don't misunderstand me, there were absolutely no sexual encounters in this book, but the wedding night was presented in a very awkward way. Certainly not what I would have liked for an author to come up with when she had total control over what she wrote. This material was a complete departure from the original Austen work so why not make it as romantic as we romantic types like? Humm. Having given those two instances of being not entirely pleased with this book let me now say that I liked this writing and this story very much. I will heartly recommend this book to other lovers of Austen continuations and will certainly read this book again in the future. I liked the character development I saw for Frederick. I really liked watching him interact with his brother Edward and finding out secrets of their past lives. I liked meeting Edward's new wife and felt that she was exactly the perfect spouse for him and, as it turned out, a fine example for Frederick of married love. I enjoyed the development of the character of Lady Russell so that she became more approachable. Anne's father was presented in all his snooty glory so that I could continue to dislike him without a qualm. Mrs. Clay and Mrs. Smith might have been given a little more page space but they weren't so I will just have to be satisfied with that. I do highly recommend this book. Actually, these two books because "None But You" simply must be read before "For You Alone". Susan Kaye is an author I will be watching; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Old Man's War; Author: Visit Amazon's John Scalzi Page; Review: Perhaps my title requires some explanation. I am 66 years old (the older part of the title) and brand new to reading science fiction (the newbie portion of the title). As of today this book already has 286 reviews here on Amazon. I had decided not to write a review, until a friend - the same one who recommended that I read this book - pointed out that I do have something to add, a personal perspective concerning this book. I enjoyed this book so much that I would really, really appreciate it if Amazon would allow me to color in half of that remaining star. This was a sure fire 4.5 star book for me. And that's saying something coming from a reader who is as persnickety as I am. I enjoyed the writing, I enjoyed the plot and I enjoyed the overall concept of the novel. I can fully imagine this story taking place in the future. The gist of the story is that John Perry has reached his 75th birthday and it is time for him to make good on his decision from ten years back to join the Colonial Defense Forces. When he does this John will be required to leave Earth and everything he knows and loves behind forever. John's wife Kathy died eight years earlier and now John has completed all the arrangements necessary to leave the world he knows and to go exploring. The carrot at the end of the stick of his two years of military service is that he will keep his "new" body and be given land on a colony protected by the CDF. The method of reaching his goal? Fighting aliens whenever and however he is told to. His training is outstanding because it will need to be. The Colonial Defense Force leaders don't exactly tell their new recruits the whole truth regarding their service, much less their average life expectancy. I loved this story in part because it made me think about all of the "what if's" of a future world. Taking into account the fact that my own personal age is not that far away from being eligible to join up, this actually hit quite close to home. It was one of those books which makes you think about it even when you aren't reading. IF this were not science fiction, could I make the same decision John Perry made? IF this chance to be young again was presented to me, would I take it? Admittedly I don't have any other writers or plots or alien worlds or futuristic concepts to compare this book to. I just know that I thoroughly enjoyed it and I will be getting "The Ghost Brigades" (book #2), and "The Last Colony" (book #3) in this series. I already have one other book by John Scalzi. You can bet I will be starting it very soon.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Secret Desires of a Gentleman (The Girl-Bachelor Chronicles); Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Lee Guhrke Page; Review: What can I say? Obviously the plot sequence devised by Jane Austen is so wonderful that writers continue to "use" it in their own works. Unfortunately, not always successfully. This example of the Fitzwilliam Darcy/Elizabeth Bennet proposal rejection scene just doesn't work at all. I was reading along, not necessarily totally enjoying myself, when I chanced upon Jane Austen in the middle of this book. Not good! "Secret Desires of a Gentleman" got off to a shaky start for me when Maria Martingale cannoned into Phillip Hawthorne, Marquess of Kayne, on a street in London and he tried to disavow knowing her. They had met when she was seven and he was nine and had been good, close friends until Maria and Phillip's brother Lawrence had planned to elope to be married. It had been twelve years since they had seen each other but this author made her lead male character look like a total nitwit in forcing him to state that he did not know Maria. From then on it was her remembering instances from their shared past and then him remembering the same instances. Rather boring, really. Finally Phillip just had to admit his lust for Maria so he proposes to her and she turns him down, in the Jane Austen fashion, and then we relive those sentences over and over until I had them memorized. What happened at the end of this book? Did publication time sneak up on Ms Guhrke? Did the page count loom large on the horizon? Did she think that public declaration of love and affection would show us a completely changed Marquess of Kayne? And did any of us believe that suddenly Maria was willing to give up all of her lofty ideals and independence in the space of a few hours? It didn't work. At least give me an epilogue. Let me see that the marriage has lasted at least a year with him still enjoying her fiesty personality while she loves him in spite of his snobishness. That's two books in a row in the bachelor-girl series which have gotten three stars from me. If it weren't for "And Then He Kissed Her" I think I would give up on this author. I have several books which are not part of this series. Maybe I need to read one of those next.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sunday Philosophy Club - An Isabel Dalhousie Mystery; Author: Alexander Mccall Smith; Review: Instead.....approach it as a puzzle which the lead character, Isabel Dalhousie, wants to solve. Because if you are looking for a mystery novel as they are normally presented, you will be completely disappointed. If this had been the usual type of mystery story, one question with it's resulting answer would have taken away all of the mystery and solved the case. No, read this book for other reasons. Because you already know the work of this author and you enjoy his style of presenting a story. Because you are interested in philosophy as applied to almost every incident you encounter during the day. Because you love reading books which take place in Scotland or Edinburgh. Because you are interested in art or literature. Isabel was never involved with the police in the solving of this puzzle. The reader is not given information from an official perspective, only the thoughts and wonderings of a woman who takes on the responsibility of finding out why Mark Fraser fell to his death from the balcony of a concert hall. Isabel believes that it is her moral and ethical responsibility to find out what happened. As other reviewers have stated, this is a very slow moving novel. I enjoyed many of Isabel's mental gymnastics concerning her philosophy regarding one point or another in the investigation. I enjoyed her relationship with her niece, Cat and with her housekeeper Grace. But after a while I became anxious to have the book focus on the mystery, the investigation. It really never did satisfy me on that score. I also got rather dissatisfied with the references to the Sunday Philosophy Club which, as far as I could tell, did not even exist. There were certainly never any meetings taking place in this story, no members named, no questions or topics discussed. I was easily able to read this book in one afternoon, partially because I finally began to skim over large amounts of the philosophy of blank vs blank. As an amateur sleuth Isabel has a huge amount of improvement to make before I read another of her adventures. I've noticed that later titles in this series no longer include the word mystery. That's probably good. Her character seemed like a very nice person but she really needed a better reason for getting herself involved in this case which ended with an anticlimactic whimper and a moral judgment on Isabel's part. But then, why bother the officials of Edinburgh at this late date?; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Kiss of Fire (Dragonfire, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Deborah Cooke Page; Review: This is a story of the conflict of good versus evil. Only in this story, at least in this first installment of the story, we are talking exclusively of good dragons or evil dragons. I have never read any stories in this combination of genres (fantasy/paranormal/romance) before but the details of this book sounded interesting and I decided to take a chance. I'm really glad that I did because I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. Deborah Cooke creates a world where good dragons, Pyr, are in conflict with evil dragons, Slayers. They have definitions of their destinies which are completely opposite. The Slayers want to do just that, slay all of humanity. The Pyr want to save the human race from the destructive designs of the Slayers. There is an ancient dragon lore prophecy which says that The Smith (as in someone who forges metal) and The Seer (someone who can fortell the future) will come together to save the world. Quinn Tyrell is The Smith of lore and is a blacksmith in his human form. Sara Keegan is a completely human being who has opted out of the ratrace in order to put down roots and run the bookstore she inherited from her Aunt Magda. The meeting of these two characters is inevitable but what will the end result be? Could Sara be more than just an average woman? I must say that I am quite surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book. That doesn't mean that I am not aware of some areas of the book which made me raise my eyebrows or shake my head, but, for the most part, I think this author did a very good job of setting the stage for what will obviously be a lengthy series of books. As another reviewer mentioned, I had a hard time visualizing how large the dragons were. At one point Sara stood on tiptoe to kiss Quinn while he was in dragon form. That is probably as close as I can come to figuring out their size. I think Ms Cooke should address questions such as that in future books. Also, the "firestorm" which makes Sara and Quinn mutually attracted to each other seemed rather anticlimactic. The good thing is that the author did not rush into that situation, she allowed a lot of action to take place before Sara began to trust her feelings for Quinn. I am not a reader who needs to have intimate relations described to me in graphic detail so I appreciated that about the book but maybe the firestorm needs to sizzle a little longer in future books. And I really did understand that Sara had been an "ace" accountant in her corporate life. Hitting me over the head with that information time after time after time just got irritating. I also hope that Ms Cooke will find some way to make dragons stay dead once they die. I got confused about who was back and who was gone for good. And, I must admit, I finally began to skip over; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Some Danger Involved: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Will Thomas Page; Review: In the Author's Notes of this book Will Thomas states that this book was five years in the making. Evidence of his experience as a book reviewer and speaker on Victorian crime fiction positively leaps from the pages. This is a very good beginning installment in a very good series. The lead characters are Private Inquiry Agent Cyrus Barker and his new apprentice, Thomas Llewelyn. The title comes from the advertisement Barker placed in the newspaper when seeking to replace his previous assistant. "Some danger involved in performance of duties." turned out to be not only true, but somewhat understated if Llewelyn's difficulties are anything to go by. This series is set in Victorian London and this first adventure involves the inquiry agents in a particularly unusual manner of presenting the corpse of a young Jew in the middle of a Jewish ghetto. Was it meant as a warning to the thousands of Jewish immigrants who have crowded into London from all parts of the world? Or was there a personal message being delivered here? Mr Thomas uses his extensive knowledge of London during the reign of Queen Victoria to transport the reader to all parts of that glorious city. We even get to meet Lord Rothschild, of banking fame. Having been a fan of period mysteries for many years I can say that I enjoyed this book very, very much. In fact, I was so involved in following the action taking place that I forgot to look for the villain and was extremely pleased to be surprised by Mr Thomas' skill in hiding that villain from me. All of the quirky characters gathered around Cyrus Barker are completely fleshed out by this author. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the food, the squalor, the luxuries, all are described in vivid detail. I had begun my reading of this series with another book, "The Limehouse Text", and so I know that the books can be read out of order. But, if at all possible, it would make you understand later books so much better if you do start with this book, the first in the series. The backgrounds for Barker and Llewelyn are given here, they were not so completely explained in "The Limehouse Text" and I had questions after reading that book. Now I know the answers to my questions. This is not a "cozy" mystery. There is action, danger, personal injury, and mingling with all types of people who would never grace the pages of a "cozy" mystery. Cyrus Barker has been a world traveler and his past life shows itself in his friends, enemies, and allies. The world of the Chinese inhabitants of London figure prominently in both books I've read so far. This book concentrates on the Jewish areas of the city with a nasty little side trip into the Italian section. My advice, clear some free time, sit back and enjoy this book in particular or any other book in this series. I've found a wonderful author to add to my list of favorites.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Empty Mirror: A Viennese Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's J. Sydney Jones Page; Review: The Empty Mirror by J. Sydney Jones is a fictional story which incorporates real historical facts and real historical figures to tell the story of a series of serial killings in Vienna from August through October of 1898. This mixture of the factual with the fictional inventions of the author made the story not only interesting to read but also instructive. As someone who has spent a large amount of time within the city he is writing about, Jones could provide detailed descriptions and his slant on Austrian history shows in the situations he creates. What begins as an investigation, almost as a means to counteract boredom on the part of Karl Werthen quickly changes into a desire to correct obvious mistakes being made by police officials in Vienna regarding these deaths. In this quest Werthen is carried headlong into the fray by his former colleague, Professor Hanns Gross, the noted criminologist. Werthen had stopped practicing criminal law and gone into the much more sedate practice of wills and trusts because he felt guilty concerning the death of his fiancee. Years previously Werthen had been so involved in his criminal law practice that he had ignored Mary until it was too late and she had died of tuberculosis. As a way of making up for that mistake, he now practices a very passive type of law and writes short stories for publication. We as readers of this story are taken along with Werthen and Gross as they find themselves more and more deeply involved in national and even international politics. Is there any possibility that there might be a connection between the deaths of working class people in Vienna and the death of a beloved member of the monarchy in Geneva, Switzerland? As Werthen and Gross progress further into the mystery the lives of everyone they come into contact with are put at risk. I did enjoy this book. To be quite honest, I didn't think that I would like it at first. The pace is rather a stop and start affair. Moving very quickly and then slowing to a crawl, then picking up again. Also, at one point in the story this author had his own fictional character make reference to another fictional character created by another real author. It was as if Jones expected Gross and Werthen to be compared to Holmes and Watson so he tried to explain away the comparison before it could become an issue for the reader. Unfortunately, that attempt came too late for me. I had already read a passage that sounded so much as if it would have been spoken by Sherlock Holmes that I subconsciously attributed the response to Watson instead of Werthen. I noticed my mistake immediately but I had to then reread the passage. In this particular book, comparisons to the Holmes/Watson characters are inevitable. It will either become a distraction for you as the reader or you will accept the similarity and move on. I learned a great deal about Austrian history while reading this book. The novel has a; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Ghost Brigades; Author: Visit Amazon's John Scalzi Page; Review: This is going to be my rule from now on with John Scalzi: Don't try to second guess an author. After all, it is his book, he is writing it, he decides where it should go and how it should get there. My job will be to read what he writes. When I finished reading "Old Man's War" I figured that I would just slide right into "The Ghost Brigades" by taking up with Jane Sagan and John Perry as they set up housekeeping on a colony far, far away. Was I ever wrong. Wrong in a very good sense. John does not make an appearance in this novel, although he is spoken of. Jane made a short appearance in the beginning of this story but is very involved in the second part of the book. I learned so many interesting things about the actual creating of a soldier who will serve in the Ghost Brigades. Science fiction is rather new for me so at this point in my reading of this genre the story and the situations have to be explained to me in such a way as to make me understand and accept this alternative type of universe. John Scalzi is an author who does that for me in spades. I became familiar with the Special Forces soldiers in the Colonial Defenses Forces in the previous book. This one introduces me to Jared Diac as a soldier I watch being created, mostly from the DNA of scientist Charles Boutin, to serve a specific purpose in the waring between the CDF and three of their alien race enemies. But Jared is different. Jared has been given a consciousness, memory transplanted into his brain in an effort to understand Charles Boutin who has turned traitor. If the transplant is successful the CDF might understand exactly how much danger they are facing and why that brilliant scientist became their worst nightmare. I enjoyed this so much that now I am a true-blue John Scalzi fan. I'm going to get the remaining books which continue this series and probably anything else written by this man. I even laughed out loud while reading the acknowledgments in the back of the book. Scalzi sounds like the kind of person I would feel comfortable walking up to and starting a conversation with. But then, his novels sound just as imaginative and warm and witty and approachable too. I hope you choose to read this series of stories. I'm looking forward to my next adventure in this universe.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Addition: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Toni Jordan Page; Review: Somewhere or other I had heard about a compulsive disorder involving counting. I had no idea what that might mean when taken to extremes but the thought of how that condition might impact a person's life made me curious. So, in reality that is why I decided to read this book. Toni Jordan has written a book which was a delight for me from start to finish. I felt so much sympathy for Grace and with the way she lived her life. She was so alone even when she was surrounded by other people. A career as a teacher had been denied her because of an incident which happened on the playground and a stay in an institution had not worked for her. Part of the problem for Grace was that she was so smart that she could manipulate and control any situation she found herself in and keep her counting compulsion under control. Or at least it seemed on the surface that it was under control. In reality, whenever any trauma or stress happened to her, she removed herself even more from society. Every possible thing in her life had to be controled by keeping count of it. No matter how small an item might seem to us, it was imperative for Grace to control that item by reducing it to a number. How many of us would ever sit and count the number of bristles on the head of a toothbrush? Grace did that, not because she actually wanted at that moment to know how many bristles were on the toothbrush but so that she wouldn't have to go on a date with a man she had just met. A date which meant giving up her safe, controlled environment. Eventualy she and Seamus did begin to date and he helped her see that medical science might help her overcome her compulsion. Ms Jordan wrote a beautiful, moving story of this 35 year old woman whos life was enclosed within numbers, the number of paces to the cafe on the corner, the number of items of clothing placed in a bureau drawer, the number of slices of zucchini which could go into her stir-fry dinner, and a picture of Nikola Tesla, taken in 1885 when he was 29 years old. Tesla was Grace's lifeline, her imaginary lover, her hero, and, like Grace, a counter. Here was an example of someone who was like herself but who had incredible inventions to his credit, who was a genius, and who was as unique as Grace herself. The writing is sharp, witty, and warm but as Grace tries to change herself into an average person through medical help the writing changes to be more somber, darker, Grace herself becomes slightly confusing. What a wonderful story and a wonderful storyteller. Grace is a perfect example of how unique we are as individuals. And unique doesn't have to be bad. If you decide to read about Grace and her condition, I can only hope that you enjoy the experience as much as I did.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Star of the Morning (The Nine Kingdoms, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Lynn Kurland Page; Review: I'm sure you know by this time that "Star of the Morning" is the first book in the Nine Kingdoms trilogy by Lynn Kurland. This is a first book by Kurland for me and I am well and truly "hooked". This story falls into the category of a continuing saga. The same characters will be back in books two and three. I can say that I'm looking forward to digging into book two very soon. "Star of the Morning" is a book in the fantasy/romance genre but the romance proceeds very slowly in order to sustain it over the remainder of the books. I like that aspect. I also like the fact that Morgan of Melksham found herself becoming attracted to a man who seemed to be her opposite in almost every respect. That situation made Morgan a very interesting character to get to know as she tried to come to grips with her emotions. Morgan is a shieldmaiden, a true warrior. She was found by soldiers while she was very young and raised by them until her gender could no longer be concealed. They then took her to an orphanage and callously left her there since they thought she was no longer of any use to them. But Nicholas of Lismore knew Morgan's secret and he gave her shelter, affection, and a sense of worth and tried to prepare her for the battle with the forces of evil she would face in the future. She relies on her own training and fighting instincts and she absolutely detests anything to do with magic. A wonderful fantasy world is built in this first book and I'm sure it will continue throughout all the others. Lynn Kurland left me with a great big old hook at the end of this book. I've simply got to get started reading "The Mage's Daughter" so that I can read "Princess of the Sword". Many, many thanks to the nice person who left a comment on one of my reviews suggesting that I try this author. I'm enjoying the writing of Lynn Kurland just as they predicted.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Test of Wills (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: I really enjoy reading a mystery when the author can keep me from working out the solution. I never saw the twist coming at the end of this story. And what is even better, when the author gave me the solution I was completely satisfied with it. Simply marvelous! This is the first book in the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries. I began reading about these characters with book #11. If at all possible, begin your journey with this mother and son writing team here, at the beginning. All the background was explained so well that I could enjoy the character of "Hamish" because now I've read the details of why he played such an important part in the life of Rutledge. This series of English mysteries take place right after the end of World War I, with this one in June 1919. Rutledge has been assured by his doctors that he is fully able to resume his job at Scotland Yard and that the effects of his severe shell shock will lessen in time and with a return to a normal life. He has also been assurred that the voice of Hamish will naturally diminish as his life returns to what it was before the war. Unknown to Rutledge, he has made an enemy of one of his fellow officers within Scotland Yard so his first case is essentially an effort to discredit him and have him removed from the force. This story is very much a psychological drama. The story has two main areas of focus. Rutledge trying to solve the murder of Colonel Harris while simultaneously learning how to deal with his own mental condition. For me this book was very, very good. I like the writing style, the descriptive passages are wonderful. The dialogue rings true to actual people speaking those actual words. The mystery is complex because the people involved are complex and are trying desperately to hide information from Rutledge. As a longtime lover of mystery story this series suites me just fine. I have thoroughly enjoyed the two novels I've read thus far and fully intend to read them all.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pemberley Shades: Pride and Prejudice continues; Author: Dorothea Bonavia-Hunt; Review: There seems to be some disagreement about when this book was published. The copy I hold in my hands says, "This is a reprint of the first edition, written in 1913 and originally published in 1914 by Holden & Hardingham, London." Then a little further down the page it says, "Originally published in 1949 by E. P. Dutton Company, Inc." The confusion has probably sprung from nothing more than the differing publication dates of two different companies. Dorothy Alice Bonavia-Hunt seems to be either the first or second writer to want the story of Pride and Prejudice to continue so much that she took pen to paper and created an extention of the Jane Austen novel. I have wanted to read this book for a long time and am sincerely glad that I took the opportunity to clear some quiet time in order to do so. And this book probably does require some quiet concentration to be able to enjoy the wording and the vocabulary. Jane Austen herself wrote in the style of her day and readers are required to pay close attention to sentence structure in order to follow the thoughts of the author. This writer is no different. If the reader will be patient and expect a reading experience which differs from modern writing, then I think they will enjoy this book. Most of the characters from Pride and Prejudice are back in this story. Darcy and Elizabeth have been married three years and have one child. Georgianna, now 20 years old, is living with them at Pemberley and is completely immersed in her music studies. Not only is she unmarried, she has never even had a suitor which is a very unusual situation for a young woman with her high social standing. The death of the longtime Rector of Pemberley causes Darcy to start on a search for a clergyman to fill the vacancy now created. We are treated to a wonderful depiction of Darcy's forceful character immediately by his handling of the two daughters the previous Rector has left behind in the Parsonage. Elizabeth and Darcy have both grown in maturity with three years of marriage to their credit and are very much in love. It is a treat to meet again with Mr. Bennet, Kitty, Jane and Bingley, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, and Lady Catherine and Anne de Bourgh. There are many new characters introduced including the rector of the adjoining estate, also there is a friend of Darcy's who was gravely injured in the war and the new candidate for the position of Pemberley's rector. There are many plots, matchmaking attempts, and mysterious intrigues to keep the reader entertained. Anyone who seeks out the continuations and variations on the theme of Pride and Prejudice will want to include this book among those they have read. I found it very enjoyable. It is not written in the exact style of Jane Austen but we all understand that a complete duplication of that style is not possible. Miss Bonavia-Hunt was the daughter of a clergyman and lived with; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dead Water; Author: Visit Amazon's Ngaio Marsh Page; Review: "Dead Water" is absolutely one of those English mystery stories straight out of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. How could it not be? Author Ngaio Marsh has filled it with characters and locations guaranteed to make any reader of old fashioned mystery stories positively salivate. There is the slightly down on his luck ex-military man, his beautiful but somewhat tragic wife, the local doctor, the Reverend and his wife and an "artistic" spinster. Add in all the local characters and a young couple destined to fall in love and you have the combination in place to collide head-on with the happening which turns the story into a murder mystery. Young Wally Trehern is what the people of the tiny fishing village of Portcarrow call "simple". The children have been taunting him and jeering because of the warts on his hands. To escape their hurtful chanting Wally runs up the hill to the spring in the woods to be alone. While he is crying about his condition someone appears above him standing on a rock and tells Wally to place his hands in the freezing water and to believe that he will be healed. Because of the sunlight coming from behind her, Wally can only see that she is The Green Lady. He does what she tells him to do and then goes home. The next morning his warts are completely gone. Word begins to spread that the falls have a miraculous healing property and soon people are coming to experience the possible curative powers of the water. As human nature will have it, if there is money to be made from a situation then money will be made. Everyone in the village and on the island begin to share monetarily in the tourist attraction the "Pixie Falls" have become. Miss Emily Pride inherited the property on the death of her sister and she wants nothing to do with these unsubstantiated claims of cures. Miss Emily plans to stop all commerce associated with The Green Lady and Pixie Falls. After receiving anonymous threats Miss Emily decides to travel to Portcarrow to see exactly what is going on. I love to read one of Ngaio Marsh's mysteries because she doesn't give you just one mystery to solve. In this one the question was: who did the murdered really want to kill? And that question goes on until the very end of the story, it isn't settled instantly so that you can concentrate entirely on who the murderer is. One victim would involve one set of suspects, another victim would have involved a different set of suspects. The locale is wonderfully described and adds to the enjoyment of the story. Twice a day the tide was - as the locals referred to it - dead water, meaning it was at its complete lowest tide so that a low-lying causeway was useable to walk between the island and the village. Obviously, if it was connected to land then it wasn't actually an island but circumstances of the tides tended to isolate the two sets of; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Among the Mad (Maisie Dobbs); Author: Visit Amazon's Jacqueline Winspear Page; Review: This is the first audio edition Maisie Dobbs novel that I have listened to. I think that this reader, Orlagh Cassidy, did a superb job in reading the book and in portraying the characters. She had absolutely no trouble with the many accents necessary to the story and I enjoyed her rendition, never losing patience with her style or her voice. There are several small distractions which I encountered but they were a result of the technical aspects of recording the book, nothing to do with the reader. The first few times the protaganist's thoughts were read I became confused as to which character was speaking. In the book there is obviously nothing to indicate that a different character is speaking except as shown by spaces left blank after the previous passage. On the CD that was hard to pick up right at first. As I became aware that the book was written in that way, I adjusted to the interjection of thoughts from the protaganist. The reader certainly didn't want to make this man appear to be a caricature of a madman by overdoing her voice inflections when reading about him. This lack of definition when going from one character, one location, one episode happened in other instances also and several times I had to replay what I had listened to in order to become oriented to the change which had taken place. A tiny pause in the reading would have made these changes more apparent to the listener, but, those pauses would have also required more running time. This was a technical decision which had to be made. All in all, even with these small problems, a very enjoyable listening experience from the recording standpoint. I enjoyed this Maisie Dobbs story. It was based on the idea that there was a person somewhere in London who was so mentally damaged that he was threatening to wreck havoc on completely innocent people in order to have his demands met. The solving of the problem brought Maisie into contact with the highest of the high, both within Scotland Yard and British Intelligence. Even into 10 Downing Street. This was a very well plotted story and takes the reader back into the turbulent political times of the early 1930's when Britian was reeling from World War I and the unrest because of political decisions made following that conflict. The descriptions of the conditions facing lower and middle income Brits and the horrendous experiences of soldiers back from fighting who are suffering from both physical and mental disabilities were very well done. A listener cannot help but feel sympathy for these seemingly forgotten men. In fact, that condition is the pivitol subject around which the novel revolves. The personal problems of Maisie's employee, Billy Beale, help to focus attention on another aspect of Maisie's personality and adds greatly to both getting to know her better and liking her as a person. This was a very enjoyable listening experience for me. Presented on 8 CD's for a little over 9 hours of running time it; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Naomi Novik Page; Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy world created by Naomi Novik which introduced me to her world of dragons used as weapons of war. The novel takes place during the time when Napoleon was rampaging through Europe and countries had a very unusual weapon in their arsenal. I simply loved the idea of dragons who were so large that they acted as battleships and were outfitted with a pilot, a crew and armaments. Many of the dragons had their own natural abilities such as fire or spitting acid which could be used against an enemy. If you can allow yourself to accept this world created in the imagination of this author, I think you will enjoy this novel. Captain William Laurence is a career Royal Navy man and is in command of the Reliant when they come upon a French frigate. Even though they have been weakened by illness and a fierce storm the French crew fights against all odds to avoid being taken by the British ship. Once the battle is over Captain Laurence discovers that the French ship has a dragon egg on board and by the indications of the shell, it is very close to hatching. Dragons are normally handled by members of the aerial corps which is a branch of service looked down upon because of their association with the dragons and their seeming laxity of discipline. Laurence knows that they are much too far from land and that the egg will hatch soon. After drawing lots, a member of his crew is designated to be the person who must put the harness on the hatchling and establish command of the dragon. But the dragon can choose to accept the harness and this dragon decides he wants Captain Laurence to be his handler. Thus begins the story of Captain Laurence and Temeraire. I really enjoyed the warm relationship this author established between Laurence and Temeraire. It was necessary for the captain to give up his very promising career in the Navy to become associated with the aerial corps, his sense of duty and honor left him no other choice. He lost family, friends and his position in society. Instead of becoming bitter he learned the value of this dragon of his. The conversations between Laurence and Temeraire were sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, but always compassionate and sensitive. After reading this book I am positive that I will want to read the others in the series. This author had such clever ideas for how to make the story interesting and exciting that it just made me want to read about other adventures with Captain Laurence and Temeraire. The description of how Napoleon had planned to invaid England was wonderfully innovative. I want to thank the person who recommended that I read this book. I have already cleared a space on one of my book shelves to hold the other books in this series. These will definitely become "keepers".; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Where Serpents Sleep: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's C.S. Harris Page; Review: I usually do better research when I buy a mystery novel. For some reason unknown to myself I started this series with book number four. In some ways I'm sorry I did that, but in others I just can't be sorry about reading such a fine novel. Sebastian St. Cyr is one of those "gentleman" sleuths who wandered about Regency London in search of a puzzle to solve. Except that doesn't even begin to describe what actually happens in this story. C. S. Harris has written a wonderful novel with so many layers to her characters that I felt at times as if I had jumped in at the deep end of the pool. It probably would have been better to have started with the first book, just to get all the characters into their proper pigeonholes. Since I made a mistake and read the fourth book first I just had to try a little harder to catch up. And catch up I did. This book can be a stand-alone. Kat and Sebastian ended their relationship eight months previously. The revelation for why that relationship ended is something I've never encountered before in a period mystery. I was actually shocked when I first realized what had happened. Kat has married and Sebastian has been trying to drown his sorrows by staying drunk. When he is first presented with the question of whether or not to help Hero Jarvis uncover the reason for the brutal murders of the prostitutes in a safe house he doesn't want to become involved. However, the temptation to use any means possible to get back at Hero's father is just too tempting for him to resist. He will use the daughter to get to his sworn enemy. My main reason for giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 comes from the sheer number of victims. After a while I actually lost count of how many people died during the telling of this story. I love to read mystery stories, I especially love to read period mystery stories. This is a superb example of the genre. But, I found myself thinking, "Oh no, not another one!" This is not a mystery for the faint of heart, nor someone with a vivid imagination and a stomach easily made queasy. Yet, even after saying all of that I would highly recommend this book to a friend. I would just make sure they know it contains quite a bit of detail which might make them uncomfortable. The descriptions of the London streets and neighborhoods were vivid and colorful. I could almost smell the fish market, the alleyways. The prostitutes and other characters came alive in my imagination because of the word pictures painted by Ms Harris. This author took some chances. She dealt with two controversial subjects in this book and handled them both very well. Even though I know what caused the break up of Kat and Sebastian I will still go back and read the first three books. Now that is the sign of good writing!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Forgotten Garden; Author: Visit Amazon's Kate Morton Page; Review: This could very well have been three different books. The story involves the family history of three different women: Eliza in 1900, Nell mainly set in 1975, and Cassandra in 2005 with such different locations as a small Cornish village in England and Brisbane, Australia. Each would have been a very interesting story to read separately and yet they are all presented here, combined in such a way as to make them unnecessarily complicated at times. I think some of the character development suffered because of the method for creating the complications. Close attention must be paid to the place and time headings in each chapter. That is the way to orient and then re-orient yourself regarding which storyline is being told at this particular point in the book. And they are not even presented in a regimented, orderly fashion. It is not 1900 then 1975, then 2005 always following that pattern. Several times I put the book down because I had become frustrated with it. Each story has its own set of characters. If I had not heard about a particular character in a while I had to stop reading to remind myself who that character was and what part they played in this woman's life. It made me impatient because the reading was not smooth. In all probability, that is exactly the effect Kate Morton hoped to achieve when she wrote the novel. Making the reader work to uncover secrets just as her characters were working to uncover secrets. I reacted to this book on a personal level. It became a challenge for me. Ultimately, I had a need to finish the book. I needed to find out how all three of these women could be tied together. I needed to understand the solution for what had happened to Eliza. Where had she gone? Why had she stopped writing the fairy stories? Who was Nell? Could Cassandra fulfill Nell's belief in her ability to get to the bottom of so many secrets spanning so much time? An ability such as is demonstrated by this author to intrigue me so much that I continued reading is the reasoning behind me assigning 4 stars to this work. For her to have made the compulsion to know how all of the theads tied together so strong within me, she had to write a most complicated, intriguing story. I'm glad I finished it. There were twists and turns of the plot all throughout the entire story. I would not have ever been satisfied if I hadn't seen the actual outcome. Several times along the way I thought I had it all figured out. I was wrong.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Chance Encounters; Author: Visit Amazon's Linda Wells Page; Review: Can I just say that I loved the cover? Would that be enough? I had taken one of my grandchildren to see a performance of The Lion King in my towns' wonderfully restored, ornate theatre downtown one Saturday afternoon. As we sat there waiting for the curtain to rise I began to wonder about all the personal stories that had played out within the walls of that space, across the expanse of those plush red velvet seats. Soon afterward I chanced to see the cover of this book and then found that it was one of my favorite genres for reading, a Jane Austen variation. How could I resist? This "Chance Encounter" happens within the first few pages of this book and involves Elizabeth Bennet, attending a theatrical performance with her Uncle and Aunt Gardiner, and William Darcy in attendance with his cousin. Elizabeth notices the attractive, dark haired, brooding, gentleman and endeavors to make him smile by smiling at him first. It works, his attention is caught and nothing will stop Darcy from finding out who the beauty is and force an introduction. The idea was a good one to have Darcy and Elizabeth meet under completely different circumstances and to have them mutually attracted immediately. I don't have any quibbles with Linda Wells about that. But actually I think I would have liked this story much more if she had not used the Pride and Prejudice characters, but had made up characters of her own and had them tell a story of their own. If the deviation from the original becomes too substantial, just give it up and call your people by other names. I'm not a Jane Austen purist, I can allow authors freedom to guide me and the Austen characters into areas not considered by Austen. But...please don't turn the characters I love into another type person entirely. Invent a new person to be used to add a new element into the story. One of my favorite people is Elizabeth's father, Mr. Bennett. He has always been somewhat of an enigma to me because his character wavers between complete self-absorbtion and complete concern for Elizabeth's welfare. He's rock solid for me because I can't completely pin him down. Ms Wells not only pins him down in her story, she makes me dislike him intensely. The motivations for his actions were so incredibly weak that it was laughable. I don't like being made to laugh at the stupidity of a favorite fictional character. And Darcy....may I just go off on a tangent here....please call him Fitzwilliam Darcy, after all, it was his name, but no, William Darcy is someone I just don't recognize and really don't want to know. Darcy crying? Not just once but many, many times? I'm just fine with a hero who feels emotion, who broods, who is tormented, but Darcy crying??? I felt that the book was too long. How many times can an author write about two people with their fingers "entwined" before you begin to get tired of reading that phrase? How many; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Servants' Quarters; Author: Visit Amazon's Lynn Freed Page; Review: Lynn Freed has used such a beautiful, evocative "voice" to capture Cressida. That voice rings true when Cressida is nine and it continues as she matures into a young woman of fifteen, seventeen, nineteen and beyond. I was amazed at how completely I accepted the narrative from this character as she grew older without ever feeling that she had jumped out of character. This is a haunting story about the life of this girl who could see situations going on all around her but who, like most young people, was not told the entire story so that she understood the circumstances completely. Her father is in a vegetative state because of an accident involving Charles Harding, one of the wealthy family members from the mansion up the hill, Hardings Rest. Cressida hears gossip, speculation, whispers, and yet at the age of nine doesn't know exactly why her father was injured. When Mr. George Harding enters her life the young girl is completely human enough to dislike seeing his injuries sustained in the war. She reacts as most children would, with revulsion and then mockery behind his back. But Cressida is made to realize that her family is counting on her to oblige Mr. Harding with helping entertain his nephew and for this, the family will receive benefits they need. All throughout this story Cressida is expected to sacrifice what she wants in order to allow her mother and sister to have what they want. Eventually, there is no more sacrifice, Cressida wants to do whatever Mr. Harding expects from her whether it be studing for exams, learning manners, entertaining his mother or helping coax Edgar from his shyness. This is a very compelling novel where the reader watches Cressida grow into a young woman completely through her own thoughts and experiences. I think it is an extremely well written novel. I think it tells its story wonderfully. It is a love story presented in a very unconventional way. And yet I am compelled to say that I didn't really like the story. Even though I could appreciate the craftmanship of the writing, it was not a favorite for me. My star rating is given solely because of the talent of the author. She deserves all of the praise which I'm sure she will receive for this book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder Runs in the Family: A Southern Sisters Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne George Page; Review: I'm going to stretch my rating for this book from 3 stars up to 4 stars simply because it is another link in the chain for this outstanding series by author Anne George. For my tastes this mystery was not anywhere as good as the previous two novels. This one seemed to have to stretch credibility a little too far to make the mystery work for me but I still really enjoyed the book. This is the third installment in the Southern Sisters mystery series and involves Patricia Anne (the recently retired school teacher)and her sister Mary Alice (a widow three times over) in the world of genealogy. The day after the sumptious wedding of Mary Alice's daughter the two sisters set out to entertain the bridegroom's cousin. They are completely at a loss as to why Meg Bryan would commit suicide (especially after such a lovely lunch!) and in that particular way too. From this point on Paticia Anne becomes more and more involved in the "dog-eat-dog" world of professional genealogists. I'm afraid that serious mystery solvers will howl with disbelief over how this mystery is constructed. It could, and should, have been over just as soon as it began. That's where my tendency to give a 3 star rating for this book came from. It is not a good mystery. It is not even credible that it could have happened the way it is constructed. Then, to add insult to injury, the author didn't have enough characters in the story so the guilty party and the true situation was always evident. But, and this is the redeeming part which qualified this book for 4 stars from me, the story is just so darn nice that points are added for just plain goodness. I'm glad to say that all of my favorite characters are back from the previous books because these folks have now become "family". It just wouldn't be right not to include a shopping trip to the Big, Bold and Beautiful Shoppe to see Bonnie Blue. Patricia Anne and Fred's daughter Haley has started dating and seems to be coping better with the death of her husband. And the dialogue between Mary Alice, Patricia Anne and Fred as the wedding ceremony was about to begin is so realistic that I think I've actually been there. The characters are warm, genuine and funny as all getout. Plan to buy all eight of these books because they are completely addictive and how could you ever read just one? I drove through Birmingham last week on the way to visit relatives and almost broke my neck trying to spot familiar places. It's that kind of series, very realistic and personal.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Territory; Author: Visit Amazon's Emma Bull Page; Review: I am still amazed at how much I enjoyed this book. Who would have thought that an author could have been so creative that she took a point in the history of the American West and turned it upside down and inside out? It turned out there was more than silver and gold in them thar hills, there was magic too, at least in the imagination of Emma Bull. Tombstone, Arizona is in it's infancy in 1881. Mildred Benjamin is considered an old time resident since she has been there for over a year. The town and most of its citizens are raw, earthy, coarse, and determined to carve out a permanent city from this inhospitable landscape. Finding silver, stealing cattle and gambling seem to be the professions of choice among the men folk with a few stage coach robberies thrown in for good measure. Because of its bohemian-like atmosphere it does not seem unusual that Mildred is the typesetter for the Daily Nugget newspaper. Mildred's husband has been dead for less than a year but returning to Philadelphia is not an option she ever considered. After running away to marry David she would not be welcomed back into the home of her wealthy family. Jesse Fox is a very confused man. He has felt compelled to go to Tombstone but has fought that compulsion all the way. Finding his friend, Chow Lung, there as the doctor for the residents of Hoptown (the Chinese section of Tombstone) has at least answered the question of what was drawing him toward this location. Jesse is trying to run away from the elements in his life which make him different, the same elements which had caused his sister to be placed in an asylum. By coming to Tombstone he has found many others like himself, men who are described by Chow Lung as sorcerers. A man like John Ringo who seems to have no trouble "finding" cattle that appear to have no owner. Or Wyatt Earp who controls not only his brothers Virgil, Morgan and their wives, but also his friend Doc Holliday. As long as Doc stays with Wyatt in Tombstone he experiences a remission of his consumptive condition but what a huge price he paid for that friendship. I found this story to be absolutely fascinating. An alternative reality for the events which made the gunfight at the O. K. Corral take place were presented in wonderful fashion. The way the author took so long to reveal what was happening with Wyatt Earp and with Jesse Fox was so suspenseful and exciting. Nothing was completely spelled out for a long while, I just had to keep reading one more page, then one more to find out how these two power sources were going to work their "magic" over the history of Tombstone. And watching the struggle Jesse had with accepting his gift, or power actually, was like watching a person mature by going through trial after trial. I enjoyed it tremendously. All of this praise does not mean that it was a perfect; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Leaderboard: Conversations on Golf and Life; Author: Visit Amazon's Amy Alcott Page; Review: I don't play golf. I do, however, enjoy watching golf and listening to people discuss their golf games. I don't quite know what I was expecting from "The Leaderboard" but whatever it was, I didn't find it. Amy Alcott has assembled interviews with 27 famous people who play golf. Some played, or are still actively playing, for a career, most for just the pleasure of the game. The book is written with a chapter devoted to each person, an introduction of who the person is and pertinent information regarding them, a question and answer section, then a recap of how that particular conversation reminded the author of other people or other instances in her life regarding the game of golf. It sounded interesting when I read the book description. The reality was that I did not personally find much of it interesting at all. I'm not a celebrity watcher. The interviews I paid the most attention to were the interviews with professional golfers. The chapter with Ken Venturi was the longest in the book and my personal favorite. Jack Whitaker offered some insights into the behind-the-scenes workings at The Masters and that was interesting to read also. Throughout the book there are references to 2007 and it seems that most of the interviews took place either before 2007 or during that year. Right away this gave the book a dated feeling to me. Those dates were not essential to the book in any instance that I saw so I wonder why they were left in. I'm sorry that I didn't enjoy this more and I cannot in all honesty recommend the book for anyone except a die-hard golf fan who wants to know "why" another person plays the game. And a die-hard golf fan who wants to know what Annika Sorenstam eats for breakfast, at that.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Where Dreams Begin; Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Kleypas Page; Review: My title for this review just about says it all but perhaps I should explain my reasoning somewhat. When I read this book I was able to predict exactly what would happen next in the story. Usually that would be reason for total boredom and abandonment of the novel. Not in this case. Lisa Kleypas wrote a completely predictible plot and yet I read every single word and didn't want the book to be finished. I had read so many historical romances in the past that I had a serious case of over-dose romance fatigue. I happened to see this book on my bookshelf and decided to give the genre one more, one more chance. It was so worth the time I spent reading it. Lady Holland Taylor is such a warm, earnest, compassionate woman that my heart went out to her. I do understand that three years of mourning her husband was an acceptable length of time for this historical period but most women as young as Lady Holly did not remain in mourning for that total period of time. Her daughter Rose was a wonderful character with just enough complete childish innocence mixed with precocious (and timely) actions to make her appearance in the novel valuable and worthwhile. Too often authors tend to make children either brats or saints and I've never met a child yet who was just one or the other, usually they are a combination of the two. And the idea of Rose having the button string collection was a fabulous idea which had to have been drawn from a real life example. It provided an opportunity for poignant moments throughout the story. I was worried for a while that the presence of David Taylor (Holly's deceased husband) would last too long and come between Holly and Zachary too much, but once again Lisa Kleypas did a wonderful job of mixing in the past lives of these characters to lead them toward their future. The relationship between Lady Holland and David Taylor was written in a different manner than I am used to seeing in romances. I was a little concerned about it, but it really did work well within the story. Zachary Bronson was a character I enjoyed completely. I don't think I've ever seen a "common man" depicted before who had such a ready assessment of his own shortcomings and who showed so much willingness to seek help with correcting those things. Of course he is the incredibly wealthy man who has come up from the slums and who now has so much money and behind-the-scenes power that members of the ton must accept him on some levels of society, even if they don't want to. Lady Holly is the woman whom he hires to teach him, his mother and his sister the fine arts of how to move in English high society. As I've said, the plot of the book is completely predictable if you have read many romance novels. But, and here is the good part, I enjoyed it trememdously. Thank goodness for; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Silent in the Sanctuary: A Lady Julia Grey Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Deanna Raybourn Page; Review: This book doesn't just suffer from the dreaded Sophomore Slump, it is a confusing, irritating, jumbled-up mess of a story. And this reaction comes from someone who loved the first book in the series (Silent in the Grave) and gave it 4 enthusiastic stars. I found this book to be sprinkled with too many people who did not and could not have anything to do with the mystery. Are we really supposed to seriously believe that any of Lady Julia's close family members could be guilty of these crimes? No, so strike their names off the list immediately. And, by the way, there are actually two mysteries to be solved here and they were both much too easy for any average fan of mystery stories. I didn't need to read any reviews of this book to figure out who the victim was going to be, it was there for all to see in neon blinking lights. And the guilty party for the two mysterious happenings was so easy to spot they might just as well have been named as such in a listing of the characters. Lady Julia Grey has gone back to England because she and her two brothers have been ordered home by their dragon of a father when he learns that Lysander has married an Italian woman, Violante. When we do finally meet the patriarch of the March clan the Earl is portrayed as a pussy cat - no dragons depicted here. So Lady Julia, her maid Morag, brothers Lysander (with wife Violante) and Eglamour (known as Plum) and Count Alessandro Fornacci set out for England with plans to remain at Bellmont Abby until the new year. Upon their arrival Julia discovers that the one man she has forbidden herself to think about for the last five months, Nicholas Brisbane, is there as a guest and is accompanied by his fiancee. The stage is now set. Let the silliness begin. If you haven't read the first book in this series, book two will contain many confusing elements. References are made to the happenings in the first book but are not explained so those happenings are unclear. It really is best to read "Silent in the Grave" first. Besides, it is a good book. This sequel has many of the ten March siblings present and therein lies the problem for me. This entire family is being portrayed as eccentric and therefore they must all act in eccentric ways. Too, too much eccentricity. Plum is withdrawn and surly. It takes about ten pages to figure out the "why" of that problem yet it continues until the books ending. Lysander and Violante are constantly hissing, shouting and arguing with each other. It gets very tiresome. Aunt Dorcas is a mean old biddy. Sisters Lucy and Emma are the poor relations of the drama but by some totally unimaginable means Lucy has managed to snag a tremendously wealthy man, Sir Cedric Eastley, to become engaged to. What? He is accompanied by his poor relation nephew who acts as his secretary. The Gypsies come; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Listerdale Mystery and Eleven Other Stories (Mystery Masters); Author: Visit Amazon's Agatha Christie Page; Review: Even the least likeable of the Agatha Christie mysteries is still a darn good reading experience. Always assuming, of course, that you enjoy the older mystery classics. This set of stories is no exception to quality but there are probably some surprises in store for anyone not completely familiar with Christie's work. She often utilized her short stories to deal with adventure and moralistic dilemmas instead of murder most foul. This set of 12 stories is told on 6 CD's. This formatting has two stories per disc which makes it very easy to keep track of where you left off if you need to turn the story off for a while. The stories are: Disc #1 - The Listerdale Mystery, The Rajah's Emerald Disc #2 - The Golden Ball, Mr. Eastwood's Adventure Disc #3 - Philomel Cottage, A Fruitful Sunday Disc #4 - Jane in Search of a Job, Swan Song Disc #5 - The Girl in the Train, Sing a Song of Sixpence Disc #6 - The Manhood of Edward Robinson, Accident Most of the stories concern young people who are bored or dissatisfied with their daily lives who long for some adventure. Once they get that adventure they usually face the question of whether or not to stick to the law or chose an alternative. Some of the stories are presented in other volumns of Christie short stories, Philomel Cottage for example, but personally I love to listen to them over and over anyway so that is not a problem for me. The making of this collection is the reading by Hugh Fraser. Because of his acting in the BBC Agatha Christie series as Captain Hastings I look on Fraser as an old friend. His voice is familiar and soothing. His acting ability translates well to his reading of the stories. All in all, an extremely pleasant way to get my "Christie fix".; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wild Oats; Author: Visit Amazon's Pamela Morsi Page; Review: I don't know what is going on with Amazon but this review is for "Wild Oats" by Pamela Morsi. I realize that this book is only available on Amazon in paperback for a ridiculous price, but, believe me, you CAN and SHOULD find it in a used paperback book store. Published in 1993, it is still a darn good read. Here is the back cover information: "The last thing Cora Briggs expected was to see a fine young man like Jedwin Sparrow at her doorstep. After all, she'd been shunned by the citizens of Dead Dog, Oklahoma, for so long that she'd given up hope of having any respectable gentleman callers. But the last thing Jed expected was romance. He was looking for a sophisticated woman to help him sow his wild oats. Instead, Cora made him a proposition of her own - one that would cause a fury in the town - and cause her to question her own heart..." Every once in a while I have go get out one of these really sweet historical romances set in the Western Unites States just to prove to myself that an author who knows how to write can make a wonderful story of romance. Cora Briggs had been married to the son of Dead Dog's leading family only to find that she had been used as a pawn. She scandalized everyone by demanding a divorce, getting that divorce, and then having the temerity to live right there among the outraged citizens. And not only that, she rode a bicycle, yep, a bicycle. And as if that wasn't enough, she practiced physical exercises according to Daisy Millenbutter's book "A Ladies' Guide to Good Health, Fine Posture, and Spiritual Completeness". What WAS the world coming to? Jedwin Sparrow inherited Sparrow Mortuary from his father. They were the only undertakers anywhere around so it was definitely a good business to be in. Jedwin's problem was that he absolutely could not stand to perform the functions needed to prepare a body for a funeral. His mother, Mrs. Amelia Pratt Sparrow, wasn't going to let a little thing like Jedwin's discomfort get in the way. She had a social position to maintain and a cause to push forward. She was going to make sure that the name of Dead Dog was changed to a more appropriate one so the town would be named as the capital of Oklahoma when it was granted statehood. This story is so sweet, so warm, so gentle. When Jedwin goes to Cora Briggs' house with dishonorable intentions on his mind the way this author handles that meeting is funny but sad at the same time. Jedwin is so innocent but he doesn't want to be innocent. He fully expects Cora to help him get over that hurdle once and for all. Cora is surprised, then angry, then charmed by Jedwin. Her reputation is in tatters because she is divorced, but she certainly doesn't need to be the cause of more whispers around town. Being the citizens favorite source of gossip has worn; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Breathe: A Novel of Colorado (The Homeward Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa T. Bergren Page; Review: I tried very hard to become interested in this plot, in these characters but I just never could. I really enjoy reading novels set in the 1800's in the American West and was looking forward to finding out more about Colorado Springs since that area of the country is unfamiliar to me. This book did give me insight into the people who helped found the city. The title of the book comes from the mental encouragement consumpitves had to constantly give themselves, breathe, try to take one more breath. The information contained in this book about the treatment of consumption (today known as tuberculosis) was new for me and I found those aspects quite interesting. It seems unusual that a lung disease would be cured or even moved into remission by having patients placed outside in the cold for certain periods of the day and giving them very large quantities of food to eat. Especially when that diet consisted mostly of varied sources of protein. I do not know the medical reasoning behind why this area of the country became so well known for its sanitoriums for consumptives but it evidently did. Surely the altitude and air purity had a great deal to do with it. This book was not a pleasurable reading experience for me because I never made any kind of connection with the characters. They all felt very flat to me, I couldn't catch that spark of interest which makes me want to keep reading about a particular person. I didn't care about any of them. Even the mystery which is part of the plot and the people behind the crimes which were committed could not pique my interest. The Christian aspects of the book were not a problem because I knew they would be there before I started reading. I was also rather disappointed in the descriptions of the landscape itself. Nothing I read in this book made me want to go to Colorado. That is truly a shame because I know what a visually extraordinary part of the United States this location is. I understand that this author has written many other books and anyone who is a fan of her other works will undoubtedly enjoy this book also. Sadly, this just wasn't the right book for me.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Crime Scene At Cardwell Ranch (Harlequin 60 Years of Pure Reading Pleasure, Harlequin); Author: Visit Amazon's B.J. Daniels Page; Review: I haven't read a Harlequin book in years but when I saw this on offer as a free download for my Kindle I decided to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised at how well it was written and how much I enjoyed it. Dana Cardwell and Hudson Savage were engaged to be married until something happened which caused Dana to loose all her trust in Hudson. He left the Gallatin Canyon area of Montana and moved to Los Angeles where he had been a policeman for the past five years. Dana's siblings were forcing her to sell the ranch she loved so much and divide the proceeds with them because she could not find the copy of the will her Mother had made just prior to her death. That will had deeded ownership solely to Dana. When human bones were found in an unused well on the Cardwell Ranch original homestead the newly appointed temporary Montana Marshal arrives to work the crime scene. And that man is none other than Hud Savage. This is the tried-and-true big misunderstanding plot but thankfully the author allows the characters to work through their problem naturally and the heroine is not so incredibly stubborn that it takes until the last page of the book for her to admit that she just might have made some hasty decisions. This book is definitely a mystery and that mystery is written very well. I've never read anything by B. J. Daniels but I can tell you that I am hard to please when it comes to mysteries and I think she did a fine job with this one. It was so well written that the villain is not obvious - or, maybe just a tiny bit obvious. This book is not a deep, complex novel. It is a pleasurable, short reading experience which will likely give most readers enjoyment. There is one sex scene described, just so you will know in case that isn't something you want to read in a romance. Edit 12/29/10: A comment on this review recently brought me back to look at it and I found that the remainder of the review had to do with a rant of mine about the Kindle. Looking back almost 18 months later that rant was absolutely erroneous and was a direct result of me not knowing how to operate my new Kindle. Because it was not relevant (and sounded rather juvenile also) I have removed those comments from the review. I still remember this book and will probably read it again some day, once enough time passes for me to forget who the villain is.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Unquiet Bones: The First Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon (The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon); Author: Melvin R. Starr; Review: There are many things to enjoy when reading the novel, "The Unquiet Bones" by Melvin R Starr. It is extremely easy to see that Mr. Starr is an expert in both medieval history and medieval medical practices. Hugh de Singleton had been educated at Oxford to take holy orders but on completing his studies chose not to do that. Instead he pursued his studies in Paris gaining knowledge concerning medicine and surgery. Mr. Starr provided descriptions of surgeries and procedures ranging from an infected ingrown toenail to a crushed skull. As would have been the case in the time period, all of the patients were not cured. It was interesting to see how Hugh had learned principals of cleanliness when dealing with wounds and how that probably kept some of his patients from dying. Mr. Starr also showed his familiarity with medieval life among both commoners and lords by having Hugh straddle the fence between the two. As the fourth son of a minor knight Hugh had just enough importance to be welcomed at the high table on certain occassions and yet could mingle with common people just as easily. This did not, however, place him high enough in society to realistically seek the affections of Lady Joan, the sister of Lord Gilbert no matter how much he was attracted to her. It is what allowed him to solve the mysteries placed before him by Lord Gilbert. Hugh did an awful lot of traveling and solved three murders by the end of the novel. I have to say that I made good use of the glossary provided with this book. In order to be accurate the words and terms used were those of medieval England and I didn't hesitate to look words up to find their correct meaning, not just what I had guessed they meant. The only problem I have with this book is the 180 degree turn the mystery took, but due to the nature of the twist I cannot discuss that without spoiling the story for other readers. It took me completely by surprise but not necessary as a welcomed surprise. I understand why it was done but I still didn't like it. The character of Hugh de Singleton matured significantly because of the direction this story took and I'm sure that was the reasoning behind this development. Perhaps I'm being overly judgmental in not accepting how the author decided to write the plot. I can tell you though, that twist in the plot is what changed this book from a sterling five star experience for me into a lukewarm four star rating.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons); Author: Visit Amazon's Julia Quinn Page; Review: After reading this book for the third time I realized I've never written a review for it here on Amazon. That situation is being rectified right now. Even after the third reading I know without doubt that I will read this book again in the future because it is that good for me. There have been so many reviews written concerning the plot that I'm not even going to get into that area. Just know that this is the fourth book in the Bridgerton series and the main characters are Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. I'm a little hit-or-miss on the full Bridgerton series. Books #1,2, and 4 I absolutely love. Book #3 was not as good for me. After book #4 I think there are lots of differing opinions as to quality of the individual stories. They can actually be read as stand alone novels because Julia Quinn puts in enough information to bring the reader up to speed on what happened previously. Since there are already so many reviews it may seem completely redundant for me to write one also, but I hope I can give you an idea of why I recommend this book so highly. Here are the reasons I love this book so much. 1. The book is a wonderful example of the humor that Julia Quinn does so well in her books. There are lines in the story which always make me laugh out loud, even though I now know they are coming. The humor is never sly or mean spirited but reflects how good friends relate to each other. 2. Penelope and her best friend, Eloise Bridgerton, are written to be women you expect to look up and see walk into a room. They are real, warm, engaging, sometimes exasperating, and loving. They are two women who are tied together by many circumstances in their lives, but first and foremost because they sincerely like each other. 3. Penelope is not a perfect, ravishing woman. She is a little plump (even after losing her "baby" fat over 10 years previously), she is not beautiful, at 28 she has never been married and is officially considered to be a spinster, and she is very shy in social settings. According to the socially elite of London she completely disappears into the background. She is even relegated to the background by her mother and two of her sisters. 4. This author has given her leading female character an intellect and allowed her to use it. How refreshing to read about a woman who is interested in all types of reading. Penelope is also fiercely independent although that doesn't become apparent to the reader until at least halfway through the book. And the secret Penelope is hiding is something which is logical, it makes sense, it doesn't grate on my nerves because it is so far fetched as to be completely unbelievable. Wow, how enjoyable that is for me. I get so tired of feisty heroines who do completely stupid or impossible things! 5. Colin Bridgerton is a wonderfuly written; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Apache: Inside the Cockpit of the Worlds Most Deadly Fighting Machine; Author: Ed Macy; Review: I finished reading this incredible book yesterday and I've been mulling over how to formulate a review for a book which is sure to touch people on so many different levels. I've finally decided that this book is one of those rare instances where a book can appeal to anyone, regardless of your particular ideas or feelings about the war in Afghanistan. I enjoyed the way the book was designed. It began with a mission from Macy's previous assignment at Camp Bastion where he was assigned the recovery of two SBS team members who were either missing or killed in an encounter with the Taliban. It then fast forwards to later in that same year when Macy has been assigned to that same Camp once again. After a brief time away from this particular hot spot designated for defense by the British, Macy was once again on that same ground as a pilot of the Apache helicopter. I've seen one of these birds sitting on a runway. They are truly impressive in their "ugliness". What a wonderful idea to use "Ugly" as the designation call sign for these warrior machines. This is a book written very much in "military speak" but every effort has been made to help those of us unfamiliar with some of the terminology and the military's love of abbreviations to be able to follow the action without too much trouble. A glossary is provided along with an index and the glossary especially comes in extremely handy for non-military personnel such as myself. After reading for a short while I realized that I was learning what most of the alphabet soup meant just by the context of the story. This entire book is showing the abilities and the capabilities of the helicopter, the pilots, and the entire force of troops required to keep the helicopters flying. But the book isn't completely given over to one mission after another. There is a lot of background information given concerning Macy himself and his relationships with those he is serving with. All of which go a long, long way to personalize the people and the situations and to explain why they found themselves in the situation of a collective imperative resolve to rescue Lance Corporal Mathew Ford. What a wonderfully humanizing touch it was to have that young man referred to as Mathew while the rescue was taking place and after his recovery. It brought the entire situation down to a very personal level. I appreciate all of the different elements which were included in the book; the maps of Helmand, the diagrams of the Koshtay attack, the drawings of Jugroom Fort and especially the one showing the Apaches on the ground at Jugroom Fort. They helped me visualize the rescue so much better. I also enjoyed the many color pictures included in the book. And I must not leave out Rocco, but everybody needs to find out about him themselves. This is a very good book and I highly recommend it for reading by both men and women alike. It doesn't; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Stones Cry Out: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Sibella Giorello Page; Review: My first experience with the writing of Sibella Giorello was with her second book in the Raleigh Harmon series, "The Rivers Run Dry". I am heartily glad that I began with that book. If I had started my adventure with this novel, book #1, I would most likely not have ever read another. This book is written in first person style and I don't like to read a novel constructed in that way. I enjoyed this book but throughout the entire novel I kept being distracted by the first person style. There had been an incident in a rundown section of Richmond, Virginia. While social activists were holding a rally to protest slumlords not paying taxes on derelict buildings two men die from plunging 70 feet from the roof of that building. One was a white policeman, the other was a black community hero. The city became divided instantly along racial lines. The FBI is brought into the case to find if there were civil rights violations on the part of the police officer. Raleigh Harmon is a very junior agent and her boss assigns this case to her so that it will be lightly reviewed and then closed for lack of evidence. Everyone in the Bureau knows that the FBI has never won a civil rights case in Richmond and this one will not be any exception. The problem is that Raleigh begins to ask her routine questions and gets some very non-routine answers. I still liked the character of Raleigh in this novel, but not as much as in the second book. Raleigh's mother is once again a hugely important factor in her private life and is established as a very sympathetic character. I was rather disappointed that a former boyfriend of Raleigh's was introduced, played a part in the mystery, but then just simply faded into the background. There was not enough resolution of that relationship for me, in fact, that's the problem, there was no resolution at all. I'm thinking that all of the issues which bothered me in this book can be put into my description of "first book syndrome" because they were not there for me in the second book. The religious aspect of this book is more pronounced and may be a cause for some readers not enjoying the book. But, once again, I thought that the religion played a vital, pivotal role in the character building of all the characters, those who believed and also those who didn't. There was no profanity or sexuality on any level in this book once again showing that authors can write excellent prose without resorting to the vulgar or profane. I'm glad I read this book but to be totally honest I could have just skipped on to book two and never missed what is in this one. I really do hope that the third book, "The Clouds Roll Away", due out in March 2010, will keep the writing style and character development of Raleigh as it has progressed since this novel. I liked Raleigh's method of investigation; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: An Assembly Such as This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman; Author: Visit Amazon's Pamela Aidan Page; Review: One of the great joys I have as a reader is finding a modern day variation or amplification of the stories of Jane Austen, with my special favorite being books concerning the characters in "Pride and Prejudice". I have read many such books but the series of novels written by Pamela Aidan are my personal "gold standard" by which all others must be compared. "An Assembly Such As This", book one in a three book series, begins with the arrival of the Bingley's, Hursts, and Darcy to the ball at Meryton and concludes on the day after the ball given by Bingley at Netherfield when Darcy and Bingley leave for London. What happens in the time between those two events is a completely faithful expounding of the thoughts and feelings of Fitzwilliam Darcy as he becomes more and more aware of his growing feelings toward Elizabeth Bennet. Because Jane Austen concentrated so much of her attention on the female characters in Pride and Prejudice there has been an opportunity for other authors to give readers their ideas of what Darcy and Bingley's personalities might have been like if Austen had presented both sides of that story. This book portrays those men's feelings, thoughts and actions with wonderful sensitivity. Charles Bingley can often be dismissed as shallow and flighty by some authors trying to create a variation of Pride and Prejudice. Not so with Ms Aidan. Bingley is presented in all of his sweet, kind, shy nature with insights into why he defers to Darcy's opinions so often. Darcy, on the other hand, can often be written as much too haughty and self-assured. Here we see him wrestling with his own demons; the problem with Georgiana and Wickham as well as fending off the blatant advances from Caroline Bingley. Darcy was a man of substance, wealth, and prestige. He had been brought up to consider himself superior and society aided him in those feelings. Ms Aidan helps readers understand why his feelings of superiority were valid for his times. I really enjoyed the way Pamela Aidan wrote about the relationship between Darcy and his valet, Fletcher. She allowed the readers to see a softer side of Darcy there, preparing us for the changes which were about to take place in his life. The part where the servants had conspired to dress Darcy and Elizabeth in matching colors for Sunday morning church services was just priceless. I also thoroughly enjoyed how we watched Darcy agonize over how to apologize to Elizabeth for his treatment of her at the Meryton ball. He came up with one plan after another only to scrap that plan and try to find a better one, just as I have done myself on many occasions. The problem was, there were events happening in Elizabeth's life of which he was unaware so no matter how hard he tried, the time and place and situation just never happened. I can honestly say that I love this book. It satisfies my ideals of what Darcy was like as a person. It allows me; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Duty and Desire: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman; Author: Visit Amazon's Pamela Aidan Page; Review: Every time I sit down to read this entire three book series by Pamela Aidan I hope that I will enjoy this book, "Duty and Desire". So far, I just can't make myself do that. This part of the Pride and Prejudice variation series just doesn't satisfy me the way the first and third books do. This one takes up immediately after Darcy and Bingley have left Netherfield to return to London. Bingley doesn't realize it but Darcy is purposefully getting him away from Jane Bennet before he can make her an offer of marriage. Darcy sincerely does not believe that Miss Bennet's feelings are as strongly engaged as Bingley's and he wants to prevent his friend from making a terrible mistake. Once Darcy arrives in London this story is all from the imagination of Ms Aidan since Jane Austen was completely silent on the happenings in Darcy's life over this period. I wish I could understand exactly what Ms Aidan was trying to accomplish with this book. Yes, Darcy did revel in the maturity of his sister, Georgiana. But then he became concerned when he found out what had caused her to overcome her guilt about her mistake with George Wickham. He wanted her to grow up and mature but evidently only by using the methods he chose for her. I honestly don't know what to think about the house party Darcy went to in order to search for a candidate for a wife. That entire idea just seemed to come out of the blue and didn't make much sense to me. Why should Darcy have expected to find a wife at this particular house party? Was he so desperate that he was going to chose just any woman who fit his requirements? I honestly never could believe that. The only saving grace for me in this second of the three novels is that Darcy worked through some of his demons concerning the inappropriatness of Elizabeth Bennet as a woman for him to love. He struggled with his feelings for her and those feelings were allowed to grow and change over a long period of time by Ms Aidan. Once again the relationship between Darcy and his valet, Fletcher, was quite well used to indicate the softening and mellowing of Darcy's personality. But all of the things which took place at the house party made me uncomfortable. I didn't like it the first time I ever read it and I continue to dislike it now. I hate to say this, but readers can actually read only books one and three and have a perfectly wonderful variation of Pride and Prejudice. I still continue to read this one because of the revelations I see in the character development of Darcy and Georgiana.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: These Three Remain: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman; Author: Visit Amazon's Pamela Aidan Page; Review: Even after admitting that the second book in this trilogy was not quite as strong and interesting for me as I would have hoped, I still maintain that the series as a whole is the best Pride and Prejudice re-telling I've read. Pamela Aidan had so much material to work with in this third book and I thoroughly enjoyed her version of the events as told from Fitzwilliam Darcy's standpoint. The first time I read this series I was intrigued by the title of this, the final segment. It turns out that it is taken from a verse in the Bible: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13 This book begins with the journey of Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, making their annual Easter pilgrimage to Rosings to look over the business interests of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. At this point Darcy has not had any interaction with Elizabeth Bennet since the Netherfield ball but she has been almost constantly on his mind. Ms. Aidan had Darcy engage in some rather unpleasant times during the second segment of this trilogy and I'm glad to say that is all behind him and he has returned to being more of the Darcy I like. There is a character written into this series which I really enjoyed, that of Darcy's University friend and rival Lord Dyfed Brougham. Dy, as he is referred to by Darcy, plays a very shadowy part in helping Darcy navigate the sinister happenings in "Duty and Desire" and once again appears in this book. Lord Brougham's interest in Georgiana is also a continuing theme throughout the three books and I sincerely wish that plot thread could have been continued - perhaps even in another book concentrating on Georgiana. After the disaster of Darcy proposing marriage to Elizabeth this book really concentrates on the aspects of Darcy's personality which caused Elizabeth to turn his proposal down. His personality takes a long, realistic time to transition from a self-centered, selfish individual into the man Elizabeth could love. I especially appreciated all the details Ms. Aidan contrived to show how Darcy went about finding Wickham and Lydia and how much he sacrificed in order to solve their problems. With all of his actions being done to honor Elizabeth and the entire Bennet family. Gone was the Darcy who only thought about how every situation would reflect upon himself and his heritage. In that place was a man who had compassion, sympathy and love enough for others to want to make their lives easier. In order to help the Bennet's he was willing to put his personal animosity toward Wichkam in the background. He saw what was the right thing to do and then he did it. Marvelous character depiction by Ms. Aidan. I highly recommend these expansions of the Pride and Prejudice story. Even though I feel that Ms. Aidan fell slightly off the rails with the second book, I still love to put everything else aside and totally immerse myself; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: What Happens in London; Author: Visit Amazon's Julia Quinn Page; Review: There are many current authors of historical romance who would not have been able to keep the tight rein needed on this book to prevent it from turning into awful melodrama. Thankfully Ms. Quinn never allowed it to nose dive off into that yawning chasm of embarassing silliness. It is a light, warm, funny book but it does have some serious moments, just not moments of the dark, brooding rogue hero type. The prologue is unusually long (22 pages) and gives the reader a wonderful knowledge of Harry's life between the ages of 12 and 19. After I read that I just wanted to put my arms around him and pat him on the back. If you don't find yourself feeling the same, I will be shocked. Sir Harry Valentine has just completed a ten year stint in the Army with his cousin Sebastian Grey. Harry is unofficially attached to the War Office because of his fluency in the Russian language. He does translations for them. He doesn't want to be a spy, in fact he isn't a spy, but he is still assigned to watch the Russian Prince Alexei Gomarovsky since not only is Harry fluent in Russian, he also has access to all of the society events Prince Alexei is sure to attend. Now if Harry could just figure out why his neighbor's daughter, Lady Olivia Bevelstoke, has been spying on him from her window for the past five days. Lady Olivia just does not believe the gossip which is making its way around the elite of the ton. Sir Harry could not have murdered his fiancee, could he? She has seen him do some odd things while she's been watching his study from her bedroom window, but murder? Impossible. One of the things I enjoyed so much about this book is that both Harry and Olivia are such warm, funny, down to earth people. Ms. Quinn has made Olivia that darling of romance writers, the breath taking beauty, but she has added much more to this character. Olivia is quirky, funny, stubborn, opinionated, and doesn't always think before she makes comments. She isn't a feisty modern type heroine, just a young woman who gets into mischief because she doesn't have enough to occupy her time. Harry is loving and kind but he is also the type of hero who doesn't take center stage in most gatherings. He is the one who works in the background and gets things done. The only items in this book which I really did not enjoy were the lists Olivia made. Very often they seemed to lead absolutely nowhere and, in my opinion, did not accomplish anything. She was making these lists mentally and usually not paying attention to the conversations around her. When recalled to the present she appeared scatterbrained and not very intelligent. I'm still puzzling over the necessity of having the lists in the novel. This is a sweet, funny, interesting book and I do recommend it to both old and new fans of Julia Quinn. It is definitely the perfect; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Princess Academy; Author: Visit Amazon's Shannon Hale Page; Review: I am always amazed to find how many Young Adult fiction books are written so well that they are thoroughly enjoyable for readers of all ages. This book is a prime example of that. Even though the book is rated for grades 5 or 6 through 9 I enjoyed my time spent reading it. My own children have long since passed this stage in their reading experiences but my grandchildren are just coming into this area of literature choices. I like to try to keep up with some of what is available to them. I was particularly happy to find that so many lessons concerning real life are presented in a way which will be easily understood and remembered by young readers of this novel. One of my favorite concepts which I feel was covered very successfully is that you never truly understand what people are thinking if you don't talk to them. Miri was so sure that she knew how the villagers felt about the fact that she did not work in the quarry. She felt that she was seen as useless because of her small size and therefore considered unimportant. She found later that she was completely wrong. She also thought she understood how the other girls in the academy felt about her but was proven wrong once again when she began to work with the other girls and talk to them. This lovely story is filled with many examples of concepts, feelings and desires which face children as they mature. I think that Shannon Hale confronted these issues in a very entertaining manner but without detracting from the lessons the characters were learning from their experiences. This is a very worthwhile book, filled with adventures and dangers which should appeal to the adolescent readers it was meant for. As a grandmother I certainly found it wonderfully entertaining and I think my granddaughters will also.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ice Land: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Betsy Tobin Page; Review: The Author's Note in the back of this book is an explanation of why Betsy Tobin is interested in the mythology of the Norse gods and of why she wanted to write this book. I had started reading the book and could not find anything about it to interest me. I read the notes from the author and then tried again, from the beginning, with her thoughts and reasoning in mind. I still was unable to find anything in the book which excited me or held my interest. Perhaps some of that is because of the way the story is constructed. Also, there are many characters and locations and they all have names which are completely unfamiliar to me. That isn't usually a problem for me in my reading, but for some reason it did matter here. Any person familiar with these Norse myths and legends would possibly not react in the same way. The book is written with each chapter focusing on an individual character. Once that chapter ends the next picks up a different character. By the time the author comes back to continue the situation being experienced by Freya or Fulla or Dvalin with Berling, Vili and The Norns popped in for good measure I had lost the thread of what happened to that character in their previous chapter. Plus it certainly didn't help any that I was not enjoying the story and put the book down so frequently with no compulsion to resume reading. Would it have helped if the gods had been portrayed in a more godlike manner instead of as almost completely human? I honestly don't know. I also did not like the author's style of writing in such sort, choppy sentences. And the descriptions of the surroundings in which the story is acted out was not very vivid or clear to me. If there had been even one of the characters who had fired my imagination or my sympathy then I'm sure the result would have been different. Since that didn't happen I was just glad to finally finish reading the book. I have given this book a 3 star rating because I think that this might be one of those books which will appeal much more strongly to others who are more motivated to read it. People who are approaching the book from different aspects than I did. I must say, I think that some help could have been given to the reader by having a listing of the character and place names for referring to while reading.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Austenland: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Shannon Hale Page; Review: This novel was never meant to be evidence of a grand social experiment. It is not supposed to be a weighty study of the modern woman's expectations regarding relationships with men. No, people, this book was written for fun. As proof I give you the dedication: "For Colin Firth You're a really great guy, but I'm married, so I think we should just be friends." I laughed out loud and got myself psyched up for a real adventure. Now how could anybody read that and not realize that this author was out to have some fun and entertain some readers along the way? And that is exactly what she did for me. I love the writings of Jane Austen and when this character, Jane Hayes, admitted to having read and reread all of the Austen books many times (except Northanger Abby, of course) I knew I had found a soulmate. What a wonderful concept, to give a modern day woman the opportunity to completely surround herself in Austen's 1816 to possibly find her own Mr. Darcy. Or, maybe to find that her fantasy about any man ever being Darcy was completely unrealistic. So, that's what this novel did and did it very well too. Why not just read it as a romance? Why try to analyze it to death? It IS fiction, it doesn't try to be anything but fiction. I loved it. Because of my expectations regarding this book (thanks Elizabeth!) I stopped in the middle of a paragraph of another book when the UPS delivery guy dropped this package on my doorstep. From then on there was nothing else going to happen beyond me reading this book. Jane Hayes discovered that living in 1816 wasn't such an easy thing to do. Meeting any man and staying within the strict social guidelines was not just difficult but a virtual minefield of potential disaster. While navigating this minefield she discovered truths about herself which she had never wanted to face. And once she thought she had mastered that particular truth, it would pop up again and she would have to refine what she thought she had already learned. Don't be uptight and legalistic regarding either the writings of Jane Austen or the modern woman's guide to male/female relationships. Read this book because it is funny, insightful, entertaining, engrossing, sweet, and because it allowed at least one woman (albeit a fictional one) to search for her own Mr. Darcy in an imaginative and satisfying way. The writing is fantastic, the premise ingenuous and the results absolutely satisfying. Thank you Shannon Hale!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Escape; Author: Visit Amazon's Carolyn Jessop Page; Review: I had watched a television documentary concerning polygamy and had wondered about what actually went on within a "marriage" of this type when there were no cameras recording the words and actions of the women involved. The program was presented from the standpoint of a woman who had escaped and was helping others escape and wives who expressed no desire whatsoever to leave their situation. The contrasts in those two factions was so stark that I have been curious since to have a behind-the-scenes view. This book written by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer gave me access to those scenes. And what I read in this book was chilling, frightening, depressing and overwhelmingly sad. It seemed that every page had some reference to such degrading and humiliating circumstances that I found myself wondering if the book could be true. I do believe that this is a true story presented from the viewpoint of Carolyn Jessop. She certainly convinced me that the trauma and abuse and harassment she endured was real. The story begins on the night when all of the circumstances have finally come together and she will have the one perfect opportunity to flee her husband and the religious beliefs of the FLDS. Even though her brothers are willing to drive the three hours from Salt Lake City to help her, the outcome is not assured. If this woman is successful in escaping these atrocious conditions with all of her children, the world might be given a view of what happens within the various communities which follow these beliefs that deviate from the mainstream Mormon Church. She was not just pursued, she and her children were hunted like prey and there was not much any law enforcement agency was going to do to help her. After relating the circumstances of her escape, the book looks back at the events which led up to this daring escape and what happened in the life of this woman to make her take this extraordinary risk. Carolyn Jessop told her story in riveting fashion regarding her childhood in a polygamus family and then her life of seventeen years of marriage with Merril Jessop. She had never known any other way of living. Physical punishment was not only accepted but expected to keep children and wives compliant. If a person was perceived to have done wrong then that person deserved to be punished, no matter how harshly, by any person within their family. Be it the husband, another of his wives, or one or more of his children. No person was safe except the husband and the wife who had established herself as his favorite. The descriptions within this book are disturbing and heartbreaking. I honestly do not understand how this woman maintained her sanity throughout this ordeal. She was different, she actually began to think freely and to question what was happening to her. These differences are what allowed her to survive long enough to finally get away. I would love to send my list of about 100 questions to Carolyn Jessop because, of course,; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Escape?? [ESCAPE] [Hardcover]; Author: aa; Review: I had watched a television documentary concerning polygamy and had wondered about what actually went on within a "marriage" of this type when there were no cameras recording the words and actions of the women involved. The program was presented from the standpoint of a woman who had escaped and was helping others escape and wives who expressed no desire whatsoever to leave their situation. The contrasts in those two factions was so stark that I have been curious since to have a behind-the-scenes view. This book written by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer gave me access to those scenes. And what I read in this book was chilling, frightening, depressing and overwhelmingly sad. It seemed that every page had some reference to such degrading and humiliating circumstances that I found myself wondering if the book could be true. I do believe that this is a true story presented from the viewpoint of Carolyn Jessop. She certainly convinced me that the trauma and abuse and harassment she endured was real. The story begins on the night when all of the circumstances have finally come together and she will have the one perfect opportunity to flee her husband and the religious beliefs of the FLDS. Even though her brothers are willing to drive the three hours from Salt Lake City to help her, the outcome is not assured. If this woman is successful in escaping these atrocious conditions with all of her children, the world might be given a view of what happens within the various communities which follow these beliefs that deviate from the mainstream Mormon Church. She was not just pursued, she and her children were hunted like prey and there was not much any law enforcement agency was going to do to help her. After relating the circumstances of her escape, the book looks back at the events which led up to this daring escape and what happened in the life of this woman to make her take this extraordinary risk. Carolyn Jessop told her story in riveting fashion regarding her childhood in a polygamus family and then her life of seventeen years of marriage with Merril Jessop. She had never known any other way of living. Physical punishment was not only accepted but expected to keep children and wives compliant. If a person was perceived to have done wrong then that person deserved to be punished, no matter how harshly, by any person within their family. Be it the husband, another of his wives, or one or more of his children. No person was safe except the husband and the wife who had established herself as his favorite. The descriptions within this book are disturbing and heartbreaking. I honestly do not understand how this woman maintained her sanity throughout this ordeal. She was different, she actually began to think freely and to question what was happening to her. These differences are what allowed her to survive long enough to finally get away. I would love to send my list of about 100 questions to Carolyn Jessop because, of course,; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Anna's World; Author: Wim Coleman; Review: What a wonderful story this is. It is very insightful concerning the maturation process of this young woman but it is also very exciting and thrilling. Anna has many adventures, some of them really quite dangerous. The story covers the time in her life from 1845 and 1846 with an epilogue in 1888 to bring us up to date on what happened later in Anna's life. Anna had been weak and slow to completely recover from her encounter with "the bad water". Many people in her small community died from typhoid and the store which Anna's father owned was ruined by the flood waters. Consequently he sent 14 year old Anna to a nearby Shaker community so that she would have shelter and care while he worked out what he would do to earn a living. This story is about the changes that take place in the life of this young woman as she finds herself living in a world completely foreign to her. Because of her age Anna is treated as a woman by the Shaker community, not as a child. The rules for living among the Shakers are numerous and Anna has a hard time adhering to many of them. She is always waiting for her father to send the letter which will say that he is coming to take her away from the community and into his new home. In the meantime Anna begins to notice that not everything the Shakers do is hard or unpleasant for her and she slowly begins to find her place among the people who live there. I liked the character of Anna. She is a very mature 14 year old woman and has a gentle nature who, while being somewhat stubborn, was always presented by the authors as someone willing and eager to learn. For me the key to my enjoyment of this book was that Anna had a thirst for knowledge of all kinds and she never stopped learning throughout the entire book. I enjoyed the insertion of Henry David Thoreau as a character whose discussions with Anna made profound changes in her way of thinking. It was interesting to see that person interjected into this novel to explain why Anna began to understand large world concepts which she wanted to have a hand in changing. This is a story of a young woman who learns that faith and belief will change your life if you open your heart and mind to listen to God's calling for you individually. I like to be aware of books available for my grandchildren to read. I also like to have books available for them in my home. I think that this book would probably be best for Young Readers slightly older than my two granddaughters, who are 8 and 9 years old. But I will certainly discuss the story with them and have the book available for them to read on their own. I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before one or both girls want to read about Anna's World. I; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Counterfeit Guest: A Novel; Author: Rose Melikan; Review: This novel takes a reader along with Mary Finch as she becomes involved in her second Adventure. Notice the capital "A" because that distinguishes these occurrences from all the other exciting happenings in the life of this young woman. Mary was also the heroine in the first book of this series The Blackstone Key: A Novel. When this novel begins it is 1796 and Mary Finch has been awarded a legacy and has used it to purchase a property called White Ladies. The restoration progress makes it necessary for Mary Finch to live away from White Ladies but finally everything is completed and she invites two unmarried former school teachers to come live with her there. After settling into her new home Mary Finch becomes involved in trying to unmask a particular man who is believed to be a spy for the French. Mary's greatest problem is that this man is married to her close friend. This novel is very well written with a wealth of detail about the political climate in England during this very unsettled time in their relations with France. Mary had known Captain Robert Holland for many years and had entertained thoughts of a romantic nature regarding him. She thought her feelings were reciprocated until she discovered that her new status as a single woman with a substantial income had made him shy away rather than be considered a fortune hunter. When Mary is recruited to go into the home of the suspected spy and gather information about his activities she jumps at the chance. This author has certainly done the research required to make her espionage tale plausable. I found the book to be rather slow moving. The first several hundred pages were not very interesting for me and I must admit that I had to struggle to maintain my interest in the story. Once the action began to occur regarding the plans to have British military personnel mutiny for better wages in order to slow down their effectiveness in fighting off a French invasion the action picked up. I never was able to be interested in Mary Finch. She is a quiet character. Even while in the midst of a dangerous undertaking I still found her to be very quiet, much too quiet and unassuming. Perhaps it was the manner in which the book is written that caused me to see her in this fashion. I only know that she did not spark much interest for me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Neverwhere: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Neil Gaiman Page; Review: Believe me, I'll never look at a crack in the sidewalk again without thinking about this book. That's the highest testimony I can give to how captivating this novel was for me. It made me think about all the things that I, you, and Richard Mayhew had never even considered. Richard didn't have the slightest idea that an entire world existed in London Below. How could he when he was so involved in his own life in London Above? Who goes around thinking about an entire other world existing for those who literally slip through the cracks? Neil Gaiman gave me a creepy, scary glimpse into that darkest part of an imaginary London. The characters he invented for this story are wonderful. I loved watching Richard grow and mature and see him become a person to be relied upon. I loved Old Bailey with his feather coat and his birds for sale. I loved the marquis de Carabas who was so very bad and yet somehow so very good. I loved Hunter with her single minded focus and I would have been glad to "dispatch" Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar myself. Two meaner, nastier villains I have yet to meet. Strangely enough, it was the character of Door whose personality seemed to elude me more than any other. Maybe I should read the book again. There must have been aspects of her that I missed while I was so busy imagining that there might, just might, possibly be a London Below. This book has to be a fantasy readers delight. Expect to be entertained, you won't be disappointed.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Night Monster: A Novel of Suspense (Jack Carpenter); Author: Visit Amazon's James Swain Page; Review: "The Night Monster" is the first James Swain book I have read. I do enjoy mystery/suspense/thrillers though and was looking forward to reading the novel. Jack Carpenter was the detective who was in charge of the Broward County Sheriff's Department Missing Person Bureau when it was first formed. After heading that department for sixteen years Jack was fired for beating up a suspect. Two years later he is still searching for missing people, only now he does it as a private citizen. There is one particular missing woman that Jack can't get out of his mind because he had a chance to rescue her as she was being abducted. Instead, he made a mistake and the woman has never been heard from again. Carpenter's daughter is a basketball player for the University of Florida Lady Seminoles and she asks him to check out a man who seems to be stalking the team. Jack realizes that one of these stalkers is the same man who was involved in the abduction all those years ago. What follows is a series of near misses in capturing these two men and rescuing the young woman they have just kidnapped. This book was definitely of the page turner variety as it got closer to the resolution of the mystery. I particularly liked the relationship between Jack and his daughter even though I would have liked for that to have been more detailed. I really liked for Jack to have his dog, Buster, as his helper and sidekick. That made the story very interesting even though it did mean a lot of attention had to be paid to the welfare of the dog. I have to admit that I found myself wondering if he ever fed the poor dog anything other than table scraps and pizza crust. There were several things I didn't care for very much in the story. It was a really foolish mistake on the part of his lead character while serving as a uniformed patrol officer which led to the first kidnapping. So is that why Swain chose to depict all uniformed officers as unintelligent and poorly trained? There were two instances of missing children which were inserted rather haphazardly into the story. In the first instance of the autistic boy, was there not one single member of the official Missing Persons Bureau who could be sent to cope with that situation? Was Jack Carpenter the only person the department head believed could handle the case? That rescue situation was just a trifle hard for me to swallow and was the cause of my first groan of disbelief while reading this book. In the case of the missing thirteen year old girl, would the police department actually allow such a high profile case to be investigated by an outsider? And he could solve it in a matter of minutes after arriving on the scene? These instances stood out as unbelievable to me, especially with this character and his persona non grata status with the department. I understand that the author was showing the relationship; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Sudbury School Murders (Mystery of Regency England); Author: Visit Amazon's Ashley Gardner Page; Review: Captain Gabriel Lacy leaves London to travel into Berkshire to take up the position as secretary to Everard Rutledge, headmaster of the Sudbury School. Lacy's good friend Grenville has helped him get this post so Lacy can rest and recover both his mental and physical strength. Somehow Lacy always seems to find himself involved in solving mysteries and is in need of some relaxation time. He is also at the school to discover who is playing the pranks on the students and tutors. Some of those pranks have become dangerous and need to be stopped. This school does not cater to the English upper class in society, rather these boys are the sons of the newly emerging wealthy commercial tycoons. Rutledge relies very heavily on financial donations from these men to keep his school up and running. This is the fifth Captain Lacy book I've read. I had hoped for just such a book as this, the kind where the mystery would play a larger part than the personal relationships between Lacy and the continuing characters in the other novels. I got my wish to some extent. Grenville shows up at the school to help Lacy in his investigations after a murder of a school employee takes place. Also putting in an appearance are Marianne (Grenville's mistress), Lady Breckenridge (a widow Lacy is liking more an more) and Colonel and Louisa Brandon (Lacy's former commanding officer and his wife). James Denis plays quite a large part in this story but this time in a very positive manner. My problem with the story is that the author did not present us with very many suspects so after the second murder it was fairly obvious who the culprit was. The motive was also revealed rather early in the story. This probably can be a stand alone book, but I think readers would be much more satisfied if they read the first in the series,The Hanover Square Affair, in order to firmly establish all the characters in their proper places. I enjoyed the atmosphere created by this author and have never read a mystery which took place among the canal system of Regency England. I really enjoyed the portrayal of Lacy in this setting outside London. His character traits of honor and strict adherence to duty shine through in this rural setting. His capacity for observation and solving mysteries are very well shown by Ashley Gardner. This book got back to what I read a historical mystery for, namely the puzzles placed before the protagonist and the enjoyment of watching the solution being found. Unfortunately, as I stated previously, this puzzle became rather easy to solve early on in the story.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Storm Front (Dresden Files (Unnumbered Paperback)); Author: Visit Amazon's Jim Butcher Page; Review: Harry Dresden is a marvelously written character. He lifted right off the pages of the book and became a person for me. He has wit and charm and wizardly talent and compassion and the ability to make me believe in his story. Perhaps Jim Butcher should get recognition for some of these attributes but I prefer to give Harry all the credit. After all, he's the one who had to have that horrible adventure in the elevator. And Harry is the one with shampoo burning and stinging his eyes while a demon tried to kill him. This is urban fantasy done the right way. The settings ring perfectly true, the time could be yesterday or six years from now. The problem Harry is trying to help the Chicago police department solve is so obviously fantastic that I don't need to worry about strict police procedure or rules of evidence. I can just enjoy the story. I liked the character of Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, the director of the Special Investigations department, the place where all "unusual" crimes end up. I am going to enjoy seeing Murphy in other books of this series. I liked that Murphy reacted in a very realistic manner to Dresden, not always in a positive way but certainly not treating him as an enemy. It was fun following this first adventure to watch how Butcher's fantasy world plays out, how his descriptions of "things", places and events could make me not only buy into his created world, but also to enjoy it. The final chapters when the mysterious happenings are coming to a conclusion are times when that phone was just going to have to ring into voice mail because I had no intention of putting that book down right then. And something which I truly appreciated was that Jim Butcher used the last few pages of the book to purposefully tie up every single loose end out there. For me this was a highly entertaining reading experience and a book that I will gladly recommend to friends. I can't quite decide whether to let some time pass before starting out on adventure #2,Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2), or if I should just jump right in. I'll toss a coin.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Bronze Bow; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth George Speare Page; Review: This 1962 Newbery Award novel is truly an amazing story. The idea of showing the political and religious climate of Israel through the eyes of an 18 year old tormented man was brilliantly conceived and carried out. Daniel bar Jamin was deeply scared at the age of eight when he witnessed the deaths by crucifixion of his father, uncle and other villagers at the hands of Roman soldiers. He and his younger sister went to live with their grandmother when Daniel's mother died shortly after his father's tragic and gruesome death. As time went on and it became more difficult for his grandmother to care for Daniel she made the decision to sell him into an apprenticeship with the local blacksmith. Daniel ran away from the blacksmith's cruel treatment and became a member of a robber band hiding in the mountains around his home. His one purpose in life was to avenge the death of his father by becoming skilled enough to kill Roman soldiers. This book presents the viewpoint of Jews chafing under the harsh Roman rule while waiting for a sign that a leader had come to rescue them from their oppression. The title, The Bronze Bow, refers to a secret password established by the young men to identify themselves as part of the group working to prepare the way for the leader. Most of the men idolized the leader of the robber band and expected him to be the man to change their circumstances and fight against the Roman soldiers. Into this volatile situation comes a carpenter from the nearby town of Nazareth. Jesus' teachings begin to have more and more effect on the men waiting for a warrior leader. I enjoyed this story very much and highly recommend it. It is a very thought provoking glimpse into what the lives of Jews were like under the Roman rulers and how their hopes and religious beliefs caused them to make life altering decisions concerning this teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. Having the story presented from the viewpoint of those ordinary people who had to make incredible decisions based completely on faith will provide readers of any age with many opportunities to question how they would have reacted had they been placed in the same circumstances. This book is aimed at Young Readers but it is certainly not limited to that group and I will remember this remarkable story for many years to come. I received a free copy of this book for review purposes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Murder On Monday (Lois Meade Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Ann Purser Page; Review: I must confess that "Murder on Monday" was an impulse buy for me based on the cover art for the book series. I also happen to enjoy mystery stories, especially those which take place in English settings. So this book grabbed me on those two levels, but I also chose it because it was described as featuring a "working-class mum". That sounded like an interesting new variation on usual mystery novel plots to me. My problem came about when I discovered that I don't like Lois Meade, the main character of the series. In order to help with household expenses Lois Meade becomes a house cleaner for five households in the village of Long Farnden. By going outside her own village she doesn't have far to travel but she also doesn't create any problems for her 14 year old daughter. Josie doesn't have to be embarrassed about her mother's job. When one of the women of Long Farnden is murdered Lois finds that she is perfectly placed in her work to help the police investigate the homicide. Now, this all sounds well and good except that it feels as if Ann Purser, in order to emphasize the working-class aspect of her character, decided to make Lois basically unpleasant in nature. No matter what situation Lois found herself in, whether it was concerning her family, the families whose houses she cleaned, or the police department, she was just not friendly. Working-class did not need to equal unpleasant but that is the feeling I got. She was very often unnecessarily rude and she appeared to have a "what's in it for me" attitude about most things. The mystery we were being asked to read about was not compelling enough to hold my interest throughout the entire book. I kept waiting for something else to happen. Instead what I got was the family dynamics of the Meades dealing with a 14 year old daughter who believed she should be treated like an 18 year old and the complications concerning her boyfriend. The marriage of Lois and Derek also came in for quite a bit of attention, some of it germane to the mystery, some of it not. The two sons in the family got practically no attention paid to them and the same can be said for the faithful grandmother who arrived every morning to escort the children to school. If so much focus was to be placed on the family then I would have liked for all the family members to be given more depth of character. Perhaps these characters will be more fully developed in future books but they were certainly given short shrift here. And I lost all track of the passage of time. I could not even begin to tell you how much time transpired from the beginning of this story to the ending. Every new segment seemed to begin with the day of the week to indicate which home Lois was going to. I got lost. Then I didn't care and I lost interest. The writing of this novel is; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Four Dukes and a Devil; Author: Visit Amazon's Cathy Maxwell Page; Review: When I saw the title of this anthology I was intrigued. When I saw the list of authors contributing to the anthology I was puzzled. After reading the book I've come to the conclusion that this publisher is simply trying to introduce readers to various authors and the genres they typically write in. Did it work? Only time will tell. 1. "The Irish Duke", Cathy Maxwell, Regency historical, 56 pages long Miss Susan Rogers is a 26 year old spinster who has discovered a novel method for earning her living. She will use her experience in a broken engagement to convince parents that she can guide their daughters through the perils of a London season. Roan Gillray, the fourth Duke of Killeigh, has come to London expressly to find a wife. What he discovers instead is that eligible young women actually run to get away from "the Irish Duke" because of the story some matchmaker is putting about. Roan intends to get to the bottom of this problem quickly. 2. "The Duke Who Came to Dinner", Elaine Fox, contemporary, 68 pages Gray Gilliam knows that she needs to take some chances if she is ever going to get her life out of the rut she is in. That is the main reason she leaves her home and job in Virginia and agrees to spend the summer at the Cape Cod home of a friend, hoping that having someone in residence will help the house to sell. It seems there is a rumor that the house is haunted by the ghost of an English Duke. Gray's first experiment in kicking over the traces was to go skinny dipping in the ocean. That ended in disaster when a dog ran off with her clothes. Her second try was going to the local bar instead of a place more suited for tourists. That's where she met Sam who owns the dog who stole her clothes. The dog is called Duke, of course. 3. "Devil to Pay", Jeaniene Frost, urban fantasy, 88 pages Blake Turner is a man who became possessed by a demon six months ago. Since then he has been trying to find a way to kill himself to stop the horrific things the demon does when he controls Blake's body. When Elise, a vampire, captures Blake he thinks that she will be his best chance to end this nightmare he is living. But, there is a problem. Unless Blake dies in exactly the right circumstances the demon will simply leave his body and enter another. Elise would much prefer to keep away from the entire situation but something about Blake makes her want to get involved, a feeling she hasn't had in a very long time. (This story was the star of the collection for me and I really liked it very much.) 4. "Catch of the Century", Sophia Nash, Regency historical, 76 pages John Varick, ninth Duke of Beaufort, has been dubbed by all the London papers as the Catch of the Century because of his fabulous wealth, his title, and his; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Cumberland Plateau: A Pride and Prejudice Modern Sequel; Author: Visit Amazon's M. K. Baxley Page; Review: M. K. Baxley has presented readers with a very ambitious project in this novel which takes characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice but moves their descendants forward into the present. It is my opinion that the project was overly ambitious. As I was reading this book I could not help but think that a different approach might have been to separate the book into two novels, thereby presenting the two love stories, but giving each the prominent focus it deserved. We meet Dr. Fitzwilliam Darcy II, a university professor, who has decided to turn his back for the time being on his family's fabulously valuable business interests in order to teach at a very small university in Tennessee. Elizabeth Bennett is coming home to that same small town to take up a teaching position in the same university after living away from her family for many years. This is love story number one, a story which would have been quite enough for any reader of Jane Austen variations. Unfortunately Ms Baxley also included the romantic interactions of Fitzwilliam's brother, David Darcy, and Elizabeth's best friend, Cecilia Lawton. Two major plot lines trying to share the same pages of a book don't often result in a satisfactory reading experience for me. That was the case here. This book is self-published. I find that often self-published authors do not avail themselves of the expertise of unbiased, professional editors because that can be an expensive undertaking. I think that Ms Baxley has shown that she has a great deal of talent but ultimately I did not enjoy reading this book. Ms Baxley relies very heavily on dialogue, very often when exposition would have been much more useful in moving the story forward. Descriptive passages are a legitimate method of re-enacting a scene which has already taken place but which is now occurring to give information to additional characters. This is the most dialogue heavy book I've ever read and that became a very big problem for me. It made me feel that material I had already read was being repeated unnecessarily and it irritated me as a reader. There are just absolutely too many characters in this book. Very quickly all of the names, with history attached, began to overwhelm me. Having so many of the generations of family members on both sides of the Atlantic recited with the same names occurring so often certainly helped lead to confusion and ultimately I stopped even trying to figure out who was whose first cousin. Why bother? Also the historical time line was very unclear and hard to follow (again because of the multiple recurring names or variation of names) so I simply tuned it out or skipped over those many, many retellings. As a suggestion, perhaps some type of family tree or genealogical chart might have been included to help focus the readers attention. That would have been of much more help than the black and white pictures included in the book. The pictures were an interesting touch but actually did not enhance my understanding; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: To Kingdom Come: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Will Thomas Page; Review: I'm afraid that I must admit to being slightly disappointed with this book. That may seem like an unusual thing to say for a novel I've rated as a 4 star book, but the fact remains that I'm ultimately disappointed because I didn't get the book I had expected. That is completely my own fault. My first acquaintance with the writing talent of Will Thomas came from his first Cyrus Barker novel, Some Danger Involved: A Novel. I enjoyed that book tremendously because Thomas is a wonderful writer and his presentation of Victorian England is outstanding. His main characters of Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn are fully portrayed in all aspects of their personalities. His descriptions of the time in which the story takes place is so detailed that I find it completely realistic and believable. All of those things are present in this novel also. My problem is that this book turned out to be a political thriller, not a mystery story at all according to my own personal definition. I had a hard time becoming interested in the plot by the Irish Republican Brotherhood to intimidate the British government into granting Ireland home rule by bombing London into submission. I learned an awful lot about how to make a bomb from scratch. I learned a lot about how to fight with sticks. None of this was of interest to me. I realize now that I should have paid closer attention to the description of this book because it is actually right there for me to see if I had only noticed. My dereliction came about when I expected this second book to be the same type novel as the first simply because it was written by the same author. That isn't Mr. Thomas' fault and I cannot penalize this well written book because of my carelessness.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen; Author: Visit Amazon's Syrie James Page; Review: Okay, so I might have appropriated the "Gentle Reader" part from someplace else, but this book was simply marvelous for me. I loved everything about it. I have always wanted to think that the Jane Austen who wrote those books I absolutely love must have experienced a great passion in her life. Syrie James gives readers that great passion for Jane Austen. And it is completely believable. The basic premise of the book is that a trunk was discovered in an attic and upon opening it various manuscripts, letters, journals and a ring were found. The trunk and everything it contained had belonged to Jane Austen. Dr. Mary I. Jesse, has been given the task of editing the material and this book is the result of her work on the final segment of the journals found. I had to remind myself over and over that this book is a work of fiction. The fictional portions have been woven so seamlessly into the actual facts known of Jane Austen's life that I have to say this is the most realistically presented book of fiction I've read concerning the life of Jane Austen. I simply loved how events and experiences written into the Austen novels were used in the "journal" to show that Jane had lived those events or met those people during her lifetime. And the man Jane loved and who loved her in return was precisely the strong, confident man who would have positively been the right partner for her. Most fans of Jane Austen know her history and we know there is no evidence that a man such as this one existed for her. But, wouldn't it have been wonderful for her if she had been given the chance to love as passionately as her characters loved? If you feel that way about Jane Austen, the woman, then you will probably enjoy this book as much as I did. Also of interest in the book was the added material which is included: the authors note, the list of Austen's works, the chronology of events in her life, the question and answer session with the author, quotations on various topics from Austen's novels, even the reading group study guide. If you, Gentle Reader, enjoy exploring books written by authors who have obviously fully researched their subject, you will find pleasure in reading this book. If you want to feel that you are actually reading a long lost memoir from the pen of Jane Austen, you will find pleasure in reading this book. If you just want to read a wonderful, romantic story set in the early 1800's, you will find pleasure in reading this book. I loved every minute I spent with it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Taker and the Keeper (The Red Monocle); Author: Wim Coleman; Review: The Taker and the Keeper is the first book in The Red Monocle Series of time travel adventure books by authors Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin. Book One introduces readers to Gregory Guest, a seventh grader, and Yolanda Torres who is in the eighth grade. They notice that something unusual has happened in their world. People are not behaving as they normally would and Yola has discovered that the story in her book about King Arthur has changed. Gregory shares his discovery of a wormhole in a concrete bridge which is only visible with the aid of special colored lenses. These two young adventurers set out to discover what is happening in the world which exists at the end of a tunnel which isn't really there. Or is it there? I found this to be a truly delightful story full of mystery and adventure where science and magic come together to meld into a world of possibilities. The King Arthur legend characters are all present; Merlin, Arthur, Sir Kay, Morgan le Fay, Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake, and even Merlin's apprentice. The characters from this world travel back into the world of the story to correct what has been changed in the books. Otherwise, this world will be different also, a world which has not benefited from lessons learned from the legends. This book is targeted for young readers ages 8 and up and I'm positive they will find the adventures very exciting. There are some situations which Gregory had to deal with regarding the mental health of his Mother which may require some discussion between parents and their children, but those discussions can be very positive learning experiences. This book will be followed by book two, "The Death of the Good Wizard", in September 2010 and "The Invisible Foe" in 2011. I'm really sorry to have to wait so long to read the further adventures of characters who become the Taker and the Keeper. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Gray Man; Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Greaney Page; Review: Anyone looking for an action thriller hero need look no further than here, to Court Gentry. After running afoul of his bosses in the CIA and being put on that agency's shoot-on-sight-list, Gentry has been earning his living doing what he has been trained to do, he takes out targets he is paid to terminate. Anyone associated with hired assassins knows about The Gray Man. This man has the uncanny ability to simply fade into the background. His targets never see him coming and the investigations afterward never find any connection to anyone. The reputation of this man grows to legendary proportions because of his complete anonymity, nobody is ever completely sure of who he actually is. There is only one man who positively knows the identity of this operative, his handler Sir Donald Fitzroy of Cheltenham Security Services. At least that's what Sir Donald thought. Someone literally wants The Gray Man's head delivered on a platter and there is no limit to the amount of money they are willing to spend to achieve that goal. What follows is an incredibly exciting journey from Iraq to a chateau in Normandy with danger, destruction, and death all along the route. A bounty has been put on The Gray Man's head and paid assassins have been invited to join in the hunt to see who can deliver him, dead or alive, to the chateau before the time limit runs out. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a debut novel for author Mark Greaney. The plotting for this book is outstanding. The pace started out with an exciting episode and just never let up. The man behind the legend was very slowly revealed so that he did seem to be a shadowy figure, a ghostly figure, someone who could fade in and out simply because there was no substance to him. Over time this very talented author lets the reader come closer and closer to the main character to glimpse his intelligence, his efficiency in doing his work, and his moral code. It may sound unusual to consider that a person who kills for a living would have a moral compass but Court Gentry does. And it is believable. Characters are well defined and clear, the dialogue is crisp and clean and well suited to each character. This author did a wonderful job of describing both locations and weaponry used in the story and it is very obvious that he is familiar with both subjects. While there are a large number of professional killers involved in tracking Gentry down, I think this was necessary to represent the "contest" nature of the hunt. I really like that Greaney finished off the story by tying up loose ends, nothing was left unresolved. And yet, could it possibly be that The Gray Man isn't finished yet? I certainly hope not. I do not assign 5 star ratings to books lightly. They have to earn that designation from me. This book would probably get an even higher rating from me if the Amazon system would allow; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Grave Goods (Mistress of the Art of Death); Author: Visit Amazon's Ariana Franklin Page; Review: This book was also published with the title "Relics of the Dead". England of 1176 under the rule of King Henry II was not a time when a woman was accepted as a doctor. Consequently Adelia Aguilar kept up the pretense that her Arab attendant, Mansur, was the doctor and she was his translator. Fortunately for Adelia the King had already accepted her knowledge and her vocation and had no problems with calling her in to help solve the mystery of two skeletons found buried in the same coffin. Was it possible that King Arthur and Guinevere had been buried at Glastonbury Abbey? Henry needed for these bones to belong to Arthur and Quinevere to help quiet the Welsh uprisings he was having to fight. Although the king wanted the truth to be found, he certainly would have been pleased to have the truth become a weapon for his political use. I enjoyed Adelia with her passion for using science and truth to solve mysteries. Even having to hide her abilities because she was a woman did not slow her down for very long and she was adept at turning situations to her favor with her insight into human nature. People wanted to believe that Mansur was the doctor simply because of his gender. Then let them believe that, Adelia would just work around that problem. Perhaps her character was written with just a touch too much "modern" woman for me, but I do understand that she could not possibly perform the functions of the novel's main character without stepping outside her time period in many situations. And besides, how else were we as readers supposed to feel sympathy for this woman while also remaining interested in the perils she was encountering? I especially enjoyed this novel from the standpoint of watching the legal system of England undergo significant changes through the forward thinking of this monarch. We begin with legal rights being determined by mortal combat. The champion remaining alive after the battle represents the winner of the legal case. By the end of the story Henry II was instituting sweeping changes by introducing judges, juries, and traveling courts to hear cases from the lowliest peasant to the loftiest nobleman. The story also weaves in the legend of King Arthur and how he might have died, where he might be buried and what happened to his magic sword, Excalibur. All of these things figure extremely prominently in this novel and I enjoyed reading how a man who was already a legend at this time was still having an effect on political and personal lives throughout this country. After becoming acquainted with the characters in this novel I will actively look for the other books in the series . I think the writing of Ariana Franklin was very good and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent reading this story. Not only did it keep me entertained, but I also learned many things regarding law and order in the twelfth century.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death of a Cozy Writer (A St. Just Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's G.M. Malliet Page; Review: Having read reviews of this book and listened to people talk about it I must say that I was dubious about reading it. I am a real mystery reading fanatic. I don't want too much messing around with my mysteries. I was worried that this one had been given the "cute" treatment to the extent that I would end up throwing it across the room. Well, so much for that worry because nothing could be farther from the truth. G. M. Malliet has written a very, very good debut mystery novel. Words like "hilarious", "satirical", and "romp" almost succeeded in turning me completely off but I'm happy to say that I found most of that to be hyperbole evidently intended to snag the attention of non-mystery readers. This story does have it's humorous moments, but they happen very naturally in the narrative and are not used to lampoon the genre. The plot follows the tried and true progression of the type of mysteries classified as "cozy" so if you like those then you will probably like this as well. The author uses characters that have been used before by other writers but they are used here to great advantage because of all the twists and turns in the plot. I don't think this can be described as a completely "fair play" mystery (meaning that every clue is given withing the story and the reader just has to pay attention to gather them up and come to the correct solution), but it was very definitely interesting to watch the author add little bits and pieces along the way to keep the solution under wraps. In case you aren't familiar with the basic plot, Sir Adrian Beauclerk-Fisk has invited his four adult children to his eighteenth century Cambridgeshire home to have them meet his fiancee. Since the relationship between Dear Old Dad and his children is based on greed on their part and the delights of changing his will for Sir Adrian, can murder be long in arriving? The police team of Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just and Sergeant Garwin Fear were interesting to watch in the performance of their official duties and will probably get more interesting for me as the series progresses. There is definitely a liberal dose of tongue-in-cheek written into the novel, but this author has also managed to make sure that the mystery itself is engaging, difficult to solve, and worth reading. Two enthusiastic thumbs up from me and I will now order Death and the Lit Chick: A St. Just Mystery expecting to be highly entertained.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: My Dear Charlotte: With the assistance of Jane Austen's letters; Author: Visit Amazon's Hazel Holt Page; Review: Reading the description of this book made me interested in reading it. Once I actually held the book in my hands and could see how it was constructed made me even more interested in reading it. I have such admiration for Hazel Holt after finishing this very unusual novel she has written. What an imagination she has, what an innovative approach to the world Jane Austen would have lived in. First, there should be no mistake on the part of anyone investigating this book. This is not a book about Jane Austen. Instead, this is a book of fiction where portions of letters written by Jane Austen have been inserted into letters written by our letter writer, Elinor Cowper (pronounced Cooper)to her elder sister Charlotte Cowper. The additions from the Austen letters are not notated in any way so it is possible to read this entire book without being certain which portions come directly from Jane Austen. I have never read the Austen letters, but I believe I could spot some of the insertions - in some cases because they did not fit the ongoing narrative completely smoothly. The book is made up of letters written by Elinor to her sister Charlotte who is, naturally, away from home for the entire length of the novel. They begin as descriptions of everyday common occurrences regarding family, domestic subjects, and friends and acquaintances in the neighborhood in and around Lyme. As time passes there is a death in one of the homes nearby and this turns into a mysterious happening which becomes the focus of all those within the community. Even though the two sisters are called by different names, the similarities to the life and novels of Jane Austen are strongly represented in this novel. After a while I actually began to see these two women as Jane and Cassandra, even though I knew better. The writing style is very, very well done to remind the reader of the Austen books but the author was able to have Elinor act in ways Jane Austen did not. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Even though it moved slightly slowly to begin with because of establishing the settings and characters, by the time I was halfway through the book I was constantly telling myself that I had time to read just one more letter, then just one more letter again, and then again. There are no chapter breaks in the book, instead you will simply progress from one letter on to the next letter. As a mystery this particular vehicle of the novel written in letters did not allow for quite as much investigation as I would have liked, but it is a satisfactory mystery none the less. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of the world and life of Jane Austen. I also think it is important to read the Introduction written by Jan Fergus because she explains the insertion of various portions of the Austen letters. Now I'm ready to find and read the Jane Austen letters. I've always known that; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lady Vernon and Her Daughter: A Novel of Jane Austen's Lady Susan; Author: Visit Amazon's Jane Rubino Page; Review: When I first saw that this book was going to become available I rectified a mistake I have been making for many years. I got out my copy of "Lady Susan" and read it for the first time. I was shocked by what I read, to say the least, because it was so different from anything I've ever read by Jane Austen. Then, only several days later, this book arrived and I sat down at once to read it. That was a huge mistake on my part. I thought I had become Alice and fallen down the rabbit hole. "Lady Vernon and Her Daughter" is about as opposite from "Lady Susan" as you can possibly get. I decided to put this novel down and come back to it when the Austen story was not quite so fresh in my memory. Those three weeks seem to have helped me somewhat. I think that "Lady Vernon and Her Daughter" is a very well written and well researched book. The characters are delightfully presented and their personal and social exploits are exceedingly interesting to read about. In this novel, the good guys begin good and stay good. The bad guys start out that way and don't change throughout the book. It is relatively easy to predict what is going to happen to Lady Vernon and Frederica after a major situation occurs, but the novel did hold my interest throughout. I enjoyed returning to the social, political, and economic times that Jane Austen immortalized and am very glad I had the opportunity to read this book. These authors tied up every lose end remaining with all the characters so it does beg the question of what they might undertake to write about next. From the standpoint of a reader who thoroughly enjoys reading novels set within this time period and social strata, I sincerely hope they are working on another novel. In all honesty, this novel is not "Lady Susan". The only similarities for me were the recurring names for the characters. I didn't particularly like having the characters of Jane Austen turned upside down and inside out. Even with three weeks of separation I often found myself wondering why a particular character was acting in a certain way when I knew they were presented in an opposite manner in "Lady Susan". Frankly, it was confusing. While admitting that I enjoyed the book because it is well written, I will be very careful to tell my friends not to expect this book to be a fleshing out of the Austen novella (or short story, whichever you prefer) "Lady Susan". Of course, those readers who have not read the Jane Austen book this novel is very loosely based on will not have all this trouble and can simply read and judge the material they are given.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Myrren's Gift (The Quickening, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Fiona McIntosh Page; Review: This first book in Fiona McIntosh's trilogy (The Quickening) was completely enjoyable for me. I began reading it without any preconceived notions about the genre or the author and was definitely entertained. The author's descriptive passages concerning what led up to Myrren bestowing "the gift" on Wyl Thirsk was intensely moving and graphic. When that gift was revealed, I was completely surprised. The book moves from one adventure straight into another which meant that it held my attention throughout. There are many characters and the lines between good and evil are very plainly drawn. I especially enjoyed the dog Knave and the young boy Fynch. I have to admit, the ending of this portion of the trilogy caught me completely off guard and makes me wonder how in the world this author will continue that particular situation in the second book. The only way to find out is to read Blood and Memory (The Quickening, Book 2). This one was a very exciting, interesting fantasy adventure. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mrs. Malory and A Time To Die (Mrs. Malory Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Hazel Holt Page; Review: I jumped into the world of Mrs. Sheila Malory without knowing that Hazel Holt has written many other books in this mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and found it quite interesting because it is presented in quite a different way from most mysteries. The situation which struck me first was that there was no official police or investigative presence in this story. I couldn't quite figure out how the mystery was going to be solved. Since this is my first Mrs. Malory story, I don't know if this is the method used in the other books featuring this character. After finishing the story I feel that I know these characters almost as well as I know my own friends and neighbors. It is the type of book where the local and family happenings hold all the attention and the solving of the mystery is accomplished by a true, complete amateur. Circumstances work themselves out so that Sheila Malory and her friend Rosemary untangle all the threads which have led to the deaths. It is the low-key kind of book which made me think about my own circle of friends and how we each gather small bits and pieces of a happening and when we put all the information together if forms a whole picture. Once I figured out that this book was written as a mystery, but from a slightly different angle, I relaxed and enjoyed getting to know Sheila and Rosemary along with their children, grandchildren, neighbors and friends.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Ghosts of Lone Jack; Author: Visit Amazon's Lance Lee Noel Page; Review: From all I can gather this book is classified as Young Adult, meaning it would be aimed more for teen readers. And yet, the characters in the story are mainly 10 years old with the bully and each of his henchmen being 12 years old. These two facts have left me somewhat confused. Would a teenage reader be interested in a book featuring 10 year old boys and girls? So instead of focusing on which age group the book is aimed toward I will simply give my impression of the book from my viewpoint as a grandmother. From the historical fiction perspective this is a wonderful way for someone to learn the facts concerning the American Civil War battle of Lone Jack in Missouri. The way this author inserted a great deal of information about that confrontation between Union and Rebel soldiers was very well done and interesting. The facts did not appear in stilted conversations but came across as items of historical significance being handed down from one generation to another through oral traditions. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Lone Jack battle. The town gets its name from the lone Jack oak tree which was used as a directional marker to help people find the town. Other aspects of the book were not as enjoyable for me. I found the descriptions of the ghosts to be excessively gruesome, the ghosts were able to do actual physical harm with weapons and did in fact kill several people, there is a very aggressive bully in the book who seems to have free rein to harm the boys with no consequences, and there is a great deal of disrespectful dialogue between the children and many adults in the town. As a book for teenage readers this novel would probably be an exciting choice. I would not want my grandchildren, however, to become involved with the various situations in this book until they are well past their present ages. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Comfort Living: A Back-to-Basics Guide to a More Balanced Lifestyle; Author: Visit Amazon's Christine Eisner Page; Review: Have you ever noticed how your eye will immediately light on a particular picture in a magazine or a catalog? I had always wondered why some pictures seemed to interest me more than others. After reading this charming little book I know the answer to that question. I was supposed to take the advice in this book slowly, one chapter at a time, one week at a time. The problem was, I simply fell in love with this entire concept. This 80 page back-to-basics lifestyle book had an immediate affect on me. Perhaps it was the soft blue color of the cover or the photographs inside which resonated with me so quickly. I don't know. All I know is that I sat down and read the book from cover to cover. Now that I've done that, I am going back and utilizing the suggestions presented by author Christine Eisner for making my home a place of comfort. The book is divided into four sections with two chapters making up each section. It is suggested that you read each chapter and then take a week to work those thoughts, ideas and actions into your daily routine. There are spaces provided within the book for note taking and to record your own personal findings. I appreciate that but I don't believe I could ever bring myself to mar this pristine book by writing in it. Instead I have decided to record my thoughts on sheets of paper which I will place within the book at the appropriate location. The author advises readers to periodically re-evaluate the changes they have made and to record whether the changes have made an impact on your life or if they didn't quite work out as you thought they would. The book comes with a small spiral bound notebook which is divided into two portions, one for Treasures and the flip side is for recording Obstacles. I am a collector, but, as it turns out, a collector of everything. The consequences of this love of mine is that I've collected things which now have no meaning for me, they've morphed into clutter. This book has already shown me how to classify each object into one of four categories, how to evaluate each thing so that I can make a reasonable choice about what to do with it. My ultimate goal is to keep only those things which truly have a meaning for me, to find my Treasures and to Streamline my home. I highly recommend this book. Give it to yourself as your first step toward making your home that calm, friendly, cozy place you can't wait to get back to. Those are three feelings which I've discovered I want to feel in my home. Give it to your friend who seems to be constantly searching for "just the right thing" to make a room be what they want. This little book will help them understand what it truly is they are searching for. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miss Twiggley's Tree; Author: Dorothea Warren Fox; Review: I took this book today to read to my granddaughter's second grade class. It was a complete success on every level. They loved the artwork, they loved the plot and they loved hearing about a dog named Puss. The girls who are rather shy, just like Miss Twiggley, enjoyed seeing how a shy person could help rescue the townspeople from a flood. The more self confident girls appreciated the rhyming text and thinking about having bears come by your house for tea. This is a sweetly written book which helps children learn that being shy or being different in any other way doesn't have to hinder what they can accomplish. We all enjoyed our lively time with Miss Twiggley's Tree.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Red Door (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: Readers who chose to begin their exploration of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery series with this book, The Red Door, need to have some information before they begin. This series has an unusual twist which sets it apart from most other period mystery books. Rutledge was an officer in World War I. The most brutal fighting he engaged in was in France in 1916 and in one of those battles he had to dispense military justice for a soldier disobeying a direct order. That dead soldier's voice has been locked inside Rutledge's head ever since. Rutledge hears the voice of Hamish, they hold conversations. Rutledge is convinced that the consequences of shell shock and guilt over what he had to do will keep Hamish as a very unwelcome resident inside his mind for the remainder of his life. This mystery takes place one year after Rutledge has returned to his pre-war job at Scotland Yard. I have read many of the Inspector Rutledge novels. I have enjoyed them all, even though some were slightly more interesting to me than others. I must put The Red Door right at the top of the list of favorites. Walter Teller has been a very important personage in the past because of his work in the missionary field. When he disappears from a clinic where he was being treated for a mysterious ailment Rutledge is assigned to find Teller and keep any unpleasantness out of the press. This turns out to be much more of a problem than it should have been because Teller's entire family is conspiring to keep the family secrets completely under wraps. While working on this case, two more cases are assigned to Rutledge. In one he is one of the intended victims of a violent robbery and in another, a woman is found dead just inside her home in the northern part of England. Her name is Florence Teller. I picked up this book intending to simply glance through the first chapter to find out what I might expect. I just kept reading. I love it when a book grabs my attention so thoroughly in the beginning that I simply must continue with it. I found it totally engaging and well written. The plot moves along very rapidly even though I did begin to feel rather sorry for Rutledge with all the driving he was forced to do all around England to investigate the two main cases. Because of his claustrophobia he refuses to use trains and therefore drives everywhere. The historical setting also predates the time when each home or business had a telephone so there is that aspect to contend with also. I felt that the presence of Hamish was more of a help in this story than he has been in other stories. Almost as if he is also settling down to be a help instead of a hindrance and a thorn in Rutledge's side. This book was so well written for me that I never would have guessed the outcome. After reading the entire book I can; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mrs. Malory and Any Man's Death (Mrs. Malory Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Hazel Holt Page; Review: Sheila Malory isn't one of those "take charge" kind of people, but she certainly knows someone who is. Annie Roberts of the nearby village of Mere Barton was once the district nurse and everyone knew that she ran the village and everyone in it. One of those annoying types who is always in the middle of everything going on and who seems to know everything about everything. But it seems that Annie's knowledge about one particular subject wasn't as extensive as she had proclaimed. Before she became ill Annie had roped Sheila into being in charge of gathering information about Mere Barton and then writing a history of the village. All the subscriptions have been gathered. All Sheila needs to do is the research and the organizing and the writing, of course. One very interesting piece of paper Sheila finds seems to be some kind of coded reference to various people living in the village. It will take skillful questioning for Sheila to find out why each person's name appears on the list. I have to admit that I wasn't particularly excited about reading this book. I placed my order for it before the release date to have it delivered to my Kindle and then completely forgot about it. Surprise! Amazon doesn't forget. I figured that I might as well read it, even though my first Sheila Malory mystery had not been a riveting read. I'd given it (Mrs. Malory and A Time To Die (Mrs. Malory Mystery)) a 4 star review but decided not to pursue the series any further. I am very pleased now that Amazon remembered what I had forgotten. This was a VERY good book. Ms Holt continued with her low key approach to the mysterious happening in the village of Mere Barton and allowed Sheila Malory to quietly and thoroughly investigate while doing research for the book on village history. There is no police investigative presence in this novel. I really enjoyed the natural conversations, the warm friendliness of Sheila, and the human faults and failings of each of the people involved in this story. It was almost as if something of this nature had happened to one of my own friends and now we were all trying to figure out what happened. Once again, as in the first book I read in this series, there is no police investigative presence involved. The entire situation is slowly and quietly solved by Sheila Malory. My only fault with the book is the ending. I think that I understand the decision made by the author to have the resolution come about in the way she did, but I cannot help but wish a different solution had been chosen. Each reader must decide for themselves if this is the way they would have wanted the story to end. For me, I would have liked something else. Still, a very high 4 star rating this time because I found myself reading just as quickly as I could advance those Kindle pages. I even changed the font size to allow more words; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Merry, Merry Ghost (Bailey Ruth Mysteries, No. 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Carolyn Hart Page; Review: I was impressed with the way Carolyn Hart was able to make me aware of all the necessary facts from the first Bailey Ruth mystery. She easily explained what had happened to Bailey Ruth and her husband Bobby Mac and even explained why there had not been a further mission back to Earth to help someone in trouble. There are Precepts for Heavenly Visitation and Bailey Ruth didn't exactly follow the rules that first time. Often a reader is left to pretty much figure out characters, locations and previous exploits when a series of books is undertaken. This author did not make that mistake. This is a book which should probably be read more for it's entertainment-at-holiday-time value than for the mystery. The touch of Keith Flynn being able to see Bailey Ruth because he was a young child was a very nice touch and continued the theme of innocence in the story. There are characters who don't want Susan Flynn to change her will and who go to great lengths to try to stop that from happening, but this book never seemed menacing or dark. If you like your mysteries presented with a light hand, this book will most assuredly be enjoyable for you. Bailey Ruth is a ghost who thinks that a woman should still want to look good, so she spends quite a bit of time imagining herself in various outfits. Evidently one of the benefits of being in her position as a ghost is that she can change her outfits as quickly as she can think them up. This book is not the type of mystery I usually read, but I did enjoy getting to know Bailey Ruth in this second book of the series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Elly Griffiths Page; Review: When I first opened this book and began to read it I was very sure that I would never enjoy it. The book is written in present tense, a style of writing which is not a favorite with me. If this author had not been able to make me truly like her main character, Doctor Ruth Galloway, and Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson, I doubt that I would have even bothered to finish reading the novel. As it is, I found myself captivated by the powerful descriptions of the environment surrounding Ruth's cottage by the sea. I could almost feel that fierce wind blowing against me, smell the salt spray, and imagine the violence unleashed by the storms which blew in from the ocean. Ruth Galloway is almost 40 years old. She has a job as a teacher of archaeology at a new university, but also specializes in forensic archaeology. Ruth has three big strikes against her - at least in the eyes of her family, friends and colleagues, she is still single, she keeps cats as pets, and she lives alone in her tiny cottage by the saltmarshes. Any one of these would make her friends pity her, but add the fact that she is overweight and really has no interest in keeping up her personal appearance and you have the proverbial lost cause. DCI Nelson is a man on a mission. He needs for someone to tell him if the human bones found buried in the sand are those of a child who was five years old when she vanished ten years previously. This case has haunted Nelson and continues to do so, helped along by anonymous letters he has been receiving the entire ten years chiding him for not being able to follow the clues offered to find the missing girl. Here I have to say that I do find some fault with the author's reasoning for this character. Why had DCI Nelson never had expert opinion over the past ten years to help him unravel the possible clues and meaning hidden within these letters? That portion of the story doesn't hang together very well for me. I do definitely recommend this book. I have to say that I had figured out the person responsible for the crimes, but the author threw in several twists to the plot which made me question my own conclusion. I wasn't truly sure of the outcome until everything was settled. The likability of the two principal characters is what makes this book an enjoyable and memorable reading experience, in my opinion. I hope you will give this new series a try.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rumpole & the Penge Bungalow Murders (Penguin Celebrations); Author: Visit Amazon's John Mortimer Page; Review: And what, you may ask, is the question I'm talking about? Here it can only be to ask author John Mortimer what happened in the Penge Bungalow Murders. At long last, we have his answer. If you are a fan of the Rumpole of the Bailey mystery series, you have spent years and years wondering about the case Horace Rumpole uses to define the beginning of his career in representing defendants in criminal cases. Throughout the many books we readers have been given hints of what that case involved, glimplses into how it changed Rumpole and his career in chambers at Equity Court. Now, in this volume, Rumpole decides to write his memoirs and we are given the details of the Penge Bungalow Murders where Rumpole appeared alone and without a leader. How this all came about and what the outcome of it all was makes for a very entertaining story. The story takes place in the early 1950's when the happenings of World War II are still fresh in the memories of those involved in that horrific conflict. A group of men who served together as combat pilots get together for a reunion of sorts. When the next day dawns, two of the men are dead and the son of one of those murdered is accused of the crimes. Rumpole must learn his way around a criminal courtroom very quickly if he is to save Simon Jerold from a guilty verdict and a date with the executioner. This was a very interesting story for me, not so much because it is a good mystery (it is rather a weak story), but because it put all the characters I have come to associate with Rumpole in their proper places. It filled in the background for Rumpole himself, gave me information about him as a young man and a young lawyer. It detailed how Hilda became not just involved with him, but married to him. I've always known that Rumpole and Hilda were not exactly a match made in heaven, now I understand how their partnership came about. It was also nice to find out that Rumpole had friends, both male and female outside the law profession, before She Who Must Be Obeyed came on the scene. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story to complete my knowledge of a fictional character I've "known" for many years.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Retribution Falls (Tales of the Ketty Jay); Author: Visit Amazon's Chris Wooding Page; Review: My confession about this book is that I really didn't like it for about the first 100 pages. And I really wanted to like it because a friend had gone to a lot of trouble to send the book to me. He liked it, a lot. So what was wrong? I picked it up and put it down three different times. I didn't like the characters, not a single one of the motley crew of dysfunctional malcontents. My favorite characters so far were Bess the golem and Slag the cat. Not a ringing endorsement there. I didn't see much sense in where the story was headed, mainly because I didn't see WHERE the story was headed. It just seemed to ramble and wobble around, getting the crew in and out of one scrape after another. Then something happened. For me it was that the author made me interested in the captain of the aircraft, Darian Frey, and I began to wonder why he had been set up to take the blame for something he had not done. From then on, the action in this book simply flew. The mish-mash of disconnected characters began to come together into a cohesive unit to try to help each other out of the troubles they were constantly landing in. They began to seem like people who deserved to be liked, people who had to clear up this terrible wrong by whatever means was at their disposal. I ended up absolutely loving this book. The crew went from one disaster after another and yet they were always focused on their final objective, which was to prove their innocence. With their awful luck, success was never a certainty. The author, Chris Wooding, created quite an unusual mixture in his fantasy world. The aircraft in the story, including Frey's Ketty Jay, were the most otherworldly things in the book while the pirates still fought with cutlass, knife, pistol, and shotgun. There didn't seem to be very much high technology present for these fictional characters to use. That was a little surprising, but it still worked for me after I stopped looking for all the fancy fantasy equipment to show up. And the gold tooth, well, the tooth was a real hoot! There is nothing deep, intellectual, or subtle about this book. What you get is a rollicking, fast moving (for me after about 100 pages!), adventure story. If what you want is to escape into a fantasy world with swashbuckling pirates then this will be a wonderful book for you. Just try to remember, if it starts out a little slowly for you too, the action really begins to ramp up and it just never slows down from then on.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Runabout; Author: Visit Amazon's Pamela Morsi Page; Review: Miss Tulsa May Bruder is, considering the standard of her day, a very independent young woman. Even though she isn't married she has been allowed a certain amount of freedom by her parents. She has a modicum of education in a time when most young girls were not educated at all. She has been able to use that education by being a reporter for the newspaper in her hometown of Prattville, Oklahoma. Tulsa May is engaged to be married to the town doctor and finally everything seems to be going her way. You see, Tulsa May has several strikes against her; she is plain, she has a gap between her two front teeth, and she has carrot colored hair. The entire town has gathered at the engagement party used to publicly announce the engagement of Tulsa May to Dr. Odie Foote. He shows up only long enough to break off the engagement. Tulsa May isn't actually heartbroken, but she is terribly embarrassed. The gossips are having a field day. Tulsa May's friend of ten years standing has a plan to help her out. Luther Briggs will begin to court Tulsa May to give the gossip about the broken engagement time to die out. This seemed like a very good solution at the time. Of course, it ended up causing more problems than it fixed. I absolutely love these western historical romance stories written by Pamela Morsi. This one dates from 1994 and is one of my all time favorites of all the stories she wrote about the people who live in this town. The characters are so warm and genuine and true to life that they seem like old friends as soon as you begin reading about them. The situations Tulsa May and Luther find themselves in are so well written that I firmly believed that those particular situations could come about naturally. Other characters in the book are well rounded out and defined by the author so they also play pivotal roles in the plot. I really wish that Pamela Morsi had not abandoned writing stories like these. I have never felt that her contemporary romances could hold a candle to the feelings she engenders with these historical romances. I keep hoping that one day she will return to these sweeter old fashioned stories. Judging from all the people who ask for my recommendation of books they wouldn't be ashamed to be caught reading in public, there is definitely still a place for novels such as this.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Unshapely Things (Connor Grey, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Del Franco Page; Review: I had never read a novel by Mark del Franco, but I will definitely be searching for other stories written by him. I would place this book in the urban fantasy/suspense category and I think that he did a wonderful job in creating the suspenseful aspect of the story. Urban fantasy is a fascinating genre simply because the stories can cover so many different subjects and be handled so differently by each author. This first book in the Connor Grey series was an intense reading experience for me. Connor Grey is a man who has much to learn about the world he inhabits now. Since the unfortunate accident which resulted in his losing almost every ability he posessed as a druid, Connor is learning what it is like to live in a world without the strong powers he had less than a year ago. He referrers to himself as the "crippled druid" and is no longer involved in the Ward Guild. Wallowing in self pity has become a way of life for him, broken up only by consulting for the Boston Police Department on crimes which happen in the portion of the city mainly inhabited by the fey, an area known as the Weird. Now Connor has been called in to help with the murder of the third fairy in three weeks, with all being male prostitutes. The papers have dubbed the perpetrator the Tuesday Killer. All Connor can figure out right now is that the essence of the killer tells him that something is seriously wrong with this person. Of course, opening the chest of the victim and removing the heart is also a pretty substantial clue that this killer has an unusual agenda going on. The cast of characters in this book is wonderfully diverse and are a delight to meet. Stinkwort the flit (call him Joe - he doesn't like the name Stinkwort!), Detective Lieutenant Leo Murdock who polices in the Weird because he isn't prejudiced against the fey, and Meryl who works for the Guild, are just some of my favorite characters. The fantasy world this author has created is very detailed and complex. There is quite a bit of history regarding the fey and the human race with an emphasis on Germany in the second world war. It takes careful reading to figure out the political and social situations facing both humans and fey since the Convergence. Connor has many lessons to learn about how to function in the world now that he is disabled by having no special powers, and he is almost on a par with humans. He now has a chance to see himself as others saw him when he was at his height of self-importance within the Guild. What he sees and learns about himself is not very attractive, but now he has to learn to survive in this world using different skills. I really liked this world, the plot, the writing, and the characters. I will be looking for the other books in this series to follow the further adventures of Connor; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death at the Alma Mater (A St. Just Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's G.M. Malliet Page; Review: The third book in this marvelous mystery series finds Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just investigating a murder at St. Michael's College at Cambridge. The most unusual thing about this assortment of former students who have been invited back to St. Mike's is that they have all been very successful financially, but there is also a lot of past history tying these people together. Now the Master and the Bursar look to this weekend with the hope of convincing them to make much needed financial contributions. The old place is crumbling down and some serious repairs need to be made. Unfortunately, the guest list includes Sir James Bassett, his current wife India and his former wife Lexy Laurant. Everybody knows that combination can only spell trouble. When one of the potential donors is found murdered St. Just and Sergeant Fear must forsake their time off to find the culprit. Once again a mystery by G. M. Malliet gives lovers of detective stories a really good, difficult mystery to solve while also including her trademark tongue in cheek presentation of the classic Golden Age novel. The plot of the story, the actual mystery, was very well done. I certainly did not foresee the twist presented at the end. There are appearances by Portia De'Ath (from Death and the Lit Chick: A St. Just Mystery - the second book in the series) who is supposed to be spending her summer at St. Mike's working on her thesis but is in reality getting more of her mystery novel written. The relationship between St. Just and Portia has progressed to an understanding between them, but St. Just is adamant about not allowing Portia to get involved in this investigation in order to protect her and keep his private life and his profession separate. I can't help but wonder if this author is going to be able to continue along that path for much longer. It just seems that these two characters are meant to investigate crimes together. This was a very satisfying read for me. I enjoyed it very much and appreciate the growth I see in these characters from one book to the next. Even Sergeant Fear's darling little daughter Emma is back with her programming abilities for his cell phone. If you have not read either of the other two books in the series, don't worry, this is very definitely a stand alone book. Any spoofing of the "cozy" mystery or the standardized "police procedural" is done in a very gentle, warm way. I have read some criticism of the method this author chose in the "twist" at the end which I mentioned before. While I agree that it would probably not have been my choice for how the murder happened I can honestly say that it did not diminish my enjoyment of the book in any way. We get a list of the cast of characters, we get a diagram of the College grounds, we get chapters with honest-to-goodness titles, and we get a well plotted mystery. A cracking fine novel for me.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Becoming Jane Eyre: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Sheila Kohler Page; Review: The entire time I was reading this book I wondered if I might enjoy it more if I were a Charlotte Bronte fan. I do love the book Jane Eyre, but it doesn't strike me in the same way that the books by Jane Austen do. I had hoped this novel might be the catalyst to piquing my interest in reading or re-reading the Bronte novels. That did not happen for me. I didn't find any of the characters in the book depicted in a way to make me sympathetic toward them. The first part of the book is presented as Charlotte is caring for her father who has had surgery on his eye, probably the modern equivalent to cataract surgery, in the city of Manchester. The diagnosis for after-care was that he had to remain completely still and could not talk for six weeks. This meant that there was no dialogue between Charlotte, her father, or the nurse who was performing the more unpleasant tasks associated with an invalid. But then, Charlotte and the nurse very, very seldom spoke even when they had other opportunities. It was very forcefully presented that the Bronte family was in severe financial straits and one of the ways Charlotte saved on the expenses during this time with her father was to be extremely parsimonious with the household expenses, including not having much food in their rented accommodations. When Charlotte found the nurse in the kitchen late at night, eating (because the nurse was also expected to go without adequate food) the two women sat at the same kitchen table and yet still had no dialogue. Once Charlotte and her father had returned to Haworth I had hoped that the style of writing the story would have reverted to the more conventional form of characters having conversations with one another, but that didn't happen. The book was presented with one character at a time thinking their own thoughts. The most dialogue in the entire book seemed to me to have been in the chapter devoted to Branwell. Then it went back to the thoughts of the individual characters. The point of the book was to have events taking place in Charlotte's life ultimately show up in the novel she was writing, Jane Eyre. It was a good idea and this author is obviously a talented writer. For me it didn't work because I didn't like this Charlotte Bronte. I found her to be self-centered and selfish. Since I know only a few facts regarding the real Charlotte Bronte I'm left with no choice but to say that I did not like the woman depicted in the pages of this book. As I said, maybe I'm just not enough of a Charlotte Bronte fan.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Way of the Wolf: Book One Of The Vampire Earth; Author: Visit Amazon's E.E. Knight Page; Review: How very glad I am that I chanced upon this book. It was a very exciting, thought provoking concept of what this planet could be like if certain things were to take place. This is the story of one young man who decides to become a rebel against the alien forces which occupy the Earth. This is the year 2065 and it is the 43rd year of the Kurian Order. The entire landscape of Earth has changed because of the Kurian rule, cities were totally destroyed and never rebuilt. Vegetation has slowly crept in to make whole infrastructures unusable. The rebels who fight against the invaders are few and scattered. Yet if you look closely you will find that resistance is taking place and victories are being won. A Kurian is an alien being who controls Reapers. The function of a Reaper is to hunt down their food source, humans, and drain their body of blood while sending back the human's aura to their Kurian Master. These are not vampires which are depicted in other urban fantasy novels. These creatures are almost unstoppable and definitely not ever going to be viewed as "romantic" no matter how you chose to use that word. David Valentine is about 17 when he begins his training to become a Hunter. He was then chosen to receive enhanced abilities to make him a fighter known as a Wolf. There are many different types of human guerrilla fighters. Cat, Bear, and Wolf are the three types with the most enhancements (read supernatural abilities) but those are positions conferred only on individuals who display special talent during their military training. This book was presented in a very interesting way. Each chapter begins with a segment, presented in italics, which gives a brief description of what is happening in this portion of the story, gives background information so that the reader knows how the "world" is structured, and sets up the episode which the chapter will involve. This method was very informative and kept the characters from having to repeat so much information. Instead, I read the introduction to the chapter and then continued on to read about what happened during this time with David. Only when the story got to the very last few chapters did the narrative continue from one chapter to the next. The final paragraph is not an ending to these adventures, instead it is an ending of this series of episodes. Lieutenant David Valentine is left very far from his military unit and a notation states very clearly that his adventures will continue in the next book Choice of the Cat (The Vampire Earth, Book 2). Please don't let yourself be put off from reading this book because it is subtitled Book One of The Vampire Earth. Believe me, these are not your regular vampires from Transylvania. The book did give me some small problems. There is a Glossary in the back. I wish I had known about that while I was reading because it would have come in very handy. These characters, both the; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Cotswold Killing; Author: Visit Amazon's Rebecca Tope Page; Review: I have a weakness for British mysteries. Add to that my love of the English countryside and the Cotswolds in particular and I snapped this book up when I first saw the title. Well......... The lovely descriptions of all things Cotswold didn't last very long and that left me with a novel that never helped me form any kind of attachment to the characters. I can forgive a lot of things in a story since I freely admit that I am unable to construct one. However, being totally ambivalent toward all the characters in a book just will not do. To add insult to injury, I never even cottoned to the dog! Thea (not Doro or An or Ale, just Thea) Osbourne has taken on the three week job of house-sitting for the Reynoldses at their home in the village of Duntisbourne Abbots. The recently widowed Thea, in her early forties, travels with her spaniel with the undocked tail, Hepzibah. She received all the instructions left by Mr and Mrs Reynolds and saw them off on their way to a vacation cruise. That first night in the house Thea wakes up to a scream somewhere outside the house but manages to convince herself it was either a dream or a night sound she misunderstood because she was sleeping. The next day she discovers a corpse. There are many things I didn't understand about this book but one which irritated me the most was the authors insistence that Thea was middle aged. In her early 40's? Well, if so then why did she have Thea climbing over walls, climbing fences, climbing stiles, climbing gates, and climbing trees? And just what was going on with Thea and her injured finger? Was I correct in thinking that the author was hinting that Thea was injuring herself as a form of taking her mind off her grief? Surely not. That's just too bizarre for words. Anyway, the mystery aspect of this story was singularly uninteresting to me. Thea's method of investigating was to bumble from one unfortunate situation to another sticking her nose in where she had absolutely no logical reason to do so. The residents of Duntisbourne Abbots were, for the most part, quite mean and nasty people and so, this is not a series I will be tempted to continue. That's really a shame from my standpoint because there are other books in the series and I would love to add this author to my list of must read authors. I'll just keep looking and searching for good English "cozy" mysteries elsewhere. **CLARIFICATION** I have been gently chided by someone with greater knowledge than myself because of my statement in this review about the protagonist physically injuring herself to divert her attention away from her grief. I was told that this is a common practice. I don't know about that, I'm 67 years old and have never been aware of this before. My point still has to be that the author of the novel did not give me any information within the book to; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Murder at Longbourn: A Mystery (Elizabeth Parker Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Tracy Kiely Page; Review: This book scored a double delight for me. I am a mystery novel nut and a Jane Austen nut and this book got it right on both counts. It is a very hard chore for an author to write an interesting and complicated mystery and still combine it with just enough Pride and Prejudice references to keep any Austen fan content. Tracy Kiely has hit exactly the right note for me with this book. Elizabeth (Lizzy to her friends) Parker is invited to a Murder Mystery Dinner at the B & B recently opened by her Aunt Winifred on Cape Cod. During that New Year's Eve party there was a murder, but a real murder, not a scene performed by actors. Lizzy wants to make sure the police don't focus any of their suspicions on her Aunt so she tolerates the presence of her childhood adversary Peter McGowan. Lizzy doesn't call Peter "spawn of Satan" because she likes him. Oh no, just the opposite in fact. This was wonderfully amusing and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this author recreate many of the major characters from Pride and Prejudice and place them in this modern setting. It's really fun to try to recognize Mr. Darcy, Willoughby, Mr. and Mrs. Collins, and Jane and Bingley. Lizzy and Aunt Winnie quote lines from Pride and Prejudice at every opportunity, but this very talented author has managed to get all of this incorporated into her mystery novel without being either heavy handed or silly. Quite a remarkable accomplishment from my standpoint because I don't enjoy seeing my Austen characters ridiculed. This mystery alone would make the book a worthwhile reading experience. Ms Kiely did a very good job with the plot and the details of the mystery itself. And if I wasn't surprised by the outcome it was only because I have been reading mysteries for a long time. I would love to read other books along this line by Tracy Kiely.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bertie Wooster Sees It Through (A Jeeves and Bertie Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's P. G. Wodehouse Page; Review: If you understand the title of this review, you have already been introduced to the unequaled comic talents of P. G. Wodehouse. If you don't understand it at all, you need to read this book (especially the dedication). Or, for that matter, any book written by this master of stories written to allow the reader to laugh out loud and revel in that experience. There is just nothing to beat completely submerging yourself in the world of the ridiculous. Bertram Wooster and his gentleman's gentleman, Jeeves, have their work cut out for them with this tangle of situations. Florence Craye is engaged to G. D'Arcy Cheesewright (Stilton to the members of the Drones Club). Then the engagement is off. Then she's engaged to Bertie. Then she and Stilton get back together. Then it all comes apart again and so Bertie must do the right thing and become engaged to her again. While all of this is playing out Bertie's Aunt Dahlia is trying to convince businessman L. G. Trotter to buy her weekly ladies magazine but Trotter is so bothered by tummy troubles that he can't concentrate on anything. A pearl necklace goes missing, Bertie has it in his pocket, how to get out of this mess? And why did Bertie need the cosh anyway? In the middle of all this upheaval Bertie can't finish reading "The Mystery of the Pink Crayfish" so he doesn't know whether the butler did it or not. Then, just like the gallant knight of old, here comes Jeeves to the rescue with a charming tidbit learned at the Junior Ganymede Club. This book is one of my favorites among the stories featuring Jeeves and Bertie. You can't possibly read one of these stories and expect it to make logical sense. No, what you want to do is read one of these stories and willingly leave logical sense well in the background. These stories are simply fun, and funny, and escapist reading at it's very best. I sincerely hope you have experienced the zany world of P. G. Wodehouse. I'll bet he was a wonderful man to sit down and talk to.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dissolution: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Sansom Page; Review: The birth of the Church of England came into full fruition amid the upheaval surrounding the dissolution of the monasteries run by the Roman Catholic Church. It was a wonderful experience to read the story this author created to illustrate the corruption and greed which was taking place on both sides of this issue. At the point this story takes place, 1537, Thomas Cromwell has dispatched a commissioner to investigate the death of the first commissioner he had sent to the monastery near Scarnsea on the Kent-Sussex border. Matthew Shardlake has become a successful lawyer in London when he comes to the notice of Cromwell and begins to perform services for the vicar general for King Henry VIII. This case is particularly important to Cromwell because his plan is to engineer the fall of all the monasteries by gaining the voluntary surrender of certain strategic houses. He needs for Shardlake and his assistant Mark Poer to find this murderer quickly so that the papers of surrender can be signed. I read historical mysteries because I want to experience the atmosphere of the historical setting. This debut novel by C. J. Sansom satisfied me completely on that score. I also think the characters in the book were extremely well drawn and I especially appreciate that Shardlake was portrayed with very human faults. He experienced anger, frustration, infatuation and jealousy as he became acquainted with the monks and servants working at the monastery. The mystery is a very good puzzle, with some clues being given regarding the solutions but essentially having the reader wait for the writer to reveal the entire outcome. I appreciated the presence of an epilogue to finish out the remainder of the questions left open and to provide the answer to a very important question. I found this book to be one which engaged my attention fully and I am now ready to move on to the next adventure with Matthew Shardlake.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: River of Darkness (John Madden Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Rennie Airth Page; Review: I can certainly understand why this book was a prize winner and a nominee for so many other awards. This is an intense reading experience. Rennie Airth did an absolutely wonderful job of bringing to life all of the characters used to tell this story. The novel begins with the discovery of a truly horrendous scene of multiple murders and the investigation by Scotland Yard to find a killer or killers and a motive. The atmosphere of 1921 Britain is very well depicted by this author and I enjoyed having the story presented from the viewpoint of so many different characters, from the lead investigators to the inexperienced detective constable assigned to the case. This is a book which shows how incredibly difficult police investigation can be if there is no apparent motive for a crime and no connection with any particular "persons of interest". The time period in which this story takes place adds to the tension I experienced while reading the novel because of all the physical difficulties experienced by the police force. They have to perform their duty without benefit of readily available communications and transport. The science of forensics is just barely understood and is not even supported by experts within Scotland Yard. Specimens have to be sent outside regular police channels to be tested. All of this, combined with the deep trauma being experienced by Inspector John Madden from his time spent on the battlefields during the recently concluded war make this a darkly psychological drama. When the story starts being presented from the viewpoint of the killer, it becomes even more powerful. This book is a combination of psychological thriller and police procedural. The situations existing within the hierarchy of Scotland Yard add a tremendous interest to the story. Not only do these investigators have to contend with the solving of the crimes and trying to identify a suspect, but they also are embroiled in the political maneuvering by another investigator to have the spotlight transferred to himself to further his own career. All of these forces come together to create a story which captured my imagination and created a sense of dark foreboding. The psychology of this killer is a haunting portrayal of a mind irrevocably damaged by past experiences. Of all the characters in the book, the one who was my least favorite was Dr. Helen Blackwell, the woman I was probably meant to find as the most sympathetic. Instead I found myself reading about a 21st century woman living in 1921. Her character rankled with me and I found her to be the one I least wanted to read about. To my way of thinking, John Madden probably would not have made as much progress with his own emotional scarring without meeting Helen, but having them both fall in love instantly was really a bit too much for me. Ultimately I would recommend this book very highly. The writing is absolutely wonderful, the plotting is very good, the characters are all well written, and the progression from first discovery of the initial crime; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Footsteps in the Dark; Author: Visit Amazon's Georgette Heyer Page; Review: There are many things you can expect from a Georgette Heyer mystery. One is a superb mystery and another is a liberal dose of levity. This particular book is really quite a good ghostly Monk story. Everyone in the village knows that The Priory and it's grounds are haunted by The Monk. Too many people have seen that apparition to leave any doubt about that. Even so, Celia and Charles Malcolm along with her brother and sister, Peter and Margaret Fortescue are determined to stay on and enjoy their holiday. The Priory has no electricity so they only have candles and lamps to light their way but that just adds to the adventure. Except that the adventure begins to turn into one frightening episode after another with The Monk making more and more appearances. Charles and Peter are determined to get to the bottom of what is going on, but there are so many people who keep turning up at odd times on the grounds of The Priory. Then a skull rolls down the dark stairway, a priest hole is found in the upstairs hall and a horrible groaning sound scares everybody witless. Now the men are going to the nearest town to lay all their facts before the police and see if they can't find some answers to these happenings. Written in 1932, this novel is classic Heyer in her presentation of the "bright, young things" who are the lead characters in the book. There is also an eccentric entomologist who is hunting moths at night, the retired bachelor Colonel, the village doctor who has started drinking too much, the busybody Vicar's wife, the artist who paints really dreadful pictures, and the suspicious man that Margaret Fortescue can't help but be attracted to. In this book Charles Malcolm is the quipster in the crowd, always ready with a joke to get everyone over the frightening or bothersome moment. A Georgette Heyer mystery isn't usually riddled with murdered corpses and this book is no exception. She built her books on character relationships and atmosphere. In this book, she has accomplished a wonderful result in both those areas. This book is just an old fashioned good time. If you enjoy reading Ngaio Marsh, Patricia Wentworth, Josephine Tey, Agatha Christie or Margery Allingham, you will be very glad to add Georgette Heyer to your list of classic mystery fiction writers. She never disappoints.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dark Fire: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Sansom Page; Review: This second book in the series featuring Matthew Shardlake has two more very interesting puzzles for the reader to try to solve. The first involves a young woman who refuses to enter a plea in court and is therefore sentenced to being "pressed" until such time as she either states her innocence or guilt or dies under the weight of the stones pressing down on her. There are so many witnesses to Elizabeth Wentworth committing the murder that everyone believes her guilty, but she must enter her own plea. Suddenly Thomas Cromwell exerts his influence to force a postponement of Elizabeth's pressing, but only if Shardlake will undertake an extremely secret and deadly mission for him. Cromwell has promised King Henry that he will give him a demonstration of the weapon known as Dark Fire in two weeks time. Cromwell assigns his man Barak to work with Shardlake to locate this Dark Fire and secure it for the use of the monarch. I think that I may be giving this series of books the wrong classification. Instead of mysteries they are probably best described as thrillers. C. J. Sansom doesn't sprinkle clues throughout the pages of his book for the reader to gather up in order to solve the riddle. Rather, these two completely separate situations are solved by having Shardlake and Barak compile one bit of information after another and by then assembling all that information into a workable solution. Always assuming that they manage to live through their investigations. It seems that others are watching their every move and trying to keep them as far from the secrets of Dark Fire as possible. I have to confess that I wasn't even in the ballpark when it came to solving the political problem, but I did at least know what was happening in the murder investigation. Set in 1540's London this story very cleverly uses historical fact paired with fiction to paint a picture of the great city of London, the Court intrigues which were a constant daily occurrence, and the incredible contrasts between the lives of rich and poor in this difficult world. How anyone managed to survive is a great surprise to me, with it's susceptibility to plagues, fires, criminal activities, death for political reasons, and corrupt court systems it surprises me that London and its inhabitants didn't all perish. This time period is described in very vivid terms by this author. Three years have passed since book one Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake Mysteries) and Matthew Shardlake is continuing to question his own religious beliefs and to earn his very good living as a lawyer despite the drawback of being a hunchback. I liked the character of Barak and particularly enjoyed the verbal skirmishes these two engaged in. It made them seem much more realistic than to have two characters who always agreed or having one constantly defer to the other. I'm looking forward to reading the third book in this series, Sovereign: A Matthew Shardlake Mystery (Matthew Shardlake Mysteries). But I do think I will allow some time to; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Jane Fairfax; Author: Visit Amazon's Joan Aiken Page; Review: Let's get this point out of the way immediately, this is not a book written by an author who thinks she is Jane Austen. I cannot even conceive of Joan Aiken purposefully trying to copy the writing style of Jane Austen. If she did, then she failed completely. But, that doesn't mean that this author didn't write a very good book in the style of books written during the same time period in which Austen wrote. Sometimes the writing is too prosy, overly wordy, but overall this was a very good book from my standpoint. Emma Woodhouse and Jane Fairfax are the same age. People in the village of Highbury think it the most natural thing in the world that the two children would be great friends. There is the difference in their stations in life, of course, but still they could be playmates and provide company for each other. This does not take into consideration at all that the two girls are so very different in nature that being forced to become friends sends them each in completely opposite directions. While Mrs. Woodhouse is alive, Jane is perfectly content to be the little ghost who slips into the house to practice the piano and take lessons from Emma's piano teacher. When Mrs. Woodhouse dies in childbirth her will reveals that she has left a legacy for Jane and childish jealousies combined with grief turn Emma completely away from Jane. Soon afterward Jane leaves Highbury to go to London to live with ColonelCampbell, his wife, and their daughter Rachel. The remainder of Book One relates Jane's life with Rachel, her family and the friends they make as they are growing up. Book Two begins when Jane returns to Highbury because Rachel and her family have gone to Ireland. From here on the story follows "Emma" except that all the happenings are seen from the perspective of Jane Fairfax. I really, really enjoyed the entire book, but especially this portion where I realized what an impact Frank Churchill and the residents of Highbury had on Jane. How mortified she was to be secretly engaged to Frank, very much against her will in the beginning, and have to see his interactions with Emma. How frustrated she became with Mrs. Elton's insistence on finding a governess position for her. How differently Jane viewed the ball at Highbury, how she suffered because of the gift of the piano from an unknown source. Quite frankly, I would have liked to kick Frank Churchill in the shins more than once. This was a very good book. Don't let it fool you though. There may be only 252 pages, but those pages are filled with writing in the style of 19th Century authors and close attention must be paid to understand what the author is saying. Yes, there were some times when Ms Aiken unnecessarily (in my opinion) drew our attention to the "Austen" aspects of this book, i.e. a widow with few financial resources living in Bath in Westgate Buildings, but I just overlooked those obvious references. If; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea; Author: Visit Amazon's Tom Reynolds Page; Review: Tom Reynolds has given each of us the opportunity to see what life is like for people who drive the ambulances to medical emergencies. Granted, once he gets to the location, the "emergency" might be an upset stomach or a runny nose, but it might also be a tiny baby who has died in it's crib. This book has no plot, no named characters, no chronology, but what it does have is a realism that can only be achieved by someone who is living these events each and every day of his career. The incidents related here are from the blog Tom Reynolds writes concerning his job with the ambulance service in a section of east London. On my Kindle this book is divided into 211 chapters with each "chapter" being devoted to a single entry of his blog. Each one is very short. They range all the way from the truly frivolous calls to those where he and his mates are unable to save the patient's life. Along the way he sometimes indulges in a little fanciful, playful writing about his job and he also vents his spleen about how the government is running the National Health Service. Also included is a lexicon of terms and abbreviations which will help the reader keep track of the various organizations and functions of the London Ambulance Service and a short note about the author, including his real name. This is the second book utilizing information from Reynolds' blog. The first was Blood, Sweat, and Tea: Real-Life Adventures in an Inner-City Ambulance which is also available in book or Kindle form. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see real life situations on a daily basis through the eyes of someone who is there and keeps going back.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sheen on the Silk; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne Perry Page; Review: I've been a fan of the writings of Anne Perry for a long time now. I enjoy her Victorian mystery series, especially the Thomas Pitt books, because she has so much talent for taking me into another time period and making me see the lives of her characters. Even though this particular book was set in a completely different time and place I had expected to enjoy it just as much. Sadly for me, that was not the case. This was a book that I struggled to read, in fact I pushed myself to finish it because I kept hoping I would find that Anne Perry spark that I recognized. Anna Zarides has made her way to Constantinople to find her twin brother Justinian. Once there she discovered that Justinian had been involved in a plot to kill the emperor and has been banished to the Sinai desert. Was he guilty of the crime? If so, why banishment instead of death? Is he still alive? Sound like a good mystery? Well, it might have been if this book could have decided that it wanted to be a mystery. Instead it wavered back and forth between mystery and historical fiction epic with the fate of her brother definitely taking a back seat for most of the novel. In order to investigate his whereabouts it was necessary for Anna to disguise herself as the eunuch Anastasius. It seems Anna could use her skills as a physician only if she were a eunuch, not a female. I thought that the author set herself up for some very difficult storytelling by using that device, but maybe it would have worked if I had ever felt really passionate about Anna or Anastasius. Frankly, I didn't care for either of them because they seemed almost bland, as if they were the background and the story was taking place in spite of them being there. Anna had the most incredible luck to settle in a city where she knew absolutely no other person and yet become personal physician to every important personage in that city. Quite an accomplishment. And months and months pass while Anna/Anastasius is establishing her medical practice and becoming embroiled with religious politics with no progress being made on finding out anything about her brother. There are plots within plots and sub-plots within those plots also. And many, many characters. The novel probably will be enjoyed more by readers of historical fiction because the main emphasis of the story is always centered on the political wranglings between the rulers of Constantinople and Rome. Between the Roman Catholic Church represented by the Pope then in power and the emperor of the Byzantine empire. Between the different factions in Constantinople who all have their own agendas and are willing to do any kind of malicious act to arrive at their hoped for result. It was just too much of a departure from previous books I've read by this author for me to enjoy it. Plus I honestly found it dull.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Bradley Page; Review: Flavia de Luce is back and better than ever. Actually, I can say that I enjoyed this second book even more than the first (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery) because the mystery was very good in this second novel and Flavia really had to use her powers of deductive reasoning to find the culprit and answer all the questions raised. Something as simple as the breakdown of a van was the catalyst for involving the people of the hamlet of Bishop's Lacy in murder. This second story in the series involves the entire population of the village when the famous puppeteer agrees to put on a show in the church hall to pay the expenses for fixing his van. The world of Flavia de Luce in 1950's England is once more brought brilliantly to life by Alan Bradley. All of the characters we met were very interesting for me and the sheer number introduced made the solving of this mystery very much harder than in the first novel. There were hidden things going on in the background of this small community which came to light as Flavia and the police began to investigate who had committed this murder. I really enjoy the way Bradley has written the character of Flavia here. There is more humor in this book than in the first and it really solidified my liking for Flavia as a person. In all honesty I must say that I had never noticed before how many of the worlds most infamous (or should that be famous?) poisoners had names beginning with the letter "C". Now that's the kind of interactions Bradley makes his character have with the reader that allows me to think that Flavia could walk into this room right now and I could hold a conversation with her. She and I would get along just fine. Mysteries are a passion of mine also, and poison has always been my "weapon of choice", so to speak. She could run rings around me when it comes to knowledge of chemistry and all it's wonders, but otherwise, she's your average highly intelligent 11 year old girl who solves murder mysteries without benefit of all the information the police have. In all seriousness, there is nothing "average" about this book. Flavia is a delight, the pages are filled with both humor and pathos, the mystery is well constructed and multi-layered, and the author has a way of capturing my imagination so that I feel totally involved and drawn into the story. Now the only question is how long we have to wait for the third book. I'm also of the opinion that if this author starts a completely different series, I will be right there waiting to buy my copy. Yes, he's that good.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Bradley Page; Review: Alan Bradley has just skyrocketed onto my list of favorite authors. What a really engaging, interesting and heartwarming story. When I first began to notice all the talk about this book I had serious doubts about an 11 year old girl being the lead character in a story written for adults. Well, Flavia is as smart as a whip and a joy to read about. Is the book perfect? No. Is it really, really interesting to read? My answer to that is, yes. The whole mystery begins when Flavia, her Father and their housekeeper Mrs. Mullet go to open the back door and find a dead jack snipe with a postage stamp impaled on it's beak lying on the doorstep. With the reaction from the Colonel, Flavia knows that something is seriously wrong and that is confirmed when she shamelessly eavesdrops on a conversation late that night. When she finds the stranger on the point of death in the cucumber patch the next morning it means that she has to try to find out who he was before the police find out about his argument with her father. Flavia de Luce is one of those fictional characters you run across every so often who is written so well that you begin to think of them as real people. Flavia comes to life in the pages of this book. Author Alan Bradley has her do some things which seem much too mature for her 11 years of life and yet I have to admit that it is possible that some 11 year olds can do those things and think in that way. This whole family has some problems that make you want to take them aside individually and give them a good thorough talking to. Bradley amused me, he entertained me, his characters touched me. What he could not do in this first mystery was stump me. I don't know if he ever even wanted to hide the person responsible for the murder, it was that easy to solve. I will tell you this, "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" was compelling enough for me to know positively that I wanted to read The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Mystery (Flavia De Luce Mysteries). Luckily I received that book through the Amazon Vine program so I can go straight on to the next exciting adventure for Flavia and her family.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Pale Horse: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: After having read many other books written by the "Charles Todd" team of writers it might be possible for me to become tired of the characters portrayed. Luckily, that has not happened. This particular book in the series does have some small problems, but for the most part I am so interested in the life of the main character, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge, that I find I am willing to overlook those problems in favor of the enjoyment I receive from the story as a whole. The novel takes place in 1920, only several years after the fighting stopped in World War I. Rutledge has, as his constant reminder of that war, the voice in his mind of a soldier whom he ordered to be executed for refusing to obey a direct order under combat conditions. It remains a balancing act for Rutledge to function without allowing anyone to realize how much influence the voice of Hamish has over him. Rutledge is sent on a watching brief for the Army because someone they are keeping an eye on has disappeared. Rutledge has nothing to go on because the Army isn't talking and Chief Superintendent Bowles doesn't want any feathers ruffled. Rutledge drives to the tiny village in Berkshire which sits practically beneath the chalk horse carved into the hillside, not far from Uffington. It is clearly impossible for him to remain unobserved by the other eight residents of the enclave of cottages. All of these people have chosen to isolate themselves, even from the villagers, because of hidden secrets in their lives. After several days Rutledge returns to London, only to be sent immediately to a village in Yorkshire where an unidentified man has been found, presumably the victim of a murder. Some of the problems I had with this particular book were because all eight of the tenants of the cottages played such a large part in the mystery. That turned out to be quite a few people to keep track of. And the crime in Yorkshire also had many characters attached to it and they also added to some of the confusion. I have to say that I still don't fully understand why the character living in the cottage beneath the pale horse was committing the crimes there. Evidently I haven't fully grasped the explanation and will need to go back and read that part over again. As for the happenings in the Yorkshire area, I enjoyed that much more. That situation involved another member of the police force acting in a self-serving manner and being unwilling to accept the help and advice Rutledge was giving him. These books always surprise me with how often suspects, or even just witnesses to a crime, will simply tell the police they choose not to talk to them and slam the door. Can you really do that? Once again I enjoyed the atmosphere created for this story. This particular location has probably the most famous of all the chalk horses in England and I liked how it's history was woven into the; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Empire in Black & Gold: Shadows of the Apt. Book One; Author: Visit Amazon's Adrian Tchaikovsky Page; Review: This novel, "Empire in Black and Gold" is one of those rare experiences I have as a reader where I really don't want to put a book down. I don't want to stop reading it. That is an unusual thing for me, especially in a book with 612 pages, because there are almost always high spots and low spots so my attention wanders and I begin to anticipate the end. That never happened in this book. Never once was I even tempted to skip over sections because I had come to a dull spot. Adrian Tchaikovsky crafted a fantasy world that was so extremely different from most others that it kept me enthralled. The story remained fresh and exciting throughout. When I realized that the characters in this book would all have both human and insect traits, I was very surprised. I had no idea how that concept could be carried out without making me, a person who is definitely not a fan of the creepy-crawly, decidedly uncomfortable. These characters are so finely honed that you cease to even think of them as part insect. Instead I thought of them as humans with highly unusual genetic adaptations. Master Stenwold Maker is a Beetle-kinden who has been trying for his entire adult life to convince others that the Wasp-kinden are determined to rule the world. It has been seventeen years since Stenwold has been engaged in actual guerrilla warfare type battles with the Empire, instead he has been teaching in the Great University of Collegium and trying to train his students to go into the surrounding lands to spy on the Wasp soldiers and bring back information he can use to convince others that the Wasp Empire wants nothing except slaves and conquest. The word he is receiving now says that the Empire of the Wasp is about to make a strategic move and Stenwold, his ward Tynisa (Mantis-kinden), his niece Cheerwell Maker (Beetle-kinden), Prince Salma Dien (Dragonfly-kinden) and the apprentice artificer Totho (a mixed breed kinden) must go to the city of Helleron to marshal their forces to fight. This author was able to keep something interesting happening throughout this entire book. Just meeting all the different types of kinden and learning what their Art was, their special ability which went with their insect heritage, was fascinating by itself. And yet Tchaikovsky kept the story moving, never stagnating, never bogging down simply by introducing new characters and moving favorite characters from one portion of this fantasy world to another. It was all extremely interesting. I am simply amazed at the thought which had to go into devising the world populated by Ant-kinden, Butterfly-kinden, Moth-kinden, Fly-kinden, Scorpion-kinden, and the list goes on. There is magic in the book, there is romance which is very well done, there is espionage, there is military strategy, there are battles fought with all the unusual implements invented by this author's fertile imagination. I absolutely loved it. Now, on to book two, Dragonfly Falling (Shadows of the Apt). I know that there are definitely four books in the; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nowhere to Run; Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Box Page; Review: Joe Pickett has only one more week to go in the territory around Baggs, Wyoming, before he will be heading back to take up his position of a game warden in Twelve Sleep Country. Back to his family. But in all good conscience Joe can't ignore the reports he's been hearing about campsites being vandalized and an illegally poached elk being stolen from the hunters who tracked the wounded animal and found the carcass neatly butchered. Pickett figures it will take him a week to make his way around the Sierra Madre of Southern Wyoming and then he's homeward bound. What he finds when he gets deep into the mountains makes him shiver with fear because something just isn't right. By the time he finds who is responsible for the strange happenings in the territory his life hangs in the balance and he's completely cut off from any help. What a great book this was. Such incredible writing prowess by author C. J. Box that my heart was pounding while I read the account of the danger Joe Pickett was in. The descriptions of the magnificent mountains, lakes and valleys in Wyoming were so good I could visualize them without any problem at all. I liked the character of Joe mainly because he seemed like such a normal individual. Not a super hero, just a really dedicated man doing his job to the very best of his ability. The book seems at first to be a rather simple premise of a game warden protecting the area he is assigned to, but it slowly opens out into a much more complex story involving not just inter-state political rivalries, but also political agendas on a national level. The concepts of the rights of the individual in these United States is at the heart of this story. It was a wonderful vehicle for making the arguments concerning how much governmental control is too much and how much independence from that control can safely be allowed. All in all, a very thought provoking novel. This was the first Joe Pickett novel for me to read, but I have now bought the first book of the series, Open Season (A Joe Pickett Novel), and put Winterkill (A Joe Pickett Novel) on my Kindle. I can't wait for my husband to start reading about Joe Pickett. I'm thinking we will end up buying everything we can get our hands on written by C. J. Box.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Cold Day in Paradise: An Alex McKnight Novel (Alex McKnight Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Steve Hamilton Page; Review: I can certainly understand why author Steve Hamilton won the Edgar Award for this debut novel when it was published in 1997. This is a very good example of how an author can make the tension build within a story to such an extent that the reader is hesitant to put the book down. Every time I had to put it aside I couldn't help but wonder what in the world was going to happen next. Alex McKnight has been living a rather aimless life since leaving the Detroit police force. His father had built log cabins in woods near Paradise on the Upper Penninsula of Michigan as rentals for hunting season. Alex was so traumatized because of the incident where his partner was killed and he was wounded that his life has simply floated along for fourteen years. Now, for the past few months he has been working for an attorney who talked him into becoming a private investigator. Beware of phone calls which come in the middle of the night. The first one led Alex to his friend Edwin standing over the very bloody corpse of a very dead man. From then on, each night time phone call took him deeper and deeper into a surreal experience where he even doubted his own sanity. How can a lunatic locked up in a maximum security prison be responsible for stalking Alex and committing these murders? I thoroughly enjoyed this book because of the ways the author found to take situations which are extremely commonplace within this genre and turn them upside down. At times the tension build-up was so intense that I absolutely did not want to put the book down, I had to know what was going to happen next. This thrilling, suspense filled novel didn't just hold my attention, it grabbed me and wouldn't let go!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Spellwright: Book 1 of the Spellwright Trilogy; Author: B. Charlton; Review: Blake Charlton has taken the magic element in fantasy novels to a whole new level. The system he has come up with is so innovative that it makes his debut novel somewhat difficult to read and understand at times. That is not necessarily anything to be concerned with if you enjoy having your mind fully engaged while you are reading. Personally, I did enjoy the challenge. Charlton's magic system shows what magic there is in words, literally. The characters in this novel use words strung together in sentences to actually physically become the magic spell or the magic weapon. Any spelling which is incorrect within the sentence itself will negate the spell and render it useless. That is a huge problem for Nicodemus Weal since he was born a cacographer, someone who misspells words. But is this the way Nicodemus was meant to be or does he have this handicap because of what someone did to him in his childhood? This is the story of a young man who may be the Halcyon figure long awaited to lead the battle in the War of Disjunction. Or, because of his misspelling, he may be the Storm Petrel who was sent to cause chaos and confusion leading to demons returning to power. The information about this author reveals that he suffers with severe dyslexia. This problem has had a major impact on his life and is reflected vividly in this book. The character Nicodemus is described as cacographic. Within the book Charlton calls that a handicap, retardation. He took quite a chance to use those words and I must admit to being somewhat surprised when I first came upon them. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge presented in reading this book. Sometimes the prose was a little confusing and I found myself having to read over a passage to be sure I understood what was going on. That is definitely a point in the author's favor from me. There are, however, some points not in his favor which made me chose to assign this book a 4 star rating instead of 5 stars. **I would have liked for Charlton to have given me more information about this world he had created a little sooner. Just small reveals would have helped a lot. As it is, please don't give up on the book until you have read at least through pages 80 -110. That is where most of the explanations are regarding this fantasy world and where I became completely comfortable with what was happening. **I would have liked for Nicodemus to have been more fully fleshed out as a character. This was a 25 year old man and yet he felt like a young boy to me. He is concentrating so completely on his cacopgaphy that it almost excludes all other aspects of his personality. Only within the last pages of the book did I see growth in him. And even then I didn't actually see that growth, I was told by other characters that Nicodemus had grown. In future books this character really does; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Warded Man: Book One of The Demon Cycle; Author: Visit Amazon's Peter V. Brett Page; Review: What a wonderful reading experience this book was for me. This is my first Peter Brett book, but you can certainly be sure it won't be my last. I was fascinated by his invention of the corelings, demons who rise every night from the core of the earth after the sun has set, because they were such unusual creatures to encounter. There are wind, rock, wood and fire demons and any human caught outside a warded area after sunset has no defenses against them. The setting of the book is not placed in any defined time frame, but there is no mechanization in this fantasy world. It reminded me very much of medieval times. The way this book was written was also of particular interest to me. It definitely kept me on my toes and therefore, never bored with it. I had absolutely no idea where the story was headed. Meeting Arlen, Leesha and Rojer at such young ages allowed me to see their life for a long time before they ever meet for the first time and reached the climactic areas of the novel. Yet none of the history surrounding these young characters seemed contrived, it was all very important for me to read about so that I would understand how the corelings had impacted their lives every minute of every day. It was pivotal for the reader to understand how the corelings controled the lives of all the humans and to make me wonder why only magically warded spaces had ever been used as a defense against these demons. I really liked the way a specific symbol was attached to each character and by displaying the symbol at the beginning of the chapter I could know which characters would be involved without the author giving away any of what was to happen. The situation Arlen found himself in at Krasia really made me mad! I've seen that the next book in this series, The Desert Spear, will feature Jardir, Shar 'Dama Ka, from Krasia prominently through the first portion of the story. I'm definitely going to get that book, hopefully to see him get some payback for the way he treated Arlen.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bellfield Hall: Or, The Observations of Miss Dido Kent (Dido Kent Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Anna Dean Page; Review: This book was originally titled "A Moment of Silence". What a happy circumstance it was for me to discover this lovely novel. I really enjoy reading period mysteries and this one fits into the niche of "gentlewoman sleuth". And as if that wasn't enough of a challenge for the author to take on, she also makes a large portion of the story take the form of letters from our gentle detective to her sister. Any reader who enjoys the atmosphere of upper society England in the early 1800's will find this book well written and a quite good challenge for solving. If you are a stickler for exact correctness in period detail, you may find some examples of historical errors. I wouldn't know, I was too interested in enjoying the writing talents of this author to worry about those issues. For me, the mystery and the relationships between the characters will always come first. The plot is that Miss Dido Kent (a spinster probably somewhere in her 30's, but her exact age was a little unclear) has traveled to Bellfield Hall to support her niece Catherine during a very trying time for her. It seems that Catherine and the future heir to Bellfield, Richard Montague, had no sooner announced their engagement at the ball than something occurred which caused Richard to privately break the engagement and leave the area. Very soon thereafter the body of a murdered woman was found in the shrubbery and Dido discovered that she has a very curious nature and so set about trying to solve the mystery. I read so many mysteries that I honestly enjoy finding one where the author is able to wave a clue directly under my nose and have me miss it. Was I correct about who had committed the crime? Yes. Was I able to ferret out the other huge mystery which was the catalyst that set every other happening in motion? Absolutely not. What fun that was. There is another book in this series, A Gentleman of Fortune, which I already have. I can only hope that book is as good as this one was. Hopefully Ms Dean will continue to write more of the Dido Kent Mystery series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Tainted Relic; Author: Visit Amazon's The Medieval Murderers Page; Review: The reading of this novel was helpful to me because it gave me a chance to sample the writing style of five different* authors. The basic story follows the travels of a religious relic from Jerusalem to modern day London. This relic was said to have been cursed by it's caretaker when the soldiers of the Crusade invaded the city of Jerusalem and committed wholesale slaughter, often for absolutely no reason whatsoever. According to the curse, any person who actually touched the relic itself, not just the container, would die as soon as the relic had passed into the hands of another. The segments are written in novella form, meaning that there are no chapter breaks, merely spaces within the segments which signify passage of time or moving to the perspective of another character. This is how the story progresses: Prologue - Jerusalem 1100, pages 1-27, written by Simon Beaufort* Act One - Devonshire 1194, pages 28-108, written by Bernard Knight Act Two - Oxford 1269, pages 109-194, written by Ian Morson Act Three - Lincolnshire, 1323, pages 195-293, written by Michael Jecks Act Four - Cambridge, 1353, pages 294-425, written by Susanna Gregory* Act Five - London, 16??, pages 426-500, written by Philip Gooden Epilogue - London, 2005, two pages, written by Bernard Knight *Beaufort is the pseudonym of Gregory I had already read a novel by one of the authors featured here and had not liked the style of writing, but I did want to use this method to find out whether I might enjoy reading the works of some of the other authors. The book served it's purpose in that way, but this particular novel is not something I would ever wish to read again. The story is very uneven, surely a result of so many differing styles of writing, and I found that it was really rather uninteresting to me. I could never make myself care anything about what was happening to the relic and since that is the item which carried through from one "act" to another the book never worked for me on anything more than a superficial, investigative level. The Epilogue does make for such an ironic ending that I just groaned aloud.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Pale Blue Eye: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Louis Bayard Page; Review: A retired New York City police detective. The cultural and political atmosphere of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1830. The hanging death and then mutilation of the corpse of one of the cadets. Cadet Edgar Allan Poe as one of those investigating the murder. So, why do I feel slightly dissatisfied? Those ingredients should be a recipe for a sure-fire winner for me. And yet, it wasn't. I'm glad I read it, but it isn't going to remain on my shelf to be enjoyed again at another time. Augustus Landor is the narrator of this story and one of the best things about the book is that he speaks directly to the Reader. You or me. It sounded very realistic, author Louis Bayard made that work perfectly. The close knit, in fact almost paranoid, community involved with West Point was very skillfully portrayed. The officers who want what's best for the corps of cadets, but who must look out for their own skins (and careers) were also believable. My dissatisfaction with this book seems to stem from the actual character of Augustus Landor himself. The way he used Poe during the investigation and then the way he wanted to use Poe when the mystery was solved just didn't sit well with me. And yet, that was exactly the type of man Landor was. So there is my problem. This book is not one which most readers will whiz through and be done with in practically no time at all. No, this one takes careful reading to pick up on all the subtle nuances which the narrator imparts to you. Details are of paramount importance here and Mr Bayard gives them full justice. I just know that I closed the book and sat for a while thinking it over. I did not solve the mystery, I had to wait for the disclosures to come from the author so that should have made me happy. Will I try another of Mr. Bayard's books? I don't know, the jury is still out on that question.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Meaning of Night: A Confession; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Cox Page; Review: Have you ever read a novel that was so well written that you continued to read it even when you would have liked to put it down? That's where I found myself with "The Meaning of Night" by Michael Cox. This author has an incredible talent for conveying atmosphere, drama and character development. My problem came during those times when I felt the novel proceeded so slowly that it bordered on boredom for me. Edward Glyver (just one of his names) was a completely fascinating character in the beginning of this novel because of his complete lack of remorse for what he had done. He was portrayed initially as being totally amoral, blinded to everything except achieving his goal. As the story went along, he did begin to show remorse for one incident in particular, but felt himself completely justified for every other unscrupulous thing. The major grievance he felt had been done to him made him rationalize that nothing he could do in retaliation would be monstrous enough to count act that. I began to lose the sympathy I had originally felt for this character when the author was not able to convince me that everything Glyver felt had happened had been an intentional slight or done to him purposefully. The setting of this novel in the Victorian era means that there was a richness to the language which is not easily mastered, yet Michael Cox managed to keep this "confession" set very firmly within the language, social strictures, and physical parameters of Victorian England. This is an intense reading experience which takes much attention and commitment to do it justice. I did continue on reading to the ending to find out just what price Glyver would have to pay for his first completely random act of violence. I'm glad I read the book and stand in awe of the writing abilities of Michael Cox.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Greyhound; Author: Visit Amazon's Steffan Piper Page; Review: Most children don't spend the day of their twelfth birthday traveling alone on a Greyhound bus. That's what this story is about though. A child who is left to make his way through a very hazardous landscape with nothing but his innocence, his wits and a new adult friend. Along that journey he meets danger from several sources, unpleasant people and situations, kind and caring people, and that friend. The opening of this book almost broke my heart. Thinking about Sebastien Ranes standing in his bedroom, in the dark, at 3 am, fully dressed, with his suitcases packed, hoping against hope that his mother would have changed her mind about sending him away. Again. This time all the way from Stockton, California to Altoona, Pennsylvania by himself on the bus while she marries the latest in her long list of boyfriends and they go on a honeymoon. But Sebastien is already a realist because he understands his mother, he knows that she has already chosen who will stay with her and who will have to go. On the dedication page of this book the author states that the bulk of this story is true. What he does not reveal is precisely who it happened to. Finding that this story was written in first person was a little bit of a surprise since this main character is so young to be relating the things that will be happening to him. First person is sometimes an uncomfortable form of fiction for me to read. As the story progressed I began to think that surely this must, at the end, be revealed as a reminiscence, a backward look at the events of this fateful trip. That is not the case. Because of that I have to say that Sebastien, as a character in a book, just did not come across to me as an 11 or 12 year old boy. The vocabulary used in the descriptions is entirely too adult for someone that young to be using. Especially since Sebastien admits that he has never done very well in school for a multitude of reasons. Putting aside the style in which the novel is written, I can say that it immediately grabbed my attention, it involved me in this child's life on an emotional level, and it made me want to know what happened to him and how his journey ended. Once I had begun, this author made me want to continue to read his book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Desert Spear (The Demon Cycle); Author: Visit Amazon's Peter V. Brett Page; Review: Having just recently finished reading The Warded Man I was definitely ready for the second book in this series. The Desert Spear was not quite as good for me as the first book, but it was still engrossing enough to keep me reading almost non-stop until I had finished it. Instead of immediately taking up where the first book had left off this one spends quite a lot of time allowing the reader to understand what happened in the life of Jardir to shape him into the man he had become and why he was Shar' Dama Ka, leader of his warriors in Sharak Ka, the Great War. This is a war between humans and the coreling demons who rise from the core of the earth each nightfall. This second book focuses the majority of it's attention on Jardir and that proved to be a bit of a problem for me, since he had not been a favorite character of mine in The Warded Man. I do understand that this author needed to fill in the background of Jardir so that the reader can fully understand Jardir's motivation in his treatment of Arlen and anyone else who gets in his way in fighting this Great War. I simply think that explanation was longer than I wanted it to be. But, the story does move along very quickly and there is a tremendous amount of information we learn about the growth and development of all the characters. We do eventually get to catch up with Arlen (the Warded Man), Leesha, Rojer and everyone else we were introduced to in The Warded Man. Brett continues to bring additional characters forward and include them as primary points of view in the story. He manages to do this in a very skillful way so that no character is removed from the attention of the reader for very long. A second aspect which bothered me in this novel was the decision Leesha, the Herb Gatherer for Deliverers Hollow, made about traveling to Fort Rizon. Most of what happened there seemed to me to have been unnecessary to the story and I just didn't care for it. This is definitely one of those series where I would recommend to a friend that they read the books in order. There is so much material contained in book one which can't possibly be repeated in book two that I feel it would make The Desert Spear a difficult book to stand alone. The symbols for specific characters are back on the chapter pages to let you know which characters will predominate in that chapter. And the warding symbols are beautifully presented on the title page and throughout the narrative section divisions. If you would like more information regarding this author and this series, I would highly recommend you go to his website at petervbrett dot com to read all the information he has posted there. It will answer a lot of your questions about the series, including the probable time line for the third book of the series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Keeper of Secrets (The Parson Tobias Campion Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Judith Cutler Page; Review: In this very enjoyable historical mystery more than one character is the keeper of secrets. In fact, upon reflection, it would seem that almost every main character had a least one secret. The way Judith Cutler managed to weave all those secrets into a suspense novel was a delight for me to read. Tobias Campion was given the living of Moreton St. Jude by Lady Elham, a distant cousin of his mother's. Tobias felt a calling to the clergy, even though his secret was that his wealthy family made it unnecessary for him to ever earn his own living. This world will prove to be a very different place from the one he has inhabited all his privileged life and in this world Tobias will come directly in contact with the poverty and privations suffered by the poor while the rich remain unmoved by those conditions. Tobias meets the beautiful housemaid Lizzie Woodman when he rescues her from the unwanted advances of another house guest at Moreton Priory. Her safety then becomes his concern and when she disappears, he sets about trying to find what has happened to her. Dr. Edmund Hansard and Tobias join forces to try to solve the strange and awful happenings which keep coming faster and faster as this story progresses. I thoroughly enjoyed the plotting and the characterizations in this novel. Judith Cutler wrote a moving depiction of the incredible differences in the lives of poor and rich in Regency England and used her parson as a fine example of how men and women of conscience were moved to help with whatever means were at their disposal. I found her characters to be very interesting. I thought the pace of the story moved a little slowly for quite a while, I'm sure in order to give her the opportunity to explain who and what kinds of people her characters are. Nevertheless, it did seem to go slowly until the investigation began in earnest. After that point, the story positively flew. I did not guess until toward the end who the guilty party was nor the many secrets which were leading to the crimes. For readers who enjoy period thrillers, this one is well worth your time to explore.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blood Oath; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Farnsworth Page; Review: When I think about all the possible things going on within the U. S. government, those behind-the-scenes activities which the public is never told about, it honestly never crossed my mind to consider a vampire in the service of the President. A vampire bound by a blood oath since 1867 when he agreed to the terms set down by President Andrew Johnson. The vampire is Nathaniel Cade and the oath says he cannot harm the President or any officers appointed by him for the remainder of Cade's life. So here we have the President's secret weapon used when there are dealings with otherworldly creatures that you and I just can't be trusted to know about. What a smart, original, interesting premise this author has come up with. Because of the age of Cade the reader can be taken back in time to historical events to see what was really going on and how this vampire saved another situation by dealing with beings such as the werewolves in Kosovo. And finally, finally, we have the explanation of the missing 18 1/2 minutes from the Nixon tapes. Cade must have a "handler" of course and because of age and cancer there must be a changeover from the veteran handler to the brash young political schemer who wants nothing more than to climb that political ladder to it's very top. Zach Barrows doesn't want this job, would love to refuse this job and can't help but wonder if that little indiscretion with the President's daughter in the Lincoln Bedroom might have been the catalyst for propelling him into this situation. Well, he could refuse, right? The story is peppered with a secret agency behind the secret agencies, the genius very bad mad scientist, suicidal religious zealots and a weapon created specifically to destroy the President. The plot transitions often between current and past times, but always done very smoothly and well by the author. I have to admit to being rather surprised by how much I liked this book. I really did enjoy reading it and think, because of the way it ended, that there just may be other adventures in store for Cade and Zach. I hope so because this one was so much fun.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: An Unhallowed Grave: A Wesley Peterson Crime Novel (Wesley Peterson Crime Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's Kate Ellis Page; Review: When I'm reading a book and find myself muttering things like, "Why didn't they ask..."? or "Why don't they...?" that doesn't bode well for that book. Unfortunately, this novel kept me muttering throughout. This is classified as a police procedural, so why didn't these policemen use every advantage they had to solve this case? Granted, if they had it would have been a rather short story unless the author had some other bright ideas up her sleeve. Detective Inspector Gerry Hefferman and Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson of the Tradmouth Police are called to the village of Stokeworthy to investigate the death by hanging of a local woman. Pauline Brent was found in the churchyard hanging from a yew tree commonly called the hanging tree because of a local legend of a woman who was hanged there in the 1470's and buried in an unhallowed grave. The modern day story is told while in an uncanny parallel with the other story in regards to who was killed, what the crime of the accused murder was, and how justice was carried out. Rather quickly in the investigation the police find that they can't come up with any background for Pauline Brent and that causes their investigation to come to a grinding halt. This is where my dissatisfaction with this book really began to show itself. This story takes place in 1999, forensic science was available to utilize fingerprints taken from a deceased person. Why in the world did this group of police investigators NEVER take the fingerprints of this victim? It seems to be such a natural path for their investigations to have taken. That one thing would have solved their major mystery and the fact that none of the officers involved ever thought of that method of identifying this woman is ludicrous. I do understand that part of the "charm" of DI Hefferman was his reluctance to have anything to do with modern technology in the form of computers, but to have never have any investigator ask for fingerprint identification? That's unbelievable. And so many times the investigators would be given an extremely obvious clue but would fail to investigate it. Why? If they found out two bits of information they investigated one and left the other alone until much time had passed. And, of course, the one they ignored was always the most vital of the two items. This disregard for methods of investigation point completely to the author's style of writing and I didn't like it. This is the third novel in the Wesley Peterson series by Kate Ellis. I have another title in this series and one in the Joe Plantagenet series. (Will I never learn to read ONE book first before buying others by an author who is new to me?) I can only hope that either one or both of those will satisfy me more than this one. I kept reading in reviews how wonderful the characterization was in this book. Well, I'm sorry but I didn't feel that way at all. There are many characters and I; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Profiler: My Life Hunting Serial Killers and Psychopaths; Author: Visit Amazon's Pat Brown Page; Review: As I found myself reading past the mid-way point in this book I began to wonder if it had been written specifically in order to be the first in a series. I just could not understand why someone who had gone to so much effort to work in the field of criminal profiling would present only cases which did not seem to end with her being able to help. After finishing the book I'm still shaking my head. With the exception of two cases which had been classified as suicide by law enforcement and subsequently deemed suicides by Ms Brown, all other cases mentioned here show that her efforts made absolutely no difference in any of the cases. The opinion of Ms Brown is that either political pressure, law enforcement or family members were not willing to accept her conclusions. My own personal opinion is that she carried out her investigation, stated who she thought she felt needed to be investigated and then moved on. Because of the resistance of someone to re-open a case, she had no other choice. This is really quite an interesting book, although not so much from the profiling standpoint. I have no idea how much of the narrative was written by Ms Brown and how much by Bob Andelman, but I can tell you I found myself thoroughly confused by the "voice" within this book. Perhaps that is because it is so completely the natural result of the way Ms Brown actually speaks that you need to know her to keep her thoughts clear. I also found quite a few technical reasons to be confused, such as: 1.) Why were all the cases used as examples of her profiling so old? I can certainly understand including the first case she ever worked as a "profiler", and even the instances recounted of the boarder in her home, but not why the others were included. Has she not done more recent cases? 2.) How was she able to quote entire conversations with people she interviewed? If some recording, either video or audio, had been made during these investigations that information should have been noted. How can someone remember a conversation they had with a specific person in 1997 or 1999? 3.) Providing her services pro bono to families is a laudable thing for Ms Brown to do but it does beg the question of where the money comes from for her to do these investigations. Just a simple explanation regarding that subject would have helped a lot. And finally, 4.) Why did she seem to try to force cases into the pigeon holes of serial killer and sexual attack because, by her own story, those things were not always proven or even suspected. My overall feeling when I finished reading this book was that this "profiler" didn't seem to have much more going for her than the ability to organize information and then draw conclusions from it. I never understood why she always felt that her conclusion must be the one and only correct conclusion. It is entirely; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners; Author: Visit Amazon's Sara Moulton Page; Review: To my way of thinking Sara Moulton has always been one of those "food" personalities who prepares food I actually "need" to make. She gives me hints, tips, ideas, and alternative thinking which shows me that I'm not totally bored with cooking quite yet. Maybe teetering on the edge, but Sara can pull me back. Several factors are involved here. #1. There are just two of us now for me to cook for. We don't want the heavy meals I've been cooking for 46 years. #2. I do exactly what Sara mentioned, I prepare the same dishes over and over until I'm tired to death of them. #3. I hear about all these interesting sounding ingredients but don't know what they are or how to use them. Once again, Sara to the rescue. Now, a little information concerning how the book is designed. First we get to sit down with Sara and have a chat (at least that's what it feels like) about her philosophy behind this book and what specifically she means when she lists certain ingredients in her recipes: salt is Kosher, butter is unsalted, avocados are Haas, canned tomatos should be fire roasted if possible, etc. Then we get into the recipes. There are 200 listed recipes in the book, 65 of those are vegetarian. (Seventy-eight recipes show the vegetarian icon, but 13 of those are desserts.) There are chapters which focus on soup as the main course of your meal, the fact that it's okay to have a sandwich for supper, combine two or more different appetizers as a main meal, a spirited defense of the egg as a main ingredient, five ingredient main meals, how to cook one time for two meals, a total of 16 chapters of recipes. And those recipes are written by a real person who talks you all the way through them. Don't have a specific item to complete this ingredient list? Well, how about substituting something you do have. And there are large space sidebar comments touching on specific questions, techniques or ingredients in many of the recipes. Not every recipe has a picture. If that bothers you, you need to know that now. There is a particular icon presented to indicate each recipe that is vegetarian. I was a little surprised to see that the icon is not shown when the recipe is listed in the Index. Seems like that would have been quite easy to do. And I hate to mention this, but there are mistakes which spell-check wasn't designed to fix. One is in the title of a sidebar - oops! It's time to talk about the recipes I've already tried. 1. Pork Sliders, Asian Style - absolutely wonderful, adding crunchy cabbage and red bell pepper to the raw meat added a dimension to the mouth feel of this burger that was outstanding. Hubby and I both absolutely loved the Asian flavor added by the combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, basil, scallions, ginger and garlic. I didn't have any cilantro to make the Cilantro Mayonnaise but that's now; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death of a Trophy Wife (A Jaine Austen Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Levine Page; Review: I must confess that I am a certified mystery novel snob. I had tried several lighter novels written by other authors and had come away very dissatisfied. When I was investigating this book the name Jaine Austen was the first thing that jumped right up and grabbed me. Granted, the spelling of the first name is different, but it certainly made me curious. Plus the information on her biography page stating that Levine had worked on so many of the sitcoms I really enjoyed made my decision easy. I am so very glad that I took a chance on reading this book by Laura Levine. It was humorous, delightful, well written and a real hoot! Jaine is suffering from that old debilitating malady of not enough bucks in the checking account. She needs an infusion of cash real quick to stop the flow of outgo with no income. The Toiletmaster account has rather dried up. When her duplex neighbor Lance offers to take her to Sunday Brunch at the Four Seasons she accepts eagerly. Make that very eagerly because the most interesting thing in her refrigerator is a jar of martini olives. While they are lunching Lance meets his most extravagant customer from the designer shoe department at Neiman Marcus and Lance and Jaine find themselves invited to a pool party. From there can a shot at the advertising account for Marvin Cooper, the Marvelous Mattress King be far behind? Things are moving along pretty well until murder happens right in the middle of Bunny Cooper's Dirty Martini party. I liked the lead character here. Jaine is one of those heroines most of us can relate to. She's got to work for a living, she isn't totally tuned in to the latest fashion issues and she loves to eat all the wrong foods. What's not to love? Vladimir Ivan Trotsky shows up all the way from Uzbekistan to propose (this time in person) and convince Jaine to marry him and go back to Uzbekistan to live forever with his family and his goat Svetlana. The author must have had great fun writing the love poems from Vlad. The e-mails from Jaine's parents in Tampa Vistas are absolutely wonderful. Mom is addicted to the shopping channel and Dad finds a real bargain on an infomercial - with disastrous results. And on top of all this, the mystery is actually quite well plotted and Jaine's investigation proceeds at a really nice pace. I enjoyed this book very much and can't wait to look for more in this series. I see that there are quite a few available so I'm ready to jump back into the Jaine Austen world of California girl does private investigations. Hilarious results guaranteed.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Bone Thief: A Body Farm Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Jefferson Bass Page; Review: Crime detection methods, forensics and other aspects of the criminal justice system which are involved in gathering evidence of a crime fascinate me. That's probably why I read so many mystery novels. I had seen a documentary on television about the Body Farm and it turns out that was produced by one of these authors, Jon Jefferson telling about the work of the other author, Dr. Bill Bass. When I read the description of this book I couldn't help but look forward to reading the fiction created by these two men. In the novel the Body Farm is run by Dr. Bill Brockton with help from his graduate assistant Miranda Lovelady. Dr. Brockton is asked by an attorney to be present at the exhumation of a man who died eight years earlier so that he can remove bone from the body to extract DNA for paternity tests for the attorney's client. When the process begins Dr. Brockton finds that the arms and legs of the body were removed after the man died. This discovery leads Dr. Brockton on a secret sting investigation with the FBI while they gather evidence against a suspected mastermind in a business which buys and sells human organs, tissue, bone, skin and any other material someone is willing to pay for. My high hopes for this novel were not fully realized. I had wanted to learn more about the functioning of the Body Farm and there is some information regarding that, but mostly it remains as a background. There is a chapter describing an autopsy which was incredibly interesting until the medical examiner blithely asked Dr. Brockton if he wanted a specific segment of the body and the good doctor just stripped it out of the body without even thinking about asking for permission from the family. I have several areas where this book was a disappointment to me. First, it seemed to take absolutely forever to get moving in any particular direction. Evidently this book takes up very, very shortly after the previous book stopped because it was as if that plot had simply been extended into this book. Believe me, if you read this one first, there is no reason whatsoever to bother with that book because you will know everything that happened in it. This novel seemed to be leaning in about four different directions just waiting for someone or something to give it a shove in order to choose one thread to pick up and follow. Secondly, asking the reader to believe that such a high profile individual as Dr. Brockton would be plausible as a participant in the FBI sting was asking too much of me as a reader. That scheme had holes so big in it a truck could have navigated it without problem. And the final impossible thing I'm supposed to swallow is the ending of the book. But wait, was that an ending or did the book just stop? I found the book interesting regarding certain technical aspects. I would have liked more of that and probably less of Dr.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Red Hot Fury (A Shades of Fury Novel); Author: Kasey Mackenzie; Review: This debut novel in the mushrooming genre of urban fantasy presents a lot of high energy from author Kasey Mackenzie. She propels the reader headlong into her world where the mundane (humans) and arcane (others) have reached an accord in order to exist side by side. Our heroine is a Fury who, because of her specialized talents, is the Chief Magical Investigator for the city of Boston. Arcane beings are going missing on a more frequent basis lately and Marissa Holloway has been called in to investigate a corpse found lying beside the water. Her initial fear had been that it was her best friend Vanessa who had disappeared three years previously. Now she knows it isn't Vanessa, but who is it that wants her off the case so much that they have her suspended from her job just as she starts this investigation? Before the answers are found, Arcane and mundane alike will be involved in a pitched battle to fight off those wanting to end the hard won truce. Whenever I begin a book I always read the dedication and acknowledgments written by the author. Those two things usually give me a lot of insight into what I might expect concerning writing style in the book. That was absolutely true in this case. So I wasn't completely surprised by the exuberant writing personality which came through in this novel. I enjoyed the style of writing and the fast paced action filled drama involved. After all, since the author had chosen to make her heroine a Fury, she might as well make that character move along at warp speed in everything she does. Even though it is probably rather hard to come up with story lines which are totally new in the crowded urban fantasy genre Ms Mackenzie did provide her main protagonist with some rather unique characteristics. Having the snake tattoos on each arm which came alive as Nemesis and Nike when their magical abilities are needed was a really imaginative touch. I especially enjoyed the way Marissa often talked to them and said things like "calm down ladies". That was wonderfully done. The choice to have Marissa go back to her ex-boyfriend to enlist his help as a mercenary to hunt down the brains behind the scheme she began to uncover was probably not entirely original, but Scott is quite a good, well defined character and his presence in the story was a treat. Several things were not as enjoyable for me, leading off with the shear multitude of Arcane beings introduced. Some of this story is setting up what will surely be the next novel in a series, but sometimes less honestly is better when it concerns dealing with all the work that goes into getting a reader to understand the fictional world an author is inventing. Fewer characters would have made the story go smoother for me as a reader. Another bump in the road for me was the current choice of using abbreviations or shortened versions of words to excess. We are all familiar with how; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Victoria Vanishes: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Fowler Page; Review: Yes, this was definitely an interesting reading experience, especially if you have a love of that great institution, the British pub. In fact there are 56 pubs mentioned in this book. I know that because Christopher Fowler was kind enough to list them in the back of the book. The Peculiar Crimes Unit is perfectly constructed to investigate any unusual crime in London which needs the help of unconventional methods and people. When the number of women found murdered either inside or outside pubs begins to grow, Arthur Bryant and John May want their unit to be allowed to track down the killer. This story was constructed very well because the detectives had to begin with absolutely no information to connect up the clues and find who they were pointing to. The story moved all the way from a maximum security prison, the basements of pubs, the British Museum, and to a high security company doing research for the Ministry of Defense. I enjoyed it very much and especially enjoyed all the trivia and general historical information about London and London pubs. What I didn't find, however, was the laugh-out-loud humor I had been expecting from reading other reviews and the book blurbs. Maybe it was too subtle for me? I don't know. I do recommend this particular book and will personally try another book in the series. This one leaves our intrepid investigators very much at sixes and sevens. Since I see there is another novel following this one, it might be interesting to find out how they brought themselves back from extinction.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate); Author: Visit Amazon's Gail Carriger Page; Review: Yes, I did waiver for a while before finally deciding to read this debut novel by Gail Carriger. Now I'm sorry I left it for so long. The reviews seemed to be all over the place and I couldn't quite decide what kind of novel it was. So now I've read it and I'm definitely ready to move on to the next in the series. I love so much of classic 19th Century literature because the vocabulary is usually so extensive and the sentence structure is so involved. Those are most definitely things I found in this book. I also enjoy a well presented romance and that also is very well written for these primary characters. Alexia Tarabotti is a woman after my own heart. Unlike in most romance novels, when Alexia doesn't understand the motivations of the gentleman in question (here Lord Conall Maccon)she simply asks a perfectly reasonable question and expects an answer. I've been yelling at romance novel heroines for many years trying to get them to do that very thing. Surprisingly, Lord Maccon or someone else actually tries to give an honest answer. Who knew it was that simple? But this novel has even more going on than just being an historical romance, it is also a fantasy/horror story. Toss in comedic lines which had the potential to at least make me smile and this turned out to be a very entertaining reading experience. If anything, this novel might have veered a little so far toward the comedy/romance that I was a little unprepared for how violent it became during the major "danger" scene. And the parasol didn't figure into the action quite as much as I would have expected since this is a series called The Parasol Protectorate. Perhaps in the next book, Changeless (The Parasol Protectorate) there will be more parasol action. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a fantasy/romance/vampire/werewolf/comedy adventure featuring a heroine who has never understood that her appearance is not strange and certainly not unattractive. I like that she's very smart (as in intellectual) and maybe too smart (as in has a big mouth which gets her into all kinds of trouble). A very approachable, sympathetic heroine and I am looking forward to the next great adventure featuring this solid cast of unusual characters.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Emma (Collins Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Jane Austen Page; Review: When I read the words written by Jane Austen telling me that Catherine Morland had been in training to become a heroine I knew I was going to enjoy this novel. This book allows us a glimpse of Jane Austen as a younger woman, as a beginning novelist and as a woman with a lovely sense of humor. There isn't any denying that this book, then titled "Susan", was the first to be sold by Austen to a publisher. There it languished in some forgotten corner for thirteen years before she tried to get it back from a firm which had no intention of publishing it. Ultimately she had to borrow the money to buy her own book back. People can probably get involved in scholarly discussions as to whether or not any revisions were made to this book by Jane Austen before her death, but that's isn't what I'm interested in. I wanted to read this book because I just couldn't believe that Jane Austen had really written a book which I didn't like. At all! Thankfully, I proved myself to be both right and wrong. I completely and thoroughly enjoyed this book and am only sorry that I allowed film versions of the book to turn me away from actually reading what the author had created. Catherine Morland became a heroine for me to love and to sympathize with, while I watched her grow and mature. At the age of seventeen Catherine is quite young to be starring in her own novel but according to the times she lived in this was a perfectly respectable age for a young woman to become a wife and mother. Up until the time Catherine was fifteen she was the epitome of a tomboy, much preferring playing games outside to learning the skills to help her in her housekeeping and marriage. When she was around fifteen she discovered novels. It was the most delightful thing to read Jane Austen's words in defense of her heroine reading novels and particularly Gothic novels. The information contained within those books colored so much of Catherine's thinking and when she is given the opportunity of having a prolonged stay in Bath with close friends and neighbors she is ecstatic. Mr and Mrs Allen will become the surrogate parents of this young woman for their stay and upon arrival Mrs Allen continually bemoans the fact that she knows nobody in Bath, therefore she and Catherine are restricted as to who they can talk to. Very quickly Mrs Allen meets a former schoolmate, Mrs Thorpe, her son and daughters, and from then on Catherine can move in society with Isabella Thorpe and later her brother John Thorpe. One process leads to another and Catherine makes the acquaintance of Eleanor and Henry Tilney along with their father Colonel Tilney. Austen uses Catherine and her new friends to demonstrate the social limits and restrictions on young women of the time. She also illustrates how easily deceit can be camouflaged as friendship. My reading of this novel was enhanced greatly because I was; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Emma (Bantam Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Jane Austen Page; Review: When I read the words written by Jane Austen telling me that Catherine Morland had been in training to become a heroine I knew I was going to enjoy this novel. This book allows us a glimpse of Jane Austen as a younger woman, as a beginning novelist and as a woman with a lovely sense of humor. There isn't any denying that this book, then titled "Susan", was the first to be sold by Austen to a publisher. There it languished in some forgotten corner for thirteen years before she tried to get it back from a firm which had no intention of publishing it. Ultimately she had to borrow the money to buy her own book back. People can probably get involved in scholarly discussions as to whether or not any revisions were made to this book by Jane Austen before her death, but that's isn't what I'm interested in. I wanted to read this book because I just couldn't believe that Jane Austen had really written a book which I didn't like. At all! Thankfully, I proved myself to be both right and wrong. I completely and thoroughly enjoyed this book and am only sorry that I allowed film versions of the book to turn me away from actually reading what the author had created. Catherine Morland became a heroine for me to love and to sympathize with, while I watched her grow and mature. At the age of seventeen Catherine is quite young to be starring in her own novel but according to the times she lived in this was a perfectly respectable age for a young woman to become a wife and mother. Up until the time Catherine was fifteen she was the epitome of a tomboy, much preferring playing games outside to learning the skills to help her in her housekeeping and marriage. When she was around fifteen she discovered novels. It was the most delightful thing to read Jane Austen's words in defense of her heroine reading novels and particularly Gothic novels. The information contained within those books colored so much of Catherine's thinking and when she is given the opportunity of having a prolonged stay in Bath with close friends and neighbors she is ecstatic. Mr and Mrs Allen will become the surrogate parents of this young woman for their stay and upon arrival Mrs Allen continually bemoans the fact that she knows nobody in Bath, therefore she and Catherine are restricted as to who they can talk to. Very quickly Mrs Allen meets a former schoolmate, Mrs Thorpe, her son and daughters, and from then on Catherine can move in society with Isabella Thorpe and later her brother John Thorpe. One process leads to another and Catherine makes the acquaintance of Eleanor and Henry Tilney along with their father Colonel Tilney. Austen uses Catherine and her new friends to demonstrate the social limits and restrictions on young women of the time. She also illustrates how easily deceit can be camouflaged as friendship. My reading of this novel was enhanced greatly because I was; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sense and Sensibility (Word Cloud Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Jane Austen Page; Review: When I read the words written by Jane Austen telling me that Catherine Morland had been in training to become a heroine I knew I was going to enjoy this novel. This book allows us a glimpse of Jane Austen as a younger woman, as a beginning novelist and as a woman with a lovely sense of humor. There isn't any denying that this book, then titled "Susan", was the first to be sold by Austen to a publisher. There it languished in some forgotten corner for thirteen years before she tried to get it back from a firm which had no intention of publishing it. Ultimately she had to borrow the money to buy her own book back. People can probably get involved in scholarly discussions as to whether or not any revisions were made to this book by Jane Austen before her death, but that's isn't what I'm interested in. I wanted to read this book because I just couldn't believe that Jane Austen had really written a book which I didn't like. At all! Thankfully, I proved myself to be both right and wrong. I completely and thoroughly enjoyed this book and am only sorry that I allowed film versions of the book to turn me away from actually reading what the author had created. Catherine Morland became a heroine for me to love and to sympathize with, while I watched her grow and mature. At the age of seventeen Catherine is quite young to be starring in her own novel but according to the times she lived in this was a perfectly respectable age for a young woman to become a wife and mother. Up until the time Catherine was fifteen she was the epitome of a tomboy, much preferring playing games outside to learning the skills to help her in her housekeeping and marriage. When she was around fifteen she discovered novels. It was the most delightful thing to read Jane Austen's words in defense of her heroine reading novels and particularly Gothic novels. The information contained within those books colored so much of Catherine's thinking and when she is given the opportunity of having a prolonged stay in Bath with close friends and neighbors she is ecstatic. Mr and Mrs Allen will become the surrogate parents of this young woman for their stay and upon arrival Mrs Allen continually bemoans the fact that she knows nobody in Bath, therefore she and Catherine are restricted as to who they can talk to. Very quickly Mrs Allen meets a former schoolmate, Mrs Thorpe, her son and daughters, and from then on Catherine can move in society with Isabella Thorpe and later her brother John Thorpe. One process leads to another and Catherine makes the acquaintance of Eleanor and Henry Tilney along with their father Colonel Tilney. Austen uses Catherine and her new friends to demonstrate the social limits and restrictions on young women of the time. She also illustrates how easily deceit can be camouflaged as friendship. My reading of this novel was enhanced greatly because I was; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Ghost and Mrs. McClure (Haunted Bookshop Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Alice Kimberly Page; Review: I say this book should have been better because it is obvious to me that the author has talent. I've never read any other work by Alice Kimberly or her books written as Cleo Coyle. I really liked the premise of the book and expected to sit back and enjoy watching the story unfold. I'm sorry, the unfolding didn't work very well for me. Basically the story is that Jack Shepherd was a Private Investigator who was working on a case in 1949 which led him to a bookstore in Quindicott, Rhode Island. As he walked in, someone shot him. Jack has been hanging around the old building ever since having some fun every once in a while scaring people a tiny bit. Penelope Thornton-McClure decided to invest the insurance money she received after her husband's death in a partnership in the bookstore her Aunt Sadie owns in Quindicott. Yes, you guessed it, the one haunted by Jack. Things get interesting when an author, Timothy Brennan, dies during a signing of his latest novel to feature Jack Shield, Private Eye. What makes the ghostly Jack so mad is that the stories are all about him, from his own case files stolen by Timothy Brennan. As I said, it had the potential to be a really interesting novel. Instead I began to thoroughly dislike Jack simply because he spoke ALL 1940's slang, ALL the time. It got very, very stale and boring. And by limiting Jack's mobility to only inside the store's premises there just wasn't enough depth or involvement to him. I will give the author credit, she was able to keep the "why" element for the murder hidden from me for a short while, but the "who" was so obvious it might as well have come equipped with an arrow pointing to a name. The small town characters are just that, characters who didn't become individuals for me because they were such clichs. A man named Seymour Tarnish? Seymour Tarnish? Well, at least he didn't run the local antique shop! Cute is really nice in a mystery, but I have to be involved in the characters to the extent that I find it humorous, not irritating. This wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't good enough to make me want to keep picking it up to continue reading it. I want to enjoy a book so much that I think about it, speculate about the plot, even during those times when I can't be reading it. This one definitely did not pass that test. I finished it because I know there are others in this series and I wanted to know definitely whether or not to venture further into the series. That answer? No, and I don't think The Ghost or Mrs. Muir would be pleased either. I can just hear the Captain cussing now!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Nonna's Book of Mysteries (Alchemy); Author: Visit Amazon's Mary A. Osborne Page; Review: Author Mary Osborne has written the story of what might have been an impossible dream. Fourteen year old Emilia Serafini knows without a doubt that she must become an artist to fulfill her longing, but in Florence, Italy in the 1460's only male apprentices are accepted by masters. With the help of her mother, Emilia disguises herself as a boy to take her place in the establishment of an artist. All goes well until her true identity is revealed. Emilia doesn't think that her dream can become a reality now and she will be made to marry a man who works for her father. Emilia's mother gave her a very special book, a book that had been in her family for over a hundred years, and told her to turn to the wisdom contained within A Manual to the Science of Alchemy whenever she was troubled. At first reading the stories in the manual don't seem to be making any difference in Emilia's life, but then she meets a man named Makarios Levantes of Constantinople who describes himself simply as a painter. From then on Emilia's life begins to head in a different direction guided by both Makarios and the wisdom she finds in the manual. What a lovely story this was. Emilia used the writings in the manual to find peace in her heart and guidance for her actions. Her life gradually came closer to being what she wanted but she always knew that it required changes within herself to adjust to whatever difficulties came her way. This book is a wonderful example of how a belief in yourself can help you accomplish your dreams, even if those dreams have to be slightly changed or modified along the way. When Emilia's manual is stolen she completely understands how much she had relied on it for comfort and a connection with her mother and all the other relatives who had cherished the book. Written as a combination of lessons in history, art, and accomplishing a dream this book was a most satisfying reading experience for me. I liked the fortitude and determination displayed by Emilia, I enjoyed all the information about the truly great artworks which were being produced during the time period this novel encompasses. Bringing in the rulers of Florence and the names of artists familiar to us today made the setting very real. I also think the historical perspective was exceptionally well done in this novel. The book has a very "foreign" feel to it which is exactly right. I enjoyed the clever way Ms Osbourne used Italian words and phrases while still presenting the translations for each. There is a Glossary provided for the Italian words, but it actually wasn't necessary for me to use it because of the way they were given within the narrative. Highly recommended as an adventure in art, history and the struggles of a young woman driven to do something which goes against the established role of women in her society. Most enjoyable.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Farm Fresh Murder (A Farmers' Market Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Paige Shelton Page; Review: I really enjoyed this story because Becca Robins was a well written character. As a matter of fact, I thought all the characters were presented in such a way as to be natural sounding. Becca gets a frantic phone call from her sister to come immediately to Bailey's Farmers' Market which Allison manages and Becca uses for selling her products. When she arrives Becca finds one of the newest vendors at the market has been killed and it is obviously murder. This story was constructed very well and the descriptive passages are well done and gave me a really good idea of what the author was trying to convey. Reading the story and trying to solve the mystery was a pleasure because it took me until about 3/4 of the way through to figure out the who, which in turn led rather obviously to the why. I think the relationship between the twin sisters was remarkable because the author allowed each twin to be an independent woman, not forever reading the mind and emotions of her sister. There were, however, several things which made me drop this rating down from 4 full stars. First, the friendship which is progressing between Becca and Ian has the factor of his age involved. The first time I read that he is younger I was fine with it. After reading that information for the third or fourth time I started to wonder if the author had a problem with it. If that's true, why was it written in that way? Please, don't keep bringing up the age difference. My second problem is that Becca is really a very good character. So why plop in two instances (with the tomatoes and the napkins) which seemed to make her suddenly look and act like a ditzy klutz? Was it for drama? If so, it didn't have that desired effect with me. I thought the author had taken a perfectly great character and purposefully made her look foolish. And while I'm talking about Becca, could she just maybe not be quite so arrogant about her jelly making abilities and her farming prowess next time? After all, she's only 35, there are actually things a 35 year old person can still learn. During the scene with Abner's sister Becca came across to me as very arrogant in thinking to herself that SHE was the jam making expert but Helen had probably been making jam for a long time. And there is really nobody else who can grow strawberries as well as Becca? Really? It may sound like a small thing, but it caught my attention and then I began to notice more examples of "Becca The Magnificent" and it wasn't so enjoyable to read those parts. My third problem is with the recipe for the pumpkin preserves because the recipe is very unclear. First it says to layer the pumpkin and other ingredients in a roasting pan, and refrigerate overnight. Then transfer to another pot. Then put the roasting pan over medium heat, add the cloves and cook until the; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Extreme Risk: A Life Fighting the Bombmakers; Author: Visit Amazon's Chris Hunter Page; Review: I understand that, for security reasons, there is only a certain amount of information available to the news media to give us regarding world events in this never ending war on terrorism. What I found so fascinating about this book was having this author give us more information surrounding those events. Some information is still classified, to be sure, but because of his placement within this sphere of action I now know that the depth of work going on to find answers to these problems is hugely complicated and involved. In starting this book off by allowing the reader to understand how Major Hunter came up through the ranks in the military and by showing us his family situations I could watch his personality reveal itself. He is one of the ultimate risk takers, there is no doubt about that. And that addiction to the risk, the crisis, the adrenaline rush has been incredibly expensive in regards to his private life and his psyche. He was honest when assessing his own personality and he doesn't shirk the responsibility for how his actions have impacted his family. On the other hand, we all owe him a great deal of gratitude because of how determined he was to make a difference and save lives. Without people like Major Hunter and others throughout the world willing to do this incredibly difficult job, our lives would be very different. Another impressive aspect of this book is the fact that Chris Hunter manages to relate the best about almost everyone he came in contact with. This could have been a book about the blame game, but that temptation was completely avoided. For the most part Hunter's personal political views are suppressed in favor of giving facts regarding major terrorism situations around the world. The most fascinating portion of the book for me was his time spent in Northern Ireland and seeing the politics played out not just day by day, but sometimes hour by hour by extremists that I will never be able to understand. I do recommend this book to anyone who wishes to have a deeper understanding of what goes on behind the scenes of major disasters such as the bombings described in this book. I wish this author safety, health and that quietness of spirit which seems so elusive for him.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Hunt for Sonya Dufrette; Author: Visit Amazon's R. T. Raichev Page; Review: I have absolutely no idea how this book came to my attention, but I'm sincerely glad it did. This is one of those rare treasure finds which end up being a favorite book. In fact, I'm now aware of the fact that there are others in this series and plan to read them also. Probably best described as a classic mystery from my standpoint, it takes place in the present (2001) yet has the feel of the 1930's or 1940's. The author wove in all the modern technology and yet didn't take away the warm intimacy with the locations and characters. That's quite a feat, especially for the first novel in a series. The novel begins as Antonia Darcy realizes that it is the twentieth anniversary of two very important events; the royal wedding of the century and the disappearance of an eight year old girl from Twiston, the country house where Antonia was a guest. A vague uneasy feeling has always accompanied her memories of the disappearance of little Sonya Dufrette and now she thinks she might be going mad. Has she really begun seeing Sonya's father in London? Was that he who came into the library of the Military Club? Antonia wrote her experiences of that day soon after all the events took place and decides to read that account again to set these nagging doubts of what really happened to rest. I would like to call this an old fashioned mystery except that all the events take place in very modern times. It did, however, appeal to me and satisfy me in the same ways as those classic works by authors such as Dorothy Sayers, Patricia Wentworth, Georgette Heyer and Agatha Christie. Antonia teams up with Major Hugh Payne in working out the details of what happened to Sonya. It certainly will be interesting to read in the next story how the mutual attraction between this divorce and widower has progressed. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a puzzle to be solved, but here done without bloody corpses scattered throughout the countryside.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye (Psychic Eye Mysteries, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Victoria Laurie Page; Review: This delightful book absolutely surprised me by how good it is. Abby Cooper is a psychic intuitive who has come to grips with her talent and is using it as her career. After growing up with parents who didn't understand her ability it has been a relief to Abby to be able to help people find some of the answers they are searching for. I really appreciated the discipline shown by this character in not allowing her clients to rely on her foretelling of their futures to rule their lives. She limits their readings to two each year and ends her sessions by telling them that they are not bound by what she has seen, they still have complete free will and can make any decisions they chose regarding their future. That was extremely refreshing to read, obviously an author with a sense of responsibility. I have since learned that this author, Victoria Laurie, is herself a psychic. The characters in this novel were very well portrayed and I enjoyed meeting each one of them. They appealed to me as real people would, never single dimensional, but multi layered. They weren't always good or always bad, simply written to act as regular people would act. There is a great deal of humor in this book and it is very natural, not forced or silly. I appreciated that. The romantic interest which is developing between Abby and the police detective, Dutch Rivers, is totally realistic. Once again, this author has allowed these characters to learn a little about each other over a period of time and the relationship is not always smooth and romantic. There is, however, one glaring mistake in this book which forced me to reduce my rating from 5 stars down to 4. I am a mystery reading fanatic and I've been reading mysteries for many, many years. When an author gives me definite information regarding a crime or a crime scene I keep that information in my mind because it is extremely important. In this case information was given about a death and then later in the book it was completely changed when that death was discussed again. I kept waiting for the author to tell me that someone (or actually many someones) had made a mistake, but that information never came. I can honestly say that I have never read a mystery before where this kind of mistake was present. Someone should have caught this, probably the author, but absolutely the editor or someone on the editorial staff. But then, maybe not. I've read every single review here on Amazon and this mistake hasn't been mentioned once. I was really impressed by the writing talents of Victoria Laurie. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters she created and the (for me) unusual gift Abby has. I will not allow that one editorial miscue to keep me from continuing on with finding out where Abby and her "crew" go next.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Blood-Dimmed Tide: A John Madden Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Rennie Airth Page; Review: Even though this is the second book to have John Madden as a major character I didn't see this book as being a sequel of River of Darkness: A John Madden Mystery. Instead, this book strikes me as more of a continuation, a time to see what has happened to the characters after a ten year absence. This story takes place in the same rural section of England only this time in the year 1932. John Madden has been married to Helen ever since the conclusion of the first book and they have two children, a son and a daughter. Madden retired from Scotland Yard and has been actively running a farm he and Helen bought not far from her childhood home where the family is living. This story begins with Madden chancing upon a scene where people are involved in searching for a missing child. Unfortunately when Madden and Will Stackpole find the girl she is dead. Her murdered has assaulted her, killed her and then inflicted horrendous injuries to the body. Having the chance to be reacquainted with the Scotland Yard detectives from the first novel along with all the friends and neighbors of the Maddens was like meeting old friends. I was a little worried that author Rennie Airth might have allowed too much time to pass between the cases, but that didn't present a problem for me because I became completely involved in the story which was unfolding. Airth has made this story vaguely similar to the first novel in this series in that this one also concerns a serial killer. Madden becomes actively involved in the investigative aspect of the case only at certain points. Instead the regulars at Scotland Yard do the vast majority of the "leg" work to gather together the clues which ultimately point to one particular person. This story involves police forces in many countries, most notably Germany, when a German policeman is sent to London to compare information being gathered about the mysterious suspect. This killer has been very active in many countries but that information was not shared because of the political atmosphere existing after World War I. Once Scotland Yard begins to investigate their own privileged citizens working within the Intelligence community the officers are shocked by what they learn regarding the rules of law among those departments. I really enjoyed the complete package presented here. Madden is not the exclusive central character and I would have liked to see more of him during the investigation, but other featured characters were presented in very strong depictions and were able to carry the story forward very well. The privations of unemployment and the physical and psychological problems facing the men who have fought in the war are well described and add to the atmosphere surrounding the crimes being investigated. I can't wait to read the third book in the series (The Dead of Winter: A John Madden Mystery (John Madden Mysteries)) and sincerely hope it will not be the final chapter in this riveting series. These characters are simply too good; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Remains of the Dead: A Ghost Dusters Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Wendy Roberts Page; Review: I was really intrigued when I saw that this first book in the "Ghost Dusters Mystery" series was concerning the totally unheralded job of cleaning up the aftermath of the death of a person, whether from natural causes, suicide, or criminal activity. This book had a very interesting premise, one which caught my attention immediately. Unfortunately, it lost my attention very quickly. I continued to read because I hoped the author would settle in and make the decision of what type of novel she wanted to write. What I ended up reading was a semi scientific/chic-lit/mystery/paranormal/fluffy/cozy/whodunit. Now perhaps some of those elements could have been melded together to form a cohesive whole, but not all of it in one book. First of all, the Ghost Dusters aspect immediately takes away from the seriousness of the profession this character was engaged in. If this had remained more on the serious side of the mystery novel equation, it would have stood a better chance of remaining interesting despite the heroine who seemed to have a split personality. One minute she was kidding and joking around with her male employee and thinking of him in physical, personal ways and within four or five pages was incensed that he might not remember he was an employee and she was the boss. Actually, he acted entirely properly in each situation, it was the female lead who had all the problems. And did I ever get tired of all her problems! Can you really spend five years fixating on the suicide of your brother (and the majority of a novel) and then within a few paragraphs decide you are over that and it's time to move on? In every situation Sadie Novak flip-flopped on the issues. It was extremely disconcerting for me. I never could empathize with her because she kept changing her position. In this day and age is it actually possible for Sadie to have seriously thought that she was the only person with paranormal abilities? Please! And just how many times can you read about a heroine literally drowning her personal problems in alcohol and watch her suffer the consequences without giving up on that character? I think this book had a very interesting premise which could have made for an extremely interesting novel. Quite frankly I think the ghosts Sadie talked to were pretty much a wasted element in the story. She was so slow to pick up on the clues given to her by the ghost who counted the most that it was very frustrating to read about. And I had this one solved before page 100. That's horrible! And another horrible thing: that whole episode with the porno store was completely useless and a total waste of my valuable reading time. It had absolutely nothing to do with the story. Evidently it was thrown in as a way to talk about sex toys and maybe to add page length to the book. I gave this book a rating of 2 stars because it was extremely obvious where the author had received technical; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains; Author: Visit Amazon's Catriona McPherson Page; Review: When Dandelion Dahlia Leston Gilver (Dandy to her friends and family) gets a letter from a woman stating that she knows her husband is going to kill her the only way Dandy can talk to her is by pretending to apply for the job of lady's maid. Lollie Balfour says that her husband of five years is having her followed, someone is listening in on her phone conversations and her mail is being steamed open. Naturally Dandy gets a crash course from her own lady's maid on how to be a lady's maid and arrives at 31 Heriot Row, Edinburgh ready to put all her detection skills to work to find why Mr. Balfour has decided to get rid of his wife. This was a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience for me. This is my first Dandy Gilver mystery and there is some information from the previous books which would have been nice to know (for instance the fact that Dandy is approximately 40 years old), but since each case seems to be completely self contained within it's own book I soon caught up with Dandy, her extremely understanding husband Hugh, and her partner in investigations Alec Osborne. There is a deep friendship between Dandy and Alec, but not any whisper of a romance. The almost invisible Hugh stays home and his wife goes off to be Miss Rossiter, the new lady's maid, and investigate the household from the vantage point of below stairs. The cast includes all twelve of the servants, plus a real poppet of a policeman. Against the background of the general strike of May 1926, we get to watch Miss Rossiter untangle the very twisted threads of a murder which takes place. I was exceedingly pleased when this author began to place twists and turns within the plot which kept me very much on my toes. All of the changes were perfectly reasonable and logical so I actually had to read all the way to the end to find out who the culprit was. I love it when an author accomplishes that feat. The atmosphere of life within the home of the very wealthy is very well presented, the characters are given full, rounded personalities so that each seemed to be a true individual, and the revelation for who had committed the murder and why was totally satisfying. Very highly recommended if you enjoy a well written book with a heroine who is mature but not stodgy or practically senile. And on top of all that, you actually get to laugh at times and learn about the conditions in the coal mines which led to the nine day strike that brought England and Scotland to a virtual halt. I will positively be searching for the other four Dandy Gilver mysteries.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dipped, Stripped, and Dead (A Daring Finds Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Elise Hyatt Page; Review: There are so many things about this book which I enjoyed, but only up to a certain point. Then it got frustrating and irritating for me. I read a mystery story to read about the mystery. This book has 275 pages. I would estimate that fully 200 of those are focused on reminiscences of Candyce Dare's past or the relationships she has with people in her life: her parents, her ex-husband, her son, her friend of 17 years Ben and his lover Les, the hunky policeman she met because of the murder. That leaves only approximately 75 pages to have anything to do with the actual mystery. That proportion is too far off for my enjoyment of a "mystery" story. It took this character until page 240 to realize that she was immature (my word), selfish (my word) and idiotic (both hers and mine). She purposely hindered the investigation of the case simply because someone - anyone - told her not to interfere. She was so slow to cotton on to the meaning of clues that I despaired for her intellect. The story began very well, information regarding furniture refinishing was inserted smoothly, and I found myself laughing out loud at many details about situations Dyce had gotten herself into as a child and then as a young woman. They were seriously funny and the writing was very, very good. But they didn't seem to jibe with the absolutely horrendous thing which happened to the corpse. It was too cute and funny for the seriousness of the actions of the murderer. Soon I began to notice that I was getting that edgy feeling from the book where I wanted it to move along, get serious, show me some plot. By the time it finally did I just wanted it to be over. I'm giving this book 3*'s because I honestly think this author has a wonderful talent for writing. Many of her situations reminded me so much of my daughters and myself that it was as if she had read our life story. Sadly though, that wasn't enough. Or, actually, it was too much. Too much personal interactions, not nearly enough mystery.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker; Author: Visit Amazon's Syrie James Page; Review: Syrie James has catapulted to the top of my "must read" author list. I absolutely loved both The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte. Both books take the factual lives of those authors and interweaves the fictional elements Ms James is so good at. When I saw this newest book of hers offered through the Amazon Vine Program I never hesitated for one moment to select it. In the Question and Answer section included with this book James was asked what inspired her to write this book and her answer was that the Bram Stoker novel left her unsatisfied. To paraphrase her answer she had seen that Dracula as an old, evil man and had begun to wonder how the story would have taken place if Dracula was portrayed differently. This novel is her interpretation of how Mina Murray Harker might have reacted to Dracula if he had been a charismatic, charming, attractive personality. I have not read the Bram Stoker novel so I have no point of reference for comparing the two novels. In this one Mina relates the whole, honest truth about the experiences she and her husband Jonathan had seven years previously when they were brought into the vampire world of Count Dracula. Mina left her personal experiences out of the journal she kept at the time. This is the first time the full truth has been told of her relationship with Dracula. I absolutely enjoyed the first half of this book because it was the Syrie James writing and storytelling that I had grown to admire in her two previous books. As Mina's experiences with Mr Wagner (later revealed to be Dracula) progressed I had that lovely hair-raised-on-my-arms feeling. But as her encounters with Dracula continued I wasn't quite so enthusiastic about some things I was noticing. For one thing, Mina really did seem to be an incredibly progressive woman to be living in the early 1890's. She is portrayed as being the equal to any of the male characters and unquestionably accepted by all of them into their full society. That was a stretch for me. Dracula is portrayed as being simply misunderstood by everyone. He had explanations for all the rumors associated with him down through the years and Mina wanted to believe everything he said so she did. Was this a ploy on the part of Dracula to keep Mina from finding out his true self? That I was never sure about. Even the episodes of true evil which he confessed to her were accepted and rationalized away by Mina to allow her to maintain contact with him. I was now having sincere reservations about how these two characters were portrayed. Mina's relationship with Dracula made me uncomfortable and I didn't like it. Ultimately, I have assigned a 4 star rating to this book, not because I will ever want to read it again, because I will not, but because the writing by this author is still exceptional. Maybe it's a personal problem of my own. Maybe I just; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Achieve Anything in Just One Year: Be Inspired Daily to Live Your Dreams and Accomplish Your Goals; Author: Visit Amazon's Jason Harvey Page; Review: My first reaction to this book description was, What is a life coach? My second was, Why would I need this book? My inclination was to not get this, but before making a decision I did the Amazon "look inside this book" feature. Hmm, not exactly what I had expected. For a reason I can't explain I decided to try the book. The first instruction is to get a notebook which will be dedicated exclusively for use with this book. Hey, a great excuse for putting off starting the book because it had to be exactly the RIGHT notebook according to me. Except that the office supply store I walked into had EXACTLY the right notebook sitting on the shelf. Drat! There is even a pen holder built into the notebook so I bought a new type of pen to try. Drat again! I love them both, but now I had to start the book. I had seen the Day One and Day Two lessons on Amazon, but they became very, very different when I had to actually DO the homework assignments. They both hit me squarely between the eyes. I went on to do several more days, experiencing some rather interestingly uncomfortable moments concerning myself. Because of a family function at my house I put the book and notebook away from my morning first-cup-of-tea spot and subsequently forgot all about them. That worked for three days before I realized I hadn't forgotten at all, I was avoiding. I got them out again, put them in the spot where I can't help but see them and have been faithful to read each lesson and do the homework now for a full thirty days. Not yet an established habit, but I'm getting there. One of the first assignments was to set goals for myself. Well, I had a (one) goal which came instantly to mind but I had to really struggle to find any other goals. Silly me. It has taken me weeks to realize that those other small, seemingly less important goals are the ones I need to address before I can have any hope of achieving my main goal. Never ever had I looked at my strengths, weaknesses, positives and negatives like this. It has been an eye-opening experience for me, to say the least. I didn't think I fit the mold of the type person who would need this kind of book. I'm a 67 year old woman who has been married for 46 years to the same wonderful man. I have two daughters who are married with children of their own. I am very active in volunteer work and keep very busy, but you see -- I don't work, I don't have a job. Surely that must be who this book is aimed at, right? No, and not just no, but positively no. Jason Harvey has constructed this book in such a way that every person who picks it up will find themselves in the lessons. Can see their lives in the lessons. This isn't a book about careers.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Death of Corinne; Author: Perseus; Review: This second story in the adventures of Antonia Darcy and Hugh Payne finds the pair at the end of their honeymoon. They have married sometime between the end of the first novel,The Hunt for Sonya Dufrette, and the beginning of this story. The couple is spending some time with Major Payne's Aunt Nellie, Lady Grylls of Charlfont Park in Charlfont Parva. They discover that they are to be treated to the arrival of Lady Grylls' god-daughter Corinne Coreille the hugely famous French songstress. Corinne has reportedly been receiving death threats and wants to use Charlfont as a place to lay low until the danger passes. Antonia and Hugh prove themselves to be very observant once again in figuring out what is actually going on with Corinne and her legal adviser. Except has this very talented author pulled a switch on the readers and the sleuth's turn out to have gotten it wrong? This marvelously convoluted tale has lots of twists and turns to keep mystery readers who want a nice challenge on our toes. I appreciate having an author give me a story that is solvable and yet difficult to solve at the same time. R. T. Raichev put in that one final twist which made me guess wrong, but at least it was my own fault. He didn't put in some incredibly implausible circumstance which could never have possibly happened. The mysteries of Antonia and Hugh Payne take place in the present, but have that comfortable feel of a true classic mystery novel. When you decide to read this novel, pay close attention to the titles of the chapters. I always read the chapter titles if they are given and many times have a very hard time trying to figure out why the author bothered with them at all. That is definitely not the case here. I noticed that I recognized what the first title was so I went and looked down the list of chapters. Sure enough I recognized most of the 33 chapter titles. Those I didn't recognize I went searching for. In the end there were only two I couldn't pin down but that didn't matter because what happened in each of those chapters perfectly matched the titles. That was very, very clever and I enjoyed it immensely! In fact, this aspect of the novel was indicative of the little special hidden gems throughout this novel. Very highly recommended for the reader who loves a well constructed mystery novel with enough clues given so that you have a fair chance to solve the question. This is an exceptional example of the amateur detective novel. As Antonia put it herself, when she writes her own mysteries she likes to leave the police out of it as long as possible. Is it any wonder that R. T. Raichev has followed that example in this story?; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Tongues of Serpents: A Novel of Temeraire; Author: Visit Amazon's Naomi Novik Page; Review: If you are in the same situation as I was and have not read the preceding book in this series (Victory of Eagles (Temeraire)), you will likely find yourself slightly at sea regarding the beginning of this book. Had I read that book I would have known why Captain Laurence was now Mr Laurence and why he and his Aerial Corps dragon Temeraire were no longer in His Majesty's service. I think the beginning of this book could have very easily included the relative information in just a few paragraphs to bring readers completely current with what was going on in this newest novel in this series. In the long run, it didn't matter that I had to catch up on the back story in bits and pieces because I read 275 pages and ultimately ended up almost exactly where I had begun. This story contained a lot of political maneuvering among the men who wanted to be in charge of Sydney, Australia. Mr Laurence and Temeraire were courted by both sides; Captain Bligh, who had been mutinied against once more and ousted as Governor of the colony, and Mr. MacArthur and Major Johnston who had overthrown Bligh with the help of the New South Wales Corps. Laurence was valuable for his command of that formidable dragon Temeraire and the probable command of the three dragon eggs which were about to hatch. Ultimately the book went on a long, dry journey to find a way across the mountains hemming Sydney in. While on that trip one of the unhatched eggs was stolen. In the process of their journey the party discovered an entire smuggling venture taking goods from China and dispersing them around the world. My opinion of this book is that it was very short on action, at least the military type action sequences I have enjoyed so much in other books of this series. I suppose this wandering journey and the information Laurence and Temeraire learned will be used in the next book in the series, but it made for a rather tedious, boring reading experience for me. I have read three of the previous novels concerning these characters and enjoyed them very much. This book took me by surprise because it was such a departure from what I had expected based on past novels. I will be very careful in my research and investigations before I decide to give the next book a try.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Secrets: You Tell Me Yours and I'll Tell You Mine Maybe; Author: Visit Amazon's Barbara Becker Holstein Page; Review: My daughters are grown and now have daughters of their own. Both grandgirls are fast approaching the time when this little book will be very important to them. Thankfully this author has chosen not to complicate these thoughts, feelings and dreams of The Girl with the technological gadgets available today. It does give the diary a "vintage" feel, but I think it also causes readers to focus completely on what is happening in the life of this girl. The diary begins when The Girl (there is no name given to this girl - a very smart choice in my opinion) is thirteen, has just moved to a new town, will be attending a new school, will have to make all new friends, and will be getting a new brother or sister - all at the same time. That many new situations will put a well adjusted adult into a tailspin, just imagine what it does to a girl who is still dealing with becoming a teenager. The diary covers approximately 16 months so The Girl is fourteen and in ninth grade by the end of the book. Dr. Holstein seems to have covered just about every happening a child of this age is likely to confront and yet has done it in such a natural, low-key manner that none of the circumstances is overwhelming. The reader watches the girl as she goes from being completely alone (because, of course, family just doesn't count) to having several friends, one special best friend and a boy she really likes a lot. The family deals with a new job, the birth of a baby, the illness and death of a relative, and The Girl has her own take on each of these situations. She is also searching for God even before her parents decide to begin attending church. I think this book is a wonderful vehicle for opening honest discussions between mothers and daughters, and it will allow each child to see that others have had the same thoughts they have. It's okay to have these feelings. When, if ever, is it okay to lie? How do you deal with your own self image? Why can't you remain a child? A really lovely book that I plan to share with my two grandgirls when they are ready to read it. I know the suggested reading age is 9-12, but older girls can benefit from this book also, as can Moms, Grandmothers, Aunts, anybody who deals with girls going through the pleasures and pains of maturing. I received this book for review purposes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Cold Light of Mourning (Penny Brannigan Mystery, Book 1) (A Penny Brannigan Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth J. Duncan Page; Review: The character aspect of this novel was not quite as well developed as I would have expected, especially from a novel which was a competition prize winner, but it was interesting enough for me to finish the book. I don't feel as if I really ever got to know Penny Brannigan except that she was originally from Nova Scotia in Canada and had just happened to settle in the Welsh village of Llanelen on a whim. She met Emma Teasdale who was pleasant to her one day, kind to her the next day and evidently used those meetings as reasoning to settle down there. I'm not really sure I understand that, even though it is stated that Penny and Emma became very close friends, because by the time the novel begins Penny is the owner of the only manicure shop in the town and her relationship with Emma all took place in the past. Everyone in town is excited about the big wedding taking place at the weekend and Penny will have her part to play by doing the manicures for the two bridesmaids and, on the day of the wedding, for the bride. The fact that the bride waited until the actual day of the wedding to get her manicure is the device which drives the entire plot. After the manicure is finished Penny closes up her shop and goes out to paint landscapes. It is the next day before she finds out the wedding never took place because the bride went missing. This book didn't rise to the ranking of a 4 star book for me because I really did figure out who one of the guilty parties was without much trouble at all, and the second person was someone who was obvious once the author revealed the twist in the story. I did not understand the motive until the author revealed it. I didn't feel that there were enough suspects presented. Even though there were some other characters, they were so lightly touched upon that it would have been impossible for them to have been the guilty party. In future books Penny is probably going to need to change quite a bit in her life. Reading about changing appointment times and canceling appointments became rather mundane and repetitive stuff after the first few times of Penny re-scheduling clients so she could go off investigating.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Holy Thief: A Novel (Captain Alexei Korolev Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's William Ryan Page; Review: I almost didn't finish reading this book mainly because I was not enjoying it. Luckily I did continue to read and slowly started being drawn into the mystery aspect. This novel is set in Moscow in 1936 and while a gruesome murder and mutilation of a corpse does take place in the beginning there is also the aspect of the author setting the atmosphere connected to time and space for that murder. Author William Ryan has obviously done a great deal of research regarding this historical period for this emerging super power and the book has a distinctive foreign feel to it. Some of that feel, mainly in the Russian names and the method by which the characters refer to each other, were causing me some problems. I certainly couldn't just skim over the names because then I wouldn't understand who was talking or being talked about. I finally found my feet with that aspect of the novel and anyone familiar with Russian culture, language or history will simply sail on by and wonder what my problem was. The novel centers on Captain Alexei Dmitriyevich Korolev, an investigator in the Moscow Militia Criminal Investigation Division. Alexei's world, both personal and professional, is a minefield of trying to stay on the right side of the party line while doing his job and yet not knowing from one day to the next what that official party line is. There are great changes going on within the Russian political and cultural world and Alexei must manage to investigate the murder of a young woman found inside what was originally a church, laid out on the altar. Except that now he can't even call it an altar because the official word is that there is no such thing as God, therefore no church, therefore no altar. Everywhere he turns in his investigation Alexei and his partner must weigh how much they want to solve this crime and other crimes connected to the case with how much they are allowed to investigate, who they must report to, and who they have to stay clear of. Ultimately I enjoyed the book very much when it began to zero in on the actual work involved in finding the person or persons behind these crimes. There are chapters presented from the point of view of the person doing the mutilations and killings. These were chilling to read, but when the reader actually meets this person the resolution of that aspect of the case is a little confusing and contradictory. I also think that I would love to ask the author who he actually was thinking of as the holy thief. There could be several people who fit that description.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Holy Thief: A Novel; Author: ; Review: I almost didn't finish reading this book mainly because I was not enjoying it. Luckily I did continue to read and slowly started being drawn into the mystery aspect. This novel is set in Moscow in 1936 and while a gruesome murder and mutilation of a corpse does take place in the beginning there is also the aspect of the author setting the atmosphere connected to time and space for that murder. Author William Ryan has obviously done a great deal of research regarding this historical period for this emerging super power and the book has a distinctive foreign feel to it. Some of that feel, mainly in the Russian names and the method by which the characters refer to each other, were causing me some problems. I certainly couldn't just skim over the names because then I wouldn't understand who was talking or being talked about. I finally found my feet with that aspect of the novel and anyone familiar with Russian culture, language or history will simply sail on by and wonder what my problem was. The novel centers on Captain Alexei Dmitriyevich Korolev, an investigator in the Moscow Militia Criminal Investigation Division. Alexei's world, both personal and professional, is a minefield of trying to stay on the right side of the party line while doing his job and yet not knowing from one day to the next what that official party line is. There are great changes going on within the Russian political and cultural world and Alexei must manage to investigate the murder of a young woman found inside what was originally a church, laid out on the altar. Except that now he can't even call it an altar because the official word is that there is no such thing as God, therefore no church, therefore no altar. Everywhere he turns in his investigation Alexei and his partner must weigh how much they want to solve this crime and other crimes connected to the case with how much they are allowed to investigate, who they must report to, and who they have to stay clear of. Ultimately I enjoyed the book very much when it began to zero in on the actual work involved in finding the person or persons behind these crimes. There are chapters presented from the point of view of the person doing the mutilations and killings. These were chilling to read, but when the reader actually meets this person the resolution of that aspect of the case is a little confusing and contradictory. I also think that I would love to ask the author who he actually was thinking of as the holy thief. There could be several people who fit that description.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Postcard Killers; Author: Visit Amazon's James Patterson Page; Review: Edit: Aug 25, 2010 The expanded preview of this book is no longer available for Kindle. The sample received from the download now includes the five chapters in the Prologue and the first five chapters of Part One of the novel. This review is only of the free Kindle preview of this book. I have not read the entire book. The publisher decided to make a lot of material available in this Kindle preview. The Prologue has five chapters and once Part One begins there are a further 30 chapters of the book. However, all of the chapters are very short. This may simply be a normal charateristic of the writing style of this author. This amount of the story will definitely give you enough of a feeling for the novel to know whether you want to continue reading. I have never read a novel by James Patterson and had always intended to try one of his books. This Kindle sample will be the deciding factor in my decision regarding reading the entire book. I now think I have a feeling for the type of novel this will be and quite a lot of information on the main characters and even the murderers. The concept of presenting so much of the novel from the viewpoint of the murderers lends quite a chilling quality to the narrative and fulfills it's purpose of making the reader wonder what motive is behind these murders. If you already know Patterson's writing, this preview will give you a jump start on this particular book.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Passage: A Novel (Book One of The Passage Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Justin Cronin Page; Review: When I began reading The Passage I was very impressed with it and found myself sailing right along. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the characters and the plot was very interesting. Secret government experiments, human trial subjects, government agencies that could accomplish the impossible in the blink of an eye, car chases, daring helicopter rescues, FBI agents making decisions that put their careers on the line and some of the most awful vampires I've ever read about. Yet always in the background was the virus and what someone wanted to use it for. But then it all seemed to slow down to a trudge, trudge, trudge and entire new casts of characters came on scene and it wasn't nearly as interesting after that. I do understand that the story moved ahead in time and the new characters were necessary, but I never seemed to relate as well to them as I had with the previous characters. The story was simply taking too many twists and turns and exits off the freeway to sustain my interest. But just when I had about given up something interesting would happen and I would think that it was going to be as good as the first part so I kept on reading, only to get bogged down yet another time. I'm glad I read the book, mainly because I wanted to find out what kind of world-caving-in-on-itself book Justin Cronin had written. It required quite an investment in time for me to read this and I hate to say that it was just okay, but unfortunately that's how I feel after finishing it. Strangely enough I'm not even slightly curious about what might have happened with either of the two endings. Feels like there must be another book lurking in the background somewhere. As I said, I'm not even slightly curious.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Game of Cages: A Twenty Palaces Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Harry Connolly Page; Review: It must be incredibly difficult for an author to maintain the momentum built up in a first novel so that it will carry over into the second. Game of Cages is not only as good as the first book in this series,Child of Fire: A Twenty Palaces Novel, in some ways it may even surpass that great debut. Raymond Lilly is back in the real world working in retail. Retail? Ray? Yep, but not for long. An investigator for the Twenty Palace Society comes by the store where Ray is working and convinces his boss that Raymond's mother needs him immediately. What Catherine Little really wants is for Ray to accompany her to an auction where a predator is to be sold to the highest bidder. Once Ray gets in the car with Catherine it's non-stop action for these two people who are trying to keep a predator from being let loose on the world. Unfortunately, when Catherine and Ray reach their destination they find that the predator has escaped from the group that bought it and they have to try to find it and destroy it even before they know what this predator can do. Harry Connolly took quite a few risks with this book and turned a plot that is not exactly brand new into a story I honestly had a hard time putting down. First he has used a 45 year old woman with a husband and two daughters as the other character working with Raymond. By giving me a diferent type of character than what I would expect it put me a little on edge about how she would react. Would she be a help or a hindrance, what could she contribute to the story? Second risk: there is a huge body count in this book. And that leads directly to the third risk of having Ray act in ways which are normally viewed as wrong. Raymond and Catherine are pretty much on their own trying to track down this predator and deal with the magic until the Society sends in a peer to destroy the predator. So why 4 stars instead of 5? First, a device Connolly uses to help the reader keep track of some of the characters is having Raymond give people nicknames: Well-Spoken, Tattoo, Stork Neck, the Fellows and others, and I did need that help. Next, the action all takes place in a very small, confined geographic location so there is much running about in the woods at night stumbling and falling and getting caught up in briars so there isn't much variety of locations. Fourth, Annalise was a long time in making an appearance in this story. I think I understand why, but I would have liked having her back working with Raymond sooner because she is such a dynamic part of this team. And last, I still didn't learn quite as much about the Twenty Palace Society as I would have liked. Would I recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading action loaded books about magic? You bet I would!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kill the Dead. Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim); Author: Visit Amazon's Richard Kadrey Page; Review: Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey is one of those dark, gritty urban fantasy novels I seem to be reading so often lately. And yet, this one does manage to be different in quite a few ways, the most obvious to me was the seeming inability of this hero to do anything right. That's rather a sweeping statement and not completely proven out as the story unfolds, but I did begin to wonder if Stark would ever succeed in getting it right. That's probably the whole purpose of the character, he doesn't get everything right. He messes up, causes problems for people by his impetuous actions, walks straight into trouble when it has a blinking light indicating trouble ahead. Despite all of this, Stark's story of seeking revenge and nothing but revenge caught my attention and made me forgive him time after time for his lack of planning, information gathering, and execution. After all he had suffered when he was betrayed by his friends, after all that happened to him while he was Downtown (what a fabulous descriptive phrase for Hell), and after losing the woman he loved to a callous murderer, I had no choice but to forgive his stumbling around. Richard Kadrey had so many plots working within other plots that sometimes I felt like I was being tied up in knots. At least it certainly kept the story from ever being boring. Stark is forced to remember many parts of his past in order to get him to the place he is now and to understand why, and who, he is fighting. This is not a cookie cutter urban fantasy where a slightly dark protagonist does good things because he is basically a good guy waiting for a chance to be good. No. Stark is exactly what his name implies - he is a stark character. He fears no evil thing because he considers himself to be an evil thing. If this novel was written for a particular stereotypical reader, then I might not fit that particular description and yet I enjoyed it very much. I think Stark shows great promise for other adventures to come. And the second book in the series (Kill the Dead: A Sandman Slim Novel) will be released in October 2010. Just as a word of caution so you will not be surprised by the content, there is quite a bit of language in the book which some may consider offensive. On a scale of 1 - 5 I would probably put this at a 4. Language doesn't bother me if it suits the character and the situation. In this case I felt it was completely appropriate, but just didn't want you to be caught by surprise. Although, most urban fantasy novels do tend to have language content issues for some readers. There are no sexual scenes in this book. Oh, one more thing -- there are NO chapters in this book. There are breaks which come where they are needed, but no actual chapters. I almost wore myself out when I first picked the; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Assassins at Ospreys (Country House Crime); Author: Visit Amazon's R. T. Raichev Page; Review: This is the third mystery novel written by R T Raichev that I've read and this one gets bumped up from four stars to five. I enjoyed the previous two books (The Hunt for Sonya Dufrette and The Death of Corinne), but this one really was special for me. As usual, this very talented author delighted me with his heroine who just happens to write detective fiction thus providing the reader with some interesting insights into the world of an author. Where do the ideas for books come from? Who might make it into the next book as a character? By having Antonia Darcy think and talk about these aspects of writing, Raichev gives the non-author a chance to glimpse some of the processes involved in writing for real. Antonia Darcy has a fan of her work that must be the bane of a true author's existence. Someone who wants to get close enough to have Antonia and her husband Hugh Payne involved in her life. She invites them to her home for tea and the story begins to unfold. These characters are so well portrayed by R T Raichev that I was beginning to feel that I needed to warn Hugh and Antonia to be careful of their involvement. And there are so many different characters here who might be slightly or completely unhinged that it made it hard for me to pick out who was putting on a show and who was really capable of cold blooded murder. I loved all the twists in the plot and all the characters who were candidates for "Murderer #1" so it took me all the way up to the end to get all the threads untangled. And the major clue to solving the puzzle was laying right out there in plain sight for me to pick up and I missed it completely. If you are interested in well plotted mysteries with fully developed characters, you simply cannot do better than to read the novels written by this author. I began with the first and am working my way through in order but that certainly is not necessary. This book, as an example, had just the right amount of back story included so that you can begin here and not miss a thing from previous books. I would advise you to plan on reading the others though. They are like the commercial for potato chips from a few years back: bet you can't read just one!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: On Target (Gray Man); Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Greaney Page; Review: "On Target" is the second novel in the series featuring ex-CIA operative Court Gentry following 2009's The Gray Man (A Gray Man Novel). It isn't necessary for you to have read that story to enjoy this one, but I think you will most definitely want to read that novel also. This story finds Gentry taking on a job for the Russian mob with a boss who seems to find the hunting and killing aspect of what Gentry does fascinating. Even so, Gregor Ivanovic Sidorenko is perfectly willing to sit on the sidelines and wait while Gentry assassinates the President of Sudan, Bakri Abboud. Sidorenko has a client who wants the President dead because that would open up the availability of a natural resource on Sudanese land which is currently being explored by another super power. Gentry is interested in this assignment because of the decades of genocide carried out by Abboud which could now be stopped. Everything is set and ready to go until Gentry is reunited with his old outfit in the CIA. It seems that the United States has plans of their own for President Abboud. Now there is one target but two plans and Gentry is caught in the middle. Author Mark Greaney has given us a second book which is about 80 pages longer than The Gray Man novel. The author seems to use many of these added pages to give the reader a fuller insight into Court Gentry, the man. Gentry is shown to be far from an invincible super hero, but very definitely a 36 year old man who is beginning to show some wear and tear around the edges. How can one man remain so alone and so hunted from all sides and not begin to have some problems? This story shows Gentry reconnected with men in the CIA that he has worked with before, with a chance to be accepted back into the fold. Is this his chance? Is that really what he wants? To have the shoot-on-sight order lifted by the agency and not be hunted any longer? The outcome of this mission will definitely send him in a completely different direction from where he is now, but can he really trust anyone? Once again there is high energy action galore in this novel, but even with all the high tech weapons being used by so many different people I loved the contrast of seeing how much damage can be done with a very low tech weapon. I found the writing to be superb, the action almost non-stop, and the plot riveting. The action in this second novel takes place a world away from the Europe of "The Gray Man' and yet the descriptive talents of this author were so vivid they left me longing for a cool drink of water. Oh, yes, and a shower! There is a sneak preview of the third Court Gentry novel, "Ballistic" due out in 2011, in the back of this book. So now I'm back to waiting for the next adventure with this remarkable but very; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Free Fall; Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: This was my first Robert Crais book to read. I've already been checking out other available novels and was very pleased to see that there are so many to chose from. I don't know if it matters where you begin reading so I'm just going to continue with several that sound interesting. I really enjoyed the humor the Elvis Cole character demonstrated. This subject matter is very grim and dark so some levity came as a great tension reducer. Cole has taken on a client that he doesn't think has a case for him to investigate but he looks into her feelings of disquiet concerning her fiancé, a policeman who is a member of an elite squad with the Los Angeles Police Department. When he takes his result back to Jennifer Sheridan she refuses to accept what he has found and actually has the temerity to suggest that he stopped his investigation too soon. Cole doesn't like that analysis, but agrees to dig a little deeper into what is going on with Detective Mark Thurman. What he begins to uncover puts everyone he talks to in mortal danger from gangs and cops alike. When Cole's partner, Joe Pike, is added into the mix it becomes that classic private investigator versus the really bad guys novel that I enjoy so much. Many thanks to the friend who realized how much this novel would suit my reading tastes. Now I'm hooked.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fannie's Last Supper: Re-creating One Amazing Meal from Fannie Farmer's 1896 Cookbook; Author: Chris Kimball; Review: I would not say this book is a recipe book at all. What I would say is that this book very thoroughly covers almost every aspect of food as it was bought, sold or prepared in the 1896 of Fannie Farmer's Boston. Will I ever try any of the recipes included either here or on the website associated with the book? Probably not, because they didn't appeal to me. But what I found in this book was a very interesting historical record of what foods were available and how they were being bought and prepared in this late Victorian time. As Kimball himself states, he has given us a time machine view of Victorian life and it culminates in a wonderful formal dinner party. And it only required two years of research, tracking down ingredients or choosing appropriate substitutes, innumerable test samples of each recipe, and a large group of dedicated and loyal people to make it all happen. I am definitely looking forward to watching the PBS special program which will be aired this Fall showing the results of all this hard work - and good food! I have to admit to being kept slightly off balance throughout most of the reading of this book. The title would seem to imply that Kimball was going to prepare the entire twelve courses with the twenty-eight recipes he used from Fannie Farmer's cookbook. This isn't what actually happened in many cases. Yes, the recipe from The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book was tried and tested, but it was often found lacking in many ways according to Mr Kimball so other versions of that same type dish were researched and refined to satisfy the palate of a diner in the year 2009. The reason these particular twelve courses were chosen is because this menu appears in the back of the 1896 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. The historical aspect of this book can become a bit dry at times, perhaps going into quite a bit more detail with statistics than I needed or wanted, but I did enjoy the book and think that there are many areas touched on which will spark interest in different readers. I happen to have a particular fondness for Victorian sterling silver flatware and enjoyed the information concerning that subject as well as the social customs of the day. This was a time of great change in society and this author has caught that excitement as well as the hesitancy on the part of some Bostonians of moving forward too quickly. Change was not something residents of Boston embraced easily. This book helped me see that and understand some of the reasoning better. From his perspective of living in a home not many blocks away from where Fannie Farmer lived, Chris Kimball can walk down a street today and make Fannie's world of yesterday come alive for readers on the pages of this book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery; Author: Jonathan Strahan; Review: This collection of 17 stories gave me exactly what I was looking for. When a reader is new to a genre it can be a daunting task to decide which authors to try. This book presented me with names of authors, some familiar and some unfamiliar to me, and a sampling of their work. No matter how long or how short the story, it was still probably going to be enough to help guide me in future reading. As is to be expected when reading this many short stories I liked some better than others, but ultimately found only one that I honestly did not care for at all. That is really very good news for someone who wanted to sample styles of writing. All I had to do was try each one. I am not going to write a summary of each story, instead I will list the authors and titles: Joe Abercrombie - The Fool Jobs C. J. Cherryh - A Wizard in Wiscezan Glen Cook - Tides Elba: A Tale of the Black Company James Enge - The Singing Spear Steven Erikson - Goats of Glory Greg Keyes - The Undefiled Caitlin R. Kiernan - The Sea Troll's Daughter Tim Lebbon - The Deification of Dal Bamore: A Tale from Echo City Tanith Lee - Two Lions, a Witch, and the War-Robe Scott Lynch - In the Stacks Michael Moorcock - Red Pearls: An Elric Story Garth Nix - A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet K. J. Parker - A Rich Full Week Michael Shea - Hew the Tintmaster Robert Silverberg - Dark Times at the Midnight Market Bill Willingham - Thieves of Daring Gene Wolfe - Bloodsport I have already used the stories included here to help me decide I want to read more from four authors. I'll try those and know there are still others that might become real favorites for me. As I expected from the title of the book, many of the stories are dark and violent, but that is surely to be expected. Each story is preceded by a page of biographical information concerning the author. This was very useful to me and will help me know the names of series of books to be looked for. One welcomed result of the decorative border surrounding the biography was that it perfectly showed on the side of the book how long one story was before the next story began. I really liked that. This exceptional assortment was just what I needed to give me a good start on reading the works of many of these fine authors.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sweet Silver Blues (Garrett Files); Author: Visit Amazon's Glen Cook Page; Review: I've been wanting to read this book ever since it arrived last week. What a really fun experience this was. An interesting amalgamation of the old fashioned gumshoe private eye and the magical world of all things weird. I loved it. Garrett is the only human in the story which was chock full of strange characters and locations, but managed to incorporate a real mystery at the same time. Garrett was that paragon of a detective whose word was his bond and nothing was going to stop him from accomplishing the job he had taken on for the Tate family. Denny Tate had died in an accident but what was found in the basement of his house caused Garrett to be hired to find the heiress named in his will. The hunt led from one dangerous encounter to another until they finally met up with the people of the night. These characters were wonderful. I liked Garrett immediately and that liking just got stronger as the story unfolded. Morley Dotes, a dark elfin, was the muscle with brains that Garrett hired to help him find Kayean Kronk. Morley spent time trying to convince Garrett that eating the vegetarian way would keep both his body and his mind cleansed. Those conversations were really funny because they were happening in the middle of all sorts of mayhem. And of course there were the groll triplets, brothers Dojango, Marsha and Doris. Dojango convinced Garrett to take Marsha and Doris along on the trip instead of buying mules. It's just that kind of story. I enjoyed the whole book. It was funny, it was well written, it had quirky characters, but within it all was a quest to find the answers to questions Denny Tate's family needed to know. I've read quite a bit of fantasy fiction now and I don't usually get spooked by it. This story had the hairs on my arms standing up during one scene so don't get fooled by the comedy aspects. There is a kick to it too!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kill Shot (The Mitch Rapp Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Vince Flynn Page; Review: I have to admit to being disappointed with portions of this book. I have never read any of the Mitch Rapp series and decided this would be a very good place to start, a place that explains the entire concept and character from the beginning. In my view it did explain some things, but it also left almost as many questions unanswered. I've assigned the book three stars because there were definitely parts of the novel which were exciting and interesting to read. It is too bad that the entire book didn't live up to the hype surrounding it. Certainly it didn't for me. The editing in this novel is very poor. It was plainly stated at one point that there was only one candidate remaining to continue training. Two pages later there were two trainees. Around page 158 an entirely new character name was introduced into the narrative. I was able to figure out who this person was, I think, but I never got a first name and is it really the job of the reader to have to figure out who characters are? The pacing of the novel was very much stop-and-go for me and at times the writing style changed so much I felt the author's attention must surely be on other things. And the person in charge of the final proofing of this story needs to be severely taken to task. An occasional misspelling or double word insertion I overlook, but when errors in this number happen it detracts from the narrative and causes me to begin to focus on the mistakes. The explanations for how the Mitch Rapp character came into being were unsatisfactory and weak from my perspective as a new reader of the series. Was I really supposed to be convinced that a twenty-three year old man came completely untrained into a top notch anti-terrorism facility and immediately bested those in charge? Just because of his athletic ability and some lessons in martial arts in a strip mall facility? No, that wasn't enough of a reason for me to believe Rapp capable of performing the tasks he is assigned. And one aspect of this training segment was laughable in it's transparency. Having remarked on what I consider less than stellar aspects of the novel, I will say that there were parts I did definitely enjoy. During the sequences when Rapp was involved in specific missions the intensity of the writing was at a much higher level and more enjoyable for me. Sadly though the enjoyment factor was not high enough for me to seek out further books in this series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 61 Hours: A Reacher Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Lee Child Page; Review: I expected that 61 Hours was a disaster waiting for me to read. I had seen countless discussions and forum threads talking about how bad this book was and warning people to stay away from it. This is just one more example for me of how really subjective like or dislike can be of a novel. Personally, I enjoyed it completely. Did I get a little twinge in the brain when the weight of the ladder was stated? Yes, I did. Did I go do some research to find out how much that length ladder made from aluminum would weigh? No, I didn't. Did that kind of thing ruin the entire novel for me? Not at all. I can be very critical of mistakes and incorrect information within a novel, but if the pacing, character development and plotting are holding my attention I will be concentrating on those elements. That is what happened here with 61 Hours. I've seen comments that the countdown of time remaining was disliked by many. Quite frankly, I was a little worried about that in the beginning also. It turned out to be a great device for creating tension in the story and I enjoyed it. This Jack Reacher feels a little more lonely to me, a man realizing that he is actually missing something by having such limited lasting connections with other people, but still not ready to allow those feelings to rule his way of life. This novel allowed him to get close to three people during the course of this story. Maybe one of those relationships will continue, but not right away because distance will become an even greater handicap. I liked the looks back into Reacher's past, both as a small boy and then also when he was in the military. Those glimpses allowed me to fill in some more of the substance of this man. I do find Reacher's philosophy of not being encumbered by any possessions slightly mystifying. Maybe that's one of the things that makes me enjoy these novels so much, this character is completely different from any real person I know and he fascinates me. I've heard this book referred to as a cliffhanger, but I disagree completely because common sense tells me that Jack Reacher will be back. Yes, it would have been nice to get a tidy package with a bow tied on it for an ending to this novel, yet somehow I just don't see Reacher standing still for anyone to put a bow on him. He would be long gone.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Worth Dying For: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher); Author: Visit Amazon's Lee Child Page; Review: I listened to an interview Amazon did with Lee Child before I read this book and he made it very clear that his books do not have to be read in any particular order because each is a stand alone volume. I read 61 Hours: A Reacher Novel (Reacher Series) two days ago and was under the impression it was to be continued in this book. No, that isn't so. You can safely pick this novel up and read it without having read any of the previous Jack Reacher books. This story was filled with action surrounding an over-the-top hero who has an analytical mind that is usually three or four steps ahead of the bad guys. And I was quite content to go along for the ride and watch all that action. Reacher finds himself dropped off from his last ride in the middle of Nebraska farmland. He immediately becomes embroiled in the situation existing between the townspeople and the Duncan family. Definitely four of the meanest villains a reader could want to meet. I was reminded very much of previous stories I've read in this series based on the kick 'em when they're down attitude Reacher lives by. If he has put somebody down, they need to be finished off. This was a situation Reacher wouldn't have walked away from even if he had a choice because he always comes up on the side of the underdog. In this case, the entire population qualified as underdogs. Reacher is calm, he's motivated, and he's deadly. An excellent combination done very well by this author. Keeping the shipment expected by the Duncan's completely secret until the very end of the story made for excellent tension and drama within the plot. I honestly had no idea where the story was headed and I think Lee Child did an excellent job of framing this story with so many bad guys versus the one good guy. And it was so interesting to follow the plotting, planning and thinking of all the different groups of bad guys. That I really enjoyed. This was an excellent Jack Reacher story and not dependent on any other novel to move it along.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Warlord's Daughter: Love and War in Afghanistan; Author: R Harper Mason; Review: This story is a rather unusual combination of part biography, part fiction which did not always blend very well for me. Even though it is presented as fiction it is obviously based on the real life experiences of the author's son. When dealing with the military aspects of the training and carrying out of military missions it rings perfectly true, but adding the story of the young Afghan woman just never felt believable for me. There is a sentence in the foreword written by Richard Mason, the author's son, where he states, "My father has always been a great storyteller." That may be true, but verbally telling a story is vastly different from setting one down on paper. And this story did not capture my interest or imagination in the way it is presented here. I honestly think it would have been a much more compelling story if the love interest had been eliminated and it had simply been a story of the remarkable incidents which probably take place on a daily basis in war situations. No matter how often Mr. Mason told me of the feelings of Nafisa al-Masoud I never made an connection with her on an emotional level. I did not feel her desperation no matter how many times I was told about it. I did not truly sympathize with her stance of defiance against all her father's values because they never came alive for me. Instead she seemed like a rather spoiled, petulant child who wanted everything she wanted when she wanted it. In short, the author didn't make me like and care about this person. Communicating the thoughts and desires of a young woman is not easily accomplished. When you add in the foreign culture and religious factors the chance of success in capturing that character are even more difficult. When viewed as a behind-the-scenes look at the hard daily slog for the military liaison personnel working hand in hand with Afghan fighters this was a very interesting novel. I simply think that adding the love story was a distraction which was not needed. This book was supplied to me by the author.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Choice of the Cat: Book Two of the Vampire Earth; Author: Visit Amazon's E.E. Knight Page; Review: Choice of the Cat continues the saga of the battle to retain some freedom and independence in a world controlled by an alien race called Kurians. The takeover of Earth happened in 2022 and the resistance has been fighting for about forty five years to keep from living under the dominance of humans who chose to be controlled by the Kur and their Reapers. The Reaper is a vampire like creature that drains a human of their life force and feeds that aura back to their master. Way of the Wolf (The Vampire Earth, Book 1) is the first book in this fascinating series by author E. E. Knight and really should be read first, just to set all this background firmly in your mind. It would also help to have a pretty firm grasp of the geography of the United States at your fingertips. The stories are contrasts in the primitive and the quasi-advanced methods of fighting to get and hold territory and control the inhabitants. The fierce spirits of the renegade fighters in these stories appeals to me very much and I think this author has chosen very wisely to put his freedom fighters in the center of America because of all the wilderness areas available for engaging in guerrilla warfare. The alien beings are divided into good and evil forces and David Valentine went through an invocation performed by one of the Lifeweavers to give him Wolf attributes. Now he has been forced to resign his commission and strike out to find another Lifeweaver who can give him the Cat senses he will need to track down The General, a shadowy figure who is marshaling forces under the banner of the twisted cross, a backward swastika emblem worn by a destructive group of Kur and Reapers never seen before. This is another interesting story in this series. This volume has characters who continue from start to finish and who will obviously be in the third book also. The only negative aspect of the book might be that it could be difficult to pick this book up and readily understand this complex civilization if you have not read the first novel in the series. There are many references to occurrences which happened previously that aren't fully explained. As I've said before, probably it would be best to start with book one before taking on this one. I see that there are quite a few books in the full series so there is certainly lots of good reading ahead.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) (Stephanie Plum Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's Janet Evanovich Page; Review: Family life is a major focus in this novel, but then, so is the mystery. I've come to the Stephanie Plum series written by Janet Evanovich late, but now I'm super charged up and ready for more. This was a well written book and downright laugh-till-you-cry in some places. What a talent this author has for capturing the down home aspects of Stephanie's life. When Grandma fired the "unloaded" gun at the dinner table I laughed until I had tears in my eyes. But just in case you think all this frivolity might keep the story from being a true mystery, don't worry about that. I thought the process of Stephanie learning how to be a "bounty hunter" or "recovery agent" by trying to bring in the biggest bond skip was extremely well written. The character made all kinds of really novice and stupid mistakes and she paid for every single one of them. No getting away from the consequences by batting her eyelashes at somebody who makes all the trouble go away. No, singed off eyebrows and skinned knees were actually the least of this woman's troubles. Was Joe Morelli a dirty cop? Stephanie wouldn't put it past him because of the grudge she's still holding from high school days so she commandeers his car and tries to capture him and earn the $10,000 fee. Her problem is that she meets Joe every time she turns around and yet is no closer to turning him in. Her investigation into the charges against him makes her start wondering if the official version of what happened might be slightly or even completely wrong. She will just have to solve the mystery and find out. Also, I would like to make a comment about the quality of this book regarding Kindle formatting. I read comments all the time about how bad Kindle formatting is in some books. Well, I read this on my Kindle and the formatting was absolutely spot on. No problems whatsoever so that's one thing you won't have to worry about if you are a Kindle reader.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Best American Mystery Stories 2010 (The Best American Series ); Author: Lee Child; Review: This collection of short stories is part of a series called The Best American Series edited by Otto Penzler. Penzler and others narrowed the submissions down to fifty and they passed those along to the guest editor for the 2010 edition, Lee Child. Anyone familiar with either of those two names will pick this book up expecting to be thoroughly entertained. What I had also hoped for was to find some new authors whose work I had not read before. I'm always trying to add new authors to my list of favorites. This book certainly lived up to my expectations. There are twenty stories here that cover a wide range of styles and subject matter. The authors included are as follows; Gary Alexander, R. A. Allen, Doug Allyn, Mary Stewart Atwell, Matt Bell, Jay Brandon, Phyllis Cohen, John Dufresne, Lyndsay Faye, Gar Anthony Haywood, Jon Land, Dennis Lehane, Lynda Leidiger, Phillip Margolin, Chris Muessig, Albert Tucher, Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Wallace, Mike Wiecek, and Ryan Zimmerman. As is always true with any collection of short stories, some of these appealed to me more than others, although I will say that the overall quality was very good. These are very short descriptions of seven of my favorites. Doug Allyn - AN EARLY CHRISTMAS - police procedural - an attorney's car goes off the road and he is killed when it burns. Evidence at the scene indicates murder. The victim's soon-to-be ex-wife can't seem to help the detectives but she does seem to be hiding some information. There are many more books written by this author and I look forward to exploring them. Mat Bell - DREDGE - A middle aged man finds the body of a murdered young woman floating in the pond. He "rescues" her and puts her in his freezer. This story had my hair standing on end. It and others are in a collection by this author titled HOW THEY WERE FOUND. Jay Brandon - A JURY OF HIS PEERS - Based on a true historical event in 1842, this concerns the lawyers of a small Texas border town who were all kidnapped and taken to Mexico before Texas was part of the United States. Fascinating to read this authors ideas of what might have been going on back in the town while they were in prison. There are many books written by this author for me to explore. Lyndsay Faye - THE CASE OF COLONEL WARBURTON'S MADNESS - A very well written Sherlock Holmes/Dr Watson tale with Watson asking Holmes to provide a solution for something which happened to him while he was practicing medicine in San Francisco. This author has written a full length book, DUST AND SHADOWS, which I will definitely be reading. Jon Land - KILLING TIME - A paid assassin has failed at his last assignment and now his bosses want him dead. He assumes the identity of someone else, but trouble still finds him. This author has many books to chose from and I look forward to reading more of his writing. Chris Muessig -; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mercury Falls; Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Kroese Page; Review: I could not make any connection with any of the characters in this book or with the author's style of writing. I read the book over a period of three months hoping every time I picked it up that something would finally click and I would begin to enjoy it. I didn't find it humorous, even though it is obviously meant to be humorous. When Mercury made his first appearance on page 73 I hoped his addition would provide the lift to the story which I had been searching for. The fact that I did not find any of the characters compelling left me with little to look forward to in the reading. The style choice the author made of having almost the entire story told from dialogue between the characters became quite irritating for me after a very short time. In short, this style of novel did not appeal to me. It might be a good idea to make sure you take advantage of a preview of this book before deciding whether or not to read it. I believe that opportunity is available on Amazon.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Darcy's Obsession (A Pride and Prejudice Variation); Author: Visit Amazon's Abigail Reynolds Page; Review: I was thoroughly enjoying this novel during the first stages because of the interesting approach of changing the Jane Austen version of events to have Mr. Bennet die. Those of us who are familiar with Pride and Prejudice understand what a profound impact that situation would have had on the story line. Here, Mr. Bennet has died and Charlotte and Mr. Collins have taken over Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet and the girls have moved in with her sister in Meryton, Jane has married a tradesman but still lives in Meryton and Lizzie is living with the Gardiner's in their home in Cheapside. Darcy tries to stay away from Lizzie but then discovers that she goes out for a walk early each morning. He contrives to meet her. This story is presented primarily from the viewpoint of Darcy with only small segments of it from Elizabeth's perspective. Still, I was enjoying the story which gave me an indication of how much Darcy loved Elizabeth and how much he fought against that love, for reasons of family pride and social standing. Then it all began to devolve into a fairy tale with improbable new characters who were allowed to act in completely unrealistic ways for the times. There were evil relatives counterbalanced by worthy and kind and good urchins and servants. Lydia was still her same selfish self but with a problem that Darcy could solve. In fact, Darcy solved every problem for every single person in this story. It's a wonder the poor man didn't find himself on the verge of bankruptcy. He handed out money like it was water. And if Darcy wasn't giving out money then another good relative was sprinkling the fairy dust over situations right and left to make them come out with a perfect Happily Ever After emblazoned with sparkling lights and twittering bluebirds of happiness. There is really nothing wrong with all of this creativity unless you prefer your Austen continuations or adaptations to stick closer to the original, which happens to be the side of the fence I find myself on. This wasn't a bad story, there were just too many different tales and strings that all had to be wound up into a ball to get the whole thing corralled for an ending. And all of that took too long. And what in the world was that with the way Bingley acted with Jane while her husband was on his deathbed? That was not the action of the kind, sweet, considerate Bingley from Jane Austen. That was a spoiled modern character who just wanted what he wanted and he wanted it right then. Who cares about Jane's reputation? Certainly not Bingley. My final assessment is that there were too many plots, sub-plots, and prominent characters in this story both from high society and low society. And for those of you who like to have this information, the story is completely chaste. There are no scenes of a physical nature between Darcy and Elizabeth except for several kisses. Personally, that is the way I prefer my Pride; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Athena Project: A Thriller (Thorndike Press Large Print Basic Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Brad Thor Page; Review: My husband is a huge fan of the Scot Harvath books written by Brad Thor. Because of all the good things I've heard from him I decided to make this book my maiden voyage into the world of fiction created by Thor. I made a bad choice. I did not enjoy this book at all, in fact I would not have finished reading it had I not requested it through the Amazon Vine program and therefore felt an obligation to read and review the book. I think this book may be an aberration in Thor's writing, but what I had in front of me was what I had to make a judgment on. New agents have been added to the counter terrorist forces of the United States and they are women, code named Athena Project. This is the first full novel devoted to the mission one team of women was assigned, searching for research data from World War II Nazi scientific experiments with teleportation of humans and weapons. I found one very surprising aspect to this novel. When "the women" were absent, it was a rather good book with a very interesting central premise. When "the women" were on the scene it was a disaster for me. Since "the women" were the reason for the entire book being in existence, that put quite a damper on the whole exercise. Throughout the entire book this group of four women is referred to by the author as "the women", not the team, not the agents, not the operatives. I found that rather telling. The four main characters are introduced to the reader in such a poor way that I could never manage to formulate a mental picture of any of them and therefore they had to remain "the women" in my imagination. At first I tried going back to the two pages where Thor had listed each woman and given some physical and background details about them as individuals to try to figure out who the speaker was. Eventually I simply abandoned that effort because there wasn't enough difference between them to even help me that way. They were all beautiful, all physically fit, all intelligent (although I never saw any evidence of that), all approximately the same height, and all around the same age. Nothing to make any one of them a real person for me. And shallow doesn't even begin to describe their personalities as written by this author. There is not one single private conversation between these women when they were not discussing who they were going to sleep with, who they had just slept with, who they thought the other one had just slept with, or how they were going to find someone to sleep with. And their own references to their beauty was seriously off-putting for me. Even when they were in the middle of an operation and communicating with each other over headsets they STILL carried on these types of conversations. It was just a chatty kathy fest from beginning to end and I didn't like it because; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Attenbury Emeralds: The New Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane Mystery (Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Jill Paton Walsh Page; Review: I sincerely hope that Jill Paton Walsh was simply using the characters created by Dorothy L. Sayers and not her style of writing as well. She did succeed to a certain extent by bringing a new mystery featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, his wife Harriet and the faithful Bunter for readers to explore and enjoy. She did not write this book in the style of Dorothy Sayers so perhaps that was never her intention. If you are a very patient reader you will make it into the heart of the story. If not, you may give up on this one too soon. The first 129 pages are used by the author to fill in the back story concerning the famous Attenbury emeralds. That is a long time to expect to hold a readers attention to get to the current happenings in this mystery. So what the reader is given is actually three mysteries, all concerning the jewels owned by the Attenbury family. Lord Peter was involved in the two past episodes when catastrophe happened around the jewels and now calamity has struck again. The first section of the book dealing with the background mysteries was interesting but not compelling for me. I could easily put the book down and not feel an intense desire to continue reading. Once the latest mystery began to unfold I became much more interested. There are a very large number of characters in the book, in fact it takes about three pages for the author to list them all - quite a group to try to keep up with. There are also many rabbit trails we as readers are led down before we get to the crux of who was committing these crimes spanning so many years. Was the revelation of the guilty party a surprise to me? Good heavens yes. I had never even considered that person to have been responsible so I should have been satisfied, but there is that little bit of questioning in me that wonders if the author knew who was going to be guilty before she got to the revealing portions. I enjoyed the book as a whole, but would have liked for it to have been presented in a somewhat different manner. All of that back story took a long time to wade through. I am sorry to say that this novel did not make me want to seek out the other Wimsey/Vane books written by this author. This one was an enjoyable reading experience, but it didn't fire my imagination enough to make me want to read additional works by this author.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Lost Gate (Mither Mages); Author: Visit Amazon's Orson Scott Card Page; Review: I did enjoy reading this book, my first Orson Scott Card novel, and found it to be interesting enough for me to read the entire book, but it never seemed to captivate my imagination. Danny (of the multiple last names) is quite young at the beginning of the story and a sympathetic character because of his place within his community and the problems he has with the extended family members who are raising him. It appears that Danny is so looked down on by others in the community because he is drekka, one with no apparent magical powers. Even as a boy of 8 or 9 Danny had to deal with the knowledge that his parents or others within the family could condemn him to death simply for being different, for not showing powers they had all inherited from their Norse god ancestors. When he is 13 Danny finds out that he does have magical powers but they are forbidden powers. He must leave the family compound in rural Virginia before he is killed. What follows are the experiences Danny encountered over the next three years as he learned what his power is and how he can use it for both good and bad. A story running parallel to Danny's is the story of Wad, a young man - his age is not made clear at first because he only takes the physical form of youth - who arrives at a castle without benefit of a past he can articulate. This character is a gatemage and he uses his abilities to keep track of everything that is going on in a palace rife with murder, intrigue, betrayal and political scheming. The story of Wad was actually much more interesting for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters when the story had moved to Nassassa and the castle of King Prayard and Queen Bexoi. I found some of Danny's early behavior to be consistent with most 13 year old boys, but the quasi sexual scene very early on with Lana, just after his escape from the family and arriving in Washington, D. C., was very puzzling for me. It really did not seem to have any place in a novel concerning a boy this age and did not serve any purpose for me except to irritate me. Later, after he was 15 or 16, perhaps that type of scene would have been more appropriate, but I didn't like it being placed where it was. I also did not like having Danny engage in criminal activity at such a young age. I understand that later in the novel the author was able to have Danny make a conscious determination to never do those things again, so at least there was that decision made. The concept of magic gates that can take a person from one spot to any other place Danny wants to be was very interesting, although the explanations of how it all happened and how he needed to learn to make the gates did get a little long. Also, this novel is; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson; Author: Visit Amazon's Lyndsay Faye Page; Review: I encountered Lyndsay Faye for the first time while reading The Best American Mystery Stories 2010 (The Best American Series (R)). This very interesting volume included Faye's story, "The Case of Colonel Warburton's Madness" and I enjoyed that so much I came to Amazon to look for other material from this author. When I found only one book I ordered it immediately. I'm very glad I did because it was a real treat for me to read an account of the Jack the Ripper murders presented from the perspective of Holmes and Watson. Ms Faye has wonderfully captured the atmosphere of 19th Century London along with the main characters we all know from the Conan Doyle canon. I felt completely comfortable with Ms Faye's depictions of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Inspector Lestrade. They felt as familiar to me in her novel as they do in the original stories and that is high praise from me. It was obvious to me that this author has a reverence for these characters because she didn't try to modernize them or change them to fit her own interpretations. Reading about the Ripper killings was just as chilling when seen from this new angle, but the circumstances presented here made sense to me, the real and the fictional were intertwined well and to my satisfaction. I think Ms Faye's choice of the identity for the Ripper was entirely acceptable and I was not disappointed with how the story ended. I am not any sort of expert on the actual happenings in the cases involved here so I have no knowledge of whether or not the information concerning these horrific murders is correct. I simply enjoyed the novel as an engaging reading experience. I have been unable to find any information about other Sherlock Holmes based stories written by this author. I sincerely hope she is hard at work right now on another book because I'm ready and willing to buy it as soon as it might be released. Let's hope it will be soon.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Taste of Magic; Author: Visit Amazon's Tracy Madison Page; Review: I had just finished reading a very complex and challenging novel and wanted to read something that wouldn't be quite so intense. I probably moved too far in the other direction when I chose this novel. If I hadn't paid for it on my Kindle, I doubt I would have finished it. If you enjoy novels which deal with a woman's feelings, then this will probably suit you quite well. This main character had been divorced for one year, in fact it was the anniversary of that divorce, but she had never worked through all the feelings she had concerning that cataclysmic happening in her life. The reader is taken on a seemingly endless round of revelations of how she feels now about the divorce, her ex-husband and his new bride. How she feels about herself is also covered in great detail as well as how she feels about her family members, friends, business partner and the men she meets. It's a "feelings" kind of book. Into this mix of emotions comes the revelation that Elizabeth's great, great, great grandmother (I may have missed a "great" somewhere but you get the idea) had been a gypsy and her magical powers had been handed down through the female line. Elizabeth was unaware of this family history until her grandmother gave the powers to her. It seems she could cast spells on people and influence how they felt and acted by placing the spell into products she baked and then had her target (or victim) eat the cake, cookie or muffin. She is, after all, a baker by profession and is the co-owner of a business specializing in wedding cakes. Of course, since she cast these spells without benefit of understanding what reactions they would or might cause, there were many unexpected results from the spells. If you enjoy reading about a heroine who constantly makes incredibly silly mistakes which lead her into trouble, then, once again, this novel will probably suit your reading tastes. For me, there were too many "oops" moments. They didn't make Elizabeth an endearing character for me, they made her a woman with scant control over what words came out of her mouth and someone who didn't often engage in rational thinking. As I say, I think I just chose something much too light and insubstantial. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book if you enjoy reading books with the type of character and plot premise I've described.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lord of Light; Author: Visit Amazon's Roger Zelazny Page; Review: Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny is one of those books that you can't give up on too soon. The first chapter was very interesting, but it took longer than that for me to really begin to enjoy the intricacies of the story and quite a while longer before I actually understood where this story was set. It was an amazing experience to find myself reading about godlike beings who had chosen to take their names from the Hindu religion. Siddhartha, Mahasamatman, Lord of Light, all are "Sam", all are the same person who had spent his time as a god and didn't relish having to be in that position again. When Sam realized that those in charge of this world are gathering more and more power to themselves through the means of the true death or reincarnation into lesser beings for those who oppose them, he must do something to stop this progression. Enter the teachings of Buddhism which begins to convert those who are followers of Hinduism. All of this played out even more beautifully when I realized that the world this all happens in is not our world, but the world of another planet. I loved the contrasts between the powerful Hindu gods with their modern technology, even technology transcending our modern world and the peaceful, non aggressive beliefs of the followers of Buddha. One of my favorite characters was Rild, the assassin who wore his weapon, the red cord, wrapped around his arm for all to see. Yet that man was changed and converted by the very man he was sent to kill. The first time I encountered the machine outside the Temple where people put in their disk, pulled the lever and received their reward was so thought provoking for me that I had to stop reading for a moment. Religion a la Las Vegas. How brilliant of Zelazny to see and reveal some of the shortcomings of modern day religions. I don't know if that was his exact intention, but that is what it made me think about. Once I realized that the chapters did not follow in a chronological order I could relax and almost treat each one as a story within a book until they came full circle and the ending was revealed. This was not an easy book to read, but it was a real pleasure for me. I sincerely appreciate having it brought to my attention and plan to read more stories by this author in the future.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Once A Spy: A Novel (Drummond and Clark Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Keith Thomson Page; Review: I have to thank the friend who asked if I wanted to borrow this book. I had not heard of the author or the book, but I decided to take a chance. Boy, am I ever glad I did. This is a seriously funny, engaging, entertaining, exciting and well written book. I'm not an expert in the thriller genre of novels, but I have read a few and lots of them have been excellent books. This one ranks right up there with some of my favorites. Poor Charlie Clark can't win enough on the horses to keep himself out of trouble. Now he owes big money to Grudzev which is why he's at Aqueduct on Christmas morning having a very private look at the workout of a filly named Great Aunt Edith. If he can make a killing when she runs the next day he will have enough to pay that gambling debt. What Charlie gets the next day is a call from a Social Worker in Brooklyn asking him to come get his father who has wandered away from home. Charlie didn't realize his father had Alzheimer's Disease but his ears really perked up when he heard about that durable power of attorney. Except that once Charlie and Drummond Clark left the Prospect Park Senior Outreach Center odd things began to happen and strange people seemed to want to harm the old man. Charlie was in no way prepared for the news that his father wasn't a retired washing machine salesman, he was really a spy. This is not a standard rendition of the spy/thriller novel. This one is presented by an author who has a smile on his face the whole time he's showing the absurdity of how this father and son team elude and out maneuver the "experts". There are double crosses, nobody is who they seem to be, and bullets are flying hot and fast. Charlie is just about the most unaccomplished man on the face of the earth and would never have survived if it hadn't been for those times of lucidity when his father's training and knowledge returned with a vengeance. These two get into and out of impossible circumstances and I was cheering for them all the way. Was it realistic? Absolutely not, but I still enjoyed every chapter. I chuckled at the dry, ironic wit evinced by this author in his telling of the story of the little guys against an entire intelligence agency. The author handled the subject of Drummond suffering from early onset Alzheimer's with great sympathy and never did I feel he was patronizing or insensitive to that devastating condition. Keith Thomson did a great job with a very touchy subject. When I left Charlie, Drummond and Alice (you'll have to find out about Alice yourself) they were literally flying off into the sunrise. It should have been the sunset, as per the American Western films, but what can you do. I will be eagerly awaiting a renewal of my acquaintance with them in the next book Twice a Spy: A; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: What Angels Fear : A Historical Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's C.S. Harris Page; Review: I have to confess to being slightly disappointed by the first book in this series. I had inadvertently started reading with the fourth book (Where Serpents Sleep: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery, Book 4) but enjoyed that book so much I went ahead and purchased the first three books. Sadly, in this volume it felt as if the author couldn't decide whether she was writing a Regency historical romance or a period mystery. There was a time in the past when I read at least several hundred Regency historical romance novels. I recognize all the plot points and information insertions devised by various authors to try to differentiate their book from fifty new releases on the bookstore shelves. This novel had much more romance in it than I normally appreciate in my mystery stories. My personal preference is to read a mystery, first and foremost. I had also thought that the huge plot revelation which evidently took place in the third book (Why Mermaids Sing: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery, Book 3) and formed the underlying basis for the above mentioned fourth book could be ignored by me while I was reading here. Unfortunately, that was not to be. The signs of what would happen in the future were everywhere, but probably mainly because I already had that information. The major detraction from my enjoyment though was that I didn't think it was a very good mystery. One of the most important clues upon which the story hinged simply jumped out at me, an assumption that a fact was true when no concrete evidence was given. From then on I was hyper-aware of every reference to that point. This was just an okay reading experience for me. I do know that the fourth book was quite good so I'm not giving up on the series. I don't know that I will read the second book, but I will read the third to see how that story arc which causes such a change in the direction of the series is presented. Hopefully there will also be a really good mystery for me to try to solve as well.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Elijah's Coin: A Lesson for Life; Author: Visit Amazon's Steve O'Brien Page; Review: Not only is Elijah's Coin an inspirational reading experience, it can and will be a life changing experience for people who are seeking an answer to the question "why". Each of us has to make that journey of discovery on our own, but Steve O'Brien has written a story which can show us how it worked for his character and how it just might work for us. Inspirational without being preachy or even focusing on any particular belief system, Elijah's Coin shows us how a 19 year old college freshman turned his life around by seeking Elijah King, the man who gave him a special coin and then disappeared. Tom Wagner's life was about to become the life of a criminal. Not because he had a need to survive and crime was his only option, no, Tom felt life had dealt him an unfair hand so he would simply take what he wanted, when he wanted to take it. In the process of committing a burglary he met a man who completely turned his life around by making him examine how he had come to this place in his life. Tom's life became a mission to find Elijah. Along that journey Tom found what Elijah had been talking about all along, a purpose in life. This is a beautifully written story. It contains truths that none of us is ever too young or too old to seek out and try to perfect. There are two coins included in the book, one for the reader to keep to remind them of the principles and ideas expressed in the novel. The other coin is to be given away, along with an explanation of how it can help someone else in their times of need. A perfect example of this author passing along the concepts he advocates for his characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this marvelous book. A copy of this book was provided to me for review purposes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Little Victim; Author: Visit Amazon's R.T. Raichev Page; Review: I absolutely love to open a book, begin reading the first few paragraphs, and find myself drawn into the world of fiction created by a talented author. That is what I have found so far in all of the previous three Antonia Darcy and Major Payne mysteries I've read. This is novel number four and it continued right along that same line and I couldn't be happier. R. T. Raichev has a talent for descriptive prose that grabs my attention. Reading his illustration of fog reaching out with tentacles like some fantastic creature as if seeking prey drew a mental picture for me that seemed to place me right outside that drawing room window. And just when the atmosphere might be getting a tiny bit too dark and dramatic Raichev puts in a line that makes me laugh out loud at the absurdity of a comment made by one of his characters. He also has a wicked sense of humor and a compelling tendency to have his characters use tongue-in-cheek humor to make fun (quite nicely though) of themselves, the genre in general, and even the readers themselves. This story begins at Noon's Folly Cottage - doesn't that very name tell you what a classic English mystery reading experience you can expect? And yet these stories are set in modern times. Hugh's aunt, Lady Grylls, has pushed, shoved and cajoled Antonia and Hugh into taking a trip to India. The weather is dreary and cold in England, why not take an all expenses paid trip to a warm spot and help Charlotte Depleche decide if she wants to buy a property, Coconut Grove, from a bona fide gangster. If it sounds simple, then rest assured that it doesn't turn out that way. As it says in the book, the first murder goes practically unnoticed at first, but the second certainly doesn't. And, to make it all even better, I couldn't figure out the answer until the author spelled it out for me. As with the previous books by this author I enjoyed the chapter titles which relate so well to the happenings in the chapter and which are so completely evocative of mystery novels from other authors. It is always fun to try to track down any title I'm unfamiliar with. Sort of a mystery quiz contained within the book. I still have the fifth book in the series, The Curious Incident at Claridge's: An Antonia Darcy and Major Hugh Payne Investigation (An Antonia Darcy and Major Payne Mystery), left to read and I have just seen that novel number six, Murder at the Villa Byzantine: An Antonia Darcy and Major Payne Investigation, will be released in the United States in April 2011. It's going to be hard to wait.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Secrets of Happy Couples: Loving Yourself, Your Partner and Your Life (Insideout Empowerment); Author: Visit Amazon's Kim Olver Page; Review: I was not involved in the surveys Kim Olver conducted to gather material for this book. One of the reasons I was approached about reading this book though was that my husband and I have been married for 46 years. Would the advice and information contained here match the real life experiences I have had over those years? I am very pleased to say that, yes, it did. I didn't try to sit down and read the book from cover to cover in one sitting. No, this required much more thought and introspection than that. Many, many of the topics are situations I have gone through or have observed friends going through. At one point in the narrative Kim says that we tend to be attracted to people who are like us. I see now that that holds true in many ways. All of my friends have been married for long periods of time. Even second marriages tend to be very long lasting within my circle of friends. So, obviously I have sought out those who are like myself. This was very tangible evidence for me that what I was reading here held value for me and I think it would for others also. My main guiding factor in my marriage has always been to be honest with myself. That isn't always easy, but it is essential to try to be as honest as humanly possible. I'm very glad to say that this author's approach with the information in this book follows along those same lines. Her overall advice is that you must be capable of being honest with yourself in order to invest the time and work to make a relationship good and long lasting. This book is not told strictly for the female perspective, even though women would probably be more prone to pick it up initially when looking for help, suggestions or advice. There are so many very basic, straightforward ideas presented here, but one which struck me as vital was that a couple should agree on the vision, mission and values of their relationship. Other factors are involved, of course, but those three have been of such vital importance to me. I enjoyed many things about this book. Each chapter heading clearly defines what will be discussed within that chapter. The advice and examples are not given in professional-speak. Instead it is as if you are talking to a friend who has had much experience in dealing with these topics. Each chapter ends with a summary of what you have just read and I found that a very refreshing recap in case I had been unable to read the entire chapter straight through. There are many examples of interactions between couples which serve as illustrations of the points under discussion. They all ring very true and real. Some of the chapters contain a quiz, a list to be compiled or an exercise to be completed, by both people in the relationship. Within each chapter numerous references are made to other professionals and authors. A complete list with more; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death at La Fenice: A Novel of Suspense; Author: Visit Amazon's Donna Leon Page; Review: On the advice of other readers of mystery novels I began my adventures with Commissario Guido Brunetti with the first book in the series. The curtain is about to go up on the third act of the opera when an announcement is made that a different conductor will be in charge of the orchestra for the remainder of the performance. Out front the show goes on. Behind the scenes the investigation begins into the death of Maestro Helmut Wellauer who has very obviously died from a cup of coffee laced with poison. Author Donna Leon paints an incredibly vivid portrait of the city of Venice by not hesitating to allow the reader to experience the beautiful as well as the tarnished facade. It evolves into a place where people live and have everyday jobs and careers. Always, though, there is that special feeling of the foreign which I look for in my armchair travels. Not only the professional, but also the private life of Guido Brunneti are presented here and the combination tends to make him a very believable, sympathetic character that I very easily came to like. Even though this would probably be classified as a police procedural, it is not a technical novel. The author doesn't weigh the reader down with scientific evidence to the exclusion of person to person investigative methods. I enjoyed the book very much. The denouement was very reasonable and satisfactory for me. There were one or two times when I thought Brunetti might have been rather informal in his investigation, but that may simply be the way this author wants to present him. I'll know the answer to that better when I've read more books in the series and, thankfully, there are plenty more for me to chose from.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Raven Black: Book One of the Shetland Island Quartet (Shetland Island Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Ann Cleeves Page; Review: Author Ann Cleeves gave me a description of the landscape, weather, isolation and character of the people who live in the Shetland Islands. All of these things came together within her riveting story of the death of a sixteen year old girl. It was probably natural for the residents to immediately blame the old man who had always been an outcast. After all, they thought he had been responsible for the disappearance of a young girl years before. Why look to anyone else to solve this death which happened so close to his own home? This first book in the series of Shetland Island thrillers was definitely a thriller for me. The author managed to tell the complete story of what had happened to Catherine Ross and still make the revelation of who the guilty party was a surprise to me. I usually can at least have the guilty party on my list of suspects, but not this time. Inspector Jimmy Perez is a very well executed character, having some character traits I've not encountered before in a policeman. It was a delight to meet such a man. The restrictions of travel and access to seemingly instantaneous police procedural methods created a sense of tension which continued throughout the book for me. I found the explanations for what happened logical and entirely possible. If an author can satisfy me as to how and why a situation has happened, then I am able to give myself up to their writing and simply explore where they want to lead. It is a talent that I don't always find when I'm reading mystery or thriller novels. I am now ready to move on to the other novels in this series. Maybe next time it will be warmer and I won't feel compelled to drink so many cups of tea!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: I, Sniper (Bob Lee Swagger Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's Stephen Hunter Page; Review: The cover of this book is what first caught my eye. Once I picked it up and read the synopsis on the back I decided to give it a try because I'm always looking for new thriller writers, at least new for me. I understand that there are many other novels written by Stephen Hunter, quite a few in the Bob Lee Swagger series, but it was no problem for me that this was the first book I had read. It is easily read with just enough of a back story to bring me up to date on some of what had happened to this character in his past. In this story Swagger is called in by the FBI to be a proverbial thorn in their side. They have an air tight case to prove the guilt of Gny. Sgt. Carl Hitchcock (Ret.) as a sniper from the Vietnam War who has gone berserk all these years later and killed four anti-war activists. Swagger is the unbiased sniper expert who will put the lid on this case once and for all. There are big players all over Washington who want this case marked Closed and yesterday would not have been too soon. I immediately felt sympathetic with the Bob Lee Swagger character because it was so refreshing to see the protagonist of a book such as this who is in his 60's. That's not something I've come across before and I enjoyed reading about someone who actually sounded like a real live person with aches and pains, some little but some more serious, that tend to slow people down as they grow older. There were also many other characters who were engaging for me, one being FBI Agent Nick Memphis. The world of the snipers holds a fascination for me because I cannot conceive of the mental and physical toughness necessary to excel in that discipline. This novel gave me a wonderful behind the scenes look at what some of this world might be like. There are several reasons I chose to assign four stars instead of five to this novel. There were some aspects of the book which didn't appeal to me completely. The technical talk of the firearms and ammunition went into detail which will probably be enjoyed more by gun enthusiasts than it was by me and, as should probably be expected in a novel dealing with snipers, it came up very frequently. I finally began to skim those sections. Many of the dialogue sequences went on longer than I thought an actual person would have spoken. That is simply my personal opinion, but I did find myself skimming once again. People I know don't tend to expound quite like that. The allusions to real people for many of the characters in this book were too close for comfort for me. It was extremely easy for me to replace some of the names in the novel with real people, even the initials and occupations were the same. That was closer than I like for fictional characters to imitate real; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: How to Lose Weight in the Real World: Why Other Diets Suck and You're Not Losing Weight; Author: Visit Amazon's Dr. J. deValentino Page; Review: If you are looking for new information on how to lose weight, then you need to know that you have probably heard most (if not all) of this information before. There are sections explaining why specific diet fads do not work and this author acknowledges that even the best program will not succeed long range unless there is a lifestyle change, not just a weight loss interval. I would have liked to read some anecdotal evidence of Dr. de Valentino working with or even just knowing people who have tried her method of weight loss and been successful. There are no stories included here to act as a ray of hope for someone contemplating trying this system of weight loss. In the short form, dieters are encouraged to eat raw or lightly cooked/processed fruits and vegetables, drink water or tea, and exercise. If someone wishes to eat meat it should be the very smallest size portion - roughly equivalent to a playing card in size. It is recommended that specific fish be eaten at least once a week. This, again, is not new information. There are portions of the book devoted to saying how prescription medications, over the counter drugs and herbal remedies can interfere with weight loss. In these cases I would have liked to see some references to research studies conducted in these areas to bolster the statements made. The book needs to have a copy editor or proofreader look it over before it is ever published again. This certainly should have been done to begin with. There are countless errors in the book, some of which cause the meaning of the material to be difficult to understand. As a reader it should not be my task to wonder what an author might have meant in a situation where poor proofing is obvious. There is one entire section on Desserts (page 182) which is almost incomprehensible because there are so many mistakes. A book of any kind should not come to the marketplace until it is in pristine condition. This one is not. If you are brand new to researching how to lose weight, then this book will give you some basic information. If you read magazine articles, newspaper articles, other weight loss books, or even have discussed weight loss with your physician or a dietitian, then this book will probably be redundant to what you already know. This book was provided to me by the author.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Stalking the Angel; Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: The Elvis Cole series written by Robert Crais is turning out to be one of those multi-volume series where I'm going to want to read each book. This is the second in the series so now I've read three of the books and think I understand the characters pretty well. I especially liked having Joe Pike present during so much of this novel. He is such an enigmatic character when compared to the ebullient nature of Elvis Cole and the two opposite characters work very well together. Robert Crais did a very good job of filling this novel with characters who had depth and dimension. As seems to be the case in these novels, there is a lot of driving around the streets of LA and it's surroundings with detailed descriptions of where everything is located. Maybe a little bit on the long winded side for me, but at least I get a good feel for the neighborhoods and countryside. Perhaps what intrigued me most about this plot is that the reader is left not quite sure of why certain things happened. Not that the threads of the plot were not finished up, that's not what I mean. The motivation and truth of why something happened, that's what you are unsure of. And, quite frankly, I think it makes for a much better book because it was left that way. Cole starts off looking for an extremely valuable Japanese book, but the case rapidly moves into other areas because what he encounters is a completely dysfunctional family, a totally self-absorbed billionaire, a kidnapping and a murder. And questions, many, many questions. This second book in the series follows along in the same direction as the others I've read and I will continue to work my way through the Robert Crais canon. And I'm sincerely looking forward to it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Red Herring Without Mustard (A Flavia de Luce Mystery #3); Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Bradley Page; Review: This charming series of novels written by Alan Bradley is positively addictive. You can start at any point, with any of the three, but Flavia along with her family, friends and neighbors in the tiny British hamlet of Bishop's Lacey will surely capture your imagination, your sympathy, or your heart. Probably all three. Flavia is the most unusual eleven year old girl you could ever meet. Her interests are centered around chemistry, riding her bicycle (called Gladys) and escaping the evil clutches of her two older sisters who torture her at every turn. Ah, siblings. In this third action packed adventure Flavia starts out wanting to have her fortune told at the village fte and ends up burning down the tent of the gypsy fortune teller. Of course it was all an accident and Flavia does her best to make amends by seeing that Fenella Faa has a safe place to park her caravan while she recovers from the effects of the smoke she inhaled. And what better place than on the grounds of her family's estate, Buckshaw? Events begin to spiral into more and more unusual situations as Flavia begins to uncover facts of an ancient religious group, a kidnapped infant, valuable antiques disappearing and then reappearing, and a vicious attack, then a murder. All the while the police are pursuing their inquiries and Flavia is pursuing her own investigation. What is that smell of dead fish she seems to keep noticing? I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I had been looking forward to following along while this young detective solved the puzzles which seemed to keep mounting up and I certainly was not disappointed. The deeper Flavia went into the attack on Fenella the more questions were raised about other things going on in both Bishop's Lacey and other nearby villages. In the middle of it all hangs the very real life troubles of the de Luce family and their money problems. Flavia's father has to make some hard decisions and some sacrifices are necessary now, and more will surely be faced in the future. Come along into this wonderful world and meet Flavia's father, her sisters Ophelia and Daphne, Mrs. Mallet, Dogger, the doctor, the vicar, the police inspector and his sergeant and a host of neighbors both nice and not so nice. A small English village, an eleven year old girl, the 1950's and crime of many kinds. A recipe for adventure and delight.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Mermaids Singing; Author: Visit Amazon's Val McDermid Page; Review: Maybe the best thing I realized when reading this book is that I like my mystery and police procedural novels to be much more sanitized than this one was. Because of specific mind sets within the police department in the town of Bradfield in northern England, it takes a long time for the connection to be made between three young men being murdered and a serial killer. Assistant Chief Constable John Brandon is in Manchester listening to the rationalization presented by Dr. Tony Hill for how he can help law enforcement in his role as a criminal profiler. The Home Office is setting up a network of forensic psychologists to help police solve crimes involving serial offenders. Just as the conference breaks up Brandon receives word that the fourth young, gay man has been found dead after being horribly tortured. Hill, Brandon and Detective Inspector Carol Jordan assemble a team to begin to understand this murderer and stop the killings. The novel is written so that the chapters alternate between the point of view of the killer and the official investigation. That would have been interesting except the author went into extensive detail regarding how each of the men was tortured. Ultimately these became much too graphic for me, hence my learning that I need more sanitized descriptions of death. The other characters were interesting, but somehow none of them managed to interest me enough to actually begin to care for them. The novel was written in 1995, and has not held up very well. I enjoy reading novels published years ago, but this one just felt very dated and completely overcome by the advances made in computer and forensic technology. There is the aspect of a struggle between opposing sides within the police force for how the investigation should be handled and the press figures very prominently in the story with policemen providing information to the newspapers which affect the cases. With a mixture of horrible descriptions of torture, almost constant anti-gay derogatory statements and name calling, a plot twist at the ending which came as no surprise, and not really forming any kind of connection with the principal characters involved I'm afraid this book was just okay. One other difficulty I had was that the author never convinced me that the murdered men were actually gay. That factor needed to be much stronger and crystal clear because it was purported to be the reason behind the killings. This book certainly did not make me want to rush out and buy something else in this series or, as a matter of fact, any novels written by this author. Sadly, not every book you pick up is going to be a favorite and not every author is going to light that spark within you which makes you eager to read more of their work. This was just such a book for me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Kill the Dead. Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim); Author: Visit Amazon's Richard Kadrey Page; Review: Having read Sandman Slim I have to admit to being slightly disappointed in this second novel in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book because it broke through the logjam of what have become standard urban fantasy novels. This author set out to give the reader a character whose voice is humorous but also irreverent, impertinent, dark and tough, but I do feel sorry for anyone who did not read that first book because in this one Richard Kadrey shows no mercy in trying to bring a new reader up to speed about most of what happened there. All of the incidents are remarked upon and figure prominently in the action of this book, but new readers are left with their legs churning as they try to catch up on what has happened in the past. It isn't necessary for an author to take a huge amount of time to bring current and returning readers up to date with their storyline and that would have been a welcomed addition here. James Stark is the son of an angel and a human woman. His childhood was definitely not of the Ozzie and Harriet type and the scars of his feelings concerning his parentage play a key role in the character's development. Kadrey uses this book to explore that topic and the situations with Mason, Kasabian, Lucifer, Kinski, Candy, Vidocq, Allegra, and others from the Sub Rosa. He also introduces a new character, Brigitte Bardo (probably not her real name) who is a Czech gypsy porn star whose real purpose in life is to kill zombies. Stark begins to find zombies all over the place so he and Brigitte start killing them. The wicked, black humor is still very much in evidence in this second book and there are some major advances made in the character of James Stark. I enjoyed most of the book except I kept waiting to see what the actual plot was going to be. When it finally came I didn't find it nearly as interesting as I had hoped. Definitely still worth reading for fans of gritty noir urban fantasy so it will not be a waste of your time. I just hope you've read the first novel before you crack this one open.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Moms' Ultimate Guide to the Tween Girl World (Momz Guides to the Tween-Girl World); Author: Nancy N. Rue; Review: The world was a different place when my two daughters were tweens, so different in fact that they were still simply 'children' without much attention paid to their particular age demographic. My time as a tween is now mired in the mists of time, along with the other dinosaurs. But, I have two tween grandgirls, ages 9 and 10 and it hasn't taken me long to see how different the world is for these two precious girls. Nancy Rue calls this group of girls between the ages of 8 and 12 mini-women. I fought against that description when I first began to read this book because my grandgirls aren't women, even mini-women. Not even close. Are they? Well, as much as I might hate to admit it, yes they are and I need to learn from someone who knows that age group on an up close and personal basis what is going on inside their sweet (today at least, tomorrow is another day!) little heads. The advice offered here is geared toward the mothers of these girls with the advice being based on the Christian faith and Rue's many years of experience in working with girls of this age group. As a grandmother I found the information and insights just as valuable. The main ideas I came away with are that I need to allow each girl to be her own individual self while figuring out what that really is, I need to be willing to ask questions and then truly listen to the answer, and I need to take the time to understand myself as well as the child because everyone she comes in contact with has an affect on her mental and spiritual growth. This electronic media world they live in is so all pervasive that it means their self esteem is so fragile at this age that it is more important than ever to tread lightly, but have a definite goal in mind. This is a process we are involved in, it will not always be an easy process, but by utilizing the advice given in this book you can truly be your daughter's Mother, not a friend, not a buddy, but her one and only Mother. What a treasure that position is. The friendship can come later. Another designation for this age group is millennials (because of their birth time in history) and regardless of how impressive that may sound, these girls still need help finding who they are and learning how to be content with that personal knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book. Now, I received this book as a free Kindle download. That is perfectly fine, but in this case it was not entirely satisfactory for me. All of the material is there, it just isn't formatted in a very attractive way. I have utilized the 'look inside this book' feature on the book page and I now know what I'm missing in the Kindle version. I am absolutely going to order this book in the print edition even though I've already read it. There; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Twice a Spy (Drummond and Clark Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Keith Thomson Page; Review: I loved the first book in this series, Once A Spy: A Novel, with the introduction of Drummond Clark, a past bright star within the CIA who has now possibly become a liability to them because of Alzheimer's disease. A black ops group - The Cavalry - within a covert group - the CIA - has been assigned to remove Drummond as a threat to reveal secrets by.....well, removing him. Drummond's slightly ne'er-do-well son turned out to be quite an asset to him in the first novel and we left them successfully escaping from the good/bad guys by private jet. Fast forward only a matter of weeks and the second book picks up with Drummond, Charlie and Alice (an operative with the National Security Agency who threw her career to the wind in order to help the Clarks) in Gstaad, Switzerland, where a promising new drug is being tried for Alzheimer's patients. Naturally The Cavalry can't give up on silencing Drummond, but who was it that kidnapped Alice? And how can Charlie get Drummond to remain lucid long enough to remember where the Perriman washing machine is? You will just have to read for yourself to find out what a washing machine has to do with the CIA! Author Keith Thomson has made some changes to the overall construction of the plot line in this second book and they are very successful. Charlie Clark is no longer such a complete duffer who simply has incredible luck in getting out of tight scrapes. Charlie actually has a brain in this book and knows how to use it. Drummond is presented in a much more realistic way concerning his disease. He can not always solve every problem by turning into Superman in a slightly tattered cape by having extremely fortuitous memory recall. There is not quite as much humor in this book as in the first, but it is still there and the characters are all very well defined and fully developed. I enjoyed this book, probably even more than the first one. The missions are still over-the-top, but, after all, I'm reading to be entertained and entertained I was. All of that is a real affirmation of both the first and second novels. It isn't necessary to have read the first book, but Charlie's gambling addiction is so well written in the first book that I think you will miss some of his character if you miss that book. Now, what in the world happened with the final chapter of this book? I don't know, but I can say that it left me so confused that I read it twice to see if I had missed vital information. No, I didn't. One star off simply because the chapter didn't seem to fit in with the remainder of the book and there really didn't seem to be much reason for it not to.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan; Author: Visit Amazon's Del Quentin Wilber Page; Review: I recently saw an interview Judy Woodruff did with former First Lady Nancy Reagan. During their conversation Mrs. Reagan made some comments which made me know that there had been many behind the scenes incidents regarding the assassination attempt on the life of Ronald Reagan which I had not been aware of. When I saw this book I knew immediately I wanted to read it and hoped it would give me the insights into situations which happened outside the public view. I am pleased to say that it certainly succeeded in that regard. Del Quentin Wilber has written a minute-by-minute account of March 30, 1981. He has given background information about all the key people involved in the life of Ronald Reagan on that day and by using information derived from those involved in this terrifying incident he has put a very human face on what happened. The sections of Notes and Bibliography cover 53 pages in order to provide sources for the sequence of events and reactions of those impacted by this event. Through all the facts presented here I did not feel that the author was trying to promote any particular view, he was simply stating the evidence he had gathered from all the research and interviews he had done in preparation for writing this book. From a personal standpoint the most fascinating facts were those dealing with the medical assessment and treatment President Reagan received at George Washington University Hospital. Next would have to be reading about the problems both political and personal which played out inside the White House that day while Reagan's fate was uncertain. I do highly recommend this book for anyone interested in knowing what all was going on prior to, during, and after the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. If we can actually learn from history, then this account should be a shining example of where the problems withing the system were and how they needed to be changed. Hopefully our nation will never go through this kind of traumatic event again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jane Austen: A Life Revealed; Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Reef Page; Review: I've known Jane Austen is my favorite author from the very first time I started reading Pride and Prejudice. Over the years I've read her major novels many times and am slowly making my way through Jane Austen's Letters (New Edition) Collected and Edited by Deirdre Le Faye which is no small task. But, as a true Janite, it is my privilege to read them. When I noticed this book, and then when I realized it was geared toward readers in the age 12 and up category I decided to find out how Catherine Reef would summarize Austen's life into approximately 180 pages. I'm very happy to say that she has done it well and this is a fantastic book filled with the fascinating bits of information which make Jane Austen such a 'real' person. Some authors try to portray Austen as too good to be true, too good to be a real person. If you have a chance to read any of the Austen novels you immediately see that Austen was a keen observer of human nature and she must have had some of those very same traits she writes about in order to recognize them in others. I liked the way historical fact was woven into the telling of this story so that it was interesting and pointed out how close Austen came in her novels to portraying the people and events she witnessed in her daily life. Each of Austen's six major novels is discussed regarding the story line and by including them while imparting information about Jane's private life the reader can see how she pulled her ideas from real life. This is a very well written biography of a true giant in literary history. I am grateful to Catherine Reef for managing to be so thorough with the details while not once becoming boring. A remarkable feat which will be appreciated by readers of all ages who explore this work.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Daughter of the Forest (The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Juliet Marillier Page; Review: The longer I read this fascinating, beautifully crafted story by Juliet Marillier the harder it was for me to believe this was her debut novel. The use of Sorcha Sevenwaters as the narrator for the story would have, in most other novels, been a drawback from my standpoint. In this case it worked wonderfully because Sorcha suffered so much that the reader needed to be completely connected to her in order to appreciate the depth of her strength and her burden. Sorcha is the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters who was himself a seventh son. When she was born Sorcha's mother died and her father used warfare to repress his grief. As a consequence the six brothers and their sister grew up running wild and free in the dense forest which kept their home so well guarded. The first several chapters in the book move rather slowly because there are so many characters to introduce and explain and the magical world of the forest must be put in place. The political warfare between the people of Erin and Briton also take quite a bit of explanation so the reader understands the situation into which the Lady Oonagh steps. This stepmother is the evil, magic wielding sort of which fairy tales are made. In order to rid herself of the competition from Lord Colum's children, Lady Oonagh turns the brothers into swans. Only by the intervention of the Lady of the Forest is Sorcha given a way to save her brothers, but as the Lady says, the way will be long and hard and dark. For anyone who doesn't realize it, this story is a wonderful romance. It takes quite a time for that element to be revealed, but once it is, everything begins to center around Sorcha and the Briton who has rescued her, but taken her away from her home. This was a very moving, fascinating story for me. I did not know the Celtic legend of the six wild swans so was intrigued by what had happened to the six brothers. Sorcha is written as an incredibly strong individual, especially when considering how young she is. She has a dedication to her brothers which allows her focus to always be on the goal she is working toward no matter how terrible her personal circumstances. There are very dark happenings in this novel, but they are there to serve a specific purpose. The writing moves from one trial for Sorcha to another with her learning more about herself and the world of the people she has believed to be her nation's mortal enemies. This is quite a wonderful example of how people can only come to know another person by removing themselves from their own comfortable place and going into another environment. This first book in the Sevenwaters trilogy was so fascinating for me that I begrudged anything which interrupted my reading time. I am ready now to move on to the other two books, Son of the Shadows (The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 2) and Child; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bullet Work; Author: Visit Amazon's Steve O'Brien Page; Review: According to the short biographical information in this book author Steve O'Brien is a former thoroughbred horse owner and an attorney. The language of this novel certainly reflects his familiarity with the world of racehorses and the tracks. If you have ever been curious about what goes on behind the scenes of those tracks, this novel will fill you in with detailed information concerning the horses and with the betting aspects. There are scenes describing people purposely killing and harming horses and those were very difficult for me to read. From the aspect of being a mystery, I have to admit to being disappointed. There was an effort being made to extort money from the stable owners and trainers to protect their horses from injury. The plan was to kill or harm some horses to get the attention of the trainers and owners so they would pay the protection money, then the price of protection would escalate. Strangely enough, in this novel the law enforcement element played a very small part and that just didn't ring true for me. The investigation of who was behind this scheme also did not seem to be given nearly enough attention. The main character is an attorney who owns several race horses because of his love of the sport, but not because of his love of the animals. I could not like this character and don't feel that the author developed very much depth to this man. In fact, much more time is spent on the subjects of betting and the backside operations of a track than on solving the mystery of who was extorting money from the principals. I had previously read a novel by this author called Elijah's Coin: A Lesson for Life and was greatly touched by the story and the writing. I had expected to have a slightly different experience with this book since this falls into the mystery genre, but I read a lot of mysteries and was really looking forward to this. As a mystery novel the author did not develop the tension or anticipation needed to focus on solving these crimes. I felt that I was simply told who the culprits were and that was an unsatisfactory way of solving the puzzle for me. This book was provided to me at no charge.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: To Reign in Hell: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Steven Brust Page; Review: I truly enjoyed this book because of how Steven Brust told his fantasy version of what heaven was like and what led up to the separation of the hosts. There is no God as Supreme Being as modern religion shows Him here, there is Yaweh (the first creation) and Satan (created by Yaweh who then helped form other angels) who loved each other even more than brothers, but became separated because of an idea, the Plan, and the plotting of one angel. Any preconceived notions you might have concerning Heaven, Hell, God, Satan, archangels and the hosts have to be set aside while you are reading this tale. Everything is presented from an entirely new direction. If you cannot let go of your personal beliefs while you explore this story, then this novel will most likely be an irritant for you. Brust does not set out to retell the Biblical version of the casting out of Satan into Hell. What a wonderful depiction this is of how much trouble can be caused by one person intent on causing problems and confusion. It was not an easy novel to begin reading, but after realizing that these characters were all completely different from my previous perceptions of them I found it simply fascinating. Brust moves everything slowly, one false rumor at a time, one small manipulation of fact at a time, until the Firstborn of Heaven have divided into two groups and are willing to annihilate each other. But neither side truly understands why. The characters of Yaweh, Satan, Lucifer, Lilith, Belial, Beelzebub, Michael, Gabriel, Mephistopheles and others are used in a totally different way here. And it all eventually comes down to the musings of Satan; what if he had reacted differently at one certain time, what if he had gone to a certain place, what if he had openly and quickly opposed Yaweh's Plan. As with all of us today, it all comes down to hindsight, what if.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Watchman; Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: I am not trying to read the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels in any particular order. Therefore I have, understandably, read more novels which feature Elvis Cole simply because there are more novels which feature him. I've always wanted more of Joe Pike's character and I got quite a bit of that in Stalking the Angel (Elvis Cole, Book 2). This book is the first one I've read to feature Pike with Cole coming in periodically. These two main characters are so completely opposite on the surface and yet so much alike. I thoroughly enjoy the Elvis Cole novels, but I'm fascinated by Joe Pike. I absolutely loved this book. Pike is hired to protect the life of a young woman who was involved in a traffic accident. The Feds have told her family that one of the passengers in the car she hit was a major criminal from South America and he will kill the girl to keep her from testifying in court and proving he was in America with outstanding murder warrants. This spoiled rich kid tries to do everything possible to get under Joe's skin, but nothing seems to faze him. Then all the information Joe and Elvis have been given begins to fall apart and they don't have any idea who they can trust or who might be selling the girl out. From here on they will do their own investigating and trust only their own evidence. Robert Crais has made Joe Pike the main character in this novel and has used flashbacks to explain the time Pike spent as a police officer. That was very interesting and enlightening. Crais also makes Pike into a somewhat more approachable person by using the psychological makeup of Larkin Conner Barkley to point out how opposite Pike is to her, but also how alike they are because of their family situations. I thought early into the book that I wanted Crais to 'lose' Larkin in some way because she was being a distraction to the investigation. That was only until I began to realize how her character was going to change and also to change Pike at the same time. This was one of those novels where the investigative digging was what solved the case and I'm so glad the author allowed the readers to share in that process. Very well written, very sharply defined characters, a plot which had the ability to actually be realistic, and an ending which was inevitable. I enjoyed it tremendously.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dead Silver: A Novel (Hugh Davoren Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Neil McMahon Page; Review: As a reader I never know quite what to expect when I begin a novel by an author who is new to me. The premise had to sound good or I probably would never have decided to read the book in the first place. In this instance, the style of writing by Neil McMahon was not what I am looking for in a mystery novel. I expect character development to take place, but I also want to have action taking place at the same time. I read all the way to page 153 before I got any action by this lead character besides tearing down dry wall, pulling up floors, and cleaning up pack rat leavings on a clean up job he had undertaken. That pace of plot movement turned out to be entirely too slow for me. I never was able to find anything especially interesting about Hugh Davoren, even his physical description doesn't seem to have made an impression on me. I liked the character of Madbird, Hugh's Native American friend, but he didn't play much of a part in trying to unravel this cold case of double homicide. Another aspect of this novel I was looking forward to was having it set in Montana. Once again, not enough descriptions of the landscape to fire my imagination. For some reason the descriptions of both people and places rang shallow for me and none of the story, even the romance between Hugh and Renee Callister, kept me wanting to turn the pages. I finished the book simply because I had absolutely no idea how the author was going to bring the story to a satisfactory conclusion. Turns out, for me, he didn't. I didn't like having Hugh Davoren suddenly have a flash of insight to point him to the guilty person. It really didn't make any sense to me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Black Company (Chronicles of The Black Company #1); Author: Visit Amazon's Glen Cook Page; Review: I read an anthology not long ago, Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery, which contained a story by Glen Cook titled Tides Elba: A Tale of the Black Company. I was so interested in that story I decided to read further and started with this first in The Black Company series, originally published in 1984. I definitely enjoyed reading this story, even if the author didn't exactly make it easy for me. I would have liked to see background information concerning these characters who played such a large part in this novel. Croaker was the doctor with The Company and also the Annalist, the keeper of the written record, so the story is told from his point of view. This fantasy world could have been much more satisfactory if the author had given more information about him. Little bits and pieces are scattered throughout the novel, but mostly they deal with the history of the company and it's reason for existing, not necessarily fleshing out individuals. Croaker's work as a doctor would have been very interesting if some information had been written concerning his healing work as well as the products and techniques he might have used. Finally I had to put aside the lack of concrete background for the characters and the war they were engaged in and then I really did enjoy the many quirky and unusual characters as well as the magic systems being used in these episodes. The Black Company is made up of mercenaries; rough, battle hardened troops who adhere to loyalty to each other and The Company and who willingly fight for the side their Captain aligns them with. In this instance it was often hard to distinguish whether The Lady or the Rebel forces were on the side of right. Betrayal and trickery was on each side, the lines between right and wrong were constantly changing, and Croaker and his brothers-in-arms were constantly having to second guess who their friends or enemies were. This was a very interesting fantasy world and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in this particular series, Shadows Linger: A Novel of the Black Company (The Second Chronicle of The Black Company). This story built the tension and anticipation slowly, by having many skirmishes both large and small on the way to the final battle. I'm definitely going to want to find out what happens in the next series of adventures.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sovereign (A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Sansom Page; Review: The first two Matthew Shardlake novels in this series were engrossing reading experiences for me. This third entry still has the wonderful writing and historical attention to details, but it seemed to bog down for me during the long section when the action was taking place in York. Master Shardlake has been asked by Archbishop Cranmer to travel north to York to hear petitions against local officials and then Shardlake and Master Giles Wrenne, a lawyer from York, will make decisions and present them to King Henry VIII. Henry is making a Progress from London to York to accept the supplications and apologies of the ruling officials of York for the uprising which might have cost him the reign over that portion of England. This is 1541 England with all the political minefields ready to snare the unwary. C. J. Sansom has a wonderful way of making all the maneuvering among the political factions come alive by using the materials he has so diligently researched. This story involves the King's agents trying to uncover the remaining participants in a plot to discredit Henry's line of succession and thus force him from the throne. Once the Archbishop has convinced Shardlake to travel North to represent the monarchy in the law petitions he assigns the hunchback lawyer a secret mission which will be much harder to carry out. Even though I enjoyed this story, it did not quite hold my attention as Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake Mysteries) and Dark Fire did. The happenings in York seemed often to be told several times from very slightly different perspectives. I found myself wondering if I couldn't simply skip over sections. That, of course, would not have been a good idea because there were so many clues hidden away (some of which were merely contemplations by Shardlake, some of which were false clues) that skimming forward would have lead to me ultimately having to go back to read a section later. It was still a good novel, with characters from previous books returning to play major roles and with new characters introduced who will feature in succeeding novels. I fully intend to read the next book in the series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Book 1, Gamadin: Word of Honor; Author: Visit Amazon's Tom Kirkbride Page; Review: This Young Adult novel starts out with adventure and never looks back. Our two California surfer dudes and their brainy side-kick never met a potential disaster they weren't willing to tackle. Teens Harlowe, Riverstone and Wiz have been best buds forever so where one goes the others follow. For good or bad, they take on all problems together. Even when it comes to finding out that they are destined to use the technology and dedication of the Gamadin to save Earth and other planets in the solar system from vicious alien invaders. This book has characters you will gladly love or hate, but you won't allow for much middle ground here. Harlowe's girlfriend isn't exactly what you think she is. Then there is her pet, the ugliest dog you've ever seen, but cute at the same time, an 'undog'. Plus Leucadia's parents (super extravagantly rich Harry and Mrs. M), Simon (slightly older - early twenties - movie star/jerk) and his ex-Navy SEAL bodyguard Monday Platter. Combine these characters with an alien commander you would just love to squash flat and you have the central cast of one super exciting novel. The sci-fi aspect of this book was very well thought out and makes sense within that fictional world. The descriptions paint vivid pictures of earth and aliens alike. The author does have quite a few continuity problems, but I'm thinking most readers are going to be so caught up in the story and the action that they won't notice. Part One is finished, now the journey continues in the second book, Book II, Gamadin:Mons. Let the adventure continue! This book was provided to me for review purposes at no charge.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The President's Vampire; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Farnsworth Page; Review: This second story in the secret life of the vampire who guards the interests of the President of the United States simply left me standing in the dust by the side of the road. It was not what I had hoped to find in the next novel of the series. Blood Oath, the debut book, appealed to me with it's quirky weirdness that absolutely, positively could not be true. Could it? No, absolutely not, but it was fun to read and I enjoyed the chances the author took to make his novel stand out among so many fantasy look-alikes. Just the fact of making me entertain the thought that it MIGHT be true was a wonderful accomplishment by the author. Then along came The President's Vampire and for me it turned into a comic book. I can even imagine the balloons with "BIFF", "POW", "SQUISH", and even "AAARG" littered across the pages. I'm not a comic book fan so when I started having those feelings about this book I knew I was in trouble. Even the whisper of Cade's existence is supposed to be top secret. Zach Barrows has his entire life turned upside down when his political career comes to an end and he is made the handler of the President's vampire. In this story the secret appears to have infiltrated so much of the Washington, D. C. political culture it seemed as if everyone in town knew about Cade and had simply decided not to talk about it. The Secret Company is a group which has long been formed to take down the government from the inside out and they use a defense contractor, Archer/Andrews which already has a dark and shadowy reputation, to carry out their clandestine activities. There is a virus being perfected which instantly turns people into, as Zach calls them, Snakeheads. That's not quite an accurate description, but it is mentally evocative. In order to utilize this 'secret weapon' there is a great deal of guts and gore in this novel. Some of that was needed for illustrating how the mutated virus worked, but there was so much it far exceeded my comfort level. Each chapter of the book begins with back story concerning incidents in U. S. history which touched on the use made of Cade or happenings of an unexplained nature. This feature detracted from the narrative for me because it interrupted the flow of the story and almost always, perhaps even every time, signaled that a different point of view was now going to be presented. For me it was very distracting. A word here to Kindle readers - these back story segments will be shown very clearly in the print version of this novel. With the Kindle I read several of them and was thoroughly confused by what was going on. I finally realized that the font size I was utilizing was keeping me from seeing that these opening segments of chapters were back story, not a continuation of the present story. I then adjusted my font size to the smallest I; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Moon Over Soho (Rivers of London); Author: Visit Amazon's Ben Aaronovitch Page; Review: It is always such a pleasure for me to find an author who manages to write a book that piques my interest and holds my attention. Both are true here because Ben Aaronovitch created something new for me. Normally when I read an urban fantasy book the plot requires that all those involved in that world are aware of the magic components active all around them. In this book that is not the case. Probationary PC Peter Grant had been left to guard a crime scene when he met a ghost. Not just any ghost either, no, this one was a witness to the crime. In very short order PC Grant finds himself assigned to a unit of the Metropolitan Police which up until he joined it had only one other member, a wizard. Peter is now on his way to becoming an apprentice wizard, learning magic and trying to help solve the crimes of completely unexplained violence which are breaking out all over London. Peter's best answer is to use his interest in scientific knowledge and experimentation in conjunction with the magic to explain some of the things that are happening. I really enjoyed this book for its humor and the unusual combination of scientific investigation paired with utilizing magic. It put a different spin on the plot for me by having the entire London scene be so solidly in the present time, with the citizens of that great city completely unaware of the magic or the horrors within their city. I also enjoyed the great amount of research this author has obviously done regarding the many rivers around London. And to have each of them portrayed as an individual character was quite a successful undertaking. I also want to compliment those responsible for the artwork map on the cover of this book. No matter how many times I look at it I keep finding names of areas or a street that I recognize. I have to admit that, as an American, there were just a few times when I felt a little lost because I didn't understand some of the English slang or references, but it was certainly not anything that kept me from enjoying the novel. Book two, Moon Over Soho, is next in the series and if this one is anything to go by it should be another fascinating reading experience.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Moon Over Soho (Rivers of London); Author: Visit Amazon's Ben Aaronovitch Page; Review: The first book in this series, Rivers of London, positively made me sit up and take notice. This second book, not so much. There were many areas which did not satisfy me. This turns out to be a cliffhanger which will obviously be carried forward into a third book. Aaronovitch ended up one aspect of the story but left the remainder open. Detective Constable Peter Grant is picking up right after the first book left off by starting to investigate the sudden death of a jazz musician who died immediately after performing. Under ordinary circumstances his death would have been ruled as natural causes except that Dr. Walid knew he wasn't the first jazz musician to die so suddenly lately. Grant is also presented with a case of a man found dead from a terrible mutilation. So how many killers are wandering around Soho using magic as their murder weapon? This story has a lot of emphasis on sexual behavior. Some of the murder victims, or near victims, concern sexual activity and Peter Grant is involved in a very active sexual relationship. This is a very different direction from the first novel so it came as quite a surprise to me. Probably because it was so different it made me wonder why it was included so I developed my own theory which proved correct. I did not enjoy this book as much as the first because I didn't think the plotting was nearly as strong. The magic aspects were actually not very interesting to me and it seemed to be moving all over the spectrum of unusual creatures and people without really needing to. Some of the explanations didn't work either. The characters of Nightingale and Lesley May don't figure as much in this story and I feel it suffered, principally because of the absence of Nightingale for much of the time. I would not like to begin reading this series with the second book. I think this is one of those series which practically have to be read in order. The positive aspects for me were that Aaronovitch kept the humor aspect of the novel as a very important part of the overall character of Peter Grant. He also continued to describe the physical landscape of the city of London and Soho in particular in fascinating detail. I'm not sure these things will be enough to tempt me into reading the next novel. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Also, just for your information, the book titled Midnight Riot by this author is the same book as Rivers of London. At least it seems to be as far as I can tell without buying the book to compare them side by side. Certainly could be confusing if you aren't careful.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Covent Garden Mystery (Mystery of Regency England); Author: Visit Amazon's Ashley Gardner Page; Review: Book number six in the Captain Lacey series set in the Regency time period in England was quite a satisfying historical mystery. I have enjoyed all of the previous books in this series, even though some rated higher than others with me. I sincerely like Captain Gabriel Lacey and have watched him change from a lonely, embittered man to someone who has finally found a chance for happiness over the course of the books. This one was originally published in 2006, but I see that each of the novels will be re-released in 2011 as a lead-up to the brand new seventh novel in September 2011. I am so very glad to see that author Ashley Gardner has not abandoned Lacey and his friends, but will give loyal readers at least one more story. All the stories in this series build rather heavily upon what happened in the previous book(s), so it is a little difficult to write any type of plot summary which will not give away information important in other novels. I'll simply say that this novel concerns itself with Captain Lacey's efforts to find young women who have disappeared off the London streets in the Covent Garden area. Two of these women are "game girls", better known as prostitutes. Lacey lives in close proximity to Covent Garden so he has at least a passing knowledge of these girls and a great sympathy for their plight. His investigation begins when he is asked to find one of the missing girls. As with all the previous novels this author has made Regency London come alive for me. Her talent for description is superb and the cast of characters she assembled here was first rate. I will say though that this particular novel centered very heavily on Lacey's personal life so the mystery aspect is not as involved as most of the other novels. The novels in order of release are: #1 - The Hanover Square Affair #2 - A regimental Murder #3 - The Glass House #4 - The Sudbury School Murders #5 - A Body in Berkeley Square #6 - A Covent Garden Mystery I was really afraid this would be the final adventure for Captain Lacey. All of the lose ends of his personal life are concluded very satisfactorily in this book (that's why you should not begin the series with this novel) and quite a long period of time has elapsed since the publication of this book. I was delighted to look on the website for these books to see that a seventh novel will be released this year. The previous books are now being released on Kindle, in print, and there will be a new novella (The Necklace Affair) out in June. I'm really looking forward to the new novel and the novella. Captain Lacey and his entire group of friends, family, and acquaintances are too interesting to be allowed to just fade away.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Curious Incident at Claridge's: An Antonia Darcy and Major Hugh Payne Investigation (An Antonia Darcy and Major Payne Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's R.T. Raichev Page; Review: One sure thing I can always count on with a book written by R. T. Raichev is that one seemingly small incident will turn into one big case of murder. In this instance Major Hugh Payne only has a short time to observe the beautiful young woman having coffee with a much older man in Claridge's Hotel. Major Payne is there attending a regimental reunion luncheon, not really enjoying himself very much, finishing sentences for many of the older members and providing quotations on demand. When he leaves the room to get some fresh air he finds Captain "Beau" Jesty, who has deserted his comrades, lurking behind a potted palm watching the man and woman. Jesty has quite a reputation as a ladies man and he tells Payne he intends to meet this one even if he has to use a little blackmail concerning something he just witnessed her do. From there the story moves on to investigating a poisoning which doesn't seem to have ever happened. I always enjoy these novels, for one reason because Raichev includes little bits of tittle-tattle about the famous people of Britain. You can make your own choice as to whether these are things he has actually heard or if they are all complete fiction. Just wondering about it can be fun for me. This particular novel features Payne more than Antonia because these are his friends and he was present when Jesty became involved with the beautiful lady. Antonia does make her investigations into the mystery later, but in the first part of this novel she is busy finishing up her novel. I often wonder if the process I watch Antonia go through as an author is a mirror of what Raichev goes through in writing about her. At one point Antonia remarks that she begins to panic at about chapter ten in her novels and, yes, you will be reading chapter ten in this novel at that time. There were quite a few different characters involved in this novel and I didn't feel that I "saw" most of them with the clarity that I usually experience in novels in this series. Some of the eccentricity seemed a little forced and the circumstance of two of the characters meeting and becoming lovers was really quite a stretch. Even with those things in mind I still enjoyed the novel and greatly appreciate knowing I can open a novel written by R. T. Raichev and expect to find unusual characters and settings. This one did not disappoint.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Stagestruck (A Detective Peter Diamond Mystery); Author: Peter Lovesey; Review: Peter Lovesey is not an author I have ever read so I was looking forward to this novel. I am somewhat familiar with the behind the scenes aspects of theatre so that was another point in the book's favor. Now all I needed to do was read the book. The premise of a singer making the transition to live theatre may not seem terribly improbable, but it would actually be quite difficult to do. The protagonist in this story is Clarion Calhoun who finds her music career drifting downward because of so much competition from much younger performers. To ignite new interest in herself with the public she has decided to accept the offer of a starring role in I Am A Camera. On opening night a horrible disfiguring happens to Clarion and suspicion falls on Denise, the dresser who applied Clarion's makeup. When Denise is found dead from an apparent suicide everyone is happy to call the case closed except Detective Peter Diamond. I enjoyed the background information provided about the Theatre Royal in Bath, England. Being backstage while a performance is going on is like stepping into a twilight zone and Lovesey captured that atmosphere perfectly. He also nailed the many small irritations and petty disagreements which existed between the characters involved in this theatre. The police procedural aspect of the story seemed rather lax and at times downright unprofessional, but obviously that is the style of investigating this cast of characters normally engage in. I will say that it was not any hindrance to me at all that I was unfamiliar with the preceding books, I picked up the relationships between the continuing characters very easily. Diamond had a deep aversion to going into the physical building of the theatre, not just this theatre, any theatre. This was explored and investigated by Diamond himself and solved rather too easily. A phobia of that long duration and with that depth of distress probably would not have been cured in that way. I didn't find that realistic at all. Probably this novel will not spur me on to explore other Peter Diamond novels. I found that I had no compulsion to turn page after page even though I did want to stick with it until the end because I had no idea who the culprit was. That was very well hidden and the author deserves credit for keeping his villain under wraps through the entire story.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: In the Blood; Author: Visit Amazon's Robert J. Sullivan Page; Review: Author Robert J. Sullivan came up with a winning combination for me, a detective called in to help investigate serial killings and travel to another planet. I think this was an absolutely first rate concept and I'm sincerely hoping this author will make up his mind to continue the adventures of Sam Dane. There are a whole bunch of planets out there. Sam has been hired to go to the city of Herenjeros on Procrustes to try to help the local police solve the serial murders of humans, all of which take place during the time of the Festival of Utu, the mating season. Dane is supposed to try to make sense of all the evidence which has been gathered so far concerning the murders and, hopefully, discover who the killer is. During his investigations he comes across many tensions and prejudices which exist between the natives of Procrustes, the Zherghi, and the humans who had come there in order to save their own lives. No matter how much I would like to, I can't overlook the fact that there are some problems with this novel. If Mr Sullivan can improve on some of his storytelling skills I think he will benefit greatly. He has the concept, now he needs to improve his method for explaining to the reader what this world he has invented looks like, what the characters look like. He needs to put more depth into all of the characters so that I feel I know and understand them. What are Sam's feelings, his background, his professional qualifications? At times I got the feeling that Sam Dane was a clone of Joe Friday with that staccato delivery of talking. And yet, the mystery is plotted very well and especially with the distractions involved with creating an alien world. I gave this novel 4 stars because I really do see talent here. Even with the times when I wished some details had been handled in a different way I still read all the way through to see what would happen. This author has talent which I think should be encouraged. My method is by encouraging you to read this book and hope that the next one will be even better. This book was provided to me at no charge.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Phantom Evil (Krewe of Hunters); Author: Visit Amazon's Heather Graham Page; Review: This paranormal mystery romance struck out in all three elements for me. Paranormal: never, not even once, did I feel any tingle of excitement or shiver of fear from the paranormal elements of this novel. That's really a shame because the reason I chose to read the book was because of the investigations into the possibility of whether or not a ghost could have been responsible for the death of the wife of Senator David Holloway of Louisiana. The official cause of death for Regina Holloway was suicide yet the Senator could not accept that she had been so terribly despondent over the death of their son that she would take her own life. This team of investigators was formed to prove or disprove the ghost theory once and for all. There is not really much paranormal investigation in this story at all so if that is your reason for choosing the book, be warned. Also, Angela Hawkins' actions on first entering the house on Dauphine Street was absolutely bizarre to me. Mystery: when I can tell you within the first hundred pages who the villain is (not necessarily how or why, but who) then that story is never going to be satisfactory for me. I just simply did not find this to be a very well constructed mystery. To me it was obvious who was behind everything and since none of the other elements were working for me either I lost interest. Romance: no spark of affection was apparent to me between Jackson Crow and Angela Hawkins and still I'm supposed to believe they fell in love in two days. Even while she was keeping back paranormal experiences she had within the house and telling the other team members to do the same? Purposely withholding information from her team leader? Not an example of trust and love I like to be supplied with. So, three strikes against this novel. I didn't warm to any of the characters because none of them seemed to have any depth to them. They were figures being moved around on a page, but that was all. This crack team of paranormal investigators was put together by...........who? Not nearly enough information was given about the man responsible (he was a rich civilian who was funding this operation out of his own pocket yet the team leader was employed by the government?). That aspect needed to be filled in much more for this scenario to ever get off the ground. How did he even know about these people to want to include each of them in the team? The novel is riddled with editorial miscues which actually make it difficult to read in places. One that really stands out was when a female character asked another female character a question and she answered HIM. The pronouns seem to get mixed up quite often and I had to go back many times to untangle who was speaking a particular line. Angela was recruited to this team from a police force in Virginia. She constantly reminded people that she was; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Shadows at the Fair (Antique Print); Author: Visit Amazon's Lea Wait Page; Review: I am very happy to say that I was most impressed with this first book in the Antique Print series written by Lea Wait. I can be, and often am, difficult to please with mystery novels, but I still love to read them and whenever I can add a new author to my list I am delighted. Perhaps it might help that I have always been interested in antique prints and have many scattered throughout my home, but I don't actually think that is any requirement for enjoying this novel. The author's experience and expertise in the field of antique print material is very evident with information inserted in the novel concerning these fascinating pieces of history. Maggie Summer is the owner of Shadows Antiques and she deals exclusively in prints sold at fairs throughout the Northeastern United States. A dealer was killed the previous week at another fair, but Maggie isn't really concentrating on that news. This weekend is the first fair she has worked since the death of her husband and Maggie is just glad to be associating with other dealers and friends she hasn't seen in quite a while. When the death of a dealer occurs Maggie wants to make sure the grandson of her friend is not charged with the murder. Certainly Ben would not have killed anyone so Maggie sets out to prove his innocence. This was a very well constructed mystery which worked it's way logically and thoroughly through all the possible suspects and motives for the murder. Maggie managed to run her booth and find out information to help clear Ben at the same time and it actually did feel as if all of that would have been possible. The personality the author gave to Maggie made it easy for her to talk to other dealers at the show and she gathered the information they disclosed about themselves and other antique sellers so that Maggie could separate the relevant facts into clues. I think the author did a marvelous job of leading me through the novel in the directions she wanted me to take and thereby withholding the identity of the guilty party until she was ready to reveal it. I am looking forward to reading other novels in this series and there do seem to be quite a few. That's good news for me.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Southern Biscuits; Author: Visit Amazon's Nathalie Dupree Page; Review: If you are reading reviews for a book devoted completely to the art of making biscuits from scratch, chances are you don't already know how to make biscuits from scratch. This is a wonderful book on many levels, but you need to be realistic and understand that even with this wealth of information you will need to practice and experiment. I watched Nathalie Dupree's wonderful television program on PBS for many years so I was already familiar with her style of cooking. One of the foods I could never get the hang of was biscuits. I grew up watching my mother and grandmother make them using only their hands to mix the ingredients. I tried that and came away with rocks because I had no idea about ingredient proportions. This book will help you explore proportions and techniques that will ultimately lead to a biscuit which will make you say WOW! It happened today after batch #8. In a three week period. That's a lot of biscuits, but, luckily they freeze well so we are stocked up. I have had some bumpy rides along the way to that WOW batch. Here's what I've learned: !. First three batches - Basic Southern Biscuits on pages 56-57. Followed the recipe exactly the first time and got heavy biscuits that didn't rise. Figured it was my fault so made them exactly the same another time but used a different oven, with the same unsatisfactory result. Even the *failures* were being eaten though. I then noticed that the White Lily Self-Rising flour sack had a biscuit recipe which was virtually identical to what I was using but with only half the fat. Made the batch using that recipe and it was really, really good. The lesson learned was that I wasn't compelled to follow the recipe exactly, but I needed to learn how and when to deviate. 2. Batches four, five, six - Busty Yogurt Biscuits on pages 44 and 45, where yogurt is the liquid and fat combination. Fabulous taste (a little tangy), not much of a rise but that was fine. Yogurt and Heavy Cream Biscuits on pages 46 and 47 where there is once again no fat except what is found naturally in the cream and yogurt. These were super easy to stir together and, although not as tender as biscuits made with a specific fat ingredient, still very tasty. Cynthia's Real Life Pantry Biscuits on pages 48 and 49 using half-and-half and yogurt. Again, great taste, not as tender, not much of a rise. These three batches were made without telling my husband what I was using in the biscuit. He's a purist and when he found out about the yogurt he would have liked to complain but it was a little hard when he had eaten four of the biscuits with nary a whimper. 3. Batches seven and eight - Fast-Food Biscuits on pages 78 and 79. These are what we think of as basic homemade biscuits. The first batch I followed the directions except I could not bring myself to; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Pirates of Aden; Author: Visit Amazon's Daniel Rasic Page; Review: When I began reading this novel I really enjoyed seeing the Somali pirates story presented from their point of view. Their perception of why events were happening as they were in their part of the world was quite interesting reading for me. The writing was tight, the atmosphere tense. Once the point of view changed over to the main character of the book I began to have some feelings of dissatisfaction because I did not like Dr Paul Alban. I'm sorry to say this continued through the entire book for me. The book took on quite an interesting dynamic though because I had enjoyed the first portion dealing with the hijacking, then I didn't like the protagonist very much and that portion of the novel moved very slowly for me. I came very, very close to putting it down and not finishing it. What saved the novel as a good reading experience for me was that the action level did ramp up, and it did so with a vengeance. I enjoy reading novels which have twists and turns in them so that I'm not ever perfectly sure which way the author is going to lead the reader. If anything, this novel might have had too many of those situations for me. As the threads of plot all finally came together I was not completely sure I had sorted everything out. Do I think that Dr Alban's character grew into a better, healthier person from all he endured here? I can't honestly say because that aspect isn't shown. Even at the end he goes off on his own without telling anyone where he was going or how long he would be gone. I know why he went, I simply think the author missed a wonderful chance to show the reader how much Alban's character had changed by sharing his intent with Ellen. And I don't think I have ever read a fiction book before in which the word sternum was used so often. That's not meant to be a criticism, just an observation. I discovered later that this author is a physician so using the correct term would come more naturally to him. At least now I know where the popliteal artery is and how long it takes you to bleed to death if it is damaged. My opinion is that this author definitely has talent for telling an action tale. For me personally there was not enough connection with the characters - any of the characters - for me to feel concern, love, hate or any serious emotion for them. I know I read books where I believe I could meet the character on the street and immediately want to engage them in conversation. That isn't true for me here. Overall a good action thriller but a little too light on character development for my taste. This review is from the paperback edition supplied to me without charge by the author. The opinions stated in this review are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Kid's Guide to Being a Winner; Author: Visit Amazon's C.D. Shelton Page; Review: When I first opened this book and read the note from the author regarding this book touching on a few "old fashion" ideas I knew I wanted to read more. Now I can't help but wonder when in the world these ideas were passed into the realm of the old fashioned. Surely it is still relevant for a young person to be responsible, thoughtful, respectful, have gratitude, and strive for a positive mental attitude. Are these very basic concepts not as easily imparted to children as they once were? In any case, C. D. Shelton has published a short, easy to read, and easy to comprehend book giving children examples of what it takes to show responsibility, thoughtfulness and respect. When a child adds showing gratitude and striving for a positive mental attitude to the other qualities talked about they will, indeed, be well on the way to becoming a winner in life. According to the information on the back cover of the book, this material is intended for children ages 8 - 13. There are only 20 pages of text in the book, with a corresponding page of illustration. I have to admit to being leery as to whether the illustrations will have much appeal to youngsters within the possible age range of this book. Perhaps their very simplicity will draw a child to them because they may stand out as different in the world of visual clutter children are so exposed to. I do certainly think that the concepts being expressed are completely sound and of value to each and every child. Hopefully this small book will find it's way into the hands of parents, teachers, and other educators who come into contact with children, all of whom can benefit from the book. This book was provided to me at no cost and the views expressed are entirely my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Map of Time: A Novel (The Map of Time Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Flix J. Palma Page; Review: First, let me say that I did not personally like this novel very much, but that doesn't mean that every reader will feel that way. Consequently I will try to simply review what you will find if you chose to read the novel. This is one of those novels which are very hard to review because almost anything said about it has the potential to spoil the story. I will try to be very careful. The novel takes place in 1888, in London, with the first section taking place primarily in the Whitechaple district. After deciding to commit suicide Andrew Harrington is given the opportunity to utilize Murray's Time Travel to go back eight years to change one specific thing which has haunted him and made him wish to end his time on this earth. Ultimately he has to seek the help of writer H. G. Wells to try to accomplish his goal. The second portion of the novel focuses on a young woman of that time who is extremely dissatisfied with her life because of the many restrictions put on her simply because she is a woman. Her dream is to utilize Murray's Time Travel to go forward in time where she will be able to use any talents and intellect she has to make a better world. Once again love plays the predominant part in this story and it is once again up to H. G. Wells to reconcile the past with the future. The third section puts the emphasis on Wells himself and how the time travel phenomenon has an impact on his past, present and future. This novel is written in the style where the narrator can't keep himself from commenting to the reader on what is going on in the story. I actually don't mind that usually, but I certainly don't think I've ever read a novel before when it was utilized so often. This narrator was often found popping up to tell me that he could see everything and be everywhere at once so he would fill me in on what had just happened, either on or off the page. It really lost it's appeal quite quickly and became an irritant to me. All three of these novella type segments are intertwined, basically with the presence of H. G. Wells, but also with Murray's Time Travel and with other characters who appear throughout. This had a tendency to lead to a high degree of repetition. I don't like that much repetition in a novel. It makes me feel as if the author doesn't trust that I am intelligent enough to grasp what they are saying the first time which irritates me. A circle! And, by the way, this novel is also a circle. Did it matter where it began? Not for me. My personal favorite section was the middle because that seemed to be much more along the lines of a fully completed story. Ultimately I decided to assign the novel a three star rating because I did enjoy the second section and it is really; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Malice in the Highlands (Erskine Powell); Author: Visit Amazon's Graham Thomas Page; Review: Once upon a time there were two policemen who were good friends.... That's almost how this story affected me when I first started reading it. Is this the very best mystery novel out there? No, not by a long shot, but I did find it entertaining and it did make me want to look up more stories by this author. Chief Inspector Alex Barrett (a Scot) and Chief Superintendent Erskine Powell of New Scotland Yard (an Englishman) made plans to go on their annual salmon fishing holiday to the Salar Lodge on the River Spey in Scotland. These two men are not rivals in occupation, but they certainly are when it comes to who catches the most and the largest salmon during their holiday. Unfortunately work life in the form of a body in the river steps in and interrupts all their best plans. This debut novel in the series written by Graham Thomas was quite interesting and gives the reader many suspects to keep track of and then eliminate. The author included a personal side to Powell which I kept wondering about, but that is probably going to be a recurring theme in the later novels so I'll try not to make any judgments regarding that right now. I do think that Powell was made (by the author) to perform some unnecessary tasks. For instance trekking a long way across the moor and climbing a steep, rocky hill in order to question a man he could have talked to at almost any time back at the lodge. I had question marks dancing before my eyes with that one. Also, the novel ends rather abruptly and there are quite a few questions left unanswered. Maybe Powell will revisit this spot in another novel and we will see who is still there and what has happened since this story ended. Or maybe the author will just get better at tying up lose ends in his novels. Overall I liked this because of the feeling of reading an older mystery and those are my personal favorites. The atmosphere created was well done and the descriptions of the places made them come easily for my mental pictures. I will definitely give this series another chance even if it is to see how many times Thomas can use the word carfluffle. This book had it twice - a good word alright, but twice in a 240 page novel was probably once to many times. I initially was attracted to this novel because it was such a bargain price for my Kindle. The formatting is quite well done, especially when I compare it to some really horribly formatted Kindle books I've tried to read before. This one just has very minor glitches which were not of any major concern to me.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Necklace Affair: and Other Stories (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Ashley Gardner Page; Review: If you are at all familiar with the Captain Gabriel Lacey series of historical mysteries written by Ashley Gardner, you can't help but be glad to see this novella made available on Kindle. If this is your first venture into the London of 1817 for this cast of characters, you will be in for an extremely good representation of the full length novels. This story takes place about a month after Lacey has successfully concluded The Sudbury School Murders (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries), book four in the series. Lacy is attending a party to celebrate the complete recovery from a wound sustained by his patron and close friend Lucius Grenville when the size and enthusiasms of the crowd drive him to seek solitude in Grenville's private room. There Lacey encounters a weeping lady who tells him her sad tale of how her maid has been arrested for the theft of her diamond necklace and it appears that she will be convicted and hanged. Captain Lacey is, after all, really quite a softie at heart and he agrees to help Lady Clifford. This is an excellent novella which manages, in the short time available to it, to place almost all the continuing characters from the full length novels into this puzzle. The writing was very good and very representative of why I have enjoyed all six of the novels in the series even though they have varied somewhat in strength. I did think that the solution to the theft was a little weak and I would have liked something more substantial for what happened with the necklace. The last book in this series was published first in 2006, so it has been a long dry spell with nothing new about Lacey and his friends and adversaries. I understand that a new title in the Captain Lacey series will be released soon. I'm definitely looking forward to that.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles); Author: Visit Amazon's Kevin Hearne Page; Review: I absolutely loved reading this book because it was so obvious that the author absolutely loved writing it. Atticus O'Sullivan was such a well balanced character with his 2100 years of wisdom and his firm understanding of the way to stay hidden in today's modern world. I was amazed. It almost made me wonder if such old souls actually might be living among us and I have simply never noticed. The addition of Oberon the Irish wolfhound gave Atticus the chances he needed to be warm and loving which gave him an advantage over many of the urban fantasy characters I encounter. The method of showing the thoughts of Oberon was also very cleverly done so that I always knew immediately when the dog's thoughts were being stated without any confusion. The Irish legends, Celtic legends, Nordic legends, all were wonderfully explained and incorporated into the story without making my eyes glaze over from boredom. That's quite a feat right there! Also, Kevin Hearne didn't feel bound by traditional depictions of Atticus as a Druid or Hal as a werewolf or Leif as a vampire or the witches on both sides of the good vs evil spectrum. He managed to make each type of character his own and gave them the characteristics he wanted them to have and made them believable for the story. For those readers who enjoy the action aspects of urban fantasy novels rest assured those elements are found here. But also found are times when the backstory is being filled in so the pace slows down for that information to be revealed. I never got bored. I really enjoyed the characters of Atticus and Oberon so that I'm ready to move on to read the next book in the series (Hexed: The Iron Druid Chronicles). I really appreciated the author's sense of humor, his descriptions of the action and sword sequences and how he had Atticus interact with all different age levels of characters because the widow Mrs. MacDonagh is superb. In short, I think it was wonderful.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sheepfarmer's Daughter (The Deed of Paksenarrion, Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Moon Page; Review: When I was considering reading this novel I came here to Amazon to do some investigative work. I read reviews all across the spectrum to look for that common thread that would help me make a decision. In this instance there were two very vocal camps. The one felt this was a five star read and one of the best fantasy series ever written. The other thought the book was slow, plodding, and boring. I finally decided to order the novel and read it for myself. I have now come down forcefully in the five star rating camp. Were the reviewers wrong who said the book was slow, plodding and boring? Slow - yes it absolutely is, especially in the beginning. But there is actually a very sound reason for that. Paksenarrion has left her home and family because the future she sees for herself is as a mercenary soldier not the wife of a pig farmer. Elizabeth Moon took infinite care to fully paint the pictures of the training and the marches a raw recruit would have to endure in order to finally be counted as a full soldier. If you only consider whether or not there were any battles in this first portion, you will probably agree with the 'slow' label. But if you consider that all throughout this portion of the novel Paksenarrion is learning everything she will need to know to keep herself and her fellow soldiers alive in a battle, then you will view it differently. Was the novel plodding? There are many marches which take place in mud, heat, rain, and cold. Once again, these were all learning experiences for Paks and her fellow mercenary soldiers. As Paks time within the army began to lengthen she began to engage in more and more fighting and adventures which had the possibility to lead to her death. Definitely not plodding for me. And boring? Absolutely not. I loved the way this character started out with no military skills whatsoever and yet ultimately became a valuable asset to both her unit and the entire army. She did foolish things and paid the price. She was impetuous and paid the price. But she was also brave and daring and changed the outcome of the war. I think the brilliance of this novel is contained within all the details Elizabeth Moon put in to help the reader understand the stark reality of what life as a basic foot soldier would have been like in this fantasy world. Very slowly Paks began having experiences which set her apart from the rank and file and which brought her to the attention of many high officers, even the man who commanded the army, the Duke himself. She never sought this attention and she doesn't understand what force is involved in what is happening to her. She is going to have some very important decisions to make in future books. I'm ready for Divided Allegiance (The Deed of Paksenarrion, Book 2) and then Oath of Gold (The Deed of Paksenarrion, Book 3).; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Santa Club; Author: Visit Amazon's Kelly Moss Page; Review: If you are a parent who has a child or children who delight in Santa Claus, you will be grateful for the help this book can give when the questions start. In fact, the book is solely focused on how to answer the dreaded questions. The answers are based on the Biblical verse of Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." The book also cautions any child looking into the book casually that they need the permission of a parent or guardian to continue reading. I really liked that the author puts emphasis on the fact that this beautiful book should be read the first time only with a parent or guardian and the secret information inside is never to be shared with another child unless permission is granted by an adult. The book is designated for children from 4-8 years old and will be easily understood by the younger side of that scale with the help of an adult. The design of the book is absolutely wonderful, with bright, cheerful colors. The illustrations are by Jim Keserich and the picture on the cover is indicative of the style of drawings throughout. I found them charming. The story of God, Jesus, and St. Nicholas may already be familiar to your child. If so, this book will take that knowledge one step further to explaining Santa Claus. I also liked the idea of letting a child feel included in a secret club once they finish reading this book. Very clever idea to give the child a special gift in case there might be some resistance to giving up the very subject you are talking about. I like this entire concept and think it will be of great value to adults who must deal with this situation. This book was provided to me at no charge. The opinions stated are my own.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sins of the Fathers (Matthew Scudder); Author: Visit Amazon's Lawrence Block Page; Review: Once I started noticing books written by Lawrence Block they seemed to be popping up all over the place. I became curious so I started investigating. The reviews made the books sound quite interesting so I decided to start at the beginning. I'm glad I went back to the first Matthew Scudder novel because it was definitely good enough to entice me into reading more. Block's style with the Scudder character is to present a hard boiled, hard drinking ex-cop. Scudder isn't really all that much of a bad character, but he certainly does have some demons riding him hard and he has taken the path of least resistance to try to put them out of his mind. He has divorced his wife, resigned from the force and refuses to become an official Private Investigator. That career path is too structured and too regulated and Matthew Scudder wants to work when he wants and for whom, so he only does favors for people. If they want to hand him some money for doing the job that's fine by him. This case seemed so open and shut there wasn't much left to investigate. The police had arrested a man covered in blood and had discovered a murdered woman when they took him to his apartment. Several days later he committed suicide. The father of the dead girl wants Scudder to find out why his daughter had disappeared from their lives several years previously and what led up to her murder. I enjoyed the portrayal of Matthew Scudder as the man who had accidentally caused the death of an innocent bystander during an arrest and his methods for dealing with his guilt. The novel was written in 1976 so the technology involved is quite interesting and dated, but it did not detract from my pleasure in becoming acquainted with this character and this author's work. I am really looking forward to reading more novels with this protagonist and the other series written by Lawrence Block.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sketch Me If You Can (A Portrait of Crime Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Sharon Pape Page; Review: The concept of this book was absolutely something which caught my eye and made me want to read it. That's why the 3.5 rating. Unfortunately the execution of several elements kept me from rounding that rating up to four stars. It's really difficult for me to completely enjoy a novel if I don't like the main character of the story. That is what happened here and while this is an entirely subjective element, it meant that I could never warm up to Aurora McCain and by extension, the book as a whole. When an author spends so much time having a character proclaim her intrepidness, her strength, her ability to do everything completely and totally by herself it makes for an uncomfortable situation when the character proves that she is, after all, simply human like the rest of us. As a sketch artist for the police department Rory should have been extremely aware of proper procedures in any type of evidence gathering. The way this career law enforcement officer handled possible evidence in a murder case was incredibly awful. Surely in a mystery novel where the protagonist is using department personnel and equipment to interpret clues the chain of evidence should have been followed more closely. I realize it is fiction, but that aspect was not well written in my opinion. Also, the element of her ability as a sketch artist was not utilized nearly as much as I had expected in this story. There are three chapters in the novel taking place in The Arizona Territory, 1878, which cover the back story of Marshall Ezekiel Drummond as he is on the trail of a serial killer. Or, should I say that there were three chapters which I had expected would cover that back story? At the end of the third chapter we have Marshall Drummond headed to the stable hoping to be allowed to sleep there for the night while his horse rests. Period. End of chapters with the back story about Zeke. Why? Why end his portion of the story like that? As far as I can remember there was never any explanation of how he got from Arizona Territory to Long Island, New York. Very unsatisfactory for me. And finally, if an author doesn't want me to guess who the guilty party is then they need to include enough other characters so that they keep the guilty party under wraps. Give me multiple choices for who the murderer is. This one really stood out for me and it happened much, much too soon in the novel. There was a slight twist where Ms Pape tried to throw me off, but there was simply nobody else available to be a suspect. The concept of the novel was interesting. The actual writing of the novel was very good. I don't know if this is the debut novel for this author, but if it was, this was a good start. My main problem was that I didn't enjoy getting to know Rory McCain enough to read the second book in the series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: George Knightley, Esquire: Charity Envieth Not; Author: Visit Amazon's Barbara Cornthwaite Page; Review: When I go investigating a book on Amazon and come across one where the reviews are (or seem to be!) disproportionately in favor of the book my antenna start to quiver and my suspicious nature begins to take over. I've been reviewing on Amazon for many years now and I've learned all about the tricks and stratagems played out in these review pages. If I'm not truly interested in a book, this is the time when I decide to pass it by. If I am truly interested, this is where the serious business of investigation begins. I used all my steps of checking out the reviews and then whipped out my credit card. Do not even hesitate to order this novel if you love the Jane Austen variations. This book was a five star PLUS winner! The first requirement for the reader is that you must love Jane Austen's EMMA. If you don't like the relatively slow movement of that story and the low-key portrayal of the characters, you will probably not enjoy this novel by Barbara Cornthwaite because she has followed the style and pacing of EMMA yet has moved the point of view to that of George Knightley. Personally, EMMA has always been one of my favorite Austen stories and Knightley one of the best leading men in fiction. Always before I had wondered about him and his life at Donwell Abbey. This novel gives that character dimension and fullness which made it a delight to read. I loved watching Knightley perform his role as a landowner, as an employer, and as a magistrate. Watching him deal with a tenant who wouldn't pay his rent on time all the way to his assessment of Frank Churchill's personality kept me glued to the pages. Watching the Emma/Harriet Smith/Elton romance develop was fascinating when seen from the male perspective of Knightley. Seeing how close the Knightley and Woodhouse families are was another bonus for me. Letters between John and George Knightley are charming and funny and show me a side of 'my' George Knightley that I wish Austen had wanted to show. This is the first of a two part series. The story ends when Frank Churchill has convinced the Weston's to give a ball and then is called to Yorkshire unexpectedly. Jane Fairfax is in residence with Miss Bates and her mother. The pianoforte has been delivered, much speculation as to the donor has been discussed. I am more than just ready for the second book. All I have to do now is wait for it's publication. I have always used the three book series written by Pamela Aidan which shows Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's perspective as my litmus test for great Jane Austen continuation writing. Charity Envieth Not by Barbara Cornthwaite has just been added to my list of absolute must-reads because it is absolutely that good.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles Series #1); Author: Visit Amazon's Rick Riordan Page; Review: Back in April of this year I noticed a free chapter sample on Kindle for The Kane Chronicles, Book Two: The Throne of Fire. I read that chapter and thought it sounded like a really good book and wrote a review to that effect. Then I discovered that one of my grandchildren was reading the first book in the series so I bought The Red Pyramid so we could compare notes on the book. I'm sorry to say that the book was quite a bit of a let down for me. The first few chapters were quite interesting and I thought I was going to like the decision author Rick Riordan had made to allow both children in the story, Sadie and Carter Kane, to present alternating chapters of their adventure. This device made sense to me since the two had been raised apart since the death of their mother and they really didn't know each other very well. Later, when I discovered that I often needed to refer to the top of the page to see which person was narrating I began to rethink my liking of that aspect of the book. I seemed to have trouble keeping straight in my mind which person was doing the storytelling. Luckily someone connected with the book must have foreseen this as a possible problem because the top of each right hand page has the name of either Sadie or Carter, depending on which one is 'talking', printed at the top. This story really almost wore me out. I began to wonder if these children would ever be allowed just to eat a meal, spend some time sleeping or find an adult who would explain what was going on. The book is centered around magic and Egyptian gods and lore. When their father was involved in a magic episode Carter and Sadie began to try to rescue him, but were never told anything about what it would take to do that. Every chapter sent them on another harrowing adventure where they had to fight an Egyptian god or a magical beast without knowing how to do that. Each person or god they met sent them off on the next perilous adventure without giving them any explanation of what they were doing, what their ultimate goal could be, or how to accomplish what they wanted to do. In other words they spent all their time winging it and fighting for their lives. Finally toward the end of the book someone explained what they were caught up in, but by then I had read through chapter after chapter of one dilemma after another. Those poor kids were just constantly going and doing. I must say it reminded me very much of the Saturday morning cartoons where everything is constant action with very little explanation or contemplation. I've never read any other work by this author and as this is my only example I doubt very seriously that I will try another of his books. I didn't like this very much, but I forced myself to finish; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Lantern: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Deborah Lawrenson Page; Review: I kept asking myself over and over how a novel which had been written so beautifully could be so uninteresting to me. If I were only interested in visualizing and imagining the sights and smells of Provence in all seasons of the year, then this would be a wonderful novel. Unfortunately I had expected a plot to go along with those vividly written passages. I felt this novel had much to offer and I was eager to experience a modern ghost story with a romance added in to up the ante. I didn't get that. The novel is constructed so that the reader is engaged in two stories at once, the modern tale of Eve and her lover Dominic who buy and move into Les Genevriers, a crumbling collection of buildings in Provence and running consecutively is the story of Benedicte Lincel whose family owned the property for generations when it formed it's own hamlet. The alternating viewpoint presentation became quite a distraction for me, especially since each chapter is so very short, mostly only two to four pages in length. I never could sink into one character's situation before I was jerked into the other world. Eve (not actually her real name, just what Dom called her and we are never given her true name) and Benedicte were quite similar characters. Both simply accepted whatever information they were given but were always afraid to ask a question because they didn't want to cause upset. Eve was especially irritating because of her reluctance to ask even the most basic question of Dominic simply because he stated he didn't want to answer any questions. Not my kind of girl at all. Graduating up to the rank of doormat would be a huge step for this character. I think that references have been made comparing this novel to Rebecca by Dauphne Du Maurier. No, not for me. If there are any similarities in the beginning they quickly fall apart when absolutely nothing happened in this book, with either Eve or Benedicte, for such a long period that I despaired of ever finding a story in all the flowery descriptions. According to the information printed on the inside cover of this novel the author actually does live in this style of home in this part of France. I'm sure that is why her descriptions of the house and the surrounding countryside are so marvelously drawn. Personally, I simply needed a stronger story to anchor the book to the location.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Aloha from Hell: A Sandman Slim Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Richard Kadrey Page; Review: James Stark is back, still beating himself up over the death of his girlfriend Alice and his inability to save her. This is the third Sandman Slim novel for me and I'm always surprised to find that I actually like Stark. He isn't exactly the type of character I'm normally drawn to, but author Richard Kadrey injects so many chuckle opportunities with the things Stark says that I have liked keeping up with him. I do think that I've reached my limit though. Because of the way this novel ends I'm not sure if the series will continue but if it does it will do so without me. Even with all the demon exorcisms, magic, and visits back Downtown to Pandemonium I found it so reminiscent of the first two books that I think I've reached saturation point. In this book Kadrey does take pity on new readers and fills in much more background of what happened previously in the James Stark, half angel/half human, saga. Stark's avowed enemy Mason plays a huge role with his plans for the forces of Heaven and Hell. Candy is back as a feature in Stark's life and I think she is probably still waiting for Stark to arrive back at the hotel room. When all the dust settles Stark is changed, both physically and emotionally and I think I can safely leave him here while I move on.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Stranger You Seek: A Novel (Keye Street); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Kyle Williams Page; Review: I am simply amazed to realize that this is the suspense debut for Amanda Kyle Williams because it certainly did not read like a `first' to me. In fact I found a polish and a way with plotting details that I don't find with many authors who are old pros at the genre. Thank goodness the information on the back of my advance reader copy says there are at least two more books planned for the Keye Street series. I'm ready! Keye messed up her career as an FBI profiler by her addiction to alcohol. Once she hit rock bottom the only way back up was through rehab, AA, and then forming her own business, Corporate Intelligence & Investigations. She has taken on all kinds of cases to make ends meet and now the business is going pretty well because of the corporate accounts she has established. Even so, she still has plenty of thrills just bringing in the bail jumpers. Life in Keye's world is never boring. Her friend Lieutenant Aaron Rauser of the Atlanta Police Department Homicide unit calls her in to get her opinion as a profiler of a murder he is investigating. From there Keye and everyone around her are pulled into a vortex of crime that threatened to consume them all. I really liked Keye Street as a character even though I had some problems with her first name. Wonder how the author pronounces it? I kept saying Kay in my head and having to change it. This protagonist is definitely old enough to have learned many of the hard lessons in life so she doesn't make the mistakes which so often ensure I will dislike a character. She is Asian American, was adopted by a white couple and grew up in the South. This book is set in Atlanta and will instantly take you back to the areas described without any problem whatsoever. If you've never visited Atlanta, you will quickly understand the climate and culture which impact every person there. The plotting for this novel was done so well that I had a hard time letting the story go long enough to perform routine daily tasks. I just wanted to find out what would happen next. The main investigation is on the serial killer and the descriptions of the crime scenes are very graphic, in fact they may be more graphic than some readers want to read about. We hear from the killer throughout the novel, but do not know the identity of the person. It was absolutely chilling to read the blog entries written by this killer in the guise of `fantasy'. My one area that I wish had been done differently was the ending. I think more explanation should have been given for why the twist in the plot occurred. It left me with many questions which I think could have been answered rather easily with just a little more narrative. However, this will absolutely not keep me from reading the next novel in this series. With the way this one ended I; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: George Knightley, Esquire: Lend Me Leave; Author: Visit Amazon's Barbara Cornthwaite Page; Review: Luckily for me I had read Book One in this series, George Knightley, Esquire: Charity Envieth Not, only a month ago and still had it very vividly in my memory. Otherwise I might have been a little bit at sea. If you have not read the first book, you really must do that first before moving on to this one since it seems to literally take up with the next sentence. If you have read Book One, but it has been a while ago, do yourself a favor and refresh your memory by reading the final several chapters before moving on to this one. That will put you back exactly where this book resumes the story and you will remember the characters which are not present in the Jane Austen world of Emma. Once again I found these characters delightful. More fully developed in many cases than the Austen versions and that is, after all, the main reason I enjoy the re-telling of the Austen stories so much. Mr. George Knightley is a wonderful character and in this second part of the story we get to see exactly when he realizes his love for Emma and the tortures he endures with wondering how Emma feels about Frank Churchill. The addition of Madam Duval the cat was interesting as a device for allowing Knightley to verbalize his feelings and that worked well once again. I enjoyed the story of Robert Martin and Harriet Smith and Mr. Spencer is revealed to have romantic interests also. The story is very well filled out with Knightley's duties as a magistrate and there are thefts going on in the surrounding communities which require his attention. All in all, I though the daily life of Knightley and the happenings around Donwell Abbey and Hartfield were very well expanded on and interesting. If you are a fan of the Jane Austen novels, I think you will find this two book series to be an extremely enjoyable reading experience. They move along very steadily so that all of the circumstances within the Austen novel can be incorporated and yet give much more detail concerning the life George Knightley might have lived as a wealthy landowner. Thankfully author Barbara Cornthwaite took this project very seriously and has given fans such as myself a wonderful story. I will definitely be reading this novel in two parts many times. It compares very favorably to the Austen work it was inspired by.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Circle of Enemies: A Twenty Palaces Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Harry Connolly Page; Review: Ray Lilly, the anti-hero, is turning into a very sensitive guy. Of course, in this book everybody he meets wants to kill him and they are all former friends of his so what's a guy to do? Child of Fire: A Twenty Palaces Novel and Game of Cages: A Twenty Palaces Novel were both very enjoyable, good books for me. That's why I instantly began reading this book as soon as it came out of the Amazon shipping box. And then I struggled with it the entire time. When I realize I'm doing math in my head to see how many pages remain, oops, that spells trouble. Ray is visited by a woman who was his very good friend and she accuses him of killing her. Naturally Ray was startled to hear this and even more surprised at how his skin began to burn when she slapped him. That wasn't anything compared to his surprise when she completely vanished from in front of him. Obviously a trip from Seattle down to Los Angeles is in order to find out what is going on. Everybody from his old crowd from before his prison days is involved in something and it definitely is not good. This character has turned into a one-trick wonder. In the first two books it worked out fine because he had Annalise there to use all sorts of magic ribbons to take care of most of the danger. Ray has only his ghost knife for protection and he has to fight all types of magic with that one weapon. The first third of the book was very vague as to what was going on with all the people who used to be in Ray's circle of friends. Once the predator monsters began showing themselves the author's descriptions of them were very vague. Vague. Not a word I want to utilize when trying to describe an urban fantasy novel. Once Ray applied a name to the predators he was hunting he called them "drapes". Now I don't know about you, but it's rather difficult for me to feel any kind of fear whatsoever about something called a drape. Maybe if I were writing my final paper to get my university degree in Interior Design the word "drape" would hold some kind of terror, but not in an urban fantasy novel. The repetition of ghost knife and fire episodes continued throughout the novel. I counted the pages to the end. I can't put it any more strongly than that. I was determined to finish it, but I counted the pages. Some good points: 1. Once Annalise showed up in the story (Ray's Boss from The Twenty Palaces) it got better. Except she wasn't IN the story all that much. 2. Author Harry Connolly has given readers much more information about The Twenty Palaces this time. So, I have to say I didn't enjoy this one very much at all. Ray needs more weapons to fight the bad guys/bad things with. Annalise needs to be in the story for extended periods so Ray; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Thyme of Death (China Bayles 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan Wittig Albert Page; Review: If you stopped on the book product page long enough to read the Publishers Weekly review then you pretty much were given everything about this book except the name of the guilty party spelled out in bold letters. Not going to be many surprises left after reading that review. What I can add is that I consider myself a very picky reader within the mystery genre. I've tried dozens of the books where the main character bakes a batch of cupcakes or totally retiles a bathroom in every chapter and they drive me bonkers. I keep trying them, but when I read a mystery I want something with an actual realistic plot. This novel, first released in 1992, has aged very well. At the time the aggressively feminist/environmental movements were probably quite cutting edge novelist fodder. This story is definitely constructed along those lines so be aware of that in case you don't happen to enjoy those types of novels. Just because thyme is mentioned in the title it doesn't mean that cooking or gardening are the only two important aspects of this book. A gimmicky title usually spells doom for me in a mystery. Fortunately this book was well written enough with characters who had so much depth to them that the gimmick faded into the background and the mystery story came forward. I liked the novel because it had characters who appeared more in the realm of real people. They cooked dinner, but then they actually washed the dishes. They did basic housework. They did laundry. All of these mundane things which the author handled deftly by allowing this time to be used for contemplation of the actions and reactions of characters, motives, and opportunities. It might not have been the most original plot, but there were characters in the book which were made interesting by the author so I continued to be engaged in the story. This was the first effort in the China Bayles series. If I was this satisfied with the first novel, I'm thinking they probably get even better from here on. I'm certainly willing to try several more in order to check them out.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Wicked Autumn: A Max Tudor Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's G.M. Malliet Page; Review: So what are the chances you can have an ex-MI5 agent change careers, become an Anglican priest and be right on the scene to solve the murder of the one person in a tiny English village who is universally disliked by everyone except her husband? This MI5/priest device never felt as if it meshed together naturally to me. Revealing who the victim is in this novel is not a spoiler, that is mentioned in any synopsis you find. After reading the first chapter of the book her doom is positively sealed with the only questions remaining of whether there will be other deaths and who is responsible. She is such a thoroughly unlikeable person that I couldn't help but wonder why anybody put up with her domineering, mean personality in the first place. I eagerly began reading this novel because I have enjoyed other mysteries written by G. M. Malliet. They were obviously written to poke fun at the cozy style of novel and I liked the way they did that. This book is meant to take a different direction, to go along the route of the traditional cozy British village mystery while being set in modern times. The first book in a new series has a lot of background to set up for the lead character and this one does just that, but the author takes the entire book to tell the reader the full circumstances of why Maxen "Max" Tudor made the abrupt and unconventional career change we now see him in. Malliet was never able to convince me that Max was actually much of a priest and after being in Nether Monkslip for five years still seemed to know very little about the people of the village. When the crime occurred the policeman in charge immediately called on him to help solve the case and Max had a very heavy handed way of questioning villagers that not one person ever objected to. And the clues about the guilty party are rather easy to spot so there wasn't much solving ability required on my part. I would say this is just an average mystery novel. Maybe they will get better as the series goes along. I have no idea, but this one just didn't work for me at all. I had absolutely no problem leaving the book lying on a table for long stretches of time and never even thinking about it. For me to take well over a week to read a book that I would normally read in a day and a half was one sure sign of me not being engaged in the story and not feeling empathy with the characters. This novel featured that revered organization of the English village, the Women's Institute. I just wish the author could have resisted the temptation of having the women decide to do a nude calendar. That simply played into my unsettled feeling of not ever being completely sure if this novel was to be taken seriously. For those who like all the trappings of a cozy there is; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Thanksgiving Tales: True Stories of the Holiday in America; Author: Visit Amazon's Brian D. Jaffe Page; Review: This book is a collection of 48 memories and feelings of Thanksgiving, contributed by 48 very different writers who approached this project from all sorts of different angles. None of the stories is longer than six pages, with most being two pages. There are even several poems. Each story has a very brief biographical sketch of the author on the page with their work. I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised. Each of these stories is well written. That doesn't mean that I enjoyed each one, because I didn't, but the quality of the writing itself was an unexpected bonus. I probably began reading these stories with a preconceived notion of what I would find. That was a mistake on my part which was rectified immediately. Some of the stories reflect my own very happy experiences with this particular day of gathering with family and friends, many of the stories show just the opposite situations. Some stories are heartwarming, some were sad for me to read because it made me feel sorry for the people who genuinely do not like to celebrate this time in the "customary" way. And some just plain made me angry. As normal human beings we all tend to cause many of our own problems by the choices we make. That doesn't mean we have to continue to make the same mistakes year after year. Editor Brian Jaffe wrote a preface which gives some historical data regarding how this holiday came to be on our calendar and he included some of his personal experiences regarding Thanksgiving. One thing I had hoped to find in that preface, but did not, was some explanation of how these 48 specific stories came to be gathered in this volume. Regardless of my disappointment in that aspect of the book I will say that I enjoyed most of the stories I read. It was very interesting to see how many variations on one particular theme were placed in this one book and not one even came close to resembling another story. I found that I got more enjoyment out of reading the stories if I spaced them out more, instead of reading them quickly, one after another. I also very much like the cover of this book. It makes me want to sit down with a friend on the other side of the hearth and have a long talk. There is one thing I have definitely taken to heart after finishing this book. I will positively talk to all the people who usually spend Thanksgiving Day at my home to find out what they enjoy most about that experience and what they would like to see change. After reading some of the stories in this book I want to make sure people are having the positive experience I think they are having. This book was provided to me by the editor. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Midnight Crystal (Book Three of the Dreamlight Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Jayne Castle Page; Review: If you saw these three names, Gibson, Adam, Marlowe, would you know which referred to a woman, which referred to a man, and which referred to a dust bunny? A dust bunny is a small creature with lots of hair that is small enough to sit on the shoulder of a human and be a companion in this alien world of Harmony. I struggled through this entire book trying to keep in mind that Marlowe was the female character in this story. It did not come easily, in fact it made me downright irritated time after time. But hey, that's okay, because it just matched the rest of the book which also made me downright irritated. I started reading the Jayne Castle stories about Harmony when the first one was published. I loved the alien world Castle had created that mirrored so much of Earth, but was completely cut off from Earth. I loved the Ghost Hunters of the Guild who went down underground and fought the energy ghosts and kept the whole world safe. I loved the women who had other paranormal talents that often put them in opposition to the Guild and the Bosses so that the confrontations were truly marvelous to watch. I lost track of this series when the Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle books turned into "trilogies" where each author contributed a book featuring the section of the story which took place within her writing specialty time frame. Always remembering, of course, that these three authors are actually the same person. I honestly wish I had just left it with the last book I read. This book was not even recognizable as belonging to the same series as the other Ghost Hunter books I read. Oh, sure it had the trappings. A Guild Boss, a dust bunny pet, a female lead with a paranormal talent. But where, I ask, was the sparkling dialog? the engaging plot? the tension that built between the male and female lead? It certainly wasn't in this book, at least not for me. There is no life to these characters, especially Marlowe Jones. She is so wooden it's a wonder Adam didn't get splinters when he touched her. And that old feud between the Winters and the Joneses got so old and boring it made me want to yell at them. Enough already! Enough of having an author try to advertise her other books within the pages of the one I'm reading. This style of giving the characters a problem and letting them solve it within a few pages just so the author could give them another problem was a technique that certainly didn't win any awards from me. In fact, all I wanted was for the whole thing to be over. Let me move on and not ever wonder about this series again. I am SO disappointed.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Affair: A Jack Reacher Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Lee Child Page; Review: I have read several other novels featuring Jack Reacher, but I'm by no means an expert on the series. That's one of the reasons I wanted to read this book so much. I wanted to understand what had happened to Reacher to make him choose the life of a vagabond who moves from one place to another with no encumbrances whatsoever. I couldn't leave everything I own behind constantly so I wanted to understand why Jack Reacher could. Well, this book simply told me that those aspects of his personality were established long before he left the military. The book was a good read for me, but I had so many issues with it that I can't say it will ever be a favorite or a book I will want to read again. Reacher is sent into an undercover position to find out what is happening in a situation at a super secret army base in northern Mississippi. Another MP officer will be sent inside the base to investigate officially, without Reacher's help. Reacher meets the local sheriff who turns out to be an ex-Marine MP who is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Okay, that part was fine until I'm asked to believe that a law enforcement department comprised of three officers has been investigating multiple murders over a nine month period, not making any progress whatsoever, and yet has never called for help from any of the many state agencies available to them. Add to that the black vs white race issue which is always under a spotlight in Mississippi. I think it was completely unbelievable that this situation would ever have been allowed to exist. So I didn't believe it from the get go. Not believable. Then this author tries to make me believe that Reacher comes into town and solves all the murder cases within a two day period? With all the information that was already available to law enforcement all the time? No. This story takes place in 1997, not in the dark ages. It is absolutely a slap in the face to make the statement that the state of Mississippi had no forensics departments which would have helped with these cases. If this county did not have a coroner for proper investigation of a body, the victim would have been sent to a facility which could do proper examinations. Once again, this author wanted me to believe none of this assistance was utilized by this sheriff. No. I think Child simply made a very poor choice of states to set the secret military base in because this particular state is under intense scrutiny for anything approaching racial problems and this situation would have had State and Federal boots on the ground in a heartbeat. I live close to where this story is supposed to take place, it is all completely fictional of course. But, any real town of this size has characteristics which are universal. There is simply no way that anyone could live in a community that small and retain any type of; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Shadow of the Past (The Parson Tobias Campion Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Judith Cutler Page; Review: Judith Cutler's second book in her historical mysteries is every bit as wonderful as the first, The Keeper of Secrets. Tobias Campion has settled in and made his place secure as the rector of Moreton St. Jude. Even though his life had previously been one of wealth and privilege Tobias felt a sincere calling to become a servant of his Maker. The poor are always on his mind and he spends his days trying to make their lives more comfortable. Lady Chase is now widowed and she returns to Moreton Hall to await word of the search she is conducting to find her son, Hugo, Viscount Wombourn, who has been missing since the battle of Talavera in 1808. No word has been heard from him since he went missing from the battlefield, but his mother is sure he is still alive. Into this scene comes a stranger who is found dead in a swollen stream. No identification is possible and there are no clues as to why he was in the area until a newspaper advertisement regarding a reward for information about Viscount Wombourn is found in the man's boot. There are plots and sub-plots aplenty in this very well written mystery taking place in 1811 in this rural English neighborhood. I really enjoy the way Judith Cutler writes her historical novels. I like seeing how the society is divided and the extremes that each level goes to to keep it that way. It is obvious that the author had done much research so she not only puts the characters in their proper historical positions, but she also gives them life so they become people, not simply characters. This novel has several different mysteries going on at once but by the ending of the book they have all been made to dovetail into one complete story. The only reason I have not given this novel a full five star rating is because of the editing. I thought at first that some type of regional method of speaking was taking place when I would struggle so much with particular sentences. No, it turned out that it was simply very poor editing. Many, many words are omitted, there are many times when singular words should have been plural, and several times when the wrong character name was used. It made for a distraction which took me away from what was happening in the book and made me focus on something which should never have been a factor. My copy is the paperback edition published in 2009. It really is a shame that something which could have been so easily corrected had to interfere with my enjoyment of this novel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ballistic (Gray Man); Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Greaney Page; Review: Anyone familiar with the first two novels in The Gray Man series (The Gray Man (A Gray Man Novel) and On Target (A Gray Man Novel)) will know they are filled with action and adventure throughout the book. This third entry is certainly no exception. Author Mark Greaney takes the reader on a thrill ride that would make any amusement park proud. Moving from one challenge to the next Courtland Gentry's exploits kept my attention riveted to the pages of this book. Court has been hiding out from all the many factions who want to see him dead, most recently his ex-boss, Russian mobster Gregor Sidorenko. Hiding in the back-of-beyond jungles of South America worked for seven months but now a manhunter has found Gentry and it's time to move on. With only escape in mind Gentry is waiting in a bus station when he happens to hear a television news story concerning a man he once shared a prison cell with in Laos. Could this Eduardo Gamboa be the same Eddie Gamble he had known back in that prison? Because if so, then Court does not believe the man he had known could be guilty of what these news reports said. Before long Gentry finds himself a very unwilling actor in the bloody business of drugs and other crimes between two feuding Mexican drug lords. Between his former bosses in the CIA, his former boss in the Russian mob, and now these armed and decidedly dangerous Mexican criminals it will take an expert in survival to come out of this mess alive. I enjoyed this book very much, in fact I have come to expect that from Greaney. It seemed as if there was action taking place almost every minute and the excitement factor was ramped up to heart pounding level for most of the novel. I don't read thrillers or adventure novels to spend my time hearing about how somebody's day went at the office. If I'm looking for adventure, then that's what I want. I'm asking an author to entertain me and take me out of the humdrum. As a reader I gained a little more insight into the background of Court Gentry, but there is still much more left to be revealed - I hope - in future novels. There was one specific element in the novel where I would have liked to get some additional narrative. The story eventually revolves around a kidnapping with Gentry fighting to rescue that victim. Not just the reader, but Gentry himself lost all contact with that victim for a very long period of time. I began to wonder what it was that made The Gray Man so sure this hostage was even still alive. A few quick peeks into how the person was being treated would have helped the sympathetic and curious sides of my nature. Court Gentry has more lives than a multitude of cats, but without his specialized ability to find his target, make plans which succeed, and remove the bad guys, there would not be much reason for; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Darkness, My Old Friend (Jones Cooper); Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Unger Page; Review: From page 229 to 353 I enjoyed this novel a lot. I didn't do enough research before choosing this book because it simply must have been part of a series. I had read the description and was expecting a thriller with some mystery aspects also. For the most part what I got was the inner feelings of rage, anger, and despair for character after character with very tenuous links to keep them connected with the overall story. Now retired from the police force Jones Cooper was spending all his time hiding from all kinds of psychological problems which had persisted throughout his life. There was something awful which happened in his past which was constantly alluded to but never explained. Bethany Graves was filled with all kinds of hangups because of her failed marriage and her decision to move from New York City to The Hollows. Willow Graves has the depths of angst usually associated with a 15 year old girl who doesn't want to be living where she is so she repeatedly acts out. Eloise Montgomery is a psychic who is allowing her gift to completely take over her mind and body. Kevin Carr is a sociopath, his wife Paula is trying to present to the world the appearance of the perfect wife. Michael Holt is filled with rage and anger and wants to find out what happened to his mother all those years ago when she disappeared. The list just goes on and on. And yet the character who could have given the most information was, for the most part, left sitting on the side lines. The first 225 pages of this novel are included as Part One and it seems to consist mainly of delving into the psychology of each person in the novel and coming up with rage and anger. When Part Two finally began the story actually became interesting, thrilling, and the mystery was solved. Up until then it was not the style of novel I like to read. I think Lisa Unger is probably a writer whose work I would normally enjoy, provided all her books aren't like this, but I like to focus much more on the solving of a mystery and not so much on finding out about what went on in therapy sessions. If you are looking for psychology, this is your book. If you think you might be more interested in the thriller aspects, I would suggest that you check it out very carefully to be sure of what you will find here.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Thirteen Hallows; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Scott Page; Review: The cover of this book is what first caught my attention. It is quite well done. Then the description of the story inside enticed me into making the decision that this was a novel I wanted to read. From seeing the sword I thought I would probably be encountering some fantasy aspects regarding swords and sorcery and I was all ready for that. A sword I got, some mystical elements I got, a good book I did not get. It appears to me that these two writers decided that their collaboration for this novel would be based on shock and repetition. One of the elements of repetition was shown in the trite ending sentences of most of the chapters. I rolled my eyes and soldiered on. The problem for me regarding shock tactics was that once the element providing the shock had been revealed the repetition of that element kept me from being shocked any longer. Decapitation? Sure, if once is a shock why not repeat it many more times. Blood and gore present in such large quantities that the carpet squishes when it is stepped on? Sure, only after that first time repetitions become completely anti-climactic. Have a character who can only be transported to the astral world by holding back the ultimate moment of sexual pleasure? Sure, just have The Dark Man (Ahriman) and his wife, psychic and witch (Vyvienne) engage in sex so often that it becomes a totally meaningless exercise. Was it simply laziness on the part of the authors which kept them from finding other methods for Vyvienne to use to travel out into the astral world? Because that is how she continued to pinpoint where the objects, the Hallows, and the horrible henchmen were located at that moment. This is the story of thirteen common objects which became imbued with magical properties when they were used to seal a portal which bound demons from reentering our world and feasting on human flesh and blood. These Hallows had been protected through thousands of years by Keepers originally chosen specifically for that task and then the Keeper passed down the protection of their object within their own blood line. For some reason which I didn't quite get all thirteen objects had to have new Keepers at the same time and the chief keeper found a group of thirteen children who had been evacuated from London during World War II to the Welsh town of Madoc. Seventy years have now passed. One of the Keepers, Judith Walker, has been noticing that the Keepers are dying violent, unnatural deaths and she knows someone is trying to gather all the Hallows together to use the power they contain to make themselves ruler of the demons. After her home is burglarized in an effort to kill her and take the Hallow she has been guarding Judith entrusts her story to the young woman who came to her rescue on a London city street. Does that sound interesting to you? Well, perhaps it might have been if there had been any character development; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Cleaner (Jonathan Quinn); Author: Visit Amazon's Brett Battles Page; Review: I'm always on the lookout for a new author in the thriller genre so when Amazon kept putting the novels of Brett Battles before my eyes I finally decided to take the plunge. I went for the first in the Jonathan Quinn series to make sure I have the background and character firmly in my mind. I liked the book well enough, but it really didn't interest me enough to make me determined to seek out the remainder of the books in the series. Perhaps the writing style was just a little too simple and there were too many instances when I looked up from what I was reading and wondered why the character would have reacted quite in that way. For someone who made his living by strict adherence to a formula of actions this man flew by the seat of his pants more often than not. Quinn's character had the potential to be very interesting for me since he specializes in going into a scene after an episode and cleaning it so that no clues remain to point toward the boss he happens to be working for on that case. Lately Quinn has found himself working exclusively for The Office, a group located in Washington, D. C. which Quinn supposes is connected with a government agency. In this book a cleanup operation leads Quinn to find himself a target for elimination and he doesn't have a clue as to why. He and his apprentice Nate leave for the other side of the world only to find themselves bumping up against the previous case time after time. Just a question here: how does a person carry around passports for twenty different identities with the credit cards to match those identities and yet go through Customs multiple times and never have these documents spotted? Filled with all kinds of action including kidnapping, killings, arson, and false identities this novel should have suited me perfectly. Instead I found myself mildly interested and reading quickly, but quickly because it was such an easy read. I usually like a little more of a challenge to hold my attention. I had been looking forward to some insights into *how* the cleaner would have gone about his work, but that very basic premise was pretty much overshadowed by all the other crimes and danger Quinn and Nate found themselves in. I will give the author credit for putting a twist in the story which took me completely by surprise. That worked very well. This IS the first novel in the series. Do the stories get more intense and show the depth I like? I don't know and right now I'm going to wait a while before I decide to try another. I'll read lots of reviews for the other books in the series and see if I think I want to continue on. I hope so.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Revelation: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Sansom Page; Review: I always enjoy the Matthew Shardlake novels written by C. J. Sansom. The only problem I ever can find with them is that once I begin reading I have one heck of a time putting the book down. This one was no exception. I love Mr Sansom's preference for single word titles and always try to guess what the novel will be about just from the title. I wasn't even in the ballpark on this one. It is 1543 in London, England, and the questions of religious belief are still plaguing the country. Shardlake has gone back to his practice of the law since his last adventure, but now is appointed to plead before the Court of Requests serving the poor of the city, Matthew's gift from Archbishop Cranmer as thanks for his handling of another delicate matter. When Shardlake is present at the discovery of someone killed in a most gruesome way he makes a vow that he will find the killer and see him brought to justice. Little did he know that he would find himself searching for a religious fanatic who was using the 16th Chapter of Revelation in the Bible to fulfill the killer's own idea of the prophecy contained in that chapter. One of the many things I always enjoy about reading this series of novels is how the author takes the time to completely construct characters and places. I am never left feeling that one character or another did not receive enough attention so I don't understand the part they play in the story. The mental pictures I come away with of that great city of London make the history of this time period come alive for me. Even giving the author the license to invent some of the people and places in this story it still has such a ring of truth to it that I never find myself taking note of something that just doesn't sit right. I enjoyed this novel every bit as much as I have enjoyed the others in this series that I've read and I look forward to many more to come.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ramblefoot; Author: Visit Amazon's Ken Kaufman Page; Review: This book, crafted as a debut novel by Ken Kaufman, was really an amazing story to read. When I first saw the concept of telling a story completely from the point of view of wolves I wondered in which direction the author would chose to go. He decided to tell it totally from the perspective of the wolves and he never once allowed them to slip into a cartoonish mode. I was captivated and impressed. The story is divided into three books: the cub and juvenile times for Raspail, his time as a ramblefoot, and his time as leader of a pack. Book One is used by the author to familiarize the reader with what life is like as a wolf, not an animated cartoon creature, but a fur and sinew animal who is never far from needing to satisfy the demands of his master, his stomach. This is definitely not a book for children to read because these wolves spend their time hunting, killing prey, fighting, and learning their places within the wolf pack. Book Two takes place when Raspail has decided he can no longer remain in his Cob Ash pack so he becomes a ramblefoot, a wolf who strikes out on his own. These are terribly dangerous times for any wolf so it is not uncommon for them to form alliances with other lone wolves for the sake of safety and greater hunting results. This is when Raspail begins to have adventures with other wolves and with man and the livestock he has brought to the Wyoming wilderness. Book Three shows how Raspail gathers the wolves of Ramblefoot into a pack and becomes their facet, their leader, in order to return to his original den and claim his mate. All the aspects of this wonderful story concern love, caring, friendship, and betrayal. The same issues humans grapple with are the issues which propel the wolf from one adventure to another. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story and the writing ability of this author is a joy to lose yourself in. The novel ended in such a way that Kaufman can very easily continue the saga of Raspail, Kileo his mate, Poitu the raven, and all the wolves in his Ramblefoot pack. I sincerely hope he makes that decision. I want to read more about these magnificent animals.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Breach; Author: Visit Amazon's Patrick Lee Page; Review: This book just goes to show that I can pay little attention to what I'm doing, place an order for a book, and be amazed by what I end up reading. I had absolutely no idea this book would be more than a thriller/adventure novel written by an author I wanted to try. Did I ever luck out! Described by the publisher as a "near-future" adventure this story has everything I wanted to read in a thriller with the added bonus of highly imaginative technology from a mysterious breach in Earth's atmosphere reaching into the unknown. This breach was produced accidentally during scientific experimentation and the ramifications for Earth are astounding. I began reading the novel and very quickly discovered I needed to go back and read a chapter again. What was going on? Did that really describe what I think it did? Does technology like this exist within our government? Then the penny dropped and I realized I had inadvertently gotten involved with a novel which combined genres. When Travis Chase was released from prison he bought a one-way ticket to Fairbanks, Alaska, to put some space between his new life of freedom and his friends and brother. Travis needed time to decide which way his life would go. In order to make that final decision he decided to hike into the Alaskan wilderness and found himself in a situation unlike anything he could ever imagine. The more secrets of world governments Travis learned the more he also learned that a master manipulator was behind all of these horrible and frightening occurrences and that his involvement had been part of the plan. A wicked chess game where the pawns were being manipulated by someone or something which knew the human opponents thinking process even better than they did themselves. This novel had so many surprises for me that I never took anything for granted. There was distortion of time, incredible weapons both large and small which showed the inventive nature of this author, political plotting which might, just might, actually be truly possible right now. How do we know? I truly enjoyed the entire novel and ordered the second in the series, Ghost Country, immediately. Now I see that the third book, Deep Sky (Travis Chase), is about to be released. I will definitely be reading that one too.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghost Country; Author: Visit Amazon's Patrick Lee Page; Review: Once I started reading the first book in this series, The Breach, I was so impressed with it that I immediately ordered this second novel. Evidently that package from Amazon made every connection in miraculous fashion because it was in my hands the next day. What could I possibly do except sit down and read it? Really, it was almost mandatory. I like the way Patrick Lee used a Presidential Executive Order to outline the most basic and important facts from the first book and immediately bring new readers up to speed with what this novel was going to be about. Yes, there were some things not covered, but at least someone not knowing what the first book was about could catch up quickly. It seems that an entity had come through the Breach many years ago, but until recently the scientists had been unable to understand what it was. Then one day someone just happened to make exactly the correct motion and the entity opened to reveal two objects. Testing proved them to be identical objects which opened a portal to show what that location would look like seventy years into the future. What the agents of Tangent saw was enough to send them straight to the President of the United States to report directly to him. Travis Chase didn't know any of this was happening until someone he had never seen showed up on his doorstep with the information that his help was needed again to help rescue Paige Campbell. This highly imaginative idea was simply loaded with imagery that caused me to stop and think about how easily this type of catastrophe could be brought about in our ever evolving technology centered world. The political settings are entirely possible. The good or bad intentions of the involved parties are certainly possible. The way the author has the past, present, and future continually swirl around each other is amazing for me. I never feel that this series of stories is over until I close the book on the final page. And even then I'm already wondering what can possibly happen next. Stay tuned for the third exciting adventure, Deep Sky (Travis Chase), to be released soon.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman; Author: Mark Deakins (Narrator) Robert K. Massie; Review: I don't know that I have ever enjoyed reading a book of history so much. Massie was able to give me a picture of an obscure German princess with the resolve to fulfill her dream of ruling Russia. Not exactly a small feat for Sophia who had to navigate through all the court intrigue to establish herself as Catherine II, empress of Russia. Then she had to keep the throne. I don't know if it was planned or if it just happened this way, but the first half of the book concerns Sophia (then renamed Catherine) and what her life was like during her marriage to Peter III, the nephew of empress Elizabeth. This part of the book is an amazing opportunity to see into the everyday life of this very young woman as her life traveled along the road she definitely wanted to travel - to the throne of Russia. From a very young age this dream sustained Sophia and allowed her to endure all the hardships she suffered at the hands of the empress Elizabeth and the Grand Duke Peter once she had married him. These portions are made vibrantly alive because of her memoirs. I had no idea what a terribly scarred person Peter was, by his childhood, his environment, and his illnesses. He was not insane, but I couldn't help feeling that he wasn't far from it. Yet with all Catherine suffered (she officially became Catherine upon her conversion from the Lutheran to the Orthodox Church) this author was able to make her such a vibrant, determined, focused and caring woman that I viewed her as a living person. In the second half of the book Catherine is empress of Russia and the weight of actually ruling begins. The personal memoirs written by Catherine had suddenly ceased for no explained reason so the information presented by the author from here on relies on letters both to and from Catherine, personal papers written by other people she came in contact with and official records of what was happening in Russia at that time. This portion of the book did not have the same personal feel for me, but it was certainly filled with an incredible amount of information. Catherine began her reign with lofty ideals and, to her credit, she did try to bring about change within Russia. She called together a Legislative Assembly in 1767 with the purpose of reforming the legal code. She also wanted to reform the situation for serfs who, I think, could be better classified as slaves. Both of these endeavors ran headlong into the immovable objects of Catherine's resolve to maintain autocratic authority and her realization that she had to have the support of the noblemen in order to stay on the throne. Ultimately her complete focus was to remain in power. She was probably very surprised to learn that her idealism was not viewed in the same way by everyone. I wish Robert Massie had addressed the issue of money in this book because it was constantly spoken of. Where did the; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Plague on Both Your Houses; Author: Visit Amazon's Susanna Gregory Page; Review: For me this book fell very firmly in the three star category for several reasons. First, there was so little character development that I never understood completely who they were or how they came to be in the story. They were just that, names of characters. For an author to have many characters in a novel is definitely not a fault. For me to have trouble keeping them separated into individuals throughout the entire novel says to me that there is a problem somewhere. With background information and depth of development I can separate out the people in a novel and often assign specific jogs to my memory to keep them separate. It didn't work for me here. Even the main character was never more than a physician named Matthew Bartholomew. Secondly, the basic plot was interesting, but it seemed to simply trudge, trudge, trudge along. I understand that the plague is a central "character" in this novel, but, gosh I got tired of reading about every person who got sick. The book I was reading from is an omnibus with the first two stories in the Matthew Bartholomew series. This first book had 406 pages. Seriously, I started counting the pages at around the 200 page mark. And it turns out that there were many examples of repetition of the story which could have very easily been left out. I want very much to like this series. I enjoy medieval mysteries and Susanna Gregory is a new author for me. There are many stories in the series. I already have the second book in the series, An Unholy Alliance (Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles), so I will read that novel in hopes that most of what I experienced here will have been ironed out by judicious editing techniques learned in the publishing of this novel. I do have to say though, I'm in no rush to begin reading that second book.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Presidential Migraines; Author: Visit Amazon's Fritz Strobl Page; Review: I enjoyed the plot of this novel simply because it falls right into the realm of "entirely possible". The world is so full of rapidly advancing technology and the scheme put forth in this novel sounds so credible that I had to keep reminding myself it was a fiction novel. If someone is the type person to see a conspiracy around every corner, they will be able to point to this story and say, I Told You So. Not being a technology geek myself I was very smugly pleased to think that at least I was safe from these evil doers. A super power government had very long range plans for the ultimate take over of the U.S. government by a bloodless coup. No amount of money is too much for them to spend and no loss of human life is too outrageous to have them stop this process once it has begun. The deaths of all the doctors and engineers involved in the basic research study for this concept is just the beginning. Dr Jack Stevens is a neurologist practicing in a small suburb of Minneapolis who begins to notice possible connections between a new patient with migraine headaches and a major business she has just begun an interior decoration project for. As Dr Stevens and his patient, Dana LaFontaine, move deeper into their investigation they both come face to face with professional assassins and a foreign government which will stop at nothing to gain control of the American political system. Even though I did enjoy the overall concept of this novel I felt there were some areas which were not quite as satisfactory. The characters did not feel to me as if they had much life to them, they were bland and flat. This applied to all characters across the board. Even the villains I was supposed to fear or dislike were not given enough personality for me to see them as actual people. Also, I understand that this author is, in reality, a medical doctor, a Neurologist. It must have been very difficult for him to reduce the medical information down to a level which could be understood by laypersons such as myself. While I understood what he was telling me about brain function and other medical conditions, I felt there was simply too much of it included in the story. For instance, the depth of detail, covering many pages, describing the procedures of the initial office visit by Ms LaFontaine simply seemed to include information definitely not necessary to the story. There were other examples. From a personal standpoint I enjoyed reading the explanations regarding brain function, but I also felt they went much further than was called for to help the reader understand the plot of the novel. And, after all, the plot of the novel is what this should be about. Presidential Migraines was an interesting novel for me to read because of the conspiracy to use a very common modern technology to overthrow the American government. I can definitely say the author exhibited a high; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Veil of Lies: A Medieval Noir (The Crispin Guest Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's Jeri Westerson Page; Review: The title of this book is Veil of Lies: A Medieval Noir. Okay, so how would that whole "noir" thing work out in a medieval mystery? For me, it's one of those situations where I didn't love it one bit, but I didn't exactly hate it either. The Amazon definition for a three star book is "It's okay" and that is definitely how I feel about this book. I would have expected this to be a sure fit for me. I love medieval mysteries and I love the hard-boiled detective stories. I've not read a book combining those two elements and I wondered if this author might have hit on a very novel and interesting concept, different, an exciting new direction. Somehow this worked enough for me to finish reading the book (even though I thought long and hard about that when I was about half way through), but not so much that I will rush out to buy the next in the series. Crispin Guest has a secret about his past life which the author stretched out to extremely frustrating lengths before revealing the secret. More than half of the book is spent with keeping the reader in suspense as to why Crispin finds himself living in dire poverty in the lowest sections of London and working for a pittance as The Tracker. (First of all, that didn't work because I couldn't believe this indolent, hard drinking man ever got off his keester and left his personal pity party long enough to have worked on previous cases. Show me the evidence please. Maybe this was the hard boiled detective part?) Now Crispin has been given a job to track down the murderer of a wealthy London merchant and find and remove a religious relic he had hidden someplace. Enter a grieving widow and scads of other people wanting said religious relic including the precursor to the Italian mob (?). Crispin deduces all by using his superior wits and the word of a servant about a pair of stained men's hose. Ah, well, he is our hero after all. As I said, I almost gave up about half way into the story because I really didn't care two figs about Crispin, his problems, or the mysteries. Somehow he and I just never connected. Would the result be better if I gave the second book in the series a try? I don't know. If I happen upon it in a used bookstore I might pick it up. Might! One area in this author's favor is that she didn't constantly beat me over the head with the filth and squalor of London in the 1380's. Sometimes the medieval mystery genre authors concentrate so much on that aspect of their story that they completely turn me off what is happening to their characters. Yes, there is some description of the living conditions prevailing in this city at this time, that's only to be expected, but I wasn't bludgeoned repeatedly with the descriptions until they made me ready to pull my hair out. I've had to; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Locked On; Author: Visit Amazon's Tom Clancy Page; Review: I have never read a word of a Tom Clancy book. For that reason I cannot say I am a fan of Mr Clancy's, but I am most definitely a fan of author Mark Greaney's series featuring Court Gentry. I first read The Gray Man (A Gray Man Novel) in 2009, On Target (A Gray Man Novel) in 2010, then Ballistic (Gray Man) earlier this year. When I saw Greaney's announcement on his website that he would be collaborating with Tom Clancy on a novel I must admit to having mixed feelings. I keep track of lots of forum discussions here on Amazon and I had seen comments from readers of how unhappy they were with some of the latest co-authored books published by Clancy. I waited for this novel not knowing quite what to expect. The book began a little slowly for me because there were so many plot threads and characters which are introduced without any of them seeming to have much relationship to one another. After a short time the lives and story lines become connected and individual segments are filled in with more detail. There are a lot of characters in this novel and most of them seem to be returning from previous books. There is a young woman Jack Junior is showing some interest in and she is a new addition to the character roster. The novel is very action driven which is one of the things I like so much about the books Mark Greaney writes. That aspect did not disappoint me here at all. These characters are scattered on missions in all sorts of different parts of the world so one or two characters might be in Pakistan while someone else is in Germany. The book felt like it had been very well researched, which, once again, I expect from something Greaney has worked on. Obviously the team of Clancy/Greaney utilized the best portions of each authors talents because for me the novel worked very well. By the time I had reached the midway point, I really didn't want to stop reading. There were good guys in trouble and I needed to help them solve their problem and get back to safety. I honestly do think that readers who are new to this series will be able to start here, with this book, and feel they have been completely caught up on what is going on in the lives of all the major players in this continuing drama. This is a very political novel, with characters coming down firmly on the side of pro-America patriotism and the conservative viewpoint. This is one of those situations where I would dearly love to be able to assign a rating based on more than just a 4 or 5 star rating. Because of the slow start to the book (for me as a reader new to the series) and a few difficult times I had figuring out who was involved with The Campus and what it was exactly and my confusion of having Jack Ryan Senior referred to; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Deep Sky (Harper Thriller); Author: Visit Amazon's Patrick Lee Page; Review: I discovered author Patrick Lee several weeks ago when I began reading his first novel in this series, The Breach. I was enjoying that book so much I promptly ordered the second in what I understood would be a trilogy, Ghost Country and ended up (by the miracle of an Amazon Prime membership and exactly the right connections in shipping) receiving that book and reading both novels within a 48 hour span. I absolutely loved both books and was eagerly awaiting the finale. The combination of the fantasy and thriller genres was handled very well and I was enjoying learning about the strange items coming from the wormhole and how they were being used for both good and bad applications. Imagine my surprise when the third book was offered through the Amazon Vine program. There was no way I could pass this book up. Because of the circumstances stated above, I read all three of these books within a matter of weeks. Both the first and second novels were solid five stars from me. This one was not as intensely engaging to me and too often I found myself having a conversation with the book while I was reading: Why did you do that? Why didn't you tell somebody about that? How do you know that is true? In this novel a cataclysmic event has taken place in the United States which impacts the entire world and instantly the three main characters know who was responsible. Well, why? There seemed to be so many places in the novel which had plot holes where I was told something happened but wasn't told how or why. I firmly believe this is not a stand alone novel. Anyone attempting to begin this series with this novel will find themselves thoroughly confused. Because the entire two previous books explained everything which caused this third novel to be necessary there just doesn't seem to be any way the author could include enough of that information to bring a new reader clearly into the picture of what is happening here. I will not explain the title of the novel because that would be a spoiler to my way of thinking, but I found myself more and more feeling that there had been one plot twist too many and it wasn't making things clearer. Is this series a trilogy? I don't know that for sure because the ending of this novel left plenty of room for these characters to continue on their journey. You can discuss what you feel the end result might turn out to be, but someone taking the opposite opinion would be just as justified based on information given by the author. That ending wasn't satisfactory for me. Four stars is still a really good rating for a novel, but I had fully expected this to be another five star book for me. It was not for too many reasons: 1.) too often circumstances made me question why the author had decided to proceed in a particular direction; 2.) the ending of what I expected to; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Meerkat Wars; Author: Visit Amazon's H. S. Toshack Page; Review: Cats are rumored to be curious creatures in many senses of the word. In this novel Sheena shows that curiosity off to it's finest degree and even manages to settle a difference of opinion among two rival meerkat tribes which has led them to war. Each tribe worships the sun, but only their sun is the true sun. This is the story of all the harrowing adventures Sheena must endure in order to get the two sides to stop fighting long enough to actually listen to and learn from each other. I think this chapter story would be most enjoyed by children who are in the eleven to thirteen year range if they are reading it by themselves. Even then they might need an adult nearby to explain some of the broader concepts of accepting the beliefs of others and being willing to compromise to achieve what is best for everyone as a whole. There are many different adventures which Sheena has with a variety of wild African animals and these are resolved in very realistic ways. Some animals die, others are gravely injured, but there are also lighter moments which provide the balance needed to keep the book from becoming negative. One impressive aspect of this novel is that Sheena finds herself in situations which she is totally unprepared for so she must use her wits to figure out how to work her way through the problem. She also faces many situations which bring her fears into focus and she must learn to cope with those the best way she can. These instances can also be wonderful discussion points between a child either reading the book or having it read to them. This novel also offers opportunities for additional study of Africa as a continent and what life is like in it's many and varied areas. The complimentary copy of this novel was provided to me for review purposes.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Deep Sky (Travis Chase Series Book 3) - Kindle edition; Author: Visit Amazon's Patrick Lee Page; Review: I discovered author Patrick Lee several weeks ago when I began reading his first novel in this series, The Breach. I was enjoying that book so much I promptly ordered the second in what I understood would be a trilogy, Ghost Country and ended up (by the miracle of an Amazon Prime membership and exactly the right connections in shipping) receiving that book and reading both novels within a 48 hour span. I absolutely loved both books and was eagerly awaiting the finale. The combination of the fantasy and thriller genres was handled very well and I was enjoying learning about the strange items coming from the wormhole and how they were being used for both good and bad applications. Imagine my surprise when the third book was offered through the Amazon Vine program. There was no way I could pass this book up. Because of the circumstances stated above, I read all three of these books within a matter of weeks. Both the first and second novels were solid five stars from me. This one was not as intensely engaging to me and too often I found myself having a conversation with the book while I was reading: Why did you do that? Why didn't you tell somebody about that? How do you know that is true? In this novel a cataclysmic event has taken place in the United States which impacts the entire world and instantly the three main characters know who was responsible. Well, why? There seemed to be so many places in the novel which had plot holes where I was told something happened but wasn't told how or why. I firmly believe this is not a stand alone novel. Anyone attempting to begin this series with this novel will find themselves thoroughly confused. Because the entire two previous books explained everything which caused this third novel to be necessary there just doesn't seem to be any way the author could include enough of that information to bring a new reader clearly into the picture of what is happening here. I will not explain the title of the novel because that would be a spoiler to my way of thinking, but I found myself more and more feeling that there had been one plot twist too many and it wasn't making things clearer. Is this series a trilogy? I don't know that for sure because the ending of this novel left plenty of room for these characters to continue on their journey. You can discuss what you feel the end result might turn out to be, but someone taking the opposite opinion would be just as justified based on information given by the author. That ending wasn't satisfactory for me. Four stars is still a really good rating for a novel, but I had fully expected this to be another five star book for me. It was not for too many reasons: 1.) too often circumstances made me question why the author had decided to proceed in a particular direction; 2.) the ending of what I expected to; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The House at Sea's End (Ruth Galloway Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Elly Griffiths Page; Review: Having read the first novel in this series, The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway), I was prepared for the fact that this author writes these novels in the present tense. I don't really enjoy reading books written like that, but the story and the writing of the first novel were so compelling that I was able to overlook the writing style. For some reason in this third book of the series it was much harder for me to ignore the present tense style. I still believe the author does a wonderful job of conveying the atmosphere of the Norfolk coastal areas and I was very interested in the basic premise of the remains of multiple bodies discovered buried along the eroding shoreline. In this novel Dr. Ruth Galloway has given birth to a baby girl, Kate, and plans to raise the child on her own. The identity of the baby's father is very quickly revealed and a great deal of this novel is spent on reading about Ruth vacillating between wanting to be a mother and yet also wanting the freedom to take up her career as an anthropologist once again. We watch her struggle with the differences having a child in her life make with something as simple as having to work past a 5:00 pm deadline for picking Kate up from the child minder. Kate's father also comes in for a lot of time as he tries to work out his feelings about what his role is in the child's life as well as the affect on his wife and two other daughters if they should ever discover his secret. Mixed in with all this child problem introspection is a subplot regarding a friend and colleague from Ruth's past who makes a surprise visit and stirs up unpleasant memories of the past. This author has a gift for describing weather and atmosphere which is particularly appealing if you like more Gothic feeling novels. I felt at times that all the personal issues took up so much of the novel that the mysteries were not of primary importance, even though the body count continued to climb. I think this book works moderately well as a stand-alone because there are many instances from past novels which are not specifically spelled out, but rather might be guessed at by someone new to the series. In the back of this book is a preview of the fourth book in the series coming in the Spring of 2012.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Watchers of Time: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: I picked this book out of my constantly growing to-be-read stack without checking where it falls within the series. As soon as I began to read I had to go look it up because I discovered that Inspector Rutledge is recuperating from a gunshot wound. Not a very usual circumstance to find when reading period English mysteries. This is the fifth book in the series so now, of course, I must read the fourth, Legacy of the Dead (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries), to find out what happened in Scotland and how Rutledge got shot. In this story Chief Superintendent Bowles sends Rutledge off to a small town called Osterley in Norfolk to make an appearance from Scotland Yard to show their support of the local police. A Catholic priest has been killed and all Rutledge has to do is make an appearance, assure the townsfolk by his presence that their local man has everything well in hand, and then return to London. He's not to get himself involved in the case. So, of course, he immediately does become involved. I am a faithful fan of the writings of Charles Todd, both for the Inspector Rutledge and the Bess Crawford series. This book was another superb example of the deft hand this mother/son team has with descriptions of landscapes and weather conditions. Their characters are so deeply etched that you will remember even the barmaid and how many children she has. The plotting is intricate with multiple problems and solutions presented so as a reader I'm always kept guessing what the final outcome will be. This story contained layer upon layer of interactions between the residents of this small town both in the past and present. I liked how no one person had all the parts of the puzzle in their grasp, but had to share their portion to make the whole. Corporal Hamish MacLeod is a presence inside Rutledge's mind. Rutledge hears Hamish talking to him and he answers him. If this is your first time to consider reading a novel in this series, please don't be put off by thinking you will not like this aspect of the book. Rutledge had horrendous experiences in World War I and he still suffers with the mental anguish of trying to understand why he survived and so many he ordered to fight did not. Hamish was one of the casualties of war, except he was not killed by a German bullet but by an action taken by Rutledge. While working through all of these problems with depression and having Hamish as a constant companion the authors are always able to bring the truth about the conditions of that war vividly into their novels. People were changed forever, Rutledge and Hamish are two of those people with stories to tell. I highly recommend any of the novels in this series. The authors always do a very good job of bringing any new readers quickly into the picture of the time period and the problems facing Rutledge both from a psychological standpoint and from his career; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Before the Poison; Author: Visit Amazon's Peter Robinson Page; Review: If you are expecting a "traditional" style mystery with this book, then you need to understand that is not what you will get. Author Peter Robinson has written a very intense study of a crime which is presented from three different angles. Actually, more than three if you count all the characters involved in helping Chris Lowndes investigate the murder which happened in the home he bought in the Yorkshire dales. Grace Elizabeth Fox was found guilty of the murder of her husband and hanged on April 23, 1953. Dr and Mrs Fox had lived at Kilnsgate House outside of Richmond for many years prior to his death. Now Chris has discovered the story of the murder which took place and something about the entire situation is pushing him on to find out whether the guilty verdict was right or if Grace Fox was wrongly executed. The novel is told with an excerpt from a book written in 1953, giving details of the trial, at the beginning of each chapter. Then the first person narrative from 2010, picks up with the investigations Chris is pursuing. Toward the middle of the novel the chapters begin to lead off with portions of a journal written by Grace Fox starting in 1940. Even though these sections of her journal have nothing to do with the actual death of Dr Fox, they do paint a picture of some of the happenings in Grace's life that made her into the person she was when her husband died. This was an engrossing reading experience and one that I enjoyed very much. Because of the method of presenting the information regarding Grace and the murder of her husband it was impossible for me to pick up clues and "solve" the crime because this was not a standard police procedural or amateur detective novel. For the first half of the novel you have to take the word of everyone for what type of person Grace was. After her journal entries start you can get more of an idea of what type of character you believe she might have had. All of his obsession with the solving of the case from so many years ago was tangled up with the feelings of loneliness and depression Chris was still feeling over the death of his wife. Moving from the States to an isolated home in Yorkshire certainly seemed to add stress to his mental attitude and contributed to the atmosphere he found in the home. Chris was determined to find out what had happened in Grace's life "before the poison". As I said before, this was an enjoyable reading experience and it will definitely lead me to read more novels written by Peter Robinson.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Elizabeth The Queen; Author: Visit Amazon's Alison Weir Page; Review: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II learned how to be a monarch by watching the example set by her father. Early on the King made sure his young daughter understood the work he was doing so that she would be as prepared as possible when it was her time to ascend the throne. But surely nobody could have expected that her time would come so soon. At the age of 25 she found herself the monarch and her long life of service had begun. This biography begins as Elizabeth finds herself the heiress presumptive when her uncle abdicates and her father unexpectedly becomes the King of England, George VI. The book takes the reader all the way to the April 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Author Sally Bedell Smith has written an extremely detailed and exhaustively researched book to be released in conjunction with Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. According to material in the book Ms Smith has met the Queen on two occasions, both times during reception line meetings. That means that this biography is not an official authorized edition because the Queen did not personally contribute any material specifically to be included. What Ms Smith has done is gather together the material available by doing research on her subject and arrange it in such a way that the reader follows Queen Elizabeth from her childhood to the present. There are fascinating glimpses into the very carefully guarded private life of The Firm, as the royal family refers to themselves, provided by those closest to the monarch and her family. At well over 600 pages this biographer has given extraordinarily detailed information about how the Queen goes about fulfilling her responsibilities. Trips taken by the Queen are outlined with precise details of meetings and functions which took place. Rituals which take place on a yearly or even monthly basis are explained. Some of the portions I enjoyed most in the book concerned things like the Windsor Castle dine-and-sleep invitations issued to eight to ten couples and what happened during those private days with Elizabeth and her family. Also of great interest to me was how involved Elizabeth is with her thoroughbred horses. This book has left me with the indelible image of Queen Elizabeth II as a woman who has a personal understanding of what her duty as Monarch consists of and her determination to follow the course she has set for herself in order to carry out those duties. My only criticism with the book is that some of the information is given in such detail that it becomes quite difficult to take it all in. In the case of so many of the world wide trips made by this reigning monarch the minute details of hotels, travel arrangements, meals, and who was invited to all the receptions and parties and other functions became a trifle overwhelming. Perhaps some of that information might have been left out. Queen Elizabeth II seems to me to be a remarkable woman. I admire her greatly for her never wavering sense of; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cinder; Author: Visit Amazon's Marissa Meyer Page; Review: What a very clever idea it was for this author to take a story which is so instantly familiar and transport it into an entirely different realm. Cinder and the Prince? She certainly didn't go wrong with that. Add in some slight variations on the story with the characters (not all step sisters have to be horrible) and maybe change up your main character just the teeniest bit. Actually that's a bit of irony because Cinder is totally different from any variation of Cinderella I've ever read. I absolutely loved this book. So Cinder is a cyborg. The cover of this book is absolute genius in letting the reader know instantly that this is not going to be the usual take on any body's fairy tale. The prosthetic foot and hand are dealt with immediately, but other differences in the re-made Cinder are revealed more slowly. Adding in the element of the inhabitants of the moon and making their queen be someone so thrillingly menacing simply adds to the excitement of the entire concept. I appreciated the fact that this novel is aimed at young adult readers from age twelve and up, in grades seven and up and this author never talks down to her reader, never sounds condescending, her dialog doesn't sound fake. She has her characters speak in the modern language of the day, yet with moderation so the book will still be fresh and readable ten years from now. Those things are all quite an accomplishment for a writer who is older than her target audience. I was impressed and plan to recommend this book to two young ladies of my acquaintance who will enjoy it as much as I did. Now I'm looking forward to the next exciting adventure of Cinder the cyborg. I received this book as a complimentary copy from the publisher.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Summer Set: The Noqumiut; Author: Jay B. Province; Review: I was originally interested in reading this book because it takes place in the world of small town American in the 1950's. Those were very different days from what faces young people today and I wanted to see how the author handled the huge differences between 1956 and now. I must say I was impressed by his effort. Four friends, Mike, Peter (Chumbucket), Karen, and Jo have come to the end of the eighth grade and face the freedoms of summer before they enter high school. The boys are involved with a Bantam League baseball team which has a chance to go on to a championship. Karen is of Eskimo descent and has grown up with knowledge about the culture and lore of the Eskimo tribes. Her grandfather is a shaman who is teaching her the mysteries of his beliefs. When some very unsavory men begin trying to take over the baseball league by turning the players into the New Youth movement it doesn't take long for their leader to figure out that Chumbucket and Mike stand in the way of all their plans. This adventure story is packed from first to last with exciting situations the boys, and later the girls also, find themselves in. While trying to save their town from the evil spirit Noqumiut the boys encounter the pitfalls of how to remain friends through their growing interest in the girls. This story is a really good example of how friendship is not an easy relationship to maintain and what can happen to close friends when outside influences begin to cause them to have experiences and feelings they've not encountered before. This was really quite well written to show accomplishments and setbacks faced by young adults in their early teens when their life seems to change every day. I think it will be well received by a wide variety of ages and by both boys and girls. That's really quite an accomplishment for an author. I would imagine that more adventures are around the corner for these four friends and readers can look forward to another thrilling novel. For parents who want to be aware of the books their young adults are reading, I can assure you that the material in this book is completely appropriate for readers ages twelve and above. The language and situations presented are handled with the greatest sense of propriety. I received this book as a complimentary copy from the author.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Play of Knaves (A Joliffe Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Margaret Frazer Page; Review: I've been on a binge lately with reading medieval mysteries. I kept seeing the books by Margaret Frazer so finally settled on this book to try. The writing is very good. I liked the way the characters where portrayed, especially the closeness of the troupe of actors who spent pretty much twenty-four hours a day together. I also thought the descriptions of the area surrounding the chalk horse in White Horse Vale was wonderfully written. Life in England in 1435 was not easy, yet these actors really made the best of what was available to them and with the help of their patron and protector, Lord Lovell, seemed to thrive in their chosen life. My problems with the book came about from the fact that it seemed to literally take forever for anything to happen. As a reader I was treated to at least four performances by the group, along with all the minute staging, script writing or revisions, and costumes so these portions of the novel were simply too slow moving for me. I had seen that Joliffe was the featured character in the novels (it mentions him in the title description) and yet there was just as much focus on Bassett, Rose, Gil, and Ellis. Not until over halfway into the novel did any crime take place which had Joliffe taking center stage to solve it. Perhaps this novel falls more into a study of characters and how they interact with each other than it does a mystery. Once the mysteries began to happen it was really quite simple to figure out who the villain was. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be trying any further novels in this series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Bedlam Detective: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Stephen Gallagher Page; Review: A feeling of darkness hangs over this novel written by Stephen Gallagher. Insanity, murder, death, deception, all these things combine to make for a reading experience I will not soon forget. I really enjoy period novels and this one set in England in 1912 has just the atmosphere I look for. Almost every aspect of this novel is unusual and different. The main character is Sebastian Becker, a man whose career took an unfortunate turn because of an incident in America so now he and his family are in England living in what could be kindly referred to as reduced circumstances. Becker is now a special investigator for The Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy. A government department headed by Sir James Crichton-Browne, the Visitor in Lunacy is asked to send an investigator to interview persons reported to be mentally unstable and possibly mishandling the inheritance of the estates heirs, but more especially those revenues due the Crown. In this instance, Becker is in Arnmouth to speak with Sir Owain Lancaster of Arnside Hall. After being jeered from the stage during his presentation of the mysterious happenings during his trip down the Amazon River, Sir Owain is thought to be a madman who fights monsters in the night and who was responsible for the deaths of almost all who made the trip to South America with him. As soon as Becker arrives in the village he learns of the deaths of two young girls who Sir Owain describes as being "torn by beasts". It isn't long before Sebastian Becker sees a connection between the most recent murders and two other young girls who were left for dead years before after being cruelly treated. I've never read a novel by this author before, but now I will certainly seek out other works by him. I thoroughly enjoyed the construction of the mystery aspects of this book and was actually surprised by the revelation of what had happened to the four young girls. The novel has that unsettled feeling of making the reader wonder whether Sir Owain is ever going to be able to convince Becker of his sanity. And what mystery surrounds the doctor who is Sir Owain's constant companion? The gradual unfolding of the evidence of the events which took place on the trip through the jungle is well crafted and revealed in such small portions that I was always wondering when the full results would be revealed. The novel is being billed as a literary thriller and I can say that I absolutely agree with that. The story is intense, moody, somber, and dark. Thankfully the author has given the reader just enough bright spots to keep us from being completely overwhelmed by the dark. Don't miss the final chapter, a Postscript, on a page by itself. I almost didn't see it. I wonder if there is any thought of this becoming a series? I would certainly be ready for the next adventure of Sebastian Becker, Special Investigator for The Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy. I was so curious about this governmental; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hue & Cry: A Hew Cullan Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Shirley McKay Page; Review: Some books strike me in such a way that I positively hate having to put them down to tend to daily life. This was definitely such a novel. Set in 1579 in St. Andrews, Scotland, I was exceedingly glad to see that this author did not focus so much attention on the basic cleanliness issues as much as some books covering the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries often seem to. This was a novel with much to teach the patient reader and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hew Cullen is the main character and he had spent many years away from home completing his studies. Now he has come back to St. Andrews to his father and sister to begin to settle down and make a choice of his career. I appreciated Hew's character traits of sensitivity and compassion which led him to try to solve problems for his friends and family. It was quite refreshing to read about a character who was actually bothered by the cruelty and suffering he saw around him. When a young boy was viciously killed what little evidence there was seemed to point to the boy's tutor, but Hew knew that Nicholas would never have harmed the thirteen year old boy. Through the process of untangling exactly what had happened in this murder Hew encounters accusations of witchcraft, corrupt university officials, and over zealous religious leaders. The information conveyed in this story regarding herbs and medical practices was fascinating to me. I think the author did a wonderful job of letting the reader understand that quick cures were definitely not possible in these times. Medicine was still viewed with suspicion. A hue and cry regarding witchcraft could be made on the flimsiest of excuses. The attention to detail author Shirley McKay paid to the weaving and dyeing of woolen cloth was informative and interesting to me. This novel covers approximately the span of a year which emphasized the fact that Hew was having to gather all the evidence himself, the town officials were not interested in solving the case since they had made up their minds as to who was guilty. As an overall opinion I would say this book appealed to me because it had substance and depth which allowed me to more fully understand the environment in which the main character existed. It was a fascinating world I found described here and I am most definitely ready to continue on with the second book in the series, Fate & Fortune. And thank you, Ms McKay, for sparing me from having to constantly read about the weather. I've found that some novels concentrate on rain, some on heat and some on cold. They sometimes sorely try my patience while making me wonder if the author couldn't think of any other material to use to add to their story. Highly recommended for readers of historical mysteries who like to learn about the daily lives and trades existing and even flourishing during this hard period in history.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Crucible of Gold (Temeraire); Author: Visit Amazon's Naomi Novik Page; Review: It has been almost two years since the last book in this series, Tongues of Serpents: A Novel of Temeraire (Temeraire Series), was released and yet Naomi Novik appears to jump from the last sentence of that book directly to the first sentence of this one. Readers who are unfamiliar with the previous Temeraire novels will probably be quite lost. It would help greatly if a reader were familiar with at least the first novel in the series, His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1), to understand the culture of a world where dragons not only exist, but are used as a military weapon. However, by reading on into this novel any reader will pick up (although possibly very slowly) the different characteristics each dragon has and the relationship between dragon and man as well as man and governmental agency. It might help to know that the dragons of the English fleet are obtained as eggs and a specific person is designated to be with that egg as it hatches because of the attachment formed by the young dragon to that specific person. The human becomes the dragon's captain and therefore must be an aviator. A dragon can weigh anywhere from 10 to 30 tons. In this telling of the battles with Napoleon dragons on both sides of the conflict play an enormous role. In this story Will Laurence and Temeraire have settled down and are living and farming in New South Wales, Australia, since Laurence was removed from the service for treason. Instead of hanging, he was transported to Australia. All of those adventures took place in previous novels. Now an emissary has been sent to re-instate Laurence to his original rank of Captain because he, his dragon Temeraire, and two other dragon teams are being sent to Brazil to try to negotiate with that country to keep them from siding with Napoleon in the war which is still raging. Before arriving in South America the group has to endure shipwreck, abandonment on a deserted island, and mutiny. The writing of this novel is as superb as I think it has been in the previous stories. It is indeed a fascinating concept to think of dragons being able to talk, reason through problems, vote, and fight for their country. I had found that the last several books were not nearly as exciting and interesting to me so I'm glad I took a chance and decided to read this next novel in the series. It looks like author Naomi Novik is right back on track. As usual there is not a finale with this story because it will pick right back up in book number eight, but all the loose ends are tied up quite satisfactorily and there is even a very clever surprise at the end.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Chet and Bernie Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Spencer Quinn Page; Review: I've been vacillating for a while over buying this book. Amazon constantly recommends it to me, but I wasn't convinced. I don't like "cute" mysteries. You know the kind I mean, where the person wants to open their own bakery so they step in at the last minute for a caterer friend who broke their arm and whips up 1,000 perfectly baked and frosted cupcakes with handmade marzipan decorations on each of them in two hours flat, including delivery time. All of this while solving the mystery of the murder of the handyman at the historic inn back 25 years ago. I kept thinking that the Chet and Bernie series would be one of "those". Then a friend gave me this book and I read it. Believe me, while it is not a hard-core blood and guts, brass knuckles type mystery, it also isn't "cute". Something placed very nicely in a niche all it's own. Naturally it will aid in your enjoyment of the story if you love dogs and, indeed, think of your own dogs as people. That's were I come in. I'm almost positive my dogs can read my mind and understand everything I say....up to a point. Then it's time for them to take a nap. This is the debut novel in this series and the plot is just a tad weak as far as the mystery aspect goes, but I was enjoying the characterization of Chet (the dog) so much and got to like Bernie (the man) so much that I willingly overlooked any slight lack of depth to the story. I also decided to forgive the author the rather convenient and abrupt ending. The story is told with Chet as the narrator which I think was a very courageous decision for the author to make. Right there he ran the risk of loosing possible readers. Thankfully that information is plainly stated on the back cover of the book so readers can make their decision about that aspect immediately. I really enjoyed this novel. Chet reacted exactly as my dogs react to many situations in that whatever was happening at that moment was very important to Chet until something distracted him. There was that cat incident just as he was about to make it all the way through his K-9 training course! The additions of the police officer and the reporter to the cast of characters made discussion and dialogue between humans very natural and that kept the mystery aspect of the story moving forward. I can only hope that additional stories in the series will get better and better as the author builds on what worked well for him here. I am most definitely going to read more books in this series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Black Site: A Delta Force Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Dalton Fury Page; Review: I like to read novels of this military fiction action type, but had never heard of this author so largely ignored the prompting from Amazon when they recommended this book for me. Then I was in a store and saw the book on display. While glancing through it I came upon the acknowledgments in the back and saw something which made my decision for me. My very favorite author for this type of novel is Mark Greaney. I've read all of his Gray Man series, (The Gray Man (A Gray Man Novel)) and also the book he recently released with Tom Clancy (Locked On). When I saw that Mark Greaney had been instrumental in giving advice to Dalton Fury I figured I couldn't go wrong. This is a very good book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. The name chosen for the protagonist was somewhat of a stumbling block for me, Kolt Raynor, and somehow it just never would flow smoothly in my reading. Kolt with a "K"? Oh, well. I just had to live with it. I did like the way this main character was portrayed. He had been involved in a Delta Force mission while on active duty and had been responsible for the loss of many lives because of his tendency to ignore direct orders when they didn't suit his plan. Three years have passed since that incident which resulted in his court martial from the service and it seems that his only friend during that time has been the name of the maker of the bottle of booze he's working on at the time. Now he is being offered a chance to go back into the field and perform a job that might partially make up for his previous mistake. The problem is, he is in such degraded physical condition and there is such a short time to get him up to speed. Even the good guys don't think his rehabilitation is worthwhile or possible. Is this a one way mission? Raynor has no buddies left in the military, but that doesn't matter because this operation will be carried out without officially being sanctioned by the government. In the novel this character was given a lot of hurdles to jump over. He had to go cold turkey off the booze and manage to survive the training in which people were trying to take every advantage to show him just how out of shape and vulnerable he was. I liked that the author built this character back up into a trained fighter, but always with that possibility of him making another mistake to compromise the entire operation. A lot of the first parts of the book were spent on Raynor's reentry into the world of the elite commando so it took some time for him to be in the field of exercise. Once he got into action and the full scope of what his mission entailed was revealed, I was absolutely glued to the pages of the book. I did thoroughly enjoy this novel and if a second; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Girl Next Door: A Mystery (Carter Ross Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Brad Parks Page; Review: Carter Ross, a newspaper investigative reporter, doesn't have any big stories he's working on right now so he decided to find out some facts about the unfortunate hit-and-run death of one of the paper's home delivery carriers, Nancy Marino. According to her obituary Nancy had been a hard worker holding down two jobs and was a shop steward with her union. By attending the visitation before the funeral Carter begins to pick up bits of information which make him wonder if Nancy's death was really an accident. From then on his life begins to get very complicated. The author didn't succeed in making me have any emotional attachment to this victim. I felt no connection or empathy toward her at all, probably because she never appears in the narrative, even in a flashback. Therefore I didn't really feel involved with the story and I could have put the book down at any point and never finished it and not wondered at all about what had happened. That is the most important reason I designated this novel to be a three star book. At the end of each chapter there is a segment presented from the point of view of the killer. I don't think it was intentional, but after the third such segment I was positive I knew who the killer was. From then on I was simply waiting for the twist to come to show me I was wrong. I was not wrong. This book has humor mixed in with the serious aspects of the investigation and that is a pleasant respite for a reader, but only if it works for them. In this case, it just never quite worked for me. I'm pretty serious about the mystery stories I read. When the main character makes as many mistakes and jumps to as many conclusions during his investigation as Carter Ross, I simply cannot be impressed by him. That was the case here. This novel was an okay reading experience for me, but definitely not something I'm going to want to follow up on if the author has more published works.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Ransom Riggs Page; Review: I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this inventive, imaginative book. The amount of thought which went into even the smallest detail was a thrill to see in these times when so many books seem to be simply thrown together. The colors and designs chosen for the pages which precede every chapter and then to have the color continue with the borders of the pages featuring the photographs made the entire project come together and result in a cohesive, well produced book. The photographs themselves are wonderful and I can imagine the fun and excitement people had in discovering such interesting old pictures and sharing them with this author. The story within the covers absolutely lived up to all the effort put into catching the reader's attention. It would not matter at all how good the book presentation itself was if the story could not capture the heart and mind of those reading it. Ransom Riggs has written a story about people who are *peculiar*. Surely everybody has known someone who was a little different, a little unusual. This story presents the world through the eyes of these peculiars and lets us all see what it looks like from their perspective. These characters though had an added ability which truly made them different. Yes, this is a fantasy story, but it is also just the tiniest bit realistic enough to make you sit back and wonder if such happenings might be possible. I enjoyed getting to know all the principal characters and even those who stayed more in the background were people I want to meet again in another book. Riggs has left his characters afloat in the ocean on a journey to a time they aren't sure about and a destination they don't know yet. In the background are the ships of the war that is raging in 1940. I really can't wait for the next installment in this journey. Always remembering that now that the children have left the safety of their time loop they will begin to age. Riggs has almost unlimited opportunities for where he wants this series to go because he probably has quite a large selection of photographs to chose from. I'll be waiting to see what he comes up with next.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Uninvited Guests: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Sadie Jones Page; Review: Whether it was this author's intention or not, she succeeded in making me dislike three of the members of the family who are pivotal to this story. Charlotte Torrington Swift is the mother of Emerald and Clovis. The novel states they are nineteen and twenty respectively, but that tripped me up somewhat because on the day this story happens Emerald is having her twentieth birthday. So at this point they are both twenty? But don't worry about that little detail, there will be much more serious problems with this novel than to worry about how many months there were between the births of Charlotte's two eldest children. All three of these characters are self-indulgent, conceited, arrogant, lazy, and cruel in certain ways. How was I ever supposed to enjoy the book when the characters were so unlikeable? The story takes place in the early 1900's on an isolated English country estate which has been the home of the Torrington children all their lives. Now, because of the late Horace Torrington's heavy debts, the estate will be lost unless Edward Swift, Charlotte's second husband, can acquire a loan from a man he despises. Edward lost one arm in a carriage accident when he was a young man and these two insensitive and cruel "children" actually make fun of him and use this as one reason they dislike him so much. (Even this early on in the novel I was rooting for Edward to not get the loan, chuck the bums out, and tell them to get their hands dirty and do something useful.) So, back to our synopsis. Guests begin to arrive for Emerald's birthday celebration dinner later in the evening but along with them come a group of people who were in a railway disaster which resulted in many deaths. The Swift home is to be used until the railroad company can arrange for these people to be accommodated elsewhere. Among this group comes someone from Charlotte's past. I really don't think I've ever read a novel which portrayed characters showing such callous disregard for the suffering of others. I understand it was a necessary part of the story, but I kept finding myself shaking my head in disbelief. I was very disappointed in the novel because I had been looking forward to reading it so much. This is one where I should have adhered to my 100 page rule. I didn't like the first 100 pages but I kept on reading. The next 160 did not get any better at all. I think the author tried to be different, quirky, clever and so she wrote in an older style and tried to start with her characters at their worst in order to rehabilitate them along the way, but that process took much too long for it to work for me. The only reason for two stars from me instead of one is that I have recently found the absolute worst book I've ever read. This is marginally better than that one.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Oxford Messed Up; Author: Visit Amazon's Andrea Kayne Kaufman Page; Review: Andrea Kaufman succeeded in teaching me the things I have always been curious about whenever I hear someone describing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. She achieved this by having her character suffer from the disorder and I saw that world through the eyes of someone who was living with it. At one point I was beginning to feel slightly frustrated and irritated with the story because there seemed to be so much rigid repetition. Suddenly the penny dropped and bounced across the floor for me. Yes, of course there would be rigid repetition, this is OCD we are talking about here. The story of Gloria and Henry is so touching from every angle, two people with such deep-seated problems they feel they are beyond rescue for a normal life. In this book pretty much every character you meet is "messed up" with some problem or other. To get the disasters off to a roaring start Gloria finds that she has to share a bathroom with another student at St. Cross College, Oxford. This is not just unacceptable, it is horrendous for her and totally unacceptable. This very talented author used the device of a shared obsession with one specific musician to bridge the wide chasm of OCD and complete slovenliness. The main thing in life that Gloria and Henry have in common is their love for and knowledge of the music of Van Morrison. And the fact that they are loomates. Starting from there they begin to build a relationship which will have many problems along the way, but they are each determined to prove to the other that they do deserve to be loved. The Superstar and the messed up bad boy - what an outstanding story this was. I do wish that an explanation of the part Oliver played had come sooner in the story. That was the portion of the novel which was making me a little irritated. Once I knew the role of that character I settled right in to reading the novel. Also I feel that the author could have reduced the number of times she used one particular word of profanity. I understand that often it was entirely acceptable usage to emphasize what was happening to the characters at that moment, but using it so very often simply seemed excessive to me. If you are a reader who objects to the use of profanity, you must weigh your desire to read a truly impressive novel against your personal dislike of reading the *f* word. I will most definitely recommend this novel to friends, but I will make sure they understand what they are going to encounter also. By the way, just a little cheeky aside, the author never explained about *Sally and N*, but I like to think I figured it out. It would be fun to find out. I received a complimentary copy of this novel for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Heartstone: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Sansom Page; Review: It is one of the true pleasures of reading to find an author who is able to create characters in a specific time period and then write multiple novels and keep the writing standards high. I've found this with the writing of C. J. Sansom and his Matthew Shardlake Tudor mysteries. Each of the plots of the five novels centers around a specific historical event which was happening in the England of the 1540's, and weaves in real historical figures as well as characters created by the author to make a story which is educational as well as enjoyable. Like all the other books in the series, this story begins with Shardlake taking on a case to right a possible wrong only to find himself involved in more circumstances than he bargained for. Shardlake is a tenacious character even to the point of throwing himself into danger and making himself an irritant to influential men who have the power to destroy his career or even take his life. The time he lives in and the law he practices can both be dangerous. I always learn so much about the English system of laws when I read one of these novels. This one focuses, once again, on the plight of anyone unfortunate enough to be deemed insane and the Court of Wards, a completely corrupt arm of the law which is supposed to represent the most innocent of victims, orphaned children. Instead we see through this novel how corrupt it was with knowledge of this corruption starting with the reigning monarch and going all the way to the clerks who worked in the government offices. All of this was allowed because of the vast sums of money the wardships brought to the royal treasury and the pockets of everyone else involved along the way. British law has been an example for many countries to use when formulating their own law courts. It is fascinating for me to see how far the doctrines of fairness have come. I also can't read one of these novels without learning an incredible amount about the social structure and historical events of the Tudor period. Even though Sansom admits to taking some liberties with historical records he candidly discloses that in the historical notes at the end of the book. By the way, often I will go to any historical notes provided in a book of this type before I start reading the book to better prepare myself for what the novel will be concerned with. In this case, I wish I had waited until I had finished the novel before reading the notes. There is actually a spoiler contained in those notes. Best if you wait until you've finished the book before checking out the notes. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Bedlam again, even if it did reinforce the sad fact that mental illness was so completely misunderstood during this time. I also was fascinated by the re-enactment of the threatened French invasion of England in the Summer of 1545. Shardlake had some remarkable adventures and once; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Yard; Author: Visit Amazon's Alex Grecian Page; Review: When you select a debut novel you just never know what you are going to get. This novel was simply an okay reading experience for me, but I've been reading period mysteries for many, many years and I'm a very picky reader. If you don't mind the types of things which bothered me, then you will possibly enjoy this book. Colonel Sir Edward Bradford is the recently appointed head of the London Metropolitan Police Force Murder Squad. Brand new to the squad of twelve detectives is Detective Inspector Walter Day. Day has been in London for a very short time and on the job with Scotland Yard for only a week when the mutilated body of another Detective Inspector is found in a trunk in a railway station. Bradford assigns this extremely high profile case to DI Day and instructs all the other detectives to follow Day's lead. The reputation of the police force in general and the detectives in particular is in tatters because of their inability to capture Jack the Ripper. Solving this case quickly will go a long way to restoring some sense of security to the citizens of London in 1889. This author obviously did research to discover the major known facts about the formation of the organized detective bureau in London. He also found some more obscure facts and inserted them into the narrative. Unfortunately for me they seemed to stick out like sore thumbs because they weren't particularly relevant to the story. The smallest jail cell in England and the practice of using "renewed" tea are two such facts which come immediately to mind. A problem I had while reading was that the dialogue often seemed more like a vaudeville routine rather than a real conversation. Dr. Bernard Kingsley asking Constable Hammersmith to remember the word "sheer" was one example of that. There wasn't really any need for that little bit of banter to be played out. The word sheer had no importance. In addition to investigating the murder of DI Little there were many other crimes the detectives and constables were trying to solve. The Beard Murders was so easy to solve that I immediately knew who was responsible. That was because the author had inserted characters in places where they didn't have to be, therefore they kept attracting my attention. And the author of a period novel must avoid the use of words and phrases which sound too modern to have been used during the time period. I have no idea if providing *closure* for members of victims families would have been in use in 1889, but it sounded much too modern for the setting. By this time I'm sure you understand that I had many problems with this novel. Incidents happened which had no explanation, logical or otherwise. Coincidences happened which were too unbelievable even for fiction. Situations such as the linen rope needed to be explained fully. Just how strong could that cloth have possibly been? Overall the basic premise of the novel was intriguing. I really wanted to enjoy the book.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Shades of Milk and Honey; Author: Visit Amazon's Mary Robinette Kowal Page; Review: This book reminded me very strongly of the classic literature I enjoy reading so much, specifically the novels written by Jane Austen. So whether you will appreciate this novel or not definitely depends on what you are looking for. I found a book filled with characters and situations either vaguely or strongly reminiscent of the works of Jane Austen. I've read many variations of the Austen books, but was immediately intrigued by the concept of the strict social structure of the times juxtaposed with glamour, or call it magic or illusion. In the works of Austen a high premium is put on young ladies having talents, be they in painting, embroidery, dancing or playing a musical instrument. In this instance being able to manipulate glamour was an attribute which ladies could learn along with the other social graces. It seems to have been intended for, and most often used in, an artistic manner: to bring enhancement to a painting by making the subject matter appear lifelike, to cover some physical flaw for a woman, or to decorate a home. I found this concept to be really fascinating. As with so many of the Austen stories this one is told through a great deal of exposition with dialogue held almost to a minimum. The purpose of that seems to have been to allow the story to progress much faster and smoother without having to have a character comment on every single thing that happened. I personally enjoyed that because I find it restful. If you are a reader who enjoys having more action take place, you will probably not be quite as satisfied with this style. Ms. Kowal seems to have struck exactly the right balance of times of quiet pleasantness in the daily lives of her characters and times of high excitement as the story was reaching it's conclusion. Once again, it added to my enjoyment of the novel to have Jane Ellsworth's thoughts related to me without her verbalizing everything she was thinking. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There are very evident situations which parallel the books by Jane Austen with characters and circumstances changed just enough to allow the glamour aspect to feel natural in this story. I am now eagerly awaiting the publication in a few days of the second novel in the series, Glamour in Glass. With all the realism I read in modern fiction today it was a pleasure to sink back into a different world of courtly manners and social rules so very unlike our modern world. Pure escapism without any apology necessary. I read this book on my Kindle and some of it on my Kindle Fire. The formatting for the Kindle was very good. When I switched over to try to read from the Kindle Fire I often found the last line of the previous page repeated or omitted when I "turned" the page. I have no idea why this was happening, but I finally gave up on reading from the Fire and concentrated on the Kindle alone. This is the first time I've; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Glamour in Glass (Glamourist Histories); Author: Visit Amazon's Mary Robinette Kowal Page; Review: I must admit that I find myself in a quandary over this novel regarding which star rating to assign. I read the first book in this series (Shades of Milk and Honey) and enjoyed it quite a lot. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I went immediately and ordered the download for my Kindle of this book to be delivered the day the book was released. I am a Jane Austen fan. I also love to read novels written now which mimic the Austen style or use the Austen stories and characters to present a different tale. That is exactly what I found in the first book. I cannot say that those Austenesque attributes continued in this book because it took off in such a different direction. That was ultimately the deciding factor in my three star rating. Not only did I not get the Austen feeling with this book, but I got much more technical "glamour" information than I liked. The first novel had the manipulation of glamour (or magic) as a very important part of the story. In this second book it is almost the entire story, or that is how it struck me. What I had enjoyed in small doses in the first book because it intermingled so wonderfully with the characters and actions was not nearly so satisfying when delivered in large doses in this second installment. There is a large amount of attention devoted to explaining a fantasy science/magic. For me personally, those explanations went on much too long and went into much too much detail. I felt that character and relationship development suffered by spending so much time telling me how this new concept might, or could, or should work. I read this novel to see how the relationship between Jane and Vincent changed and grew since their marriage but I wasn't seeing those developments because the "glamour" kept taking center stage. Toward the last third of the novel there was a concentration on the plot and I did enjoy that much more. Did it overcome my impatience to leave off some of the glamour experimentation and move on to the plot? No, it didn't. Also, because this novel has moved location to Belgium, actively involves the war effort against Napoleon, and now features a married couple the associations with the novels of Jane Austen are no longer there. If you read this novel strictly as a fantasy adventure which takes place in Europe in 1815, you will probably enjoy it much more than if you start out thinking it will remind you of the Austen novels. Evidently, because of the reaction I had to the first book, I wanted and needed that Austen touch. I didn't get that here. The writing is quite good, but if you are wanting one thing and a novel delivers another, the chances of a reader being satisfied are probably not going to be high.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bad Luck Cadet eBook; Author: Visit Amazon's Suzie Ivy Page; Review: If you've ever had a hankering to know what actually goes on during the whole Police Academy thing, this is your true-blue chance to find out. Forget the television programs, this story is realism from start to finish. And it is realistic because this author actually lived every minute of it. The story is rather short, but as an e-book it was a memorable reading experience. I especially appreciated the fact that this cadet didn't try to pass herself off as a superwoman who aced every physical trial and passed each test with an A+. Instead we follow along the road this 45 year old wife and mother chose on a whim and we watch her failures as well as her successes. This was supposed to be a lark so she could prove to herself that she could get through the academy, a way of fending off that mid-life crisis and proving to herself that she still had value. She had something to prove, to her friends, her family, and ultimately the instructors at the academy. What Cadet Suzie Ivy discovered along the way was that all the hard work, aches, pains, and studying had given her a purpose she never expected. She actually wanted to be in law enforcement. She was also willing to look deep inside her own being to find the strength she needed to finish this task when almost nobody else took her seriously. Ms Ivy has offered her experiences in this book so that readers can follow along that difficult journey and come out with the understanding that you must believe in yourself first. Then you can influence how others look at you. This novel was assembled by using e-mails which Suzie sent to friends and family members during her grueling eighteen week course at a real police academy in Arizona. The story is told almost completely in expository form so the reader doesn't have the chance to get to know many of the people involved. There is also not much description so the places and people remain largely a blank canvas which the author has not filled in. This book is based entirely on fact, but that doesn't mean that the incidences related couldn't have been expanded and made more colorful to excite the imagination. I do know that there is a second book planned to continue the telling of the experiences Officer Ivy has had in her law enforcement career and I sincerely hope that book will be more detailed in the areas of dialogue and description. I understand that these scenarios were taken from real life happenings, but adding more depth to the story will help to keep the reader fully involved in the writing and also make them want to read more. I was quite impressed with this book and it was a creative method for Ms Ivy to use in beginning to tell her story. In fact, I honestly believe it would have made the perfect beginning of a much longer novel. I received a complimentary copy of this book for review; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hexed (Iron Druid Chronicles); Author: Visit Amazon's Kevin Hearne Page; Review: By some horrible twist of fate this book got buried in my always growing to-be-read stack. As soon as I clapped eyes on it I sat down to start reading. Everybody that I had liked so much in the first book (Hounded: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book One) is present so that was nice, but a tension occurs between Atticus (the Druid of the story - and hero of choice) and Leif (the vampire lawyer - now here is an author with a sense of humor!)which means that Atticus can't count on Leif for the help he really could have used. Leif asked a favor and Atticus turned him down so Leif went off to pout and his werewolf partner Hal had to help Atticus try to negotiate a nonaggression pact with a coven of Polish witches called the Sisters of the Three Auroras. Now they want Atticus to help eliminate a coven of German witches trying to move into their territory. From there it gets very messy because the German witches keep trying to kill Atticus with their best hex. If it's possible to read a novel depicting death, demons, fallen angels, magic and sorcery and still think it is funny and entertaining, then this author manages to do it with his books. Oberon the Irish wolfhound says some of the funniest things. Atticus seems to be nude throughout a large portion of this second book, but I'll chalk that up to circumstance. Kevin Hearne has to be really creative in his plotting to place Atticus in situations where he is separated from contact with the earth - his source of power, so he's more vulnerable and then give him time to get his powers back recharged from a night spent on the ground in the backyard of his house. I absolutely love the characters of the widow MacDonagh and Coyote, the ancient shape shifting Native American who, once again, got the best of Atticus. It has been six months since I read the first book in the series and lots of books have passed through my brain since then. I could have used a little more catching up on what went on in the build-up to the previous big battle. Now, what I wasn't so happy about is that at least four plot threads are left dangling out there at the end of the book. Just flapping in the breeze. I understand that is to help urge me on to reading the third book in the series, Hammered: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Three. It just seemed to me that too much had been left unresolved. The author even said himself in the Acknowledgments that finishing a book in five months was a tad tough (my paraphrase). Evidently time constraints and pressure from other sources caused the hurry-up here and I think too many plot ideas made their way into the book without any means to resolve them. Well, not without adding another 300 pages anyway. So? Will I read book #3? Of course, I already have it. Will I; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles); Author: Visit Amazon's Kevin Hearne Page; Review: I don't usually read one book after another in a series because I don't want to reach saturation point with the novels and never want to pick up another one. Well, that "usually" rule went out the window when I realized that I had pre-ordered the fourth book in this series based entirely on how much I liked the first Hounded: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book One. Oops, I needed to get reading. That's why I found myself reading Hexed (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Two) last week and this one several days later. Good Heavens! Is Kevin Hearne just going to keep getting better and better with these books? Now that I've resolved myself to the fact that Atticus O'Sullivan, the last Druid, is never going to get every one of his ducks truly in a row by the end of each book I'm coming around to being okay with the cliffhanger thing. The plot situations really do get to be too much to handle in a book of approximately 300 pages, but I would actually rather have them broken up into smaller, easier to handle novels like this than to have a 1200 page book staring me in the face. So in this story Atticus is following through on his promise to take his friend Lief (the vampire) to Asgard so he can confront the Norse god Thor (oh he of the thunder and lightening) for deeds Thor did against Lief before he was "turned". Since Atticus is a Druid and one with nature he can move between astral planes and also transport those who are physically touching him and an object in nature, in this case the World Tree. Well, much to the surprise of Atticus, Leif has invited along on this "Kill Thor Road Trip" Gunner (a werewolf friend and alpha of the Tempe pack), a wizard, an alchemist, and another thunder god. It seems each has been waiting, sometimes for a thousand years, for a chance to avenge a wrong done to them by Thor. Atticus makes two trips to Asgard in this story, one to steal a golden apple and the next much more dangerous and complicated trip which has the potential to change all Norse mythology. This series keeps growing and changing and that is something that I absolutely love about it. There is a lot of background information given about Atticus this time and also about Leif when we find out exactly why he wants to kill Thor. There are some characters from past novels who will not be in the series any longer, but there are others who will probably now show up once more when we least expect it. Once again I enjoyed the author's sense of humor. The way he wrote the scene of all the manly men (or at least partially men) standing together touching Atticus and the tree simultaneously was, for me, hoot-out-loud funny. Yes, I could just imagine the looks on their faces. Now I can sit back and relax for one full day waiting for the magic; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tricked (Iron Druid Chronicles); Author: Visit Amazon's Kevin Hearne Page; Review: This fourth book in the series does an abrupt right face and takes Atticus away from the Norse gods I had become used to and plunked him (and me) down in the middle of Native American lore. The plot seemed quite a bit thinner than the previous books to me, with much time taken up in showing by example that Atticus is not immortal. The characters were still well constructed, but the newly introduced characters did not appear to have much permanence to the overall story. Almost as if everyone had to be expendable just to get Atticus from point A to point B. The humor was not quite as sharp and biting because the characters who had normally engaged in those episodes of dialogue with Atticus were absent for one reason or another and nobody was there to take their place. I still enjoyed Oberon and his obsession with sausages of all flavors and his ability to come up with a pun at just the right time was still thoroughly enjoyed. I think overall I would have to say that this book in the series was somewhat of a let down, probably because I had been absolutely entranced with Hammered: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Three. I will just have to wait and see what the next thrill packed adventure has to offer.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Red, White, and Blood: The President's Vampire 3; Author: ; Review: So shall we just all jump up and down and cheer for another successful novel by Christopher Farnsworth in his super series about a vampire in the service of the President of the United States? Because if you aren't cheering yet it's probably because you just haven't gotten hooked on this series. I suppose it might help quite a bit if you first enjoy excellent writing talent, a plot that is definitely out in left field, but wonderfully entertaining and a vampire that seems to draw readers to him instead of repelling them. By some stroke of luck I began reading this series in order with The President's Vampire first, followed by Blood Oath. That meant that I was up to speed on what had happened before this novel opens. I'm very glad to say that Mr Farnsworth provided plenty of back story so this novel makes perfect sense even if you begin reading this series right here. That isn't always the case with books which have action following so closely from one novel to the next. In this book re-election time for the President is getting very close, in fact it's October during much of the book. There is a shadowy group who willingly call upon otherworldly things to try to overthrow the country itself. They've been trying for a very long time. One of the monsters Nathaniel Cade has been battling is called the Boogeyman and not one of the Secret Service agents in the briefing laughs when Cade, the President's vampire, explains how this creature is now a threat to the White House. Cade's human handler, Zach, finds himself involved in campaign strategy and also with the President's daughter. This whole situation has so many elements that positively guarantee that a disaster is close on the horizon. There are many flashbacks in this novel to different dates focusing on different characters or confrontations and information involving the Boogeyman incarnations. Those sometimes got a little confusing for me if I didn't pay close attention to the dates and locations because they weren't presented strictly in chronological order. The chapters which don't concern a flashback have information regarding matters pertinent to the broader scope of the novel. I especially liked the ones dealing with real life serial killers. This is an extremely inventive premise for a novel. So far Farnsworth has pulled it all together nicely, but after seeing how this third story ends I really can't quite imagine what's coming next. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Taken (Joe Pike); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: Once I had finished reading this novel I had two very different reactions to it. First I thought it was a remarkable story of subject matter which was quite difficult to read about. Elvis Cole didn't seem to be quite as charming a character as I had encountered in the past, but he was still quite good. Joe Pike was exactly as I have come to expect him to be so I was satisfied on that point. I haven't read every one of the Robert Crais books to feature these two characters, but I've read enough to really like the way Crais usually sets about telling the stories. I was not familiar with the Jon Stone character and think he might have been new in this novel. He is really quite an interesting personality, a contemporary of Joe Pike's and I can certainly see him being featured in future novels. In this one Elvis is hired to find a daughter who is thought to have eloped with a young man her mother is not fond of. Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth because the young couple have accidentally gotten themselves tangled up in one of the most sordid enterprises I've ever read about. One gang of criminals is bringing people across the Mexico-United States border only to have them kidnapped by other criminals who then hold them for ransom. If nobody can pay, the illegal dies. The word for these people is bajadores - predators who prey on other criminals. Remember this because it was so important that the information was repeated at regular intervals. Almost as if the author forgot he had already explained that so he went ahead and told the reader about it again. Quite often in fact. My second reaction was to view this novel as a literary experiment gone wrong. Very wrong from my point of view. It is really impossible to build tension, suspense, and surprise when you have incidents described in the novel before they are ever introduced. The novel moves between many, many character view points and if you don't keep a sharp look-out for whose perspective you are currently viewing you will be lost. Often a series of actions will take place and two or three chapters later the original situation which precipitated the action will finally be described. There isn't much suspense in reading about the current action when you already read that the bad guys were killed two chapters before. I actually had to read Chapter Three twice to be sure I was really understanding what happened. There were three bad guys in the desert. Pike and Stone killed one and took one hostage, but bad guy three simply vanished without a trace of explanation by the author. At the end of the book it was mentioned that all three were killed at the same time. Really? Wow, I honestly missed that. Twice I missed that. From the perspective of having finished reading the novel I can say that it was really good, but that's because I can now; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pandora's Grave: Shadow Warriors Series; Author: Stephen M. England; Review: When I first held this book in my hands and flipped through it I thought I had spotted a problem before I ever began reading. The scene of action changes very frequently in this novel and presents the point of view of many different characters. Usually several times within a few pages. In the first part of the novel I even had trouble discerning who the lead character should be because so many had to be introduced so quickly. It definitely did not take me long to settle into the mechanics of the novel and to appreciate the devices the author had placed to allow me to keep track of all those involved in these events. In fact those time and place signatures were essential to understanding what was taking place at the moment. Author Stephen England has portrayed possible scenarios for this modern world we live in. The reason his book was so gripping was because it was so incredibly easy to imagine the possibility of someone opening Pandora's grave and attempting to use the horror they found there. It is the type of act we have come to realize could actually happen. It has moved from the realms of science fiction into the world of a real life possibility. At any one time the novel will give you insights into the factions fighting for control in Iran, the inter-agency rivalry and political machinations being played out in America, the isolation of the Jewish state, and the lives and actions of the people who carry out their orders to balance what is right with what must be done. Add into that mix the reelection campaign for the American President with all the behind the scenes jockeying for political favor that event generates and you have one intense political thriller. With so many characters who played such an important part in this story it would have been easy for Mr England to have simply glossed over some development, but I feel that I was given the opportunity to get to know each person in depth. It didn't take long to realize that the story would center around Harry Nichols and I enjoyed watching his handling of different problems based on Harry as an individual. I am not an expert in munitions so I will not be the best person to testify as to the validity and accuracy of the facts presented here regarding guns, explosives, or military vehicles. I simply know that my heart was actually pounding as I read about some of the exploits the various groups had to go through to simply survive. As most will understand when they see the symbol pictured on the book cover, this novel does deal with a bio-hazard. This author presented the possibility of such a weapon being used in an extremely realistic way. Could any of this happen the way it is portrayed here? That I don't know. But I do think there are people in this world today who would not hesitate to try to bring some plan like this into reality.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Prince of Thorns; Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Lawrence Page; Review: I have to admit that I'm still trying to understand my fascination with this novel. Everything you've read about the main character in this book is true. He seems at times to be evil personified and yet I always held out the hope that there was a spark of humanity in Jorg, that the hate had not completely eliminated all his chances at reaching a place of calm, even if not peace. I thought the writing was remarkable since that is what kept me reading. Mark Lawrence had hooked me as thoroughly as Jorg had been hooked on the thorns. I actually didn't want to look away even though this novel was much, much darker than I usually enjoy. A "bad boy" hero is one thing, Prince Jorg was quite another. The band of murderers, robbers, and thieves here has a fascination all their own and the psychology shown by the author punctuated the ties binding this band of very bad brothers. When one of them falls to his death the statement is made that they wouldn't be joking about his death if they hadn't secretly cared about him. The entire novel seems to be one contradiction after another, but please be aware that the dark side always remains on top. At least in this first of the stories Jorg may learn much about his early years as the leader of a cut-throat band but he never regrets any of the terrible things they did. Some readers may find this story too disturbing. The fact that Jorg was only thirteen when the novel began and yet was a seasoned leader of a band of killers was hard for me to accept. You may call this novel dark and gritty, but I would argue that it also shows Jorg to be courageous, determined, and resolute in his purpose. After all, without his hate what purpose would his life have and how long would he have survived? There are several wonderful characters here and I felt disbelief when one was lost. Who knows, maybe somehow there might be a resurrection of his spirit in the second book? Jorg surely could use a clear head to advise him.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bad Luck Cadet & Bad Luck Officer: A True-life Adventure; Author: Visit Amazon's Suzie Ivy Page; Review: I had put Bad Luck Cadet on my Kindle and read it super quickly. First because it is such an engrossing story and second because it is rather short. Then I noticed Bad Luck Officer so I put that one on my Kindle too. Once again, it was a top notch reading experience and yet I couldn't help but wish I could have both combined in a print version. I felt that together they would make an extraordinary story. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that author Suzie Ivy has done just that. I will readily admit that I'm not truly a friend of technology. I like my Kindle, but I absolutely love to read a print book. Now I have both stories in one absolutely lovely volume. Bad Luck Cadet is the story of the decision Suzie Ivy made to attend the police academy in Arizona. She was already in her mid 40's and had the added strike against her of being over weight. But Suzie is one of those people who will positively prove you wrong if you think she can't succeed. She won acceptance to the academy and this story is a true telling of the months leading up to leaving home to attend the academy and her eighteen weeks of survival during her training. Because this author has a gift for making her readers feel they are right there experiencing everything with her I often found myself practically worn out just reading about all the physical and mental training she endured. I also learned to thoroughly dislike one of her trainers, but to like several of the other cadets she was training with. Don't get me wrong, the instructors needed to be thorough and to push the cadets as hard as possible in order to find those who just couldn't quite make it through. Luckily for the law enforcement community in the town she works for in Arizona, Suzie made it through. Bad Luck Officer takes up immediately after Suzie finishes her cadet training. This is the retelling of true events which she experienced during her first several years on the police force. She said in the book that she had to make some slight changes in recounting the cases she worked for legal and moral reasons, but the essence of each case is still firmly intact. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the other officers on the force with their differing personalities and specializations. I also appreciated the way Suzie related how the other members of the force reacted to her as a female officer and how she chose to handle those situations. This is real, live policing with the good and the bad aspects of what goes on behind the scenes. Throw in a little political patronage, dealing with some unsavory people, and Suzie discovering a talent toward certain specific aspects of police work and this is a book that I just didn't want to end. A gifted storyteller relating real life events. Both of these books were great, but by putting them together in one; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: American Riff eBook; Author: Visit Amazon's Jameson Parker Page; Review: One of my little quirks of reading a novel is to try to watch closely enough to figure out what the author meant with the title they gave their book. Often that is extremely easy, as easy as reading a quote or noticing a comment made by one of the characters. This time it was not clear to me at all. The closest I can come is to understand that a riff can mean something being played in the background, perhaps not even consciously noted, yet extremely important to the whole. I haven't discussed my theory with the author, of course, but that's the explanation I'm going with. There certainly are people in the background of this fine thriller who are pulling the strings and making the circumstances happen while keeping themselves out of the limelight. Brian Fletcher has just come back to Washington, D.C. to bury his mother. In all honesty, because of the severity of the illness she had for years it felt as if Brian had lost her many years ago. Now he is in an attorney's office to take possession of something he never knew she had left him. After walking back to his car he realizes he left something in the office of the attorney and goes back to discover chaos and death. Because it's absolutely what a person is supposed to do in that situation Brian calls the police. From then on he is running for his life and he has absolutely no idea why or from whom. I tried to find if this author, Jameson Parker, has written other thriller novels because even as I was reading this one I knew I wanted to find more if I could. There don't seem to be other thrillers, but different types of books are available. I must admit to being most impressed. The sense of tension and menace and confusion are superbly written. Brian as a character comes alive on the page as bit by bit we learn of his background and the skills which allow him to evade the people who want the envelope he has and who are more than willing to kill everyone who gets in their way. One thing I especially enjoyed was how each person Brian met in his effort to evade the killers was a well thought out, realistic character. No wasted, throw-away people to litter up the landscape here. And the people behind all of this mayhem reach into the highest echelons of political power in America. Men who honestly believe that they have the absolute right to cause any situation to occur as long as it is "for the good of the nation". Especially if it is also for the good of their bank accounts and their continued hold on power. I did notice that the author has a tendency to make lists. Often to reiterate all the happenings that have gone on up to that point. These lists of items, places, and circumstances continue throughout the book. They cover many subjects, but are almost always so long that; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Instruments of Darkness: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Imogen Robertson Page; Review: I don't read many historical mysteries set in the Georgian period so this novel was an interesting discovery for me. Especially compelling was having the back story for several characters begin with the English version of the military actions in and around the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1776. But the mysteries involved in this story begin much further back in the history of the Thornleigh family. Old sins do indeed come home to roost. I especially enjoyed the way the three main investigators were portrayed because, unlike so many other period mysteries, two of these people were not bosom friends or colleagues. In fact, it took quite a while for Mrs. Harriet Westerman and her neighbor, Gabriel Crowther, to come to grips with each other's personality so they could begin investigating the murder of a man found in the grounds of Mrs. Westerman's home, Caveley Park. Mrs. Westerman's husband is a Commodore in the British Navy and is currently at sea. She and her younger sister, Miss Rachel Trench, are living at their Caveley estate with the two young Westerman children. I really felt this author did a wonderful job of presenting all the characters in this novel in such a way that they were never totally predictable. The role of Rachel especially impressed me with the strength she exhibited for one still not twenty years old. Mr. Crowther has done everything possible to have the locals consider him a recluse so he can continue his research into natural sciences and the human body in particular. He is dragged kicking and screaming into the world of criminal investigation and does not thank Mrs. Westerman at all for involving him. Of course there are layers and layers of secrets concerning not only the inhabitants of Thornleigh Hall, but almost everyone else in the village. The story also requires the relating of what was happening to a family in London and the turmoil of the unrest in the streets during the Gordon Riots from June 2 through 7, 1780. The sense of danger and impotence for the citizens of London who had to rely on word of mouth news and a government unwilling to step in to quell the riots was used to accentuate the frightening things happening to the Alexander Adams family. I was struck by how isolated the inhabitants of small villages in the Sussex countryside could be. Even a town only several miles distant would have citizens who had never ventured from their own town limits to meet someone in a neighboring village. With our current instant communications and travel opportunities those kinds of facts are fascinating to me and I think this author did a superb job in showing me the small world view of this time period. Yet even in the villages the people were influenced by what was taking place across the ocean in the American colony. The paradox was quite interesting. The general knowledge of who was behind the evil deeds happening in this novel was not very hard to figure out. Although the author did place; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton (Laurence Bartram Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Speller Page; Review: This is a novel of just over 400 pages. Unfortunately it takes the author more than the first two hundred pages just to set the stage with who the characters are, how they relate to each other, what place they inhabit, and how any mystery could have happened in their midst. That's an awful lot of time to engage in set-up. Ultimately I didn't see this novel as much mystery novel as character development. The premise is quite intriguing and I was pleased to see that the novel doesn't depend on unlikely circumstances happening in order for the plot to advance. All that was needed was for an injured military veteran who was an architect before the war to be asked by a woman to establish a memorial to war veterans on her estate. That architect then called in his friend who is an expert himself on church history. Part of the work involved at Easton Deadall will include renovation of the church connected to the estate. Laurence Baltram, himself suffering from the traumas endured during World War I, is more than happy to go into the English countryside to give his expert opinion regarding the restoration of the church. The introduction of the mystery surrounding five year old Kitty Easton felt rather artificial and rushed to me. It happened so quickly in the novel that it seemed to have been squeezed into a circumstance which could have taken longer to develop. Instead we immediately learn the circumstances of how Kitty vanished from her bedroom one night ten years previously while everyone in the house slept in rooms around her. And yet, the main focus of this novel is actually the relationships of the various inhabitants of Easton Deadall to each other from childhood to present day. The disappearance of Kitty is mentioned almost constantly and yet no progress is made to understanding what happened to her until the end of the book. I think the mysteries of this novel are actually how this completely dysfunctional family managed to continue to plod along for so many years without either family members or villagers killing each other off right and left. One of my favorite genres of fiction is the period mystery novel. I somehow managed to miss the first book in this series, The Return of Captain John Emmett, but that did not prove to be any hindrance to my understanding the lead character, Laurence Bartram. This book has evidently moved ahead in time from the first, to around 1924, because of the inclusion of descriptions of a day trip to Wembley to visit the British Empire Exhibition. The research concerning this time period has been very well depicted by this author and I enjoyed the information she included regarding the impact the Great War had on entire villages such as this one where every able bodied man left as a group to fight and almost every one of them died. How this tragedy impacted those left on the estate was described in an excellent manner. I enjoyed the complications the author; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Unseen: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Katherine Webb Page; Review: In an ideal situation a novel written about the incidents taking place in two different time periods will have such a strong connection that the differing perspectives contribute to each other and fill out information from one set of characters to another. I honestly wish I could say that is what I found to have been accomplished here. All along I found myself resentful when the present - in this instance the year 2011 - intruded upon the good story I was reading about circumstances which happened a hundred years before, in 1911. I've thought about it since I closed the book for the final time and I still think it would have been absolutely clear and acceptable for all the information from 2011 to have been left out. The novel would have been approached from a slightly different direction, but still the author had such a good idea and set of characters that the best story, at least for me, did not need any enhancement by bringing it forward into the present time. Leah is called to Belgium by her ex-boyfriend Ryan to give her the opportunity to investigate the identity of a body recovered from a back garden in Zonnebeke, Belgium. Obviously this man was a soldier in the war and the War Graves Commission would like to identify who he is so any relatives can be notified or even just so his official grave can be marked. Ryan uses letters discovered in the clothing of the dead man to entice Leah to re-establish contact with him and to give her a project to rekindle her career as an independent journalist. The main portions of the novel are set in a tiny hamlet in England in the year 1911, where The Rectory becomes home to a new maidservant from London, Cat Morley, a woman with a past. The Reverend Albert Canning and his wife Hester have agreed to take Cat into their household after she has been released from prison. This will become a summer of grave changes in the lives of everyone associated with The Rectory. I did enjoy the sections of the novel dealing with all the changes that happened in the lives of Albert and Hester when their home became a meeting place for two new people, one a servant and one an invited guest who seemed to be determined to remain with them indefinitely. As I've already mentioned I actually came to resent the intrusion of the modern day segments of the novel because they felt completely irrelevant to me and I absolutely never warmed to any of the characters in that portion of the book. Even at the end of the novel, when all was revealed, it seemed to me that the revelations could have just as easily (and definitely more logically) come about within the 1911 story. I liked the character of Hester Canning quite a lot because of the tremendous changes her character underwent during the course of the story. I also, surprisingly, especially liked one of the less important characters, the housekeeper; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A False Mirror (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: I have read many of the Inspector Ian Rutledge novels, but have not necessarily tried to read them in order. This one was first published in 2007, and the series has gotten considerably better since this book came out. Rutledge is ordered by Chief Superintendent Bowles to leave a case he is working on in London to go immediately to the small town of Hampton Regis on the south coast. A telephone message has come in to Scotland Yard that a situation has developed there with hostages taken and the man will only speak to Rutledge. What he finds when he arrives is that the trouble is just beginning for everyone in this small town. This series of stories set in England just after the end of World War I has been a favorite of mine since I fist discovered them. Sadly this particular book did not live up to the standards set in other Rutledge novels. For one thing, the hostage situation was completely unbelievable. After all, who was the one in charge of that situation? Why did Rutledge allow Stephen Mallory, the man holding two women hostage, to dictate what would and would not happen in the unfolding situation? And that went on for days. It really was a circumstance which did not even come close to feeling believable. There are all the usual characters from a small village represented in the novel including policemen, nosy women, village gossips, the local doctor and his wife, the local clergyman, people who had moved down from London, many characters with secrets and "a past", and local fishermen, but I never seemed to feel much empathy or even compassion for any of them. One particularly noticeable phrase was used four times in the novel ("like all the imps of hell") and that simply doesn't usually happen in a Charles Todd novel. It was very disconcerting to see it so many times because it seemed to go along with all the other things which just kept repeating over and over, as if the authors had simply run out of ideas and had to recycle what had worked pretty well so far in the book. This novel will not be counted as one of my favorite Inspector Rutledge stories in the series, but I am glad that I read it. It had a slightly different feeling to it, almost the same as previous books yet not quite. By having Mallory be one of the soldiers who was in France and under Rutledge's command we were able to find out some new bits of information regarding what Rutledge and Hamish MacLeod went through during the fighting. Rutledge is still fighting to gain control over his shell shock suffered in the war, and the voice of Hamish is very active within his mind in the book. If you are new to the series, I would suggest starting with a more recent book, perhaps The Red Door: An Inspector Rutledge Mystery (Ian Rutledge Mysteries) or A Lonely Death. Both are excellent stories and will give you a very; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Harper's Quine: A Medieval Murder Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Pat McIntosh Page; Review: I am so happy that I stumbled across this author and her series of medieval mystery novels. I'm always looking for new authors and especially authors who write period mysteries. This series, if I can go by how good this first book was, will definitely become a must-read for me. The setting is Glasgow, Scotland, 1492, and the main character is a twenty-six year old man who has a degree in law, but is moving toward becoming a priest. Gilbert Cunningham finds the body of a woman on the grounds of St. Mungo's Cathedral and is allowed to take on the investigation of who killed her. The process of doing so brings about changes in his future. Thankfully this author had spent quality time in planning this story and obviously gave a lot of thought to the characters and locations because they came vividly alive for me as I was reading. Since the information in the book states that Ms McIntosh lives and went to school in the environs covered by this book there is a realism to all the situations and places which guarantees authenticity. I also was very glad to find that this novel was written in the style which allowed the search for clues to be fully discussed among at least four of the main characters. This allowed me to know exactly where they were in the process of the investigation. I discovered the evidence at the same time the investigators did so I felt completely involved in the story. There are many words used in this novel which are not used in modern English language, or perhaps I should say they are not commonly found in my part of the United States. I had to resort to an on-line dictionary for some definitions which I couldn't work out just by their usage within the sentence. Sometimes I felt the meaning wasn't important enough to bother looking it up. One example of a word I did look up is the word quine in the title, but I'll let you investigate that on your own if you need to. I needed to! There seems to be some discrepancy in whether there are nine or ten novels in this series. I definitely found nine titles. I'm glad I started with the first in the series, but from here on out I may have to read whichever novel I can find. They are not necessarily easy to find. #1 Harper's Quine: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery #2 Nicholas Feast: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery #3 Merchant's Mark #4 St Mungo's Robin (Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery 4) #5 Rough Collier #6 Stolen Voice: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery #7 Pig of Cold Poison: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery (Gil Cunningham Murder Mysteries) #8 Counterfeit Madam: A Gil Cunningham Mystery set in Medieval Scotland (Gil Cunningham Murder Mysteries) #9 The Fourth Crow This series comes very highly recommended by me. I enjoyed the way the plot was constructed, the characters are very realistic and engaging, and the atmosphere of medieval Glasgow was a joy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Off the Grid (A Monkeewrench Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's P. J. Tracy Page; Review: I must say, I really did enjoy this latest novel in the Monkeewrench series. I had been unaware of this mother/daughter writing team and the novels they have written, but I will certainly go back now to catch up with what has happened previously in the series. I'm really glad to be able to say that it was not necessary for me to have read any previous books in the series because the authors did such a great job of filling in just enough detail so that I felt comfortable with the characters personalities. And if you have read any of the preceding entries you will know that there are indeed a wide variety of personalities. Minneapolis Homicide Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth don't get to properly finish one crime scene before they are called to another. Between what those two are dealing with in their own city and the calls they begin to receive from other cities it looks like there is something really serious of a national emergency type going on. Then they discover that a retired FBI agent seems to be at the center of what could turn into a huge terrorist event all over America. I can tell from this story that there is a lot of history between Leo Magozzi and Grace MacBride of Monkeewrench Software. I'll have to fill in the gaps in my knowledge about that by reading previous books in the series. The authors don't focus too much on that aspect of the story here because the overall plot concerns a much larger problem. The characters in the novel are all very well defined and by the end of the story I felt I knew and accepted the motivations for all of them. Descriptions of the locations for the action taking place were very realistic, from the part of the city known as Little Mogadishu because of all the Somali immigrants to the hunting lodge on the Ojibwe Reservation. The plot felt as if it had been well thought out and planned so the sequence of events made logical sense. I never had a moment when I thought (or said out loud) No, that couldn't happen like that! This was a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience and I'm very glad to add P. J. Tracy to my list of authors to watch out for.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Rachel Joyce Page; Review: While I was reading this warm and wonderful novel I had an atlas of England close at hand and kept track of the progress Harold Fry was making on his walking journey. It added another element of enjoyment to this simply fascinating story. Every once in a while my husband would come and ask me to show him how far Harold had walked. It gave us both a connection to the story and a means of discussing it. At first you have to take the story at face value and just accept that Harold, or anybody, could make a momentous decision such as walking from one coast of England to the opposite coast almost into Scotland. If you question the advisability of that decision so early on, you will probably never settle into the possibilities of Harold being successful at what he did. A whim, a spur of the moment decision, completely unplanned and never before tried by Harold are just some of the descriptions for his unlikely idea. Yet Harold knew the secret he held in his heart which made him desperate to see his former co-worker Queenie Hennessy before she died. Along the way Harold's journey touched the lives of everyone he came in contact with. Ultimately it touched the lives of people he would never even know. This journey didn't just impact Harold and Queenie, it also concerned Maureen, Harold's wife, who was left behind without even an explanation. What causes a marriage to come apart and will the walk change the lives of those involved in that marriage? This is a poignant and moving story. It will definitely make you rethink grudges and petty differences you are holding on to. I loved the descriptions of the English countryside with the trees and flowers and wildlife Harold came to know. I was awed by the descriptions of the quiet and the noise and the solitude and the congestion Harold found. I actually found myself concerned about the blisters on Harolds feet. But mostly I was encouraged by how people reacted to Harold on his heartrending, impossible, beautiful pilgrimage. What a marvelous reading experience this was.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Rhetoric of Death (A Charles du Luc Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Judith Rock Page; Review: What a true pleasure it was to read this fantastic novel. Set in Paris in 1686, the times and characters simply came alive for me. I often find that an author of an historical mystery will become so focused on one specific aspect of their story that they exclude others. This novel didn't do that. Yes, there are descriptions of weather conditions, but only so they point out why there was an impact on the action taking place with the character. Yes, there was mention of the refuse in the streets, but only as an explanation for why the footing was slippery or why a horse was in distress or to show living conditions for some of the characters. These things were a part of the novel, they didn't hold so much prominence that they took over the novel. I think it is important to say that one of the reasons I enjoyed this novel so much is that I am involved in a behind-the-scenes way with a theatre. The historical comparisons between how dramatic presentations were mounted in 1686 and today certainly were of special interest to me and added greatly to my enjoyment of this novel. There is quite a lot of attention paid to all aspects of performing so that would be some information you might want to consider before choosing this novel. This is the first historical novel I've read concerning the French religious organizations so it was informative to see how Maitre Charles du Luc, a member of the Society of Jesus, took up his position as a teacher of rhetoric, ballet, and drama at the College of Louis le Grande. There are quite a few characters in the novel and it took me a little while to get them straightened out in my mind, but after that I was completely enthralled with the preparations for the annual grand theatrical event while Maitre du Luc was getting himself into trouble by investigating a murder on the college grounds. Charles has years of teaching to go through before he will become a priest but a crisis from his past and his inability to follow orders make him question which direction his future will take. A fine definition of characters, vivid descriptions of the political landscape during this portion of the reign of King Louis XIV, revealing research into the tense feelings between Catholics and Huguenots, and an almost unreal setting of finding the past and the future present and perfectly plausible in this changing world all combined to make this a most stimulating novel to read. The writing was superb and I eagerly look forward to reading the next book in the series.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Tale of Hill Top Farm: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter; Author: Visit Amazon's Susan Wittig Albert Page; Review: The blurb on the back cover of this novel has this information, "But when a villager dies unexpectedly, with allegations of foul play, Sawrey turns out to be anything but quiet....." I read this and expected to get a novel where Beatrix Potter would play a Miss Marple type character in a cozy English village setting with murders left and right. That book description sentence was constructed in such a way as to allow me to get the wrong impression. Thankfully the novel was a very good reading experience for me, but not until I had completely readjusted my expectations and accepted what was actually written. This is a very charming, warm, sensitive story of Beatrix Potter arriving in Sawrey village in the Lake District and her efforts to finalize the purchase of Hill Top Farm. There are many decisions which need to be made about the farm, especially since there is a farmer and his family in residence there and provisions must be thought out for how to handle the problem of everyone fitting into a too-small accommodation. There is not just one mystery in this story, there are many and Miss Potter is not the only person responsible for solving them. Instead of thinking about this novel as a murder mystery, think about it more as a very small community of people who are so closely connected in their lives by proximity to each other that they cannot help but all get involved in each other's business. I found this book very relaxing and soothing once I stopped expecting to be reading a conventional murder mystery. There are animals in the story which talk - but only to other animals, they cannot be heard by the humans. In actuality, the animals play a large part in helping relate information to the reader about any situation in progress because the animals tell each other what they have just seen or heard. In order to appreciate this style of storytelling a reader has to completely trust the author to make them feel comfortable and accepting of all the elements of the storytelling. Perhaps a reader of this series should be someone who so enjoys the stories of Beatrix Potter that they have no problems allowing mice, rabbits, hedgehogs, and cats and dogs to be vital characters in the book. I enjoyed it immensely because it was so different and it takes the English cozy style of novel to a level I had never experienced. It's almost a shame to classify it as a mystery, because of the expectation that category engenders with readers. Instead, read it for the lovely descriptions of the location, the perceptive insights into life in a tiny community, and the facts regarding the life of Beatrix Potter.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: After the Armistice Ball; Author: Visit Amazon's Catriona McPherson Page; Review: This series came to my notice through a recommendation by Amazon so I started reading with Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains which turned out to be book number five in the series. I've been tracking down the novels and can now start with the beginning, this first book in the series. From reading the fifth book I had a good idea of what type of period mystery story I would be getting, but now I have been able to establish a more complete knowledge of how Mrs. Dandy Gilver began her sleuthing adventures. The story takes place in the spring of 1922, with Dandy feeling bored now that life in Scotland has truly gotten back to normal after The Great War. Even those in the upper classes are feeling the economic pinch and Dandy is hired, for an actual monetary fee!, by her friend Daisy to help settle the question of the Duffy diamonds which are alleged to have been stolen during the weekend celebration of The Armistice after a ball given by Daisy and Silas Esslemont. Once Dandy begins the seemingly simple task of pinning Eleanor Duffy down to specifics about the theft she sees this is going to be quite an easy misunderstanding to untangle. Until everything begins to go horribly wrong. The atmosphere of the upper classes in Scotland at this time came as a welcome relief from always reading mysteries set in England. The heroine of this series is truly a delightful character because the author gave her such human and realistic qualities to make her lifelike and someone you would actually want to know. It is so very refreshing to find a heroine who doesn't know what she is doing when she is detecting and finds no problem in admitting her shortcomings. Naturally she admits these things only to herself, but nevertheless it is quite fun to read. And yet this is no stumbling, bumbling, comedic detective. Instead her character is one who learns on the job, but always with the very best intentions. It was also interesting to become acquainted with Dandy's husband Hugh. Well, since he is almost always in the background I actually only got a vague outline of Hugh but that outline was quite revealing because of how the author had written his presence. All of the characters are so well incorporated that you will think of them as people as they add to the colorful assortment of individuals who contribute to the plot. Another aspect I enjoyed was that the mystery was complicated enough to give my brain quite a good workout. I would think I had the solution and then find that I might not be right after all. In the end there are several questions which the author allows the reader to provide their own answers for. If you are interested in reading this series, which I do highly recommend to lovers of period mysteries, here is the list of books in order. 1. After the Armistice Ball (Dandy Gilver Murder Mystery 1) 2. The Burry Man's; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Whispers Under Ground (Rivers of London); Author: Visit Amazon's Ben Aaronovitch Page; Review: Happily for me this third novel in the series got back to the same style of novel I enjoyed so much in the first book. Honestly though, this is the type of series and Ben Aaronovitch is the type of writer to make it almost imperative to read the first novel, Rivers of London, before you embark on subsequent books. All the essential foundation is put in place in that first novel to explain the basic premise of the entire series and this third book simply takes up where the second left off. If you haven't already been introduced to what is going on, you will surely be confused and never completely catch up. Also, it is good for shoppers to know that the first novel is also sold under the title Midnight Riot. This novel concentrates once again on the fact that Peter Grant is a Detective Constable with the London Metropolitan Police and yet is also a wizard in training in a division which investigates magical happenings. Or just call them "unusual". Nightingale is back on the scene along with Lesley May who has recovered enough from her horrific injuries in a previous story to start taking up her policing career again. These three characters have such a wonderfully written relationship that the novels just must have them together for the atmosphere to be right. An American art student is found dead in one of the Underground Stations. The questions are, how did he get there and why does the very unusual murder weapon have vestigia imprinted on it? Imprints of the past can linger and be detected by persons with magical sensitivity. Peter gets some very unusual images from this weapon. Once again the attention to atmosphere and physical locations in this novel made me feel as if I was right there. Not necessarily that I would ever want to explore the sewer systems and tunnels of the London Underground, but the author certainly made it all seem very realistic, claustrophobic, and smelly. Aaronovitch writes with such enjoyable wit and irony and those are back in full force this time. He also makes me believe that this world he has created is not only possible, but true. I find that to be the mark of a really great wordsmith when I accept his impossible to such an extent that I find myself believing in it for the time I'm reading the novel. I'm glad to see the series getting back to the focus of official policedom solving crimes of an unusual nature. For me that is the strength of the series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Whispers Under Ground (Rivers of London Book 3) eBook; Author: Visit Amazon's Ben Aaronovitch Page; Review: Happily for me this third novel in the series got back to the same style of novel I enjoyed so much in the first book. Honestly though, this is the type of series and Ben Aaronovitch is the type of writer to make it almost imperative to read the first novel, Rivers of London, before you embark on subsequent books. All the essential foundation is put in place in that first novel to explain the basic premise of the entire series and this third book simply takes up where the second left off. If you haven't already been introduced to what is going on, you will surely be confused and never completely catch up. Also, it is good for shoppers to know that the first novel is also sold under the title Midnight Riot. This novel concentrates once again on the fact that Peter Grant is a Detective Constable with the London Metropolitan Police and yet is also a wizard in training in a division which investigates magical happenings. Or just call them "unusual". Nightingale is back on the scene along with Lesley May who has recovered enough from her horrific injuries in a previous story to start taking up her policing career again. These three characters have such a wonderfully written relationship that the novels just must have them together for the atmosphere to be right. An American art student is found dead in one of the Underground Stations. The questions are, how did he get there and why does the very unusual murder weapon have vestigia imprinted on it? Imprints of the past can linger and be detected by persons with magical sensitivity. Peter gets some very unusual images from this weapon. Once again the attention to atmosphere and physical locations in this novel made me feel as if I was right there. Not necessarily that I would ever want to explore the sewer systems and tunnels of the London Underground, but the author certainly made it all seem very realistic, claustrophobic, and smelly. Aaronovitch writes with such enjoyable wit and irony and those are back in full force this time. He also makes me believe that this world he has created is not only possible, but true. I find that to be the mark of a really great wordsmith when I accept his impossible to such an extent that I find myself believing in it for the time I'm reading the novel. I'm glad to see the series getting back to the focus of official policedom solving crimes of an unusual nature. For me that is the strength of the series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Oxford Bookworms Library: Level 4: A Morbid Taste for Bones1400 Headwords; Author: Visit Amazon's Ellis Peters Page; Review: I watched the television series featuring Brother Cadfael back in the early 1990's and then bought the tape sets and watched them over and over. Because I had Derek Jacobi pictured so firmly in my mind as Brother Cadfael it seemed to me that I would judge the books by his performance. Well, while Jacobi was excellent in the series I never should have waited to read the novels. Nothing I saw on film came even close to the wonderful experience of reading the words set down by Ellis Peters. This was a true pleasure to read. I like this written Brother Cadfael even better because all the subtle nuances of character which are fully explored in the novel can only be hinted at in the films. This character was created to show his reverence to the calling he had chosen and yet retained all the experiences of his former life. The pomposity of Prior Robert comes across startlingly clear as he makes a choice to remove the bones of a relatively unknown Welsh saint from her current burial site to the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Shrewsbury. The life of the cloister is explored from the viewpoint of the humanity of the men involved there and the Welsh national and human traits are presented in kindly consideration. There is mystery here because there is a murder, but what was so engaging to read were all the maneuverings Brother Cadfael carried on behind the scenes to solve the crime and have an outcome which could, as the book states, make as many people happy as possible. Wonderfully written and an absorbing puzzle. Now it is imperative that I read them all.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: This Honest Man (Sam Dane Thriller); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert J. Sullivan Page; Review: Once again Private Investigator Sam Dane has accepted a case that takes him from one dangerous situation to another, this time in search of the killer of someone thought to be a thoroughly honest man. Isla Beauchesne tells Sam that the police have classified her husbands death as the unfortunate result of a mugging. Isla doesn't think the case will ever be solved because the police don't assign any importance to it. She wants to know what really happened. The more Sam investigates the more he uncovers evidence that Paul Beauchesne truly was an honorable, honest man. So why is he dead now? And what was it that was missing from his personal effects after the killing? I read the first book in this series (In The Blood) and was intrigued by the idea of an alien world coupled with an old fashioned gumshoe. Sam exhibits all the traits of a hard drinking, cigarette smoking, gun packing private eye except that he does his work on planets other than the planet we are most familiar with. The plot of this novel is really good. It's just complicated enough to be able to bring in many characters so the spotlight doesn't always have to be shining on Sam. The downfall is that it simply isn't alien enough. For long stretches of reading it is completely possible to forget that there is supposed to be anything other than earthlings filling out these pages. The physical locations of where all this action takes place was so muddied for me that I honestly didn't know if Sullivan was talking about multiple planets or towns on planets or just one planet. The world is so much like our own world that it doesn't have the feel of being someplace different. The alien creatures play so small a part that they are not factors. This is a self published novel and the author has done a much better job of presenting a well finished print edition. This is a great improvement over the first novel. A personal objection I had was to so much emphasis being placed on Sam and almost every other major character smoking cigarettes. I don't object to characters smoking, but at least half of the smoking/cigarette situations could have been left out if the author had only been more imaginative about how to fill in with things for his characters to do with their hands or better devices to help the characters move through conversational lapses or action episodes. The cigarettes were a crutch device used much too often to provide a simple form of writing when what was needed was strong prose within the story. It is only my personal opinion, but I honestly think this author needs to either build a plausible, complete, fully articulated alien world or abandon that portion in favor of a really good Sam Dane detective character. Sam I like, the alien part I'm not even lukewarm on any longer. When I read the names Sullivan had given to the two moons over this planet I was absolutely; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Talking to the Dead: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Harry Bingham Page; Review: Prepare to explore an extremely complex heroine in this psychological thriller where the psychology is all focused on the main character, Fiona Griffiths, a Detective Constable on the Cardiff, Wales police force. Fiona has been assigned to investigate an embezzlement case involving a former policeman gone bad after his retirement from the force. She is really good at all the time consuming data gathering which will lead to a prosecution. Very early on in the novel Fiona begins to display the problems she has with strict adherence to rules by investigating an aspect of a major crime to which she has not been assigned a major role. The convoluted connections between one case and another make for some very interesting reading. The novel is written in first person which is not my favorite style of fiction, but in this case Fiona's mental condition was essentially of more importance than the crimes so I understand the decision of the author to use that device. Throughout the novel Fiona displays some intensely unusual symptoms and the reason for this is not revealed until the end of the novel. If you aren't intrigued enough to want to understand why this character makes such seemingly poor decisions so often, you might have difficulty in wanting to finish the book. The crimes involved are far reaching and would have been interesting enough by themselves, but, as I have said already, Fiona and how her condition compels her to act is the main focus. I was glad to find detective fiction set in Wales instead of the more often used England or Scotland and there was some attempt made to explain both the physical environment and nationalistic pride. Since the promotional material accompanying this novel states that there will be at least one more novel featuring these characters I would hope that some of the attention will then be on broader issues, not so strikingly on Fiona's psychological health. There were also times when I lost patience with the portrayal of one of the least experienced officers in the department being the one who took the extreme chances and came up smelling like a rose each time. Fiona's boss must have gotten very tired of asking her to promise never, ever to go off investigating on her own again. He certainly had enough opportunities to practice that speech. I did enjoy the novel. It is quite different and the revelation of what Fiona suffers from finally explained her motivations and actions. I would have liked to have seen that revealed earlier on because I think it would have made her a much more sympathetic character.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Dead of Winter: A John Madden Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Rennie Airth Page; Review: I find myself really sad to have finally read this novel. Certainly not because I didn't enjoy it, but because I know there are no other books left in the series. I wanted to wait to finish up the trilogy until I was reasonably sure there would not be another book forthcoming. Unfortunately there are only three. The first, River of Darkness: A John Madden Mystery (John Madden Mysteries), was set in 1921 and featured John Madden while he was an active member of the police force. The second, The Blood-Dimmed Tide: A John Madden Mystery (Penguin Mysteries), took place in 1932, when Madden had retired from the force, but was called in to help solve a case with Scotland Yard. This third novel is set in 1944, and Madden has been retired from the force for twenty years now although he has kept in touch with friends who have remained on the force. The murder of a young Polish refugee turned Land Girl who is working on Madden's farm is the catalyst for involving him in a bizarre case begun years previously as Paris was about to be occupied by German forces. It turns out this killer has left a trail of bodies in his wake in circumstances usually not encountered by these police officers. Because the three book series covers so many years the author has had the opportunity to show the reader how careers and personal lives of all the characters have advanced. They become friends for the reader in the first book and each succeeding novel gave me insight into what had been going on in their lives over the years. These books are very definitely police procedurals and because of that are not action based. If you don't enjoy watching the methodical daily work involved in police investigations, you might find this novel too slow moving for you. Personally I do enjoy that because it seems to me to be a much more realistic picture for how crimes would actually be solved. Also having the stories take place in the time periods between 1921 and 1944, I was delighted to experience England over a long period of suffering through two horrible war situations. All of this was very much to my liking and I found the information quite fascinating. I highly recommend this series if you are a reader who enjoys the police procedural taking place in an historical setting. In order to fully appreciate the depth of character constructed by the author I think it is best to read the novels in order. While each can be read as a stand-alone, they grow so sequentially one upon the other I think you would miss the total experience by not enjoying them in chronological order. Try the first one and make your decision from there. Hopefully you will love the atmosphere and writing talents of this author as much as I have.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Last Dragonslayer: The Chronicles of Kazam, Book 1; Author: Visit Amazon's Jasper Fforde Page; Review: Jennifer Strange had no idea she was to become the last dragonslayer. In fact, she didn't want that to happen at all and she made enemies of all sorts, both royal and common, because she vowed not to kill the last dragon just because of a prophecy. Sometimes the future has a way of working out along lines you never imagined and all you can do is the best you can. I had high hopes for this novel. If it had begun after about page 100, those hopes would have been fulfilled. As it was I found myself having to insist that I pick the book up again to resume reading. The first hundred or so pages stumbled and plodded around without seeming to me to have any direction. I couldn't tell where the story was going and, in fact, it seemed to be going nowhere. Once the plot began to focus completely on dragons and the dragonslayer it became interesting and I liked that portion. I must say I'm confused by the target audience for this novel. The novel description says it is for readers ages nine and up. I think most children around nine, ten, or eleven will not last long enough in the beginning of the novel to ever finish it. Perhaps teens might be more interested in this pseudo English world? The portions which adult readers understand, for example the workings of the media and businesses, will not be of much interest to young adults at all. And the quirky portions surely aimed at youngsters were completely ho-hum for me as an adult. When I saw this latest novel by Jasper Fforde available I was excited to read it. I have read some of his other fiction and the fact that this novel was aimed more at younger readers was not off-putting for me at all because I enjoy young adult fiction. Sadly this novel wasn't a favorite for me. If you are interested in the series though, you might want to know that the second book in this trilogy, The Song of the Quarkbeast: A Last Dragonslayer Novel, is already available for purchase. At least you won't have long to wait until you can read that one. This will be quite enough of this series for me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Nicholas Feast (Gil Cunningham Murder Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Pat McIntosh Page; Review: The reason I came down one star on this second book in the Gil Cunningham series is simply because there were so many characters to try to keep track of. This murder takes place within the confines of the University of Glasgow. There are 33 characters in the list provided by the author and those names do not include anyone outside the University or within the families and servants Gil is dealing with. One of the students has been murdered. Hugh, Lord Montgomery has decided to claim the dead boy as one of his kin and has given the University until the young man is buried to find the killer or he will begin torturing anyone associated with the University he can get his hands on until someone confesses. This story takes place only a very short while after the conclusion of the first book, Harper's Quine: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery, so if you have read that book you will find yourself right back in the same location with the same people to deal with. In the first novel I enjoyed the way the author had Gil confer with Alys and her father over the entire mystery so we all solved it together. That is how this novel is constructed also, but everything is done at breakneck speed because of the deadline on finding the murderer or Montgomery will force someone, anyone, to confess and then dispatch them. I found myself hopelessly twisted up over who was with whom doing what at what time so that I honestly ceased to care. I figured I could catch most of the obvious clues without trying to keep track of everyone and that proved to be true. The atmosphere of scholastic life in medieval Glasgow was extremely interesting for me. This author does have a tendency to include sentences in French and what I call old Scots without necessarily giving a translation. Often I can figure out the meaning on my own, often I could not. This series of novels does give my brain a pretty good workout. Not only in solving the mystery, but in looking up words which I don't understand and trying to decipher foreign (to me) phrases and sentences. If you don't want to work quite that hard when reading, you might not find these books to be entertaining. Personally, except for the over-abundance of characters, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: SEAL Team 666: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Weston Ochse Page; Review: I put off reading this book for a few weeks because I didn't want to begin reading and find that the author had allowed silliness to creep in. Thankfully he kept the novel completely serious all the way through which kept the project on enough of a might-really-be-possible level to sustain my interest. I think the fact that Weston Ochse is retired from the military lends his jargon so much credence that it made the entire novel more enjoyable. I enjoy reading mixed genre novels, especially those which involve the military and government departments as do the novels of Christopher Farnsworth with his Cade, vampire protector of the President stories. This novel takes a highly regarded military unit, the Navy SEALs, and has one team of them fighting all things demonic, evil, and paranormal. Evidently the main character,Jack Walker, has some supernatural ability which has been unearthed by the leaders of SEAL Team 666, but which hasn't quite been made clear to me in this first novel. Otherwise I can't totally understand why he was specifically removed from his SEAL training before completing the entire course in order to join this hyper-elite group. Jack is impulsive and seems to have trouble following direct orders yet he is allowed to stay on the team. Perhaps other novels will better explain why this specific man is vital for the group. The plot is stretched a little thin in spots, but the team missions are extremely imaginative and original which made them interesting and attention grabbing for me. I do hope the author will settle on a more or less fixed group of team members though. I'm a little wary now of getting to like anybody except Jack because they may not be around long. I'm looking forward to a second book because I think there is an awful lot of material for the author to work with and a lot of directions in which he can go. If you like slightly off-beat novels with a heavy leaning toward military adventures, you certainly might want to give this novel a try. I like the slightly quirky aspect, but not descending into silly. This one suited me just fine.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Amagansett; Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Mills Page; Review: The descriptive qualities of this novel were amazing for me. I don't live anywhere near an ocean and yet this author was able to illustrate the constantly changing nature of the waters off Long Island, New York to such an extent that I almost felt as if I could smell, taste, and hear the ocean. There was a depth of knowledge regarding fishing off those shores which made me believe in the characters wrestling a living from fishing the waters. Since this was the first novel I've read by Mark Mills I had no idea what to expect. That it was a thriller was plain from the book description, but the many layers of character development was something which isn't necessarily well done by many writers so exploring not just Conrad Labarde, the fisherman, but also Tom Hollis, the policeman, was a true delight. It was also very entertaining to have portions of each character's back story revealed little by little throughout the novel. There was always something new coming around each corner so I didn't experience any middle-of-the-book drag which can sometimes happen. There are a multitude of contrasts presented in this novel and they add to the build-up of tension by impacting how the investigation into the death of Lillian Wallace was allowed to move forward, or not. There is also the feeling of a world trying to get back to normal in 1947, after so many years of war. Years in which even Labarde, the son of Basque immigrants who settled in that obscure spot in America, had his life change completely by what happened in Europe. I found this to be a fascinating reading experience. I enjoyed watching the author unfold a double mystery and acquainting me with some of the mysteries of the ocean and those who make their living taking the risk of fishing in it. The ending was a little bit of a disappointment when the capture of the criminal took place, a little too contrived for me, but other than that it was a wonderfully moving experience to read this high quality novel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Long Shadow: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: This novel is a perfect example for why the Amazon rating system needs to be more complex. Four stars just doesn't quite get it for me with this novel and five is just a tad too much with the slight problem I found. So count this eighth book in the series as 4.5 from me. I've been reading these novels for a long time. Luckily I read the first, A Test of Wills: The First Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries), as my introduction to Scotland Yard's Inspector Ian Rutledge so I am comfortable with the aftermath of combat stress suffered by Rutledge. I also understand what the authors are trying to do with the character of Hamish MacLeod, even though his character will require readers new to the series to trust long time fans. He is a decidedly unusual character, but it really does work. This novel is also where Mrs. Meredith Channing is brought into the series. I simply revel in the atmosphere created by these talented authors. The tiny English hamlets usually feature much more prominently than large cities in these novels and this book is no exception. Dudlington is not isolated from other communities so much by distance as by the desire of the residents. All appears to be so normal on the surface level and yet there are secrets every which way Inspector Rutledge turns. Who fired the arrow which has wounded the local constable and why does he seem to be withholding information which could be helpful in solving his wounding? Does it reach all the way back to London? Does it involve high-up officials at Scotland Yard? The descriptions of physical locations presents a dark, brooding background against which one mystery after another is played out in this tiny, insular community. What I did not enjoy quite so much was the resolution of one of the mysteries. I don't quite understand the actual logistics of the stalker who dogged every step Rutledge made and I didn't think enough information was given to help me understand how all of that could have taken place. Otherwise, I think this was a wonderful addition to the series and I'm looking forward to reading the remainder of the books. I found it quite interesting to see a reference in this novel to the sinking of the ship Brittanic where so many British nurses died while accompanying injured service men from France to England. The second series written by these authors, the Bess Crawford books, begins with that incident in A Duty to the Dead: A Bess Crawford Mystery. If you enjoy period mystery novels set in this World War I time period, that is another series you will probably enjoy.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Walnut Tree: A Holiday Tale; Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: As a fast and true fan of the Charles Todd novels I didn't quite know what to expect with this novel. This book is lovely, it is interesting, and it is as well written as any Charles Todd I've ever read. I have to admit to being rather surprised to find that it is strictly a romance. Lady Elspeth Douglas accepted a ring as a token of love and friendship on the part of Frenchman Alain Villard the evening before he left Paris to join his regiment. Lady Elspeth is not sure of her own feelings for Alain, but finds that she has agreed to allow him to approach her guardian regarding marriage when he returns from what they all believe will be a short time of combat against the Germans. Eventually Lady Elspeth is free of her obligation to Alain's sister and is ready to return to England. On her way to the coast from Paris she sees wounded soldiers awaiting transport back to England and tries to help in even the smallest way. She is spotted by an old friend now serving with his Scottish regiment, Captain Peter Gilchrist, who tries to make sure she gets to Calais to board a ship back to England. Unfortunately, Peter must remain with his men who are engaged in a desperate fight to hold their position. In the ensuing chaos Peter and Elspeth become separated. Perhaps if I were not so familiar with the Inspector Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford series by these same authors I could have simply accepted this novel as a romantic diversion and thought no more about it. But since the other two series always involve mysteries to be solved I expected this novel to do the same. Especially since Bess Crawford makes some lightening quick appearances. That was not the case though, so what was left was a wartime romance where a young woman who has grown up under impressive privileged circumstances takes on a career in nursing which was considered much beneath her social position. Elspeth Douglas is a very independent young woman and I really liked her character. There were numerous instances of comparing the situation she found herself in at the moment with what she was accustomed to and I liked the way Elspeth learned from new experiences and grew as a person. She had the potential to be a really awful snob, but in order to "do her part" for the war effort she learned quickly and well how to be simply a young woman from a good family to all she met. No mention by her of the fact that her guardian was an Earl who would certainly not allow her to ruin her chances at an important marriage simply to be of help during a war. As a love story the plot does work, with conflict about how Elspeth really feels about both Alain and Peter and how she can help each of them as they recover from the ravages of combat. The imagery of the walnut tree is moving and meaningful.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Burning Man (A Gideon and Sirius Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Russell Page; Review: Mystery, suspense, thriller, police procedural are all names you can use to describe novels showing how one set of people go about tracking down another set of people who have broken the law, specifically in this case murderers. If you add in the fact that this particular novel included a trained police dog it just about had everything I could ask for. Now all I needed was to find that this new author for me, Alan Russell, could write. Well, I'm here to say that I think he can write pretty darn well. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. The main characters in the novel are Michael Gideon, Sirius the dog, a serial killer, and the city of Los Angeles. The set-up for the story takes place in the prologue when Michael utilizes his police dog partner Sirius to track down and arrest a serial killer, initially dubbed The Santa Anna killer because his murders all took place during the Santa Anna wind weather episodes. During this capture all three are trapped in a wildfire and suffer life changing physical damage. After a long recovery time Michael manages to convince everyone in the police department that he is well both physically and emotionally and is given the opportunity to lead a new investigative unit dubbed the Special Cases Unit. Sirius will be allowed to serve also since he no longer qualifies for the K-9 Unit because of his injuries in the fire. All things L.A. weird will be assigned to Gideon and Sirius, those cases which might otherwise fall through the cracks or even something as strange as a crucifixion. The character of Michael Gideon is definitely a complete, fully developed character. He is strong enough to bring himself through the physical pain he suffered by being burned and scarred for life in the fire. He is also devious and determined enough to be adept at hiding his post traumatic stress from all the doctors and officials because he wants so desperately to continue his career. Michael manages to hide from almost everyone the fact that he is having recurring dreams that he is in the fire and is still burning. His character is sarcastic at times, witty, funny, and sometimes just plain hokey. He uses his humor to get him out of situations where people are getting too close to his true feelings and that was good, but it did begin to be a little bit of an irritant for me when it went on throughout the entire novel. I understand that the presence of a romantic interest for Michael was important to the healing of his psychological wounds, but I did find that those portions of the novel were not quite as interesting for me. The tie-in between the girlfriend and Michael's secondary case was obvious and yet it still wasn't a good combination for me. The serial killer, Ellis Haines, has an extremely important part to play throughout the novel and his character is written with all the creepiness you would ever want to experience with such a deranged individual.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Tier One Wild: A Delta Force Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Dalton Fury Page; Review: This second novel in the Delta Force Major Kolt "Racer" Raynor series begins with an action episode that, while not exactly easily believable, was wonderfully entertaining. I had high hopes that this novel would match the high octane action I found in Black Site: A Delta Force Novel. In some ways it was successful in that respect, in other ways I didn't like it nearly as much. Kolt and his team have been given the task of tracking down and destroying SAMs which are being sold to terrorist groups from the large stock stolen by Libyan spies. A group of CIA operatives think they have located a large number of the surface-to-air-missiles in Cairo so they call on the Delta unit to fill out their number when they take down the arms dealer and recover the missiles. Since the CIA agent in charge is just as bull-headed as Kolt, both think their way is the right way for the mission to be accomplished. Eventually the action takes these operators all the way to Mexico and ultimately into the United States. The discovery of the intended final mission has the potential to be devastating. The action and basic plot of this novel was exactly what I was looking for and I enjoyed those aspects very much. However, if you remember the character building which took place in the first novel you know that Kolt is an alcoholic who can be a hothead when it come to taking orders. This is where the plot begins to get muddied up for me. Kolt has undergone a transformation? Is he no longer an alcoholic? Because now he frequents a bar and drinks beer with the boys. The going to the bar to relax a little before a mission is fine, drinking should not have been. This story includes a female Delta operative. I do not doubt for a moment that female operatives exist within that group. What I do doubt is that they are treated in such a decidedly different manner from their male counterparts. Way too much background information was given for Hawk when the male characters are not treated in the same way. Over and over it is drilled into our heads as readers that these special ops groups have to travel light, only the required material that will fit into their packs is taken on missions. Why, oh why did this author have Hawk pull a black dress, pantyhose, high heels, make-up and a purse out of her pack? For heavens sakes, why not simply have her go on a perfectly natural shopping trip in Cairo and buy those items? She and Kort were posing as a married couple, it would have been completely logical for that to happen. Yet it could not happen because Hawk took it upon herself to perform the part of the mission that required the dress-up clothes. It was not a planned mission, but spur-of-the-moment by her. THAT was not well done! Many other instances of Hawk acting in ways which would not have been tolerated by male; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Great North Road [Paperback] [Apr 11, 2013] Peter F. Hamilton; Author: Visit Amazon's Peter F Hamilton Page; Review: I certainly don't expect reviewers to accuse Peter F Hamilton of writing a science fiction novel where he did not define his world clearly enough. In fact, for me some of the world was written in such detail that it slowed the novel down too much. This is a true science fiction novel taking place on Earth and other planets with the story starting in 2143 when Detective Sidney Hurst of the Newcastle police department is called to begin investigating a case of murder. Unfortunately the victim turns out to be a member of the North family and a descendant of Kane North who began having himself cloned in 2004. As the cloning experiment continued the different branches of the family all became more and more wealthy and politically powerful. They did, after all, control most of the algaepaddies which grow bioil on the planet St. Libra in the Sirius solar system, the fuel which runs the world's economy. The truly startling revelation is that no identity can be established for who this North is. When Peter Hamilton was creating this fascinating world he made the technology move forward in ways which seem absolutely plausible to anyone reading the story. This novel details what can happen when civilization is set up for complete monitoring by government and agencies within governments compete with each other to intercept information gathered by rivals. Yet the standard police work still exists, only now retrieval of information should make the job easier for the police. That is where human ingenuity comes into play because what one bytehead can develop another can hack into. Once you condense it all down to its most basic elements this is a story of greed, exploitation, and self-preservation. There are really some ingenuous methods for hiding your extra money from the tax man! I did enjoy this novel although I thought it was definitely longer than it needed to be. There is the combination of a detective novel within a science fiction world which worked very well for me. In fact, there are practically two separate novels here with a myriad of twists and turns and flashbacks taking place all the time. Something or someone caused the death of the North found in the River Tyne in Newcastle. Something or someone is causing the deaths of members of the exploration team searching St. Libra's jungle for any sign of sentient beings. I confess to having some questions as to why some characters acted as they did and the ending was a definite soppy mess when compared to the strength and vitality of the rest of the novel. I enjoyed portions of the book, but I didn't love it.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Various Haunts of Men; Author: SUSAN HILL; Review: Finally I payed attention to the book Amazon had been recommending to me for weeks. I knew Susan Hill as the author of other books I've read, but had no idea she also had a mystery/thriller series. Once I began to do some research I knew I was ready to try this first book in the series. I have to say I am completely delighted with what I found and cannot wait to move on to more novels in the series. I am a little perplexed as to why the books are called a Simon Serrailler mystery because he played such a small part over-all. I did not see the novel, or even the attentions of the other characters, as centering around him specifically. Maybe he will have more of a part to play in future novels. His mother and sister did play important roles though, through their interactions with DS Freya Graffham who has recently moved from London to Lafferton. Freya finds herself unable to put aside the problem of a missing middle aged woman even though there are no clues as to her whereabouts and the active police investigation makes no inroads into where she has gone. The novel is beautifully written and the plotting is designed to envelope the reader in a tension which becomes tighter and tighter until I almost wanted to skip ahead in the novel to see what was finally going to happen. But I didn't and I was very glad of that when I finally saw the ending. There are chapters titled simply, The Tape, in which someone expresses their anger, frustrations, and hatred over things which have happened in the past. As an explanation the tape segments never do fully disclose what ultimately caused the person to act as they did, but as a means of giving the reader a glimpse into the mind of someone definitely not normal, they accomplished exactly what the author wanted. There is a circumstance presented within this novel which I have never encountered in a fiction novel before and it caused me to stare at the page in disbelief. Only because of the skill of the author in unfolding the situations and characters was Susan Hill able to make me accept that event. I was shocked, but I knew I couldn't argue with it. This is a tightly plotted novel with characters who seem to be real people. Even though the town is large enough to have a cathedral it still seems to hold all the elements I look forward to when reading novels in small English town settings. I enjoyed all of it and can't wait to have the chance to read the second book of the series, The Pure in Heart.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Threat Vector (Jack Ryan, Jr.); Author: Visit Amazon's Tom Clancy Page; Review: Have you ever read a book before whose theme just stayed in your mind to such an extent that you found yourself thinking about it long after you had finished reading it? That is what THREAT VECTOR has been for me. Part of the reason is because I recognize that the basic plot ideas here could actually become reality in some form. Could. That is a very important word in that sentence. Another part of the reason this story has stayed in my mind so strongly is that this collaborative effort between Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney has characters who come so vividly alive on the pages that I accept that this just might have actually happened to them. Yes, it is fiction, but it certainly does open up the possibilities of "what if...............". What if one nation had a secret cyber network in place now which could watch operatives of other governments carry out their missions in startling, minute, real time detail? What if that government had unlimited resources to continue to develop their technology to take over the United States, indeed the world, using this cyber warfare? And what if loss of life meant absolutely nothing to them as long as they accomplished their goal? It is the mission of Jack Ryan, Jr. and everyone else at The Campus to find this Chinese government Ghost Ship - the technology center - and destroy it, no matter how impossible the mission may seem. Can everyone survive this mission? I think this book was incredible. Quite a strong statement and yet, for me, it fits here. I had a love/hate reaction to the main plot because it is hard to face the fact that something like this might actually be possible. In the first sections of the novel some of the details seemed to take a long time to develop, but ultimately I understand the reasons it was necessary. What sets this book apart for me are the vibrant characters and the clever plot threads. There is a really good villain called "Center" whose identity is kept well hidden and a computer nerd with almost rock star status. The good guys - Adam Yao, "Trash", and "Cheese" - along with returning friends from previous adventures feel so real it is hard to accept that they are fictional characters. This novel was a roller coaster thrill ride that kept me reading all day and far into the night. Clear some time and get ready for some pure entertainment before you begin reading this story. If you are like me, you will resent anything that interferes with your reading time. I received a complimentary copy of this novel for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Proof of Guilt: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: When I see a new Charles Todd novel being released in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series I automatically know I'm going to read the book. Unfortunately, some of the novels fail to live up to the very high standard I expect from this team of authors. In this one Hamish (that nagging voice in Rutledge's mind) doesn't have nearly as prominent a part as in some other books, but he is still there. I sincerely wish that Rutledge could make more progress toward a normal psyche so that Hamish wouldn't have to be giving advice and warnings. Unfortunately for me that hasn't yet happened, nor may it ever. The health of mind of Rutledge is a pivotal aspect of these stories. I found myself confused at times in this story. There were so many characters going back through three or four generations in addition to the current participants in the crimes that I began to wish I had a list of characters at the front of the book to help me keep track. At one point it seemed as if we were helping the police search for at least four different men. Or were there really four? Lewis French has disappeared. Is he alive or dead? Then another member of the eminently respectable firm of French, French and Traynor, Matthew Traynor, can't seem to be found. Is he alive or dead? Who was the man found dead in the road? This really wasn't an easy story for me to get organized in my mind. And at times terrible (in my opinion) assumptions were jumped to by the police without any reason whatsoever. I'm used to the best Rutledge novels having very definite evidence and reasons for assuming guilt. This book had Rutledge scurrying hither and yon to check out the most terribly inconsequential pieces of possible evidence. It was quite disconcerting. A bit of advice from me --- if you are new to the Inspector Rutledge series, don't begin with this novel. I would suggest starting with the first novel in the series, A Test of Wills, to be sure you enjoy reading about the difficulties Rutledge has with his shell shocked condition as he returns to Scotland Yard after the end of World War I. If you enjoy that one, you will probably be more willing to continue with the series even if you encounter a book occasionally which isn't quite as strongly plotted. If you have read other Rutledge novels already, read this one because it is interesting even if not the best. There are loose ends a-plenty which are not tied up at the end. It simply just stopped, resulting in me saying things like, "Wait a minute, what happened to.........?"; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: One Corpse Too Many: A Medieval Whodunnit; Author: Visit Amazon's Ellis Peters Page; Review: I appreciate the wonderful way Ellis Peters had with descriptive prose to give me such a vivid sense of the world she has set these characters in. This novel has so much of the activity take place outside the walls of the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and it was important to be able to picture exactly what the landscape was like. I also was interested in getting to know Hugh Beringar, presented with a personality which seemed as if it could go toward good or evil and I wasn't quite sure until almost the end of the novel how to react to him. Brother Cadfael has been given a young lad, Godric, to help him in the gardens of the Abbey while the world outside those walls shifts according to allegiance with King Stephen or his sister Queen Maud, both claiming the right to rule. When the battle for Shrewsbury is finished Brother Cadfael is given the responsibility of taking care of the disposal of the dead. Among those hanged for treason by King Stephen he finds one corpse who never was killed by the hangman's noose. A thoroughly enjoyable story of life in the perilous times of 1138 England. This author is definitely high on my list for reading pleasure because she places the focus on what happens to the characters in this time period instead of the often unhealthy living conditions. Her mysteries are well plotted and keep you wondering throughout concerning who will be guilty of the crime.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hating Heidi Foster; Author: Visit Amazon's Jeffrey Blount Page; Review: In dealing with such a highly charged and emotional subject as the grief of this teenage girl it would have been such a temptation for Jeffrey Blount to give in to cliches. Thank goodness he resisted that temptation. This intensely honest look at grief and loss shows that there are many stages of recovering from a traumatic loss and not all of them are easy to watch. Through all the many phases of her grief Mae McBride wants what would seem to be a simple thing. She wants to know....why. Why did her father willingly risk leaving her behind to live her life without him in order to save Heidi Foster's life? Did he not know how she and her mother would suffer? Did he not care? This poignant story shows all the phases of grief a person must experience before they can come to grips with the loss of a loved one. The fact that it is told from the viewpoint of a fourteen year old girl simply makes it even more sad. And yet that also makes it available to be used as a tool to help other teens who have to go through this process. Mae was not able to come to grips with this death quickly or easily and the author allows time to pass and discoveries to be made which guide Mae through the process. This is a lovely, sensitively written book dealing with a difficult subject. It will be of great value to any young person who has suffered the loss of a loved one. I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Knots and Crosses: An Inspector Rebus Novel (Inspector Rebus Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's Ian Rankin Page; Review: Anyone interested in reading the crime fiction novels of Ian Rankin might like to know some interesting information before they start on this first in the series featuring John Rebus, released in 1987. I read a statement from Rankin stating that he had not written this book as criminal fiction and was surprised to find it categorized as that. He didn't even know what crime fiction was until later on. That goes a long way toward explaining why the character of John Rebus is often of more consequence than the criminal investigation circumstances he finds himself in for this story. I know I was glad to understand the author's frame of mind as I was reading. Rebus is not your typical police officer featured in a novel almost reaching the level of an anti-hero. He drinks and smokes to excess, even while on the job. His personal life is an absolute mess and he can't seem to find any way to get himself straightened out. His career has taken some hard knocks because he doesn't seem to be able to control his temper and his mouth. Into all of this comes his inclusion on the team investigating the kidnapping and murder of a young girl, not as a lead investigator but as one of many officers gathering the minute details that make up the case. Soon all of Edinburgh is wrapped in the horror of having a serial killer in their midst. Rebus will not win any awards for being suave and debonair. He is, however, a complex character who has secrets buried so deep in his past that he honestly cannot remember them. He is the type of person you either make a connection with and feel sympathy for or you just don't enjoy the book and put it aside. The reaction of the reader to Rebus is the most important aspect of this novel. In the world of police investigation in 1987 Scotland there are not a lot of criminal investigation tools utilized so this crime is solved mostly by the characters interactions with each other. Even though it is probably technically classified now as a police procedural, at the time it was written that wasn't the case so it is rather short on the procedure aspect. Also this author was more interested in describing the human conditions of Edinburgh rather than giving the reader picture postcard snapshots of famous places and things. If you are looking for that kind of atmosphere, you will be disappointed. I enjoyed this first novel in the Rebus series. It was also the first novel I've read by Ian Rankin. I want to read more in the series and yet I don't know if this was the best place for me to begin. Under normal circumstances I like to start with book one in a series. In this case it might have been better from the standpoint of a mystery novel reader for me to meet Rebus in his more modern incarnation of a police officer. Then I could have gone back to this,; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Passion Blue (A Passion Blue Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Victoria Strauss Page; Review: It was very interesting to read this novel which actually takes a chance and moves away from the more usual subject matter that I notice when I read YA fiction. There are no vampires, werewolves, changeling creatures of any kind here. There are also no best friends who have a spat over a hunky boy and vow to hate each other forever. Instead PASSION BLUE is a coming-of-age story filled with information regarding the artistic calling of painting. Giulia Borromeo is a seventeen year old living in Milan in 1487, who exhibits a true talent as an artist. However, due to the circumstances of her illegitimate birth she has been assigned the same servant role as her mother, seamstress. Unfortunately for Giulia her father never acknowledged her legally, but he did allow her to be educated much beyond the usual standards for a servant. Now he has died and Giulia's life has taken a turn she never expected. She has been sent to a convent to become a nun. This novel concentrates on the role women artists were allowed to play during the Italian Renaissance. I had no idea before reading this novel that the greatest freedoms female artists had were most likely found within the walls of a convent. I also didn't know how non-restrictive some of those lives could be. I understand that author Victoria Strauss states in her Author's Notes that PASSION BLUE is a complete work of fiction, but she did base the story on research into the time and subject. I think this novel will appeal to a more contemplative reader especially in the target category of ages fourteen and above. The beginning of the novel, in fact fully half of the novel in my case, seemed to move rather slowly. My interest centered around finding out about life within a convent and technical information of how artists materials were made and used in Renaissance times. I didn't form an attachment or much of a connection with Giulia throughout the entire novel. I do applaud Ms Strauss though for being willing to strike out in a different direction and for writing the novel she was obviously passionate about.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Down These Strange Streets; Author: George R. R. Martin; Review: Most of the stories in this anthology are short stories of between twenty and twenty-five pages in length, but several are long enough to almost qualify as novellas. That information may not be of interest to you, even though it was to me since one of the stories I was not particularly partial to was of the longer variety. The description on the book cover stating these are stories of urban fantasy may not be strictly true unless you consider that any made up environment classifies as fantasy. Are ancient Roman times really urban fantasy? I have to say I was very impressed, overall, with this compilation. The stories all have in common the fact that there is a detective, either professional or amateur, trying to solve a unique problem. There are not many of the seemingly required vampire and werewolf stories that usually are included in this type of anthology. Some authors I don't normally enjoy reading with their series characters surprised me with quite enjoyable offerings here. Other authors I had not read before made me long to read more of that character only to find that their contribution was not part of a series. Something which will be of great value to any reader wanting to find more works by a specific author is the information presented before each story. There is a large amount of detail of what materials have been written by each author with titles and series character names. All of this will be of great help if you want to purchase more novels by specific authors. There are sixteen stories and an introduction by George R. R. Martin. I wish Martin had included a story of his own because I think that would have been most interesting to read when set within the boundary of this compilation. All of the stories bear the copyright date of 2011, so you will probably not have read the story in any previous anthologies. The authors are, in the order their story appears in the book: Charlaine Harris, Joe R. Lansdale, Simon R. Green, Steven Saylor, S. M. Stirling, Carrie Vaughn, Conn Iggulden, Laurie R. King, Glen Cook, Melinda M. Snodgrass, M.L.N. Hanover, Lisa Tuttle, Diana Gabaldon, John Maddox Roberts, Patricia Briggs, and Bradley Denton. My favorite line in the book has to be from "Beware the Snake" by John Maddox Roberts: "Look out!" Julia cried. "He has a snake! And he'll use it!"; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Michelangelo's Last Painting: Its Chilling Revelation; Author: Visit Amazon's Andrew Boemi Page; Review: As I was reading this novel I couldn't keep myself from thinking that I would have enjoyed it much more if the author had confined himself to relating factual information and stating his premise surrounding what the charcoal drawing of "Christ on the Cross" by Michelangelo might actually mean. Instead he chose to combine the factual with fictional portions which I think are not very well written. I was intrigued by the drawing and wanted to know more about that and the possibilities involved with what the figures which have been erased might have been. I was not intrigued to read such excruciating details of the lives of fictional super rich individuals. It seemed as if the author was so overwhelmed with trying to impress the reader with how incredibly beautiful, physically fit, intelligent, and rich his main characters were that it became a catalog of all things expensive. Did I actually need to be told the brand name of the ski suit Sao Damrey was wearing when she met Richard Arenell for the first time? No, actually I did not. The novel is filled with an overabundance of brand names and descriptions which matter not one whit. Since I am not an art historian I was quite willing to allow the author to develop his premise that the erased portions of the chalk drawing provide an almost divine showing of what truly evil people in world history will look like. This novel is very much based on religious beliefs and the author has given us a story which might foretell events of such catastrophic nature as Adolph Hitler and the suppression of the Jewish state of Israel by Arab leaders. Unfortunately the constant movement backward and forward in time became quite a distraction for me and I kept thinking that some of those divisions could very easily have been combined into longer segments resulting in less jarring episodes for me, the reader. Those are the types of decisions an author must make for themselves so I can only say that it was quite distracting for me. Also distracting was the feeling of superficiality I got from the modern characters. Richard and Sao failed to strike a chord with me on a personal basis even though I was interested in their attempts to find and validate the previously lost painting of "Christ on the Cross". The author has included much information at the ending of the novel concerning the story behind him writing the book, notes on which information in the novel is factual and an interesting segment where he presents a validation by a friend of the faces and drawings he found in his digital computer reproduction of the chalk drawing. It is very obvious that Andrew Boemi is passionate about what he believes he has uncovered in relation to this drawing. I received a complimentary copy of this novel for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Russian Donation (Dr. Hoffmann); Author: Visit Amazon's Christoph Spielberg Page; Review: I noticed in the promotional material for this novel that there will be made-for-television movies in Germany centered around the series of Dr. Felix Hoffman books. I think this is one example where I would probably enjoy the movie version of the material more than the written. Not that the novel isn't interesting, it just wasn't as much of an attention grabber as I had hoped. Dr. Hoffman is a single, 45 year old cardiologist working in a hospital in Berlin. During one of the evenings when he is working the night shift in the emergency room he finds a former patient of his who arrives at the hospital DOA. Well, it seems there is some question of exactly when death occurred, but dead the man surely is. Dr. Hoffman signs the death certificate with a cause of death which will automatically require an autopsy because he is curious about what medical reason contributed to the death of his former patient. In checking up on the report Hoffman discovers that no autopsy was ever performed and the trail leads very firmly away from any further investigation of the death. He really wants to know why. Dr. Hoffman displays a sardonic wit concerning the administrative aspects of his hospitals personnel and that is all well and good, but the novel tends to focus much more on the nuts and bolts of running the hospital with the administrative shortcomings highlighted where they intersect with his investigation into the cause of death of Misha, a native of the Ukraine who is in Germany on an expired work permit. It was a little too easy to see early on in what direction all of Hoffman's investigations would be heading. The translation from German to English by Gerald Chapple feels right, as if he has correctly captured the essence of author Christoph Spielberg's writing and yet the characters and locations didn't convey much depth or description for me. Perhaps in future novels Dr. Spielberg (yes, the author is himself a cardiologist) will expand on the information he gives readers so that we feel we have a better understanding of what his fictional characters look like.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Burry Man's Day (Dandy Gilver Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Catriona McPherson Page; Review: The cover art is what prompted me to read the sixth book in this series first, Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains. Having enjoyed that novel so much because of the period setting and the unusualness of the characters I embarked on the pleasure of reading all the novels, but now in order. After the Armistice Ball is the first novel in the series and I strongly recommend that you begin with that one. There is a continuing cast of characters and you will enjoy the other novels more if you know from the beginning how each character fits into Dandy's life. The Burry Man's Day is the second in sequence and it had been a little while since I had read the other two novels. I was thrown slightly off balance for a while because I could not remember who Daisy was and the author took a very long time to give me the information. Well, Mrs. Daisy Esslemont is Dandy's long time friend and her home was the setting for the first case Dandy solved. For some unknown reason the author didn't mention any of that until the novel was rather far along and I had to keep wracking my brain to try to remember who Daisy was and why there was an air of complete familiarity between Daisy, Frederica (Freddy), and Dandy. Old school chums and best friends from then on is the answer. This novel takes place around 1923, just long enough after WWI for society women like Dandy to become restless with the sameness of their everyday lives after their wartime efforts but still not too far removed from the aftermath of war to have it play a large part in how people are coping with what happened during those years. Dandy and Daisy have been asked to come to South Queensferry in Scotland to the castle and estate which Mr. and Mrs. Cadwallader and Frederica de Cassilis are restoring and bringing back to its former state of productivity and importance. Cad is an American and he and Freddy have lived in America during the war years so have remained more unaffected by the hardships than those in England and Scotland. Now a centuries old tradition of the yearly Ferry Fair is under attack from a group of temperance crusaders, namely the Burry Man. For the past twenty-five years Robert Dudgeon has allowed himself to be completely covered in burdock seeds - basically prickly thorns - and he has walked around the town from nine in the morning until six in the afternoon demanding tributes of money or whiskey to ward off bad luck for the coming year. The money goes to charity, the whiskey goes to make him very drunk. This time Robert dies as soon as he finishes his day as the Burry Man. The police rule natural causes, Dandy doesn't think so. You must enjoy novels written about the social structures in place during this time period and this place for this to be a novel you will like. The social class; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Convenient Bride (A School For Brides Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Cheryl Ann Smith Page; Review: Every once in a while I want to read a Regency romance so I went trolling through the Kindle offerings and found this novel from Cheryl Ann Smith, an author I have never read before. It seems that this is book four in a series called A School for Brides. That sounded interesting so I bought the book and began to read. First, the school for brides is actually a kind of half-way house for courtesans who don't want to live that lifestyle any longer but who need some help with their re-entry into society. So, as I gathered from this novel, a specific number of them are accepted by a non ex-courtesan to live together in a house in Cheapside, London to learn how to behave themselves well enough to meet eligible men wanting wives. After a certain amount of time there is a party where the women are matched up with the men, everybody vacates the house to move into their own permanent digs, and a new group of courtesans moves in. Implausible, probably, but I've read worse ideas in Regency novels before so I took a chance on this series. In case you are interested, the books are #1) The School for Brides, #2) The Accidental Courtesan (A School For Brides Romance), #3) The Scarlet Bride (School for Brides, No 3) (A School For Brides Romance), #4) A Convenient Bride (A School For Brides Romance), and releasing later in 2013, #5) The Wife He Always Wanted (A School For Brides Romance). Lady Brenna Harrington is a willful, determined, feminist style of heroine who has been told by her father that it is time for her to marry. He has just the man in mind for her, but Brenna can't stand the thought of him so she sets out to get herself compromised so she will be unacceptable as a society bride. Lady Brenna is VERY young. Say, how about this good looking highwayman who has just stopped her coach? After he refuses to compromise her because he's not really a highwayman, just a friend of her father's on a search for his missing wayward sister Brenna still has a problem. Father Dear sends her to the school for courtesans for a week to find out how fortunate she is in the life she leads. Really? Now that's some tough love from a parent. Halfway through her week Brenna escapes and chases after Lord Richard Ellerby, the Viscount Ashwood as he continues on his way to Gretna Green trying to find that pesky sister of his. Brenna finds him, nature takes its course, and Brenna and Richard end up having to get married when they reach Scotland. He is, after all, an honorable man. Both decide the marriage was a horrible mistake, Brenna returns to London to find somebody else to marry so she can get an annulment, Richard returns to Beckwith Hall and all is sort of well until.............. The book really did have some interesting reading times interspersed with some I-want-to-pull-my-hair-out times. Richard thinks of Brenna as troublesome,; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!: And Other Things that Strike Me as Funny; Author: Visit Amazon's Bob Newhart Page; Review: A sentence in the product description of this novel says this memoir could only have been written by Bob Newhart and that is an absolutely true statement. If you appreciate the humor style of this man, you will like this book because it is absolutely like sitting and having a conversation with him. I was more familiar with the Bob Newhart of his two longest running television series so it was very interesting to read about his stand-up comedy performances, his records, and his film career. There is also fascinating material about the famous people he came in contact with throughout his career. The biggest surprise to me was finding out who the Newhart's as a couple consider their best friends. Proof positive that opposites truly do attract. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent reading this memoir and now feel I know a lot more about what was going on behind the scenes of this man's career. I laughed out loud at some points, but for the most part this is more the kind of book you read with a smile on your face.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Merchant's Mark (A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery Book 3) eBook; Author: Visit Amazon's Pat McIntosh Page; Review: Author Pat McIntosh is one of the few authors I read who actually allows her stories to be investigated by a very naturally occurring committee of sleuths. Not that they start out to be sleuths, it simply happens because McIntosh has imbued the characters with intellect and the ability to work out problems of a very serious nature. In this third story in the series Gilbert Cunningham, Maistre Pierre, and Alys are joined by Gil's sister Kate as they combine forces to free Augie Morison from the charge of murder. When Gil and Augie open the barrel they think contains books they find a severed head and Royal treasure instead. In a cruel twist of fate one of Augie's own servants gives testimony linking him with the death of the unknown victim. These novels are written by an author who gives her readers the benefit of believing she can write in the style she wants and they will be willing to encounter archaic words and Scots dialects with many words from French, German, and Dutch languages interspersed throughout. It is fascinating to read these stories and see how the language we have today is truly an amalgamation of all the spoken word from centuries of use. I often have to make use of a dictionary to be positive of the meaning of some words, while others are either explained within the narration or their meaning can be assumed based on what follows. The Scots dialect is maintained throughout the novel, it isn't simply an affectation to be used in the beginning to give you a sense of place, but then dropped to revert to slightly more modern speech patterns. Not only do you invest time in understanding the language of these novels, you also invest time in unraveling - right along with the *committee* - the mystery to be solved. McIntosh remains true to the social behavior standards of the times so you will not find Alys or Kate galloping around the countryside looking for the murderer. They remain firmly fixed within the home sphere and yet manage to uncover vital information used to solve the entire plot. The political maneuvering around King James Stewart provides the main plot but there are twists within twists to keep every reader on their toes.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Suspect; Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: Police Officer Scott James was a patrol officer working Los Angeles with a partner out of a patrol car the night he and his partner happened to witness a double murder. His female partner was killed and Scott was severely injured by being shot three times and left for dead. That is the sum total we know about Scott as this story begins to unfold. There is not one sentence about his family, where he grew up, where he lived, who his friends were, if he had a girlfriend or even a wife. Nothing. Did he live in a cardboard box under a freeway? This is the kind of information, or rather non-information, which started me wondering what was wrong with the book. I never figured it out and the questions stayed with me throughout the reading. Was it a good story? Sort of. Was it a good Robert Crais novel? No. The character of Scott James was and is still a nebulous gray vapor for me. The character of the dog is sharp and clear. The trouble is, I don't think that is the way it was meant to be. What happened? I do not claim to be an expert on the novels of Robert Crais, but I have read quite a few of them and really enjoy his style of writing. I like his character depictions and the way he always has very specific character quirks and traits which immediately identify all his characters, even those who play supporting roles. That's what I have come to expect from one of his novels. It doesn't matter so much that this particular novel is venturing out into new and unchartered waters because Crais will fill us in on these characters and allow us to decide if we like them or not. Yet it never happened with any character in this book except for Maggie, an ex-Marine German shepherd suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In the author's note at the end of the novel Crais admits that he has taken liberties with the rehabilitation of a dog with PTSD in order to make the story work better. Okay, I'll accept that. I can suspend belief in order to enjoy a good story. The problem isn't Maggie, it's the whole story surrounding her. And the ending feels like a timer went off and the allotted writing time was over so.....pencil down, you're done. I have no idea if this is the first in a new series. If that is so, purely from a police department procedural standpoint I can see huge hurdles for Officer Scott James to have to jump in order to make any of it anywhere close to believable. I loved Maggie, but Scott simply was not there for me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, Book 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Marissa Meyer Page; Review: Books in a series can be really tricky. I always hold my breath (figuratively speaking) when I've enjoyed a novel as much as I enjoyed Cinder (Lunar Chronicles) last year. In the case of this novel I could have saved myself some anxious moments because this one is every bit as good - in some ways even better - than the first in the series. This time author Marissa Meyer formed characters taken from the Little Red Riding Hood story and she definitely included the big bad wolf. She called him Wolf and had Scarlet and the readers genuinely concerned over how his relationship with her would evolve. Twists and turns kept making Wolf the most engaging character in this novel for me. Scarlet Benoit can't get anyone to take her seriously when she insists her grandmother is not some crazy old lady who would just up and disappear one day, something must be horribly wrong for her to have left home three weeks previously. Through a series of circumstances Scarlet sets off for Paris with the street fighter named Wolf to look for her grandmother. But what does that strange tattoo on Wolf's arm mean? Scarlet is about to find out. This series now has a much fuller cast of characters, each of them very interesting in their own right and remarkable when they connect with each other. Cinder returns to the story and toward the end of this novel she and Scarlet meet under dangerous circumstances. A humorous foil comes in the form of Captain Carswell Thorne who really isn't entitled to call himself a captain, but he comes in handy by providing the spaceship he stole. Emperor Kai and Queen Levana are essential to what happens in the conflict escalating between Earth and Luna. The symbolism demonstrated between the moon (Luna) elements and the wolves is very interesting and we get a small glimpse of the creation of the wolf soldiers. Even though this is basically Scarlet and Wolf's story a large part of the book is used to move Cinder closer to her ultimate destiny of connecting with her heritage. Although there were some slow moving portions of the novel there were also some really exciting conflict segments and some escapes and adventures which will keep you on the edge of your seat. According to the book description this novel is aimed at readers ages 12 and over. That seems reasonable to me and I didn't find anything which seemed inappropriate for the youngest readers in that age range. On the other hand, the book is so well written and the plotting so well thought out that I thoroughly enjoyed the entire novel even at my age and am looking forward to the next two books in the series. This author has done quite a good job of including enough back story to allow a reader to pick up this second in the series and feel comfortable. It would be my thinking, however, that you will most certainly want to read Cinder as well. Why not just go; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Firebrand (Rebel Angel Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Gillian Philip Page; Review: Firebrand was released in the UK in 2010, so it is coming to US readers quite a while after the fact. Bloodstone was released in 2011 and Wolfsbane in 2012. At least this way you know if you like this first novel in the series that you can track down the remaining two and read them quickly, without having to wait years for their release. Naturally cost and shipping will be a consideration. The novel is divided into three very distinct books. Often a separation like that doesn't seem to signal any change in the story except to move it forward a short amount of time. Here, the three books contain very different materials and styles. The beginning of the story is presented completely from the viewpoint of Seth MacGregor, an unwanted and seemingly unloved bastard child from the leader of the MacGregor clann and his lover. Seth doesn't even warrant being used as a pawn by his parents regarding their relationship, neither of them care anything about him except to use him at times within the political wrangling among the Sithe. Growing up practically feral has made Seth into the kind of problem no one seems to care enough about to bother with. Luckily for him his half brother Conal returns to the dun and begins to pay Seth the attention he so desperately needs. This first portion of the novel is written almost exclusively in exposition form with not much dialog. It definitely gives readers the insight into the formation of Seth's character which will impact everyone in the world of the Sithe but it was a little daunting for me when it came to holding my attention. The second and third portions of the novel concern what happens when Seth and Conal are banished to the world beyond the Veil, into the world of the full mortals and then when they return to the world of the Sithe. Sithe live for generations which naturally has a profound impact on their thinking and their culture. The world outside the Veil is sixteenth century Scotland and filled with the unsanitary and uneducated conditions of the time. Anyone could be suspected of witchcraft and the various factions of religious beliefs were struggling to gain the upper hand. The novel is superbly written and the fantasy world of the Sithe and the "real" world of the full mortal could not be more of a contrast. This novel absolutely fits the description of gritty. It is also dark and extremely violent. As befits a people who settle their differences by the sword, it is hard to read for very long without coming on descriptions which are violent in the extreme. Even though I can appreciate the beauty with which the prose is presented and the depth of character I saw developed for the inhabitants of this fantasy world I have to say I would not look forward to continuing with the series. Beautifully written, just not the right series for me.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: London Falling (Tor Books); Author: Visit Amazon's Paul Cornell Page; Review: So what these police need to do is arrest "evil". Not a person, a concept? Some books I pick up and become immediately involved in the writing, the plot, the characters. This book I closed and realized I had not completely become involved with anything. The author uses four main characters to drive his story except none of them has a definitive leading role. All are in the London police, one as a Detective Inspector, two as undercover policemen (UCs), and one as an analyst. The glue that holds them together is a long running investigation of a crime boss who lives a charmed life to keep him from being successfully arrested and then successfully prosecuted. Naturally the police had no idea that the crime boss was being protected by forces completely beyond their worldly control. Going strictly by my previous reading experiences, this novel should have been a really good fit for me. Unfortunately by insisting on having so many viewpoints and so many personal agendas the author kept me from putting my focus on one particular person. Once the characters had their life changing experience and began to see the world of London from their new perspective, instead of getting more clear it simply got muddied up times four. Each character (Quill, Sefton, Ross, Costain) approached the supernatural event of the moment from their own perspective - which is to be expected - but that made the incident go on and on until my brain was screaming for some moving on. The book was difficult for me to get interested in and then it was very difficult for me to stay interested in. If you happen to be a West Ham football club supporter you are either going to love this because of all the attention paid your favorite club or you will thoroughly resent being portrayed as the hooligan crowd. Either way I couldn't keep myself from wondering if this was meant to be taken as a kind of tongue-in-cheek joke or if subjects for the supernatural had been pinned to a board and darts thrown at it to decide what the focus of the book would be. I wonder if "Mora" will now become a fan favorite chant when a hat trick is a possibility. The book is written completely from the British perspective so some Americans may have a little trouble "getting" all the national slang and sport references. Personally I don't think that will be a factor for most readers. Much more work has to be done before these characters satisfy me. There was no depth to them, regardless of what horrific situations they find themselves in. I also don't enjoy reading any kind of fiction where child torture is prominently a part of the story. This novel passed from fantasy into horror for me and I would not have chosen it if I had known that beforehand. Barely made it up to three stars from me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lowcountry Boil (A Liz Talbot Mystery) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan M Boyer Page; Review: I am a Southern woman who will always chose to read a mystery novel if I'm given the choice. What I don't like are "cute and lite" mysteries. I was asked to review this novel and almost immediately wanted to reply in the negative. As it turns out, I'm glad I took the time to investigate the book more fully because the "hook" in the first chapter piqued my interest. I skipped having the novel presented to me as a gift, paid the very low fee for a Kindle download, and waited to clear some other reading commitments before I could make time for it. All of that to say that I wasn't exactly looking forward to reading the book, but I was intrigued enough to buy it. Author Susan Boyer has nailed the flavor of both location and Southern attitude for her Liz Talbot character. I "know" these people without ever having met a single one of them. Their lifestyles are so true to the Southern way of thinking, talking, and behaving that it was like I had wandered into their homes and businesses. It is very, very difficult for an author to get that precise Southern aura down on the printed page. Most often they wander too far toward the syrup-sweet direction and that isn't realistic. The characters here were simply normal people and that basic foundation made the mystery aspect of the novel work. By choosing to place her activity on such a restricted area of geography Boyer set herself a daunting task of making the motive for the mystery feasible. You might think that preserving an isolated geographical way of life was unrealistic, but I'm here to say it was completely believable. Anybody with an interest in preserving their traditions will understand how fighting against unwanted change could cause passions to run so high that it could lead to murder. The writers voice used for the characters rings perfectly true. The siblings (Blake, Merry, and Liz) are absolutely spot on in their interactions with each other. Their parents and neighbors are likewise well written. The motive for the murder may seem to be somewhat insubstantial, but only if you've never watched people fight to maintain the lifestyle which is important to them. And preserving the pristine ecology and living conditions of the island of Stella Maris, South Carolina, was shown to be of paramount importance in this novel. Even the smallest town contains secrets the residents want to keep hidden. The same thing applied here. Liz Talbot is a modern character and there were a few times when I was afraid the author would allow Liz to bolt away from her and engage in my idea of unrealistic behavior. I'm really glad to say that each time Ms Boyer reigned the character back in, made her seriously utilize her training as a private investigator, and got her back on track toward solving all the various mysteries she was confronted with. The single criticism I have is that there were times when there were so many characters involved that; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nightstalkers (Area 51: The Nightstalkers); Author: Visit Amazon's Bob Mayer Page; Review: If you read fantasy military action novels, then you know that often they can be a little hard to tell apart. Don't worry about having that problem with this one! I have never read any other novel by Bob Mayer but you can be sure I will be looking for his other books from now on. I really liked his unusual tone in this book. All of the military personnel are so buttoned-down and up-tight because of this super secret job they have of protecting all of us from those scary things that go bump in the night. Yet the author kept the feeling relaxed and comfortable with his style of writing. Lines such as "What if one of us isn't who we think we are?" Eagle asked, because Eagle always asked questions like that." Then there was, "Roland stood on the open ramp, fifteen thousand feet above Utah, as calm as if he were waiting in line at Starbucks. Of course, Roland had never waited at a Starbucks, but one gets the idea." I loved the many asides directed at the reader which gave the novel such a light, personal touch. But for those readers who like loads of action with their fantasy, this book will satisfy that requirement also. You see, there is this Rift which opens up and Fireflies come into our world. Each of those has to find a host and their habitation turns the non-human host into a dedicated killer and one that is particularly hard to kill too! Having served in the military himself the author is familiar with all kinds of weapons and armament so there is no shortage of things that will blow something up or shoot a hole right through it. Even with all the weaponry involved, it ultimately comes down to human intellect and reasoning to solve the problem of what is happening with this latest Rift and how to control it, contain it, and conceal it. It's the Protocol. The members of the team are chosen for their various specialty skills and I thoroughly enjoyed the naming process for the newest member. This was a bit of a surprise for me. A very pleasant surprise because I enjoyed reading the book so much. Now I'm off to see which Bob Mayer novel I want to read next.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Oath of Fealty; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Moon Page; Review: I have not followed the career of Elizabeth Moon, but I do realize that a long time passed between the end of Oath of Gold and this novel. Regardless, Moon began this novel as if no time at all had elapsed in her fantasy world. If you judge by the image on the cover of this trade paperback, you might be tempted to think the female pictured there is Paksenarrion. I think it is probably supposed to represent Dorrin instead. This novel shows how the lives of Kieri, Dorrin, and Arcolin have changed since the ending of the last book and what influence knowing Paks has had on their choices and changes in their situations. This novel follows all of those stories at the same time, but the former comrads are not together at any time. Paks makes appearances throughout the entire novel without actually being the focus of the novel. If you want to read this book simply to catch up with Paks, then you will undoubtedly be disappointed. However, the advances to the overall plot line of the series advances quite substantially even though there is no resolution to the situations of three prominent characters. This is the first in the most recent series of adventures in this fantasy world with Kings of the North: Paladin's Legacy,Echoes of Betrayal: Paladin's Legacy, and Limits of Power (Paladin's Legacy) (releasing in June 2013) coming after. In the beginning of this novel Elizabeth Moon has written an Author's Note to explain what has come before the action picks up again in this particular book. She says that no one needs to have read the previous books before starting with this one. I would somewhat disagree with that. There are so many references to people, places, wars, and battles from the first three novels that if you aren't familiar with them it can be a little confusing. Also just simply all the names of characters who have been carried over into this re-awakened series can be cause for much head shaking. It took me forever to remember that sib is a drink which equates with our coffee or tea and that is only one of many things I had to try to recollect. I truly enjoyed this novel, but have to admit that the beginning was rather slow moving for me and it took me some time to get truly interested in the characters again. Some of that may have come from having the story presented from so many viewpoints. It may also have been because the characters I enjoyed so much previously by watching their interactions with each other are now separated by geography. Everyone and everything is changing. I do plan to be there to watch it happen.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: DIY Celebrity Haircuts: Give yourself a celebrity hairstyle with 2 simple techniques you can learn in 1 day.; Author: Nancy Harrington; Review: I think if this booklet had been written more for all types of generic haircuts it would have been of more help to me. As it was, regardless of the plural indicated by the title, since the one style illustrated and described was so different from my own, I simply could not get that spiky, funky hair style out of my mind so I could figure out how to translate the cutting ideas to my style. I think this author had a good idea for helping people save money by teaching them how to maintain their hair styles themselves or even strike out and become adventuresome with their own cutting. However, most people don't want to experiment with their haircut so they need very, very basic tips on very basic styles to get them started and to give them confidence. I would not be confident in trying these techniques because I don't want my hair to look like the style in the booklet. Plus, I don't remember any mention for how to approach any cut except short hair. I received a complimentary copy of this item. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Island of Bones: A Novel (Westerman and Crowther); Author: Visit Amazon's Imogen Robertson Page; Review: This third novel in the Gabriel Crowther and Harriet Westerman series was another absorbing reading experience for me. I would definitely recommend the books be read in order (first is Instruments of Darkness: A Novel and the second Anatomy of Murder) just so you are familiar with everything which has come before the events in this novel. Imogen Robertson has developed full characters in the players in these novels so you will be missing important pieces of the picture if you begin anywhere other than the beginning. However, if you should choose to start here, I think you will enjoy the novel and then be intrigued to find out what has come before. This is definitely a novel for readers who enjoy being completely enveloped in the atmosphere of times past. This novel takes place in July, 1783, but takes the reader back in time often to uncover the family history of Gabriel Crowther. It is a somewhat tangled web and I have to say that I found myself a little bit at sea sometimes trying to place exactly who was being spoken of and how they fit into the narrative. It might have helped if I had made my own list of characters because the author did not provide one. Maybe I wasn't supposed to get befuddled? Those familiar with the series know that Crowther renounced his title long ago and took a name other than the one he was given at birth. Now the sister he has had no contact with since that time has asked that he come back to the family seat which they no longer own to help clear up the mystery of a second body found in a tomb. All of the investigations lead to unearthing family tragedies turned into legend and folklore by the village people of the area. Crowther and Westerman must separate fact from fiction even as the deaths continue to mount up. The populace believe in their witches, bogles, and boggarts and in The Luck, a relic which they hold in great esteem. Once again this author has managed to transport me to an England of the 1780's which fascinates because of the detailed characters she has created. Her plotting is intricate and detailed and I enjoy that. As I have already said I did become slightly tangled in all the family history from time to time and yet managed to come out on the other side understanding what happened because of the clear resolutions of the cases at hand. There is a historical note at the end of the story to explain the real life characters the story is modeled on and how their history actually played out. By reading that you will understand where Ms. Robertson deviated from history in order to construct her story. Also, at the ending of the book is a sneak peek at the next book in the series, Circle of Shadows: A Westerman/Crowther Mystery and I am looking forward to reading that book too. I sincerely hope this fine series will continue for many more; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Anatomy of Murder: A Novel (A Westerman and Crowther Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Imogen Robertson Page; Review: I'm thrilled that this second novel in this series, after Instruments of Darkness, gave me another exciting reading experience featuring Mrs. Harriet Westerman and Mr. Gabriel Crowther, two of the most differing sleuths from a personality standpoint you will find since Holmes and Watson. Their personalities would seem at first glance to be so different they could never work together. The fact that they are successful in their investigative efforts is due completely to the fact that author Imogen Robertson has such a wonderful way with character development. In this London of 1781, the government is concerned over the direction the war with France and the American Colonists is taking. Only by having spies well placed can the French possibly know what to expect from the British Naval forces. Mrs. Westerman's husband is in command of one of the British ships and there is a very good opening section of the novel where we see the warfare on the seas from his vantage point. Mrs. Westerman and Crowther are brought into the story to investigate privately the death of a man believed to possibly be a spy. The British Government doesn't want to reveal any interest in the case so Harriet and Crowther agree to act as a kind of smoke screen for the uncovering of an enemy of the country. It was a pleasure to resume my reading of this series and once again enjoy the vivid historical world created by this talented author. Much of the story takes place around an opera house and the principal singers in a newly written opera. I was not familiar with the history of the castrati in opera so that information added greatly to the feeling of history which permeates this novel. The author has based her story on many true facts and she is kind enough to enlighten the reader about these events in her historical notes following the conclusion of the story. While I found this novel thoroughly enjoyable, I do feel that it would be best if a reader new to the series would begin their reading adventure of the works of this author with the first book in this series. I think anyone starting their involvement here will be confused by how the main characters relate to each other. I'm afraid that lack of detailed information might leave a reader not understanding how this gathering of people at the house in Berkeley Square came about. I must say I absolutely loved the new characters of Mrs. Bligh, Sam, and Boyo and I hope there will be ways to include them in other novels in the series. The third book is titled Island of Bones and the fourth is Circle of Shadowsto be released in mid 2013. I sincerely hope I will have many more books in this series to look forward to.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kings of the North (The Deed of Paksenarrion); Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Moon Page; Review: Absolutely the only reason this novel didn't get that lovely five star rating from me was that too often characters had to relate actions which had just taken place in order to keep someone informed of the latest developments. But with an Elizabeth Moon book I don't dare skip or skim any of those passages because she is very likely to slip in a nugget of information there which I will need to know later. This author has created a fantasy land inhabited by a lot of different characters. They don't all stand shoulder-to-shoulder, they are scattered all over her geographic landscape. Because they are so far apart the story lines shift from one character to another and you have a novel with multiple points of view. If you can't keep track of what one character was doing while you are reading about someone else, perhaps this series isn't for you. Paksenarrion doesn't play a very big role in this particular novel, but her deeds and legends are constantly being talked about and some are even explained a bit for readers new to the series. Also new information is given about things which happened in the lives of Dorrin and Kieri particularly, but also for more minor characters. And thank goodness I was able to find out what happened to Stammel. I had been worrying about that poor man since I closed the cover of Oath of Fealty. This novel has a preview of the third novel in this Paladin's Legacy series, Echoes of Betrayal: Paladin's Legacy which is a tempting morsel. Luckily for me I've already bought that book. There is a fourth novel in this series which is available for pre-order with a release date in June 2013. I thought the action picked up quite a bit in this novel and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the things the newly crowned kings had to cope with in learning to rule their kingdoms. Regal responsibilities are learned and there is a marriage to take place in the near future. If you haven't begun reading this series yet then dive right in and enjoy yourself. I tend to think starting with Sheepfarmer's Daughter is your best bet. There is a very reasonably priced omnibus available containing the first three novels (The Deed of Paksenarrion: A Novel). Now, that's a great way to begin.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Breaking Point (A Joe Pickett Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Box Page; Review: I thoroughly enjoy reading a suspense novel written by someone as talented as C. J. Box because he begins to build the tension in his novels from the first page. This man doesn't lolly-gag around filling the pages with superfluous material that can be done without. He gets straight into the story and fills in the details and back story in such a way that it doesn't interfere with the smooth flow of the novel. That makes his books such a pleasure to read. And, there is no difficulty for the reader if you haven't read each novel in order or even if this is your first because the present circumstance is explained so well you can simply step into the story and move along with it. I read a lot of books and I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to read a work which is so reader friendly and yet so entertaining at the same time. I didn't realize this novel is loosely based on a true incident which took place in Idaho until I saw that information on the Afterword and Acknowledgments page in the back of this novel. Corruption and vindictive actions by highly placed members of governmental agencies is at the center of this novel of a man who encounters roadblocks every way he turns in his efforts to build his dream retirement home in Ranger Joe Pickett's part of Wyoming. Before it is all over government agents are murdered and untold damage is done by a natural disaster brought on by someone exceeding the powers of his office. This book certainly doesn't have what I would call a happy ending and I have to say I was completely fooled about who was responsible for starting the whole thing in motion. For me, the sign of a well written suspense novel is for the author to reveal the guilty party and for me to be surprised but accepting. You won't hear any arguments from me about how this one was plotted. And don't miss the page in the back of the book which shows twelve states, their square mileage, and what percentage of them is owned by the Federal Government. I almost couldn't believe my eyes!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Serving Victoria: Life in the Royal Household; Author: Visit Amazon's Kate Hubbard Page; Review: It is not difficult to find reading material concerning the reign of Queen Victoria which presents her from either a positive or negative perspective. Thankfully this author, Kate Hubbard, has succeeded in presenting a scrupulously fair account of six individuals who participated in life in the royal household from 1838 until Victoria's death in 1901. Sarah Lyttelton, lady of the bedchamber and then in charge of the royal nursery; Charlotte Canning, one of the ladies of the bedchamber; and Mary Bulteel Ponsonby who served as a maid-of-honor make up the three women who are featured. The three men are Randall Davidson who served as domestic chaplain; Henry Ponsonby, Victoria's private secretary; and James Reid, the physician-in-ordinary. The accounts of the daily lives of these six people are taken from letters and journals written by themselves or others involved in the royal household, often the Queen herself. The materials themselves are not presented here, rather quotes from the various pieces of information so that the reader isn't having to read through entire correspondences just to get to the relevant passage. Throughout the entire book the same theme kept reasserting itself, that being how all-consuming the requirement was for those who were close to the queen in the royal households. All of the women were on the rota system of serving for a one month period three times per year. This took them completely away from their families, including husband or children if they were married, since they were required to live at whichever residence the queen happened to be residing at when their time to serve came up. The men were even more restricted because they were expected to serve almost constantly from the time of their appointment until they left the queen's service with only short breaks for "leave". And even those times were more often than not interrupted by messages from Victoria. In the case of the service by the women we see the unending tedium which prevailed in the royal households even after Victoria and Albert were married. I was struck so strongly by one comment by a woman who had been out of "waiting" for five years and yet when she returned she discovered that absolutely nothing had changed. Even the same number and type of cookies arranged on the plate served at tea. The boredom and physical discomfort must have been almost unbearable. The book is filled with fascinating insights into the lives of the royal family and the personality of Queen Victoria is given in a balanced way. Some passages might show Victoria in a negative light, but the author is quick to point out the circumstance surrounding the comment so the reader can make up their own mind as to what the comment might have meant. This also applies to overly fulsome quotes where the author will make note of a possible reason or personality trait which would cause the writer to make such a comment. The way Ms Hubbard deals with the questions of John Brown and the nature of his relationship with the queen; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Man Without Breath: A Bernie Gunther Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Philip Kerr Page; Review: I started out reading the first three Bernie Gunther novels (March Violets, The Pale Criminal, A German Requiem) in a collection called Berlin Noir because a friend recommended them. He was right, Bernie was just my kind of character and I have gone on to read other novels in this series. I like the tough outer personality that covers a basically nice person just trying to survive in a hard environment style of character. Bernie had a sarcastic, ironic attitude about his jobs and a thumb-your-nose at The Establishment style which made me cheer him on. My expectations were pretty high for A Man Without Breath. Most recently Field Gray: A Bernie Gunther Novel was a letdown, but Prague Fatale (Bernie Gunther) was one I enjoyed. For some reason this latest novel just never seemed to click in for me. The factual information is still absolutely incredible because of the depth Philip Kerr has gone to in his research. I don't like reading about the atrocities committed by all sides during that war, but at least I can trust Kerr to have given me the truth while including his fictional plot. Most of the characters used were even actual people who played a part in the war. Having all the Polish, Russian, and German names to keep separated in my mind was somewhat of a challenge, but that's pretty standard with a novel set in this period of history. No, what was a disappointment to me was the predictability of the plot. Bernie is assigned to go to some isolated military encampment to investigate Problem #1. While there he encounters Problems #2,#3, #4, who knows how many. There will be a woman involved. Bernie will be arrested/hurt/tortured or all three. But this Bernie was a different man - at least he seemed so to me. I didn't really like him very much and the witticisms were more forced than smile worthy. And the ending...........oh my, don't even get me started on the way I feel about that ending. THAT was not predictable in any way. The problem is that it stretched my ability to believe in a credible resolution all the way to twanging point.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Echoes of Betrayal: Paladin's Legacy; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Moon Page; Review: Please be aware that the stories in the Paladin's Legacy series all flow together. This is the third book in this portion, but the characters and fantasy world all began with the combination of Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold contained in a book called The Deed of Paksenarrion: A Novel. After that (those?) are Oath of Fealty and Kings of the North: Paladin's Legacy, then this novel. It is really a good idea to read all the books in order if you possibly can, but Elizabeth Moon does provide back story throughout her books which fill in some of what has happened in previous novels. Just don't expect a tidy synopsis in the first chapter to get you all caught up because that is not going to happen. Also, don't expect any of the novels to have resolutions to all the situations happening in individual novels. The novels all flow together seamlessly, as if they are simply one book divided by new artwork. If you don't enjoy that type of fantasy series, you might want to rethink buying this novel. The world created here has gnomes, elves, humans, dragons, gods, sorcery and magic. The characters are rich and deep and complex with strong overtones of "belief" involved in their lives. Even the evil characters are strongly portrayed because they are followers of dynamic, evil gods. For those who love this series because of the Paladin Paksenarrion, be warned that she is talked of throughout this book, but she does not make an appearance. Keiri has to deal with an invasion of Lyonya, Mikeli must confront whispered accusations concerning Dorrin as renegade Verrakaien try to capture hostages to take over their bodies. Arvid Semminson, the thief, is sent on a mission by the Marshal-General which results in him finding a young boy whom he rescues. The lives of people are changed when they come into contact with Paksenarrion and those changes result in even larger changes felt throughout the Eight Kingdoms. This series of novels is one of the most absorbing I've ever read. I feel as if I know these people so well that I am compelled to continue reading to find out what will happen to everyone I care about. Moon's strategy for dealing with Stammel's disability was a masterful stroke. Now I'm ready for the next episode to be released in June of 2013, Limits of Power (Paladin's Legacy). I sincerely hope Elizabeth Moon has many more stories she wants to tell. She continues to add new characters to this fantasy world which keeps it energized and alive. To my mind, she is a truly gifted storyteller.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Gentleman of Fortune: Or, the Suspicions of Miss Dido Kent (Dido Kent Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Anna Dean Page; Review: My choice of genre for reading is mystery, thriller, and suspense, but sometimes I get a little bit worn out with all the killing and violence. The body count can get overwhelming. That is when I like to settle back with what I term a gentle mystery such as this one. If Miss Dido Kent has a male equivalent he would surely have to be Hercule Poirot because both he and Dido choose to use their brain to solve mysteries and each notice minute details which add up to provide a solution to the crime. This story is set in 1806, in the city of Richmond outside London but practically a world apart because of the difficulties of travel in those times. Dido is staying with her cousin Flora for the summer. In a letter to her sister Eliza she describes the unexpected death of one of the leading personalities in Richmond and the fact that rumor is being spread around that the nephew of the dead woman may have hastened her demise. The first novel in this series, Bellfield Hall: Or, The Observations of Miss Dido Kent (Dido Kent Mysteries), establishes the style of letters written by Dido to her sister Eliza as one means of explaining the circumstances Miss Kent finds regarding the mystery she is almost forced into investigating. I was glad to see that this second novel did not rely quite so heavily on that device, but had Dido conversing and detecting in more of a natural manner. Even though I enjoyed the letters to Eliza this slight change in style made the novel easier to read and understand with the added bonus of making everything move along at a faster pace. Not so much waiting around for another letter to arrive or be sent off. It was nice to see that Mr. William Lomax was brought back into this story even if his reason for being in the vicinity was a trifle thin. Probably the only thing I didn't particularly like in this novel was the wholesale appropriation of some scenes and situations taken directly from a Jane Austen novel. This author has a wonderful talent all her own. She writes convincingly in the Regency prose style and I didn't think she needed to make use of the ideas from another author to make this book a success. I understand she is a fan of the works of Jane Austen, but I sincerely hope that will not happen again. As of now there are two more novels in this series, A Woman of Consequence: The Investigations of Miss Dido Kent (Dido Kent Mysteries) and A Place of Confinement: The Investigations of Miss Dido Kent (Dido Kent Mysteries). I'm looking forward to settling into my reading chair for more relaxing puzzles featuring this highly intelligent and observant woman who at the age of thirty-five seems destined to remain a spinster. We will see what Mr. Lomax has to say about that.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Veil of Civility (Declan McIver Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Ian Graham Page; Review: Authors of modern day political thrillers have the luxury of being able to allow their imaginations free reign to come up with stories which allow us behind the veil of secrecy where governments are concerned. So how do you feel about reading something that is so chillingly possible? Granted the story here is fictionalized, but it also comes very close to the realm of possibility. This novel in particular will satisfy even the most dedicated government conspiracy theorist. Sadly, because of the elements loose in our modern world, aspects of this story might someday become fact in our own country rather than fiction. It is to be sincerely hoped that day never comes. Ian Graham has taken a former terrorist in the IRA and reformed him into a truly decent, law abiding American citizen. The problem with ones past is that it so often will not remain safely covered over by the good being done in the present. Declan McIver is now a successful business man who buys up foreclosed properties and gets them ready for resale. He and his wife are comfortably off financially, but both still work hard for what they have. Simply by being in the wrong place he becomes involved in what appears to be the killing of a prominent Jewish professor at a conservative university in Virginia. Without realizing it, Declan has seen the person responsible for the destruction and murder. Now the tables are turned by powerful forces in Washington, D.C. to point the finger of guilt at him and keep the eyes of the nation away from a truly terrible terrorist event which is going to happen next. I enjoyed this novel by Ian Graham. The tension within the story builds consistently so that I finally reached the point where I simply didn't want to put the book down to go to sleep. Yes, it's true that you must suspend belief in order to enjoy novels of this genre because we all like to think that nothing like this could actually happen. This one got a little more far-fetched than some other writers I've read so I reminded myself that it is entertainment, not the recounting of actual events. I was a little surprised to find that I did not view the main characters, Declan and his wife Constance, as fully humanized people. This was quite surprising to me because the villains came across as totally believable and realistic. Somehow Declan and Connie were not personalized enough for me. Probably because I kept expecting them to do basically normal things, react normally, think normally. Constance was a complete innocent in this kill-or-be-killed lifestyle. I kept asking myself when they were ever going to think about money or clothes or employees or co-workers or to call Connie's family to let them know everything they were reading and seeing in the media was not true. There was also the odd situation of neither of them making mention of the fact that they had left a pet behind in the home when they fled. No mention by them; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Anatomist's Apprentice (Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Tessa Harris Page; Review: I had a lot of problems with this novel, mainly disappointment in the author's ability to convince me that this very young man was indeed an expert in his career field. There is such a disconnect between the world of 1780 and today that an author must work doubly hard to convince a reader that a 25 year old man can have been practicing medicine for eight years and be considered an expert in his field. Granted, lives and careers moved at a different pace during that time period but this character never showed any evidence of the gravitas which should have been required to have worked his way to the top of his profession. Dr. Thomas Silkstone is the wunderkind of which I speak and he lectures and teaches anatomy at Oxford University in England despite being a Colonial from Philadelphia. Lady Lydia Farrell has approached Dr. Silkstone to request that he perform an examination on the body of her brother Edward. Rumor has begun to spread that Lady Lydia's own husband may have had some hand in the death of the young Sir Edward and time is running short for any type of postmortem examination. Dr. Silkstone is genuinely curious as to the cause of death, but his agreement to look into the matter also has a great deal to do with his attraction to the lovely Lydia. In the first place, if you make the decision to read a novel dealing with this type of subject matter you need to be prepared to read some passages which are necessarily uncomfortable for you. Unless this is your chosen profession or you are like me, just plain curious. The descriptions of the decomposition of corpses can be quite disturbing and this novel is filled from beginning to end with them so make certain you are prepared for that. I felt the author did a fairly good job in depicting her chosen time and place without relying completely on English weather or sanitary conditions of London and Oxford in the 1780s. Then she went and spoiled it by throwing in a pet albino rat and even went to the trouble to explain to readers in a Glossary what an albino rat is. Oh, dear. And the names she chose for some of her characters. Oh, dear again. The first half of the novel is more given over to explanations of scientific and medical experimentation in anatomy and forensic investigation and I think the slow, methodical method of the writing indicated just how daunting the task was which this doctor had set for himself. Essentially he was trying to come up with a chemical analysis process of liquids to separate out and identify individual components without having the least idea of how to do that. Interesting reading for a short time, but not so much in regards to moving the mystery plot forward. This author set herself a hard task. She needed to have her expert witness appear to be an expert in a discipline which had not been invented yet. The mystery; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: IBS: Free at Last! Change Your Carbs, Change Your Life with the FODMAP Elimination Diet, 2nd Edition; Author: Patsy Catsos; Review: Does the title of this review sound trite to you? Does it sound unrealistic? I certainly hope not. I hope it will give you the courage to buy the book and embark on finding out WHY your gut feels the way it does and HOW to make it feel the best it can possibly feel. I've read this book from cover to cover at least four times now. I've highlighted, underlined, put on sticky notes, you name it. I have not compared this book to any other so I can only speak to what is inside this one, but I can tell you it has positively changed my life and I expect that will continue. The first time I read through the book there was so much material for me to absorb that it was a little overwhelming. All of the terminology was new to me. I certainly recognized myself in some of the testimonials and the list of symptoms, but with IBS one size very positively does not fit all. Each person is an individual and it is up to each person to apply the information according to how the foods react with their own gut and symptoms. I began the Elimination Diet and within three days knew I had found a way to address my problem. It was so fantastic to feel normal again that I began to have a fear of adding back foods from the challenge lists in order to home in on which specific categories and individual foods are IBS triggers for me. I stayed in the elimination phase for two weeks because it was so nice to feel normal. Patsy Catsos makes a very strong case for not getting stuck in the elimination phase though, she encourages trial and error so that the full range of foods becomes available again. The challenge with fructans was the first I chose because I was so sure I had a problem with wheat. No, passed through with flying colors. Next came lactose. I now know that I am lactose sensitive, but by judicious food selection I can easily include all the foods in that category in my diet---just not all of it on the same day! My surprise category was fructose so I'm still experimenting with the foods with the lowest fructose content and working my way up to the ones which I simply cannot tolerate. The galactans/GOS challenge was another one where I didn't have any problem, but polyols have also made me go slow and pretty much try one food at a time. Certain dietary carbohydrates are responsible for my IBS symptoms. This book has given me the tools to know what food is in what category, how to determine which foods I can have in my diet, in what quantity, and which are better left out or substitutes found. I can now read food labels and spot ingredients that I know are tolerated by my system and those which are not. I've learned that producers of foods don't always provide good, detailed information on their food; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: THE HIGHWAY: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Box Page; Review: I was not aware when I began reading this novel that it features characters from the C. J. Box novel Back of Beyond. I read that one some time ago and enjoyed it quite a lot, so when I began to recognize references to the previous book I was more interested in this one. Box has taken quite a dramatic departure in overall tone with this book from the other series he writes. Even though the Joe Pickett novels are mysteries and feature someone being murdered, they are more easy to read from an emotional standpoint than this one was. The subject matter here is kidnapping, torture, and horrific murder of young women, most often prostitutes who work interstate highway truck stops. The novel is presented from more than one point of view and Box did a good job of characterization for most of the main people. There were some segments that read like excerpts from reference material and some very annoying explanations of acronyms which could have been handled more smoothly. Especially from such an experienced author. Because the subject matter of this novel falls into what I call the "three g's: grim, gritty, and gruesome", there are probably some readers who will find the content disquieting and uncomfortable. I must say though, Box managed to write the gruesome aspects in such a way that they are simply suggested and not graphically described. That is quite an accomplishment given the awful subject matter he was dealing with. There does seem to be more profanity in this novel than I am accustomed to with other works by this author, but then it is necessary to keep in mind the criminal minds he is dealing with here. Unfortunately, I did not actually like the book. It is certainly never going to be remembered fondly by me for many reasons. First, the incredible happening about half way through the novel just left me shocked and stunned. I also found the about-face made by another character in the space of two days to have been accomplished much too quickly and it did not ring true to me. I also developed little or no connection with any of the characters and could have gladly put the book down at any point after the first half and not wondered what happened. I really was done, finished, and didn't care, but I continued reading the entire novel. The set-up for the next book in the series is certainly clearly spelled out, but I have no intention of reading the next book. My husband and I are both C. J. Box fans so I asked him to read this book too. His reaction was exactly the same as mine even though we never discussed the book until he had finished reading it. We like the Joe Pickett series because we like the characters, both continuing and newly introduced, and we love the feeling of the Montana geography and mind set we get from those books. This book, "The Highway", could have taken place at any place which has close; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Crimes by Moonlight: Mysteries from the Dark Side; Author: Visit Amazon's Charlaine Harris Page; Review: Thank goodness all the stories in this mix are not about vampires. Personally, I don't like vampire stories, but I do enjoy other elements of the paranormal so I had high hopes when I saw that the subtitle of the book is Mysteries From the Dark Side. And there are many excellent stories collected here. It is always interesting to read something written by an author in a genre or sub-genre they don't normally write in. I find they often go off in directions quite unexpected and that was certainly true here. My absolute favorite story is by Margaret Maron titled "Small Change" where she presents a completely different slant on the entire shape-shifter topic. Not only was it delightful from that perspective, but she also created a young female heroine who could very easily carry a full novel. I am a devoted fan of Alan Bradley and his eleven year old heroine Flavia de Luce in a mystery series. This story reminded me strongly of the Flavia books except with a really original twist added. Other favorites were from William Kent Krueger - you will never think of pork in the same way again! and S. W. Hubbard - could any family seem any more normal and yet not be? This compilation has paranormal elements from all areas of the dark side, some menacing, some simply intriguing. I was very glad to find that I had not read any of the stories in previous anthologies except the offering from Carolyn Hart (Riding High) so was able to find many authors I'm interested in doing further investigations of. There are twenty short stories which was a good number. There was even a Mike Hammer story written by Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane. The explanation for how that story came about was interesting to read. I liked this concept of having authors who write mystery stories stretch their imaginations to take a slight walk on the wild side. The results kept me entertained and interested.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Trail of Dead (A Scarlett Bernard Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Melissa F. Olson Page; Review: When I read the synopsis for this book I became really interested in finding out how the author could make a new type of fantasy character -- at least this "gift" is new to me -- work in the standard witches, vampires, werewolves world. What I found was an interesting premise which landed with a dull thud. A dull null? Not interesting after all. So Scarlett is a null which means that others lose their powers when within a specific distance from her and revert back to being human. This is an extremely rare talent so she is still learning how her gift works. "Others" hire her to be close to them for extended periods of time so they can feel/be human again. (Really? Why?) The thought of a vampire's potty habits needing a refresher course when in close proximity to a null really didn't set my heart racing. Scarlet's actual job within this fantasy world is to clean up crime or death scenes involving the aforementioned witches, vampires or werewolves so that the police do not become involved. I did not read the first book in this series and it was not a necessity because the author covered the back story pretty thoroughly so I had no trouble catching up, yet she didn't bore me to tears with it. That was one good aspect of the novel. In most other ways this novel and I obviously go in different directions. I don't enjoy reading the he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not or I think I like him but ten minutes later I think I like the other one romantic entanglements. Add to that the romances all left me decidedly cold because they were all lukewarm to begin with. Scarlet is the kind of heroine who doesn't want to get involved completely with anybody because she might ultimately be a danger to that person yet what is really holding her back are deeply seated psychological issues never dealt with. Yawn. And then we find the semi-juvenile dialog. At one point a character says (I'm paraphrasing here because I'm reading an advance copy and shouldn't quote directly) **We live in L.A. Of course there will be a spare car key. Everybody has a spare car key.** Really? Only in L.A. do people have spare car keys? Only they are enlightened enough to have a spare car key at home? I only chose one example of the many, many available because otherwise this review would run to a thousand words. I did not care for this book and I will not be recommending it to anyone who asks for a reading suggestion.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Limits of Power (Paladin's Legacy); Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Moon Page; Review: As I got deeper into this novel I began to feel that it could almost be described as an opportunity to put characters in place for the next big happening in the series. Yes, this is the fourth book in the segment called Paladin's Legacy, but it is actually at least the seventh book to feature the original characters from the world of the paladin Paksenarrion. Elizabeth Moon keeps all the character story lines open and moving even though I think that might make anyone new to the series very confused. If I were asked, I would never suggest anyone begin this series here, or indeed with any book other than The Deed of Paksenarrion: A Novel which contains the first three books in this series. Once you have the main characters and the fantasy world firmly established in your mind you will better understand all that is taking place in these newer novels in the series. I love these books, but there is so much history between the characters now that someone trying to begin here will surely be lost, confused, and even frustrated. This installment in the series features changes in the lives of Jandelir Arcolin, King Kieri and Queen Arian, King Mikeli and his brother Camwyn, Stammel, Arvid Semminson. There are marriages, births, deaths, along with much more about the rockbrothers and Dragon. This fantasy series has so much detail that at times it can be slightly overwhelming. Especially when I am trying to keep straight in my mind exact locations for kingdoms and whether mages, elves or gnomes are the principal "others" living alongside the humans. The tension builds throughout this novel for what might come in future books. Sometimes I would have liked for more background detail to have been given so I could understand, fully, what had brought a specific character or situation to this place in time. That information is not always given and it can get to be a frustration. I know the books are moving forward, I understand that, but I also know that it is very difficult to keep all of this minute information in my head from the publication of one book to another -- often at least a year in time -- and the author makes no effort to help me catch back up from where the last book ended. They all simply start up as if you just finished the previous story. Is that something peculiar to fantasy novels? Because I have noticed that exact same writing technique in the fantasy novels of author Naomi Novik also. I thought this book was wonderful. It is not filled with action scenes, although there are some of those. More than anything this novel serves to bring each character's story to a point where they are ready for what will happen next. I suppose I will simply have to wait to read the next installment or maybe I should go back and start at the beginning myself to help pass the time.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Fearsome Doubt (Inspector Ian Rutledge); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: I loved reading this sixth book in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series. Originally released in hardcover in 2002, the wonderful thing about these novels is that they don't become dated with the passing of time because they are set in a past far distant from our own. In November 1919 Rutledge has been back working at Scotland Yard for some months. The Great War ended on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918, at 11 am. How horrible to think that the fighting actually continued until that very hour of time. If you have never read any of the Rutledge novels you will find him to be a psychologically damaged veteran of that war. Shell shock completely incapacitated him until his sister found a doctor who was able to lead Rutledge out of the true fog of war his mind was mired in. Unfortunately, unknown to everyone, Rutledge carries in his mind the thoughts and feelings of one specific soldier who died when Rutledge had to order him executed for refusing a direct battlefield order. The voice of Hamish McLeod is very prevalent in this story, adding an other-worldly aspect to the process of solving the crimes Scotland Yard has charged Rutledge with solving. Not only must Rutledge deal with current murders and the torment Hamish puts him through, but he also begins to wonder if he is losing his mind completely when he sees a face in a crowd of a man he doesn't truly remember except to know the man is dead. Add to all of these problems the assertion by a widow that Rutledge was negligent in his proof of the guilt of her husband as a murdered and he almost can't function to perform his job. Is this new evidence Nell Shaw has shown to Rutledge really an indication of her husband's innocence? Did Rutledge help to send an innocent man to the gallows before the war? The personal life of Rutledge takes many direct hits in this novel and his problems continue to pile up to such an extent that it seemed almost to overwhelm the character. Yet through it all he continued to investigate every situation with the same meticulous care this author writing team has always assigned their lead character. All my favorite characters were present and a lot of background war experiences for Rutledge are explained. If you have read some of the later books in the series, you will appreciate finding out more of the circumstances which happened on the battle field. The writing is top-notch with the characters all being developed fully and the descriptions of locations and living conditions so clear and precise you will feel like you actually see them. A first class novel.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Diabolist (Dominic Grey); Author: Visit Amazon's Layton Green Page; Review: I expected this novel to be about two men solving crimes committed through paranormal means. That really isn't the focus of this book or the series as a whole. Instead it is concerning the leader of one cult removing the leaders of other cults who worship Satan or the devil, here firmly separated as two entities. Two men trying to make sure the stronger evil does not succeed. Viktor Radek is the most respected religious phenomenologist and the world's expert on cults who now does his crime fighting through Interpol. Dominic Grey is an expert in jujitsu, an ex-marine, and a former operator within Diplomatic Security. He was happy to join Viktor Radek as his assistant. Now their latest case takes them to London to track down the man responsible for the seemingly impossible deaths of other cult leaders. These characters felt wooden and almost clinically unemotional to me and considering the seriousness of the subject matter that didn't work well. They also didn't seem to have enough contrast between each other except that Grey asked questions and Radek lectured. They both relived traumatic episodes from their past with their suffering not reaching me on any emotional level at all. The story should have had a horror story scary feel to it and yet it just never came close to being frightening for me. The premise that Radek could simply invoke the name of Interpol and command instant assistance from everybody and anybody was much too far-fetched for me. The writing also felt very flat with words simply strung together instead of flowing naturally. Some of the dialog actually made me laugh out loud which was very unfortunate since it was supposed to be extremely serious. And some of the writing was very clunky and could have used some judicious editing. If characters walk into a restaurant, they should at least sit down before being half-way through their meal. All in all, not a success from my standpoint. There are two previous novels in this series. Perhaps you might want to start at the beginning. I will not.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Song of the Quarkbeast: The Chronicles of Kazam, Book 2; Author: Visit Amazon's Jasper Fforde Page; Review: I read the first book in this series, The Last Dragonslayer: The Chronicles of Kazam, Book 1, in September of 2012, and determined I would not continue with the series. I should have stuck to my guns. I have thoroughly enjoyed other novels written by Jasper Fforde, but obviously not the Kazam series. I had hoped my reaction to the first book had been an anomaly which would not be repeated. According to the material which accompanied my advance readers copy this book is aimed toward children in the 10-14 year age group. I don't know if they would actually enjoy this book but I strongly suspect they would not. Jennifer Strange is the 16 year old lead character and she is quite a nice character except that her main attributes seem to be organizational and management skills which are not actually very exciting. The cast of magicians is about evenly divided between good and (sort of) evil, yet even the All Powerful Blix - recently appointed Court Mystician - failed to project any type of menacing personality. There are also woefully few appearances of the Quarkbeast upon which the story supposedly rests. In some reference material I found when the first novel was about to be released it was mentioned that this series was to be a trilogy. I don't know if that idea has been shelved or not, but this second book is very neatly and firmly tied up and reads like a complete and closed book - pun definitely intended. Once again I found this story to be rather boring with some sightings of the usual Fforde imagination and wit but not enough to sustain my interest. I'm sorry about that.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Accidents Happen: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Louise Millar Page; Review: This was an interesting book to read, a combination of mystery and psychological thriller. The author, Louise Millar, did a very good job of establishing all of the psychological problems of her lead character and the build up of the tension leading to the final scenes was done in an excellent manner. I was certainly wanting Kate Parker to manage to find some help in coping with the issues caused by all the trauma in her past. Kate had developed methods to keep her from coming to terms with the deaths of both her parents in a car accident and her husband from a home invasion and robbery. Unfortunately simply trying to ignore the underlying cause of her mental instability was not helping her to recover and was actually beginning to make her eleven year old son exhibit some anxiety symptoms of his own. Of much more interest to me were the characters of Saskia, Kate's sister-in-law, and the truly strange man who lived next door to Kate. The man Kate met, Jago Martin, was a well portrayed character and I could understand how someone as mentally fragile as Kate would have been attracted to him. From the standpoint of being a thriller I would say the novel was a success. Unfortunately this novel began to be less of an enjoyable read when the author asked me to accept too many major changes in Kate's life in too short a time span. Issues such as Kate's which had been in complete control of her life needed more time to be resolved instead of simply meeting a man and being attracted to him. Kate began to seem to simply do whatever bizarre thing this man dictated with not much more than an OK. I think if the author could have made the circumstances play out over a longer period of time it would have been much easier for me to accept that Kate had made such dramatic changes in her thinking and actions. This book was provided to me at no charge by the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Gallows View: The First Inspector Banks Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Peter Robinson Page; Review: This novel, first published in 1987, isn't old enough to make it classify as historical fiction yet it is old enough to make the issue of women's liberation seem dated. I'm glad to say that the lack of technology and forensic investigative resources never bothered me because it was so clear that they were not yet widely used. I wanted to begin reading this series with the first book in order to decide whether to continue with the rest and before I began buying them up. Now I'm slightly confused. When viewed strictly as a police procedural it was very enjoyable and I thoroughly liked the setting of the smallish English village of Eastvale in Yorkshire. There are just enough descriptions of the countryside and places nearby to allow me to understand the geography and the types of people native to that part of England. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks has only been in Eastvale for less than a year after transferring from London. Watching how he and his wife and two children are adapting to their new surroundings is a large part of this story. On the other hand, I didn't like the way Banks and several other characters were portrayed in their private lives. I have a clear view of Banks as a policeman, but not as a man. You would not expect such a small town in the north of England to have quite so much crime, but there seems to be something of a crime spree going on. Since the incidents begin with seemingly small occurrences it takes a little while for the police to have enough information to effectively work on the cases. Then it becomes necessary to figure out exactly how or if they are related or connected. Pulling in the female psychologist to help with profiling the peeping tom seemed to come much too early in the story and explaining that it was done to head off any criticism from the local women's liberation movement fell rather flat when that argument over whether a man or woman should be consulted was never used by anyone. When you read this novel you have to take into account the time period in which it was written and first released. The women's lib arguments did not seem particularly effective to me, but perhaps that is simply from hindsight. The police procedural aspects were quite well written so the novel was very much a success for me from that standpoint. I had planned to read the books in chronological order if this one proved satisfactory. Instead I think I will skip ahead in time and see if I like the way the author has grown the Alan Banks character. After all, it is Banks who must carry the story and if I find myself not wanting to read about the main character there really is no need to continue the series. Here's hoping the next book I read will give me what I'm looking for in a mystery novel. Also, I keep seeing reviews calling these novels "quick, easy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Strange Metamorphosis; Author: P. C. R. Monk; Review: This imaginative and charming story will surely appeal to Young Adult readers who are adventuresome themselves. The journey young Marcel embarks on will take them into a world filled with the dangers he faces as he is given chances to learn about who he really is and what he wants to do with his life. Marcel has been given the chance to choose between staying in familiar surroundings with people he knows or stepping out into a place of uncertainty and yet coming closer to fulfilling his dreams. He listens to advice and thinks he has made a decision which will please almost everyone. Before making an official announcement of his decision he goes for an insect collecting trek down to an ancient oak tree. There, under that wise old oak, he is surprised to find that the tree is growing. But, no, the tree isn't growing, Marcel is shrinking. I couldn't quite decide exactly what age group this novel would appeal to most, but I think it would probably be toward the older end of the Young Adult fiction genre. There are some aspects of the story which might prove to be unsettling or even frightening to younger readers since there are characters who are either in perilous danger or who do die. Once shrunken Marcel sets off on the journey assigned to him by the oak tree so that he can resume his normal size and his tiny size means that every insect or animal in the grass, trees or water has the potential to be lethal to him. He meets many insects along his way and gathers a "team" of an inchworm, a horned beetle, and a bee who want to help him get to his goal. As Marcel encounters each obstacle in his search for the substance he must take back to the oak tree he learns a hard lesson about life and his reaction to problems. Each lesson takes him closer to becoming a bug and further from being a boy. The world created here is very well described and enjoyable, but I did wonder if some of the scenes might be rather frightening for more sensitive children. While Marcel is facing his greatest fears they may hit very close to home for readers also. I thought the first several chapters made the book a little difficult to enjoy initially. I understand that the author needed to set the stage for the human world in which Marcel lived, but if I had not known something of what to expect I'm afraid I might not have been interested enough to continue reading. Also, the beginning of the novel has a very French feel to it, purposefully written that way because it takes place in France, and yet as soon as Marcel shrinks all of that atmosphere is gone and it becomes an adventure story with a fable or parable like quality. As I've said, I did enjoy the book and I learned a lot about insects along the way. I received a pdf version of this novel from; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: King Arthur: Dragon's Child; Author: Visit Amazon's M K Hume Page; Review: When I opened this novel I was surprised to see that this evidently is a new release of a book from 2009. I have no idea if changes have been made to the original version. What is covered here is the life of Artorex from the time he was twelve years old until he is crowned King of the Britons and becomes known (at least here) as Artor. I chose to read the book simply because I was curious about it, certainly not because I have anything other than very basic knowledge of the Arthurian legends. I will have to let others comment on the accuracy of information, but I did find it interesting to read where the author said this book is based on a translation of an obscure text which seems to say that Guinevere was Arthur's second wife. Who, she wondered, might have been his first? And so she wove her tale around that concept. While the concept might have been an interesting one the actual writing of the novel was rather unimpressive for me. The style of writing of this author seems to be business like, perhaps even bordering on the brusque. The lack of descriptions and illustrative prose made the story read precisely like that, a told story not a novel. It could almost have been a verbal rendering of the legend and I found that became rather boring and ultimately uninteresting. Retelling of daily training sessions where Artorex learned how to use each weapon in his arsenal never amounted to anything more than retellings of the sessions. Did he never see anyone else fight with those weapons? Did he never practice with anyone else? And after he had mastered one item the story moved on to him working with another item or a horse or a household duty until he had mastered each. There were some portions of the novel which had more life to them, but for me there were not enough of those to hold my interest completely. All more or less appeared to be just a detailing of the facts. It certainly did not come across as inspired prose. This novel was provided to me by the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Iris Brave (Soul Jumpers) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Ali B. Page; Review: I really enjoyed this story. In the case of middle school age children it might be a good idea for parents to be sure they are supervising what their child is reading in order to explain that Iris sometimes acts in impulsive ways which could lead to danger. This is a story, please don't think you should try this kind of thing in real life. In order to make the book more interesting and exciting Iris did quite a few things which no parent would ever want their child to do and an adult can reinforce that while allowing the child to enjoy the adventure. Iris Brave was a refreshingly realistic character because she wasn't presented as being the smartest, most beautiful, most athletic or most well liked child ever in the entire universe. She was perfectly normal sounding and I liked that. Iris is an eleven year old whose father died in a car crash ten years ago. Her father was accused of driving while drunk and was responsible for the death of an 18 year old man in another car. This story shows how those circumstances have continued to have an effect on Iris, her mother, her grandfather, and the friends and neighbors of the family. When Iris goes to stay with her grandfather on his farm for her summer vacation she becomes involved in a mystery that she is determined to solve. All of this is wrapped around the mysterious man in the gray hoodie who seems to be following Iris around the small town close to the farm. Who is this mysterious man and why does he keep leaving notes for Iris? There is a very interesting concept in the novel concerning what a person's soul is. Then Iris finds herself confronted with information about a group of people known as Soul Jumpers. Unfortunately because of this cliff hanger ending readers will have to wait until the second book in the series to receive more information about Soul Jumpers. I can't help but feel that this story could have been extended and had a better ending point. As it is, there are so many unexplained circumstances which never lead to any positive resolution at all. Perhaps young readers have become so accustomed to serialized books that these types of things don't bother them. I, on the other hand, feel that a novel should contain enough of the story that it could reasonably be read as a stand alone book. There is an excerpt from the second book, The Sixteen, in the back of this one. Hopefully all my questions will be answered there. I think this book is remarkably well written, especially as it seems to be the debut novel for this author and a well written book is always a pleasure for me to read. I may have a few quibbles, but I still recommend it. A copy of this novel was provided to me for the purpose of reviewing. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Knickerbocker Glory: A Chef's Guide to Innovation in the Kitchen and Beyond; Author: Matthew Robinson; Review: I certainly hope those responsible for this book (Matthew Robinson - author, Andrea Lynn - chef and author, and Todd Miller - illustrator) will be pleased to know that their efforts inspired me to create my own Knickerbocker Glory. I had never heard that term used before but deduced from the cover of the book that I must be about to read a cookbook for dessert sundaes. Actually the book presents recipes for 30 interesting and/or unusual treats, but so much more. I am the type of cook who follows a recipe the first time I make a dish and then makes my own adjustments if I make the recipe another time. I don't consider myself to be creative, simply adaptive. This book gave the basic history of the Knickerbocker Glory and then concentrated on how to use innovation in concocting your own signature dessert with concepts that can carry over into all aspects in your personal life and career. I saw it as a kind of challenge to me to actually try to be creative. So the upshot of all that was that I presented myself with the idea of using Matthew Robinson's method of applying ideas for looking at an opportunity in a different way which led me to be more creative than I knew I could be. With the help of this book I was inspired to use my own ideas to fulfill a challenge and come up with my own Knickerbocker Glory. Once I began to use the helpful information in this book, it went like a breeze. The result was a gorgeous, delicious treat! Here are the components for my first original Knickerbocker Glory. I have not included any ingredient amounts because that will be determined by how many desserts you plan to make. Just believe you can do it.........and then wing it! It's very exciting to be creative. Goal: To create my own original Knickerbocker Glory. Inspiration: To use only those ingredients and items on hand in my home. Things considered: #1 - try a new cooking technique, #2 - find a suitable container for showcasing the dessert, #3 - be innovative in finding a component of the recipe. LEMON BLUEBERRY KNICKERBOCKER GLORY Top layer: Italian Meringue with fresh blueberries for decoration (I've wanted to try Italian meringue for a while now.) Second layer: Blueberry coulis Third layer: Soft lemon cookie, crumbled Fourth layer: Fresh blueberries Fifth layer: Vanilla/lemon ice cream (softened the vanilla ice cream, added lemon curd until desired tartness was achieved, refroze the ice cream) Sixth layer: Blueberry coulis Seventh layer: Pound cake cut into cubes Serving: Used a clear pilsner glass and long iced tea spoon By following the concepts laid out in this book I defined my goal, identified my inspiration, and planned my things to consider to end up with a delicious, beautiful product. The wonderful part is that these same strategies will translate into other aspects of my life. Now I'm ready for the planning session to come up with a fundraising idea for a non-profit group I volunteer; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom; Author: Visit Amazon's Deborah Yaffe Page; Review: People who consider themselves Janeites - devoted fans of the writings of Jane Austen - come in all different types, just like any other group of fans of any person, group, or product. I would definitely classify myself as a "quiet" Janeite. One who enjoys moving out into the world of Jane Austen fanfiction sometimes, but who doesn't own a Jane Austen Action Figure or bobble-head doll because I never knew such things existed. Now that I know they exist because I read about them in this book.....I still don't own one. Nevertheless, I was still intrigued to read Deborah Yaffe's investigative journalistic results to see how other lives have been impacted by a love of the writings of this one specific author. The research is written around and through details of Yaffe's plans to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Jane Austen Society North America (JASNA) in 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas in complete Regency costume for the ball on Sunday night of the convention. Her decision to attend the ball in costume was undertaken to fill out her experiences of dedication and immersion into the JASNA AGM experiences which many of the Janeites she writes about in her book find pleasure in. Even though a regular attendee at the annual convention, Yaffe normally took a more low-key approach to the outward trappings of Austen adoration. The details of how she went about finding the elements for her custom made dress was very interesting to follow and I really appreciated the fact that she did not hesitate to include information for how costly this decision was in terms of dollars and cents. Even though Yaffe had visited Chawton cottage years before (the home where Austen wrote or rewrote her novels), she made another trip with other members of JASNA just months before the 2011 convention to provide research information for this book. Now that is an example of real dedication to your craft. However, somebody has to make the sacrifice. Descriptions and reflections of the many experiences of this trip were very enjoyable for me, mainly because Yaffe did not try to make it seem that everything was totally idyllic and perfect. Years had passed since her first visit to Chawton, she was now a much different person and the atmosphere and destinations had new revelations for her. Once the research was done and the interviews were completed it was time for the convention. I really appreciated the way she kept the information under wraps for who the convention key-note speaker would be. That was a huge surprise for me and a coupe for the organizers. My overall reaction to this book was definitely positive even though there were some times when I felt that much too much background information was given about the Janeites interviewed in order to show the broad range of people who love the writings of Jane Austen and who love, and sometimes seem to live, to talk about them. Tracing these people's lives back to their childhood seemed to be including too much personal; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Day of Reckoning (Shadow Warriors); Author: Visit Amazon's Stephen England Page; Review: Heart pounding. Gut wrenching. Sound like reactions you want to have when reading a novel? Well, if so then look no further than this second novel in the Shadow Warriors series by Stephen England. Because I show a public e-mail address on my Amazon profile page I often receive solicitations from authors requesting that I read their novels and then post a review. More often than not I end up being disappointed. In 2012 I received just such a request for a novel titled Pandora's Grave (Shadow Warriors 1) by this same author and I was positively stunned when I read the book. No "self-published" or "debut author" horrors there, no, instead I was captivated. Now.....the second book was offered to me. Would there be the dreaded sophomore novel let-down? No, no, and even positively no! For me the novels written by Stephen England resonate with realism because he develops his characters to such a fine degree. These characters are not perfect people. They are not super hero types. They are simply people who believe in the virtues of honor, duty and patriotism and who are willing to put their last breath on the line to protect all they hold dear. Their job isolates them, even from their own families, and it often causes psychological harm which may not be repairable. This novel is a political thriller that will send chills down your spine because the entire premise absolutely scared me to death and yet I can see how it might actually happen. Truly frightening to contemplate. This time CIA operative Harry Nichols is back in the States, but it quickly becomes apparent that there are huge problems within the FBI and CIA and those problems have the potential of costing agents their lives. When DCIA David Lay's car is involved in a bomb blast it puts events in motion to find the unthinkable - a traitor in high places within the government of the United States. With agents lives at risk from within and without the Agency, they have to make the decision of who to trust. Sometimes it just comes down to going back to the old methods of what worked in the Cold War. A new war on terrorism is being fought with cold war methods so Harry Nichols does the unthinkable and crosses the line for what he can legally do. Harry kidnaps the daughter of Lay, his former boss, and then "goes black" in order to track down those responsible for the death of David Lay. Harry discovers once again that old agents never really die, they simply go off the grid. This is a stand alone novel and you do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this one. The returning characters are introduced here with just the right touch of simplicity which makes them come alive on the pages once again. The mechanics of this novel are something that some readers might need some time to adjust to. All of the various story lines are carried on simultaneously by the method of; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Day of Reckoning (Shadow Warriors Book 3) - Kindle edition; Author: Visit Amazon's Stephen England Page; Review: Heart pounding. Gut wrenching. Sound like reactions you want to have when reading a novel? Well, if so then look no further than this second novel in the Shadow Warriors series by Stephen England. Because I show a public e-mail address on my Amazon profile page I often receive solicitations from authors requesting that I read their novels and then post a review. More often than not I end up being disappointed. In 2012 I received just such a request for a novel titled Pandora's Grave (Shadow Warriors 1) by this same author and I was positively stunned when I read the book. No "self-published" or "debut author" horrors there, no, instead I was captivated. Now.....the second book was offered to me. Would there be the dreaded sophomore novel let-down? No, no, and even positively no! For me the novels written by Stephen England resonate with realism because he develops his characters to such a fine degree. These characters are not perfect people. They are not super hero types. They are simply people who believe in the virtues of honor, duty and patriotism and who are willing to put their last breath on the line to protect all they hold dear. Their job isolates them, even from their own families, and it often causes psychological harm which may not be repairable. This novel is a political thriller that will send chills down your spine because the entire premise absolutely scared me to death and yet I can see how it might actually happen. Truly frightening to contemplate. This time CIA operative Harry Nichols is back in the States, but it quickly becomes apparent that there are huge problems within the FBI and CIA and those problems have the potential of costing agents their lives. When DCIA David Lay's car is involved in a bomb blast it puts events in motion to find the unthinkable - a traitor in high places within the government of the United States. With agents lives at risk from within and without the Agency, they have to make the decision of who to trust. Sometimes it just comes down to going back to the old methods of what worked in the Cold War. A new war on terrorism is being fought with cold war methods so Harry Nichols does the unthinkable and crosses the line for what he can legally do. Harry kidnaps the daughter of Lay, his former boss, and then "goes black" in order to track down those responsible for the death of David Lay. Harry discovers once again that old agents never really die, they simply go off the grid. This is a stand alone novel and you do not need to have read the first book to enjoy this one. The returning characters are introduced here with just the right touch of simplicity which makes them come alive on the pages once again. The mechanics of this novel are something that some readers might need some time to adjust to. All of the various story lines are carried on simultaneously by the method of; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Longbourn; Author: Visit Amazon's Jo Baker Page; Review: I'm sure I would have enjoyed this book more if there had not been an attempt to coattail it onto the fame of one of my favorite novels. I enjoy reading stories set during this time period and the premise (minus the attempt to connect it to Pride and Prejudice) was quite good. Seeing the world from the viewpoint of those below stairs, regardless of the name of the property on which they lived and worked, promised to be different and interesting. Unfortunately, every time I was becoming truly interested in the lives of the servants as individual people I would lose that interest by being irritated by the exposure of yet another unflattering episode with an Austen character. Why did this author not just write her own story and leave out the attempt to connect to the literature of Austen? I'm sure we can all come up with several answers for that question. I enjoyed the story when it struck out on its own and concentrated on the characters this author invented. There was no attempt to match the writing technique of Jane Austen so that aspect was not something I had to contend with. At least now I know I won't have to worry about looking forward to the film version. When considered as an interesting idea with good execution, this book rates three stars from me. If I had based my star rating on the connection with P&P, two stars.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things: Mister Max 1; Author: Visit Amazon's Cynthia Voigt Page; Review: One of the things I especially enjoyed about this novel is that author Cynthia Voigt made Max an interesting character without adding any kind of magical or supernatural abilities to the story. Max is the only child of William and Mary Starling, the owners and principal actors for the Starling Theatrical Company. Their lives revolve around anything associated with plays. They can't even seem to have a simple breakfast without turning it into a performance. The Starlings are offered the chance to open a theatrical company in Bombay, India and they set off to board their ship for the journey. Unfortunately, when Max gets to the dock to join them he finds that they have already sailed, but he can't find any ship with the name he and his parents were supposed to travel on. Luckily for Max his Grammie is there for him to fall back on. But Max is desolate at being left behind and why did they sail without him, and what does the cryptic message mean that was left for him at the dock, and what will he do now? One thing Max is sure of is that he wants to be independent. In order to maintain his independence twelve-year-old Max has to find a way to earn money to keep himself in food and essentials until his parents return. After days of fruitless searching for a job all Max seems to be able to do is help people with their problems, so that is what he will do until he knows exactly what is going on with the disappearance of his parents. I really liked Max because I think most children will identify with him so easily. He is average in size, average in looks, kind of like everybody else except for his unusual eye color. But Max has courage and Max knows the benefit of thinking a problem through until he finds a workable solution, but he also learns how important it is to accept help from others. Max has the ability to fall back on the family acting talents when he needs a disguise or when he needs to take on the character in a play which can help him advance an investigation he is working on. Max used logic and common sense and intelligence to solve his problems, something children his age can do as well. Highly recommended for the target age group of 8-12 or for any reader who enjoys excellent plotting and characterization by a very talented author. Included in the packet I received of an advance readers copy from Random House Children's Books was a "Ticket to Adventure" which indicates book #2 - The Book of Secrets - will be released in September 2014, and book #3 - The Book of Kings - will be released in September 2015. Also enclosed was an audio first chapter excerpt read by Paul Boehmer. I enjoyed listening to that and think a recording of the entire novel would be a delight. Even though a copy of this book was provided to me at no; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Winter Ground; Author: Visit Amazon's Catriona McPherson Page; Review: The "winter ground" referred to in the title of this novel is the place where the small Cooke family circus is spending the winter on the grounds of Castle Benachally, home to Mr. & Mrs. Albert (Ina) Wilson in Perthshire, Scotland. Set in the 1920's, not terribly long after the end of The Great War, this is another wonderful story in the series featuring socialite Dandielion (Dandy) Gilver. This story includes many insights into Dandy's husband, Hugh, and her two sons, Donald and Teddy, because the boys are home from boarding school for the Christmas holidays. The boys are wildly excited to have something as thrilling as a circus camped out on the estate next to their own home and even Hugh can't bring himself to deny them the thrill of taking the shepherd's hut and camping out close by. However, when one of the circus performers dies in a manner hard to explain, Dandy is really in the soup to solve the mystery of the death of Anastasia. Hugh wants the boys away from any kind of police investigation and certainly doesn't want them to find out about their mother's little secret passion for unraveling mysteries -- for pay! I absolutely enjoy these novels by Catriona McPherson because they tend to deviate from the formulaic necessity of having everything peachy keen between husband and wife. Dandy and Hugh are drifting apart in their marriage so the question I always want to have answered is whether they will continue to stay together because of the social pressures put on them by the times and their position in society. Dandy shows great independence of spirit in everything she does and this book pushes her even closer to the line of being outside the bounds of polite society by her association with not just circus folk, but the definitely merchant class family of Albert and Ina Wilson. McPherson develops characterizations of all those involved in her novels to a fine degree, whether they be upper or lower classes and reading one of her novels is like getting to peek behind the curtains of every level of society. In this story the dynamics of the relationship between the Wilsons, the interactions between all the circus performers, and the wonderful portrayal of the police inspector makes this novel another interesting study of human nature. Another aspect I especially enjoyed was the descriptive language used to help the reader understand the tricks being performed by the circus members. That was very well written. Catriona McPherson does not write standard mystery novels. There is always so much going on within the various levels of society in her novels that it seems more like a painless way of learning about the rigid class system in place at this time. Those readers who thoroughly enjoy finding out more than just who the murderer is will revel in any novel in this series. Naturally, in order to understand the dynamics taking place in the relationship between Dandy, Hugh, and Alec, who helps solve the cases, I think it is best to; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Monkeewrench; Author: Visit Amazon's P. J. Tracy Page; Review: In the back of this novel there is a question and answer session with the mother and daughter team who write this series of novels. From reading that I realized they have pretty defined segments which each woman is responsible for writing. The very good thing is that even knowing that information the novel flowed so well from one author to another. These two women match each other so well in style and thinking that having them be team writers definitely does not make the final work suffer at all. Monkeewrench is the first novel in this series, but I began with Off the Grid: A Monkeewrench Novel. I enjoyed that one so much that I decided to go back to the beginning and read the previous books in order. I like the humor injected into the stories. These books deal with some heavy subject matter and that little touch of levity, irony or sarcasm keeps the characters in the realm of reality and, for me, it helps to humanize them while they are dealing with such dark and violent situations. Monkeewrench Software is almost ready to launch their new computer game where players look for clues to help them solve the murders of a serial killer. Each clue must be solved before the player can move on to the next level, the next murder. How do you get into the mind of a serial killer to solve these cases? Well, the game hasn't even been released for sale yet when suddenly this game is being played out in real life. The police have to find out the background of the designers of this game plus investigate the scene of each very real crime which is following the script down to the tiniest of clues. So how is the crime in Wisconsin tied to the murders in Minneapolis? As a debut novel this one didn't stumble anywhere for me. I expect the characters in a novel to be larger than life and that is what I found here. So how much fun would it be to read a novel where everything was portrayed exactly the way it would happen in a real life crime? Not very exciting, that's for sure. This had just the right touches of humor and humanity along with a chance for the reader to work alongside the characters so everybody worked to solve the multiple crimes. Since the book was originally released in 2003 or 2004, some of the computer techniques might have become dated. That will matter to someone who is familiar with that technology, but I am not in that group so I had no problems with that aspect of the book. I enjoyed it a whole heck of a lot and am definitely ready to move on to Live Bait. There are lots of potential romantic relationships left unresolved in this one and I want to see how the characters progress in the next story. The romance is not the major focus of the novel, I wouldn't want it to be since I'm reading a; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Eloquence of Blood (A Charles du Luc Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Judith Rock Page; Review: On many different levels this story was quite interesting to read. If I only had to consider it from the standpoint of how well it was written and how informative the depiction of the historical time, it would rate a solid four stars from me. My problem is that I wanted to read a historical mystery and this story simply felt as if it wandered around for 356 pages before it came back pretty much to where it started. I read the first novel in the series, The Rhetoric of Death, and was pleased to discover a new author who had written a well done historical mystery. I immediately ordered this second in the series plus the third, A Plague of Lies (A Charles du Luc Novel). I will go ahead and read the third book since I already have it and my reaction to that will determine if I chose to purchase the upcoming November 2013 release, The Whispering of Bones (A Charles du Luc Novel). I enjoy the Maitre Charles du Luc character with the contrasts between his past life as a soldier with his new vocation to become a priest of the Jesuit order by teaching rhetoric and dance in the college of Louis le Grand operated by the Jesuits in Paris. I enjoy the true historical information given regarding this schooling for young boys and learning about the educational system in place at that time. I also like learning about Paris in the 1680's with all the social, religious, and political layers of life during this period in history. What I also want is an intriguing mystery to captivate my attention and challenge my deductive capabilities. For me, this novel was not as good from the standpoint of the construction of the mystery as the first novel. I sincerely hope that will not happen again in The Plague of Lies because I truly enjoy reading historical mysteries.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Other Side of the Dale; Author: Visit Amazon's Gervase Phinn Page; Review: For those of us who often want to read something which is enjoyable and yet relaxing at the same time, this novel by Gervase Phinn certainly hits the spot. Recounting his experiences during his first year as a school inspector, Phinn takes us on many trips through North Yorkshire that puts the reader in the center of that wonderful landscape and among those truly fascinating people. The book was first released in 1998 and has held up very well from the standpoint of technology within the school systems because it doesn't rely heavily on that technology. This book has its focus firmly on the relationships between Phinn and the people he comes into contact with while learning his new job. The prose is warm and comfortable, even comforting at times, because it represents such a change from the mad rush in which we are so often forced to live our lives these days. Phinn shows us how these stalwart people of the Dales manage to slow him down as they enjoy their more rural way of life. Since Mr. Phinn is also a poet, his descriptions of the people he meets and the physical landscapes he sees are nothing short of brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed this first book and plan to continue reading many more in the series. If you like this type of novel which walks you down memory lane to slower paced times in the English countryside, you might also enjoy the Miss Read books such as Village School (The Fairacre Series #1) and Thrush Green (Thrush Green Series, Book 1). If you enjoyed either reading the novels or watching the television series about James Herriot, then Gervase Phinn will certainly be an author you will want to sample.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lullaby Town : An Elvis Cole Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: This was another enjoyable Robert Crais novel, even allowing for a few slight annoyances, featuring both Elvis Cole and Joe Pike in about equal proportions. If you prefer one of those characters over another, you will want to know that they both help to solve the problem as it unfolds. Elvis initially leaves the sunny climes of California and finds himself in a New England early Fall snow storm while searching for the former-wife and child of a Hollywood mega-famous film producer. Finding Karen and her son wasn't nearly as much of a problem as extricating them from the horrible mess they found themselves in. The situation only got worse when the spoiled brat of a client decided to step in and make everything go the way he wanted it to go. Because this story had its roots in the movie industry Crais decided to link that tiny segment of the world with the job Cole was taking on by describing characters as speaking "movie" and it chafed after a while. People kept being described as "giving confused" or "giving irritated" or other types of emoting as if they were playing those parts in a role. I thought it carried on much too long and had to struggle to keep it from interfering with my enjoyment of the book. Once Pike appeared on the scene in New England things got down to the types of interplay between characters I expect from a Robert Crais novel and I relaxed and enjoyed the book. There are good car chases and gangster interactions and a final show-down that is action and drama rich. This novel was written in 1992 and even though I'm not a fan of the cell phone, I still found myself wondering why Cole didn't just call and let people know what kind of trouble was headed their way. Oops, no cell phone mania during this period so all the detective work is done the good old fashioned way, standing outside in the weather feeding quarters into a pay phone. In all, a really good example of the hard-boiled private detective with a heart of gold. Or in this case, two of them, Elvis and Joe, taking on the mob.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Thief-Taker: Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner; Author: Visit Amazon's T.F. Banks Page; Review: I'm sorry to say it appears there are only two books in this well written series, this novel and The Emperor's Assassin: Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner (Dell Mystery). Having read this first book I was looking forward to following many detecting adventures of Henry Morton, a Bow Street Runner. It seems that won't be the case. Set in London in June of 1815, the story depicts very well the uneasy feelings of Londoners toward this group of men whose job it is to keep the peace regarding criminal laws. Hovering in the background runs the unease felt by the populace with the situation regarding Napoleon Bonaparte. Morton is summoned by his mistress, actress Mrs. Arabella Malibrant, to the home of Lord Arthur Darley where a guest for the evening has arrived dead in a hackney cab. The surgeon on the scene pronounces the death to be from natural causes as a result of the dissipations of the victim. Morton doesn't agree. Social and cultural issues of the day are very well presented in this novel and I got a clear vision of what life was like for the characters. The fact of how easily the criminal justice system could be manipulated was unsettling to read about but certainly matches with other novels I've read set in this time period. I felt that Morton and Mrs. Malibrant were especially well developed characters and I'm looking forward to seeing where their relationship goes in the second novel. As to the resolution of the crime, some might say that there wasn't any clear resolution and that is probably a true statement. Information is provided to the reader and they are left to make up their own mind as to exactly what might have happened. That was acceptable, but I really prefer a definite tying up of all loose ends. One interesting tidbit of information I found is that this novel was written by a team of writers, Ian Dennis and Sean Russell. They even thanked themselves in the Acknowledgments section of the book. Cheeky, that, but perhaps it might explain why one specific resolution to the mystery wasn't written into the book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: On Such a Full Sea: A Novel; Author: Chang-rae Lee; Review: The best word I can use to describe this novel would have to be - fantastic. For me, perhaps it is fantastic more for the manner in which the story is told and the thought provoking questions that I find myself considering. The story takes place in an America greatly changed, many generations in the future. There isn't any explanation for what apocalyptic event or series of events might have taken place to bring the population to the state they are in now. The story is related by narrators who refer to themselves as "we" and "us" without any other identification. They are telling us about Fan, a 16 year old girl who works as a diver in the fish tanks helping raise fish for sale to residents in Charter villages. Reg, who is an 18 year old worker in the vegetable plots suspended above the fish tanks, is the boyfriend of Fan. One day Reg is summoned to the office of a director and is not seen again. Fan defies all sense of culture and tradition by going outside the walls of B-Mor to search for Reg. This is the telling of the legend of Fan. America is divided into three levels of society; Charters who live in wealthy, privileged villages, originals who in B-Mor are almost completely of Chinese ancestry and work in the indoor food and fish farms, and counties who somehow find a way to exist outside the safety of regulated society. Surprisingly, the originals are the people who tend to stay solidly within their place in society with Charters being the most likely to lose their place and find themselves trying to exist in the wilds of the counties. This author has shown a mesmerizing yet disturbing picture of what life in the future could hold. What happens when the work force begins to want answers from those who previously would not even countenance being asked a question? How can wealth effect the person who is diagnosed with one of the C-illnesses? How does a population address problems of overcrowding and lack of any opportunities for advancement? What would be the result if one segment of the population refused to eat the products which make up the sole output of another segment? And within all of these monumental questions the reader is following Fan through the harrowing experiences she is having during her search for Reg. I found this a fascinating story. I don't know if any future novels are considered, but this one was left in such a way that Fan's adventure could quite easily continue. I don't think readers will be able to simply read this story and forget it. This raises some questions that don't have easy answers and would make a wonderful book for book clubs. The discussions would be far ranging indeed.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bellman & Black; Author: Visit Amazon's Diane Setterfield Page; Review: If you are in the mood for a truly well written ghost story, then you've definitely chosen the right book. Author Diane Setterfield has created a novel set in England in the f1840's permeated with an atmosphere of darkness and dread that builds subtly and slowly so you are surrounded by it before you even realize it. This is not one of those books where something strange jumps out at the main character, shouts Boo, and then remains in the story to illustrate the impact they are going to have. No, in fact it is just the opposite. For long stretches of time Black is only present in the story based on the thoughts and feelings of William Bellman. Bellman is a character who has so much natural talent and ability for making successful business decisions that he allows them to completely take over his life. He becomes obsessed with the planning and the strategies and the keeping track of minute details so that he doesn't have space in his mind to remember Black and what Bellman fears Black represents. It all began with such a seemingly small incident in Bellman's childhood. In reality ten year old Will Bellman didn't believe that he could hit the rook with his catapult, the bird was simply too far away. And yet hit the bird he did and he killed the rook and the lives of all the boys who were in the group on that afternoon would be changed because of it. The pace of this book seems slow and yet it also seems to fly by. I couldn't help but feel sympathy for William Bellman when the fever struck and there was so much loss of life in the village. Then the author showed her fantastic powers of imagination when she came up with the next phase of Bellman's life. It was such a perfect business for him to be involved in and yet it multiplied the depth of that atmosphere of darkness and dread which I spoke of earlier. There are segments in some of the chapters which are written from the viewpoint of someone else and those were just fascinating for me. I don't think I will ever forget Thought and Memory. Highly recommended for those readers who appreciate being frightened - or entertained - by words and atmosphere more than adventure. This novel was received from the publisher for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Mysteries; Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Tuttle Page; Review: I really didn't know quite what to expect of this novel. Was it going to be a mystery, a thriller, a fantasy? If you enjoy reading stories of the supernatural, you will definitely find it here. This private investigator is an American who came to Scotland to try to find a young woman who had remained longer than her family expected. He ended up settling in London and basing his career on finding people who had disappeared. It seems that quite a few of his cases centered around paranormal happenings with the latest case being a prime example. Peri Lensky simply vanished from her mother's home over two years ago, but Laura Lensky has not given up on finding her daughter. Her job in England is finished and it is time to return to the States. She hires Ian Kennedy to locate her daughter. The novel has many story lines between the investigation of where Peri might be and sudden disappearances of other women Ian had either investigated or known in his private life. In the chapters between these modern stories are tales regarding people who had experiences with those from the Otherworld. The stories, both modern and old, are all built around Celtic legend or folk tales of fairies. All of this made for an interesting story even though it was slightly confusing at times trying to remember which story I was currently reading about. It helps somewhat that chapters are headed with the name of the prominent person featured in that chapter, but when I put the book down in the middle of a chapter I had a hard time picking up the thread of the story. The Otherworld was quite well written and the descriptions of London and Scotland definitely made me feel the atmosphere and flavor of those locations. My first disappointment with the book was the character of Ian Kennedy. For some reason I had the hardest time picturing that character as being male. Even during one specific scene with beings from the Otherworld, the maleness of that character was much too elusive for me. I couldn't help but feel that all the characters had a decided feminine feel to them. The second disappointment was the lack of any definitive ending or resolution to the story. It simply ended with me having no idea of what might happen to any of the characters. The writing was good, the story line was good, the descriptions were good, but that lack of connection with the masculine qualities of the main character and the vagueness of the ending kept this novel from being a solid reading experience for me. Good, just not great.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dead Eye (Gray Man); Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Greaney Page; Review: Once again a Mark Greaney novel kept my attention glued to the pages. It has been a long time since the last Court Gentry book, but this made up for all that time I spent waiting. I would really like to know if the surveillance techniques used in this novel are real or inventions by the author because they were disquieting and yet fascinating at the same time. According to things I'm reading and hearing in news stories it's possible some of us have probably already come under this kind of scrutiny in completely innocent situations. In this novel real time, eye-in-the-sky, low-level spying results in having Court's life on the line because of the target on his back. A private, off the books agency used by the CIA has committed their resources to finding Court and eliminating him. How better to do that than to keep a watch on a target they know Court will try to take out? Working for this private agency is someone who has the same set of skills as Court and that person is guiding the agents from Townsend Government Services with unerring accuracy. It's almost as if he's inside Gentry's mind. But the real target takes a while to be revealed and it is in the best interests of intelligence agencies of many nations to become involved in trying to prevent the assassination of a political leader. Dead Eye says he and Gentry are completely alike and they should team up and work together. Then the twists in the plot begin. Court Gentry is one of my favorite fictional characters and I was very glad to see him take on even more humanizing characteristics in this novel. I almost felt that I needed to pat him on the back and tell him everything would be okay, except it wasn't really going to be okay. When all is said and done Court is a loner, but in this novel he has to work with other operatives including those from Israel's Mossad. This story is action packed from start to finish and I continued to find myself off balance when trying to figure out the character of Dead Eye. Greaney did a really good job of revealing that character's thoughts and motives over time to keep the suspense going. So there is suspense, and action scenes that had my heart pounding, and unusual gadgetry, and impressive surveillance techniques, and the mindset of people who live their lives on an edge of danger I only want to read about. Do these kinds of things happen in real life? Well, I don't know, but it certainly makes for an exciting reading experience. Now I'm left to hope that there won't be such a long gap between this and the next novel in this fascinating series. I'm pretty stingy with my 5 star ratings for novels, but this one earned that designation from me. Wow, what a ride! I received an advance copy of this novel for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Command Authority (Jack Ryan); Author: Visit Amazon's Tom Clancy Page; Review: I have to admit immediately that I only began reading these books in the Clancy series when my favorite author for this genre, Mark Greaney, began to be included in the writing team. I don't have knowledge of the original novels at my fingertips and I think I probably need to rectify that. Once again I enjoyed this collaborative effort by Clancy and Greaney and found it to be enjoyable and fast paced action. It was one of those books that I was really looking forward to reading and was not disappointed by. Having such a large portion of the novel taken up with the backstory of how Jack Ryan had his fingerprints all over the situation before it got to current time was a good decision. It brought that character into much more of an active participant in the sequence of events than might have been the case if his pages had only dealt with him as President of the United States. Seeing how much influence Jack Senior's wife has on his life as a whole was also an interesting addition. Placing Jack Junior in London kept him working on an entirely different aspect of the novel and I enjoyed watching how the authors moved all the characters around the chess board to get them ready to be present for the exciting conclusion. Sorting out the political climate of the newly formed countries which previously made up the Soviet Union has always been something of a challenge for me so reading here about the different countries made me consult the map of Eastern Europe included in this book. That item was helpful as was the effort made with the vertical lines framing the text on the pages which pertained to the action taking place thirty years in the past. That kept me "in place" if I had to put the book down for a while. This novel was a good addition to the Jack Ryan series, but my personal favorite is still Threat Vector (Jack Ryan Novels). I will be watching anxiously to see what decision is made about continuing this series. A copy of this novel was provided to me for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cross of Vengeance (A Burren Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Cora Harrison Page; Review: In my search to find good historical mysteries I had come across this series several times but had not read any of the novels. I was intrigued to learn more of the Irish system of law and order as illustrated in this novel set in 1519. To think that the Irish were so far ahead of other countries that they could have this system in place where a representative of the king could be completely in charge of hearing cases and settling disputes was interesting enough. But add to that the fact that they did this regardless of whether the Brehon was male or female certainly did make me interested in reading this novel. How did this system work so well when everything depended on the pride of family and community to maintain order? Mara, the Brehon of Burren in mid-west Ireland is also in charge of the law school where she teaches her five students, one of whom is her son and a second is her grandson. They make their way to attend Mass at Kilnaboy Church and find at the service that six pilgrims have arrived to see the holy relic of the one true cross. Unfortunately one of the pilgrims is later found dead with stigmata suggesting crucifixion. Mara will need the help of her assistant and her students to reason out what happened to Herr Hans Kaufmann. Even though this novel is the tenth in the series I had no problem whatsoever with being able to understand the background of the characters, the foundation of the legal system, and the author did a wonderful job of making me comfortable with the characters as well as the surroundings. This is the type of mystery novel where the crime is solved by discussion among many interested parties so I was given all the information showing how Mara came to her conclusion. The themes of religious fervor and human nature are what hold this story together. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will not hesitate to read more in the series. I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sound and the Furry A Chet and Bernie Mystery Unabridged Audio Book on CD; Author: Visit Amazon's Spencer Quinn Page; Review: I really enjoy these Bernie Little and Chet mysteries for several reasons. First because I have dogs of my own and often wonder what in the world is going through their heads when they look at me or when they do something unusual - and then look at me. Second because there is always a good mystery attached to the ramblings that take place in Chet's mind. Chet is the narrator of the Little Detective Agency adventures. I really like the way the author has taken the more difficult way of writing these novels from the point of view of the dog. It means that there is all the normal activity associated with solving a mystery, but with plenty of side trips down rabbit trails when Chet gets distracted by something else. The books are serious and yet light at the same time. This sixth novel in the series sees Chet and Bernie leaving California and ending up smack dab in the middle of a generations-long feud in Louisiana bayou country between the Robideaus and the Boutettes. One of the Boutette brothers has gone missing and for some unknown reason members of a Central American gang want Bernie off this case. And a rival detective agency offers Bernie a huge sum of money to travel as far from Louisiana as possible to investigate another case. Then Bernie meets a veterinarian who has questions about birds suddenly being found dead in the bayou after being exposed to toxic oil and tars, so naturally he has to try to figure out where Ralph Boutette is and what might be causing the birds to die. This is another good novel in the series. If you love dogs, and if you enjoy watching a puzzle being solved, then this novel will be a good book to read. It isn't necessary to start with the first book in the series because each book can be considered a stand-alone novel. I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Resistance Man: A Mystery of the French Countryside; Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Walker Page; Review: I was very pleased to find a new series to read which has such wonderful atmosphere of location and people in the village of St. Denis in the Dordogne region of France. Even though this is book six in the series it was not all that difficult to quickly begin to feel right at home with all the returning characters of the series. In fact, I was enjoying this novel so much I ordered the first book, Bruno, Chief of Police: A Novel of the French Countryside, so I can get in on the beginning of the lives of people who are presented so well they feel completely real. Benoit Courreges (known to everyone as Bruno) is the policeman for St. Denis and therefore is pretty much in on all the happenings of this small town. When Bruno is called to the deathbed of one of the elderly citizens of St. Denis he finds the man clutching a banknote from the train robbery in Neuvic in 1944. Following shortly on that discovery the body of a murdered man is found outside a vacation rental house. As if that wasn't enough on Bruno's plate the burglaries of vacant vacation homes escalates with one of the homes belonging to an English ex-spymaster. Can all of these crimes be separate coincidences or are they somehow related? Bruno and his friends and colleagues are wonderfully presented in this novel. This feels like the way crimes would actually be investigated in a small town; with friends having some particular expertise or access to a person with specialized knowledge contributing their portion to help find out what is causing these crimes. It all comes about in a realistic way so that Bruno gathers the facts and clues on the way to solving the cases. As part of his daily life the reader learns about more than just how the French legal system works, with its overlapping layers of responsibility which could cause some territorial problems, we also learn about cooking and wine because Bruno is an excellent cook and delights in adding to his wine cellar. This novel successfully maintains the difficult balance of dealing with serious crimes and still presenting the relaxed way of life in a small town in the south of France. A delight for armchair travelers and mystery buffs alike.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sword-Edged Blonde: An Eddie LaCrosse Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Alex Bledsoe Page; Review: Take some favorite devices from fantasy and noir detective novels, mix in some chuckles for the reader, then make it a true investigative novel and you've got.....a darn good time! Especially for readers who are willing to give an author some or lots of leeway when it comes to not staying rigidly within genre "rules". Eddie Lacrosse is unashamedly referred to as a sword-jockey. That's what he is, a detective who uses his sword in this made up land to solve the question of why King Philip of Arentia's wife killed their only child. Eddie and Phil grew up together getting into all kinds of trouble. When this tragedy happened Phil sent for Eddie because he knew that was the one person he could trust to solve the mystery of why his wife would do such a horrible thing. The problem is that Eddie is fighting all kinds of mental demons from his past and they all center around Arentia and Phil's family. There are lots of reasons Eddie has been staying away all these years. I really appreciated the balance author Alex Bledsoe achieved between the light and humorous and the dark and heavy aspects of this novel. Child murder is not easily associated with a novel that makes me laugh out loud so I was pleased that the author kept those two aspects so firmly apart. This is the first book in the series and I enjoyed it so much I've already bought more. The most recent book will be released later this month, He Drank, and Saw the Spider: An Eddie LaCrosse Novel, and I am looking forward to reading that one too.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Saints of the Shadow Bible (A Rebus Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Ian Rankin Page; Review: It just doesn't seem to matter which Ian Rankin novel I pick up, so far they have each been a pleasurable reading experience. These police procedural stories have the most impact for me because of the strong characterizations created by the author. Add to that the feelings of realism derived from depictions of the environs in and around Edinburgh, Scotland and I come away with a satisfying mystery surrounded by characters I enjoy reading about. John Rebus has accepted the rank of Detective Sergeant in order to be reinstated on the force since his return from retirement. His partner is Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke, once Rebus' sergeant, who should certainly be familiar with his unorthodox method for police work. The upheaval concerning closing down office locations in the Scottish police has everybody wondering what is going to happen next. That isn't helped by the internal investigation by Inspector Malcolm Fox of Rebus and a group of his fellow officers who once called themselves the Saints of the Shadow Bible. Twenty-five years later one of the Saints murder cases is being reopened and everyone on the investigative team is subject to intense scrutiny. What will the released suspect in that case say when told he might be retried for murder? Reputations are on the line along with Rebus' career. This was an engrossing book which held my interest throughout the novel. With a Rebus story I am never quite sure how much trouble he will get himself into and this one was no different. The backstory concerning the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014, played a prominent role in the plot with politicians and criminals merging to such an extent it was sometimes hard to tell the difference. Rebus is an old-fashioned copper, a real cops cop, but one of the things which makes him such an interesting character is his willingness to go where he wants regardless of proper procedure. A renegade with a heart of (almost) solid gold. It has been my experience that this series can be read in any order because the author is so careful to provide background information critical to understanding the present plot. Another great addition to this series. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: HOUSE OF JAGUAR; Author: Visit Amazon's Mike Bond Page; Review: Every book isn't necessarily for every reader. This book was probably closer to a 2.5 rating from me because it clearly wasn't a favorite for me. The brutality is almost unrelenting either from men inflicting pain on others or on themselves by their choice of actions. It was disturbing. And I certainly couldn't find anything about the primary characters to care about. Joe Murphy should have stopped smuggling marijuana out of Guatemala when he was ahead because this time his plane was attacked while it was on the ground by troops and he barely survived with his life. In doing so he was witness to a murder which would ultimately be blamed on him. The CIA still has an unofficial hand in the running of the Guatemalan government so they want this supposed killer of one of their "advisors" caught and handed over to them. Murphy's compound fracture of his arm should kill him during his trek through the jungle, but if the troops and CIA find him infection will be the least of his worries. I read a lot of thriller and action adventure novels so I expected this novel to be a good fit for me. It was not. The descriptions of violence were so gruesomely graphic that they were hard for me to read about and descriptions of rape will always cause me intense discomfort. I began to wonder if there was a snake left in that jungle which Murphy had not seen, stepped on, or killed. The author's style of writing left me trying to figure out what kind of timeline I was reading about. No clues from the author. Murphy had been a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War, the Guatemalan Civil War was supposedly over around 1996 (I had to look that up for myself), but I have no idea of when this novel was supposed to be taking place. When a reference was made to a Huey helicopter it often seemed to signal Murphy thinking about or reliving a time from Vietnam. The characters just appear in a sentence without background, description or introduction preceding or following. All in all, not a success for me, but I can see how other readers might not be as affected by the unrelenting violence. I read mystery and thriller stories all the time and expect death, just not like this. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Subsequent Proposal: ~ A Tale of Pride, Prejudice & Persuasion ~; Author: Visit Amazon's Joana Starnes Page; Review: How was I supposed to resist when I found two of my favorite heroes - Fitzwilliam Darcy and Frederick Wentworth - together in one book? I'm glad to say this amalgamation of two Jane Austen novels worked wonderfully well. Author Joana Starnes got it all right; the cadence of the speech, the formulation of the sentence structure, the period vocabulary, the morals and propriety of the time period - everything fits together. I had wondered how the difficulties would be worked out of how much of each novel to combine, but I need not have worried. Darcy had given up all hope of Elizabeth Bennet and had decided to offer marriage to Anne Elliot almost entirely because of the positive affect she was having on Georgianna. The method for introducing Darcy to Anne was well conceived and believable so all I had to worry about then was getting Captain Wentworth into the picture. I'm happy to say that was accomplished just as satisfactorily. This is a very enjoyable novel, especially when everybody becomes completely entangled in wrong assumptions. Watching all the skeins being straightened out was delightful. Ms. Starnes stays strictly within the literary style of Jane Austen so be ready for that. If you don't truly love the Austen style of writing, you will not be any happier with this. On the other hand, if you are a bonafide Janeite, prepare to be entertained!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Clean: A Mindspace Investigations Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Alex Hughes Page; Review: Author Alex Hughes tried some different things in this novel and I think she made a success of it. First we have a male main character who is not an alpha male even though the story definitely revolves on his telepathic abilities. He is not named throughout the entire story until the last two sentences in the book and I don't even have a physical description of him in my mind. Normally this might have been irritating for me, but I honestly didn't even notice until I began to think about how to describe this book in a review. This man has been rejected by his Guild because of a drug addiction. Regardless of the high level of his psychic abilities he lives on the edge of being completely trusted by anyone. He does consultation interviews for the DeKalb County, Georgia Police Department and has the highest rate of confessions obtained of anyone on staff. When multiple murders begin to be connected by their unusual method of death he and Detective Isabella Cherabino visit the latest crime scene so he can enter "mindspace" to try to pick up clues. The investigation is made doubly interesting for me because of the low level of technology involved. It seems there was a Tech War many years ago where technology tried to take over the universe and people are still distrustful of anything - no matter how low level - that reminds them of the war. So investigations are carried out the slow, old fashioned way. I think it will be exceedingly interesting to read the next novel in this series to see how the author handles the drug addiction aspect for this character. The twelve-step program for drug addiction plays a very prominent role in this story so now that the character has fought through the urges of his drug of choice and been successful in this investigation he has even more on the line. There is a growing mental link with Cherabino which promises to have a major impact on this character. I really want to see how Alex Hughes portrays her characters in the second story. For me, that's the mark of a well written novel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: He Drank, and Saw the Spider: An Eddie Lacrosse Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Alex Bledsoe Page; Review: Once upon a time a king drank from a cup and he saw the spider. For an explanation of what that means you will have to read this book. If you like fantasy mixed in with your mysteries, and you like some wry humor stirred into the whole mix, you will like this one. In fact you will like this whole series. Crazy King Jerry is the one who saw the spider, but you need to keep in mind that Jerry isn't called "crazy" for nothing. Eddie Lacrosse and Liz Dumont are on vacation. So what does a sword jockey like Eddie do when he's on vacation? He finds a mystery, of course. This one had its beginnings sixteen years before when he saved a baby girl from being killed by a bear and then found a perfect family to leave her with. But the thoughts of that little girl came back to prey on Eddie's mind when he found himself in that same little town again. So, of course, Eddie discovers himself in a whole mess of trouble when he finds Isidore again. I like this fifth book in this series. Author Alex Bledsoe has the knack of blending just the right touches of humor with fantasy imagination to make for interesting characters and plots. Another point in his favor from me is his ability to write about genuinely strong women without taking away their feminine qualities. Not nearly as easy to do as it sounds. Plus he came up with a fantasy concept here utilized by the sorceress Opulora which totally took me by surprise, and I like to think I'm pretty good at figuring out the answer to mysteries. But.....because the unusual idea came from a professional imaginer (the author) my guesses got left behind in the dust. My only quibble is that this book didn't have quite as much action in it as previous stories. It took quite a while to develop. I didn't mind, it was still a darn good book and Eddie's character underwent a lot of good development in the process. The first book in the series is The Sword-Edged Blonde: An Eddie LaCrosse Novel (Eddie LaCrosse Novels) if you want to start at the very beginning. You can't go wrong with any of the books, in whatever order you choose, but starting from the beginning will help settled the characters in the stories to come. I received this ARC through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Emperor's Blades: Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book I; Author: Visit Amazon's Brian Staveley Page; Review: I have to admit to being disappointed with this book. This new fantasy world covers much physical space and yet feels too much like our present world for me. When I heard about the kettral (a huge bird) being a part of this new world I was anxious to find out more about them. Unfortunately they stay in the background for the most part. They are transport for five person crews of guerilla fighters known as Kettrals in this first novel of the series, nothing else. They have no personalities of their own so were of no more importance to me than any other means of moving around fighting groups. The story revolves around three siblings of the Emperor Sanlitun hui `Malkeenian; Adare, eldest child, female, but trusted by her father to be made Minister of Finance in this male dominated culture and government; Kaden, first son, destined to sit on the throne as Emperor, but studying for the past eight years the ways of the Shin monks; and Valyn, the younger male, in training to be a Kettral Wing commander, also for the past eight years. The story primarily focuses on Kaden and Valyn and the training each is receiving from the groups they are studying with. Valyn was training in warrior mode so I could understand the physical difficulties he suffered. Kaden was a different story for me. Having been at the monastery for eight years Kaden was still only about eighteen years old. Surely at some point he would have had at least thoughts of rebellion while having his body torn to shreds by beatings from his monk teachers. Evidently that was not the case. I have to say I found the characters in this novel to be very stereotyped and of them all only one female was allowed to escape the all-good or all-bad designation. The book was hard for me to read and I wanted to give up on it in the first quarter and had to urge myself to read just a little bit more, each time hoping I would become more involved in the story. There were many distractions for me including a prologue which didn't seem to connect with the rest of the story for a very long time, names of people, places and locations which were very difficult to sound out and tell one from another at a quick glance, and the words used for swearing and cussing were absolutely silly: `Kent-kissing, `Shael-spawned. At first I didn't even realize they were supposed to denote swearing because those phrases don't mean anger or frustration or anything else to me. The author certainly had no problem with allowing his characters to use the "f" word, so why the inept sounding made-up swear words? Finally, it seemed that women came in for more sexual abuse and torture than was necessary. I understand the importance when related to the overall motivation of one character, but it seemed to be aimed at women more than strictly necessary to achieve the objective. On the positive side of this gender; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Prayer: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Philip Kerr Page; Review: This novel is being billed as an intense psychological thriller and I can agree with each of those three words. A musical analogy might be that it begins with the sound of a triangle and builds to the crash of cymbals. I've read many novels written by Philip Kerr, but they have all featured his Bernie Gunther character and are police procedurals taking place mostly in Germany in the years of World War II. This story is set in modern day Houston, Texas and features an FBI agent, Giles Martins, who is assigned to the Domestic Terrorism Task Force. This novel is the story of a man who is struggling with his faith in God and what that loss of belief does to his marriage and his career. Bishop Eamon Coogan is associated with the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston and was a friend of Gil's family when he still lived in Boston. Now Bishop Coogan gives Gil information he has collected which seems to point to fatal accidents happening to people who could be categorized as enemies of the religious conservative right. Could they be connected and could they be more than accidents? But none of the evidence points to murder so how could a crime have been committed and what kind of investigation can the FBI mount? As if this wasn't enough, there is a serial killer loose in Houston and the FBI agents are expected to work on those cases too. I can tell you now that you don't want to be reading the final quarter of this novel on a stormy night with the power out if you are susceptible to being frightened by things that go bump in the night. Kerr has written a thriller that was suspenseful and taunt and had me wondering what was real, what was other-worldly, and what might be imagination. The entire novel centers on a character who no longer believes there is a God and how that conclusion changes everything in his life. This reads as if it is a stand-alone novel, but I don't know that for sure. I think Gil Martins is an interesting enough character that he could carry an entire series and make readers want to come back for more.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Arnifour Affair (Colin Pendragon); Author: Visit Amazon's Gregory Harris Page; Review: Lady Arnifour has come to ask Colin Pendragon to investigate the murder of her husband, the Earle, and the attack on her niece which may well prove to be fatal also. She has no faith in Scotland Yard and is willing to pay the high fees demanded by the famed private detective even though the evidence of her crumbling estate would lead people to wonder how she would manage to scrape together the money. Pendragon and his colleague, Ethan Pruitt, find themselves thrown into the underbelly of Victorian London as their search for clues in this mystery and the sub-plot of a missing child takes them from foreign embassies to opium dens. Unfortunately I found this novel to be a rather pale attempt to imitate the Holmes and Watson stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Attempts have been made to differentiate these characters from those, but without successfully establishing the characters here as engaging or interesting in their own right to me. We are told that Colin Pendragon is a famous and successful private detective without any evidence being given to substantiate that claim. His friend Ethan Pruitt is vaguely mentioned as having some medical knowledge and yet the character himself repudiates that claim. Pruitt's major contribution to the story is his past history of being addicted to opium and living on the streets during part of his childhood. There is no ambiguity as to the homosexual relationship between Pendragon and Pruitt though, since we are told they have been in a relationship for the last twelve years and some evidence of this is shown. The housekeeper (not landlady you will notice) who "does" for these two gentlemen is coarse and vulgar and goes by the unfortunate name of Mrs. Behmoth. I say unfortunate because each time I saw her name my brain turned that into Mrs. Behemoth, probably to suit the author's descriptions of her. The Scotland Yard Inspector in charge of the case is certainly no friend of Pendragon or Pruitt and the three of them have a completely acrimonious relationship. The narration of the tale is performed by Pruitt and while Pendragon doesn't play the violin he certainly does take up line after line in the book with his fiddling around with dumbbells and manipulating coins through his fingers. There is no equivalent character to Mycroft Holmes in this story so whenever Pendragon requires completely unrealistic actions be performed by the Foreign Ministry Office I couldn't help but wonder why they acceded to his wishes. Maybe that connection will be revealed in stories to come? I was interested enough in the story to continue reading in order to find out who the person responsible for the acts of violence against the Arnifour household was. Not that the revelation proved to be unexpected. There is a sub-plot involving a young street urchin who comes to plead with Pendragon in hopes he will search for the boy's sister who has been missing for days. Despite the missing child this aspect of the novel was never written with any sense of urgency; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Stone Cold; Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Box Page; Review: I haven't read every C. J. Box book, but I've certainly read a lot of them with a heavy emphasis on the Joe Picket books. This is a really good story and I liked it so much because in this one Joe honestly doesn't have any idea of what he's getting into when he agrees to participate in Governor Rulon's undercover operation. Not that Joe actually had any choice in the matter. Joe is to go to Medicine Wheel County, find out what a wealthy man named Wolfgang Templeton is doing on his Sand Creek Ranch, and do it without alerting any of the peculiar residents who still live in the area. Mostly deemed peculiar because they didn't vote for Rulon. In other words, Joe was supposed to fly under the radar and stay out of trouble. Well, if you've ever read a Joe Pickett novel you understand that is completely impossible for this Wyoming game warden. Stuff always happens to Joe, especially to Joe's state issued equipment. One of my favorite characters in this series is Nate Romanowski and he plays a very big part in this story. Of course there are appearances by Marybeth, Joe's wife, and Sheridan, Lucy, and April. The newly introduced characters in the small towns in Medicine Wheel County are wonderfully developed by Box and the weather and terrain play as much a part of the story as the humans. I was a little worried that Daisy, Joe's dog, would become a hindrance to him, but everything worked out well. This was another exciting addition to the strong series and a pleasure to read, especially if you've ever wondered about thriving or even surviving in the cold mountains of an American West winter. Although there have been many other books in this series any reader new to the series can easily begin here. It will just mean that when you go back and begin reading from the first book you will already know some of what happens as Joe and Marybeth's children get older.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blood and Iron (The Book of the Black Earth); Author: Visit Amazon's Jon Sprunk Page; Review: I see from the information on the back cover that this book is the beginning novel in an "epic" fantasy series. I can certainly see that this can be considered the first adventures in the life of an intriguing character. This novel shows how Horace progressed from being a simple ship's carpenter to being First Sword for Queen Byleth of Erugash. The countries and cities in this novel rely on a slave and master caste culture and Horace has his time of suffering as a slave before his latent powers in a very inventive sorcery come into the picture. Other perspectives in this fantasy world are shown through the actions of Alyra, a handmaiden of the queen and Jirom who is an ex-mercenary who now fights as a gladiator for his owners. Readers who enjoy high action novels will certainly find that in this novel. Even though the start of the novel was somewhat slow in developing there was certainly enough action during the exhibition of the magical abilities by Horace and other sorcerers to get your heart pounding. I've not read any other novels by Jon Sprunk so I can't say if this style of writing is usual for him, but I would describe it as being on the sparse and elementary side when it came to description and dialogue. That was not completely to my personal taste and yet Sprunk does definitely get his points across. If you are already familiar with and enjoy other works by this author, I'm sure you will want to read this opening novel in a new series. If you aren't necessarily looking for lyrical prose, but prefer that the author give you more facts than fancy, this will also be a good reading experience for you. I do read quite a bit of fantasy literature and I would say this novel is standard in the amount of violence it contains. Especially considering that one of the main characters is a soldier and gladiator. This was an interesting reading experience for me. I appreciated the unusual source of magical abilities and can see how the story arc concerning how to end slavery within this fantasy world will provide a lot of scope for the author to work with throughout the series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: An Air of Treason (Sir Robert Carey); Author: Visit Amazon's P. F. Chisholm Page; Review: Amy Robsart, first wife of the Earl of Leicester, died on September 8, 1560. It took a year for the inquest to reach a verdict. So why has Queen Elizabeth commissioned Sir Robert Carey to investigate the case again thirty years later? Preparations are under way for Elizabeth to enter Oxford on this leg of her progress. Because of outbreaks of plague in London the progress has slowed down considerably to avoid returning to a part of the country where plague may still be actively spreading. All of this puts the royal party in close proximity to where Amy Robsart died. All Sir Robert has to do is find thirty-two year old clues and people from that time still living in order to question them. It was widely known in 1560 that Elizabeth wanted to marry the Earl of Leicester, but his marriage to Amy stood in the way. So why did they not marry when Amy died? Sir Robert Carey is both the nephew and cousin of Queen Elizabeth which made for some interesting family dynamics. I enjoy reading historical mystery novels, but more from a period atmosphere aspect than the factual historical perspective. Readers who are interested in the true facts of this actual case will definitely enjoy speculating on the version this author has conceived for this novel. Could it be true? That is definitely for someone other than myself to decide, but it certainly was entertaining. This is the first novel I've read in this series and I appreciated the fullness of character I found in Sir Robert and Sergeant Henry Dodd. The atmosphere surrounding a royal progress was well described along with all the various court intrigues. There is a historical note at the end of the story which the author warns contains spoilers so it was good that I waited until I had finished the novel before I read that. There is also a glossary which I made use of very often. I am looking forward to going back to read previous books in this series and I hope there will be more available in the future. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Mangle Street Murders (Gower Street Detective series, Book 1) (The Gower Street Detective); Author: Visit Amazon's M. R. C. Kasasian Page; Review: This first book in The Gower Street Detectives series shows a lot of potential for what is to come. These main characters are now well established by this book in their relationships with each other and their Victorian environment. Sidney Grice, the "personal" detective, verges on the ridiculous at times, but the author managed to pull him back from that abyss for me just in the nick of time and by the end of the novel he had become quite an endearing character. March Middleton was a more complex character for me and I really enjoyed watching how she settled into the environment of London as well the eccentric household of her guardian. Inspector Pound began as the obligatory bumbling policeman and ended up being a character I really liked. By the end of the novel it had become apparent to me that this series will rest very firmly on the shoulders of this young woman who was highly instrumental in solving not only the Mangle Street murders, but those of Slurry Street as well. In the process of figuring out all the twists and turns involved in the crimes a cohesive unit of three have taken steps to become a crime solving force to be reckoned with. I think the novel comes closest to being described as a parody of the Conan Doyle novels and yet this author has been so clever that I was able to simply enjoy this story and stop drawing comparisons to the Holmes/Watson/Lestrade formula. The characters present in this novel are truly different from those and have personalities and a vitality all their own which had me continuing to read to see if I could come out with the same conclusion they reached for who the murderer (or could it be murderers) might be. The humor in this novel is not subtle and at the beginning I laughed outright at some of the situations. My only problem with the story is that I consider myself a serious reader of mystery novels and consequently I began to wish some of the rather ridiculous situations would fade into the background and the story would concentrate completely on solving the multiple crimes which are described in gruesome detail. The humor and the gore side-by-side became a bit of a distraction for me. Not enough to keep me from looking forward to reading the next installment, though. Instead of the game being afoot, in this case, the flag is flying! I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Winter King, The: A Hawkenlye 13th Century British Mystery (A Hawkenlye Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Alys Clare Page; Review: In the autumn of 1211, wealthy lords and barons around Tonbridge are plotting and planning ways to overthrow England's King John. Some are more than willing to even use an old woman who has begun to see visions of the future of the king to stir up resentment against John personally and especially his struggles for power with Pope Innocent. While in a trance Lila speaks of John as being The Winter King. In working for King John, Benedict de Vitre has been brutal and unrelenting in his collection of taxes for the king, making himself wealthy in the process. Could he be skimming money for himself from the taxes he has collected? When de Vitre is found dead at his own feast many people take it for granted he died because of his excessive love of food and wine. After all, he had been warned that his heart might not be able to stand much more of his high living. At least one person, though, is definitely worried. Sabin de Gifford, the wife of the sheriff of Tonbridge, is the apothecary for the town and also a healer, but she will have to have the help of someone with more knowledge to understand what might have actually happened to cause the death of Lord Benedict de Vitre. If you are already a follower of this series of historical mysteries, you will be glad to see all the characters together again. Josse d'Acquin and Helewise, the former abbess of Hawkenlye Abbey, and their entire extended family are at the House in the Woods. Josse is glad to have his daughter Meggie back close at hand. These characters have all played their parts in previous novels and are by now well developed by the author. I liked how the descriptions of the living conditions felt so correct for the period and yet were not so over-emphasized that they overwhelmed the story line. The plotting was tight and the motivations of the characters was easy to understand and be convinced of. This story takes place over a short period of time with the result of multiple deaths and yet those deaths do go toward explaining the actions of several characters. There is an atmosphere of the supernatural connected with Meggie which is quite interesting to find in a mystery novel, but it is kept firmly rooted in her heritage and fits well into the beliefs of this time period. I enjoyed this novel very much because of the excellent writing done by Alys Clare. If you haven't read any other novels by this author, this book is a really good place to start. Even though it is part of a series it is very easy to start here and understand the relationships of all those involved in the story. Of course there is some backstory involved, but the author has done a very good job of integrating the information new readers will need to feel comfortable with their first experience with this set of characters while not causing returning fans to be frustrated by; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Martian; Author: Visit Amazon's Andy Weir Page; Review: The Martian was quite a surprise for me. Surprising because it included so much technical chemistry and math information and yet the author was able to hold my interest throughout his story. Mark Watney is the astronaut left behind on a Mars probe mission because the other five members of the team thought he was dead. Even after searching for him the crew was unable to find Mark so their Mars exploration ended after only six days. Fortunately for Mark circumstances had come together perfectly for him to survive the injury he received. Except that now he is alone on this very inhospitable planet with no hope of rescue. Wait, maybe there is a chance. I thoroughly enjoyed the humor author Andy Weir incorporated into his main character because that kept the book from becoming tedious with all the mechanical and environmental problems that needed to be solved for Mark to survive. I don't think most people would have been quite so sanguine regarding their situation, but since the novel is written mostly as excerpts from Mark's official log we get to read about his disasters after he has overcome them. Otherwise, he would have been dead. This was quite an exciting story and I found myself as absorbed as I would have been if the incident was taking place in real life. The world-wide concern for the lone survivor and the rescue-at-all-costs mentality felt very real, probably because we have all watched efforts play out on the world stage which mirror this plot. Perhaps the ending came a little too abruptly considering how much time had gone into getting the rescue attempt ready, but this is definitely a novel I'm very glad I read and one I will positively recommend to friends. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cress; Author: Visit Amazon's Marissa Meyer Page; Review: As the main character in book three of The Lunar Chronicles it seemed that Cress doesn't get quite as much of the novel dedicated just to her as the two previous books have to their characters. That becomes more understandable when you find that Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress along with all their friends (and enemies) have large roles to play in this adventure. Any reader new to the series will definitely want to begin with the first book, Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles, even though author Marissa Meyer has done a really good job of integrating the backstory of all the characters up to this point. Still, the stories of Cinder and Scarlet are so compelling it would be a shame not to read them. The contrast in personality between Cress and the other characters is starkly drawn. It really was necessary for me to keep reminding myself of what an isolated life Cress had lived for seven years; alone on the satellite with only periodic visits from Mistress Sybil from Lunar to bring supplies and instructions for computer hacking work Cress was to be assigned. All the other characters in this series are either sure of themselves or at least sure of their mission so having Cress be so shy and socially awkward took a little getting used to. And yet she was made to be a character who had a talent which was essential to the success of any operation the rebels carried out. Even if that operation led to war between the Commonwealth and Lunar. This series is continuing to be exciting and action filled, with strong characters who are written well and balanced. I'm glad Iko has a new android body so she can be included in all the action these young people become involved in, she's one of my favorite characters. The main characters mostly range in age from approximately 16 to 20 and sweet romance is definitely one of the themes in the novel. Also, the cover art for this series is some of the best I've seen in a long time. It is very distinctive and certainly eye-catching, making these books you will want to keep and display.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death of a Policeman (A Hamish Macbeth Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's M. C. Beaton Page; Review: It's no spoiler to say that Constable Cyril Sessions is the dead policeman the title of this novel refers to. Even the book description tells you that much. Detective Chief Inspector Blair thinks he has come up with a foolproof plan to get rid of Sergeant Hamish Macbeth in the Lochdubh police station. There is a new initiative to reduce the size of the police forces throughout all of Scotland. If Blair can send Sessions to spy on Macbeth and get evidence of Macbeth and his policing partner, Dick Fraser, frittering away their time, he can present the evidence to Superintendent Daviot and get the station closed down. Everyone knows Hamish will never settle for being transferred to Strathbane so Blair will have solved his problem by eliminating the perpetual thorn in his side. Blair has pulled this kind of trick once before so Hamish is suspicious of the handsome man who suddenly appears in the vicinity and starts taking pictures of Dick napping in a deck chair in the garden. Before much else can happen someone stops Cyril in his tracks with a shotgun blast. Fans of this series will find a lot of familiar material which can be a good thing. Favorite characters are back and the conflicts between Hamish and his superior officers is just as prevalent in this novel as in all the other many books in this series. Hamish is definitely not a by-the-books type of policeman and that has always been part of his charm. Bending the law or outright breaking the law to suit his own purposes is his style and there is a lot of that in this novel. I haven't read any of the novels in the last few years, but immediately felt at home again in the Highlands with its quirky weather and equally quirky inhabitants. However, there was a twist in this plot that happened about 70% of the way into the book that I have just never seen utilized before in a mystery novel. After I had digested that circumstance I couldn't help wondering what was going to happen in the remainder of the book. Well, what happened was the tying up of all the loose ends to the story and there were, indeed, many story lines which needed attention. If it had not been for that very unusual plot twist, I think this would have been a solid 4 star reading experience for me. That twist, though, well that was just a little too much for me to handle. And the body count in this novel is so high I just have to wonder who is left for the author to kill off. I don't see any reason a reader new to this series can't begin here. The author has given enough backstory to make a new reader feel comfortable. If you like this one, the good news is that there are many other Hamish Macbeth novels for continued reading. Unfortunately this book didn't make me eager to jump back into the series to catch up on what I've; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fated (Alex Verus 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Benedict Jacka Page; Review: About half way through this 278 page book I actually said out loud, "Okay, Mr Jacka, you had better do something about this veiled backstory pretty darn fast or I'm out of here." Oh, well, he never did but I stuck with the story to the end. Maybe in the second book? Please, authors, if you are going to tease me with a backstory that formed your main character into his present state, at least tell me that story, get it out in the open, let me understand what caused such an impact on your character and we can move on. Alex Verus is a character with magic abilities as a diviner of the future. I really liked the way the author took that one step further than most fictional "seers" by explaining to the reader that Alex looked at each possible future path available in a given situation and saw how it branched off and changed when influenced by even the most slight of variations. That was so much more interesting for me than to just say his character could read the future. Alex tried to find a future with the result he wanted and then backtracked to see what he had to do in the present to make things turn out that way. Now that was clever writing. My problem came when Alex and Luna and Sonder and Starbreeze were all such mild characters. Somebody on the good guys team needed to step up and have the breakfast of champions every morning! Their mild, almost quiet manners made it hard for me to believe they could possibly come out as the victors in each situation. Not really likely. If the Dark mages, their apprentices and slaves were really as powerful with magic as they were portrayed, these characters should have been dead, dead, dead. I liked the location of Camden in London for the magic shop and felt it was described in such a way that I could actually believe that a shop of true magic could be in that area and yet not be taken seriously by most of the pedestrians who walked by it each day. Hidden in plain sight was a good home base. If the backstory for Alex had been filled in more fully it would have explained why the Dark mages flocked to Alex to force him to retrieve the fateweaver artifact encased in the stone statue in the British Museum. Then it would have been a short step to explaining how he knew Luna, more about her curse and maybe even why she was so important to opening the statue? I know what she found, I just don't know why SHE found it. I am going to read the second book, not so much because I liked this first one so much, but more because I've already bought the second one. Let's hope all will be revealed to my satisfaction in Cursed (Alex Verus).; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hollow City; Author: Visit Amazon's Ransom Riggs Page; Review: After having enjoyed the first book in this series so much, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children), I hate to have to say I'm slightly disappointed in this second book. This one takes up immediately after the first book ends with the children, all of them peculiars, having to try to survive the trip in their boats from the island to the mainland while avoiding German submarines. Once they make it safely to the coast they begin a frantic race to reach London. Miss Peregrine is in her bird form and the children must get her to someone who can help her change back to her human form within a very few days or she will always remain a bird. So the children race from one hair-raising episode after another trying to stay out of the reach of the soldiers and get to help only to find London a city engulfed in catastrophe. The vintage photographs used in this second novel were not as unusual (at least for the most part) as those used in the first book. There are still some that are truly odd, but most are more along the lines of showing the ravages of war. The author has used the photos once again to illustrate his narrative, but they were not as compelling for me as in the previous book. The peculiar children are still interesting and yet my familiarity with them now makes their actions almost expected, almost commonplace. And then, of course, there will be disappointment for readers who don't already know that this book ends in a complete cliff hanger. This author has such a wonderful imagination which totally captivated me in the first novel. This second book I didn't enjoy as much.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Burn Me Deadly: An Eddie LaCrosse Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Alex Bledsoe Page; Review: I started reading this series out of order (began with He Drank, and Saw the Spider: An Eddie LaCrosse Novel which was released in January 2014) and was so impressed I wanted to begin with the first novel, The Sword-Edged Blonde: An Eddie LaCrosse Novel (Eddie LaCrosse Novels). From there it was a no-brainer for me to order the other books. This one is the second in the series and was a tiny let-down for me, teetering on the edge between three and four stars. Because Bledsoe was able to make me want to finish the book I decided to go with the four stars. Granted, the books are fantasy so I shouldn't be surprised when I encounter fantasy within the pages, but the dragon myth focus in this one didn't seem as interesting or even entertaining as the two previous novels I've read. What I did like was the development in Eddie's character. The growth in his relationship with Liz didn't take the focus off the "sword-jockey" aspect, which is what I read these books for, but it came a little too close for comfort at times. I'm not looking for a fantasy romance novel so I prefer having more sword and dagger fight scenes than bedroom action scenes. This one came a-l-m-o-s-t too close to having the bedroom take up too much of the story. I'm really hoping that will take up less attention now that Liz and Eddie are very firmly established as a loving couple. This book has quite a long excerpt from Wake of the Bloody Angel (Eddie Lacrosse) in it so now I'm all ready to begin the next adventure.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Secret Life of Sleep; Author: Visit Amazon's Kat Duff Page; Review: When I looked at the cover and title of this book I came to a wrong conclusion. I expected that I would find a discussion of sleep disorders and help in finding more information on those subjects which are fascinating to me. That was my misconception; the book never makes a claim like that. While it is true that some unusual sleep circumstances are discussed, such as insomnia, sleep paralysis, narcolepsy and sleepwalking along with others, those problems are not the purpose or focus of this book. Instead what I found here is an in-depth discussion of sleep in general as it is perceived by cultures throughout history and throughout the world. Added to that is how sleep or lack of sleep is being used and even misused in modern society and what the consequences of that misuse are. What is going on in our brain as we sleep? What effect does sleep or the lack of sleep have on our physical body and our mind? How does environmental stimulation impact our ability to get what we think of as a good night's sleep? These and many more topics are discussed in detail with the author drawing on examples taken from statements by writers, inventors, doctors and world leaders. The book is kept closely grounded within the scope of those of us who are not famous by the author also using situations from her own personal life, her family, and clients she has had in her role as a mental health counselor to show how universally sleep influences each of us. I particularly enjoyed the chapters relating to dreams and the dreamlike states we humans are capable of entering. Even though I realized very quickly that this book would not provide detailed information into the sleep disorders I have heard about I have to say that I found the information included so interesting that I enjoyed reading the book in spite of my own erroneous expectation. The book contains a wealth of information and a very large amount of referenced material which will give readers ample opportunities to continue pursuing any aspect of the sleep subject they are specifically interested in. I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Whispering, The: A haunted house mystery (A Nell West and Michael Flint Haunted House Story); Author: Visit Amazon's Sarah Rayne Page; Review: I can't believe my good fortune in finding this book. Sarah Rayne is a new author for me so when I saw the novel was described as a haunted house mystery I took a chance and found a gem of a story. The novel is set in modern times, but concerns research Oxford don Dr. Michael Flint is doing into the influence music had on poetry written during the Great War. There is a connection to the Palestrina Choir of the Sacre-Coeur convent in Liege, Belgium, captured by the German army, and an ancestor of Miss Luisa Gilmore, who has given Flint permission to look into the family papers for information into what caused the disaster which befell the choir. Miss Gilmore reluctantly allows Michael to remain overnight in her home only because a tree has been blown across the road and he cannot get his car around it to drive to the village. Located in a particularly remote part of the Fens, Fosse House conjures up all the stereotypes of the haunted house, with the air of disrepair and the groans and creaks old houses are famous for. That must be the cause of the whispers Michael hears which seem to be a voice imploring him to allow someone entry, but what is the explanation for the shadowy form he so plainly sees? The atmosphere of suspense was so wonderfully created that I actually was startled when my telephone rang while I was reading this book. I positively jumped! The story of what happened at the convent and later in Holzminden, the German prisoner of war camp for British officers, is told through letters written by those involved in the story and uncovered by various people in different locations. I liked the way the strands of the story intersected through hearing about what happened from various characters so all the loose ends were tied up by the story's end. The author's skill in blending the stormy weather, the conditions of the house, and the isolation of the location and Luisa Gilmore combined to make a riveting plot. Then to add in the pathos of the young girl sent away to a convent and the horrors witnessed on the battlefield by a young man whose mind became too fragile to survive everyday life resulted in this author painting tragic, unforgettable characters in a gripping story. I've discovered that Sarah Rayne has written quite a few novels which are probably easier to find in England than here in the U. S. Some of the books are available on Kindle, but not all of them. I can't be absolutely certain, but it appears that the first novel to feature Michael Flint would be The Sin Eater, followed by Property of A Lady where Nell West makes her entrance into the series, and then The Silence. I began my exploration with the fourth book and had absolutely no problem with continuity or understanding what had come before in previous novels. If you enjoy the psychological thriller, this novel will definitely give you that. My decision; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Death on Blackheath: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne Perry Page; Review: How wonderful it is to return to an author I have enjoyed in the past and find that her work still has the high standards I had found in her previous books. Anne Perry has a long record of published novels but the quality has not diminished from my first experience with The Cater Street Hangman: The First Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel where she began the adventures featuring Thomas Pitt and Charlotte Ellison through to this latest book. Much time has passed over the course of these novels, but Perry has maintained a very realistic feeling of warmth, love, and regard between Pitt and Charlotte and the large group of friends they have made during the course of the investigations. This novel has Pitt calling on all of them in hopes of solving the questions of murder and disappearance which seem to evade his best investigative abilities. Thomas Pitt is now the Commander of Special Branch investigators who keep close watch on anything concerning the political welfare of the British government. When a lady's maid disappears it is indeed cause for the Special Branch to become involved because that maid worked in the household of Dudley Kynaston, a senior government official who is assigned to work with naval defenses. Kynaston is working on the new submarine systems which are expected to change the way war is carried out and his work is vitally important, especially for an island nation such as Britain. The body of the woman found close to the Kynaston home could possibly belong to the missing lady's maid, but how did she die and why was she disfigured after death? Anne Perry was so successful in describing the biting cold and wet of this British winter that I kept making pots of hot tea to warm myself while I read. I appreciate the way she also puts so much thought into every character which appears in her novels and how they don't always act in prescribed ways, just in human ways. It makes them seem very much like real people. There are quite a few other Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels and yet a reader new to the series could easily begin here and fully understand this story. I can't help but think that curiosity will then have them searching out previous novels because there are many references to cases which have been solved before. I found this novel to be completely satisfying and can definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written and well plotted novel augmented with historical feel. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. I received this arc through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Oathbreaker (The King's Hounds); Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Jensen Page; Review: This is the second novel in this series following The King's Hounds (The King's Hounds series) featuring Halfdan and the man he works for, Winston the Illuminator. The story takes place in 1018 with a Prologue set in 1016 which recounts actual historical events which then lead up to this fictional mystery story. The atmosphere of the time period is very well established and the author makes it easy to understand the social and political layers of society which existed in what is now called England. The book is naturally filled with names and places used by the Danes, Saxons, Angles, and Vikings. In fact, there is an Author's Note in the back of the novel which goes a long way toward explaining the historical setting along with the social structure and I would recommend reading that section before you begin the novel, unless you are already familiar with the meaning of such words as thane, ealdorman, reeve, fyrd, and jarl among others. In this particular story Winston and Halfdan have been told by King Cnut that he wants them to travel with two monks from the Benedictine monastery in Peterborough because they will be making a stop along the way at a monastery in Mercia to gather information for him. Once they arrive at Brixworth the confrontations between the two groups of monks leads to heated words and eventually to murder. Because of their success in solving a previous case Winston and Halfdan are put in charge of solving this one adding to their obligations on King Cnut's behalf. The translation from Danish to English worked very well in this story and the author was successful in placing me very firmly in the time period of the novel. I was unfamiliar with the first novel in the series, but that was no hindrance at all in enjoying this story. This novel is from the imprint of Amazon Publishing called Amazon Crossing which deals with books that appear first in languages other than English. Of all the Amazon imprints the Amazon Crossing books are my favorites. There will be a third book in this series titled The Word of a Villien. The only difficulty I had with the book was the size of the print. I found myself having to struggle to read it and had to have either bright daylight or a high wattage bulb in a lamp before I could make any progress at all. I had almost given up on being able to easily (and enjoyably) read the novel when I discovered that I could borrow the book from the Amazon Kindle Lending Library and thus make the print any style and size I wanted. When I showed the book to several other people they also commented on how small the print is. Because of this, if you have an electronic reading device and if you have any issues with print size, I would recommend you purchase the eBook version of this novel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Marked (Mindspace Investigations); Author: Visit Amazon's Alex Hughes Page; Review: I really enjoy these books in the Mindspace Investigations series by Alex Hughes. She has created a world of the future, after the Tech War, which has advanced in time but definitely not in technology. Nobody trusts technology since the misuse of that is what caused the war in the first place. However, human nature being what it is there will always be those who illegally invent and sell that technology. So you get a situation of having anti-gravity vehicles for road transport alongside the situation of the DeKalb Police Department sharing one computer among many departments. A computer geek who is feared because of his knowledge of computers and yet he had the courage to have a brain implant to better link him with the computer at the risk of contracting the same virus which killed so many during the war. Characters are divided between the normals and those with ability, and they don't trust each other one little bit. Adam Ward is a Seventh Level telepath who has been kicked out of the Guild because of a drug problem. Never mind that it was the Guild itself that developed the drug and then allowed him to experiment with it. Now he has a history of drug abuse and a criminal conviction in the world of the normals. That doesn't stop the police department from using his talents to interview criminal suspects. It's hard to lie to someone who has the natural ability to detect all kinds of cues given off by humans. In this story Adam's ex-fianc, Kara, has called to say her uncle has died and his death is being treated as a suicide. Kara believes he was murdered and she wants Adam to come back to the Guild compound to prove how her uncle died. Never mind that contagious madness is rumored to be infecting those who use mind-to-mind contact. And never mind that Kara puts Family first and just might betray Adam yet again. This is an especially well written series among a growing segment of the urban fantasy genre. The "supernatural ability" in a futuristic world is quite interesting to me, but not all authors are able to explain and describe their world as well as Alex Hughes. The first book in the series is Clean: A Mindspace Investigations Novel where the focus is on Adam's struggles with being and staying drug free so you really get a sense of what his personality is like. The second book is Sharp: A Mindspace Investigations Novel which I misplaced (until yesterday) so I haven't read it yet. It would be helpful if you could read CLEAN first, but it certainly isn't required because Ms. Hughes establishes all her characters so well within each novel. However, you will miss some of the nuances of the relationships between Adam and Swartz, Kara, and Isabella Cherabino by not starting with the first book. The political wrangling that goes on within the Guild leadership is quite fascinating and maybe even a little depressing. How can people who have been given such useful; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dog Gone, Back Soon; Author: Visit Amazon's Nick Trout Page; Review: This book picks up right after the ending of The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs: A Novel and only covers six days for the entire story so a lot happens in a very short time. That is probably why I had the feeling that these characters were making some pretty important decisions on the fly, more reacting than thinking things through. This was a pleasant reading experience, but I think I enjoyed most the portions dealing with the animals and the search to find what was ailing them. Dr. Cyrus Mills is determined to rejuvenate the veterinary practice previously run by his father in Eden Falls, Vermont, in the northernmost part of the state. As with all small communities everybody knows your business as soon as it has happened and the life of Dr. Mills is under double scrutiny since he is not only trying to revive the Bedside Manor clinic but is also considered quite an eligible bachelor. Cyrus has to learn the art of dealing with both pets and their owners after spending many years isolated from that sort of interaction in his job as a veterinary pathologist. He quickly learns how much easier it is to diagnose a problem from a slide under a microscope than dealing with situations in the practice. If you enjoy stories about pets and how they affect the lives of the people who have them, you will probably enjoy this book. Animals do make a difference in our lives and the incidents here are all easy to read about and I found the diagnostic search for the cause of a pet's illness to be especially interesting. It did feel slightly frantic at times, though, because Dr. Mills never seemed to have any clients who had everyday, common problems with their pets. Everything was an urgent need to diagnose an illness or condition no other vet had been able to solve. It was surprising to see a veterinarian portrayed as someone who didn't really have much affection for animals so watching Cyrus becoming attached to the labradoodle named Stash was a welcome character growth development. The romantic interest portions of the novel felt too rushed to me and they weren't quite as interesting. That's probably because I wanted to read more about animal pets than girlfriends. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shots Fired: Stories from Joe Pickett Country; Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Box Page; Review: I've read many novels written by C. J. Box so I already knew how much I enjoyed his full length stories. This book was an opportunity to read an anthology of short stories that I hoped and expected would maintain the quality I've come to expect from his writing. I was right and I thoroughly enjoyed the anthology. My plan had been to read one story per day, but that didn't even begin to work out because once I started reading I really wanted to find out what direction the next story would take. If you enjoy Box, you will enjoy these stories even though they have no relation to each other and some stray far from what I have come to expect from this author. There are ten short stories in the collection and the way I enjoyed them was to read the explanation of how the idea for the story came about in the Introduction and then read the story. I didn't skip around, just read them straight through as they are arranged in the book and that kept me from accidently stumbling on the surprise at the end of one of the stories. There are three stories which feature Joe Pickett and one that features Nate Romanowski with a short appearance by Joe. All the other stories are independent characters with nothing to do with the series novels. The strand connecting them all is the part of the country they all take place in or where the characters originate from. My personal favorites are "One-Car Bridge" and "Blood Knot"; completely dissimilar on the surface, yet tied in a special way that spoke to me personally.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Guidebook to Murder; Author: Visit Amazon's Lynn Cahoon Page; Review: This first book in the planned Tourist Trap Mystery series was a light, entertaining reading experience featuring a part of the country that I'm not familiar with. That held my attention along with a main character who owns the kind of little shop I've secretly wanted to have. Jill Gardner owns Coffee, Books, and More in South Cove, California, a small community along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. Moving from the big city after her divorce, Jill found her niche in a shop that allows her to cater to the many tourists who travel that stretch of coastal highway visiting wineries, but still indulge in her love of reading. Maybe life isn't exactly exciting, but she does have her eighty-plus year old friend, Miss Emily, who always seems to be fighting some sort of battle with the city government to add an element of interest. Now Miss Emily is upset over the letter she received from an out of town attorney who states she must sell her property for a real estate development. The next day Miss Emily is found dead and Jill will not rest until she convinces Detective Greg King that this was not a natural death and he needs to investigate Miss Emily's murder. I am a dedicated reader of mystery novels and the effort to solve a puzzle from the clues I'm given is what holds my attention. Even though this mystery took place within a small community the author still managed to do a very good job of giving all the information about the crimes committed and yet hiding the guilty until the last minute. That was well done and I enjoyed reading to the end to find out what the resolution was. However, Jill Gardner has a lot of changing to do before she will be a favorite character for me. She was entirely too easily pushed around by everyone she came into contact with. The funny thing was that the novel has Miss Emily leaving Jill a note to be read after her death in which she encourages Jill to learn how to keep everyone from taking advantage of her. Well, Jill still has a long way to go to be able to say she's taken Miss Emily's advice. Plus, the author engaged in one of my least favorite devices in a novel: stringing out a question for the entire book which was then answered in one or two sentences. By the time I got the answer (which was patently obvious) I really didn't care. It did not build suspense for me, it built frustration. I enjoyed the mystery plotting aspect of this novel very much. Hopefully the second book in the series, Mission to Murder, will have Jill learning how to be a stronger person who can actually tell somebody "no" and mean it. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Midnight Crossroad (A Novel of Midnight, Texas); Author: Visit Amazon's Charlaine Harris Page; Review: What happens when a witch, a vampire, and a psychic walk into the Home Cookin restaurant in Midnight, Texas? Answer: not much. I have been tempted to read novels written by Charlaine Harris, but had never satisfied my curiosity. I figured the first book in a new trilogy would be a good place to start. This story is set in a tiny hamlet that is nothing more than a stoplight at a crossroads. The book reads as if every inhabitant of the town is included in the character list. The beginning of the novel is rather slow since so many characters have to be introduced and partially explained and it took quite a while to figure out even what type of novel it would be. So....let me tell you that one of the residents of the town left one day and has not been heard from since. When a badly decomposed body is found the investigation gets underway to verify who the person was and how they died. The list of characters includes a witch, a vampire, a psychic (or is he just a con man?) and others who might be simply humans or who might be revealed in future novels to be other than human. A lot of room was left for this story to evolve and that aspect left it feeling rather unpolished to me. There are things which go bump in the night, but they are glossed over with no explanation and no expansion so there is no fear and not much strangeness factor developed. All of the characters maintain "boundaries" of personal history which it is considered impolite to cross. Those boundaries were mentioned often and resulted in the story coming to a squealing halt and then trying to get back started. To me that was simply saying you need to buy the next novel to see if any more will be revealed. The community comes together most often at the restaurant where most of the main characters have their assigned seats. Even the vampire feels right at home. I was not much impressed with my first Charlaine Harris novel. By bringing in the white supremacy aspect you would think there would be menace and tension established and yet it all just fizzled out with no resolution. Black leather clad ruffians? Yep. On motorcycles? Yep. Ho hum. More reason to buy the next novel in the series to see if Mama and Daddy took the leader to the woodshed? No, not for me. This novel didn't have the depth of character or plot I would have expected from a well established author. In fact, it was pretty much a bland reading experience. And don't forget to buy that next book, y'all hear?; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Boy in the Woods, The; Author: Visit Amazon's Carter Wilson Page; Review: If you had witnessed a murder, how would you cope with having to keep the information secret? Tommy Devereaux finally found an outlet for his torment by becoming an author. Now it has been over thirty years since that awful afternoon in the woods and Devereaux has put a teaser first chapter for his next book in the back of his current bestseller. Life and fortune have been kind to Tommy so he changed all the names of those involved with the exception of the killer - and expected life would continue as before. Then he found the anonymous note. This novel was a sizzling, suspense filled reading experience. I found myself asking "why" along with Tommy. Why had the killer decided to come after him, what purpose could there be? Watching the devastation to the men who had been young teens when the incident happened by having their lives turned inside out by a diabolical killer was a heart pounding experience for me. Author Carter Wilson created tension within the story which was almost palpable. This was a tightly drawn plot with convincing characters. I'm glad the recap of the story was written the way it was for the ending because it showed that everyone touched by that tragedy in the woods came away wounded. That's the way it would be in real life too. This novel is definitely for readers who enjoy thrills and suspense and who like to watch as characters are moved around by a master manipulator, almost as if they are pawns on a board. Who will follow their instructions, who will not, and what will be the consequences? I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dominion; Author: C J Sansom C. J. Sansom; Review: As author C J Sansom himself mentions in this novel once you change one aspect of historical fact whatever follows in a story can go in an amazing number of directions. What if Winston Churchill did not become Prime Minister at the critical time in Britain when decisions were being made about how to confront the aggression of the German state? How would Britain have looked further down the road? This novel takes place in the winter of 1952, before the coronation ceremony of Queen Elizabeth. Put aside all of your knowledge of what actually happened and read one author's ideas of what that country and national attitudes might have been if that first event had gone in a different direction. This is a mesmerizing and disturbing story, because of the picture it paints of a fictional account of an alternative history and because I couldn't help but think how easily these attitudes could actually have become true. For the most part people in this version of the outcome of World War II were not bad; they simply took the path which would lead to the least amount of disruption in their own lives. This is a prime example of willingness to go along with whatever might be happening, no matter how bad it is, as long as you can keep from actually seeing or being a part of that bad situation. Eventually, though, something or someone is going to upset the false sense of security and life changing decisions will have to be made. I've read all the novels by this author in his Matthew Shardlake series and have even read most of them a second time. I am accustomed to reading novels from this author which are well written, I expect that from him. This book is different but every bit as wonderfully written even though the subject matter is quite a departure from the Shardlake novels. This book made me reflect and some of those thoughts were quite disquieting. This novel is also quite dark because of the subject matter. The atmospheric conditions of the weather and a fog of historic proportions contribute to the feeling of oppression. If you chose to read this novel, be prepared to spend time reflecting on how fragile our future is. By changing just one thing..............our entire world moves toward a new future. What part did I play in that change? I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder at Mullings: A 1930s country house murder mystery (A Florence Norris Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Dorothy Cannell Page; Review: This mystery novel is set in the English country house of Mullings in the village of Dovecote Hatch in 1929 and the early 1930s. It reminded me very much of a mystery version of Upstairs, Downstairs since the principal characters are Florence Norris, housekeeper, and Edward Stodmarsh, grandson of the present owner of Mullings. Most of the other servants and all the extended members of the Stodmarsh family play prominent roles in this folksy, homey type mystery novel. Because this is the first novel in a new series there is a lot of information concerning the inhabitants of Mullings as well as the village, with backstory filling in a lot of detail. The story does not move quickly until the ending, but I did get a sense of having learned a great deal about the characters and that was an important aspect when it came to understanding the motive for the crime. There is almost a playful feeling written into the novel, an amusing sense which made me think it was almost tongue-in-cheek regarding the typical country house English mystery. I don't know if this is the usual style of this novelist. The characters in this novel tend to be a little more stereotyped than I would like, but it was very easy to either like or dislike them. The stark contrast of good vs. bad made deciding who the culprit was somewhat easy to do in spite of red herrings littering the pages. Also, I would have liked for there to be more detailed definition given so I could easily tell the novel was set in the 1930 time period. Except for several times when the year was actually spelled out I felt the novel could easily have been set any time after World War I and before the boom in electronic technology. And yet, even having made these statements I have to say I did enjoy reading this novel. I have not read any other books by Dorothy Cannell so this one has piqued my interest enough to send me to the pages of Amazon.com to check out what else is available that I might be interested in. There is much to choose from and I am glad to add this author to my list for reading. I received this novel as an ARC through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Summoning, The: A Supernatural Dark Fantasy (Shadow World); Author: F.G. Cottam; Review: A routine archeological dig in Scotland turns into something completely unexpected when student Adam Parker unearths an object which seems to exude menace. He is very surprised by the reaction of his professor to this find, but agrees to abandon the dig and journey to Brighton to meet the man who will explain the significance of this horribly ugly piece of silver. The Summoning is a story of two worlds existing side by side; one our present day, one ruled by those who would use unspeakable evil means to gain control, ruled by The Crimson King. Throughout history the duty to maintain control of the present has been passed on within familial lines from one generation to another whenever possible. The fight can be seen in each dynamic crossroad in history with evil often coming out the victor. The artifact has now found Adam Parker and is calling for him to come begin his fight to keep out what could be called the dark twin of our world. Fellow students Jane Dobb and Martin Prior will join Adam and have their part to play in this adventure as the guardians who have fought for so long are beginning to grow older or die out. This is the first book in the series The Shadow World and forms all the background information about who the fighters are on the sides of good and evil. There is one of the best names for a villain I think I've ever come across, Rabanus Bloor. Don't you just know you can hate him on sight? There is so much background information given that it delayed anything much happening in the story for quite a while. I did enjoy the book in spite of some awkward phrasing and sentence structure. I think it was supposed to impart intellectual weight to the characters, but instead it was just somewhat odd. I have not read any previous writings by this author so that may just be the style of Francis Cottam. All three of these young people are very young to be given the task of saving the world so readers will just have to hope their youth will be offset by their enthusiasm and their evident physical attractiveness. The attractiveness aspect is mentioned quite often. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dark Palace, The: Murder and mystery in London, 1914 (A Silas Quinn Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's R.N. Morris Page; Review: This was the first novel I've read by R. N. Morris and I absolutely couldn't stop reading this story. Dark, somber, grim, yes, but I still became almost addicted to this fascinating world. To begin with, I had no idea I would be reading such a wonderfully crafted story; the prose was lyrical, many of the descriptions made me want to jot them down on a notepad, and the characters were all so vividly drawn they made me feel as if I knew them. Detective Inspector Silas Quinn of the Special Crimes Department fits perfectly into this darkly portrayed tale of how the Metropolitan Police Force was utilized by the Admiralty to keep track of possible German spies in England as war hovers on the horizon. The year of 1914 plays into the atmospheric scene so well because there is just enough modern technology (automobiles, telephones, and cinema houses) to make the action interesting and yet these advances are still relatively new so they are not taken for granted by anyone. I can tell from this plot that there have been other stories in the series and it is obvious that Quinn has something of a reputation with his soubriquet being Quick-Fire Quinn of the Yard. He was such a moody, almost grim character and yet I liked him. Some explanations and references were made to his past, but I would imagine it is the kind of thing where you gather one nugget at a time from each succeeding book. This story deals quite remarkably with eyes. Metaphorically and realistically the eye is what plays the central role in this story. In conjunction with roles being played, the infant cinema industry is the pivotal force behind the deaths which happen in this story and those deaths are described in quite a bit of detail. Since I read all types of mystery novels I didn't find the descriptions overwhelming, but if you are sensitive to reading about mutilations some of these passages might be difficult to deal with. It all went along hand in hand with the authors ability to describe a scene so well that you felt you were right there living it right along with the other characters. Now I will have to check out other books in this series to find out what happened to Quinn to make him so familiar with asylums and the workings of a psychiatrist. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Masterful Mr. Montague: A Casebook of Barnaby Adair Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Stephanie Laurens Page; Review: I gave this book three stars, but any friend wanting a recommendation from me would get a long list of "be aware of" items before I encouraged them to get this one. I have not read any other books in this series and it is patently obvious there were two more because we begin with the four (at that time) main characters - two married couples each with one child. We are introduced to a respected man-of-business and a woman who is a companion to a wealthy widow. When the widow is found dead by obvious murder the six people clump together to solve the mystery of who and why. As a mystery this novel was a solid three star read for me. It had some good plotting and good unexplained motivation for what was going on with the principals having to untangle the motive for all that had happened. As a romance novel it was probably a tepid two stars because the couple who had just met were supposed to be the focus for the romance but their story kept getting interrupted by the bedroom scenes of the two married couples. And not very well written bedroom scenes, either. If you are going to have them in a book, author, please don't use pages and pages of airy-fairy wording to almost/kind of/sort of describe what you are telling me about. The wording doesn't have to be explicit, but it needs more than the vague descriptions that went on and on and on and never really said much of anything. This book is bloated with characters. There are too many to make a reasonable investigation into any mystery even halfway believable. The two female characters from previous novels especially insist on being involved in every word and action even when it makes absolutely no sense. Three women piling into a carriage and making an impromptu trip out of town to visit someone they have never met on the off chance of extracting vital clues? And the repetition.....oh my word, the repetitions. Both women from their own previous book had to tell why she was trying to find "balance" in her life juggling being a wife, a mother, other daily activities, and wanting the excitement of continuing to be involved in the investigations. Then they both had to say that they have thought of a way to find that balance. Then they both had to tell us that they were perfectly happy with the balance they had found. And all of this involved page after page after page of the novel. I honestly thought I would pull my hair out after a while. I was reading the book on my Kindle and began to think the completed finished percentage function was not working on my device! So.....not a favorite. Three stars only because two stars is too harsh for me and Amazon doesn't allow a 2.5 designation. I cannot even fathom trying to read any novel in this series which might come next.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Murder at Honeychurch Hall: A Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Hannah Dennison Page; Review: Kat Stanford feels that she definitely has her life going in the direction she wants. She's just left her job, so no more being a famous television personality. She is engaged to David and that will all work out just fine as soon as he gets a divorce. She is going to start a business selling antiques so she needs to find a shop with living space attached for her mother. Of course, it would all be much better if she could find her mother first. Iris isn't answering her phone. Once that connection is finally made Kat discovers that what her mother has done has turned everything upside down. I think this will probably become a series with Kat and Iris managing to get themselves into all kinds of trouble while investigating various crimes. In this first story the emphasis is on having Kat discover exactly how little she knows about her mother's past and what those discoveries will mean to all those associated with Honeychurch Hall and the village. It seemed as if every character had some secret identity or at the very least a secret activity they didn't want anybody to know about. It got slightly confusing at times. I'm not particularly fond of reading a novel where everybody has such eccentric characteristics that there doesn't seem to be anyone average enough to hold the plot anchored to the ground. This was one of those that bordered on the madcap so I struggled with it a bit. I hope now that mother and daughter are dealing with each other on a more realistic basis it will bode well for future crime solving adventures for them. I will probably try a second book in the series, all the while hoping for more seriousness to better match the seriousness of the crime of murder. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fatal Enquiry: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Will Thomas Page; Review: This sixth entry in the Victorian historical mystery series featuring Thomas Llewelyn and Cyrus Barker brings an adversary back from a previous novel, namely Sebastian Nightwine, a villain in every sense of the word. There is a lot of history between Barker and Nightwine and a visit from Scotland Yard's Inspector Terence Poole provides a warning that Barker is to stay away from the docks when the steamer bringing Nightwine back to England arrives. Surely Poole must have known that information would be like waving a red flag in front of Barker. Not only is Nightwine not coming back in disgrace, but he is actually working with the Foreign Office on something that will change the course of English history. Llewelyn and Barker find themselves pursued as murderers throughout London by mobs of reward-hungry men while Nightwine basks in the glow (and the money) provided by helping the government with this scheme. It is always such a pleasure for me to read a novel in this series. I've read them all, beginning withSome Danger Involved: A Novel, and thoroughly enjoy the writing style, plotting, and characterizations Will Thomas does so well. Llewelyn is a young man, in his early 20s, the assistant to the famous enquiry agent Barker, and Thomas allows him to be young and irreverent and flippant at times which keeps his character fresh for me. I like that. This novel centered on incidents which happened between Barker and Nightwine during their years in China and the fighting for Shanghai during the Taiping Rebellion. Family plays a large part in this novel with old family history for each character coming back to form the basis for the hatred and conflict between Barker and Nightwine. The additional historical perspective added a lot of interest to the plot for me because I don't have much knowledge of what was happening with the Chinese Imperial Government and rebel factions of that time. This novel begins in April of 1886 and one of the real historical figures placed in the novel is Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a popular evangelist of the day who plays a part in the religious scene. Being familiar with Spurgeon from a completely different perspective, it was fun to read about how he might have become involved with people from his own era. This is the latest in the series featuring Barker and Llewelyn, agents of the Barker Enquiry Agency and highly recommended for readers who enjoy historical atmosphere and a well plotted story. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: All the Things You Are; Author: Declan Hughes; Review: Under normal circumstances this novel should have been one that I would not have chosen or, indeed, even liked. First, the description of the book felt as if it had given away the entire plot. Second, once I began reading I found the style was that of an unnamed narrator, which definitely is not a favorite literary style for me. Initial impressions can be deceiving, though; in this case they definitely were. The description of the book does give quite a bit of the plot away and yet there is so much more to discover after Clair Taylor finds the horribly mutilated body of her family's dog in the back yard of her unbelievably empty home in Madison, Wisconsin when she returns from a week-long trip to Chicago. Clair then discovers that the body of the dog is gone, but the body of a man is definitely there instead. I still don't especially enjoy the narration style in which the novel is written, but I became so engrossed in the suspense of what was happening to Clair that I stopped making the style my main focus. The novel takes the reader back into the youth of these characters to see how incidents happened which led to the present situation. Clair's husband, two daughters, and household belongings vanish without her receiving any indication of why or how this could happen. The police presence in the novel is almost miniscule, with Claire being the primary one who investigates the case with some help from her best friend. This author doesn't wait until the last few pages to reveal what the solution to the mystery is, but I was never sure until the very end that there wouldn't be one more twist in the story, one more rabbit to jump out of the magician's hat. This was an enjoyable, well written, and well plotted novel. I will certainly have to look into reading more of Mr. Declan Hughes' novels. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Crown of Renewal (Legend of Paksenarrion); Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Moon Page; Review: Ever since I first discovered this series written by Elizabeth Moon she has struck me as an author who goes in the direction she wants with her novels, even if that might not be what satisfies the majority of readers. The Paladin's Legacy series is coming to a close in this fifth book in that portion of the series and readers will not find fairy tale happily ever after endings for all the characters. If you've read all the novels you know the earliest books began with the three novels contained in the volume called The Deed of Paksenarrion: A Novel (Baen Fantasy). The world of Paks has continued in more recent years with the books in the Paladin's Legacy series, starting with Oath of Fealty (Legend of Paksenarrion). At the beginning of this book there is an Author's Note in which Moon states positively that this last book is not the place for readers new to the series to begin. I certainly could not agree more. Because this is the final book all the characters spread out over the previous novels are gathered here. They have lengthy histories, diverse magical abilities, and different religious beliefs which Moon makes no effort to explain in detail in this novel so it is best to at least go back to Oath of Fealty and read forward from there if you are just beginning. I consider myself a fan of Moon's writing and this fantasy world and yet I had a hard time remembering specific incidents from other books which were now being brought forward and acted on. There are many, many characters and kingdoms and cities and elves and gnomes and different names for evil doers; it can be a little confusing even for firm fans when it is all presented at one time in one novel. Each of the previous books in this series has had a good versus evil concept at its core. This novel has those two concepts acted upon in many different locations and taking on many different forms all at the same time. I have not read Liar'S Oath, Luap's story (and the book Moon says most readers don't like), so meeting Luap in this novel was an interesting experience. I'm glad I had read the note from the author before he made his appearance or I wouldn't have understood the way he was treated. All the major characters from the previous novels are given roughly the same emphasis, but Dorrin Verrakai seems to me to be the pivotal character around which the fate of all the others revolves. What she does and the choices she makes advances the actions of all the other characters. Not every character will emerge with a clear-cut ending to their story. The final chapter can be read to seem as if there might be more to come. If that should be the case, I don't think it will include some characters from this series. This novel was an intense reading experience for me. I could not sit down and breeze through it; I; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: California Bones (Daniel Blackland); Author: Greg van Eekhout; Review: The focus of this story is watching how a band of thieves and petty criminals plan to rob the most powerful magician in the kingdom of Southern California by breaking into his ossuary. At the heart of the story is a young man finding out the legacy of magic passed on to him from his father. Daniel Blackland will never forget the sounds he heard when the Hierarch was literally consuming his father in order to absorb Sebastian Blackland's powerful magic. If that kind of description turns you off from reading a novel, this is not going to be the book for you. The two kingdoms of Northern and Southern California are no longer part of the United States of America. Los Angeles is the focus city for this first novel in what will surely become a multi-book series. This isn't the Los Angeles we know now but rather the LA with canals and tramways instead of overland roads, where people travel by boats instead of cars, and where osteomancers eat preparations made from bone or horn in order to take on the magical properties extinct or rare creatures had. Unicorn, basilisk, sphinx, kraken, sint holo are only some of the magical fragments stolen, bought and sold to increase magical powers. The second focus point to the story is Gabriel Argent, grand-nephew of the Hierarch and a young man who definitely has his own agenda for power. This osteomancy concept was new to me in fantasy fiction. Even though it was difficult to actually *enjoy* the concept of cannibalism for the sake of taking on portions of magical power, author Greg van Eekhout presented it in such a well thought out manner that it made it seem almost totally logical. The depiction of what this society had allowed itself to become was absolutely fascinating. As with the world we live in today it was so much easier for the average citizen to simply accept that things are happening, but don't look too closely because then you might have to do something about it. Just go with the flow. This is also a well planned magic that allows characters to exhibit a very wide range of abilities so something new is always potentially right around the corner and you never know if you will be presented with a new magical concept no matter how much of the novel you've read. It kept me on my toes and involved in the book to see what was coming next. If there was one thing which kept this from being classified as a five star reading experience for me, it would be that the novel felt a little "young" to me. van Eekhout has written other books, but this is his debut novel aimed at adult readers and I couldn't help feeling the writing kept his primary characters feeling very young instead of adult-like. Maybe it was because they (Daniel and Gabriel) are actually young, in their early twenties. Still, when balanced against the overall magic concept, the discovery by Daniel of how people have and; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Art of Arranging Flowers; Author: Visit Amazon's Lynne Branard Page; Review: Have you ever wanted to own a florist shop? Did you ever realize how much private information actually passes through a florist shop in the course of the owners and workers just filling orders? Those two questions are some of the reasons I found this novel so interesting. The story takes place in a small town in Washington State and centers on a young, single woman who owns the town's floral business. Ruby Jewell has portions of her own personal life that she hasn't come to terms with yet, but she can use her knowledge of the art of arranging flowers to influence the lives of her friends and customers. If you have a basic familiarity with common materials used by a florist shop in constructing all types of arrangements using plants and flowers, you will be right at home with the information in the novel. There isn't an attempt to overwhelm the reader with botanical information, just to explain the thought process Ruby used when designing flowers for a specific customer for a specific event. This is a lovely example of the language of flowers. These arrangements were described in such wonderful detail that I was easily able to picture the finished arrangement in my mind. As the reader gets to know Ruby and her reasons behind using specific materials in an order we also get to know the customer or friend or neighbor the arrangement is for with the backstory of what is happening to them which brings them to this time in their life. As with any florist shop there are orders precipitated by births, deaths, proms, weddings, surgeries, dire diagnoses, civic and church functions or other social occasions requiring the decorating power of flowers. Intertwined with all the flowers are the stories of Ruby's own past tragedies and the sadness or happiness for those close to her. There is a nicely managed list of characters whose joys and sorrows add to the tapestry of everyday life enriched by the individual traits and stories presented through their interactions with Ruby. There is a list of questions in the back of the novel for consideration by book club groups which will give them a starting point for much discussion regarding the issues raised in this novel. Even if you are reading the book simply for your personal pleasure the questions will allow you to reflect more deeply on the consequences of the interactions between the characters in this novel who correlate so closely with our own lives and people we come into contact with within our own families, jobs, or social situations. I enjoyed this novel and I sincerely hope you will also. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Season of the Raven: A Servant of the Crown Mystery (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Denise Domning Page; Review: What an absolutely wonderful reading experience this book was for me. I read lots and lots of mysteries, trying to choose historical pieces when possible. This is the first historical mystery written by Denise Domning, though not her first published novel. As evidenced by this book, I think she is quite an accomplished author. I absolutely loved the fact that she had her characters investigating almost the entire time span of this book. So often novels set in this time period (twelfth century England) get bogged down in details of what life was like. I am thrilled to say there was not one recounting of a chamber pot being emptied over pedestrians as they walked along the roadway, no privy or latrine descriptions, and no rats running across people as they tried to sleep. Mentioning those items isn't a bad thing, fixating on them happens all too often in some books and that can simply ruin that book for me. I think it was very clever of Ms. Domning to allow the reader to learn the duties of The Keeper of the Pleas, coronaries, or crowner along with a twenty-four year old penniless second son just back from the crusades, Sir Faucon de Ramis. This way Brother Edmund, a Benedictine monk acting as legal scribe, can acquaint the reader as well as Sir Faucon with laws and rules of office without the information seeming to be pulled directly from research books. Brother Edmund and Sir Faucon are called very quickly to investigate the death of the miller in a nearby village and arrive just in time to keep the sheriff of the shire from declaring the death an accident. Upon close investigation it is shown to be much different than an accidental death and having far reaching consequences. This is the first novel in a series and there is a story going on in the background which is not resolved, but will carry over into another book. This wasn't presented so much as a cliffhanger as a method for showing that Sir Faucon's work regarding what is happening in this small community is not entirely settled yet. This first novel was so impressive it makes me want to be sure I'm ready to read any future books which follow in this series. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death Comes as Epiphany; Author: Visit Amazon's Sharan Newman Page; Review: This series by author Sharan Newman is the first in the Catherine LeVendeur series and I liked it so much I was tempted to buy all the available books immediately. I managed to restrain myself and only got the second (The Devil's Door: A Catherine LeVendeur Mystery) and third (The Wandering Arm: A Catherine LeVendeur Mystery) just to be sure they are all going to be as enjoyable as this first one. I was very impressed with how seemingly effortlessly the author placed me in the time period (1139) without constantly battering me with the less pleasant hygienic descriptions of life in medieval times. Catherine has been at the Convent of the Paraclete for some time, but has not taken her final vows. Because she helped copy and bind a psalter presented as a gift to Abbe Suger, Catherine is given the task of returning to Saint-Denis to find who is defacing the psalter with heresy aimed at stirring up negative sentiment against Abelard and Heloise. Once back home she finds many mysteries of different sorts which must be solved before her future can be determined. Both Peter Abelard and Abbess Heloise are real historical characters and it was very interesting to see how this author was able to weave her fictional world around their story. On a personal note, I originally bought this novel in paperback but soon found that I was having difficulty reading the print size. I do wear prescription glasses for reading and yet still had difficulty to the extent that I was putting the book down to rest my eyes. I finally resorted to purchasing the Kindle version of the book so I could adjust the font size. I don't know that this font size will be a problem for you. I do know I've bought the next two novels for my Kindle instead of getting the print editions.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Princes Gate: A DCI Frank Merlin Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Ellis Page; Review: The cold winter of late January 1940, sees Scotland Yard already suffering manpower shortages due to men volunteering for the war which is to come with Germany. Within the force Detective Chief Inspector Frank Merlin is chaffing from having his request turned down to join up so the distraction of having a new case come up is just what he needs. Unfortunately it means that he has to investigate the murder of a beautiful young woman whose body is found floating in the river. Before Merlin and his forces can solve this mystery they continually brush up against political privilege in both the Foreign Office and the American Embassy and a sleazy underbelly of crime in London. The feelings of political unease and uncertainty for those in Britain waiting to see how Germany would move against them is very well depicted in this novel. Watching the police proceed with their investigations gave me a feeling of what a strange limbo citizens were in and how confusing it must have been to understand the political maneuvering of officials, both foreign and British. It was an interesting addition to have the author include American Ambassador Joseph Kennedy's efforts to influence decisions made at this time. I also enjoyed meeting the main character who had the added dimension of being the son of a Spanish sheep shepherd which made him a little different from the usual depiction of a Scotland Yard policeman. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Verdict of the Court: A mystery set in sixteenth-century Ireland (A Burren Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Cora Harrison Page; Review: I try very hard to save five star ratings for books that really make a special impression on me. This was one of those books. I've read other books in the series and have always enjoyed them very much, but this one was so full of suspense and tension that it catapulted onto a different level. Mara, Brehon of the Burren, is a female judge in a specific geographic region of Ireland with this story taking place in 1519 and into 1520. Mara is a 46 year old woman who runs a Law School in one of the three kingdoms ruled by her husband, King Turlough Donn O'Brien. Even though she and Turlough live apart most of the time they have had a warm and loving relationship in their ten year marriage and have one son, Cormac. Mara and her students are going to Bunratty Castle to spend Christmas with Turlough and others gathered at the castle to celebrate the season as well as the twentieth anniversary of his reign as the king of the three regions. Even though Mara is not usually called upon to be the Brehon (judge) in this different region, circumstances push her into investigating a death which happens during the Christmas festivities. In uncovering the reason for that death she happens upon a larger problem which has an impact on everyone involved in this series. This novel had a plot which was so well constructed that I never guessed where the author was leading. The mystery involved would have been entertaining enough by itself, but when the additional plot element was introduced it signaled a change in the whole dynamic of relationships long established and hints at new possibilities for future novels. Needless to say, this author has added material which will enable her to continue to develop this series over a long period of time. Definitely an absorbing reading experience and highly recommended for readers who enjoy historical mysteries. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Candle Flame: A novel of Mediaeval London featuring Brother Athelstan (A Brother Athelstan Medieval Mystery); Author: Paul Doherty; Review: I have seen these historical mystery novels featuring the Dominican friar Brother Athelstan and the Lord High Coroner in the City of London, Sir John Cranston and have even bought several of the books, but just haven't gotten around to reading them yet. This 13th book in the series was as good a place to start as any because author Paul Doherty made it easy for me to catch up on the lives of those who make the environs around St. Erconwald their home. In this novel there is great civil unrest in London because of the taxation burden under the rule of John of Gaunt, serving as regent because of the youthful age of his nephew, the King. The city is now home to the Great Community of the Realm; being led by the Upright Men with help from the Earthworms and those lowliest of citizens who are overburdened and overtaxed to the point of starvation. When one of the tax collectors is killed inside an impregnable Barbican on the grounds of The Candle-Flame tavern and inn Sir John and Athelstan are called on to solve the ultimate locked room mystery. All those both inside and guards outside the Barbican are dead and yet it is not possible for anyone to have gained entry. A tangled web, indeed, for these two staunch seekers of truth and justice. I like to feel that I am solving a mystery along with the protagonists in a story. In this case, even though I definitely enjoyed the book, there was not much hope of me ever getting this one right. I can't say any more than that without revealing things which readers will want to discover for themselves, but I will tell you that you will deserve several pats on the back if you can unravel this plot before you reach the end of the story. At some points the novel tried my patience, mostly by things such as overly long lists of all the various activities happening on the streets of London between one point and another. When you've read about one chamber pot being emptied down on the heads of pedestrians you've pretty much gotten the picture of that. At least, I had. I enjoy description, but not when it goes on for so long that I become impatient with it and want to move on. This did seem to be a habit engaged in by the author quite often. If you are very familiar with the poem Beowulf, you will enjoy this novel where a Beowulf-like character is referred to on a regular basis. If you have forgotten your study of Beowulf, as I generally had, some of the dialogue may float over your head and you will miss clues. I liked my initial foray into the world of Brother Athelstan and I'm sure regular readers of the series will find this addition to be every bit as well written as previous novels. I still can't help but feel there was too much circumstantial evidence used in solving the case, but this; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death of Pie, The: A Pennsylvania Dutch mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Tamar Myers Page; Review: This author has a talent for comedic wit and she isn't afraid to use it. And then use it again, and again, and even yet again. Unfortunately for me, the witticisms and the sarcasm and the self-abasement went much too far when they took up about 95% of the novel and the mystery took up the slim remainder. I started out thinking that I was really going to enjoy the novel once the introduction of the characters (and the humor) had leveled off and the investigation into the death of the famous author, Ramat Sreym, began in earnest because the premise for the novel sounded quite good and made me choose to read the book in the first place. The investigation didn't happen at all as a logical progression of uncovering facts. Instead Magdalena Yoder suddenly disclosed the one vital clue which had never even been hinted at and - bingo - crime solved. If you are already a fan of this series, you know that residents of Hernia, Pennsylvania, seem to all have an eccentric bent and you will welcome them back with open arms. Their eccentricity is fine with me as long as they are allowed to also have times of being just plain, levelheaded folk so that the mystery aspect of the novel can be addressed. I didn't get that in this novel. Since this is my first foray into the Amish-Mennonite community in this part of Pennsylvania, I have to say I found their depiction slightly odd, yet rather endearing and I learned some valuable information about the Amish and the Mennonites. For those reasons alone I think the book was worth the time it took me to read it. As for the mystery aspect, a whole lot more attention needed to be paid to that. By the way, there are pie recipes interspersed throughout the novel. Chapter Five is Freni Hostetler's Recipe For Shoofly Pie, Chapter Ten is Brown Sugar Pie (Milche Flichte), Chapter Fifteen gives Doc Shafer's Recipe For Green-Tomato Pie, and Chapter Twenty contains Freni's Butterscotch Chiffon Pie. When tomato season hits in this part of the country I will definitely be trying the green tomato pie. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: After the Exhibition: A classic British mystery set in the 1920s (A Jack Haldean Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Dolores Gordon-Smith Page; Review: I really enjoyed this mystery set in London somewhere between 1924 and 1925, I couldn't tell exactly and the author never gave a definite date. This is the first novel I've read by Dolores Gordon-Smith and even though it appears to be the eighth of the series I had no problems easily picking up the relationship between the main characters. Chief Inspector William Rackham of Scotland Yard and his writer friend, Major Jack Haldean, attend an exhibition of church art and what happens in the street afterward sends all the parties on a complicated journey reaching far into the past to uncover secrets leading to murder. Betty Wingate isn't believed later when she reports finding a dead body in the cottage being rented by Signora Bianchi. Since there is no evidence of murder when the police investigate most people feel Betty was just having a bad dream. She convinces Bill Rackham and Jack Haldean to come to Wimbrell Heath in Surrey to investigate and prove that she wasn't delusional and there really was a body in the sitting room. The artwork on the cover of this novel will give you the perfect clue as to the atmosphere you can expect to encounter. Ms. Gordon-Smith did a wonderful job of placing me firmly within her chosen time period using both description and dialogue. I enjoyed the close friend style of relationship between Bill and Jack with each of them having particular strengths necessary to solving the many mysteries they encountered in this case. Jack Haldean is the more intellectual of the two and carries the primary responsibility for interpreting the clues presented which lead to solving the case. The mystery plot was very well done with me wondering all the way through what the eventual solution would be. I was surprised at the major revelation; that was well and smoothly done without alerting me to that possibility before the book was finished. I will definitely have to begin collecting the other novels in this series. It is so very nice to find an author new to me in a genre I especially enjoy so that I look forward to reading more of their work. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Tales of the Hidden World: Stories; Author: Visit Amazon's Simon R. Green Page; Review: If you are already a fan of Simon Green you will find a lot to enjoy in this collection of 17 short stories spanning his writing career. If you are exploring short stories as a way of deciding if you want to read more of his works, this collection will definitely give you a wide range of examples of his writing skill. These stories go all the way from Green's first story sold and on to a new story bringing in characters from a current popular series featuring Jack Drood. I've listed the title and year of copyright for each story. 1. Question of Solace - 2014 2. Street Wizard - 2010 3. Death is a Lady - 1997 4. Dorothy Dreams -2013 5. Down and Out in Deadtown - 2012 6. From Out of the Sun, Endlessly Singing - 2012 7. It's All About the Rendering - 2011 8. Find Heaven and Hell in the Smallest Things - 2012 9. Jesus and Satan Go Jogging in the Desert - 2011 10. Food of the Gods - 2009 11. He Said, Laughing - 2010 12. Soldier, Soldier - 1979 13. Manslayer - 1980 14. Cascade - 1979 15. Soulhunter - 1982 16. Awake, Awake Ye Northern Winds - 1979 17. In the Labyrinth - 1983 One of my favorite parts of this collection was reading the personal notes from Green at the end of each story. He usually explained either what had caused him to come up with the idea or what he was doing that influenced the creating of that story. After I began to realize that feature was at the end of each story I started to read the explanation first. It didn't spoil any of the stories for me and actually enhanced them in many cases. As you will find in any collection of short stories, some you will probably enjoy more than others, but this was quite a well-balanced assortment and I can't think of a single story I would like to have seen omitted. So this is a true treasure trove for readers who are already fans of Simon Green and for readers who are new to the writings of this author it should send you on a mission to select a series that piques your interest and gets you started on the adventure of following an author you appreciate. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sentinel Mage (The Cursed Kingdoms Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Emily Gee Page; Review: This is the type of fantasy novel that I love to read, where character development is so well executed and it runs throughout the entire novel. The plot involves a group of Sentinel Mages who have the task of taking the one person who can break the blood curse devastating The Seven Kingdoms on a quest to find three stones which must be destroyed by his hand and his blood. Unfortunately for Prince Harkeld he doesn't have to be alive when those two items are placed on the stone and his father has been planning for years to use this curse breaking circumstance as a way to rid himself of this son who carries a secret Harkeld doesn't even know about. The novel is written from different perspectives and each chapter has a symbol at its beginning to alert readers to which story will be featured. Jaume is only eight when his family is wiped out by the re-awakened Ivek's curse and his part of this story consists of the terrible things which happen to him as he tries to outrun the curse and reach safety. I worry about Jaume, first because he is so young and innocent and second because of the changes in his character I see happening along his flight. The second perspective comes from members of the royal family, Prince Harkeld and his half-sister Princess Brigitta whose calm, privileged but ordinary lives undergo monumental upheaval when the curse becomes active. The third perspective is the group of Sentinel Mages who are powerful with fire or shapeshifter magic. People hate and revile mages because of their magic abilities and this story shows how difficult it can be to overcome superstition and misinformation in order to save thousands upon thousands of lives. I found it fascinating to see this author use so many shapeshifting incidents with the mages. From a huge Oliphant to a tiny lizard they showed remarkable abilities which kept the story moving at a brisk pace and kept it fresh and interesting for me. These Sentinels were allowed to break their usual rules of action if the circumstances called for it so a "human" shape, a personal armsman, was created so Prince Harkeld would have someone he could feel close to. The Sentinels took turns shifting into the form of Justen, even Innis the female mage, and the author never made a mistake that I found in keeping straight who was playing the role of Justen yet who they really were. That could have been an awful mess if Emily Gee had not kept rigid control of the novel. Now I'm looking forward to reading book two in The Cursed Kingdoms trilogy called The Fire Prince (The Cursed Kingdoms Trilogy) which is scheduled to be released August 27, 2014. I can't wait to see what is going to happen to these established characters and find out who will be introduced to fill out the dwindling original cast.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cherringham - Murder on Thames; Author: Visit Amazon's Neil Richards Page; Review: These stories are going to be fun to read. Written like a short story, but with the twist of having each new mystery follow on the heels of its predecessor so the authors don't have to invent the wheel each time. The concept seems to be that each story will be self-contained. This first story in the series introduced Jack Brennan, retired from the NYPD and living on a boat moored on the Thames in the Cotswold village of Cherringham, and Sarah Edwards, divorced mother of two young children who has returned to her childhood home of Cherringham after the break-up of her marriage. A friend of Sarah's from years in the past is found dead in the river and her death is ruled a suicide. Sarah needs to understand why her friend would take her own life and finds herself working with Jack to find out what really happened. In order to stay within the restraints the authors have put on themselves, the emphasis is more on the crime solving than on background information about the characters or descriptions of the surroundings. This worked very well in this first story and I think by reading more of the stories the main characters and location will be gradually filled out. I worry a bit about Sarah having two children who are so young (thirteen and ten) that they both would naturally need quite a bit of parental attention. I'll have to read another story to see if working the requirements of parenthood into the plot are dealt with in a sympathetic way. I think this is an interesting concept and this story was an interesting read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cherringham - Mystery at the Manor; Author: Neil Richards; Review: This is the second in the series of twelve novella length mysteries written expressly for eReaders which I've read. At a little over 100 pages long these mysteries fit well into my reading time when I don't necessarily want to start a long, epic story but still want something fresh to read. This story was interesting more from a human nature aspect than from solving a mystery, but it was nice to learn more about Jack (retired from the NYPD but living on a barge on the Thames in the English Cotswolds) and Sarah (the single mother who is discovering she enjoys solving puzzles and problems). This time there was a fire at a crumbling old manor house and Jack and Sarah want to help discover if there was a sinister motive for the death of Victor Hamblyn. This series is well written with enough background to help understand the mystery to be solved. I like that Sarah's parents are beginning to figure into the stories so she seems to have had more of a reason to move back to Cherringham after the break-up of her marriage. These stories are quick, satisfying reads and I am looking forward to reading the remainder in the series. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Half a King (Shattered Sea); Author: Visit Amazon's Joe Abercrombie Page; Review: Young Prince Yarvi doesn't seem to do many things well except find places to hide away from everyone and everything. And yet he immediately begins to show signs in this novel of his capabilities as a minister in his world - not in a religious sense, but as a dispenser of wisdom, advice, and common sense. Unfortunately this fantasy world is more a place for the strong and the agile with warfare and fighting seeming to take up most of the lives of those who live here. Yarvi has a disability that he cannot possibly overcome to make him the heroic fighter his country needs when he is elevated to kingship. Naturally his relatively sheltered existence has made him completely unprepared for treachery when it happens. Once he finds himself in the lowliest of all positions he learns that his deformed hand is not what determines whether he will survive. You learn to use the best of yourself to keep living one more minute, one more hour. So what is the best of young Yarvi? If you are a first time reader of Joe Abercrombie's novels, you need to understand that this is an example of Abercrombie being restrained. The book is undoubtedly aimed at the young adult reader and Yarvi is a young boy moving into manhood who must learn all the hard lessons at once. Because of this, even though the novel is filled with violence and death, it is actually done in a holding-back, ratcheting-back style over previous Abercrombie novels. Fortunately that does not diminish the appeal for someone such as me who has tackled other Abercrombie novels and lived to tell about it. I liked the honest portrayal of these characters where everyone showed signs of weakness but also signs of strengths. Not one dimensional characters at all, more realistic than anything. That is definitely a hallmark of Abercrombie's works since it is very often difficult to tell his hero from his villain. There is a plot twist at the end of this novel which came right out of nowhere for me, but it certainly did work for the story. I was surprised to find no obviously cliff-hanger ending since I understand there are to be more books in this series. This can definitely be read as a completed novel if you don't choose to continue following Yarvi's adventures. I would find it very, very hard to not read any other books that follow this one. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: White Rabbit; Author: Visit Amazon's K A Laity Page; Review: This book is a mix-up of so many genres it's best to not try to pin it down to just one. If you like humor or mystery or paranormal or crime noir then you will find all of those categories here. Draygo doesn't set out to be funny, it's just that he is often so sparkling with the administration of fairy dust coursing through his veins that anything he says seems like a joke. Of course, at the crux of the matter is his inability to forgive himself for what he did that caused him to resign from the police. No matter how much he plays the fool he can't undo that experience. So, naturally a guys gotta live so he runs a fly-by-night psychic organization inherited from his late Auntie Vera that most people believe is nothing but a scam, even his old partner from the force. But wait....after Peaches Dockmuir nee Weiner has been shot dead in Draygo's parlor why does he seem to be walking around talking to her? Peaches saw the white rabbit and now she's dead, but where is the warren and what does it all have to do with the fake little blue pills and cults? This is a very unusual novel and you just don't even need to start reading it unless you can suspend all your belief and let the author take you down this road of a fake psychic who solves a crime to keep himself out of prison and to keep "them" from screaming to him. The author has a wonderful sense of humor and the ability to make her lead character crazy with sane overtones so I could sympathize with him and even understand his lyrical and literary references. Even Abelard and Heloise get a quick mention so that should tell you how far afield you can expect to go. My only complaint is that sometimes the explanation of what was happening in the story was unnecessarily vague. Also, there are bits and pieces that are never tied up or explained -- ginger cat as one example. Otherwise, it was fascinating and enjoyable even if a little on the short side and I hope to meet Draygo, Jinx, and Helen again soon. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Tom Clancy Support and Defend (A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Greaney Page; Review: It was nice to have this novel step away from Jack Ryan - Junior and Senior - and concentrate on one of the other main characters from the series, this time Dominic Caruso. Even though Dom is officially supposed to be recovering from injuries he received during an assassination raid, what he is really doing is preparing to find the killers responsible and get revenge for the deaths they caused. Once Dominic learns how the former Israeli Defense Forces member was located he won't stop until the traitor who leaked the information is either brought to justice or is dead. From his position as an off-the-books operator Dom is willing to do whatever it takes to avenge the deaths of those victims. For some reason this novel took me a little while to become fully involved, probably because Dominic did not strike me as an especially sympathetic character and I had trouble caring much about him. However, I don't know if the descriptions of the breach of secure government intelligence information is a factual possibility or completely fictional, but I do know I found it fascinating reading. I was also completely engrossed in the methods used by a character to best a polygraph test given by the FBI. That had quite a ring of truth to it and I can easily imagine someone using those techniques to try to beat the test. The descriptions of the Georgetown neighborhoods and other locations in Washington, D.C. are well done and made me feel I could look them up on the Google maps and see just what Dominic saw when he was planning his breaking and entering mission. The adventures in this novel take the reader to such diverse locations as India, Panama, Switzerland and Italy so the pace of the novel is fast and the adventures come one after the other. I think Mark Greaney has done a good writing job with this novel and has added complexity to it by having Dominic Caruso working alone, without the help of other members of The Campus. This allowed a greater involvement by an FBI agent who was nicely developed as well as a member of the Israeli intelligence services who was used as a valuable resource, but kept in the background thereby revealing little more than his first name. This type of novel always depends on fast paced action, plausibility for the physical feats the characters are involved in, and the appearance of believability for how the enemy agents might have been able to accomplish their threat against the United States. All of those were accomplished in this novel and it made for some exciting reading. Definitely recommended to readers who enjoy international espionage thrillers. I received a copy of this novel for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: One Night in Sixes (Children of the Drought); Author: Visit Amazon's Arianne 'Tex' Thompson Page; Review: My reaction to this novel is that it was unnecessarily complicated. First, the cover art immediately made me notice it because I was reminded of those wonderful western novels by Max Brand and Louis L'Amour which I absolutely devoured and still have stacked on bookshelves. I was also intrigued by knowing this was a fantasy and I love to read fantasy. So how would that combination work? I was totally receptive to being entertained. The basic plot of this novel is that Appaloosa Elim and Sil Halfwick work on a ranch and have been sent to a town to sell a herd of horses and take the money back to their boss. Elim is a half-breed and Sil is a very young, immature white, except this fantasy world isn't anywhere close to being that straightforward. Elim is the levelheaded one, but because he is a "half" he is a mule, as close to a slave as you can get. Simply because of his color Sil is highly regarded, plus he has magic talents based on his Northern heritage. When the horses don't sell in the town the men have gone to Sil gets the bright idea of taking them into completely forbidden territory, on to the town of Sixes, to make a quick sale so he can turn over the money to Elim to take back to the ranch but then hightail it back to his own true home. It turns out there is a very good reason for not staying in Sixes after the sun goes down. Now, doesn't that all sound like a really good story? A nice Western with some paranormal influences added to give it that extra kick. And it would have been a good story for me if I hadn't spent so much time confused and trying to figure out what all the strange words were. I think this book is based on Native American lore, superstitions, and words but because the author didn't help me fully understand that with some kind of Author's Note I'm still not actually sure. I just know that there are so many unusual words - with many of them having such similar spelling and appearance - that I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to keep all the deities, races, and names separate. There is a Glossary and a list of people and places in the back of the novel which desperately needs to be in the front of the novel. At least that way I would have been aware from the beginning that this was going to be a book where I would need to refer to those lists often. As it was, I didn't find these lists until I had struggled my way through the entire book. And, by the way, this book has a cliffhanger ending so obviously there is going to be a second in the series. Frankly, I liked the writing talent of this author when she didn't let the proliferation of unusual words get in the way. I'm afraid this is one of those; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Lazarus Curse (Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Tessa Harris Page; Review: This is the fourth novel in the Dr. Thomas Silkstone series and this one deals with a social issue not often encountered in historical mystery novels set in England, namely slavery. Author Tessa Harris has obviously done her research homework and compiled an entertaining historical mystery while dealing sympathetically with the slavery issue from many angles even though she says in her Author's Notes that the research material was not easy to come by. Dr. Silkstone is an American anatomist and surgeon who had a difficult time establishing himself in his medical practice for many reasons, one being the war still officially declared between England and America in 1783. When the Royal Society asks Silkstone to be in charge of specimens of flora and fauna arriving from an expedition to the West Indies he gratefully accepts the commission. Two of the three men on the expedition died while awaiting transport back to England and Silkstone must find the botanical artist, Matthew Bartlett, so he can begin to catalog the research samples. But Matthew Bartlett has disappeared. Even though there are three previous novels in this series it will be very easy for readers to understand the backstory involving Dr. Silkstone and Lady Lydia Farrell from the well written but brief accounts of their previous adventures bringing their story to this point. Lydia and her son Richard have stayed in the country at Boughton Hall while Silkstone returned to London in order to satisfy an order from the Court of Chancery which made Richard a ward of the court. The story of the plight of slaves and free Negroes (this is the correct word usage for this period of history) living in London at this time is dynamically told by Ms. Harris and will surely tear at the emotions of readers. As difficult as it was to read about it was certainly a learning experience for me. The mystery aspect of this story took somewhat of a backseat for me because of the seriousness of the slavery issue, but it was sufficient to carry the story. This could probably be described as a cliffhanger ending since the present plot threads were cleared up but other teasers regarding the plot for the next book in the series are there to ensure readers wait anxiously for the next novel. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Paw and Order: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (The Chet and Bernie Mystery Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Spencer Quinn Page; Review: This seventh entry in the series of mysteries presented from the viewpoint of Chet the Jet (a dog) is just as entertaining as the other books Ive read in this series. It takes a little while to accustom yourself to the fact that Chet is going to be narrating the entire book and his human, Bernie Little of the Little Detective Agency, will be represented by what the dog hears and observes. Spencer Quinn writes the thoughts of Chet so realistically that I find myself watching my own dogs and wondering what they are thinking when they gaze at me and seem to read my mind. You really have to have a fondness for dogs and be willing to accept the premise of Chets mind working in the way Quinn dictates in order to appreciate the charm of these books. I think the stories are marvelous. In this novel Bernie and Chet have just finished up a case in Louisiana and are ready to head for home in Arizona. Bernie phones his girlfriend, Suzie Sanchez, who is working as a reporter in Washington, DC. Nostalgia and a desire to get their relationship back on track causes Bernie to make a spur-of-the-moment decision to surprise Suzie with a visit. It doesnt take long for Bernie to find himself being hauled off for questioning regarding the murder of a man Suzie seems a little too cozy with for comfort. From there the circle of danger and intrigue becomes an ever growing pool. And with the story taking place in an area littered with politics, can it help but be connected with politics in some way? Even though this novel deals with a very serious subject, namely murder, it was still more of a relaxing, humorous reading experience for me. Chets rambling thought process is often laugh-out-loud funny and I enjoy watching how the author keeps the story on track to solve a mystery while having the dog as the narrator. That is quite an accomplishment in my estimation. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fool's Assassin (Fitz and the Fool); Author: Visit Amazon's Robin Hobb Page; Review: For any reader new to the works of Robin Hobb, let me assure you that you can begin reading her work here, with this book. I can safely say that because that's exactly what I did. There were times when some names or situations were slightly more difficult to understand, but by persevering I read this wonderful novel and feel that I was able to comprehend enough of what happened previously to keep the large backstory from becoming a hindrance to me. This was truly a marvelous reading experience for me. I did not want it to end but, of course, it had to. There is no resolution to the problems facing our characters because this is the first book in a trilogy, but even though I didn't want the story to end I didn't become angry with the author for the cliffhanger. It's as if I was so caught up in this story that I was sure I would have to wait for a full resolution and that was okay. I read quite a bit of fantasy fiction, but this novel took me to a different emphasis of presenting a story than the sword, sorcery, slash, and burn style I've become accustomed to. Only with fantasy author Elizabeth Moon have I also found this level of focus on the everyday lives of the characters in a fantasy novel to give the reader the best opportunity to fully and completely understand those characters. FitzChivalry Farseer is so realistically portrayed. He makes mistakes, he leaps to wrong conclusions, he gives in to his darkest moments of regret and yet he also loves and is completely devoted to his family and his true friends. That contrast is what makes each of the characters in this novel so special. There are many characters from previous novels as well as new characters that I either loved or hated, but certainly was not ambivalent about. FitzChivalry Farseer, bastard, grandson, nephew and cousin to kings is "dead", enter common-born Holder Tom Badgerlock of Withywoods endeavoring to put his past identity as an assassin for the king behind him, but he still has the Skill and when the pale woman arrives to deliver a message he can't help but wish it could be news of the Fool. This was a marvelous novel. It is filled with realistically human characters, unusual mental abilities, and a quest which will change the lives of everyone in the Six Duchies if only the White Prophet can be found. Or has that already happened? I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: An Unwilling Accomplice: A Bess Crawford Mystery (Bess Crawford Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: I was so conflicted about whether to get this book. The last few Bess Crawford novels have been slowly getting less and less interesting for me, but ultimately I gave in and decided to give the authors one more chance with this book. Really, this will be the end of my reading of the Bess Crawford series. Try to spot a solitary soldier hiding in the countryside, think you've spotted him, drive around, can't find him, try to spot him again, think you've spotted him, can't find him, walk around some, think you've spotted him, can't find him, ride a horse around, still can't find him, think you've spotted him, hear pistol shots, can't find him, drive around some more......... My gosh, how many times can you read through that and not be absolutely so tired of it you just don't want to read any more? The only reason I even finished the book is because I wanted to see how the interaction between Bess and Simon would play out. Bess now has a blemish on her record because the soldier she escorted to receive a medal for bravery from the king has deserted. Nothing can stop her from trying to find this soldier, especially now that he is a suspect in a murder, so Simon goes with her on this quest. When I saw that Simon was going to be included in this investigation I really had high hopes for it on several levels, first that his connections with the military would be of great use in gathering information and second that I would see if there was any chance of a romantic relationship between him and Bess. Simon was of some help in finding out information, but because this novel takes place in the final weeks of World War I, there were no telephones in these three small villages so we were left with Bess wandering around while he went off to phone. I'm sorry to say that it just didn't satisfy me on any level. And add to that the fact that it was patently obvious what absolutely had to be happening with the missing soldier and it made for a very disappointing read for me.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: National Geographic Guide to the World's Supernatural Places: More Than 250 Spine-Chilling Destinations Around the Globe; Author: Visit Amazon's Sarah Bartlett Page; Review: This is a book presented by a quality publisher so you could safely expect to find a quality product. In this case you would be correct. I didn't know exactly what to expect because the supernatural can certainly be presented from many different angles, not all of them realistic or even truthful. This is a book of snapshots of more than 250 destinations which fall into one of the general categories covered by the book. I have always had an interest in the supernatural, but I don't by any means believe everything I hear. This was a fascinating reading experience. The book is divided into six categories: Haunted Places, Vampire Haunts, Witchcraft and the Dark Arts, Sacred Places, UFO Hot Spots, and Myths & Legends. Each location has its own page with only the Tower of London (as best I recall) having a double page. There is a photograph or illustration for each location and about half the page is taken up with text. There are some pages which mention multiple locations. Some of the site pages have a small box that gives information on when the best time is to visit, but this is not so much travel itinerary as a hint for increasing the enjoyment of the visit. The page size is approximately 8" wide x 8.75" tall, so roughly square. I found the print to be rather small in some instances and a little hard to read unless I was in very good light. Each category location begins in England or Scotland and progresses around the world in a specific pattern. If you are at all interested in this subject matter, you can't help but find vast amounts of information, most likely information you didn't know. I was fascinated by unusual things, like the most curious connection between rotting fruit and vampires in Serbia, the stone maze thought to be from 3000 B.C. on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island, Russia, and the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali. There are also the places any curiosity seeker has heard of, but I certainly never would have connected Cleveland, Ohio with UFOs. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book for me and I'm going to be going back again and again to look through it. I don't think it will be something I would necessarily keep out on a table, though. The section on Witchcraft and the Dark Arts has some very disturbing illustrations which I would prefer young children not be exposed to.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Monster's Wife; Author: Visit Amazon's Kate Horsley Page; Review: This novel is one of the best literary gothic stories I've read in a very long time. Author Kate Horsley did a wonderful job of providing examples of the basic, simple lives of the inhabitants of this tiny island in the Orkney's and the friendship between May and Oona who are as close as girls can be without being actual sisters. Others on the island look on Oona with a kind of fatalistic awkwardness because she has the same affliction which caused the early death of her mother. May is different; she treats Oona as if she had no defect. The girls begin to face the realities of separation of a sort when May catches the eye of a local man and they decide to marry. Because she wants money for her wedding she agrees to go to work for the doctor who has come to live in the only large home on the island. Rumors begin to circulate about Dr. Frankenstein and his decidedly odd behavior, but Oona still goes to work in the big house alongside May because her ability to read adds to her curiosity to know what the doctor is doing with his experiments. Never could she know just how deeply she will be drawn into those very experiments she was so curious about. I think this novel was wonderful. The tension built so slowly from the commonplace lives these characters led to the strange incidents which began to happen that it made me want to read more and more quickly. The novel is presented from the perspective of Oona and her kindness and goodness and determination to live life as fully as she possibly can comes through so completely that it gave me added sympathy for the awful things which happened to her and her friend as the story unfolded. The reactions of the villagers to things they did not understand were so natural and yet still so sad. The idea of taking Mary Shelley's novel of the monster created by Dr. Frankenstein one step further resulted in an entertaining and engrossing reading experience for me. If you love purely written horror stories, this is a novel you don't want to miss. And may I just say, I think the cover art for this novel is simply amazing. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Slimy Underbelly (Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Kevin J. Anderson Page; Review: This is one of those types of books that has such a different style that you will either really enjoy it or it won't suit your particular taste. I'm in the second category, but that doesn't mean that others who enjoy lighter fare in a novel which tries to make them laugh all the way through it won't find this absolutely good reading. This is my first time reading one of the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. novels and while I thought it was an interesting combination of humor and detection, it didn't have enough of the detection aspect to turn me into a fan. I didn't know what to expect, but it turns out non-stop quips, jokes, and puns doesn't add up to reading pleasure for me. Dan, Sheyenne, Robin, and McGoo find themselves trying to solve multiple mysteries in the Unnatural Quarter all the way from an ogre opera singer whose voice has been stolen to a weathermancer who wants election shenanigans investigated. In between are even more strange and unusual inhabitants of this very odd world who become part of the many crimes and situations Dan must resolve. If you've read other novels in this series and enjoyed them, you are likely to find yourself chuckling through this one from first page to last. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Fire Prince (The Cursed Kingdoms Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Emily Gee Page; Review: This second book in The Cursed Kingdoms trilogy (after The Sentinel Mage) was filled with action and adventure, but also gave me a lot of information I wanted regarding the Sentinel mages and the Fithian assassins. Understanding the background of those two groups helps explain their reasons for being on opposite sides of the quest by Prince Harkeld to find the stones which must be destroyed in order to stop the blood curse which is marching across the Seven Kingdoms. Author Emily Gee has continued in this second novel to keep the story well balanced among all the principal characters, certainly not an easy task when you consider how diverse they all are. Jaume is an eight year old orphan boy who had truly awful experiences in his flight to escape the curse which killed his family. I am sorry to see him befriended by the group of Frithian assassins but that plot development provides a perfect window for observing how the group works. Princess Brigitta has gone from one terrible circumstance to another and yet I'm glad to say this author has portrayed her as a person who discovers strengths she didn't know she had and who makes rational decisions for the situations she finds herself in. Prince Harkeld has undergone so much character growth through these two novels that he is almost unrecognizable from the man we first met in the beginning novel. Almost everything he held to be true has been turned upside down and he has undergone substantial changes in his thinking. All of these things are accomplished while keeping me entertained with the actions of mages wielding fire or shifting into shapes large and small. Unless the author includes some kind of brief summary at the beginning of this novel (I am reading an ARC and there is no such summary included but this is not the finished book) I wonder if readers new to the trilogy might not be slightly confused for a time. Back story is given in small amounts as this action unfolds but someone not familiar with the first novel might wonder what is happening. For that reason I would recommend you begin this trilogy with the first book and then move on to this one. I am now looking forward to the final book to see how the author winds it all up. I'm especially worried about Princess Brigitta this time. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder at the Brightwell: A Mystery (An Amory Ames Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Ashley Weaver Page; Review: This was a book which was so polished it made it difficult to remember it is the debut novel of author Ashley Weaver. The setting is 1932 England which gives the author the opportunity to have her characters be wealthy without having them constantly apologizing in one form or another for extravagance during war time and yet there is some social class mixing which would have been more unlikely if the setting had been prior to World War I. The heroine is a young woman who is experiencing an unhappy marriage to a charming playboy when her former fianc comes back into her life, after an absence of five years, asking for her help. Amory willingly departs for the coast and a seaside holiday with Gilmore Trent to try to convince his sister, Emmeline, that marriage to a handsome rogue does not always result in marital happiness, using her own marriage as an example. The Brightwell Hotel is the perfect setting for all different types of combinations of relationships to be played out with some very well concealed connections between various characters. The plotting of the mystery was well conceived and the revelation came as a surprise to me, something I enjoy. The only small niggle of negativity I had was my feeling that Amory began to exhibit shades of Scarlet O'Hara with her almost constant decisions to put off until tomorrow making decisions she didn't want to face today. Too much of that sort of attitude soon begins to weaken a character for me and it did happen rather often in this book. Because of the romantic entanglements, not the least of which concerns Amory Ames and her husband Milo, this novel needed a steady hand from the author to keep it serious enough in the criminal element to keep readers such as myself interested and reading. I don't like levity and silliness mixed in with murder and this novel never even came close to having that be a problem. I'm certainly hoping this will continue on to become a series because there are many avenues open for Amory to travel within her social strata and investigate other sticky little problems and probably even murder.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Personal; Author: Visit Amazon's Lee Child Page; Review: One of the things I appreciate so much about the Jack Reacher novels is that you don't have to read each book in chronological order to be current with what the main character is doing. This book is number nineteen in the series, but you can just as easily make it number one in your reading order. Lee Child always ties Reacher in the present with something that happened to him in the past. All the details of that past experience are given in full so right away you are set for what's going to happen now. This time Reacher is paying back a favor long owed by agreeing to search for a man he put into prison back in his Military Police days. A sniper has taken a shot at the President of France. Luckily the protection around the President held in place, but who could the next target be? What would happen if one or more of the world leaders were killed at a planned meeting of the European Union, or a G8 meeting, or a G20 meeting? All are planned, all could provide targets. The world economy would be in chaos. There are four possible snipers with the skill to have fired the bullet from that seemingly impossible distance with that accuracy in Paris. Now experts from Russia, Great Britain, Israel, and the United States have to figure out which sniper took the shot and how they find him. This was a good example of a Jack Reacher novel at its best. It was action packed and yet we got to watch Reacher doing the things he is innately qualified to do. His analysis of situations and his perceptive understanding of human nature takes the stage, front and center here because it all comes down to him knowing his quarry and reacting to situations as they unfold. Lee Child has written another winning adventure in the world of global target elimination and espionage. Be prepared to keep convincing yourself you have time to read just one more chapter because this one is hard to put down. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory; Author: Visit Amazon's Caitlin Doughty Page; Review: Make sure you are ready to read about real procedures carried out in the funeral business before you begin reading this engrossing book. Author Caitlin Doughty has written a memoir of her time working at a crematory and then attending a college of mortuary science. The book is presented in an honest, straight forward manner with factual information concerning what happens when a body is cremated or embalmed. If you want correct information without having to wade through euphemisms, this is the right book for you. This book is as much a search by the author for how to deal with her personal mortality as it is a factual accounting of preparing a body for final disposal. Ms. Doughty takes readers through her own experiences of learning how to deal with her death issues as well as her career choices. Both change over the time this book covers until she arrives at her present thoughts and feelings about how best to help others with the process of death and dying. Each chapter of the book addresses a specific aspect of death and how society deals with the aftermath of that death, the body. She doesn't make light of any aspect of death, but some work related instances can't help but be a little funny, even if they are slightly macabre at the same time. All phases of cremation are discussed ranging from the arrangement of a cremation by Internet where the client never speaks to a human to Caitlin making her first trip to a hospital to pick up the bodies of infants and fetuses awaiting cremation. All manner of deaths were represented from hoarders found in their homes to peaceful, natural deaths which happened with family present. These stories are so varied and compelling I will never be able to forget the mental images created through the honest descriptions in this book. We are going to have to face some very hard choices in the years to come and how to deal with the bodies of those who die will be part of those difficult decisions. It would be better if we could all develop the ability to discuss death and the process of dying, but that will probably never happen. Ms. Doughty is part of the vanguard of people who want to have open and honest dialog on these subjects. I wish her all the best because this is a subject that most people just don't want to even admit exists.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: First Impressions: A Novel; Author: Charlie Lovett; Review: I do count myself as an admirer of the works of Jane Austen, but that doesn't mean I can't accept variations or interpretations or extensions of her novels as long as they make common sense and are well done. So on the question of common sense, why did Sophie Collingwood's thoughts immediately turn to murder when a death occurred? Not one sniff of supposition, not one shred of evidence, never a question from anyone in authority, but Sophie immediately knew. Sophie is the main character from the modern day portion of the novel. I got plenty of eye-rolling exercise with this novel and, in case you are wondering, that isn't good. (A character named Mr. Boxhill? Really?) Sophie has a regrettable tendency to faint and act in ways that would make me automatically avoid her in real life. I also found it very hard to accept the premise that Austen needed the help of an eighty year old retired clergyman to whip one of her novels into shape, adapt another from an idea this character, Mr. Mansfield, had and prod her into the writing of a book he suggested the subject and title for, Northanger Abbey. This novel alternates chapters between the present day and 1796 - 1817. It is not difficult to keep track of where you are in time because the manner of speech is naturally so different in the two time periods. The author uses the known history of Jane Austen to make her story in this novel fit in with the writing which will figure so large in the criminal activities taking place in the modern times related to those same writings. I'm sure researchers and writers are always looking for any lost Austen manuscript which will rock the literary world. In this case it was supposed to be a short story with disputed authorship which had never been found before. Except by one person, of course, who never revealed that it existed. Was Jane Austen a plagiarist? If so, does the world need to know? I wish I could say I enjoyed the book, but I only read through to the end to see how the author would try to resolve all the problems of proving authorship of the story. Sophie was not a character who inspired sympathy or kind regard in me and having the author take the easy way out of challenging situations by having her steal books and literary material certainly did not help me enjoy the book. Jane Austen in love? Well, don't get your hopes up.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: SCANDALOUS SISTERHOOD OF PRICKWILLO; Author: JULIE BERRY; Review: In the Acknowledgments at the back of this book author Julie Berry said that she hoped this book would become a "fizzy romp" and I think she was successful. It was also charming, cute, funny, and a vehicle for allowing young readers to learn some interesting facts concerning girls who would have been close to their ages in England during Victorian times. Mrs. Plackett runs St. Etheldreda's School for Girls in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. Students Dour Elinor, Smooth Kitty, Dull Martha, Pocked Louise, Dear Roberta, Disgraceful Mary Jane, and Stout Alice are stunned to watch as first Mrs. Plackett and then her brother, Mr. Godding, succumb to poison at their Sunday dinner. What to do? If anyone learns that Mrs. Plackett is dead, the girls will be sent back to the very homes where none of their relatives want them. Could they possibly hide the fact that there were two deaths at the house that evening? And who administered the poison? Was it one of the students or someone from outside the house? Uh-oh, who is ringing the front doorbell? This was a very enjoyable story and will admirably appeal to the 10-14 year old, 5th - 9th grade age group it is aimed toward. I think it might satisfy readers on the lower ends of those groups more, but even I found the mystery quite well conceived and a good challenge. The beginning of the novel has a list of all the characters who will not be featured in the book and that was a very good way to explain why each of the seven girls had been sent away from their homes and would have received no sympathies if they had complained of their treatment at the hands of Mrs. Plackett. The place of a young girl was viewed very differently in 1890. This novel will provide the modern girl with much to think about while she enjoys the many twists and turns that take place while the seven young girls try to deal with the problems they have been presented. Plus, the presence of several attractive young men won't go unnoticed either. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Close to the Bone: A Theresa MacLean forensic mystery (A Theresa MacLean Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Black Page; Review: This was a marvelous story for me. I am always looking for the mystery novel that is written in such a way as to have the characters use a logical progression to find the solution and this book absolutely did that. I become irritated with a novel which presents the problem as Point A and then blithely skips to Point D without bothering to explain to me what method of intuition or rolling of the fuzzy dice allowed the super intelligent protagonist to arrive at their conclusion. This novel shows all the steps toward solving the mystery without becoming mired in tediousness. Theresa MacLean is the acting supervisor for the Trace Evidence Department of the Cleveland, Ohio, Medical Examiners office. Budget cuts have caused all kinds of problems, one of them being the lack of appointment by anyone to the office of Supervisor of the Trace Department so Theresa does all the work without any raise in pay or official title. When she makes a trip back into the morgue during the wee hours of the early morning to drop off evidence of a car crash she has just worked she discovers a member of the staff has been murdered and another is missing. From there on the police and office of the medical examiner are on a hunt to find the person who seems to be targeting employees of the ME's office. This novel is relatively short at just over 200 pages so that was somewhat of a disappointment since it means it didn't take me very long to read it. From my viewpoint there could have been more personal development of the main characters. It took well over half the novel just to find out the first name of the police sergeant who figured so prominently in helping with the investigation. There never was any personal information given about him. I really liked what information I was given about the main character and also appreciated the fact that she was a somewhat older woman with a daughter off at college and someone who used her intellect and logical reasoning ability to help solve problems she encountered. I really do get very tired of reading about the 22 year old woman able to leap tall buildings without mussing her hair and solve all the problems of the world but dithers endlessly over which color of nail polish to choose. The woman in this novel was mature, she was likeable, she was a hard worker, she used common sense, and she was human. I'm definitely hoping this either already is a series so I can find previous books to read or will become a series so I can follow along with Theresa and Don and Louis on other adventures. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Supping with the Devil: A British police procedural (A DCI Monika Paniatowski Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Sally Spencer Page; Review: I am so glad to learn that there are so many novels already available from Sally Spencer, because if this book is anything to go by I will definitely be searching out more to read from this author. As you know by now, this is my first Spencer novel and it made a great impression on me. I love reading mysteries, but very seldom do I come across a group of main characters that are so fully developed. In fact, some of the situations two of these characters found themselves in were shocking to me and definitely went beyond where most authors want to take their main individuals. It was actually quite intriguing to read something presented in a different way. The novel is set in August and September of 1976, so that atmosphere of lower technology in police investigations places a great emphasis on the relationships between the officers and their methods of solving the case. DCI Monika Paniatowski is still trying to deal with the adverse career fallout resulting from a personal relationship with her boss which ended when a tragedy occurred. Chief Constable Baxter still wants Monika off his force but he has no grounds for firing her. Instead he has now assigned her to work in a situation where she will have no authority as a police officer at all, at a rock concert on private grounds at Stamford Hall, the home of the de Courtney family. All arrangements for the concert have been arranged by the earl or his estate manager, even down to hiring security for the event in the form of the Devil's Disciples, a motorcycle gang. After all, this concert is all about peace and love and understanding your fellow man. Back at the police station a replacement has arrived for Monika's position and he seems to be settling himself in very comfortably. Her team isn't allowed to give him much of an appraisal period before a murder is discovered. There were various plot lines taking place simultaneously and I had begun to wonder how the author was going to make them come anywhere close to each other. In the end she did a really good job of making it all come together in a perfectly reasonable way. This novel was harsher in some areas, more gritty in others than I find in most police procedurals. What it absolutely was for me was completely entertaining. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death in Elysium: A contemporary cosy murder mystery (A Jodie Welsh Mystery); Author: Judith Cutler; Review: When you see this novel is set in Kent in the village of Lesser Hogben and features the wife of the rector you may be tempted to plunk it down in the "cozy but totally predictable" category. Don't make that mistake because Judith Cutler has begun a new series with a lead character who doesn't fit into any mold I've experienced before. To begin with, Jodi Welsh is a woman in her early fifties who has had a career which was both very satisfying and financially rewarding and she has just married for the first time. She and Theo have only been married for two months, after having dated "long distance" for six months, and leaving her lovely home in St. John's Wood to try to settle in the pokey house in Lesser Hogben is proving to be something of a challenge. Fitting in with the other people in the village is also proving somewhat difficult especially since Jodi tends to be especially sympathetic toward the unemployed and sometimes wayward youths who have nothing much to keep them occupied. One of those young men has been helping clear out the garden for Jodi but now she's seriously worried because Burble hasn't been seen in a few days, plus she thinks someone tried to run her down with their car while she was walking home one evening. I enjoyed becoming familiar with Jodi, definitely a character of contrasts because of her previous successful life spent in London and then moving on to a life completely different in the village. The London life doesn't go away after her marriage and figures very prominently in allowing her to get away with Theo on his one day off each week. As mysterious happenings around the village begin to come faster and intrude on their personal life more and more there are fewer times to get away from it all and enjoy the luxuries of the city. Keeping her wealth and previous career private from the villagers and also keeping Theo from knowing about some of her expenditures poses some interesting situations which differ from the usual plots of just learning to get along with the members of the WI. The pace of the novel builds gradually until I found it hard to put it aside because I needed to know what was going to happen. There are conclusions to the current mysteries, even though not every loose end is completely tied up, but not a definite resolution for the futures of Theo and Jodi. I have to confess that there were times when all the talk of Jodi's wealth became tiresome and her attitude of trying to fix every problem in the village by funding it from behind the scenes wasn't altogether realistic. I will look forward to reading the next novel in this series and hope that some of the emphasis of the story will move from her wealth to more complex mystery plotting. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Abbot's Agreement (Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon); Author: Visit Amazon's Mel Starr Page; Review: The first time I came across the work of author Mel Starr was with his first novel in this series, The Unquiet Bones: The First Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon (The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon). I liked that book because I typically enjoy historical mystery novels set in the medieval period of English history. Later I saw that other books had been released in the series but just never felt compelled to read them. When an ARC for this latest title became available for me I decided to give Hugh de Singleton another try. Mel Starr writes wonderfully with the time in history and the places this character visits described in marvelous detail. There is a long list of explanations for words commonly used during medieval times which proves very helpful. There is a drawing of the town and the monastery. The only component missing for me was a feeling that there was sufficient plot to keep the novel interesting for the 250 page length. I wish there had been some other element inserted into the novel to take attention away from the main (and only) problem facing Hugh so I would not have felt there was so much repetition of information. With only that one problem to be working on there was much rehashing of what might have gone on and the possibilities of what that might mean. Character involvement could have been given more attention. Hugh had been away from his pregnant wife for weeks just at the time when she was about to give birth and yet that reunion is covered with a few simple sentences which don't even include dialog between husband and wife. I felt short changed because the novel seemed to just end as soon as the question of finding the killer of the young novice was established. This novel wasn't a complete success for me because I became fractious because of the slow pace of the book. If that kind of plot advancement does not bother you, then this will be a good mystery solving experience for you. At the end of this story there is an excerpt from the next book, number eight in the series, Ashes to Ashes. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man: A Novel (Ruddy McCann); Author: Visit Amazon's W. Bruce Cameron Page; Review: It's a funny old world, isn't it? I had never heard of Repo Madness until I read this wonderful book and now I kind of wish I could catch it. Hearing a voice in my head might not be such a bad thing if it was someone as nice as the person Ruddy McCann has talking to him. If that sounds like a recipe for a book you do _not_ want to read, hang on for a minute. This author has such a deft hand when it comes to including humor in the novel that even the intricacies of having Ruddy figure out whether he has Repo Madness or a real person's voice talking inside his mind is an adventure for the reader. On top of that unusual plot device author W. Bruce Cameron has written a very good mystery that needs to be solved for the sake of several people, including Ruddy. I liked everything about this novel: Ruddy, his dog Jake (who is so much like my own two dogs they could be triplets), Alan, Jimmy (surely the world's last innocent), Becky, Katie, Milt, the bear......and the list just goes on for the slightly whacky people of Kalkaska, Michigan. The only people I didn't like are the ones I wasn't supposed to like because they were the bad guys. The descriptions of Kalkaska and the other small towns around that part of Michigan were so realistic you would think the author really knew about them, which he does since he has spent so much time there. There is nothing that lends realism to a novel like having the author write about subjects he's familiar with. This novel has a good mystery which is well plotted and interesting to solve. It has a clever device which is well handled so it comes across as believable, not some silly attempt to separate this book from hundreds of others. There is humor which shows the very human side of all the characters without making them seem just plain dumb. And the author says in his Acknowledgements, Apologies and Afterthoughts that there will be a sequel. Go ahead and sign me up for a copy.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Oversight; Author: Charlie Fletcher; Review: The Oversight came as a little bit of a surprise for me. I read a book to be entertained and this one certainly began with signs of being entertaining. I want to have a book grab my attention from the first page and this one scooped up my attention and wouldn't let go. Maybe it's because I have recently read several novels in the fantasy genre which were ultimately disappointing for me so I had set myself up to be disappointed again. Once I combined the entertainment factor plus the attention grabbing and then added to it a story which I found myself genuinely interested in that it made me feel surprised at how much I was enjoying reading this book. And that enjoyment just went right on to the ending. Thank goodness there are two more books to follow this one! Charlie Fletcher has presented 1840's Victorian London in such a rich tapestry of color I was surprised to realize that most of the descriptions of actual color are somber black, gray, dark tones which paint the landscape and the "supranatural" characters. Yet there is Sara Falk, leader of the remaining Hand of the Oversight, a five member group charged with regulating the interactions between humans and that unseen world of those wielding evil magic. Sara is anything but a dark character. Lucy Harker may not know exactly who she is because of the holes in her memory, but she definitely can't be described as dark. And then there is Mr. Sharp, what a lovely character is Mr. Sharp. So the darkness is a result of the superb writing ability which Mr. Fletcher has to immerse the reader in a world where such things as bones from different creatures can be brought together with a bit of spit and a few drops of blood to re-animate and do the bidding of a Shadowganger, one of the Sluagh. This novel is presented from multiple viewpoints but I do hope you will not let that put you off reading the book if that is not a favorite presentation for you. It isn't usually a favorite novel construction for me either and yet I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the trilogy and eagerly await the release of the second. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Reckoning: A John Madden Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Rennie Airth Page; Review: It seems as if it has been a long, long time since a new Rennie Airth book in the John Madden series so I was absolutely ready to read this book. If you haven't read the previous novels, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning to be completely in the picture about the characters used in this story. However, if you want to begin at this point you can certainly do that easily. Airth is a writer of quality fiction and this novel is constructed so it can definitely be a stand-alone book to start the series with. John Madden retired from the police force over twenty years before, but the past has a way of catching up to him even on the farm he has been running since he and Helen married. The search of a murder victim's home turns up a partially written letter to the superintendent of Scotland Yard asking about the whereabouts of an Inspector named Madden who had quit the force twenty years previously. The letter was never sent but the Scotland Yard investigator sent down from London immediately recognized the name of his old chief. Now all they have to do is figure out how Madden and the victim are connected. The interesting fact Scotland Yard is keeping quiet about is that this isn't the only murder they are looking into which bears a striking resemblance to this latest set of circumstances. All of the John Madden series novels have been excellent reading experiences for me because of the author's marvelous way of dealing with characters from a realistic point of view. All of the psychological drama is presented here to make you want to keep reading; all the hardships of a country slowly recovering from the devastation of the war is present in this depiction of 1947 England. There is even the terrible fog hanging over the country which becomes almost a character itself because it plays such a large part in the story. Even when the reader knows who the criminal is there is still that tension keeping you focused on watching how the remainder of the story will play out. The only criticism I have is that the introduction of Lily Poole as the female police officer felt rather forced to me, considering the time period involved, and seemed as if that aspect had been added more as a result of the attitudes of today rather than back then. I highly recommend this entire series to readers who enjoy well written, historical thrillers. I certainly hope a next novel is already in the works and that fans of this series won't have too long to wait for it to be released.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Double Strike (A Davis Way Crime Caper) (Volume 3); Author: Visit Amazon's Gretchen Archer Page; Review: Yes, I'm going to repeat that, I #Couldn'tStopReading this novel, it was that good! I don't participate in social media beyond long, chatty emails to friends and family members so when I began to read this novel, which is centered on the social media blitz of a gambling casino's extravagant contest, I thought my goose was well and truly cooked. Turned out, not only did I learn a lot about social media, it completely reinforced my avowed decision to stay away from it. The book is wonderful. The main character, Davis Way, is described in a derogatory fashion by a bad guy as being Lucille Ball Clouseau and what makes that so funny is that it is entirely wrong. Unfortunate circumstances are what plague Davis and turn her into someone you want to help with a shampoo (so often her disasters are hair related) before you give her a huge hug and a pat on the back, especially after she's slathered organic (?) bull semen on her singed hairline. Mixed in with all the descriptions of the types of people you expect to find hanging out in a gambling casino and the uber rich excesses of the casino owner's wife is a really well plotted and executed mystery novel. Will Davis ever marry Bradley Cole? Will Davis' ex-ex-husband Eddie ever truly be her ex-ex? And what in the world is going on with the building of the casino within a casino at the Bellissimo Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi? We've got questions, Gretchen Archer has answers. I really appreciated the fact that this author was able to write in humorous situations without having the humor take over the story and without making the humor tedious. Davis has a family full of honest-to-goodness real people. When I read the incident with the chocolate milk I just nodded my head "yes" because I can so easily see that happening. So the characters are exaggerated somewhat - don't we all add a little something to a funny story to make it a little funnier? Admit it, you've done it yourself. The only slightly negative aspect of the story for me was that the resolution of some situations happened off the page and the reader was told about them later. I can see how Davis had been written into a corner so tight there was no way for her to participate, but that part needed more work from the author. Will something like that stop me from reading the first two books in this series? #HeckNo! Because I've already put both books on my Kindle. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Otherworld Nights: More Otherworld Tales (The Women of the Otherworld Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Kelley Armstrong Page; Review: Author Kelley Armstrong is planning a three volume series. In this first book she has included new material and stories not easily found by fans of her different series. This first book contains seven short stories (one of them new) and one novella. Here is what you will find if you choose to read this collection. DEMONOLOGY - short story providing background for Adam as a child and his mother, Talia. TWILIGHT - short story, vampire, Cassandra DuCharme faces the fact that even vampires don't live forever. STALKED - short story, werewolves, Elena and Clay on a honeymoon in St. Louis. CHIVALROUS - short story, werewolves, Reese at university in Melbourne where he meets Daniella DuMaurier. LUCIFER'S DAUGHTER - short story, half-demon, Hope and Karl at a museum exhibition. HIDDEN - novella, werewolves, Clay and Elena take the twins for a Christmas vacation to a cabin in the Canadian woods and spend part of their time hunting a rogue werewolf. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE - short story, werewolves, the twins are hidden away in Russia for their safety so Clay and Elena travel to be reunited with them. VANISHING ACT - a new short story, half-demon, Savannah and Adam meet an adolescent teleporting half-demon. In the Introduction of this book Armstrong encourages her fans to let her know if there are specific stories they would like to see included in the remaining two books to be released. This is your chance to help an author give her fans the stories they most want to read. I received an ARC of this collection through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Night Hunter, The: An Anderson & Costello police procedural set in Scotland (An Anderson & Costello Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Caro Ramsay Page; Review: This book is definitely one chiller of a thriller. Written in first person, from the viewpoint of the main character, it kept me interested the whole way through even though this isn't my favorite narrative style. The main character is Elvira McCulloch who is written to be quite an enigmatic person whose physical appearance is mentioned disparagingly quite often by other characters. Only at the ending of the book is there an explanation given for this. Elvie is having to deal with a family which has become completely dysfunctional because of the disappearance of her sister, Sophie. Sophie went out for a run one night about two months ago and hasn't been seen since. The police are not willing to treat her case as a missing person incident for many reasons. Elvira knows she must find evidence her sister should be included with cases of other young women who have been disappearing while out running; to do this she must find evidence that Sophie is a victim. This book says on the cover that it is part of the series featuring the investigative team of Anderson and Costello. I expected the point of view to change during the times they were dealing with the cases. That is not the way this book is set up, the POV always remains with Elvira. This main character is a very unusual personality type, not at all the style of character created for a typical thriller novel because she seems to have so many anti-social tendencies. How can she aid in investigating the disappearance of her sister? Well, by being teamed up with an ex-policeman and have them investigate the disappearance of a different disappearance victim. After I adjusted to the first person narrative of the book it was intriguing and even disturbing. I didn't really like the way Elvie was treated by almost everyone but the explanation helped me with that. This was quite an interesting departure from the more usual formula for novels written in this genre. I do hope there will be another book with Elvira as the lead character because I want to know she's doing fine and moving forward. I think that shows how successful the author was in telling her story. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Finished Business: A Marcus Corvinus Mystery set in Ancient Rome; Author: Visit Amazon's David Wishart Page; Review: As Marcus Corvinus would say, this book was easy-peasy to read and I absolutely enjoyed it from start to finish. This is my first excursion into the world of Corvinus and his lovely wife Perilla in the days of ancient Rome so coming across modern language usage in a novel set during Roman times was a slight bit startling at first. Once I settled into it, though, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Naevia Postuma has come to tell Corvinus that her uncle, Nevius Surdinus, did not die from an accident, but was in fact murdered. She knows this because her spirit control, Alexander the Great, was very emphatic in bringing it to her attention. Now she wants Marcus to get busy and find out who the murderer is and bring someone to justice. With Alexander pulling the strings from the ether, how can Corvinus possibly refuse this request? This was simply a fun book to read. The character of Marcus Valerius Corvinus is written so he never takes himself too seriously, especially if there is the chance of a cup of wine (good wine would be best, but any wine will do) and his wife Perilla to help him sort out the tangles of all the political intrigue swirling around Rome. Surely he hasn't just uncovered a treasonous plot to assassinate the Emperor, or has he? And who is the mysterious man who saved him from the three attackers that wanted him dead? This story has plots within plots and twists that come thick and fast. Just when I thought I was on the right track I found that the road went nowhere and I had to back up and start again. And I didn't even get upset with the author for leading me down that blind alley. Since reading this novel I've learned there are many others in the series and I'm very grateful for that. I'm certainly hoping they are all as easy-peasy and OTT as this one was. If you demand that your historical mysteries be perfect in every period detail, this one with its up-to-2014 modern language usage might not be for you. If, however, you want to have fun while reading a novel, you've come to the right book. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Seventh Link, The: An English village cosy featuring The Colonel; Author: Margaret Mayhew; Review: This novel is so low key with its mystery that the reader is left to decide if there really was anything to solve after all. Normally I would not find that type of story interesting, but this was a rare exception. To begin with there is so much interesting information given about the World War II RAF bomber airfields in Lincolnshire with this story having Buckby as its focus. Hugh has gone to visit with an old friend who runs a Bed and Breakfast from the wife's childhood home. A reunion weekend has been planned for bomber crews of the Lancaster planes and six men from one crew are booked to stay with Geoffrey and Heather. Quite without the knowledge of anyone at the B & B, the seventh member of the same crew has also booked in to attend the festivities after arriving from Australia. Events during the weekend festivities seem to point to something not being quite right among the members of the crew. I also liked the very low key personality type of The Colonel and his life in the village of Frog End in Dorset, his home, called Pond Cottage, his cat Thursday, and his neighbor Naomi Grimshaw. Life in this village is written to be so normal and common that it made me feel right at home immediately. This novel is definitely one that will be enjoyed more by readers who are willing to slow down and relax with new "friends" they meet during the telling of this story. I found it to be quite enjoyable. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Indelible: An English murder mystery set around Bath (A Chris Honeysett Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Peter Helton Page; Review: Chris Honeysett is first an artist then a private investigator so reading this novel was informative concerning art and painting and lists of supplies. It didn't exactly match some of my previous concepts of an artist at work on a piece to be presented at an exhibition, but I suppose you can't be expected to devote yourself completely to putting paint on canvas if there is a mystery or two going on around you. Honeysett has been asked to come back to the Bath Arts Academy to teach while he and other former tutors prepare for an exhibition celebrating the academies thirtieth year anniversary. The head of the academy died while on the way to ask Chris to come back and teach until a replacement for a recently departed teacher can be found. Naturally Chris wants to help out, but teach? Not really his kind of thing. So how does he end up doing just that after getting in touch with the other possible exhibitors? I liked this story because the author really did a fine job of introducing so many possible guilty parties that I had no idea until the end who would turn out to be the one causing the mayhem. There is a light touch of humor that gives a nice sense of relief to the criminal tension and it also has the added bonus of turning the main character into a more natural personality. This was an enjoyable reading experience but not one that necessarily made me want to rush out and find all the previous novels in the series. For me there was just something about the main character that was fine for one book, but probably not for more than one. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Bullet Catch (An Eli Marks Mystery) (Volume 2); Author: Visit Amazon's John Gaspard Page; Review: This is the second book in the Eli Marks Mystery series, following The Ambitious Card (An Eli Marks Mystery Book 1). In this novel Eli and his girlfriend, Megan, are "taking a break" from their relationship so Eli finds himself at somewhat of a loose end. When Jake, a friend from high school, drops by the magic shop in full disguise Eli listens to him explain why he thinks someone is going to kill him because of the movie he's making. A low budget movie needs something to give it a kick start and what better kick than for the lead actor to die while playing the part of a magician who died while performing the trick called The Bullet Catch. But in the meantime, the two guys decide to attend their tenth high school reunion and catch up with what's going on with their former classmates. I enjoyed this combination of mystery deduction and a slight glimpse behind the scenes of magic tricks (with no secrets being revealed) plus the humorous side of Eli Marks and his Uncle Harry. For this to only be the second novel in a series the characters which play the most prominent roles are well developed. Sometimes it takes a while for a series to find its feet, but this one seems to be headed for good solid entertainment for a long time. I loved all the allusions to old movies and the roles played in them. That is a great way for this author to present clues for the reader. If you aren't familiar with the movies, all you need to do is continue reading until the meaning is revealed. The narrative of the scenes of the movie being filmed with Jake performing the bullet catch was quite engrossing. This was a very entertaining novel and I'm hoping there will be many more to come. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: I am Sophie Tucker: A Fictional Memoir; Author: Visit Amazon's Susan Ecker Page; Review: I have heard general information about Sophie Tucker as long as I can remember, but I realized when I saw this book was available that I didn't really know anything at all about her. This was my opportunity to find out what Tucker was really like back during the early 1900s when entertaining had to be an inner calling because it was so difficult to get ahead in the industry. These authors have taken information from a biography published in 1945 by Doubleday and augmented it with further facts, photographs, and memorabilia they discovered in their research of the life of Sophie Tucker. The 1945 biography was a scrubbed clean version which probably doesn't represent the subject person very well. I'm sure this fictional memoir comes closer to showing what Sophie Tucker herself and the times she climbed the ladder to be a superstar in the entertainment industry were really like. If you have any interest in Sophie Tucker, this endeavor will supply you with all the who's and what's that got her moving to stardom. Unfortunately this isn't the complete story of Sophie Tucker since it is the first book of a proposed trilogy. The authors also plan a Sophie Tucker Broadway musical, a movie musical, and a television show as well as the documentary film they have already made. For me, this first segment of the fictional memoir has been enough to satisfy my curiosity about Sophie Tucker. I received an ARC of this volume through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Hangman's Song (Detective Inspector MacLean); Author: Visit Amazon's James Oswald Page; Review: Detective Inspector Anthony McLean is the type of fictional policeman who centers so much of his attention on solving the crime he's investigating that he is quite willing to bend the rules to justify the gathering of evidence to take the bad guys out of the picture. Having said that, I didn't get the impression he was willing to do anything illegal, just bend the rules that would hamper him and find a way later on to justify that bending by show-and-tell with the results obtained. I liked the way author James Oswald wrote McLean in both his personal and career life. I liked McLean having had difficult times in his past which shaped his personality for this series of crimes he was investigating and also gave him experience for knowing how he wanted to deal with the politics within the police force. This story takes place during the time when the police force in Scotland is undergoing a complete transformation and that process doesn't even begin to go smoothly when you get down to the local offices. Some of the pettiness and the ineptitude and the irascibility of McLean's superior officers went a little overboard to my way of thinking because it made me too aware of the situations being fictitious. That many problems within the same group in law enforcement could never be allowed to exist in real life. A small amount of scaling that back would have helped make the entire story more believable for me. I didn't quite know how to take the element of mysticism or maybe spiritualism that seemed to be involved in the story of Emma's recovery from the trauma she suffered in the book previous to this one. The other parts of the novel were so definitely hard-nosed, gritty crime story that Emma's journey kept me a little off balance. Maybe that's how it was intended to work. I didn't read that previous book so I had to pick up the pieces of Emma's story one by one and I'm still not totally clear about all that happened to her. Winding in the threads of her recovery with the suspicions McLean has regarding several young men discovered hanged was well done because the connections immediately went their separate ways, dissolving into completely different aspects of the novel. Don't expect a neat and tidy ending here because you won't get it. In some books that presents a problem for me, but here it did not. I can either choose to read the next book in the series or not. I do wish some definite information had been given about the cat though. I have read hundreds and hundreds of mystery/thriller/suspense novels. Regardless of any fine points regarding characterization or features of the plot which might have been a bit of a stumbling block for me, I did find myself awake at 5:30 in the morning thinking about this novel. I got up, made a pot of tea, and read the last 100 pages in the early morning quiet. That is definitely meant as a compliment; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The After House (A Haunting on Long Island Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Phillip Cash Page; Review: If you are in the mood to read a fluffy romance novel with all the modern blended family relationships and six year old children who posses the wisdom of the ages, look no further. This short read will give you just what you are looking for. If you also want to add in some ghostly happenings that have no frightening aspects whatsoever, once more you've picked the right book. This is not the style of book I normally choose and I admit to having misunderstood the style of ghost story I was going to be reading. I knew when I began reading the second chapter that this wouldn't ever be a favorite of mine, but I still wanted to see how the author would handle things such as character and plot development. I read this in an afternoon and it was definitely just an "okay" reading experience for me. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Nothing But Lies: A British police dog-handler mystery (A Daniel Whelan Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Lyndon Stacey Page; Review: The title of this novel was just a little misleading because Daniel Whelan isn't actually a police dog handler -- at least not since his career with the Bristol Met came to an end. Daniel chose to try to fight the corruption he found in his department, had the tables turned on him, and paid the price. Now he's driving big rig trucks for a living. At least he does have a trained German shepherd named Taz as his constant companion and he really needed that dog during this case. Daniel and Taz travel to Maiden Ashton, a village just outside Bristol, to help out his friend Jo-Ji Matsuki who is still a dog handler with the Bristol police force. Jo-Ji thinks someone is stalking his partner Tamiko and he wants Daniel to keep an eye on her to find out who the guy in the grey hoodie might be. Once Daniel and Taz are on the scene things start happening in a fast and furious fashion. This is the third book in the Daniel Whelan mystery series and readers who like lots of physical action along with their criminal investigation will appreciate watching Daniel and his dog get themselves out of multiple scrapes. My three star rating simply means this book wasn't quite as compelling for me as I would have liked, mostly because the characters, even the dog, didn't seem to have quite enough definite personality. While I found it interesting it didn't make me want to rush to the computer to order the first two novels in the series. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Death Comes to London (A Kurland St. Mary Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Lloyd Page; Review: This second book in the series by Catherine Lloyd was a pleasant read and the fact that I had not read the first was no handicap in picking up the relationships already established. In March of 1817 Miss Lucy Harrington is going to London with her sister so Anna can have a proper coming out season in hopes of finding a husband. Lucy and her friend Sophia will also be hoping to attract the attention of marriage minded men. It seems as if the entire village of Kurland St. Mary has up sticks and moved to London after Major Robert Kurland receives a message from the Secretary to the Prince Regent making his presence in London mandatory also. Events are moving along well in the Marriage Mart until the grandmother of one of Miss Anna's suitors dies at a ball. Now the investigative skills Lucy and Major Kurland exercised back in Kurland St. Mary will be needed to figure out if the Dowager Countess really died because of a weak heart. One of the major elements of this novel that bothered me the most was how the characters seemed to have no subtlety to them; they were either good or bad without having the author build in any other aspects to them. This had a tendency to throw out red flags aplenty when it came to discerning who might have been responsible for any wrong doing. If the characters had been more nuanced or shown more delicacy to their nature, it would have added depth to what was, for me, a rather superficial story. This was a pleasant read, but unfortunately not one which will make me look forward to the next nor want to go back and pick up the first in the series. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sister Eve, Private Eye (A Divine Private Detective Agency Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Lynne Hinton Page; Review: Unfortunately this book was just okay for me. I don't know if it is a part of a series or if it might be the first book in a planned series, but I had trouble maintaining interest in the story. First of all, enough with the pronunciation of the last name of the character. Evidently Evangeline's parents had some premonition that she would become a nun when she was born because paring up Evangeline with the last name of Divine (even if she does insist it is pronounced Diveen) seemed like way too much coincidence. So the whole Divine/Diveen thing got to be pretty old pretty fast. Then I discovered that fully half of the novel was concerning the personal interactions between Eve, her sister and her father trying to work out family dynamics that had been lingering unresolved for many years but which were now brought to a head by a life changing surgery for the Captain. Having that aspect of a character's life play a part in a mystery novel is quite acceptable.....unless it takes up as much or more story space than the actual mystery. The mystery seemed to get lost in all the family and spiritual problems on Eve's mind. And I'm all for unconventional characters, but Eve didn't act like a nun even part of the time. The mystery aspect was just okay too. Bringing in the Hollywood glamour characters was definitely a contrast to everyone else, but it missed just enough so it wasn't really any help in keeping me interested. So, not a success for me but maybe it will suit you better. You definitely don't have to worry about being preached to since the religious aspect definitely takes a back seat. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Fairyland Murders; Author: Visit Amazon's J.A. Kazimer Page; Review: This book was most certainly a fun book to read. Yes, it is a mystery novel, but it is also an interesting example of an author having a ton of fun writing a story. How can it be anything but fun when the main character can best be described as a human electrode? Blue Reynolds sizzles and pops (along with giving out a few third degree burns) along his way to finding Jack the Tooth Ripper - a serial killer who specializes in using minty dental floss to dispatch whoever takes over the job of Tooth Fairy. When that pink-winged half human/half fairy Isabella Davis makes her way into Blue's life the power surges come fast and furious. And that's only when he rubs his hands together, wait until his adrenaline starts pumping. New Never City is on the verge of war, the Fairies and the Shadows are gonna take each other out unless Blue can find the serial killer or the magic pea or the sex tape Princess Penelopee needs to get back. What if all those cases reach crisis point at the same time? Okay, so this novel might not be to everyone's taste, but if you like to play around with reading something different once in a while at least you can say you have been entertained. All kinds of fairy tale references with little shifts and changes to fit them into an urban landscape that simply has to be New York City. The blue haired hero is likeable and a darned good private eye too, even if his "talent" means he can light up a room just by snapping his fingers. In fact, you can say his story is electric in its intensity. (A poor joke, my very poor joke.) In a more serious mood, Blue does tend to cuss a good bit and worries a lot about his manly bits so you might want to take that into consideration if you prefer your novels to lean more in the other direction. The actual mysteries to be solved were pretty well written by J. A. Kazimer and I chuckled my way through the whole novel. I certainly hope you will too. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Tell-Tail Heart: A Cattarina Mystery (Cattarina Mysteries) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Monica Shaughnessy Page; Review: I must admit I was very impressed with this wonderful story. Ms. Shaughnessy has a true gift for the elements needed to make a story come alive on the page. This tale is narrated by Cattarina, supreme feline of the Edgar Allan Poe household, in such a convincing way it was easy for me to enjoy the story. The language of the time feels right for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1842, without jarring modern word usage to shift my focus away from the story. I was also impressed with how much Catters and other felines in the story actually act and feel like cats. If you've ever shared a household with a cat, you will recognize behavior from the characters in this story. Anyone who has read the works of Poe cannot help but know they deal with the macabre and the gruesome so it shouldn't come as any surprise to find this story deals with those same elements. Murders are being committed in Philadelphia resulting in prosthetic eyes being taken from the corpse. Because of his curiosity Poe finds himself dangerously close to becoming a suspect in the murders. I'm glad Cattarina and Virginia Poe were there to help guide the constables away from Poe and in the right direction. This is a relatively short, easily read novel which includes "The Tell-Tale Heart" written by Poe. It had been quite some time since I had read that story and it still has the power to send chills up and down my spine. According to the information at the end of this story there is a second Cattarina tale in the works so if you enjoy this one you have another pleasant reading experience to look forward to.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fatal Puzzle (Zons Crime); Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Shepherd Page; Review: Unfortunately I just didn't enjoy this book. I am an avid reader of mystery novels, set in all different time periods. When a novel moves between two times, here 1495 and about 1995, it is very important for the author to be very clear about which time the action is taking place in. This is usually accomplished using speech and descriptions of the environment surrounding the characters. This novel had the same modern speech and sentence structures in both time periods and was lacking in the descriptive material that would have helped me easily move between one set of characters and circumstances and the other. "I'm running over to the Juddeturm to take another look at Hellenbroich's cell." Does that sentence sound at all to you as if it was uttered by a character in 1495? The lack of descriptions was a serious problem and is usually used by an author to fill in details they want a reader to understand about their characters, also to help set the tone and atmosphere of a scene. Additionally, the dialog was stilted and awkward. I wondered at first if the plainness might be due to the translation but a translator cannot add what simply isn't there throughout an entire novel. To me, this book was simplistic in its approach and elementary in the design of the mystery puzzle. Having the "to be continued" ending was ultimately proof positive that this is not a series I want to pursue. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Something Red: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Douglas Nicholas Page; Review: Here I go giving a book a full five star rating when I just don't do it all that often. I started reading this book in preparation for the third in the series, Throne of Darkness: A Novel, which will not be released until March 31, 2015. I often pick up a series in the second or third book without feeling compelled to start at the beginning but something about the description of Throne made me curious. I put Something Red on my Paperwhite and started in to read. It absolutely blew me away and I had to stop and analyze why that was happening. Then I stopped with the analyzing and just enjoyed the reading. Something Red began as if it was simply an adventure happening to a group of travelers moving along a route known to have dangers from highwaymen causing various people to form up together as they went from one safe location to another. Our group consisted of Molly (called Maeve in her native Ireland), her granddaughter Nemain (14), her apprentice/unofficially adopted son Hob (13), and her lover Jack Brown. There was an ebb and flow of other characters joining and leaving this established "family" all along their travels. The book is divided into three segments describing their journeys to get to the monastery, the inn, and the castle and then what happened to them while they stayed at each of those places. Not very exciting sounding. As Hob led the faithful ox Milo along the road to the monastery he thought he glimpsed something red in the deep forest bordering the road. From such a small beginning came a tension that was so deep and menacing it was practically palpable on the page. The start of the book led me to think I was going to be reading a standard fare medieval mystery but the mystery just wouldn't seem to come. And yet I couldn't stop reading. I am actually pleased to say that I never guessed in what direction this author was leading. This book is so, so, so much more than *just* anything. It doesn't fit easily into any box/genre/sub-genre or category for me. I would honestly start reading it over again right this minute if I had the time. What better recommendation is there than that? Of course it might help if you could completely trust my judgment. The prose flows with a beauty and a purpose that leads the reader onward to such an extent that you resent having to stop. The author's writing actually spoke to me, helped me visualize exactly what he meant. One example: "her hair glowed as ruddy as the cooler embers at the edge of the fire,....". If you have ever sat and watched a fire live and die through all it's different colorations, you know exactly what color Nemain's hair was. That is powerful wordsmanship which gave me such a definite connection to that character. And that is just one tiny example. This novel is full of descriptions like that which come alive on the page. Enough.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Science of Discworld II The Globe; Author: Terry (with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen) Pratchett; Review: Taken on its own the story of the journey of the wizards of Unseen University (for the extremely magical) from Discworld to Roundworld was entertaining as a fantasy adventure. In fact, it was so much fun to read that I began to resent the intrusion of the alternating science chapters. I skipped over the science once, but quickly realized I needed to read all the book in order to experience what the authors were trying to achieve. I think the most insightful aspect of this novel for me was seeing the consequences of invention. As the wizards of Discworld found, it wasn't enough to simply invent something - Roundworld - and then set it free. There was a responsibility involved in following through to see that their invention prospered as much as possible, or at least to try to help protect the people living on this sphere, this world, from the evil of the elves. I can say that I enjoyed reading my first Terry Pratchett novel. I don't really know that it will inspire me to read another book written by him, but now I think I know what his work is like. I can also say that I don't completely agree with some of the science portions of the book, but it certainly did make for lively conversation around the dinner table when I discovered that several other members of my family have read this book. Good conversation is always to be appreciated and enjoyed. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Archie in the Crosshairs (The Nero Wolfe Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Goldsborough Page; Review: I enjoyed this. It isn't the same as the books written by Rex Stout, but it was quite enjoyable to read and came as close to being completely authentic as can be expected from a writer utilizing firmly established characters and continuing their adventures. I am a Rex Stout fan and have been since the early 1980s. I own every copy of the Nero Wolfe mysteries in print and audio form. I even have the Nero Wolfe Cookbook. It has been several years since I've read a book written by Stout and this Goldsborough book holds up much better than the first one I attempted. Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe are confronted by a voice on the telephone claiming to be responsible for firing shots at Archie outside the brownstone in New York City. According to the anonymous caller those shots missed intentionally. That would not be the case eventually. Wolfe would no longer have his calm, secure environment because Archie would be dead. Into the middle of that came a poor little rich girl who is being blackmailed because of an indiscretion while she was vacationing in Florence, Italy. How can Wolfe investigate the blackmail case and still keep Archie safe? The checking account balance is at an all-time low so Archie urges Wolfe to take the case while he takes care of himself. It was fun being back in the old brownstone with Fritz and Theodore, the orchids and the beer, Kramer and Stebbins, and especially the guys from the poker game at Saul's place. As a diverting little mystery novel, I quite appreciated it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fateful Day, The: A mystery set in Roman Britain (A Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain); Author: Visit Amazon's Rosemary Rowe Page; Review: As far as I can tell, this is novel number fifteen in this series featuring Longinus Flavius Libertus set in Roman Britain, this one in the spring of AD 192. Even though I had not read any previous novels to feature Libertus I'm happy to say it was no problem whatsoever to begin my adventures with him at this point in the series. There is a very informative Foreword written by the author which puts the reader firmly in the historical setting with information about what was happening in the world of Roman conquests in which this fictional story is set. That information helped me understand more about the life of Libertus and his patron, Marcus Septimus Aurelius. Marcus has left on a journey to Rome and has asked Libertus to watch over work he assigned his land slaves to perform while he is away. In the process of carrying out this favor to his patron Libertus comes upon a horrible crime on the property of Marcus. Using all the deductive skills at his disposal Libertus must solve these crimes even though everyone is so completely distracted by terrible news from Rome. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Libertus and watching him solve these crimes. The author has definitely played fair with the reader and given us all the clues so we can solve the crimes, if we pay close attention, that is. The character development was very well done and the plotting of the mysterious happenings was precise and interesting. I liked the characters I met and look forward to going back and reading previous books in the series. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Book of Fires, The: A Medieval mystery (A Brother Athelstan Medieval Mystery); Author: Paul Doherty; Review: This fourteenth novel in the series takes up right after the ending of the previous book, Candle Flame (A Brother Athelstan Medieval Mystery). Sir John Cranston, coroner for the City of London, and Brother Athelstan are still dealing with the violent unrest which is about to explode across London and southern England because of the excess taxation imposed by John of Gaunt. The rebels, known as the Great Community of the Realm, seem to have found a weapon capable of causing massive destruction, a recipe for an explosive detailed in The Book of Fires. Individuals are being burned alive on the streets of London and their deaths all seem to point back to the recent execution of Lady Isolda Beaumont. This fire which can't be doused with water can be a truly horrible weapon if it gets into the hands of either side in the coming revolt. So who has the formula, who has the book? Intermingled with all the search for the Book of Fires is the investigation Brother Athelstan is conducting into a miracle which has occurred in St. Erconwald's church. Following along as Brother Athelstan and Sir John work to try to unravel the twisting political plots was interesting enough, but adding in this second mystery gave me some relief from simply reading about the politics of the time. One of the things I enjoy so much about novels written by Paul Doherty is how well he conceals those responsible for the criminal activities in his novels until the ending. You just never know how many twists, turns, or trips into the past will be necessary to solve one of his mysteries. Doherty does such a good job of explaining the details of these historical events that it is not necessary to have read any of the previous books before enjoying this one. If you are interested in further reading on the subject of these explosive compounds and how they were used in this historical period, I would recommend the fiction novel Dark Fire: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery by C J Sansom. This is another excellent series based on this period of English history. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blood of the South: A medieval mystical mystery (An Aelf Fen Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Alys Clare Page; Review: I'm not positive, but I think this is story number six in the Aelf Fen Mystery series by author Alys Clare. I have read several of her novels in the Hawkenlye series and was intrigued to see what this set of novels was about. I was definitely not disappointed. For someone living in the American South the fens of England carry a mystique all by themselves so when you add in a mystery set during Norman times, this was pretty hard for me to resist. Since I had not read any previous novels in the series I wanted to see how easily I could become assimilated into the world created here by both geography and character. Make no mistake, the location in the fens area for the major portion of this book plays a definite role in the story and Alys Clare has described it wonderfully for someone such as me who has never experienced it first hand. The torrential rainfall combined with a high tide produces flooding on a widespread scale which contributes to the discovery of the body of a woman. Lassair, healer and student of Gurdyman, was requested by Jack Chevestrier to accompany him from Cambridge to Aelf Fen to try to locate the family of the wealthy woman and her infant son who have arrived in town with no information of who her husband's relatives are or where they live. Since they both are on the scene when a woman's dead body is discovered and Chevestrier works with the sheriff of Cambridge and Lassair knows the fens like the back of her hand they are instructed to solve the riddle of the identity of both women, the living and the dead. If you are a follower of this series you will be glad to know that this book is almost equally divided between what is happening to Lassair in England and Rollo Guiscard as he makes his way in the treacherous business of acting as a spy for King William. By traveling throughout the East he has seen the results of clashes between Christians, Jews, and Turks in the Holy Land. His destination now is Constantinople where he must try, with no credentials at all, to gain an audience with Alexius Comnenus, ruler of this great city with the enemy Selijuk Turks on its doorsteps. This was an interesting way to present this portion of the series; take two of the main characters and have them advance the story arc forward while keeping them apart. I had very little problem with understanding how this portion of the story fit with what might have come before, although it did make me curious and desirous of reading the previous novels. Instead of having the entire story written in an 800 page novel which can be rather overwhelming to contemplate, here the stories were presented in manageable pieces that allowed for full character development in addition to a good mystery for me to help solve. I enjoyed this very much. The mysticism didn't overwhelm the story or the characters because it; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust: A Flavia de Luce Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Bradley Page; Review: While I liked the continued character building of this incredible fictional youngster, Flavia de Luce, I cannot in all honesty say I enjoyed this book as a whole. It will always be set apart in my mind as "that Flavia book", the one I kept arguing with. One of the major reasons I have been able to accept an 11 year old girl, now turned 12, as the solver of all her previous murder investigations is because the author gave me logical reasons for everything that happened in his books. Flavia working her precocious magic in 1951 rural England relates quite differently when she is transported to 1951 Toronto, Canada. This book started off on a different track as soon as that body came tumbling down the chimney in Flavia's private dorm room at Miss Bodycote's Female Academy on the very night of her arrival. I felt that information was sparsely disclosed by the author and even contradictory in some ways. How could Flavia say that it was obvious the body had been inside the chimney for quite a long time and yet that could not have been possible given who the victim turned out to be? How can Flavia give one of her petite dissertations on the process of decomposition while I couldn't stop wondering how this body went through that process with not one person in that building asking questions regarding noticeable manifestations of a decomposing corpse there in the chimney? How could a corpse have been inside a chimney where lighted fires were used to heat the room and still nobody noticed? Those were not just obstacles for me, those were just two of the many insurmountable obstacles to my acceptance of this story. Flavia had been removed from everything and everyone surrounding her at Buckshaw which had always added so much dimension and depth to the previous stories. Nothing was added to fill that void. Here in Toronto she was alone and the new characters around her had no depth and changed their nature from one scene to the next. I couldn't grasp what was supposed to be going on with a secret society (involving the other students of various ages as well as adults) which seemed to be operating within a different secret society. Two secret groups with neither of them ever being explained? There was too much unexplained secrecy in this book. Even such mundane information as the fact that there were day students as well as boarding students was never mentioned until far into the novel. The basic development of this world Flavia had been set down in seemed woefully incomplete. Harriet is often mentioned in this book, but never anything concrete enough to make me really understand what Harriet was like when she was a student here. More mysteriousness when it wasn't really necessary. And none of my questions were ever answered, none of them. For those of us who consider ourselves fans of these novels I do think it is important to read this book. It will never be a favorite of mine,; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Endangered (A Joe Pickett Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Box Page; Review: While not the very best Joe Pickett novel I've read, this one was still a darn good read. I did miss the outstanding descriptions of the Wyoming wilderness that I've come to expect when I read a C. J. Box novel because they were few and far between. It also seemed to me that the second mystery Joe was trying to solve never quite got off the ground, almost as if it was put in because it was required to fit some formula of distraction from the main story. It felt to me that the second plot line suffered from a lack of depth and intensity. I wonder if having Joe so concentrated on trying to solve what happened to April, his adopted daughter, might have placed him too close to the crime from an emotional standpoint. He certainly approached the investigation from the personal perspective and did many things in the take-the-law-into-your-own-hands category. Still, it was good to find Nate Romanowski in this novel even if he did put on his Superman suit and perform daring feats no mortal could accomplish. So while this novel probably came closer to a 3.5 star rating, I've rounded it up to 4 stars just because the villains of the piece were such well written creeps.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: What a pleasure it was to thoroughly enjoy this book in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series. And what a very good idea for the authors to go back to show us what Rutledge was like before he became so tormented by what happened to him in the fighting during World War I. This is definitely a stand alone book for any reader thinking about trying this series, then you can move on to the first book, A Test of Wills: The First Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries), with a smooth transition. The book begins in the summer months of 1914 when the rumblings of war are being heard throughout Europe. This novel is classic Rutledge vs Bowles confrontations with the Chief Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police wanting cases closed as quickly as possible while Rutledge wants to be completely sure the guilty person is the one who goes to trial. There are multiple crimes committed during this relatively short period of time and Rutledge has to travel by car over a large portion of England to find the link that ties all of them together. Sometimes in our modern world it is difficult to read a novel which takes place in a past time; to understand how the lack of technology could have such an impact on criminal investigations. As a reader I must allow myself to slow down and put myself in the time frame established by the authors. The activities in this story take place over large areas of very rural countryside. Public telephones are few and far between, never mind trying to find one in a private home. Transport is not available every moment of the day. The reader needs to be willing to travel back from a technology standpoint in order to find that human nature was still the same as it is now. I find historical novels to be relaxing and these authors have created a multi-faceted criminal problem which kept me fully engaged the entire time I was reading. Thank you, Charles Todd. This is a special book much appreciated by your fans.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Wicked: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Douglas Nicholas Page; Review: The second book in this series, after Something Red, picks up the story over a year later. Hob has matured both physically and mentally and during the return visits of the musical troupe to Blanchefontaine he is being tutored by Sir Balthasar in the Norman fashion of becoming a knight. Along with Molly (called Maeve in her native Ireland), her lover, the fearsome Jack Brown, and her granddaughter Nemain, Hob is flourishing in his training and because of his betrothal to Nemain. Into their contented world comes Sir Odinell de Umfreville, Sieur de Chantemerle seeking advice concerning strange happenings at the castle down the coast from his. Disappearances, deaths with bizarre appearances of the corpse, an unsettled feeling of evil and menace hanging over the area are all troubling those under Sir Odinell's care and he is asking for help from Sir Jehan and Sir Balthasar. They both point directly to Molly as the only one who can deal with problems of this type. And so the troupe leaves a safe haven to travel directly into wicked danger. This series is a combination of so many different types of novels that anyone who regularly reads fantasy or historical mystery or mythology and lore will find their attention held by this story. The author manages to gently take the new reader through a synopsis of what happened in the first novel without boring the reader who has already been through those adventures. I would still advise starting with the first book in the series if at all possible, but this one is written so readers can pick up the entire thread and feel of the series right here. Molly and Nemain are very strong female characters without overwhelming the male characters. The author has created quite a balanced grouping. The descriptions of life in the early thirteenth century in northwestern England are done without only putting the focus on unsanitary conditions. I'm so pleased by that because so often the historical mysteries I read seem to almost exclude all reference to daily life except for the chamber pot or the privy. Experiencing Hob's view of the ocean for the first time was a poignant segment in the novel because of the writing ability of this author. There is a great talent here for storytelling. It isn't often that I give two books in a series a five star rating, but that is what I've done so far with these novels. Now I'm ready to read Throne of Darkness which will be released March 31, 2015. I would highly recommend you go ahead and put that book on pre-order.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The City of Blood (Paris Homicide Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Frédérique Molay Page; Review: The element of this novel which I enjoyed the most was reading a police procedural taking place in France. I've read crime and mystery novels set all over the world but never in France. Watching how the differences in legalities helped or hindered the investigation into the story behind the skeleton found in the artistic archeological dig made for some interesting reading. The statute of limitations was something that could be argued by lawyers to set the ten year limit but no lawyer could make the laws stretch to cover an almost 30 year old crime. When I began reading I was not aware that this novel is part of a series. It didn't take long to see that this team of investigators, led by Chief Nico Sirsky, head of the Criminal Investigation Division, has been together for a while. This is the third book in this series. In the mid-1980s artist Samuel Cassian had buried a tableau-piege with the intention of unearthing it in the future to see what effect the environment would have on the items buried in the trench. The area in which this experiment took place was the Parc de la Villette, originally Paris's animal markets and slaughterhouse area called the City of Blood. The symbolism of death for the animals at the hands of human butchers in the past and death for humans at the hands of humans in the present is strongly represented throughout the novel. There were things I liked learning about criminal investigation in France but there were also quite a few instances of personal actions by the novel's characters which diminished my enjoyment. This novel is definitely concerning social acceptance of men living the gay lifestyle with contrasts between the 1980s and the present. I still find it hardly creditable that the head of the Criminal Investigation Division would go into a gay nightclub and allow himself to be cajoled into dancing with a gay man in exchange for information relative to a murder investigation. I think the author was trying to make the point of showing how progressive her main character was in his acceptance of modern social beliefs and instead made him seem completely unprofessional to me. I will investigate the first two novels in the series but it is going to take a lot to convince me that I want to read more about Nico Sirsky. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Fowler Page; Review: I think technically the Bryant & May series of mysteries are supposed to be stand alone books, but readers who have read more than one other, especially the first (Full Dark House) probably have a better chance of catching all the associations among the characters. That would also make you ready for the possibly confusing mixture of investigative styles among the police force of the Peculiar Crimes Unit in London. When Unit Chief Raymond Land says in his staff memo, "I'm absolutely determined that the next major investigation we undertake will not end up with anyone having to gallop through a cemetery at midnight." he really doesn't know he has just plotted out a roadmap for what is awaiting them all. If this is the PCU, can strange crimes be long in appearing? So here I was wanting a really good book to read in compensation for quite a few mediocre to really bad books in the past few weeks. I got just exactly what I was hoping for. The PCU travels all over London, even if some action takes place off their official patch, but it is all part of solving the mystery of why someone was out digging up a recently interred suicide victim in St. George's Gardens which is a very old cemetery as well as a park. Unfortunately, two teenagers were in the park after midnight and saw what was going on. Now Bryant and May can absolutely delight me with their style of crime solving. Very old fashioned in a very modern world. Add in nine black kittens running wild in the police station and the ravens disappearing from the Tower of London and you can settle back for quite an unusual adventure. As Christopher Fowler himself said in the second or third chapter when addressing the reader, "At this point it might be worth pointing out that if you're looking for the steely grip of deductive logic, you may wish to find some other narrative that doesn't involve Mr Arthur Bryant." Filled with interesting information about England and London, a fun read, but decidedly a different type of detective novel.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chasing Darkness (Elvis Cole Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: When I'm looking for sure-fire reading pleasure one of my favorite authors to turn to is Robert Crais. This adventure features Elvis Cole, but there was enough of his sidekick and partner to give me my Joe Pike fix too. These novels are ageing pretty well regardless of the leaps ahead in technology since this one was written. Elvis can't help but do some serious self-doubting when a man he helped clear of a murder charge is found dead with evidence to suggest Elvis was wrong. The police department is so busy covering up whatever it is they are doing with the case that Elvis and Joe have to go back and find witnesses and evidence from years back. Not an easy task. Okay, major over-do with the emotional baggage of one of the families of a murder victim, but the point was made that victims didn't live in a vacuum before they became a crime statistic. It didn't really matter to me in the end because I've read some really mediocre - and below - books lately and it was wonderful to curl up with this novel that kept me entertained and reading long after my usual bedtime.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shadow of the Raven (Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Tessa Harris Page; Review: This fifth book in the Dr. Thomas Silkstone series finds me caught between rating stars. I've decided to round up (instead of down to 3 from 3.5) because there was a lot I liked about the story; however, there are also some major gripes. First gripe is about the cliffhanger ending. Yes, once again Tessa Harris leaves readers dangling with major questions unanswered regarding the welfare of her major characters. I'm getting pretty worn out with it. Second gripe is that Lady Lydia Farrell has become a different character from when these novels began. She started out clear-thinking, intelligent, resourceful, and an independent woman. Now she isn't. I found myself skimming over the segments which included Lady Lydia and that surely can't be good. My third gripe is with how much repetitious information is included in the book. There is a section of Author's Notes and Acknowledgments at the start of the novel and then the longest Glossary I've ever encountered at the end of the novel. Both sections contain much of the same information along with reading a lot of it in the story itself. Many of the entries were self-explanatory simply from the context of the book. Believe me, by the time you finish this novel you will be able to tell all your friends about the Enclosure Act in the United Kingdom. So now for what I did like that allows me to assign the star rating I settled on. I like the character of Thomas Silkstone and the skills the author has given him which allow the uncovering of clues to help solve these mysteries. Having a lead character with a scientific bent affords the author all sorts of evidence discovery and analysis advantages. I like that there were several different areas of investigation going on all throughout the book and they were actually interesting, not just filler pages. There were courtroom scenes which gave glimpses into how precarious a person's freedom was and how unfair the class system was in regards to the legal profession, the law, and those who ran afoul of it. I enjoyed seeing what impact the Enclosure Act would have on the small farmers, villagers, and craftsmen by reading about their acts of rebellion and retribution against those trying to keep them off the land they had always considered their right to use. All of these things were good for me and held my attention. As I said, I'm getting pretty tired of the cliffhanger endings and I don't like the way Lady Lydia's character has been changing. Will I read the next book to find out what happened? I'm not sure. However, I really did think in the etiquette of dueling that the person issuing the initial challenge was _not_ the same person who chose the weapon. Perhaps I'm wrong about that? I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Great Zoo Of China; Author: Howard Hughes; Review: I have put off writing this review for four days because I have been trying to find good things to say about the book. Okay, here's what I've come up with: it was a very interesting idea. From there, for me, it was all downhill. If you are already a fan of the writing style of Matthew Reilly you are almost certain to like this book because his aim was to go bigger and more over-the-top than he's ever gone before. Wow, did he ever succeed! Unfortunately for me he swooped directly into totally illogical and unbelievable situations that no human could have survived. Wait, was this supposed to be a parody of those really bad monster movies from the 40s and 50s? If so, Houston, we have our Eureka! moment. It isn't as if this is the first fantasy novel I've ever read, and, speaking honestly, it isn't even the worst - just darn close. For me, even fantasy characters and situations have to stand a chance of feeling realistic. If a big, bad dragon/dinosaur is trying to get into the crusher part of a garbage truck trying to kill the heroine of the story, she sure needs something other than a really funky leather jacket with studs down the back to give me confidence that she will survive the encounter. Especially since she's already fought this same dragon/dinosaur many, many times already. Frankly, it disintegrated into pure ho-hum. Sorry, just not the right novel for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC to allow me to try a book by this author.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas: Being a Jane Austen Mystery (Jane Austen Mysteries, Book 12); Author: Visit Amazon's Stephanie Barron Page; Review: The Austen ladies have all come through the cold to spend the Christmas holiday with James Austen, his hypochondriac wife Mary, and their son, James-Edward, and daughter, Caroline. Steventon Parsonage was never cold, ill run, and practically unwelcoming when Jane's father was Rector there but never mind, an invitation has come for the entire Austen party to spend Christmas with William and Elizabeth Chute at their home The Vyne. What follows is a study of guests cloistered together because of a blizzard with a murderer in their midst and a great international problem to be solved which will impact England, France, and America before it is done. Stephanie Barron writes a wonderful mystery in a voice as close to Jane Austen's own as we are likely to get. This novel is filled to brimming with traditions of the holiday for an English Christmas and New Year in 1814-15. The foods, the clothing, the constraints of proper etiquette, the games people played for entertainment when they were cocooned together because of difficult travel conditions are all presented here. Ms Barron also utilizes characters created by Austen to give personalities, both good and bad, to those featured in this story. I think it was lovely and very well done. As always, reading one of Ms Barron's Jane Austen mysteries sends me to my bookshelves to read, once again, one of my favorites from the incomparable original herself. I count that as a compliment to Stephanie Barron.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Condemned to Death: A Burren mystery set in sixteenth-century Ireland; Author: Visit Amazon's Cora Harrison Page; Review: Mara has gained much experience in her twenty-five year service as Brehon - judge and investigating magistrate - of the Irish kingdom of Burren. She has never, however, come across the sight of the results of the punishment for fingal (kin-slaying). The body of a man is found lying in the bottom of a boat wearing very little clothing and apparently judged guilty of his crime by God. With no food, water, or oars this sentence of being cast adrift on the sea can only lead to one result. Mara, though, feels that something isn't quite right with what she is seeing. She is determined to use her seven law students to solve the question of whether this death was fingal or murder. I believe this is story number twelve in this series so the characters have been long established. I have read some of the other books, but not nearly all of them. Mara doesn't come to the seaside village of Fanore very often and she has to chide herself for losing touch with the hardworking fishermen and farmers who live along this rugged coast. Cora Harrison always does such a wonderful job of placing me right in the time period of these novels, the sixteenth century. This novel focused on her use of the death of this man so that Mara can teach her students the practical investigative skills they will need if they are successful in going on to become lawyers. They also must learn the many laws which pertain to the situations they find swirling around this death; if there was gold treasure found, who does it belong to? Were the people of the community involved in the death and if so, what penalty will need to be assessed, if any? All of this carried out by a woman whose word was considered as binding and had to be obeyed as if the instructions had been spoken by the king. These novels are always an interesting learning experience to see how advanced the culture was regarding the appreciation of the capabilities of women. Because there was so much interaction between Mara and her students (two of whom are related to her) it felt as if this novel progressed at a rather slow pace. I do understand why that was necessary and I willingly confess that I had no idea at all what the resolution of this case would be. So, ultimately, if you are willing to stick with the story and not want to rush through to a conclusion I think you will enjoy this book as much as I did. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: At Death's Window: A Shaw and Valentine police procedural (A Shaw and Valentine Mystery); Author: Jim Kelly; Review: This book was really an unusual police procedural novel and that made it more interesting to read than novels written to a formula. There is positively no formula for this one. To begin with, the two main characters, DI Peter Shaw - head of the CID unit - and DS George Valentine, don't consider themselves friends. I find this to be a rather unusual pairing because of that very fact. Valentine was teamed up with Shaw's father so the two have known each other for over thirty years and have worked together for six, but they are not presented to the reader as friends. Friendly and amiable, yes, also relying on each other to use their individual strengths to work on specific aspects of a case. Another different aspect is that the author allows both policemen to go off on their own to investigate with their own style, they aren't joined at the hip twenty-four hours a day. Also interesting is that there are multiple major crimes being worked by this force centered at King's Lynn in north Norfolk. While Shaw and Valentine may be instrumental in helping to solve the cases they are not the principal officers working those cases. A very nice example of delegation of work and the author makes it very effective and provides a touch of realism I've not often seen in fictional crime stories. The problem in this quiet area of the Norfolk coast is that an outsider in the form of a criminal boss has discovered there is money to be made by taking over the harvesting of samphire for sale to gourmet restaurants and markets throughout England. If the traditional samphire harvesters want to hold on to their time-honored areas to harvest, they are going to have to fight the thugs trying to take over. One act of mischief leads to something more serious until the escalation has reached the point of murder. I liked reading a novel that kept me guessing because it was constructed in a different way. I knew from references I was reading of past happenings that there had been previous novels in the series but this was a perfectly easy to read stand-alone book. I liked the humor shown by the author too. Lines like, "His teeth were so good he could have been American." surprised and delighted me. For a totally land-locked person such as me, all the talk of the tides and different consequences of high tide and low tide was somewhat like trying to decipher a foreign language, but still a fun challenge. I certainly did not guess how the major homicide had taken place. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Finn Fancy Necromancy: The Familia Arcana, Book 1; Author: Visit Amazon's Randy Henderson Page; Review: I read a 'preview excerpt' of this novel -- 8 chapters -- through NetGalley and really enjoyed it. I was waiting patiently for the book to be released and now can say the remainder of the novel lived up to the sneak peek I had. Finn was wrongly accused of dark necromancy because someone set him up to be exiled to the Other Realm to get rid of him. Now, 25 years later, someone is trying to get him sent back all over again. He has been given just a few days to prove he is innocence of a boat-load of old and new charges. Finn had sworn never to become involved in magic of any kind once he was back from that other place, but magic seems to be his only way of dealing with the witches, sasquatchs, gnomes, the Arcana Ruling Council and their Enforcers, and the truly bad guys who want him dead. What did a 15 year old kid ever do to them? But really, when your special gift is being a Talker -to the dead - and your family business is running a necrotorium, is there any possible way to avoid magic? This was very enjoyable, funny, and a pleasure to read since the author plainly did not take himself so seriously he couldn't enjoy writing the book. Finn was 15 when he was banished and is now 40 so just imagine all the important things that have changed in the world. Finn seems most interested in catching up with music and technology and has some serious discoveries to make with things like the google and that Bluebeard thing. His expertise on his Commodore and using BASIC probably isn't going to be much help to him now. The ultimate bad-guy villain was moderately well hidden and took real 'magic' to accomplish, but I think author Randy Henderson played fair in sprinkling his clues around. While this doesn't quite live up to the dreaded cliffhanger ending there are some situations which were not resolved and it is plain from the last page that there is a second book to come. I plan to be right there ready to read it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lamentation; Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Sansom Page; Review: For those of us who have long been fans of this series written by C. J. Sansom the wait is over to plunge ourselves into the world of Matthew Shardlake once again. This time the action has moved slightly ahead to July 1546 and opens with a scene of alleged heretics being burned at the stake with Shardlake being forced to attend to represent his law chamber at Lincoln's Inn. The excuse given is that he holds the office of Serjeant, the most senior of the barristers. It is also a punishment of sorts and the sights and sounds have a truly profound impact on Shardlake. Religious turmoil is everywhere in the realm because of King Henry VIII's relations with Rome and the heavy taxation of his subjects and the devaluation of the coinage. When Shardlake is asked to meet with Queen Catherine Parr he knows there is trouble ahead for him because his summons signals there is trouble for her. A religious book of her writing has disappeared. If it falls into the wrong hands, the Queen could suffer the same fate as those unfortunate wretches Shardlake watched die in the flames. I had anticipated reading this novel for so long that it was a little surprising to me that I had trouble being instantly immersed in the story to the point of wanting the world to go away and just let me read. I even ordered it to be shipped to me from England so I wouldn't have to wait until February 2015 to purchase it in the States. It took a while for the story to really get moving for me because there is so much information given regarding the political climate and the various religious factions at play. Once the mysteries began to unfold and Shardlake and his new assistant, Nicholas Overton, really began to investigate the novel moved along smoother and faster for me. However, there still seemed to be many times when I lost patience with the reiteration of which religious factions stood for what beliefs. I especially like the writing in these books, partially because Sansom doesn't fall into the trap of always having all the friends and associates of Matthew Shardlake walk in lock step with him regarding their thoughts and beliefs. It is possible for friends to disagree in these novels and still remain friends. It is also possible to see that enemies of Shardlake are not simply one dimensional either, they are multi-layered and come across as real people instead of moustache-twirling baddies. My favorite characters return in this novel; Dr. Guy Malton, Jack Barak and Tamsin, even that nasty piece of work, Shardlake's brother at law, Stephen Belknap. The end of this search for the book stolen from the Queen sees much changed in England with many more changes to come. Shardlake will be moving off in an interesting direction for the next novel. I think that has a huge potential.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sheet Pan Suppers (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition); Author: Visit Amazon's Molly Gilbert Page; Review: I've only had this marvelous cookbook about two weeks and I've already used three recipes from it and one I made up myself using ideas I found here. From the book I've done (1)Pork Tenderloin with Squash, Apples and Onion, (2) Italian Meat and Cheese Stromboli, (3) Shakshuka which I served with (3-A) a roll Polenta jazzed up on a sheet pan, and (4) my own invention: Panko Crusted Tilapia with sweet potato wedges and oven baked kale. All were absolutely delicious. The Shakshuka is eggs poached in tomato sauce cooked on a sheet pan in the oven. When unexpected family company dropped by at dinner time we had eggs and polenta hearty enough to satisfy all the different food preferences that night. I like the approachable method Molly Gilbert uses for background information and directions for how to get pleasing results from her ideas. Her humor goes a long way toward making cooks excited about trying her recipes. First time cooks need have no fear of being talked down to and yet there are enough fresh ideas included to help even a veteran such as me who is just plain bored with everything I've been cooking for these many years. There are colorful sidebar boxes of information that really catch your eye talking about all kinds of different aspects of cooking from Teach Me How to Wait, What? and even kitchen gadget tips. I really think one of the most lasting benefits of this cookbook will end up being the different way I look at an ingredient when I'm holding it in my hand in the grocery store. Now, instead of seeing only the old methods for cooking and including that food I have ideas swirling around all through my mind. Maybe some will not be as successful as others, but it will be fun to try them out.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Fall: A Bill Slider British Police Procedural (A Bill Slider Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Cynthia Harrod-Eagles Page; Review: As soon as you begin reading this novel it is obvious there have been previous books. Regardless of that, this novel can definitely be read as a stand-alone book. Sometimes an author doesn't do a very good job of giving new readers enough information to make them comfortable with character run-over from previous books but that definitely was not the case for me with this story. In fact, one of the first things I became comfortable with was how well established the relationships are with all the policemen working in the Shepherd's Bush station. Detective Inspector Bill Slider interacts with his superior officer and the members of his investigation team as if they are a well-oiled working team, taking advantage of the strength and being aware of the weakness of each member. Now they have been handed a murder investigation which involves the death of a popular television personality. The Beebs will not be pleased to have any negative publicity tarnishing its image with this real life drama. The team needs to solve this murder soon, if not sooner. As Superintendent Porson so succinctly puts it, "The early bird gathers no moss. Get on with it." Not only was this a good reading experience for me from the standpoint of the development of the mystery and everything involved in solving it, it was also quite interesting to discover this team of investigators and to get to know them as individual people. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I have already put Hard Going (A Bill Slider Mystery) on my Kindle and am considering ordering the print omnibus of the first three novels in the series. I like the low key humor in the novel and the way Porson mangles the sayings he's always throwing around in his conversations. The chapter titles are interesting, but something that can be easily ignored if you think they are too cutesy. I find myself having to go back after I finish reading the chapter to look up what the title was in order to figure out what it means. Often I am not interested enough to bother. So, humor to be taken as far as you personally want to take it or left alone if it doesn't interest you. At least the humor isn't allowed to interfere with the actual police investigation work. In my opinion, that's a good decision by the author. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe: An Elizabethan Spy Thriller (A Mistress Jaffrey Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Kathy Lynn Emerson Page; Review: I wish I could say that I had enjoyed reading this high adventure featuring Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey, recruited against her will to spy for Sir Francis Walsingham by presenting herself as a Lady-in-waiting to Lady Mary, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth. The rumor is that a representative of Tsar Ivan of Russia has come to find an English bride for the tsar and Lady Mary is the woman he has settled on. Mistress Rosamond is incensed that she would be almost forced into becoming an intelligencer for Walsingham, but reconsiders when she finds that the husband she has been separated from for two years is even now in Russia and in mortal danger should things not go well in finding an English wife for Ivan. This novel says all the right words I would expect to find in order to make it an enjoyable historical mystery, but they just don't work very well in the final execution. For me the main problem was that the heroine was all wrong. She was much too impetuous, much too quick to take all matters into her own hands, much too uncaring that she was flaunting conventions which could have forced her into the depths of social disgrace, much too assured that this uncalculated wealth she was supposed to have allowed her to live life exactly as she pleased, in 1582. I don't think so. It was not credible or believable. And all of this at only 18 years of age? Please. In short, she reminded me of a very modern character in a chick lit novel. There will be other books in this series. I will not be reading them. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Moonlit Door: A contemporary British village mystery (A Nick Lawrence Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Deryn Lake Page; Review: This novel was just okay for me, not bad enough to keep me from finishing it but also not good enough to work up any enthusiasm for looking into other novels in the series to see what I have been missing. Reverend Nick Lawrence is the vicar in the Sussex parish of Lakehurst, but in this novel he seems to focus almost all his energy on his new romantic attachment. Inspector Dominic Tennant is the police investigator in charge of working on the crimes and a mighty poor job he does of it too. He also seems largely interested in his current romantic interest. This was really one of the poorest depictions of police investigative skills and techniques I've waded through in a long, long time. Do police really put off interviewing those involved in a criminal incident just because they are upset and crying? Because if so, that would be a great out for criminals to use. The story had some glaring inconsistencies and I knew at a very early stage what was going on. If you are uncomfortable reading novels which focus on child murder, this would probably not be a good book for you to read. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Devil's Detective: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Simon Kurt Unsworth Page; Review: The Devil's Detective is a genre blending of mystery and horror. If I had to choose only one of those I would lean more toward the horror aspect just to give potential readers a frame of reference. This is a grim, violent, horror story which focuses on Hell. You shouldn't expect it to deliver sunshine and moonbeams. Don't even begin to think this book will be a cookie cutter of anything. The detection process is different, the mystery is sometimes a little hard to pin down - to just one, and the location - Hell, is going to be completely different from the standard issue idea. In this novel Hell has evolved and changed and it is defined as a place of suffering physically, but mostly suffering from the lack of hope that anything will change for the humans. Demons roam freely, extreme violence is commonplace, work is constant and degrading, hunger is ever present. It took me a while to wrap my mind around this new concept of Hell but Simon Kurt Unsworth did make it work. The location is just as important to this story as any of the characters and the murder being solved. The place makes the story. The main character is called Fool and he sometimes talks to himself. Fool is one of three Information Men in Hell who investigate only a handful of crimes because there are so many they can't possibly all be investigated. The problem arises when the body of a human is found floating in a lake and a flash of blue light was seen just before the body was found. Blue light holds significance in Hell. Fool has to try to find out how this human died and all of this couldn't have come at a worse time. There is a delegation of angels in Hell working out some important business and Fool's boss doesn't want any unpleasantness to mar their visit. Avoiding unpleasantness is highly unlikely in Hell. There are characters here who are very complex and difficult to categorize simply because they are, after all, in Hell. Fool is a marvelous character, The Man of Plants and Flowers is a challenge to understand, and the concept of the Bureaucracy of Heaven sitting down with the Bureaucracy of Hell to hammer out agreements kept my mind buzzing for hours. Just think of the possibilities. This really is a very unusual book with one foot in the mystery genre and one in the horror section. But when it comes right down to it, the writing was quite good, the idea was interesting, the plotting was well done, and the completed novel was thought provoking. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Skull Throne: Book Four of The Demon Cycle; Author: Visit Amazon's Peter V. Brett Page; Review: It was really good to feel that this fourth book in the Demon Cycle series has gone back to a closer resemblance to the book I like most, The Warded Man. Here we have Arlen Bales (the Warded Man) and Jardir (Shar'Dama Ka - the Deliverer for the Krasian people). For those not familiar with this series, as night falls demons manifest from The Core (beneath the earth usually) and any person or creature unprotected by magic wards is killed. The Krasian people have long held the ruling of all the desert area but want to conquer the people living in the green lands as a means of converting them to the Krasian faith, providing soldiers for eradicating the demons and having their crops and lands help with feeding the desert dwellers. I very often ignore advice about starting a series mid-point, but I would strongly urge you not to try to pick up the strands of this series with this book. At least read the first book, The Warded Man: Book One of The Demon Cycle, to familiarize yourself with the world created by the author. Then the second book, The Desert Spear: Book Two of The Demon Cycle, will be your next best choice simply because you will be curious about what happens next. In a 700 page book there has to be more story told than just the actions of Arlen and Jardir, but in this entry the additional story lines are all related to those two most important characters and they made sense to me. In fact, for the first time in the series I actually enjoyed reading about Inevera and what she was doing and why she did it. There are also extensive segments of story movement for characters such a Leesha Paper and Rojer plus Abban the khaffit with a finger in a lot of places that bring him wealth and power despite his standing. For me, this fourth book was more balanced in keeping me aware of what was happening with all the characters than the previous book was. I enjoyed getting back to this very complex and complicated land even though some of the fight segments with the demons, such as at Anoch Sun, went on for a little longer than I liked. At least there was a definite purpose because of what had to be accomplished at that battle. This is the story of who will sit on the Skull Throne now that it appears to be vacant. Don't try for that place of power unless you are prepared to die.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Gourmet Mexican Kitchen- A Cookbook: Bold Flavors For the Home Chef; Author: Visit Amazon's Shannon Bard Page; Review: When I first get a new cookbook I often want to see what I can make from it without having to resort to a high priced shopping trip for ingredients. That is the way I approached this Gourmet Mexican Kitchen cookbook. So far I'm pleased to say every recipe has been a wonderful addition to my table and my list of 'must-make-again' recipes. We were grilling out so I decided to try the Ensalada Cesar Mexicana (Grilled Mexican Caesar Salad with Poblano-Pumpkin dressing). I had not tried romaine lettuce on the grill before and this was wonderful and the dressing was creamy and flavorful. Another time I made the Albondigas Enchipotladas (Mexican meatballs in chipotle red chile sauce) because I had already bought the meat combination to cook a meatloaf and had a can of chipotle in adobo on the pantry shelf. I also got to try dry roasting the Roma tomatoes for this recipe, a new technique I had not explored before. Cooking up a big pot of pinto beans is a common occurrence in my home, so trying the Frijoles a la Charro (Spicy Bacon Pinto Beans) was a no brainer. However, the recipe most looked forward to (at least by my husband) was the Flan de Vanilla. This lovely dessert has only five ingredients and was very easy to make, even the caramelized sugar. Hubby was in vanilla flan heaven. The cookbook is a visual feast as far as the photographs of the recipes and the author at her home and restaurants is concerned. The colors I usually associate most with Mexico are used throughout for background page colors and they brighten the entire book. The only negative aspect I would point out to someone considering purchasing this cookbook is that the choice of font size for the printing is very small. If you have young eyes with no vision problems at all, you will be unlikely to have any difficulty reading this tiny print. For someone such as me, it is a struggle to read it and I like to _read_ the entire cookbook before I make anything from it. The detail instructions for these recipes are a little longer than usual. Most recipes have two or more techniques that must be utilized to make the recipe according to instructions. In order to keep the majority of the recipes on one page - without having to continue the recipe on the next page - the decision was made to use a small font size. Please check the 'look inside' feature for this cookbook to see the font size. What you see there is what you will find in the book you receive so you can know exactly what to expect.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Clash of Eagles (The Clash of Eagles Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Smale Page; Review: This alternate history novel will surely appeal to readers interested in Roman attempts to conquer all parts of the globe. When you add in that this portion of conquest involved looking for gold in North America, readers with an interest in Native Americans can also find an appeal in this story. Gaius Publius Marcellinus has been sent from Rome in command of the 33rd Legion to Nova Hesperia to search for gold among the Hesperians living in a "great city" of long houses and mounds. He doesn't really have any idea of how to find these people; he must simply search until he locates them. The trip begins in Mere Chesapica with the legion conquering all they come across and taking slaves as they go, but not without consequences, especially when they begin to encounter the Iroqua. These fighters are different from others encountered by the legion and continue to kill off Roman soldiers during the march to find the Cahokia and their gold. It is very apparent that the author of this novel, Alan Smale, has done great research work in compiling the history of both Roman conquest techniques and Native American tribes, primarily here concerning those living along the Mississippi River. There is a great deal of detail about how the legion traveled and functioned. Once the Cahokian people are encountered the fantasy portions of the novel become much more evident and are probably going to be of more interest to some readers than others. This novel wasn't a favorite for me because I got bogged down in the main portions of the book which deal with Gaius integrating himself into Cahokian life and culture. For those who enjoy this novel, you will be glad to know it is the first book in a planned trilogy. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Inspector of the Dead; Author: Visit Amazon's David Morrell Page; Review: Author David Morrell has become so absorbed in the life of Thomas De Quincey through his research for this series of novels that you will feel this character is alive through the pages of this book. When I first began reading this story I was concerned that too much time would be given to watching the results of De Quincey's opium habit and how that had an impact on his life. That was not the case since De Quincey was so completely reliant on the drug that his actions as a result of taking the laudanum had, by this point, manifest as his personality. The two could no longer be separated. The thriller aspect of this novel was definitely more over-the-top with so many murders that I didn't enjoy that part of the book. After a while I started to skim over the parts where the murder scenes were described, they had reached saturation point for me. De Quincey's insights into the psychology of the murderer were definitely of more interest, especially since I knew the actual Thomas De Quincey had been such a forward thinker regarding the human mind. This novel was a mixture of things I enjoyed, including the journal entries of Emily De Quincey, and the very gruesome descriptions of the murders which were too abundant in number for my tastes. I have read the short story The Opium-Eater: A Thomas De Quincey Story (Kindle Single) but I can't quite decide if I want to read the first book in this series, Murder as a Fine Art. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Voyage of the Basilisk: A Memoir by Lady Trent (The Lady Trent Memoirs); Author: Visit Amazon's Marie Brennan Page; Review: This third entry in the Memoirs of Lady Trent series was engrossing and interesting from many different aspects. I enjoyed watching Isabella Camherst prepare for her two year voyage around the world on the Royal Survey Ship Basilisk with her nine year old son Jake, his governess Abigail Carew, and her fellow in research, Tom Wilker. I also appreciated the intellectual research aspects of the scientific discoveries a woman was attempting in a time (much resembling the Victorian era) when women were just being allowed to actually have a brain for something other than domestic sciences. The world these novels are set in can be slightly confusing with names that completely conceal any resemblance to our own familiar world, so be prepared to figure locations generally based on ships navigation and temperatures in areas of landings. Isabella and Tom are undertaking this trip to add to their knowledge of dragons from a scientific standpoint and this often means she is put into awkward social conditions based entirely on her gender. This novel in the series ends rather abruptly so it makes me sure there will be another novel to come later. Isabella had many adventures over the time period covered in this book from becoming innocently embroiled in worldwide political maneuvering, to having to give in to local customs as a way of proving to the inhabitants that she isn't a wicked spirit there to cause their destruction. Along the way she met an archaeologist with a hunger for pursuing scientific discovery as compelling as her own. Written in memoir style means that Isabella's thoughts and feelings are featured more frequently than dialog, yet the narrative did not seem to bog down because of that. The dragons studied here are definitely more from the scientific angle, but it was fun to have a chance to `get to know' one on a different level. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Throne of Darkness: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Douglas Nicholas Page; Review: Throne of Darkness is the third book in this series following Something Red: A Novel and The Wicked: A Novel. It is now 1215 and our group has been contacted by a representative of Pope Innocent III with a secret mission he wants to commission Molly for. The roles of traveling musicians and healers will give Molly, Nemain, Hob, and Jack perfect access to carry out this mission, if they decide to aid His Holiness. King John is well aware that the nobles of northern England are in rebellion against him. His solution is to bring a supernatural force into his country to destroy all those who oppose him. This is evil on a large scale and the representative of the pope has made Molly an offer he thinks will convince her to accept. Molly, however, is an Irish Queen unable to return to her native land at this time so the forgiveness of the Catholic Church is not what motivates her. How will these two Irish Queens, Maeve (Molly) and her granddaughter Nemain, along with Hob, husband of Nemain, and Jack, Molly's lover, remove this powerful evil which King John has set in place against those who don't support him? Interestingly enough, I received an e-ARC of this third novel through NetGalley before I had read either of the first two books. I was so intrigued by the description of Throne of Darkness that I decided to read the first two books before beginning this one. I was very impressed by both Something Red and The Wicked and gave both books a 5 star rating in reviews. Then I was ready to enjoy this one. And I did enjoy it, only not quite as much as the first two because by now the pattern of the storytelling was very familiar. The three novels are constructed in exactly the same way so by the time I got to this one it was obvious what would happen in which section of the book. I think new books in the series need to be set out in different ways to give readers the element of surprise and suspense to keep them (and me) from anticipating (and being correct about) the next move by the characters. I am very fond of all four of the principal characters and those returning from previous adventures are very welcome appearances, but something big needs to happen in the next book. I kept waiting throughout this novel for Hob to develop in a major way and yet it didn't happen. Plus, what happened to Jack in this story was never supposed to happen again. No explanation was given for that and I would have liked to see one. This novel was still a very good reading experience for me; it just didn't knock my socks off. Readers new to the series can very easily begin here because enough background information is given so this story makes complete sense but I am very glad I began this adventure by reading the books in order. I am looking forward to the; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Deadlight Hall: A haunted house mystery (A Nell West and Michael Flint Haunted House Story); Author: Visit Amazon's Sarah Rayne Page; Review: Any novel that raises my heart rate as this one did.....well, that book deserves five stars in my opinion. There are so many mysteries to be solved here which cross over from one generation to another and twine about the various inhabitants of Deadlight Hall that there aren't many moments to catch your breath. Part mystery and part horror story this is one that will absolutely keep readers who enjoy the horror aspect glued to the pages of the book. I enjoy having the paranormal mixed into mystery stories but if they aren't done with a fine hand of realism and believability they can be a dire experience. After reading another novel in this series (The Whispering - A haunted house mystery (A Nell West and Michael Flint Haunted House Story)) I had some idea of the quality of writing I could expect. I was definitely not disappointed. Moving easily through the history of the house from the 1870s, to the 1940s, and into modern times this spooky old place came to life on the pages. Told through the research done by Michael Flint with material found through official documents, letters, and journals this story moves backward and forward through all three time periods and could have been difficult to keep straight. That was not allowed to happen because the main character always managed the introduction to the continuing investigation of Deadlight Hall so I always knew into which area of time I was headed. When I saw the title of the book it struck me as rather unusual so I was glad to see that there is an explanation for deadlight in the story. This was an enjoyable reading experience for me and there is no need to have read any of the other novels in the series, this one is easily a stand alone offering. The normalcy of the lives of Michael Flint, his colleague Leo Rosedale, both professors at Oriel College, Oxford and Nell West and her daughter Beth was a great contrast with the mysterious house and all that happened in it during its long history. This was truly one strange haunted house. I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ritual Crime Unit: Disturbed Earth; Author: Visit Amazon's E E Richardson Page; Review: If you find yourself looking for a gritty and dark mystery with an unambiguous leaning toward the paranormal, look no further than this second book in the Ritual Crime Unit series. Working out of the North Yorkshire Police DCI Claire Pierce is glad to be back at work after taking time off to heal from a surgery made necessary when she tangled with a skinbinder and was stabbed in the shoulder for her efforts. The perp ended up in jail while Pierce did time in hospital, rehab, and moping around her house. She had come out the lucky one in that arrest because one of her team died and another had her throat horribly slashed. Now she's back at work and finds that a lot of things have changed in the months she has been gone. This story centers on the discovery of human skulls buried in ritualistic ways in a farmer's field. Pierce's new DI takes matters into his own hands with a disastrous result. Not only does Pierce have her hands full with her new team personnel, she also just can't shake the feeling that someone in high places doesn't want her investigations to be successful. Now she will have to try to work around all kinds of obstacles and solve these latest mysteries mired in magic. I came to this series without having read the first novel. The author has done a very good job of bringing new readers up to date with what had gone on before as well as presenting a very good mystery in the magical, yet modern day, realm. Sometimes novels which mix genres have a hard time settling into a definite style of either lightly magical or completely serious magic. This novel is absolutely dark magic all the way so if you don't like that type of novel you might want to make a different choice for reading material. I enjoyed this very much. It is the style of novel which has a major thread running through all the books in the series which the main protagonist is working to solve while also solving the other crimes that make up the subject of this specific novel. This was so realistically written that it results in quite a scary novel. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Black Dudley Murder; Author: Visit Amazon's Margery Allingham Page; Review: As much as I admire Margery Allingham's work, I must say I was surprised to find I had never read this book which is the first to feature Albert Campion. It was almost as if I could sense Allingham working out the boundaries she wanted to set for Albert. I'm very glad that she expanded those boundaries considerably in later books because this character stays a little too much in the background throughout this entire piece. The classic setting of a weekend at a remote country estate is the centerpiece for the vast majority of the action here with the necessary collection of brilliant young people who simply show up on the doorstep and expect to be accommodated and entertained. It turns out that nobody really knows anybody else all that well so when a murder is discovered each character stands a pretty good chance of being `it'. All really good country house mysteries must feature a great location and Black Dudley satisfies that requirement completely. Not only does everybody have to figure out who they can really trust, but they also have to decide if these criminal types, who seem to have taken over the house, are actually who and what they say they are. Once again a rousing good time provided by Mrs. Allingham. Once again I choose to overlook the plot holes which I don't allow modern authors. I have very high double standards. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lowcountry Boneyard (A Liz Talbot Mystery) (Volume 3); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan M. Boyer Page; Review: This is the third book in this series to feature private investigator Liz Talbot and I have enjoyed all three books. Liz lives in the house her grandmother left her beside the ocean on Stella Maris, a South Carolina island, while her agency partner Nate Andrews covers their office in Greenville, a three hour drive away. Nate and Liz have a complicated relationship since they are business partners and Liz is now very happily divorced from Nate's scuzzy brother. As if that wasn't complication enough, she and Nate are now having a long-distance romantic relationship. These novels have a genuinely good mystery at the heart of each book. For those who don't like any unusual elements creeping into their mystery novels you need to know that Liz has a 'spirit guide' who was her best friend in high school before Colleen committed suicide. The role of Colleen is growing with each novel and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that. In this novel Talbot and Andrews Investigations are hired to find the missing 23 year old daughter of a very wealthy and socially prominent Charleston family since she has been missing for over a month and the police don't seem to have any further clues to follow. Liz approaches the case from a different angle and begins to find clues which might be leading to a resolution of the mystery. I enjoyed this story, more so when Liz and Nate were not conducting their romantic relationship, but I can say that Ms. Boyer writes those portions in such a way as to leave details for the reader to imagine. Personally I prefer straightforward crime solving, but this series of novels always has a challenging mystery to be solved and the small community of Stella Maris and Liz's family are wonderful in their detail. I see from the material in the digital book copy that the fourth book, Lowcountry Bordello, will be available in November, 2015. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Emergence: Dave vs. the Monsters (David Hooper Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's John Birmingham Page; Review: Dave Hooper comes in lots of different guises: good Dave, bad Dave, whiny Dave (my invention), contrite Dave, and super Dave monster killer. You can even add to the list as you read the book, maybe even have a contest to see who comes up with the most descriptions for Dave. What kept me reading was that I liked Dave no matter how awful he was being right at that moment. Dave Hooper is in charge of safety and security on an oil rig off the Louisiana coast. Dave lives life hard and rough. If it's possible to make the wrong decision regarding his personal life, bet the farm because Dave will surely go down that wrong road. That's what has him almost legally divorced and coming off an epic weekend with strippers he had flown in from Nevada and gracious plenty drugs in use instead of putting his bonus money aside for the school fees for his two sons. As the chopper approaches the oil rig it's obvious that something is super-very wrong! Somehow monsters have come up from the sea bed and are eating members of the rig's crew. Probably not a book for the squeamish - since the prey the monsters are hunting are humans and there are some really graphic feeding scenes. Probably not a book for the reader who wants no profanity or sexual references in their reading because Dave knows all the words and uses them on a regular basis. However, I always say that a good author can make me accept things I don't enjoy reading about as long as he convinces me they complete the character. Dave is just a died-in-the-wool bad boy. Fortunately super Dave has a heart of gold. I can't believe this book is over 400 pages because I zipped through it in record time. The monsters are breaking through from down below and we need somebody like super Dave to help us get through this first attack. That construction company in New Orleans has a lot to answer for; it's a good thing super Dave was close by when all the SEAL and SWAT teams needed him. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dark Side of the Road, The: A country house murder mystery with a supernatural twist (An Ishmael Jones Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Simon R. Green Page; Review: I had read books by Simon Green before. Some I really like, the Nightside series specifically, and others which weren't as enjoyable for me. When I saw this new book offered by Severn House publishers it really got my curiosity up. This is a modern English country house mystery with a twist. Actually there are two twists so you need to read the book to find out what they are. Ishmael Jones works for the Organization with his sole contact person being the Colonel. That is all he needs to know because details don't help him complete his missions. An under-the-radar group taking care of let's-not-worry-the-population types of problems. When Ishmael gets a call to travel through a blizzard destined to go down in the history books in order to spend Christmas with the Colonel at Belcourt Manor the unspoken truth is that his very special talents will be put to good use. From there on we have the English country house mystery updated to involve special weirdness from the writing talent of Simon Green. There is a pretty hefty dash of similarity to the Agatha Christie story "And Then There Were None" but with Green letting the reader know he's fully aware that is happening. Ishmael is by turns terse, ironic, and sarcastic trending towards sympathetic and compassionate. He changes considerably as the book progresses. I enjoyed reading this. I will definitely be willing to read the next book if this becomes a series. There is a lot of room for Ishmael to develop some additional strange powers, that's really the only thing I found lacking in him so far. And if he simply must have a partner, I'll do my best not to wish he was still that handsome loner sitting by himself while drinking at the bar. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Folly: A British murder mystery set in the Cotswolds (An Alex Duggins Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Stella Cameron Page; Review: If you are a fan of Stella Cameron's writing, you might have read this book under the previous title of "Cold" released in 2013. As I was reading this book I had high hopes it would continue to be good, but then the author allowed Alex Duggins to abandon her previous clear thinking and level head in favor of silly, impetuous behavior absolutely guaranteed to send her into mortal danger. I understand that the heroine has to move against common caution at times just to have the story proceed, but she should at least have a very good reason for doing so. In both the instances in this book there was no good reason and the reasons stated were worse than flimsy. Alex is a 33 year old divorced woman. She has had a tragic incident occur in the past which makes her have to fight against anxiety and panic attacks. She bought The Black Dog Inn when she moved from London back to the Cotswolds and Folly-on-Weir and has her mother and the previous owners of the inn working there with her to revive the pub's business to its former success. The local veterinarian, Tony Harrison, was a childhood friend. Now Alex has found the body of a murdered man on her walk from her home to the pub. With nothing on his body to help with identification, police sent from Gloucester will need to rely on the long memories of the village residents to help them solve this mystery. In addition to the unnecessarily impetuous behavior by Alex on two occasions, I wish the author had written in one additional chapter to give a better sense of closing this mystery completely before she moves on to the second book in the series. How did the ring get to the place it was found? Who was the woman who made the phone call to Alex? When did Alex tell the Inspector about the keys in the Range Rover? These are just some of the questions which could have been answered had it not been for the abrupt way the book ended. Not specifically a cliff hanger but pretty close. This book started out well for me but then it just sort of fizzled out. I hope the next in the series will be better. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Phishing Dark Waters: The Offensive and Defensive Sides of Malicious Emails; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Hadnagy Page; Review: Whether you realized it at the time or not, you have received a phishing email. Maybe you clicked, maybe you didn't. My question for myself was: with my limited knowledge of the internet, how can I possibly recognize a phish? This book absolutely explained that for me and did it in such a way that I didn't even go away feeling dumb for not having figured it out for myself. The book is set up to be valuable to both civilians (me) and professionals in the IT or security departments of the company they work for. The first four chapters are the ones where the civilian can get tips for what to look for in every email to try to keep ourselves as safe from being phished as possible. The chapter on the psychology used by phishers was especially interesting because even if we don't think we fit into the "greed" category, chances are we definitely fit the "curiosity" category. "Well, I'll just look to see what they are talking about." Then you are in deep trouble, sometimes not even knowing it for a long time while the malware does it's nasty job inside your computer. Reading this book will give you helpful tips and information on how to heighten your awareness concerning URL information and what it means, plus how to look at an email to find what is NOT there which should make you just as suspicious. From the fourth chapter on this book is aimed at the person who is either in charge of internet security for their company or someone who recognizes their company has a problem and is seeking help and advice in how to set up a program to lessen this problem. The authors, Christopher Hadnagy and Michele Fincher, never try to conceal the fact that their business is helping companies address phishing problems within their business. They do, however, make sure the reader has balanced information for how they can set up security systems to prevent phishing for themselves or know what questions to ask and what reporting to expect should they hire an outside agent. I was impressed with the descriptions of five commercial applications and two open source applications with comments, comparisons, and evaluations for how each of these tools works. I am definitely not any kind of professional in this field, but I do enjoy learning about things which impact my life. Phishing definitely impacts me and everyone else who receives email. I read the entire book and feel that even a professional in this field will find defensive strategies to consider for the company they work for or own. My one problem with the book came from the small size of the screenshots throughout the book. I had to keep a magnifying glass nearby. The book I received does not say it is an advance reader's copy (which is common to receive in the Amazon Vine Voices program) so the finished product may all be black and white. Color screenshots would have made the book more visually interesting, but then it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sussex Downs murder; Author: John BUDE; Review: This novel was one of those relaxing reading experiences which I most often get when I can pick up one of the books I refer to as a classic. The landscape around the Sussex village of Washington becomes an integrated part of the entire story, not just a place where a body was found. John Bude created the character of Superintendent Meredith to be a man who was so entirely human and normal that readers can relate to him immediately. The people of the village of Washington and other small villages close by were entirely believable. This mystery is complicated and unusual. I really enjoyed the fact that the author had his detective work the case out loud while discussing it with others so that I, as the reader, understood where he was headed in his thinking and why. When he had to give up on a line of enquiry I fully agreed with that decision. Lovely, just lovely for readers who like to be a part of the solving of the mystery. And then there are the humorous aspects that fit into this novel as if they were happening in an everyday conversation. Meredith's conversation with the garage owner was especially good for a chuckle. Trying to figure out what had happened to John Rother involved untangling a snarl of times, places, what witnesses actually saw, and who to believe. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this down-to-earth policeman and his superior officer discuss their way through all the twists and turns to reach the correct solution. Many thanks to British Library Crime Classics for making these older novels available again. They are a pleasure for those of us who get very tired of the more modern mystery novels which seem to often place too much emphasis on the gore and leave out the finesse and the intellect. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dry Bones: A Longmire Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Craig Johnson Page; Review: Even though this is book #11 in the Walt Longmire series, it is the first for me from author Craig Johnson. This story concerns the find of a T. rex fossil on the ranch of Danny Lone Elk. The head of The High Plains Dinosaur Museum says he had an agreement with Danny for recovery of the fossil but now that the enormity of the fossil has been revealed, Danny's family wants to renegotiate the deal. Plus there is an Acting Deputy U.S. Attorney who wants to make a name for himself with the Save Jen campaign and the Cheyenne Conservancy and the Chief of the Cheyenne Tribe all add into the mix. The real problem is that Danny Lone Elk has been found dead. I enjoyed this story of rural Wyoming where the landscape, the weather, and the different cultures all blend into such an interesting mix. Sheriff Longmire and his staff and friends combine to form a tightly knit group of characters which has obviously continued from previous novels. Some of the references of incidents which happened in other stories were not fully explained, but they certainly didn't keep me from enjoying this particular story. The novel is well written with a plot that is easily imagined as being possible and with small clues scattered throughout the novel. If you can spot them all, you could probably solve this mystery before it is revealed. I missed too many of them and had to wait until the end to know how, why, and who. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Written in the Blood (String Diaries); Author: Visit Amazon's Stephen Lloyd Jones Page; Review: This is the second book in a series so you need to be very aware of that fact before you pick this one up to read. Normally an author will manage, either in a good way or sometimes in a not so good way, to bring any new reader up to speed with the basic premise of the novel's concept which was spelled out in the first book. This author made me do almost all the work of finding out what the book was about. This was made more interesting in one way but more difficult in another by having the important informational words not be in English. This is a story about a mythical Hungarian race of people called hosszu elet or eletek (meaning long life or long lives). In one plain ordinary English word, vampires. I would have enjoyed the book much more if that information had been given to me within the first 50 pages to allow me to have a solid point of reference. Then the author could have built his world with this very different vampiric race and the myriad of imaginative changes he has made to the creatures featured in this series. In order to finally get myself oriented with what all the foreign sounding words meant (I honestly have no idea if they are real Hungarian words or made up for the novel) I consulted the glossary and made notes to keep beside me while I read. The novel takes place in different time periods and many locations around the world because it follows the story lines of multiple characters. Remember, these hosszu elet live long lives so their story can continue for what would be many generations for mortals. The eletek have become divided into what can be simplified to mean the good segment and the bad segment. They can change their physical appearance to mimic another person or even an animal. A mother and her daughter have spent the last fifteen years trying to come up with a way to allow kirekesztett (outcast) women to carry a child to full term and give birth to try to stop this entire race from dying out. Naturally this is controversial because it is new, dangerous to the woman carrying the child and can also be used as a political weapon to keep the few remaining eletek in line. Never mind that it is causing them to disappear as a race. Hannah Wilde is of mixed blood so the hope is that she will be able to provide what is needed to restore the hosszu eletek's declining numbers. Her daughter Leah cannot provide this same element, so instead she goes off on her own looking for potential candidates to have the babies. This novel was complicated, which I finally worked out for myself without much help from the author. It took well over half of the book before the various story threads became linked. If you think you want to read this series, please read The String Diaries first. I read this second in the series; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Traitor's Daughter (Thornleigh Saga); Author: Visit Amazon's Barbara Kyle Page; Review: Set in England in 1582 this novel gives readers a good example of how dangerous the political scene was during the struggles between Queen Elizabeth and her cousin Mary Stuart, Queen of the Scots, over the question of England declaring its freedom from Rome and the Catholic church. This novel will give readers unfamiliar with the events of that time period a good view of what was happening when families were torn apart over the question of religion. Barbara Kyle writes well within the time period so readers get a good perspective of what life was like for the privileged class. The plot involving Kate Lyon and her husband Owen serves to emphasize how families divided along the lines of religion. However, Kate and Owen are actually living double lives in their effort to protect Queen Elizabeth. I read a lot of historical mystery novels, many of them set during this time period. I tend to enjoy most those which have a deeper, more intense feeling than this novel had. It was a pleasant reading experience and if you enjoy this one you will be pleased to know that there are more books in the Thornleigh series. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Margery Allingham's Mr Campion's Fox: A brand-new Albert Campion mystery written by Mike Ripley; Author: Visit Amazon's Mike Ripley Page; Review: I selected this novel to read from those offered by Severn House Publishing through NetGalley with a slight bit of hesitation because I'm such a fan of the original stories. I need not have worried. Yes, Mike Ripley does add more subtle humor to this story than Ms. Allingham did, but that turned out to be quite good in my overall enjoyment of the book. In this one, set sometime in the 1960's, Albert Campion is supposed to be retired from all the involvements he had with crime, police, and secret government agencies but we still meet Lugg and Amanda with son Rupert and his wife Perdita starting off the investigation of finding out facts about the boyfriend of the Danish Ambassador's daughter. Rupert's week long shadowing of Francis Tate only adds more questions. When a murder victim is found and someone else disappears, everybody heads to the Suffolk coast and the tiny village of Gapton. Luckily Rupert's school chum Torquil Sandyman, of Sandyman's Brewery, lives right on the spot and can provide a convenient location for investigating all the strange happenings in this village. I enjoyed this novel very much because the characters are well drawn and the mysterious happenings are not just interesting, but also complex enough to keep me guessing about who, what and why. I have put the first novel in this series, Margery Allingham's Mr Campion's Farewell: The return of Albert Campion completed by Mike Ripley (Albert Campion Mysteries)), on my Kindle and plan to read it very soon. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gentle Art of Murder, The (A Dorothy Martin Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Jeanne M. Dams Page; Review: I've seen books written by Jeanne M. Dams for quite some time, but somehow just never chose one to read. Luckily that situation has changed thanks to NetGalley and I can now count this author as someone I want to put on my "look for" list. There are lots of other novels in this series, but I had no trouble at all having this book be my starting point. The novel has a well planned mystery which was certainly not easy to solve - I was definitely looking in the wrong direction - yet I felt the author allowed me to solve it along with her protagonist. I must admit there were many times when I asked myself if there was no security unit at all at Sherebury University and specifically the Wolfson College of Art because it seemed as if anybody could walk into that place at any time and commit all sorts of mayhem unhindered by another human being. Not having a single person who worked there as a member of the administrative staff was also quite unusual. Definitely not a typical university setting, but quite handy for concealing a murder. The novel was enjoyable to read and fun for me to try to solve the mystery. I liked the permanent characters and am interested in checking out other adventures in murder Dorothy Martin has been involved with. As an American myself, I was pleased to see that Dorothy was not presented as an irritating ex-American and there aren't too many instances of comparisons between the two countries. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Capital Crimes: London Mysteries (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Edwards Page; Review: I was practically blown away by this compilation of crime short stories set in London. It will definitely help you appreciate this collection if you have a high regard for classical crime writing. Each story had it's own particular favorable aspect. Even the story I didn't like as much was only not as well liked because it was so well written that it made me uncomfortable to read it. These are seventeen stories from the 'old school' of crime writing. They are arranged more or less in chronological order of publication and the editor, Martin Edwards, precedes each story with biographical information about each author along with interesting remarks about the stories the author was known for. Here are the titles and authors of each story: Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case of Lady Sannox (not a Holmes and Watson story) John Oxenham, A Mystery of the Underground Richard Marsh, The Finchley Puzzle (Judith Lee, early female sleuth) R. Austin Freeman, The Magic Casket (featuring Dr. Thorndyke and Jervis) Ernest Bramah, The Holloway Flat Tragedy (featuring Max Carados a blind detective) J. S. Fletcher, The Magician of Cannon Street (featuring Campenhaye and Killingley) Edgar Wallace, The Stealer of Marble Robert Eustace and Edgar Jepson, The Tea Leaf Thomas Burke, The Hands of Mr. Ottermole H. C. Bailey, The Little House (featuring Reggie Fortune) Hugh Walpole, The Silver Mask Henry Wade, Wind in the East (featuring Inspector John Poole) Anthony Berkeley, The Avenging Chance (featuring Roger Sherringham) E. M. Delafield, They Don't Wear Labels Margery Allingham, The Unseen Door (featuring Albert Campion) Ethel Lina White, Cheese Anthony Gilbert, You Can't Hang Twice All of the editorial pieces contain interesting items such as pseudonyms and fascinating details of what happened to some of the stories after they were published. It was very interesting to see how many of these stories went on to have films based on them. Readers who seek out a lot of the classic detective fiction will realize that the Anthony Berkeley story, The Avenging Chance, is well known as The Chocolate Poisoning Case as well and even was made into a full length novel by its author. This collection was a delight for me to read. With the exception of the Berkeley story they were all new to me and having them all based in London proved to be a solid point of contact which held the collection together well. There is even one story that hangs together because of a good, old fashioned London pea soup fog. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rememberers; Author: Visit Amazon's C. Edward Baldwin Page; Review: I can't help but wonder if this book might find its way to a readership which would appreciate it more if the description mentioned how heavily theology will be featured. I expected to read a book with a paranormal and urban fantasy combination featuring characters with the ability to see activities which would cause harm and danger to people and then change those situations before they happened. Specifically terrorist threats. I got some of that, but much more of the (supposedly) Christian faith reasons for why deja vu happens to some people and how they can alter the future by acting on those visions. Yet having a member of this super deja vu capable Rememberer group kill the terrorist is the preferred - and only - method for stopping the event. It is an odd mixture and one which didn't mix well for me. Then the book just went right off the rails when I got about half way into it, plus with an ending that felt unsatisfactory because it was so terribly predictable. This is one of those books where a super secret society is operating within a world wide religious group and one of the first things that happens is that all the secrecy is blown apart by disclosing the secret bits to a young woman who immediately tells some of her friends. Well, there goes your secret organization but no one hardly seems to notice. The book may be difficult for some religious readers to enjoy if they find themselves disagreeing with the philosophical and theological arguments presented in long portions of the narrative. According to the information in the book, there will be a second book in the series titled Killing God scheduled for 2016. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Resistance: Dave vs. the Monsters (David Hooper Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's John Birmingham Page; Review: Book one in this series was a solid 4 stars for me, but this one took a nose dive downward in the ratings. As long as there was enough good Dave and redeemable Dave in the pages I liked the character. The guy in this book I didn't like at all. Dave has finished vanquishing the monsters who came Above in New Orleans through the broken capstone and has made his way to Las Vegas. If you continue reading past the behavior of this creep in that city, you will make it out into the desert outside Omaha where more monsters are in need of being destroyed. Along the way Dave adds to his entourage a personal attorney who, of course, only has Dave's interests at heart. By the time this book ends I have no idea where creepy Dave will be heading and I don't really care. Unfortunately, I've committed to reading the final book in the trilogy. If you are offended by profanity and vulgarity, be warned this second book has even more of those than the first. I think the author was trying to win some prize for Most Usage of the F Word in a Book of Approximately 400 Pages. I think he won that accolade hands down. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Shadow Revolution: Crown & Key; Author: Visit Amazon's Clay Griffith Page; Review: This novel is my idea of a bad melodrama set in Victorian times with magic and werewolves thrown in for the fantasy designation. Clichd dialog along the lines of "Unhand me, Sir" elicited groans from me throughout the book. I kept waiting for the heroine to wake from her drug induced stupor to find she was tied to the railroad tracks and a train was fast approaching. Instead she awakens from a drug induced stupor to find herself tied to a chair in......da-da-da-dum....BEDLAM! Two major male lead characters are supposed to be such hot stuff with their magic abilities yet they get their semi-refined (sort of) behinds kicked every time something wicked their way comes. Hmm. These men utter words under their breath or mutter a single word or chant softly to themselves, but never anything written out on the page. Why didn't the authors just make up words for them to say? A mad scientist is added to the mix who makes his own creatures. Why? Because he can. Yes, that's actually a line in the book. There is a feisty heroine who constantly informs everyone within hearing of her competence to take care of herself while they are rescuing her from her latest dangerous predicament she got herself into. There is a Scotsman - with sooty eyes - who is hunting werewolves and joins forces with our intrepid group. Rooms get wrecked, shops get trashed, walls get knocked down, but somehow the werewolves manage to survive - well, most of them. This was not the right book for me and I did not enjoy it. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries (British Library Crime Classics); Author: EDWARDS M; Review: This anthology of short stories from the golden age of British mystery writers is a British Library Crime Classics book edited by Martin Edwards. According to the Introduction, Edwards says these fourteen stories were written over roughly half a century and are arranged in this book in close to chronological order. The following is a list of the stories, in order, along with the author. The Adventure of the Devil's Foot by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes and John Watson A Schoolmaster Abroad by E. W. Hornung featuring Dr. John Dollar Murder! by Arnold Bennett The Murder on the Golf Links by M. McDonnell Bodkin featuring Mr. Paul Beck The Finger of Stone by G. K. Chesterton The Vanishing of Mrs. Fraser by Basil Thomson featuring Mr. Pepper A Mystery of the Sand-Hills by R. Austin Freeman featuring Dr. John Thorndyke Razor Edge by Anthony Berkeley Cox featuring Roger Sheringham Holiday Task by Leo Bruce A Posteriori by Helen Simpson Where is Mr. Manetot? by Phyllis Bentley The House of Screams by Gerald Findler Cousin Once Removed by Michael Gilbert I didn't necessarily like each of the stories, but they were very interesting to read to compare with each other author's style as well as to see how mystery novels have changed over time. The Sherlock Holmes story was so familiar to me I could almost recite it as it went along while I don't remember having read any of the remaining thirteen. The holiday theme turned out to be a very good starting point for each story because it gives the reader a primary focus also and the knowledge that the story is going to happen in a location which is slightly unusual to all those involved. I recommend this collection to readers of mystery novels who can be satisfied with the low key, less exciting stories from the standpoint of action. Mostly these are mysteries to be enjoyed as you watch the author solve the questions involved. I received an e-ARC of this collection through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Ways of the World: A James Maxted Thriller; Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Goddard Page; Review: I was enjoying reading this novel when I began to realize I was coming to a point when the number of pages left was really going to push the author to come up with plausible endings for all the plot lines he had developed. Finally I turned a page and came upon the dreaded "to be continued". Well, at least I got an answer of sorts. Would I have selected this novel if I had known it was the first part of a trilogy? I have to say I probably would have because nothing says an author can't tie up any number of plot threads and still have material to carry over into a second or even third book. Unhappily for me, this was my first Robert Goddard book to read and finding so many issues remaining unresolved did not leave enough of a good impression to make me anxious to read the second book, much less the third. I enjoyed the atmosphere Goddard created with Paris in 1919 with all the political maneuvering around the peace conference to settle World War I territorial disagreements. The combination of having James "Max" Maxted become involved in solving the questions he had concerning the death of his father and finding himself embroiled in a spy plot added great dimension to the novel. Those elements are what allowed me to assign this first novel in the set a 4 star rating. Now that I know how many novels are required to tell this story I can look back and see much foreshadowing of where Max will probably go to finish his adventure. Some of the characters are a little too good and others are too bad, but once again, knowing now that there are three books required to finish this story, maybe those 'goods' and 'bads' will be expanded and changed over the course of the other two books. I don't know and, quite frankly, I'm not hooked enough to want to find out. If you are interested in reading all three books at one time, book two has already been released and book three will be available in the summer of 2015. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Religious Body; Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Aird Page; Review: Open Road Media has recently given the collection of Catherine Aird mystery novels new covers. When I was given the opportunity to read this novel again, this time in the form of a digital advanced readers copy, I was happy to jump back in to explore one of my favorite British mystery novels. This first book in the series was first published in 1966 but has held on to its timeless quality quite well. Inspector C. D. Sloan (later in the series he was affectionately referred to as Seedy) of the CID, Berebury Division of Calleshire and the only Constable who never seems to have a pressing job, Detective-Constable William Crosby are sent to The Convent of St. Anseim to investigate the discovery of one of the nuns lying dead at the foot of the cellar steps. The complete focus of the nuns on their religious world causes Sloan more trouble than one would have expected. It turns out that nuns can be exceedingly poor witnesses. This novel is simply one of those you start out to read knowing exactly what you will get. The novel moves at a slow, steady pace with the author building up the characters and the backstory in small amounts so that readers who want to catch every clue and solve the mystery for themselves will feel they have been given a fair try. This book is quite short, somewhere around 200 pages, so you don't have to invest a large amount of time to find whether the writing style will appeal to you. This is probably the third time I've read this story and yet I still enjoyed it because I had not remembered all of the pertinent information to immediately spot the culprit. You won't find blazing gunfights or gruesome descriptions of murder scenes in a Catherine Aird novel. That's quite a nice, relaxing situation when I find myself wanting something with an interesting puzzle but which won't leave mental images I have trouble ridding myself of. Definitely recommended. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Truth According to Us: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Annie Barrows Page; Review: This novel is presented from the viewpoint of Willa Romeyn, a very curious 12 year old girl, and her aunt, Jottie Romeyn, with epistolary segments giving insight into the character of the outsider who will enter their lives and change their world, Layla Beck. Willa has a powerful curiosity. She wants to know what it is adults talk about when they send the children from the room. She wants to find out what is going on when conversations seem to lapse into code while adults seems to talk around subjects. But most of all Willa wants to understand her father, Felix, and where he goes when he is absent from their Macedonia, West Virginia home and she wants her father to place his attention back on her family and away from their new boarder, Layla. So, she develops her seemingly natural abilities to snoop. Unfortunately she uncovers family secrets so devastating her calm, uneventful life will be changed along with all the adults in contact with her family. Jottie was such a well written, realistic character. Her willingness to care for Willa and her sister, nine year old Bird, was shown to be truly unselfish. Felix was divorced from the mother of the two girls so in 1938 they are all living with Jottie. Layla Beck is the sophisticated rich girl who fully expects to look down her nose at the locals, put in her time working for the WPA on the Federal Writers Project, show her father she can run her own life, and then high-tail it out of Macedonia and get back to her social whirl. I had looked forward to reading this novel so much that I just couldn't believe it when I began to wonder if it would ever come to the point and finally end. It was obvious what so many of Felixs secrets were. As his character filled out over the course of the story it even became obvious what the horrible secret in his life was going to be. There were so many characters in the novel which could have so easily been excluded from the book with not much difference made to the final product. The manuscript Layla produced for the Federal Writers Project was no more proven to be true than the information she was getting from people who wanted the white-washed versions of the history of the town of Macedonia published. Thus, the lesson of the truth being what each person believes their version of the truth to be. It seemed as if there were two good stories here, one centered on Willa and one on Jottie, but combined they just seemed to go on and on for much too long. I can say that the author captured a small, rural community in the South very well, that entire portion of the novel rings wonderfully true. So if your choice of novel is for practically daily detail of what happens in the lives of average and eccentric people in rural communities over a short period of time, this novel will be a; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ascendance: Dave vs. the Monsters (David Hooper Trilogy); Author: Visit Amazon's John Birmingham Page; Review: For me the Dave books have gone from 4 stars for Emergence to 2 stars for Resistance now back to 4 stars for Ascendance. Whew, what a swing. Not fun for me in the general sense because I don't do well on roller-coaster rides. After being so disappointed with the second book I had a strong talk with myself to be sure I approached this third book with an open mind. Right away it was obvious that this was not going to be the Creepy Dave character I objected to so much in the previous novel. No, this was Contrite Dave (kind of) and Helpful Dave, but mostly a Dave held in check by a new strong character who acted as a very effective foil for Bad Dave. Dave now has a super-hero friend to help him fight the monsters coming Above from the UnderRealm attacking in small groups all over the world. Karen (or Karin please Mr. Birmingham, choose one and stick with it!) has a sword that matches Daves axe, Lucille, and she brings some other super-hero talents to the fight which aren't available to Dave. Finally some really interesting situations for the battles/adventures because up until now it was simply same-song-next-verse all the time. So far Dave has fought monsters in New Orleans, outside Omaha, and now in Manhattan. Naturally, being that close to Maine, could Camden Harbor be far behind since Daves kids are there. This story held together much better for me because Dave had a purpose other than admiring himself and his special sauce effect on women. The fight scenes are terribly bloody and filled with gory descriptions, but it is that type of novel so thats almost all you get. The profanity is still prolific and yet it didn't bother me (unlike in book two) because it was actually used in context. This book didn't have so much of Threshy vomiting out sentences which consisted mostly of profanity with a pronoun and/or a preposition scattered in there somewhere. I do not recommend starting this series anywhere except with book one. This third one picks up with no summary of the previous two and this is a really involved monster band which takes a lot of explaining. Speaking of explaining, this third book has a lot of background information on the monster sects and clans which is good to have. You don't get much of that in the previous novels. There are two characters added to this one who will figure prominently in future books so I think it is safe to say there will be more Dave versus the Monster books. Yall enjoy them. Ive read as much about the bloodwine and descriptions of ripping off human flesh and chugging it down while the human is still alive to last me from now til whenever. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Great Bazaar and Brayan's Gold: Stories from the Demon Cycle Series; Author: ; Review: This short collection consists of around 130 pages with the following content: Introduction to Brayans Gold by Peter Brett Brayans Gold Introduction to The Great Bazaar by Peter Brett The Great Bazaar Deleted Scenes Arlen Brianne Beaten Krasian Dictionary Ward Grimoire About the Author If you think you have previously read this collection, you just might be right. It seems to have been published in similar forms in both 2011 and 2014. For someone thinking about starting this series, which consists of four books at this point, this sampling might be a good way to get a taste for The Demon Cycle world before you invest in longer novels. This way you can see if you think it will interest you enough to begin investing your time. For those of us who have been with Arlen through his entire journey it offers a chance to understand the author more than the character. At least thats the way it played out to me. I liked getting to know the author better. I agree with his editor that the Arlen prologue would not have added anything to the novel (The Warded Man) that wasn't covered later and was best left out. Im glad Brett loves the Brianne Beaten scene, but, once again, it did not fill out the character of Leesha Paper in any way that wasn't accomplished in other ways. The main thing I came away with from reading this collection is that the final book in the series (The Core) is expected to be out in 2017. Thats a long time to wait. I received an e-ARC of this novella collection through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death at Dovecote Hatch: A 1930s country house murder mystery (A Florence Norris Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Dorothy Cannell Page; Review: I liked this second story in the Florence Norris Mystery series better than Murder at Mullings - A 1930s Country House Murder Mystery (A Florence Norris Mystery) because I got the full effect of the novel taking place in 1932. Reading historical mysteries is a pleasure for me, but I want to really feel the time period and this novel gave that to me. This story takes up just a few months after the murder involving the Stodmarsh family and their ancestral home of Mullings with the return of the well developed characters from that first novel. If you missed reading Murder at Mullings you can easily begin the series here, but be aware that there are many references to incidents and relationships covered in that first novel. Florence Norris is housekeeper at Mullings and this story opens with George Bird, owner of the Dog and Whistle pub, seeing her off at the railway station for a week long holiday in London with her cousin Hattie Fly. Just as the train pulled into the station Florence had the strongest impression the only other person on the platform, a woman, was thinking about throwing herself in front of the train. Nothing happened, though, and both women boarded the train for London. From this incident Florence found herself investigating a secret in the village which lead to death and possible insanity. At a very early spot in this story the author put in a plot device which blew my preconceived notion of where the story was leading all to bits. What a nice shock that turned out to be because it made this story take on a more original aspect than I've encountered in many years of reading mystery novels. Once again the characters of Dovecote Hatch are exceptionally well presented and the resolution of the questions being investigated make perfect sense. I really am looking forward to reading future novels in this series. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Confessors' Club, The: A PI mystery set in Chicago (A Dek Elstrom PI mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Jack Fredrickson Page; Review: I had no idea there were other novels in this series until I became curious while reading this one and went to check it out. I'm delighted to find there are at least four others for me to explore. I can only hope I like them as much as I liked getting to know Dek (Vlodek) Elstrom in this story which kept me guessing whether the missing mega-rich men were victims or criminals. With at least four previous books in the series there is plenty of backstory concerning Dek's ex-wife Amanda as well as his ex-father-in-law Wendell Phelps but the author made it fit together with the current story so I had no problem slotting all the characters into place. Dek is probably best considered a resourceful snooper instead of any kind of paragon of investigative skills. He seems to chance upon things that didn't necessarily make sense to me but he fit the pieces together and solved the puzzle. My main problem was that I believed what the author was implying. Good job on that technique, Mr. Fredrickson. As one of Dek's associates puts it, the "heavy cream" is being skimmed off the top of Chicago society and dying at a pretty startling pace. Once you do the math the chance of these deaths being simply coincidence becomes impossible to believe. Once Dek figures out that there is a time-table involved with the deaths he has to race to prevent the next death which looks as if it has the potential to be Amanda's father. I like the person who is Dek Elstrom, he's my kind of slightly off-beat personality who still manages to come across as almost completely normal. I like his clothing "uniform" which seems to be a sort of thumb of the nose to people who automatically expect something different from him. I loved his descriptions of the greasy spoons he frequents even down to revealing the secret of how to spot one. (It all has to do with how easily you can see through the front window. If you want more, read the book.) He makes mistakes. Sometimes the mistakes are too obvious for him to have made them and that's the author's fault. Most times they are pretty much the same mistakes any living, breathing human would be prone to make and that humanizes him enough for me to let him back on my good side. And this character has the same kind of slightly-off sense of humor I recognize in myself. Pouring water down on the heads of people annoying him by pounding on his door is the action of an immature mind which left him feeling childishly satisfied. Yep, I've often wanted to do something like that. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Case of the Dotty Dowager, The: A cosy mystery set in Wales (A WISE Enquiries Agency Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Cathy Ace Page; Review: Take a completely disparate group of four female principal characters, find some way to make them fit an acronym and have them solve what ends up being a well conceived technical crime (although without actually providing a motive for the most important crime) and you will have the see-saw effect this novel had for me while I was reading it. The four women 'enquiry agents' never are connected up by the author. How did they come to be working together? Each woman originally hails from a different part of the United Kingdom, Wales (W), Ireland (I), Scotland (S), and England (E), hence the WISE Enquiry Agency which is pretty clever but unsubstantial without some way of having the women meet originally. And don't try to use the bare bones mention of having solved a case together before. Why were they all four in that situation in the first place to be able to solve anything? I just kept going around and around in circles. Balancing four primary characters is a very big job, especially four women who are so completely different in all respects, and giving them equal importance within the investigation stretched coincidence and credulity so far it fairly twanged with the potential to snap and break. The establishment of the characters and the agency I found to be very weak. The first crime the women were hired to solve was never explained fully, certainly not as to a motive for the ultimate result of that crime. Going on in the background was a very clever different crime (which had led to the first one) that had taken a very creative mind to conjure up. I never would have figured out how that was done. But once again I was left with so many questions concerning basic plotting facts so more see-saw feelings. In a nutshell, I found the principal characters of the WISE agency to have about 1/8th teaspoon of depth but the technology involved in the lesser crimes to be very interesting. Too muddled when taken as a whole novel. Besides, I put this book down for days on end and was shocked when I realized I hadn't finished reading it. A very telling point to consider when recommending a book. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Noontime Follies: A police procedural set in Minnesota. (A Jake Hines Mystery); Author: Elizabeth Gunn; Review: This is book #10 in the Jake Hines series and somehow I managed to miss all the previous nine. That is a mistake I need to remedy in the near future. This police procedural series is the type where everyone within an entire police department takes part in the investigation and they progress in the mystery by sharing their findings. I enjoy that style of mystery because it gives me a good way to feel I'm solving the mystery at the same time. Jake Hines is in charge of the detective division of the Rutherford, Minnesota police department. Still a small town, but moving quickly toward becoming a city because of all the business growth which has happened over the last few years. With more growth comes more problems for the police department, this time in the form of multiple cases being investigated by the Property Crimes division. A flurry of burglaries over a short period of time with no damage or property loss but messages left at the scene. I liked not having a resolution to the natural death/murder question settled for a long period in the novel. The characters have appeared in many other novels so their personalities are very well set and I enjoyed meeting them as whole, complete people instead of works in progress which often happens in first novels. The action and the plot feels right for a small town in rural America so those are well done by the author. I do have to say I knew pretty early on who the guilty party was going to be, but the "why" was a surprise. It made sense even though my thinking had never gone in that direction. That distraction was very well done by the author. Recommended for readers who want to enjoy a book as they read it and not have to be constantly cringing away from descriptions of guts and gore. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Too Clever by Half (A Davies & West Mystery) (Volume 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Will North Page; Review: I enjoyed my first experience reading a novel by author Will North. I understand this is the second book in the Davies and West series, but I have not read the first novel. This one was structured in a slightly different way and it took me a little while to really get into the habit of paying special attention to the date mentioned at the beginning of each chapter. The storylines take place both in the days before the discovery of a body found floating in the ocean five miles off the Cornish coast but also as the police investigation begins after the discover of that body. It was interesting to watch the progression leading up to the crime while at the same time watching the police procedure trying to find even the most basic information about the corpse. The two timelines do eventually intersect and by that time there are even more mysteries to solve. The title of the book refers to the person responsible for the principal crime under investigation but in my opinion it also could refer to the author with his construction of the novel. In this second book in the series the author is still developing the characters of Detective Inspector Morgan Davies and Detective Sergeant Calum West plus adding in more members of the investigative team. The scenes of Cornwall are very well described and the information about finding ancient treasure gave me a lot of facts I had not been aware of before. The personality of Morgan Davies appeared at first (to me) to be rather harsh and strident, but once I learned some of her family history it made me feel more sympathetic toward her. There are several other very interesting characters in the novel and I will definitely want to read the next book in the series, Trevega House, when it releases later this year. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Hog's Back Mystery (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Freeman Wills Crofts Page; Review: I am a mystery reader who loves the old, classic British novels. This was my first Freeman Wills Crofts novel and I've always been curious about reading some of his stories. While I enjoyed this book up to a point, I also found it frustrating in its precision regarding the timetable of events. Unfortunately, the entire book hangs on that extreme precision in the timing of who was where at exactly what time and how long it took them to get from point A to point B. While this is a showcase for the investigative methods for Detective Inspector French, CID, New Scotland Yard, the timetables for having so many people at exactly the correct place at the exactly correct time with no possibility for deviations of even five minutes here or there was too intricate for me to believe. Plus having French go over and over his investigations at each point with different policemen just served to make my frustration reach saturation point. During the final discussion of how he solved the case there are page references to where each point of discovery is placed in the novel. Believe me, I had not missed a single one, but to me they didn't constitute any kind of proof whatsoever. There is also a line drawing to show the various houses involved in these incidents which cover no more than a five mile distance. This novel didn't satisfy me from the solving style of the principal detective, but I'm still glad I have now read a novel from a writer who is considered on of the great mystery novelists. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hell Bent Kid; Author: C. Locke; Review: Some of the fondest memories I have of my grandfather are of him sitting on the front porch, in "his" rocker, reading a paperback Western. Always a Western, no other book would do for him. I asked him once if I could read it when he finished and he told me it was much too violent for a girl to read. That was way back in the 1950s. Once I discovered the genre for myself I was absolutely fascinated by it and have read many novels through the years by both famous authors and those who didn't make it to fame with their stories of the old American West. This novel by Charles O. Locke is truly special. Written by Locke in 1957 this is the story of the lawless days when the peacekeepers were pretty much whoever had the strongest personality and the money to hire the most guns. This part of Texas was run by the Boyd family in the 1880s and when Tot Lohman came up against them there was no real law enforcement to settle the question of how Shorty Boyd really died. The Boyd family version is what was accepted as truth so they began to hunt down Lohman to settle the score. No matter how Lohman tried to avoid a confrontation, it was going to happen. Told from the viewpoint of Tot and the men who befriended him, there is a stark simplicity to the narrative which makes the injustice of the situation stand out much more than prolific prose ever could. This is a short novel, around 112 pages, as most of the old novels from this genre seemed to be. Length isn't what mattered here, the personality of Tot Lohman and the circumstances he found himself in are what kept me fascinated from first page to last. This is one any reader who enjoys the classic western novel needs to read. It's a real gem. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits' Curse; Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Davies Page; Review: I usually approach these novels utilizing the characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with fear and trembling. So far, in past efforts, I have wished I had passed the book by. Not so with this one. Martin Davies has written a novel putting the great detective spotlight on Mrs. Hudson and yet didn't beat Sherlock Holmes over the head with ineptitude in order to accomplish it. Im quite happy about that. In case you feel you have seen this book before, you just might be correct because it appears to have been released previously in 2002 and 2004. The new cover art is quite eye-catching and will undoubtedly attract the attention of those of us who cant get enough of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Mrs. Hudson is setting up housekeeping for two gentlemen lodgers with the help of an orphan waif named Flotsam who was forced to run away from her previous scullery maid position and try to survive on the streets while avoiding the butler in her previous post. Flottie had the extreme good fortune to be rescued and taken in by Mrs. Hudson. It didn't take long at all for the clients to begin calling on the lodgers and a grotesque hooded man brings a message and a blood smeared knife to announce that Mr. Nathaniel Moran will call upon Mr. Holmes on the morrow. So we get to read about Mr. Moran, lately returned from Sumatra, with his tale of cursed spirits, but we also meet Maurice Orlando Fogarty of dastardly butler fame. Combining these two elements gave Flottie plenty of time to get into trouble from which she needed rescuing and it provided Mrs. Hudson with the opportunity to use her common sense in solving The Giant Rat of Sumatra puzzle. Giant rats, bloody knives, evil butlers, hurtling through the fog in a rattling carriageahh, just what we Sherlockian readers enjoy. I can honestly say I liked the way this author handled the situation of having Mrs. Hudson actually unearth most of the clues without turning Sherlock Holmes into a bumbling fool. The atmosphere of London is maintained with characters confirmed readers of the Conan Doyle books expect while adding Mrs. Hudson as a thoroughly likeable character. I certainly hope this will become a series with more books to follow. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Scents and Sensibility: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (The Chet and Bernie Mystery Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Spencer Quinn Page; Review: If youve never read any of these mystery novels presented from the point of view of a canine investigators perspective, it might take you a while to catch on to Chets tone. Actually, Chet isn't the investigator, Bernie Little of the Little Detective Agency is, but we all know Bernie would be lost without Chet. The pair are back home in Arizona after their last trip to visit Bernies girlfriend in someplace Chet knows was called Foggy Bottom, he just doesnt spend much time trying to figure out why it was called that. The Parsons next door are having serious health issues, but even so Bernie was surprised to learn, after such a long friendship with them, that they have a son. They also have a saguaro cactus in their front yard which is being repossessed by an agent with the Department of Agriculture. It seems the Parsons new cactus has an ID chip showing it is illegal for them to have it without certification papers. You wouldnt think a stolen cactus would lead to murder, would you? I had to be convinced to read my first Chet and Bernie novel years ago but Ive never regretted starting the series. It helps if you either have dogs of your own or have been around them enough to watch their facial expressions and their body language. When I finish reading one of these novels it takes me some days to stop trying to interpret what my own dogs are trying to tell me when they give me those looks. You might expect the book to be less than serious in its approach to crime investigations because it is told by Chet, but that doesnt happen. You get your full value criminal investigation by a rather unorthodox duo and in this case, both Chet and Bernie have some pretty dangerous situations to contend with. Now I really, really need to read the next book so I can check up on Bernie and both Mr. and Mrs. Parsons. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Double Mint (A Davis Way Crime Caper) (Volume 4); Author: Visit Amazon's Gretchen Archer Page; Review: This fourth book in the Davis Way Crime Caper series was absolutely laugh-til-you-cry funny, but it wasn't all cute and cozy. There is a serious problem that happens in the life of one of the recurring major characters and that has the potential to lead in some interesting directions for the series. Davis and Bradley have been married for nine months but are still living in the voodoo suite at the Bellissimo casino in Biloxi, Mississippi because Bradley is the general manager of the casino and someone in authority has to be there all the time. Richard Sanders, who owns the Bellissimo, is off-site while he oversees the building and opening of his new casino in Tunica, Mississippi. His totally crazy wife Bianca is shopping all over the world. Both of them make it back to the Bellissimo on occasion long enough for Richard to clear off his desk and Bianca to stow her shopping goodies, so Davis and Bradley are truly stuck living in the luxury suite - reportedly haunted - and decorated by the wife of the former casino manager in truly tacky rusting wrought iron New Orleans "found" objects. You know it is bad when your coffee table is an actual headstone with a clearly readable inscription. So our story begins with a missing Events Planner (who would have thought a Hello Kitty wedding cake could cause so much trouble?), a completely secure casino vault which has been breached and robbed, conventions and weddings planned for every minute of the day, and a Siamese cat Davis rescues which even the owner would have trouble loving. Now all we need is for Davis' ex-ex-husband to make an appearance.....which he does. Davis was married to and divorced from him twice but everyone is entitled to make a few mistakes when they are young and foolish. It all gets very tangled up, utterly hilariously at times, and filled with action. These novels are absolutely well written which is what keeps me coming back to read each new one as it is released. This one came very close to crossing the line from humor into silliness at several points and I still don't believe what happened with the cat would have ever happened with a real cat, but I tend to forgive the minor irritations because I really like the character of Davis Way Cole. These are books written for entertainment purposes so allow yourself to be entertained. And just maybe you will be inspired to learn from Davis the (almost fully revealed) ways to hack into computers and computer systems. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Speaking in Bones: A Novel (Temperance Brennan); Author: Visit Amazon's Kathy Reichs Page; Review: I've come to the Kathy Reichs series of Temperance Brennan novels pretty late since this is book #18, but am I ever glad I finally tried one. A story about a forensic anthropologist written by a forensic anthropologist can't help be anything but completely realistic. I like the way Reichs plotted the novel so that it flowed very logically. I also liked her sparse wording for the technical material while still giving me the chance to understand this information I'm not familiar with. This story begins with a woman who uses the Internet to try to find missing people. She comes to Dr. Brennan with information she feels is pertinent to human bones found and data entered into an official database by Dr. Brennan. Hazel "Lucky" Strike is a Websleuth who spends her time trying to solve missing person cold cases. She thinks the digital recording she located at the site of human remains holds the voice of Cora Teague an 18 year old woman who disappeared about three and a half years ago in a nearby North Carolina county. Dr. Brennan finds it hard to believe the search team who found the small number of human remains would have missed the voice recorder, so what exactly is Lucky Strike after and where did she get the recorder? It was interesting to watch the case unfold little by little and to see how Brennan worked with colleagues from her own county as well as the county where the bones were found. Even coming into the series at this late time I was able to pick up easily with the family and personal relationships which are ongoing in the series. Brennan needs to make a decision in her personal life and it looks like she's ready to finally do that. I really enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to catching up on other mysteries presented in previous books. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Express Lane Cooking: 80 Quick-Shop Meals Using 5 Ingredients; Author: Visit Amazon's Shawn Syphus Page; Review: My standard way of testing out a cookbook is to try three recipes just as they are written in the book and see what happens. The reactions I get to the finished product as suggested by the author makes the basis of my usability for that particular cookbook. I'm afraid my results with the three recipes from this book were not successes, each for different reasons. I made Loaded Chicken Casserole (page 18) and will make it again, but by deconstructing the recipe and doing it my way. Garlic powder is not one of my favorite flavorings to use and this was twice as much as my family likes. The bacon sounds like a nice accompaniment but made the overall dish much too salty for my family. Sixty minutes cooking time was much too long for my 400 degree oven. Next time I will cook the potatoes first, then add in the chicken, then add the broccoli last. Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie (page 58) makes for a pretty picture on the page but my family did not care for the dish because of the Boursin cheese. If I ever make this again I will definitely find a different cheese ingredient. Polka Dot Lasagna Skillet (page 83) doesn't resemble lasagna at all because it uses bow tie pasta and is cooked in a skillet. This recipe was okay, but I have a large assortment of recipes that are so similar that it had nothing new to offer me. If I ever use this idea again, I will probably use the no-boil lasagna noodles but still prepare the dish in a skillet. This cookbook makes no pretense to specialize in low calorie or low fat main dishes or desserts. What I found most interesting, in a confounding kind of way, is that there is no nutritional information at all. There are no tips for cutting down on the calories so if you are trying to restrict your caloric intake, be aware this book will not help you there. I like the concept of picking up five ingredients in the grocery store and having the choice of three different recipes to make from those ingredients. That is what will make me think about going back to this cookbook and flipping through it to see if anything perks up my ennui with menu planning. But I will definitely rework the recipe to fit what my family likes and not lean so heavily on garlic and onion powders. The layout of this cookbook makes it very easy to work with and each recipe has a full page color picture. Almost every recipe has a "tip" or "hint" supplied by the author.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Spider's Trap (Elemental Assassin); Author: Visit Amazon's Jennifer Estep Page; Review: I have to admit to being out of my reading genre comfort zone with this novel, but I have noticed Jennifer Estep's name come up on several book lists lately so I decided to take a chance and read this book. Obviously she has a very large fan following and there are many novels in this series. The concept of having people empowered with elemental magic (here Gin Blanco has control over ice and stone) made it very interesting to watch the characters, both our heroine and the super bad guy, try to eliminate each other. Gin has taken over the top spot as the leader of all the criminals in her town since she took care the previous crime boss in the previous novel. Obviously a promotion based on strength. Gin's not finding it an easy job to get a handle on, mostly because her personality makes it difficult to trust and work easily with others. So now someone has tried to blow up a riverboat where she is holding a meeting and she's pretty darned steamed up about her friends innocently being in the line of fire. Let the hunt begin for who and how, but mostly, why. If you are already invested in this series, you will like this one too. If you are looking for something new to read in the urban fantasy genre, you can easily begin the series right here because the author pretty much fills in the blank spots from the past as she goes. As with all series, if you want to get the full background on the characters it is probably best to at least read the first book in the series before jumping around through the remaining books. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The ADHD Advantage: What You Thought Was a Diagnosis May Be Your Greatest Strength; Author: Dale Archer MD; Review: Here is why I wanted to read this book: there is a teen in my family with this diagnosis and I wanted to understand more about the condition. Ive never read any other books on this subject. The first five chapters are introductory to a great extent, but they do put some emphasis on young children and teens with this diagnosis and how the number of kids now having this designation has grown to nearly epidemic proportions. Dr. Archer provides some good ideas for how families can learn to incorporate their treatment plan of an ADHD child within their family. He discusses when he feels medication is most appropriate and when it might be better for the child to not medicate. He also discusses the do medicate/do not medicate issue regarding adults. He comes down probably a little more firmly than I had expected on the non-medicated side. There is a test within this section to find your personal number if you know you are ADHD or if you just suspect you might be. I'm afraid this test might make it easy for someone to come up with their own diagnosis concerning ADHD. Frankly, none of this information was new to me simply from standing on the sidelines and watching one daughter deal with ADHD children in her teaching classroom and the other daughter exploring every avenue for her child with ADHD. Beginning with Chapter 6, what stands out to me the most was Dr. Archer saying that he had diagnosed himself as being ADHD. It is not stated in this book if he consulted professionals in the proper field to help him confirm his own self-diagnosis. Since he has written another book on this same subject, perhaps the information is contained there. Many of the individuals Dr. Archer uses as examples for how a person can use some of the manifestations of their ADHD to do great things in their lives are either very famous or very rich or both. There are only two examples of what I like to think of as ordinary people, both of whom have achieved their own levels of success utilizing strong ADHD qualities. Because there appears, to me, to be such an emphasis put on the rich and famous I soon began to feel I was reading one of those magazines you can pick up in the check-out line of the grocery store. With so very many of the references the doctor was using coming from non-medical sources I lost the feeling I was reading a serious, medically oriented book dealing with a complex condition. The New York Times, CNN, and his own previous book seemed to come up much too often as sources with some references to scientific research, just not enough to give the book the weight I would have expected. I can certainly understand an adult with the medical diagnosis of ADHD finding many examples of their own trials in dealing with this condition in this book and being inspired. Maybe there will be enough examples to help someone deal with their; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Notting Hill Mystery (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Charles Warren Adams; Review: There is a new edition of this novel by the British Library Crime Classics and Poisoned Pen Press released in 2015. I thought this was a wonderful book but that is probably because I am a fan of the older mysteries and enjoy seeing how authors approached the genre in its young days. In this case, not just an infant but practically it's birth day. You might appreciate this novel more if you forget about it being billed as a detective novel because it definitely is not that. Instead you have an investigation presented from the point of view of an investigator for an insurance company into the death of someone the company he works for insured. As you read more and more of the letters, journal entries, statements and reports compiled by Mr. Henderson you watch his case build up. The first of the letters concerning the characters were dated in the 1830s and the story concludes in about 1856. Watching Mr. Henderson line up his evidence regarding Baron R** and the mysterious happenings going on with those whose lives he touched was fascinating for me. Granted, this style of novel can be rather bland and dry but if you appreciate watching an expert gather his evidence you will be more likely to enjoy this novel. Knowing this story was published in 1865 gives readers a wonderful example of how the genre has evolved over time and how remarkable it was for Charles Warren Adams to have written this "first" so well. This is a novel for the reader who enjoys the language of the Victorian era and the meticulous gathering of evidence and presentation of that evidence in summary form. Quite an interesting curiosity and I'm very glad I had the chance to read it. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Plague of the Manitou: A Manitou Horror Novel (Harry Erksine); Author: Visit Amazon's Graham Masterton Page; Review: Evidently I like to read novels in the horror genre which have a completely different emphasis on that subject matter from what I found in this book. I prefer the author to use subtlety and finesse to illustrate their craft, not bludgeon me with a sledgehammer. I understand this is not the first book in the Harry Erskine series, but as far as I can tell it isn't necessary to have read any previous books prior to starting this one. The novel is treated almost as two books with Professor Anna Grey, a research scientist at Saint Louis University Hospital featured in one portion. She is trying to find an antiviral medical solution to an aggressive virus which is attacking people all over the Saint Louis area. As her research and investigation continues she finds the victims have been bitten by bedbugs before they become ill and die horrible deaths. The second portion has Harry Erskine in southern Florida plying his trade as a fortune teller who does something really stupid and gets himself kicked out of the state. I only kept reading this book to find out when in the world these two portions of the novel would finally intersect. I had to read all the way to chapter 25 before Anna and Harry met to fight this gosh-awful plague of blood and gore; there are only 28 chapters in the entire book! I didn't enjoy reading this at all, it simply isn't the style of horror novel I enjoy. I can understand the use of the profanity and sexual references used in the novel, principally by the demons, but the two sexual episodes in the Anna Grey segments were offensive and repulsive to me. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie (Bloomsbury Sigma); Author: Kathryn Harkup; Review: I was amazed at all the information in this book. Concentrating on the types of poisons used by Agatha Christie in her novels had to be pretty much a labor of love for British chemist Kathryn Harkup because you can tell immediately that she is also a fan of this great icon of crime fiction. The book is written from the British point of view with changes in book titles noted for the American market. I really had my doubts that this subject matter could be presented in such a way that it held my attention for the time it took to read the book, but by the end I found myself wishing there was just one more chapter. But then I would have wanted another and another. The book is very stylishly presented with artwork which is wonderfully evocative of the 1930s art deco style that I somehow assign to the Christie novels even though they were not all written during, or for, that time period. Maybe the really good television series has something to do with that. Each chapter deals with one specific poison beginning with arsenic, then belladonna, cyanide, digitalis, eserine, hemlock, monkshood, nicotine, opium, phosphorus, ricin, strychnine, thallium, and veronal. Each chapter leads off with a brief synopsis of the major novel, or in one instance a short story, the author will be using as an example of the use of that specific poison, then moves on to the story (history) of the poison, how the poison works in the body to kill, whether there is an antidote, some real-life cases, and then how Christie used the poison. I had been afraid the chemistry associated with where the poison comes from and how it works within the body would have been either too technical or too boring for me to enjoy. Wow, was I ever wrong. I discovered all kinds of wonderful facts. This book is wonderfully readable by those of us who aren't trained in the science of chemicals. Plus Kathryn Harkup has a very wry sense of humor which caused me to get some strange looks when I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room laughing out loud while reading a book about poisons. Let's just say the chairs on each side of me became vacant when someone asked what book I was reading. This is the type of book Agatha Christie fans will keep right on the shelf with all their copies of the novels for reference during future re-readings of the novels. Because let's face it, if you love Agatha Christie novels you don't read them just once. Another fascinating section of the book is Appendix 1: Christie's Causes of Death. This is a chart listing each novel and short story written by Agatha Christie and the method of the murder in that story. Sometimes, with multiple victims there are multiple murder methods. I found this absolutely fascinating and used the list to make sure I do own each story Christie wrote. Actually I own them multiple times over, but there is no need; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Zig Zag Girl (Magic Men Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Elly Griffiths Page; Review: I am always amazed at how an author can change the 'voice' of their novels from one book to another. I have read many of the Elly Griffiths novels featuring Ruth Galloway and have enjoyed them very much. The Zig Zag Girl has an entirely different feel to it. Not just because this one is set in 1950, but also because this one isn't as stark and it doesn't verge on the darker feelings I get from the Galloway novels. Even though this book has the focus on murder, and the first murder is especially brutal, there is still a lighter feeling about this set of characters. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that there are magicians and comedians and stage performers involved which kept the book from getting that oppressive feeling that can happen with murder mysteries. There are two main characters in the novel and they are quite different but each has strengths needed by the other. At this stage in the series there is no partnership between these two, they are just reunited from their days of serving in the military during World War II. This particular mystery very obviously concerns the group they were in during the war and now that one is a policeman and one is a famous magician they team up to figure out who is killing off the members of their old unit. Someone has every intention of extracting revenge for something that must have happened during the time the team spent in Scotland. I liked this novel well enough to look forward to the second book in the series. One of the major characters was a little weaker than I would have liked and I hope that will be addressed in the next novel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Corridors of the Night: A William Monk Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne Perry Page; Review: I'm finding myself in the "caught between star ratings" situation with this book. I've read some novels by Anne Perry before but they were in a different series. This was my first reading of a novel featuring William Monk and his wife, Hester. The mystery was definitely not a standard murder mystery plot and in the beginning I thought there would be two plots taking place simultaneously, one featuring Monk and one Hester. That situation with Monk simply ended with no resolution for what had happened at all. I waited through the entire book to get an explanation which never came. That wasn't expected, nor did I like it. If I had more choices I would assign this book 2.5 stars. The plot line involving Hester is the primary story of this book with her finding herself unwillingly involved in experiments carried out by a rogue chemist to develop blood transfusions. She finds herself so conflicted by her outrage over being kidnapped to help with the experiments and yet her knowledge as a nurse of how priceless the use of blood transfusions would be to medical practices. So the first half of the novel is taken up with these two non-connecting story lines and then a seemingly whole new set of characters are added in. If you are a follower of this series, you will know if these are new characters or not, but it felt strange to suddenly be presented with them at this stage of the novel. I felt as if I was standing out in left field all alone. This book was alright, just not so good that it made me want to go back and read all the previous books in the series. I felt that Hester and Monk were both a little distant as characters for me to try to fully understand them and my curiosity was not engaged at all to uncover their histories. If you are already a fan, I'm sure you will enjoy it. If you are new to the series, it might be a better idea to start with the first book so you understand how Monk and Hester met and formed their relationship. Unless you want to come stand with me out in left field so I won't be alone.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Shameful Murder, A: A mystery set in 1920s Ireland (A Reverend Mother Mystery); Author: Cora Harrison; Review: Having read many of the Burren mysteries by Cora Harrison set in 16th century Ireland I already knew how well she writes and how interesting and challenging her plots can be. I was eager to find out how a more modern character, a Catholic Reverend Mother, would fare in a more modern time setting, here in Cork, Ireland of the early 1920s. I found some positives and some negatives which caused me to enjoy the story only a moderate amount. I do think I would be willing to read a second book in the series but I'm not breathlessly awaiting word of its publication date. Reverend Mother Aquinas is the head of St Mary's of the Isle convent who finds the body of a dead young woman close by the convent chapel. The victim is obviously a member of the upper echelon of Cork society as evidenced by her expensive clothing, Rev. Mother sends for her friend Sergeant Patrick Cashman of the civic guards, the equivalent of a policeman in the turbulent political world of Ireland at this time. It is obvious the young woman has been washed ashore on the flood waters caused by heavy rain just as it is obvious she was in attendance at the social function of the year the previous evening, the Merchant's Annual Ball. What is found in her evening bag will rock the Cork social world's foundations. I enjoyed reading the novel, but it wasn't as engrossing as I had expected it to be. The Rev. Mother has been established at over 70 years of age in order to fit her place into the history of the events which take place in this novel. That also makes some of the things she does seem out of character or to be difficult for her to do. Being over 70 in 2015 is quite different from what it most likely would have been in 1923. Also, the character of the Reverend Mother is not very well established as to her duties in the convent. She is in charge of the convent yet seems to have unlimited amounts of time to spend on investigating while spending very little time attending to her job. She also doesn't show a very religious nature which I would certainly expect from the nun in charge of a convent. Probably the most obvious problem I had with the story was the blatant disclosing of clues which would form the entire focal point of the mystery. If I could see that answer so early in the novel, why in the world did it take those investigating it so long to catch up? As I said before, I would probably give a second novel a try if this becomes a series. I just won't be waiting impatiently. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hanover House; Author: Visit Amazon's Brenda Novak Page; Review: After seeing her three girlfriends killed, then being held hostage by that psychopath, Evelyn Talbot decides to devote her adult life to trying to understand why they do the horrible things they do. Now a Psychiatrist, Evelyn has received the funding necessary to build an institution devoted completely to trying to unravel the psychopathic mind. Her Hanover House is being located outside Hilltop, Alaska and Evelyn is making the final preparations to leave Boston and take up her position as head of Hanover House. Unfortunately for her, the person who terrorized her years ago has found her again. The author describes this prequel as a long novella and at almost 200 pages I can certainly agree with that. Readers will have a full understanding of what came before the beginning of WHITEOUT, the first full length novel in this series which will be released in September 2016, with a second due out in September 2017. This novella zeros in on an area of psychiatry which I am very curious about and since the author has obviously done a lot of research to craft not only her characters but also the facility to house them, it will be interesting to watch how she handles the subject. There is a sneak peek at the first chapter of WHITEOUT in this novella along with the first chapter of THE SECRET SISTER. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sentry (Joe Pike); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: I am a true fan of the writing of Robert Crais and Joe Pike is my favorite of the two principal characters. However, there is a problem there. Of the two - Cole and Pike - there are not nearly as many books featuring Pike so I have to ration them out. That's why I'm just getting around to reading this one. This book had more twists and turns in it than a roller coaster ride at the fair. Just when I thought I knew where it was headed and got myself all settled down to take it to the finish line Crais put in a twist that made me back up and rethink my entire notions of how it was going to turn out. Crais does use two different styles of writing so each book fits the personality of the main character. This one is sparse on both dialog and inner thoughts because Pike appears to be able to go for days without speaking and he acts, he doesn't just think and plan and come up with strategies. This novel had Joe Pike form an instant attraction for a woman which only escalated when she needed his help. He made a promise to her that the gang members would no come back to harass her uncle at his take-out sandwich shop and Pike is an honorable man of his word. When trouble came calling again he felt it was his responsibility to live up to that promise.. I find it very interesting to see the method Robert Crais uses to portray the violence encountered by his main characters. Books published now seem to almost try to outdo each other in splattering blood and brain matter all over the walls and pages of the books I'm reading. Crais does things differently; he gives you the same feeling of violence but uses finesse to allow the reader to provide as much or as little gore as they want. Personally, I'm getting pretty tired of reading the vivid descriptions so I appreciate Mr. Crais letting me come up with my own mental picture of what a slaughter scene looked like. I will say, this book has one seriously psychotic killer in it. Took me a while to figure out what was going on with Daniel and his friends.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Witches of Lychford; Author: Visit Amazon's Paul Cornell Page; Review: This 144 page novella has the makings of a great prequel for a series. The whole stage is set for Judith (the village witch), Autumn (the magic shop owner who doesn't believe in magic), and Lizzie (the village Reverend who has lost her faith) to face the forces which are trying to interfere with the ancient layout of the village of Lychford. It seems there is a very specific reason the roads and surrounding walls are set out in their ages old pattern, to keep out the evil that only some can see. Judith is the village crazy lady fighting to keep the new mega store from building in Lychford. First she has to convince others she hasn't gone totally off the rails, then a solution has to be found to stop this move that will change the boundaries and let all manner of evil loose. Paul Cornell has used every word of this novella to build the scene and then inject everything with a tension that kept me reading one page after another. There are even several surprises that I never saw coming and I liked that I couldn't figure out everything that was going to happen beforehand. The characters are well balanced with each principal character being just different enough from the other two to give variations of opinion on how the problems should be solved. Even though Judith had more length of experience with dealing with those outside the boundaries, each of the other two women had valid parts to play in coming to the resolution of the immediate danger. There is plenty of room for this series to grow and I hope that is what will happen.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Killing Kind; Author: Chris Holm; Review: I read thrillers such as this, not as a steady reading diet, but often enough to understand the need for a lot of leeway toward the fantasy end of the genre. I can only hope these types of situations don't really happen and yet the author has to convince me that it just might be true. The novel began with such well written tension and a hero who was doing something really bad except it was for a good reason. If I'm going to read about a hit man killing other hit men, I need to be pretty convinced this man has his own moral high road and he won't deviate from it. Somehow this hero began to wander off his own straight track and I didn't want to go with him. Decisions were made by him which went against the very rules which had kept him alive all this time. He seemed to ignore the fact that there just might be somebody who would take exception to him eliminating all their hired killers or else he wasn't smart enough to work out a problem that far removed from his present mission. How could Hendricks actually think he was so deeply hidden? The situations began to take on the appearance of something written for the movie screen so all the chaos, pandemonium, blood and gore could be appreciated by popcorn chewing patrons. In fact, this novel lost all its subtlety and just became a mess of violence. I want characters like Michael Hendricks to be smart, aware of their place in the fabric of the killing culture, fast thinking, able to plot plans A, B, C, and even D if it becomes necessary. I didn't get that kind of feeling with this man except on a really superficial level. And I just never will understand why an author demands that characters go along with every single instruction given to them by the main character. If somebody started pouring garbage all over my home you can bet I would demand an explanation. So what motivated these people to just follow along like sheep? No, by the time that portion of the novel came along I had long been disenchanted and just wanted to get it finished. As long as you are satisfied with a superficial telling of a story of this particular type you will like this novel just fine. If you want more depth to your characters, you might not be quite as satisfied. I suppose I would just have to see the scene with the balloons to believe it. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Scam: A Fox and O'Hare Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Janet Evanovich Page; Review: This is the fourth novel co-written by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg in the Fox and OHare novels. Kate OHare is a straight-up FBI agent, ex-military, and darn good at her job. As a thanks for catching the oh-so-charming con man Nick Fox the Bureau snatched him out of jail and put them together as partners to use very un-FBI like tactics to catch the truly bad guys; or, as it says in the book, to catch major league criminals who cant be caught through legal means. The book opens with Nick running a con on a professional con man and coming away with millions of dollars in cash. That money in turn is used to seed the playing field for the scam to bring about the downfall of a major player in the laundering of dirty money from criminals and terrorist groups the U. S. Government cant touch. When you add in Kates father taking on the biggest crime lord in Hawaii single handedly, well this book just kept on getting more interesting by the page. I had not read any of the three previous novels in the series, but had no trouble in understanding the dynamics between the lead characters. The action and the surroundings are very much over-the-top which is only to be expected in a novel of this genre. I liked that large portions of the book were humorous and showed the humor and humanity of the characters. I do have to warn you, though, there is a cliff hanger ending. Not a favorite for me so Ill have to decide later if I want to come back to the series to read the next book. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Come Hell or Highball: A Mystery (Discreet Retrieval Agency Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Maia Chance Page; Review: I think I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this first novel in the Discreet Retrieval Agency books. Lola Woodby had just barely gotten her very unexpectedly deceased husband into the grave before she was approached about taking on a 'retrieval' job for a woman who looked very much like the type her deceased husband would have gladly done a bit of philandering with. Naturally Lola turned her down, but then the nasty shocks started coming one after the other beginning with finding the name plate of her estate changed when she returned from the cemetery. What's going on? Long story cut short, Lola is chucked out of house and home, stony broke with nothing but her Duesenberg Model A, some suitcases and hat boxes, and her cook turned side-kick Berta Lundgren. Not that Lola wants a side-kick but Berta won't let Lola out of her sights until she's paid her back wages. This is a fun, frolicking read with a saucy heroine helped along by the common sense Berta. Get ready for silent pictures (so it doesn't matter if the gorgeous leading man squeaks like a mouse when he talks), gangsters selling bootleg liquor, Auntie Arbuckle's Secret Pork and Beans recipe and a private eye who turns up just when the ladies find themselves in trouble -- which would be practically all the time. Okay, so the story has plot holes of both small and ginormous proportions. In this case I was enjoying the story so much I just decided to overlook them all. The time period feels right, the characters are all pretty much over-the-top and the mystery was a little bit light weight, but it was just plain fun to read! I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder by Matchlight (Dover Mystery Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's E.C.R. Lorac Page; Review: This novel is a prime example of the good mysteries I find when I seek out Dover Mystery Classics. For me, the intriguing aspect of this novel is that the mystery takes place in November of 1944 and the book was originally published in 1945. I got the definite feeling that the author had been exposed to the conditions which played such an important part in the setting of this novel. In these modern times it is difficult to imagine a city the size of London being so dark at night that people could be standing next to each other and be unaware there was anyone else around. Because of the blackout conditions people didn't walk around shining flashlights all over, in fact, at night this novel seems to say that they stayed indoors most of the time. I can certainly understand that. The crime committed in this novel had to happen in complete darkness for the elements to work and the characters to be guilty of acting in a questionable way, if nothing else. What was the real reason a man sat on a specific park bench in total darkness on a drizzly November evening? Why did another one let himself over the side of a bridge railing and hide underneath? Who was the third stranger expecting to meet as he stopped on the bridge and smoked? How did another person get on that same bridge and not be heard by anyone? What brought them together at this exact moment? All of these questions are starting points for the threads of a police procedural investigation led by Chief Inspector Robert Macdonald. Showing an art for the skill of detecting this Inspector and his team manage to tease out the truths and the lies being told to them by everyone connected to the victim. Their methodical reconstruction of the events of that evening along with uncovering the identity of the victim was a pleasure to follow. There are some questions that aren't answered until the classic 'gathering of the concerned', but mostly all the information is given to the reader as it is discovered. Atmosphere and intellect play major roles in this novel. If you love to pit your wits against the Scotland Yard investigators, you will surely enjoy this one. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bryant & May and the Burning Man: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Fowler Page; Review: I have been a fan of the mysteries in the Peculiar Crimes Unit series for a long time so I'm always interested in reading the latest book. Arthur Bryant and John May are like two sprockets that work together flawlessly, even if Bryant does tend to go off on his own more often than May and investigate alone. The information he brings back to the whole team is based on solid historical information about the city of London and the psychology of killers regardless of how eccentric the source of that information may be. These books are not for all mystery readers, but the depth of character development and background information supporting the plots cannot easily be denied, even if you don't especially like the books. Fortunately for me, I wholeheartedly enjoy each of these novels when I'm reading them. Peculiar is a description of the team and peculiar is definitely what you will get. This novel has me a little confused because I don't understand what is happening to one character. Saying anything more would spoil the novel for others so I will just say I'm going to be trying to find answers to the questions I have since reading this one. Halloween and Guy Fawkes Day are the beginning and the ending time periods for this novel of protests in London which get out of control. The question is whether the horrible murder methods being investigated by the PCU are connected with the anti-rich, anti-banking focus of the protesters or just a person taking advantage of the protests to extract their own punishment on the people who die. Bryant and May have to fight the inside politics of the London police establishment to get their investigations done. As usual, the most under-funded, lowest technology group in London law enforcement has to rely on brains and dogged determination to solve these cases. Don't skip over the Prologue which shows a speech given by Arthur Bryant and a memo concerning it from the Unit Chief of the PCU, Raymond Land. These are the points which will be covered in the story and give you a heads-up for what is coming. I was really proud of Land in this book; he took his courage in his hands and stood up for his unit, something which always needs to happen but often doesn't. The methods of death for the victims in this novel were disturbing for me to read about. Each is different, but each refers back to the title regarding the burning man. However, this is a wonderfully told story with a group of characters I'm invested in and want only to see the best for. I'll be keeping an eye out for information regarding my questions concerning the character I'm worried about.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Promise (An Elvis Cole Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: Elvis Cole stepped in the middle of a huge problem when he took on Meryl Lawrence as a client. What she wanted was for Cole to find where her missing friend and co-worker had gone after she embezzled a whole lot of money from the company they work for. Meryl thinks Amy Breslyn took the money because she met a man and he talked her into doing it. She wants Cole to find the identity of the man which will lead to the whereabouts of Amy. Elvis has worked with some squirrely clients before, but Meryl has to be the queen of paranoia. She pays in cash, demands instant meets in parking lots or behind businesses, and never gets out of her car. When Cole gets to the address she has given him where someone lives who might know something about Amy, he ends up almost being shot by a policeman and suspected of withholding evidence from the police about the murdered man found at the address. Wow! This story just goes on to get even more complicated from there. If you haven't read any of the previous books in the series, you might want to know that Cole refers to himself as The World's Greatest Detective. Slightly tongue in cheek, slightly a statement of fact from his perspective. He has an amazing talent for solving the problems clients bring to him. They might not always like what he finds out, but that's what happens when you start turning over rocks. This novel brings in Cole's enigmatic partner in the detective business, Joe Pike, along with their friend Jon Stone, a black ops mercenary working in the deep, dark, back corridors of the government. Add to these wonderful characters the presence here of LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his dog Maggie (from a previous Crais novel, Suspect) and you only need the arch-villain to complete the picture. Well, this villain is one of the baddest of the bad! This particular novel features all the twists and turns you expect when everybody has secrets and most of them have made a profession out of fooling people. As I've come to expect from a Robert Crais novel, this one is filled with characters who have been given full dimension by the author and the story is one which changes all the way through depending on what information Pike, Cole, or Stone come up with. The book is presented from the viewpoint of multiple characters, even Maggie the police dog. Don't worry, Maggie's portions make perfect sense while the author inserts interesting information about why dogs make such remarkable partners for police officers. This story was exciting, satisfying, and had an ending which managed to tie up all the loose ends in a believable way. Another great novel from Robert Crais.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: White Shepherd, The: A dog mystery set in Oxford (An Anna Hopkins Mystery); Author: Annie Dalton; Review: I am still amazed at how much I enjoyed this novel. I think I had allowed myself to interpret the informational blurbs I read prior to choosing the book to make me think I would be getting a cozy mystery with stereotypical characters and plots found in books I don't like to read very much. What sold me was that there was going to be a German Shepherd dog staring in the novel and I'm a lifetime owner of GSDs. Happily I can tell you I was completely wrong about everything except the appearance of the dog. Anna Hopkins is a woman haunted by an immense tragedy from her teen years. She lives practically in isolation in order to cope with her psychological problems and to keep people from getting close enough to her that they might find out her hidden secret past. Having her newly acquired rescued dog lead her to the body of a murder victim would have been at the very top of things Anna could not cope with. Finding that the victim was someone she knew and wanted to become friends with was almost enough to tip her over the edge. Help came in the forms of two other women who were walking their dogs in the same area. This early on in the story is where the author began to give me a glimmer of how wrong I had been to place this novel into any specific category, but definitely not into the "cozy" segment. These three women are completely unalike. These distinctions continue throughout the novel to provide depth and interest which kept the story away from the ordinary and firmly in the realm of the extraordinary. Each of the three women is fully formed with strengths and flaws showing throughout the novel. This novel is a psychological thriller, make no mistake about that. Anna has horrific memories she must continually try to work through and finding other people who willingly accept her trauma and want to help her was essential to her ability to solve this mystery, but Anna couldn't immediately give her trust to anyone so the growth of the friendships is always filtered through her fear of being disappointed in how others will react when they really know about her. I liked the way the author gave Anna the comfort of her growing trust in her dog, Bonnie. The backstory of how Bonnie came to be in a rescue facility is essential to the novel and the author did a great job of making the reader understand that the dog isn't present in the novel just to bring in people who like to read stories involving dogs. Naturally, it will help if you do know dogs, but it certainly isn't essential to the understanding of this story. I will admit to being blown away by this novel. I just hope others in the series can keep me glued to the pages the way this one did because that bar has been set awfully high. I'm waiting to read the next one as soon; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Recalled to Death: A Martha Gunn Police Procedural (A Martha Gunn Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Priscilla Masters Page; Review: This novel in the Martha Gunn series doesn't feature as much of Martha in her role of Coroner as it does Detective Inspector Alex Randall and his homicide team. The reason for that is the difficulty the police have in identifying a murder victim found in Moreton Corbet Castle in Shropshire. It is obvious from the beginning that this man was one of the homeless, but why was he in the castle in the first place and how did he get there from the area where the homeless usually gathered for the night? Police literally have no clue as to this man's identity so the long, laborious work begins to track down who he is. None of the most obvious methods of identification work so the team at Monkmoor police station in Shrewsbury find themselves piecing together the most minute clues while, by chance or otherwise, often overlooking chances to find clues which would send the mystery on the way to being solved. I had read one novel in this series previously so was very glad when I was given the opportunity to catch up with this cast of characters. The long, slow process of working on this case could have been an exercise in tedium, but that is definitely not the way this book reads. I really appreciated learning more about the life of DI Randall and was very surprised by what I learned. It did help me understand him more and might even be a set-up for a future novel in the series. This is a very good reading experience if you enjoy following right along with a team of investigators as they find the clues and put the pieces of the puzzle together. I definitely will be waiting for the next book in this series. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Shadowed Evil, A: A Medieval Mystery (A Hawkenlye Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Alys Clare Page; Review: I did eventually come to really enjoy this novel, however, it took a long time for it to grab my interest and I had begun to wonder if it ever would. I've read quite a few of the Hawkenlye Medieval mystery novels and this one is just plain different. I'm used to dealing with magic of several types which are practiced by those surrounding Helewise and Sir Josse D'Acquin but this was mysticism somewhat outside the bounds of what I expect from this series. It all turned out well for me from an enjoyment standpoint, but I must repeat that it took a long time to fully engage my interest. Josse and Helewise have made the trip from the House in the Woods to Southfire Hall on a cold February day in 1212 because Josse received word that his Uncle Hugh is dying. Josse grew up visiting Southfire and has a strong bond from those youthful visits with his female cousins. Visits haven't been quite as frequent lately so he looks forward to catching up on the extended family living at Southfire and introducing them to Helewise. Not long after they arrive a traveler and his horse take a serious fall on the icy road and the man is brought inside to be nursed by the women of the family. An item found on his person as they are cleaning him up from the fall causes ripples of unease to flow through the house and join with the disquiet others are already feeling. I must confess to enjoying this series more when the story concentrates more around the environs of Hawkenlye Abbey. This book felt as if Helewise didn't have enough to occupy her time and that made the story progress very slowly. But don't give up on it because after you have passed the half-way point the activity increases and it more closely resembles other novels from this series. This is still an enjoyable novel for fans of the series, but I would not recommend readers new to the novels begin with this book. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Made to Kill: A Ray Electromatic Mystery (Ray Electromatic Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Adam Christopher Page; Review: Probably closer to a 3.5 star rating from me, but I'm going to bump it up to 4 stars because of how interesting I think this series can become. Adam Christopher came oh-so-close to making me like this book a lot. Raymond Electromatic is the last robot remaining from the grand experiment which was supposed to remove all the unsavory jobs humans didn't want to do and give them to robots. Except, once the humans lost their jobs they realized how much they wanted them back. All the robots were destroyed on the very day Raymond was created. Because the government bureau controlling the robots was gone, Raymond got to stay as the only employee of The Electromatic Detective Agency. Well, except for Ada, of course. Ada is the brains of the outfit and her prime directive is to make money. When she realized more money could be made from having Raymond become a hit-robot instead of a detective all detecting ended and Raymond became very good at what he does. On this particular morning a client walks into the office and offers Raymond a lot of dough to find someone for her and then kill him. Raymond's days take him all through Hollywood in search of a man which then leads to movie studios, nightclubs, a Communist plot, and red hot cubes. Red hot as in nuclear. This novel is set in an alternate 1965 and I really wanted to see how the author would change that time period. Hmm, not much said about that so one opportunity lost. Another lost opportunity was in having Raymond's memory tape wiped clean every 24 hours. Just that one change would have made a huge difference in the novel, but instead we have much repetition and Raymond forever saying how something might have happened to him before but he couldn't remember. There was also too much of Raymond "laughing on the inside" or "frowning on the inside" or smiling or grinning except nobody could tell. And comparing the sounds Raymond made with clashing car gears, threading the bit on an industrial drill, a truck making an emergency stop at a traffic light, and on and on just got to be too prevalent to be interesting or descriptive or funny. So, what did I like? I really like the potential Raymond has for investigations in future books. Something happened at the end of this one and I want to know what difference it will make in how Raymond operates. And what's up with Ada? I need to see how she will carry forth into the next book also. The writing is good, but this one is a little bit of a lightweight, especially for someone like me who reads at least two or three detective/mystery/thriller novels a week. It's almost as if the author couldn't decide whether to be serious with it or whimsical or funny or just odd. The concept certainly isn't new so some big changes need to happen for me to reach for the next in this series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Perilous Alliance, A: A Tudor mystery (An Ursula Blanchard Elizabethan Mystery); Author: Fiona Buckley; Review: Since I love reading historical mysteries and since I have noticed the name of Fiona Buckley listed so often in reference to this genre, I was interested in sitting down with this book for an enjoyable reading adventure. Set in Tudor England in the year 1576 this should have fit my reading likes as if it were tailored especially for me. Instead my believe-o-meter was twanging away in the background so prominently that I just couldn't truly enjoy the story. The make-up of the character group who went adventuring was too much for me to believe given the date the novel presents. So three stars from me for this book number 13 in the Ursula Blanchard series. Ursula has been "requested" to marry again (for the fourth time!) for the good of the reign of Elizabeth and England to solidify a secret treaty between England and France against Spain. When the prospective bridegroom arrives on her doorstep she conscientiously tries to get to know this Frenchman with close ties to the French throne but it just isn't happening for her. Regardless, the plans go ahead for the wedding in spite of the death of one of the house servants. An inquest rules accidental death but some at Hawkswood feel differently. When the person they feel might have information regarding the death suddenly leaves in the middle of the night, Ursula and her very unlikely group tear off after them. Let the unlikely adventure begin. I do understand this novel is fiction, but it isn't supposed to be fantasy. A novel set in a specific time period should present its characters in activities consistent with the times. I didn't feel this novel did that. If you are already a fan of this series, you will probably enjoy this one as much as you have the others. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Detective at Death's Door: A Mystery (Harriet Martens Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's H. R. F. Keating Page; Review: Honestly, I have to say I didn't like this novel very much because of the style in which it is written. However, I positively had to finish reading it to find out how in the world the author was going to manage to get his main character out of the terrible repercussions she was suffering because of being given a dose of aconite poison. The premise of having a highly ranked police investigator be the victim who survived a poisoning was such an interesting prospect I couldn't resist reading the book. The recovery process turned into a very long, difficult ordeal for Harriet and yet she continued to go against the wishes of her husband, her colleagues, and her physician by trying to solve the mystery of her own poisoning which had subsequently been followed by other victims who didn't survive. Reading about her physical and mental battles to regain her normal health in both mind and body was a wearying experience. Because of her slow recovery and setbacks I had wondered how the crime would ever be solved. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised when it wasn't solved in a satisfactory way at all. Detective Superintendent Harriet Martens of Greater Birchester Police has spent much time investigating criminal cases, but never was she the focus of the investigation. To begin with, was she the intended victim because of her profession or not? Since being put on medical leave Harriet is not allowed to help in the investigation nor will her health allow it. As she begins to regain memory of when she drank the Campari soda by the poolside on that hot August bank holiday there are thoughts and impressions which she cannot clearly recall. Through her slow recovery she formulates theories and strategies which often prove to be impossible and unfounded. As someone accustomed to deal with fact, truths, and logic all of this is quite stressful for Harriet. It also leads to the investigators missing some valuable clues to finding the poisoner. This was my first novel written by H. R. F. Keating so I don't know if this novel matches the style of his other works but I was surprised to find rivalry between segments of the police force to such an extent as withholding the results of a postmortem by the team sent in from London. What would have been the point of that? Also the completely implausible way Harriet found the identity of one person just didn't ring true at all. I think probably I will not be tempted to tackle another Keating novel, but this one, which seems to have been re-issued from 2004, was one that kept me reading just so I could see how the criminal was caught. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories (Vintage Crime / Black Lizard Original); Author: Visit Amazon's Otto Penzler Page; Review: Probably the best statement from me for this book would be that I liked some of it, but by no means all. There are 83 short stories in this book with a brief biography of the author of each story preceding it. There are over 800 pages. Under normal reviewing conditions I like to list each story with its author but that would simply be too unwieldy for this collection. I am the type of reader who wanted this book to be made up of predominantly serious pastiches. I wanted to watch how other authors used the basic characters and methods of the Conan Doyle collection to show how they would and could entertain using the originals as examples to go by. The ingredients for the story should, naturally, be their own, but they should be serious mystery puzzles. This collection gave me very few of those types of stories. The vast majority of the 83 stories are spoofs and parodies and those just don't interest me at all. This collection will have great appeal to readers who are collectors of "Sherlock Holmes" stories written by someone other than Arthur Conan Doyle. There are obscure stories in here that appeared only in privately printed chapbooks. There are stories written by authors whose expertise normally rests with a completely different genre. There were only two stories of this entire collection which I have read before and I have quite a few Holmes anthologies. If you are looking for short stories you most likely have not read before, and if you don't mind that some are completely awful (even Penzler admits that), and if you aren't expecting all the stories to be serious problems you will enjoy watching Holmes and Watson solve, then this collection will be right up your alley. I received an e-ARC of this anthology through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hidden: First in a new mystery series (A Black Hat Thriller); Author: Visit Amazon's Karen E. Olson Page; Review: Her name is Nicole now. She had liked that name and when she needed to choose a new one fifteen years ago for her new life she became Nicole with Jones added because it was so basic nobody would think twice about it. For all that time she has not set foot off Block Island off the coast of Rhode Island. She watches the ferries move back and forth all day, she has discovered a talent for landscape painting, and she leads tourists on bike trips around Block Island during the summer tourist months. Other than that, she is a blank slate accepted by the permanent residents of the island because she keeps to herself and doesn't give them a reason to dislike her. All of that changed one night when someone from her past stepped out of the shadows. If this is the first novel in a new series by Karen Olson, I wish her luck in maintaining the level of suspense and tension I found in this book when she adds to the series. I wanted Nicole to stay resolute against the mistakes from her past, but the addictions were too strong. Nicole's past is not revealed completely until the latter pages of the novel so I kept reading page after page to see if I would get answers to what had happened and what was going to happen. Nicole was deeply hidden for very good reasons. It was intriguing to watch the man from her past use her weaknesses to get her to repeat her past mistakes. I am certainly looking forward to reading the second book in this series. I just don't see how it can get more exciting and have more plot twists than this one does. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Heirs and Assigns; Author: Visit Amazon's Marjorie Eccles Page; Review: This book is the first entry in a new series that could become a real favorite for me. The first two chapters felt as if they were written in a different style which I wasn't as fond of (present tense), but after that the author settled into the more familiar third tense and it was a delight to read and watch this story unfold. In 1928 England there are the beginnings of dedicated criminal investigation departments being set up but small villages still rely on outside help to solve any unusual crime. This is why Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon and his DS Joe Gilmore find themselves on the way to Bryn Glas, the Shropshire home of the Llewellyn family. The present resident of the home, Penrose Llewellyn, recently died of a heart attack but when questions were asked a post-mortem showed signs of him having been murdered. With all the Llewellyn siblings presently at Bryn Glas to celebrate Pen's birthday the field of suspects is pretty full. Then you add in people from the village of Hinton Wyvering the answer for why this respected man would be killed seems very far fetched indeed. However, old grudges seem to keep rearing their heads and Reardon and Gilmore must unravel the pieces one by one. This was a very enjoyable reading experience for me and the atmosphere of England ten years after the end of The Great War was very well represented. I think this series will definitely appeal to fans of the Agatha Christie, Patricia Wentworth, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Patricia Moyes style of writing and detecting. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death on Demand: A Shaw and Valentine police procedural (A Shaw and Valentine Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Jim Kelly Page; Review: This is another very good police procedural by Jim Kelly featuring Detective Inspector Peter Shaw and Detective Sergeant George Valentine. This is the second book in the series I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Shaw and Valentine are partners and work in the West Norfolk Constabulary while sharing a long standing personal relationship which has not necessarily been cordial all the time. There are issues they need to sort out concerning Shaw's father and each story takes them a little further along in their journey of mutual understanding of the situations involved. This novel finds Norfolk gearing up for World Pilgrim Day on the August Bank Holiday. Thousands of religious pilgrims will be marching toward Walsingham and now there is a counter-pilgrimage element making its well organized presence felt. Chief Constable Joyce is extremely conscious of his desired route to bigger and greater postings than Norfolk so he wants assurances from Shaw that all will go well during the march. Unfortunately a resident of Marsh House, a private residential care home, has been found in her wheelchair out by the ocean, obviously murdered. This story does not include as much of the personal life of Peter Shaw but definitely more for George Valentine. George is going to have to make some serious decisions and he isn't facing those prospects easily. I liked getting better acquainted with Valentine in this novel and I thought the problems he had to face were presented in a very realistic way. The book kept revealing more and more complications as it went along so there was never a period of let-down. By the time it's all over with all age ranges and socio-economic groups have been touched on with the ending tying the threads together in a very satisfactory manner. I enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more of the writings of Jim Kelly. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gumshoe (The Gumshoe Files) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Rob Leininger Page; Review: Wow-o-wow! This one started out funny and light and by the end I felt as if a stray tornado had picked me up and turned my pre-conceived notions inside out. Mortimer Angel (please, call him Mort) is 41, divorced from Dallas and a man determined to make a career change. IRS field auditors don't usually live a very exciting life, even though Mort is licensed to carry and that gun went with him on auditing trips. Now Mort has made that career change and hes a brand new private investigator with the firm owned by his nephew. Hes so excited to get started he can hardly sleep the night before the job starts. Well, that and the naked blond snoozing her head off in his bed. No idea who she is, no idea how she got in his house and did she really have to use his toothbrush? The note she left is signed with only K so he goes off to his first day of private eyeing and promptly falls smack dab into the national news media spotlight. That will happen when you find the head of the towns missing mayor in the trunk of your ex-wifes car. Okay, so there are a few plot holes that could have been stitched up with a little bit of explanation there at the end, but I was paying so much attention to all the horrible things that were happening to Mort that I just let them pass right out of my notice until a couple of days later. Now that shows what an entertaining book it was when Im still thinking about it days after finishing the story. This author has constructed a character with the personality to carry more stories with no problem. Mort is a genuinely nice guy so you want him to succeed and you want him to have all the excitement his IRS job was lacking for all those years. I thought it was a nice touch to set this novel in Reno instead of the more obvious Las Vegas. It keeps things almost small town-ish so Mort can interact with people hes known for a long time. It gives him a presence in the community which will come in really handy for future novels if this becomes a series. And, please Mr. Leininger, I would appreciate it very much if this could go on to become a series. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lowcountry Bordello (A Liz Talbot Mystery) (Volume 4); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan M. Boyer Page; Review: It's always nice to get back into a familiar Southern world when I pick up the latest Susan Boyer novel. This book, number four in the series, finds Liz and Nate just days away from their wedding when a friend tries to hire Liz to investigate his wife's recent strange behavior. Since Liz would not think of investigating her own best friend, she turns the job down. Unfortunately it wouldn't stay turned down. So what does a genteel, over 80 year old Southern lady do when she can't afford to pay the expenses on her Charleston, South Carolina family home? Why, she allows gentlemen to rent out a room by the month for their "niece". Only the cream of the Charleston rich and powerful need apply. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed this novel I have to confess to feeling very rushed as I was reading it. The twin problems of keeping a friend (and bridesmaid) out of jail on a murder charge and performing all the duties associated with a formal wedding taking place in a few days began to feel very frantic by the time I got to the end of the book. My tendency was to want to mop my brow and say Whew! The writing is still excellent, the depth of character development is superb, the feelings of time and place are spot on for this novel as for the other three in the series. Colleen (the spirit guide of Liz's friend who committed suicide in her teens) is very prominent in this story with a lot of changes to that character which impacts this story and those to follow in a dramatic way. And yet, I can't help but wish the story had been spaced out over a few more days (was it really only two for investigating?) so it would not have needed that impossible minute-by-minute timetable to place too many suspects in an exact spot at an exact time. That part was really hard to believe. These books are so well written I will definitely be there to read the next one in the series. I just hope Liz and Nate get to enjoy their honeymoon without having to investigate a murder. Everybody needs some time to relax. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ashes to Ashes (The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Sur); Author: Visit Amazon's Mel Starr Page; Review: This was a very good reading experience for me in the Hugh de Singleton series. I have somehow missed the last several books in this series so it was nice to meet up with where the characters have advanced to since I last read about them. This book has some very good information for people who may not be familiar with reading medieval mystery novels. Author Mel Starr has included a Glossary in the front of the book to help with information specifically mentioned in this novel such as what dates are represented by Saints days, what foods were served plus with ingredient lists to help understand cooking, words used to describe the occupation of various villagers and what words like toft and marshalsea meant. Even though I read many medieval mystery novels I always appreciate having a refresher for those kinds of information. Besides, Starr does a good job with researching these things where many authors simply leave you on your own to try to figure it out yourself. There is also a very simple map showing the small villages Hugh traveled to while investigating this problem. A distance of as little as a mile and a half often meant that a villager never traveled outside their own home village to the neighboring one. They were much too busy working to ensure their survival to be making trips to other villages. The bones of an unknown person are found in the cooling ashes of the St. John's day bonfire the morning following the midsummer celebration. As bailiff to Lord Gilbert Talbot at his manor of Bampton, Hugh de Singleton was the one required to investigate. What seemed to be a simple thing of finding who was missing from the village quickly became a much more complex problem. If no person was missing from Bampton, Hugh would have to begin traveling away from his village to find who the unknown person was. This story didn't seem to include quite as much medical practice as I remember from the other novels, but it was still good information related by the author to show exactly where medical practices were in 1369. Hugh had adopted some forward thinking procedures even if he still could not explain why they worked. The dynamics of the relationship between Hugh, his wife Kate, and their two daughters is well developed as is the relationships of all the people working for and with Lord Gilbert. Being in the employ of the highest placed noble in the area pays dividends when Hugh finds obstacles being put in the way of his investigation. I enjoyed reading this eighth book in the series and catching up with the characters I had enjoyed in the past. The Glossary was a welcomed help in understanding some aspects of the book and I referred to it often. There is an Afterword where Mel Starr gives information regarding Bampton in modern times and the role it has played in the Downton Abbey television series. There is also an extract from book number nine, Lucifer's Harvest. Fans of; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Backstabbing in Beaujolais (Winemaker Detective); Author: Jean-Pierre Alaux; Review: My first adventure with Benjamin Cooker, the winemaker detective, and his assistant, Virgile Lanssien, was charming from the standpoint of the wine culture and the regional atmosphere in the Beaujolais area of France. As to the mystery portion of the novel, definitely not a favorite for me. This is the style of novel where the crime is discovered in the first portion of the book and then the author takes the reader back in time to establish the characters and possible motives for the crime. This isn't usually a problem for me even though I am likely to have to go back later to refresh my memory for what was going on when the crime was first discovered. This is a very short novel (less than 200 pages) so it doesn't take much time to read it. I was disappointed that the mystery was solved so quickly and with such a little bit of the investigative process as soon as the story reached the point once again of the crime being discovered. For readers interested in wine history and knowledge concerning the Beaujolais region and the Beaujolais Nouveau wine in particular this is a charming little story. The novel first appeared in 2005 and was translated from the French by Anne Trager, the founder of Le French Book. There are quite a few other books in the series. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Easy (Flap Tucker Mysteries); Author: Phillip Depoy; Review: What a wonderfully different variation on the standard PI mystery novel this was. Flap Tucker is so unusual it took me a while to finally pin down his personality. Under normal conditions that might be a bad thing in a mystery novel, here it simply added to the atmosphere created by author Phillip Depoy. This novel was originally published in 1997 so I'm hoping that seeing it republished means there might be other books featuring Flap and his best buddy, Dalliance Oglethorpe. Dally runs a club that used to be an Easy Lube until Flap tore down the Lube portion of the sign. Now it's a nightclub that seems to stay open all hours and where everybody pretty much knows who and what you are. Listen to the live band and catch up with your buddies, doesn't matter because it's all Atlanta good. Now Flap, he's known to be a man who can find things. Turns out the things he finds most seem to be missing people. It's a gift he has. When Dally tries to lure him out of eighteen months of the doldrums because of his divorce she uses one of Flap's favorite people to do it with - we're talking about Lenny, know to everybody as Looney Lenny. Now all the patrons of Easy know Lenny isn't married but it seems Lenny thinks he is and he wants Flap to find his wife-gone-missing. What, you might ask, could this possibly have to do with the Communist Chinese and the Dalai Lama? Good that you should ask because all your answers will come from reading the book. This novel had me wondering over and over exactly where it was headed. This "gift" Flap has seemed like it was going to be paranormal, but it finally veered away from that and became something else. So if you don't like to have fantasy or paranormal mixed into your detective novels you can rest easy on that score. On the other hand, if you enjoy writing that strays pretty far from the average plot lines, Mr. Depoy has given you something unique to read. There are lots of interesting coincidences which turn out not to be coincidences at all if you look at the world from the Taoist viewpoint and the good guy and the villain in this piece both are very concerned with those viewpoints. Each character is an absolute gem both from the standpoint of their development within the novel and the way in which each is used by the author to move the story forward. ( I'm still wondering if Kay really did go back home and she could easily be considered a minor character.) How can you not have a ball when you combine strippers, drag queens, Tibetan immigrants, patients and staff from a mental hospital, a club bouncer who prefers perennials over annuals, and a guy who is visited by an angel when he sees the golden curtain? I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Death Comes To Kurland Hall (A Kurland St. Mary Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Lloyd Page; Review: This is the third book in this series and the second, after Death Comes to London, which I have read. My reaction to the first novel was rather lukewarm and I had hoped that finding the assembled cast of characters back in Kurland St. Mary would help me enjoy this novel more. That didn't happen for the same reasons I was lukewarm on the previous book. I began to be suspicious of one particular character very early on after a death occurred and the progression of the story simply solidified my conviction. Really, in a mystery novel where the murderer is supposed to be concealed until the end of the story, to figure it all out so quickly is a big disappointment to me. A wedding is taking place at Kurland Hall. Lucy Harrington's friend Sophia is marrying Andrew Stanford, a close friend of the baronet, Sir Robert Kurland. Major Kurland has offered his home as accommodation for many of the wedding guests as well as the place various functions associated with the wedding will take place. With the help of his new estate agent all the arrangements should be carried out easily enough. Unfortunately one of the guests has all the subtlety of a cement mixer when it comes to dispensing tidbits of gossip and outright lies to keep everyone stirred up. It seemed inevitable that someone should have a secret they were willing to kill to keep hidden. I noted in a review of the second book in this series that the characters written by Catherine Lloyd seemed to be either all good or all bad. That certainly holds true in this novel as well and was, once again, one of the things which kept me from enjoying the book more. The romance or attraction between Lucy and Robert has also suffered too long from the "I hate him", "Oh, maybe I don't hate him" roller coaster method. I love reading historical mysteries and this one, set in a rural English village in 1817, would have been a better fit for me if the characters and plot had been more complex because of the restrictions caused by the time and setting. Surely the doctor could and should have been given a more important part in the investigation. After reading two of the books in this series with the same results on my enjoyment scale I think it is probably time for me to wish these characters well with their future mysteries. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Santa 365: A Chet and Bernie Mystery eShort Story (Kindle Single) (The Chet and Bernie Mystery Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Spencer Quinn Page; Review: Gosh, I wish I had liked this short story more than I did. I consider myself a rabid (yes, Virginia, that is a pun) fan of the Chet and Bernie mystery novels and jumped at the chance to read this little holiday eStory. When you go into a short story you know the author isn't going to have much time or space to fully develop characters or premise, but since I already knew the characters so well I figured I was home free. No, it didn't work out quite that way. To begin with, this eStory doesn't fall chronologically after the latest Chet and Bernie mystery but should be wedged in between several past books. The Porsche in this one has been seen before but not recently. For those not familiar with this series, the Porsche-of-the-moment is a big deal in the story with various different cars figuring prominently in the novel. The relationship between Bernie and his girlfriend has also changed a lot since the time period of this story. Even the holiday visits with Bernie's son Charlie are completely different now than the way they are presented in this story. So this story ends up being something that happened about midway through the present novels in the series. It was a little disconcerting for me, a regular reader of the series. I have to say I was very surprised when Bernie allowed himself to become involved in Plumpy Bonaparte's latest 'cash only' scheme of giving people Santa every day of the year. After all, Plumpy had served almost - but not quite - eight months for the Ponzi scheme Bernie helped get him convicted of without making restitution of the $1.2 million to the victims. It seemed quite a stretch for Bernie to be gullible enough to fall for this latest edition of Plumpy's tricks. Chet the Jet is still great, in fact Chet is tip-top with his daydreaming about running races with people with the prize being their pants leg in his mouth and riding shotgun with Bernie in the Porsche. If it hadn't been for Chet, this story wouldn't have appealed to me at all. If you are already a fan and just want to read some light fare featuring some favorite characters, give this one a go. It won't take you long to read it and there is an excerpt from the Scents and Sensibility full length novel released in July 2015. If this is your first time reading a Chet and Bernie story, rest assured that the novels have the same great relationship between man and dog but filled out to a satisfactory level. And Bernie isn't quite so apt to be taken in by crooks. I received an e-ARC of this short story through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: In a Different Key: The Story of Autism; Author: John Donvan; Review: It would be difficult for me to give this incredible accumulation of information any rating other than five stars. Autism has only touched my family in ways which haven't helped me understand what it truly entailed. One of my daughters is a school teacher and the other works with juveniles involved in the court system so I've heard their experiences with children with autism and yet even that didn't give me the full background I was searching for. This book does. Taking on the story of autism has to have been a daunting experience for John Donvan and Caren Zucker because, as shown by the facts in this book, the facts have been a long time in getting to the knowledge we have today about the condition. Simply reading this book requires a commitment from the reader because even though it is well presented, it is still not an easy story to tell. Beginning in the 1930s and continuing to the present I found out the history of autism itself while still not understanding exactly what it is. That single element in the way this story is told gave me just a tiny glimpse into how frustrated and bewildered parents must have been to see their child exhibit signs of something being profoundly wrong. We tend to expect medical miracles to be pulled out of hats. Not only were there no miracles for families with autistic children but there were also very vew people who were trying to find answers to questions concerning the disorder. One of the things most impressive to me was the decision of the authors to keep the autism story centered on people instead of making it about statistics and numbers and graphs and charts. Often those elements have a tendency to dehumanize whatever subject is being discussed. With The Story of Autism you will always be reading about those with the diagnosis, about the parents, about the doctors, about the activists, or about the researchers. And even if numbers and statistics come into play in the telling of the story it is usually to show you how misleading and unhelpful those very numbers and statistics can be. Something which came in very handy for me is the timeline for autism which is included in the back of the book. This story is one that necessarily moves backward and forward in time constantly, turning and twisting upon itself in order to explain why a pronouncement was considered so important and how a conclusion was reached. After reading this book I feel I have a very fair representation of the condition called autism and where this story stands today. Where it will go tomorrow, I don't know.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Rise of the Red Queen (A Red Solaris Mystery) (Volume 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Bourne Morris Page; Review: I liked this book well enough to assign it three stars and found it interesting, but I cannot put it into that category of books which make me want to shut out the world so I can keep reading. This is the second book in the series but I had no problem picking up all the carry-over characters from the first novel and the part they play in the world of Dr. Meredith "Red" Solaris, interim Dean of the School of Journalism at Mountain West University in Landry, Nevada. Dr. Solaris is constantly encouraging everyone to call her Red (because of her hair color) to emphasize the personal nature her students need to adopt in their journalism careers. She obviously believes in teaching by example. Dr. Solaris is one of three final candidates for the position of permanent Dean of the School of Journalism so that plot thread is running throughout the novel. She is also in a personal relationship with Detective Joe Morgan of the Landry police department which comes in very handy when a relative arrives on campus to report a missing female student. Add to these two problems an ongoing dispute between two faculty members which appears to be uncontrollable and it is easy to see that Dr. Solaris could have done without being asked to serve on a committee trying to come up with a university policy on sexual harassment. Since the request came from a voting member of the search committee, how could she possibly turn it down? The novel was only interesting enough for me to carry on reading to be sure I had spotted the guilty party - surprisingly very early on - and to see what tiny bit of information would finally get the story moving. The segments presented from the viewpoint of the student were surprisingly bland. I could not get the feeling of desperation or fear which I would have expected from this young woman. This was an interesting novel to read, but not a series which I have any interest in following. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Body Under the Bridge (A Father Gilbert Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Paul McCusker Page; Review: I didn't read the first book in this series so I wasn't quite sure what to expect with a former policeman now turned priest. What I got was a very spooky, very paranormal, and very interesting mystery novel. Father Louis Gilbert and his brand new curate at St. Mark's, Father Hugh Benson, are called to the land reclamation project on the estate of Lord Haysham when something was found under the stone bridge which had been discovered earlier. Now Father Gilbert needs to know if the skeleton under the bridge could be connected to the medallion he finds himself with after having a disturbing vision of a man committing suicide on the tower of the church. Soon the feud between the Haysham and Todd families has become even hotter than usual, DNA helps provide the identity of the skeleton, and evil seems to surround everyone who has any connection to three relics in existence before Oliver Cromwell. This was quite an unusual mystery novel because of the combination of the skills Father Gilbert has for investigating crime due to his previous career in law enforcement added to his spirituality being challenged by truly evil forces. The author did a really good job of instilling the feeling of menace whenever Father Gilbert was confronted by evil. This is definitely a novel which presents a religious viewpoint so if you don't want to read that type of material, you might not like the book. However, that religious aspect is absolutely essential to the basic plot line of the novel and to how the mystery is solved. I enjoyed this story quite a lot and I'm a very picky reader when it comes to mystery novels. This one is definitely different, definitely spooky, and definitely paranormal. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Song of Hartgrove Hall: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Natasha Solomons Page; Review: It is painful to watch a character in a novel being forced to choose between the things in his life which make him the person he truly is. Harry "Fox" Fox-Talbot had to choose between his music and his home, Hartgrove Hall. The setting for this novel begins with the turbulent days following the end of World War II when the Fox-Talbot family is given possession of their home in Dorset by the War Office. The General and his three sons, Jack, George, and Fox, return to find wanton destruction throughout the house, one wing completely destroyed by fire, and an estate which has been neglected and abused because the focus was on the war, not on proper care of the buildings and land. The General announces to his sons that he plans to blow the house up and sell off the land. At nineteen Fox is the youngest and did not serve in the military, but he was essentially homeless for the previous seven years because there was simply no place for him to go home to. Now this young man finds himself facing problems on all fronts. He will not return to Cambridge, he has to give up his music in order to work on the farm, and he falls in love with Edie Rose, brother Jack's new girlfriend. Jack is the charming one, Jack has all the charisma, Jack is the one everybody wants to be near. If Jack wants Edie, there is no hope for Fox. The story is told in first person from the viewpoint of Fox, both in the segments beginning in 1947 as well as the segments beginning in 2000. That is not my favorite writing style for a novel but it says much for the talent of this author that she does it so well I have no complaints. The Song of Hartgrove Hall is a novel centered around two themes, music and Edie. The music is an absolute need Fox has to collect and write down the lyrics and melody of old folksongs, mainly from the Dorset area. This desire then translates into Fox becoming a composer, spending his life writing music where he often incorporates the sounds from the old folk songs. Edie is present throughout the novel in the vividly told story of her impact on the Fox-Talbot brothers and then the impact her death has on Fox. Without finding the hidden musical talent in his four year old grandson, as a reader I felt sure Fox would simply wither away and die from grief. Both of these aspects of the novel are well told. The Song of Hartgrove Hall is basically the story of Harry Fox-Talbot from his late teen years into his eighties. The depth of that character and the interest I had in following him through his life gave me hours of reading pleasure.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance; Author: Visit Amazon's Derrick Belanger Page; Review: Once again.......the letters come down out of the attic and an author builds the information into an unpublished Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson story. It almost worked. It was a very short read at only 82 pages and I really thought it was going to be successful until the author put the relationship between the famous pair and Mrs. Hudson on a footing that just wasn't acceptable to me. Never would Holmes or Watson have called her by her first name, they just didn't have that kind of relationship with her. And for them to all sit down to dinner at the Watson home with Mary Watson demonstrating her new gas stove for Mrs. Hudson? No. There are other social gaffs in the story and I just can't help but notice things like that and be put off by them. Any author attempting to write 'newly found' stories about this famous pair needs to stay strictly within the socially acceptable conventions of the day. Otherwise, just turn on the neon sign and let that arrow annoy the heck out of readers. The mystery was fairly interesting but it could have been really good if the building from the basic premise had continued. Holmes never performed any feat of deductive magic that was believable or awe inspiring so, basically, it just fell sort of flat at the end. Almost as if we were supposed to tune in next week to read the next exciting chapter. Well, that will not be happening.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Chessman, The: A British mystery set in the 1920s (A Jack Haldean Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Dolores Gordon-Smith Page; Review: I have really become a fan of these Jack Haldean mystery novels written by Dolores Gordon-Smith. She has a wonderful talent with plotting a mystery that will keep you puzzled right up until she reveals all. This one had a twist followed by a swerve. These novels are set in the 1920s following the ending of World War I and that conflict always plays a large part in the attitudes and psychological balance (or not) of various characters. This one is set in the small village of Croxton Ferriers in Sussex and our amateur sleuth, Jack Haldean, is allowed to help the police in their investigations. In fact, they rather insist on it. When two ladies go into the church to prepare the flowers for the coming Sunday services they make a grisly discovery. But who is the person they found murdered and how did anyone get into the locked church to hide his body in the first place? This story features anonymous threatening letters and tokens left at each crime scene as communications from the murderer. In a village this small, how has this obvious lunatic remained hidden? I like the comfy, old-fashioned feeling of this series of novels which still seem to give the mystery lovers among us enough dead bodies to satisfy our chance to show off our own solving skills. Im not positive, but I think this is probably book #9 in the series. If you want to begin reading them right here, go ahead. You will find all the backstory for the repeat characters you need to feel right at home immediately. Highly recommended for readers of the older style of mysteries. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Body in the Landscape (A Cherry Tucker Mystery) (Volume 5); Author: Visit Amazon's Larissa Reinhart Page; Review: Cherry Tucker and I could never become friends. Not even the sit quietly in the same room kind of friends. Mainly that would be because Cherry seems incapable of knowing which thoughts to keep locked up tight in her brain and which ones are fine to share with others. If there was ever a modern version of The Perils of Pauline, this character is spot on. Need to move quietly through the woods while following someone? Let Cherry loose and everybody in the county will know she's behind you. Need to sneak up on a tent to see who's inside? Let Cherry loose and she will fall into the tent and bring the whole thing down. No...too, too many of those episodes for me to want to go anywhere near Cherry Tucker ever again. The characters are out in the Georgia woods for a wild boar hunt with Cherry along because she is supposed to paint a portrait of one of the two men who have a side bet about being the winner of the hunt. Cherry finds the body of a local man who seems to have died from a fall. Cherry thinks it was no accident. This is definitely what I would consider a light mystery novel. The character was simply not the type of person I would ever want to be around so it didn't work for me to have to read about her. In a group of expert marksmen nobody could distinguish between a rifle with a silencer and a ..............Nope, never mind. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Easy as One, Two, Three; Author: Phillip Depoy; Review: Along about midnight on a dark road in the North Georgia mountains, Mustard and Sissy Abernathy are on their way to the hospital because Sissy is in labor and that baby just isn't going to wait much longer to be born. Then smack dab in the middle of the road they see the Little Girl of Lost Pines. Well, what do you think about that? It might change your mind to know the little girl died fifty years ago. Dalliance Oglethorpe has been in Savannah opening her second nightclub. Easy, in Atlanta, has been such a success Dally has branched out with Easy Two. Probably just about the entire time his best friend Dally has been gone Flap Tucker has stayed home and done a whole lot of nothing. Flap doesn't mind doing nothing at all. As a finder of lost things he chooses his cases and if you don't go out, nobody bothers you about working. Naturally when Dally gets back from Savannah she wants Flap to drive her up to North Georgia to see New Baby Girl Abernathy. It doesn't hurt that she has a ghost story to tell him while they are on their way. Flap doesn't believe in ghosts but he sure does want to help find the ten year old girl who disappeared the night Mustard and Sissy were on their way to the hospital. I absolutely love this series. I've just recently discovered the Flap Tucker novels so I was curious to see if this third book (first published in 1999) would be as good as the first in the series. It is every bit as good. Being a Southerner myself I mostly try to avoid novels written about the South. It's a hard area to get right and a whole lot of authors mess it up. Phillip Depoy does not mess anything up. His Flap Tucker character is superb because of his willingness to look, listen, and then interpret. He finds lost things and people by gathering facts and then performing his "thing" which means going into a trancelike state and interpreting whatever he sees there as it relates to the case he's working. Rocky, Bullwinkle, Boris, Natasha? Yep. I love to read the description of what Flap "sees" and try to figure out which way the story is going to go from there. I was surprised by this one. I see there are other novels in this series and I can't wait to read them. This isn't supernatural stuff, but it does have a different edge to it. If you want to read something a little bit different while still getting a good mystery novel, try one of these books. I'm so glad I did. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Murder Most Malicious (A Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Alyssa Maxwell Page; Review: This was a somewhat pleasant reading experience, but definitely not a challenge when it came to knowing who the murderer was going to turn out to be. With such a few suspects to choose from, it really didn't leave a lot of room for suspense. This is a novel which pairs an "upstairs" young woman (Phoebe, middle granddaughter of the Earl of Wroxly) and the "below stairs" ladies maid to all three granddaughters, (Evie). Except I just couldn't seem to find the chemistry that should have existed between these two young women to make them partners in investigating the very strange occurrence with the December 26th gift boxes for the staff of Foxwood. The time is the end of 1918 and the author was able to work in a few technical advances such as the motor car and telephone but they don't seem to have made that much of an impact on the story. I got the impression of the author just skimming the surface of this story without adding much depth. Phoebe and Evie are not actually friends, indeed they don't appear to even be especially close to one another. The author might have meant for them to appear close, but I was not convinced. There is still a sharp distinction between their places in the social order. The shock factor added to the Christmas boxes was completely unnecessary because the second item included fit more with the overall feeling of the story and would have led directly to the missing person. Why then include something which didn't fit into the feel of the story? I read the entire novel and suffered through seeing just about every clich possible in a mystery novel. From my perspective as someone who reads a high number of mystery novels, with the historical being my favorite, I have to say this one didn't make the best impression. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Herald of Hell, The: A mystery set in Medieval London (A Brother Athelstan Medieval Mystery); Author: Paul Doherty; Review: The star rating Ive given this novel reflects on the quality of the writing and the really good mystery plot. I have to say, though, that Im just about burned out on The Great Revolt of 1381. From a comment in the Authors Note following this story it would seem it will take at least one more novel to, hopefully, finish up this particular set of events. I know they were hugely important in the history of the nation, but Im up to my eyebrows in Earthworms, Upright Men, and John of Gaunt. Brother Athelstan of St. Erconwald and Sir John Cranston, the High Coroner of London, are called to what is probably the most notorious brothel in Southwark, The Golden Oliphant, to investigate what seems to be a suicide by hanging. Once at the brothel Brother Athelstan discovers that the chancery clerk of Thibault, Master of Secrets to Lord John of Gaunt, Amaury Whitfield, is hanging from a noose in his private room on the top floor of the brothel. At first glance this must be a suicide since it presents the investigators with no possible way for anyone else to have entered Whitfields room. However, Brother Athelstan is adamant that a murder has occurred and he and Sir John set out to solve the mystery. This is a very enjoyable novel from the standpoint of the mysteries solved. You will find more than one secret uncovered, but pay close attention or you will miss the key clue which helps with the solution to the first death. I just breezed right by it and had to let the author explain how it all happened. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Jane and the Waterloo Map (Being a Jane Austen Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Stephanie Barron Page; Review: This entry in the series of Jane Austen mysteries finds Jane in town (London, in other words) for a number of weeks in order to nurse her brother Henry through a serious illness and to receive the proofs of EMMA from the publisher so that novel can go into print. Naturally, Jane is in the wrong place at the right time to discover the prostrate body of a Hero of the Waterloo campaign as he breaths his last words to her in the library of Carlton House with His Royal Highness, The Regent, in residence. Nothing of this unfortunate death comes to the notice of The Regent but Jane simply cannot keep from investigating what appears to be a death either by self murder or malicious poisoning. Whatever is a thirty-nine year old spinster to do when she cannot abide having her questions go unanswered? Lucky for Jane that her brother Henry begins to recover from his illness just in time for her to be absent from his bedside while investigating the death of Colonel Ewan MacFarland. Naturally, in order to formulate this series of stories author Stephanie Barron has deviated from the completely true facts of the life of Jane Austen. While this might be a problem for some who demand strict accuracy it is good to always remember that strict accuracy would mean that the stories would not be possible in the first place. Instead, read these for the talent this author exhibits in being able to approximate the conditions, both social and physical, which Jane Austen might have been exposed to and allow your imagination to just enjoy the story. Not only do these novels appeal to me from the standpoint of the historical time period they represent, but also for the inquisitive and determined nature the true Jane Austen hopefully had. I like how Barron easily inserts information about the historical period throughout the narrative but when information would be rather cumbersome for the characters to reveal she uses the footnotes from the editor route to give the reader information. There is also quite a bit of information included in the story regarding real people and events of the time period so I always learn something while I'm reading one of these novels. In fact, at one point I had to remind myself that it wasn't precisely Jane Austen herself who was making the remarks concerning one of the Austen novels, it was Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen. That's a pretty good indicator of how convincing the story was and what a well written character this fictional Jane is. I have to say the revelation of the guilty party in the crime had me fooled. This was an entertaining reading experience for me. I've missed a few of the novels and this has made me want to go back and catch up on those. Being number thirteen in the series doesn't mean you should not begin here. There are references throughout the novel to other mysteries Jane has been involved in solving so you will find a wealth of; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Angels Burning; Author: Visit Amazon's Tawni O'Dell Page; Review: My advice to anybody beginning to read this book......just don't even try to figure out this psychological thriller. Read it, discover all the backstory and family history of the two primary families concerned and don't try to figure out where the author will be taking you next. I can almost positively assure you that you won't be able to get there on your own. I'm usually more of a traditional style mystery novel reader. I love historicals and police procedurals, gumshoe private eyes, some slightly lighter fare with humorous moments, even paranormal or mystical books, but what they usually have in common is the actual investigation of a crime plays the main part in the novel. In Angels Burning the family dynamics of the Truly family and the Carnahan family form the pivotal basis for the novel from first page to last. Yes, there is a murder being investigated with the corpse horribly mutilated and yet even that points directly to how this murder impacts both of these families. At times this was a difficult reading experience for me, but it was also fascinating, twisty and very much out of the ordinary. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pawn's Gambit: And Other Stratagems; Author: Visit Amazon's Timothy Zahn Page; Review: This collection of fifteen short stories is a great introduction to the writing of Timothy Zahn if you are unfamiliar with his writing, as was I. I'm sure it will also be of interest to readers who are already familiar with his many works. The following is a listing of the stories and the year of their first appearance in print as provided by the publisher in the back of the book: "The Price of Survival" - 1981 "The Giftie Gie Us" - 1981 "The Final Report on the Lifeline Experiment" - 1983 "Cascade Point" - 1983 "Music Hath Charms" - 1985 "The President's Doll" - 1987 "Clean Slate" - 1989 "Hitmen -- See Murderers" - 1991 "Protocol" - 2002 "Old-Boy Network" - 2002 "Proof" - 2004 "The Ring" - 2007 "Trollbridge" - 2009 "Chem Lab 301" - 2014 "Pawn's Gambit" - 1982 As you can see most of the stories were written some time ago and if you follow this author you may have already read some of them. They were all new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed how completely different each story was. They show me how Timothy Zahn has the ability to take ideas from all around him and turn them into entertaining reading. The stories are brief, but that's what you can expect from short stories and several of them I would like to see expanded into full novels or at least novella length. Surprisingly I don't think I had an absolute favorite; each story brought a new idea to life and doesn't connect with any other story in the collection. "Hitmen -- See Murderers" is the one which had me thinking about the underlying lesson longer than any other story, but they all had their own moment of making me think about life from a different perspective. This was an enjoyable reading experience, but because of the brevity of the stories none can go into great depth for world or character building. Just enough to make you see the situation through the eyes of a talented author. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Summer Before the War: A Novel (Random House Large Print); Author: Visit Amazon's Helen Simonson Page; Review: This is a wonderfully told story of how terribly innocent people can be regarding their place in what is happening in the world around them; innocence lost which the world could never reclaim. The residents of Rye in 1914 were rightly absorbed in what was happening in their lives as they had been living them. The author has used a twenty-three year old woman, Beatrice Nash, a self proclaimed spinster, as the focal point of the novel to bring together the various levels of society in this small community through her new position as a teacher of Latin in the local school. Even hiring a female teacher for this particular subject has thrown a spotlight on the division of power behind the scenes for the women who wield their influence in order to get the results they feel are best for the community. Yet with all the schemes and strategies there is still that knowledge that the people of Rye are truly concerned about what is best for their town. The declaration of war changes the lives of everyone in Rye, but Helen Simonson accomplishes these changes gradually so that you get the feeling the men who are struggling with the decision to enlist to fight and the women who are preparing to receive the Belgian refugees are still completely unaware of how their lives will forever be changed. The characters are so fully developed and complex that I enjoyed getting to know each one of them. As is true with real people, these characters are not totally saintly or totally bad - just a realistic combination of both. No matter how hard we try to subdue selfishness in ourselves in the face of tragedy that trait will always show itself. The same is true with the characters depicted here and it made me feel closer to them and like them even more. Some novels I read and then put aside and forget. This novel will be one that I keep and remember because the story is told so beautifully.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Dirt on Ninth Grave (Charley Davidson); Author: Visit Amazon's Darynda Jones Page; Review: I didn't make a mistake by reading this novel.....no, never a mistake to read a Darynda Jones book, but it would have been nice if I had found my copy of book eight and read that one first. That one must be buried under a stack of books someplace in the house. However, I plowed right along and found myself - surprisingly! - in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Plus, Charley wasn't "Charley" but Janey Doerr (as in Jane Doe) because she had no memory of who she was or what she was or what she was doing in Sleepy Hollow. I find this series of books to be just plain entertaining. Yes, they are paranormal. Yes, there are strange creatures of the other-realm variety. Yes, there is profanity although not nearly as much as some books in this genre contain. Yes, there are steamy sex scenes. If you don't want one or all of those situations in books you read, then just don't read this one. After eight previous novels the world of Charley Davidson has been pretty solidly fleshed out. Charley is the grim reaper, "the light" (yep, the one people go to in order to pass on to the other side), but naturally that alone wouldn't make for a very interesting series so Ms. Jones has continued to add other dimensions to Charley and all the characters surrounding her. Her world expands outwards in some imaginative way with each new plot so the concept remains fresh while retaining all the characters you simply have to love. Like Reyes. Well, what more can I say about Reyes except to urge you to get to know him yourself. Then there is Cookie. Who in the world doesn't want to have a friend like Cookie? By playing the 'amnesia' card Ms. Jones allows Janey/Charley to get to know all her friends all over again. I really enjoyed that because it kept the book from having so many of the really dark overtones most of the other novels have. Janey could be vulnerable while she was discovering who she really was and the whole meeting Reyes again part was definitely the high point of the novel for me. Romance, paranormal, fantasy; take your pick of which genre you want to place the book into, but read it ASAP. Don't worry about beginning with book #9, you'll just have to know going into it that it will almost certainly result in you investing in books #1-#8 even before you close the cover on #9. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Practical Sins for Cold Climates; Author: Visit Amazon's Shelley Costa Page; Review: My overall rating for this novel is three stars because the author managed to hit so many of my "hot button" dislikes. However, there are going to be many readers who don't have the same issues and I'm sure they would be willing to give a higher rating than mine. I didn't like the romance aspects constantly impinging on the story. If Valjean Cameron wasn't thinking about participating in a romantic encounter.......she was thinking about having participated in a romantic encounter. I become very irritated when an author feels the need to put a brand name on the items they are describing. Even a wood burning stove was not allowed to escape the branding. I didn't find the solution to the mystery Val Cameron began investigating hard to figure out at all and that was disappointing. A woman who holds the responsible position of a senior editor at a publishing company and she never even thought to get even basic information regarding the remote area she was headed to. I don't read chick-lit. This just reinforces my reasoning behind that decision. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: One Under: A British Police Procedural (A Bill Slider Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Cynthia Harrod-Eagles Page; Review: When a book keeps me reading past 2 a.m., that has to be one absorbing novel! I absolutely could not fathom putting this book aside and going to bed. Besides, it was a Saturday night and I could sleep in the next day. This series most definitely falls in the police procedural category because the author allows us to follow along with many officers on newly promoted Detective Chief Inspector Bill Slider's team as they investigate what appears to sadly be a common enough hit and run road death. Except Slider's instinct tells him too many things aren't right about this death beginning with why this young teen would have been on this lonely road far from her normal London neighborhood. Very slowly tiny bits and pieces of the investigation into the death of Kaylee Adams seem to be pointing to the discovery of another teen girl's body found in the river months earlier. On top of this, one of Slider's detectives is looking into a one under, a suicide by train on the underground. Slider can't become the administrative type of officer his new job requires him to be because how can budgets and personnel cuts be more important than investigating a death nobody seems concerned about. Before it's all over Slider is in serious jeopardy of being dismissed from the force. I have read several other novels in this series and they have all been fascinating reading experiences if you like to be included in all the minute discoveries a police team uncovers while solving a crime. I do like that depth of involvement but it also helps in this series that the characters are so well developed that I enjoy the glimpses the author gives into their personal lives as well. If the author spends too much time on that personal aspect of their characters, it can definitely be a turn-off for me. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles always achieves a very nice balance between the personal and the professional life for characters in her series. It's one of the reasons I am always ready to read more novels about Bill Slider and his team. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blood Will Tell: A cozy mystery set in Cambridge, England (A Dorothy Martin Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Jeanne M. Dams Page; Review: I look forward to reading novels written in this Dorothy Martin series and have enjoyed the ones I've read in the past. For some reason this particular one did not seem to ever connect with me in a personal way. Dorothy and her husband are on a trip to Cambridge where he is attending a five day symposium on law enforcement as one of the all-around VIP's and she is enjoying some time away from home. In her wandering around trying to get her bearings of the layout of the College she enters a building from a back door and looks into a laboratory and sees a great pool of blood on the floor. She might have thought it was some other liquid had it not been for the smell. Nothing else smells quite like blood. Feeling very unnerved, Dorothy quickly leaves the seemingly deserted building to return to the rooms provided for the convenience of members of the conference. Alan rounds up some of his friends to investigate but no trace of the blood is found. Naturally, things get more and more complicated with Dorothy finally being in physical danger. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I never connected with the characters this time. Plus it seems as if some of the connections between characters was not any kind of a surprise when it was revealed so I was rather deflated in my enjoyment of this story. I will try again when the next novel is released and hope for a more pleasurable reading experience. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Silence of Stones, The: A Crispin Guest medieval noir (A Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Jeri Westerson Page; Review: The Silence of Stones is my first venture into the Crispin Guest series by Jeri Westerson. I am very much a fan of historical mysteries and began reading this novel set in 1388 London with the hope of having found another author to add to my list of "must read" books. The book was just an alright reading experience for me. I didn't have any trouble beginning the series with book eight although I do wish the author had given some detail as to what kinds of things Crispin had "tracked" in the past which made him so universally known throughout London and Westminster as The Tracker. I would have also liked to see why people seemed to have fear of him and his reputation. Nothing I saw would have given me the impression that people should have been afraid of him. The Stone of Destiny has been stolen from beneath the royal throne and a plaster facsimile put in place which was blown up during a mass while King Richard was in attendance. There was obviously not enough gunpowder in place to kill the monarch, but he was publicly embarrassed and the theft of the stone was brought to light in a dramatic way. Crispin Guest and his apprentice Jack Tucker were standing in the back of the church but were spied by King Richard. Richard seized Jack to hold as hostage in order to force Crispin to search for the stone and return it to its rightful place. Because of the past bad relationship between these two men there was no reasoning with Richard and Jack would die in three days if Crispin failed in his search. There were simply too many times when my attention was pulled away from the story in order to try to figure out why the author had chosen a particular word or phrase. These incidences continued throughout the novel. Some examples are: someone shuffled closer to a table when they were already sitting down; a character made a comment with a sneer on his face when he had actually given a compliment; someone was described as drinking a dose of wine when he took a drink; at one point Crispin ticked his head (I never did figure that one out); a person didn't lean over a table, he canted over; someone inclined closer. These are just a few of the things which interrupted the flow of the story for me and sent me scurrying for a dictionary to see if I really understood what some particular word meant. All of this distracted from the story and made me feel distanced from the characters and their circumstances. I read the entire book to see how the author would solve the various tasks she had set for her characters. My overall reading experience was not satisfactory. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Trade Secrets: A mystery set in Ancient Rome (A Marcus Corvinus mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's David Wishart Page; Review: Once again a book in the Marcus Corvinus series did not disappoint. The first requirement for reading these novels is to understand you will get modern language while the story takes place in ancient Rome, here in May, AD 41. That little bump in the road came as a shock to me when I read my first book in this series, but now I look forward to the easy way this complicated historical period is presented just by having it told in today's style of speaking. Everything else is kept strictly in the period so you still get all the flavor of ancient Rome. Marcus Corvinus is willing to face multiple dangers when he's investigating, but when his wife Perilla has her poetry group meet at their house Marcus makes himself scarce. Unfortunately when he returns one of the group members is still there, waiting for him and he is none too pleased about that, because she wants him to investigate the murder of her brother. Gaius Tullius was found dead from a stab wound inside the Shrine of Melobosis and someone needs to find out what happened. When Marcus visits the widow he finds that not only is the sister of the deceased not very cut up about his death, neither does he find a grieving widow. Who was this Gaius Tullius that nobody seems to mourn? More out of general cussedness than anything else, Marcus decided to investigate. What he doesn't want to investigate is the scenario his daughter Marilla came across when she and husband Clarus were enjoying an outing. Who was the dead man stabbed while sitting on the park bench? Marcus doesn't really care until the two deaths begin to have close connections. The wit of the author is very much in evidence in this novel as Marcus travels the fourteen miles from Rome to Ostia to investigate both deaths. The Roman world is well represented and the mystery was quite good. It was a change to see how the citizens of Ostia didn't appear to be nearly as impressed to have a "purple striper" among them since the distance from Rome seemed to make them more independent of the government. There are many characters who return from previous novels and I got many a chuckle when Marcus and Perilla and Bathyllus ( major-domo for the household) were dealing with the cat from the next door neighbors. There are a lot of characters in this novel so you might want to make use of the Dramatis Personae in the beginning of the book to help you keep track. My one criticism is that it would have been a nice touch to have had a gathering-of-the-clan type of ending to tie up all the loose ends. Maybe next time. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bell Tower, The: A haunted house mystery (A Nell West and Michael Flint Haunted House Story); Author: Visit Amazon's Sarah Rayne Page; Review: I definitely enjoyed reading this story but it is a bit complicated. It was all connected to Quires Court which Nell and Michael are having renovated from two shops into one large antiques shop and apartment in Oxford and a bell tower and monastery in the village of Rebe Abbas in Dorset. This story is told from a document from 1538, on to a rewriting of documents made in 1850, then to the extremely restrictive life lived by a woman trying to hide a family secret, and then having everything tied up in modern times. If you don't keep track carefully, you might find yourself getting lost along the storyline. You might also find yourself wondering which Thaisa and which Theodora you are reading about since the names are passed down through generations. When you come right down to it, most of this story took place in the past and only connected up with Nell, Beth, and Michael by a very circuitous route. This is the second novel I've read by Sarah Rayne and I did enjoy it, but this isn't so much a haunted house mystery as a haunted history of the characters involved in the 1538 segment of the book, then moving forward. The modern times revolve around a clause found in the new lease signed for the enlarged premises of the antiques shop at Quires Court which mentions monks asserting their right to hold St. Benedicts Revels. After doing some research it was found that a modern version of the revels is going to be held as the Rebe Abbas Revels in Rebe Abbas, Dorset which will be attended by one of Beth's classes so Nell and Michael decide to go enjoy the weekend also. Before leaving Oxford Nell finds unsettling words carved into the stone wall when renovators remove the plaster. Her curiosity is piqued for who Theodora was and why she scratched the plea regarding Thaisa's fate into the stone in October 1850. The connections to Thaisa's song continue in Rebe Abbas with Nell West unwittingly disturbing the uneasy life of one of the residents. As I said, this isn't as much a haunted house mystery as it is just haunted history. The story is told to a great extent through found documents which were written by Benedictine monks in different time periods with slightly disconcerting skips forward into emails between members of the committees who are in charge of the Rebe Abbas Revels. A quick read, but one where you need to pay attention to know which part of history you find yourself in at the moment. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mrs. Hudson and the Malabar Rose; Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Davies Page; Review: I love the original Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson stories so I can be quite picky when I come across someone utilizing those characters. I'm happy to say that Martin Davies has avoided direct comparisons between his stories and those of Arthur Conan Doyle by making the housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, the prime character in his novels. The duo of Mrs. Hudson and her "assistant" Flotsam are able to live very exciting lives because of their proximity to problems offered to Sherlock Holmes. The really good thing about this series is that Mrs. Hudson seems a very plausible character. She neither wants nor does she need the attention for essentially solving problems which are presented to Mr. Holmes. In this instance there is the disappearance of Mr. James Phillimore of Ealing and the Malabar Rose ruby being presented to the Crown and put on public display. Add to these the Spanish dancer Lola Del Fuego and the illusionist known as the Great Salmanazar and it's easy to see which case Holmes will choose to involve himself in. This story is a vintage English Christmas lark with everything from blizzard snow storms to New Year's Eve revels in Trafalgar Square where a pantomime horse plays a very important role. There is cooking and cleaning and trips to Ealing to investigate Mr. Phillimore's disappearance by Mrs. Hudson and Flottie, while ups meetings between a representative of the Home Office, a career military hero, and Inspector Lestrade keep Holmes and Watson plotting and planning until far into the night. Granted, in order for all of this to take place there have to be about 30 hours in each day, but it's all in good fun and quite enjoyable. There is one pure Agatha Christie device used which will be familiar to those of us who have devoured her novels many times over and it fits very nicely within this story. Flotsam is fifteen years old now and being educated in a very revolutionary manner for a young woman of the time period, especially one who is an orphan and works in a below stairs capacity. It was touching to have an element from Flottie's orphanage days appear in this story and play a large part. I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen in that direction in future novels. I enjoy the mix of characters in this novel, those both high and low. I like the descriptions of London. I like the overall makeup of the characters. In addition, the puzzles to be solved are quite good ones which keep me engaged and looking forward to reading the next one. I certainly hope there will be many more to come in the future. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Canelo.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Custodian of Marvels: The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire, Book Three; Author: Visit Amazon's Rod Duncan Page; Review: I don't read many steampunk novels, but this series got me hooked because I enjoyed the main character so much. This is the third of the three books and yet the ending leaves the characters in such an unresolved position that I wouldn't be surprised to see this continue. It might take a stretch for it to happen, but this author is definitely talented enough to accomplish it. The year is 2009, the country is the Kingdom of England and Southern Wales, and the Gas-Lit Empire is run by the International Patent Office to keep control over any Unseemly Science which would be detrimental to the good of all citizens. Control is absolute with the Patent Office being completely beyond the oversight of any group or organization. Incorruptible you might say. Or is it? Elizabeth Barnabus just wants to get justice for the crime committed by the Duke of Northampton against her father which brought about her being given to the Duke as a slave for life. She's been on the run from him ever since. If only she could look up the history of the court case in the Patent Office files. In order to make this come into being Elizabeth joins a boy named Tinker, a dwarf called Fabulo and other members of the defunct circus she was performing in. The only item Elizabeth has is a very old book, The Bullet-Catcher's Handbook, which gives hints of possible corruption of historical events in the past. She wants proof against the Duke, the rest of her band wants treasure. Together they plan to do the impossible. As mentioned before this is the third book in what I presume to be a trilogy. If you haven't read the previous two novels, at least begin this one by reading the entries in the Glossary at the end of the book. There you will find explanations for the most important concepts in this alternate history novel. It was fascinating to see how this world had not progressed much at all since the war with Napolean. I was a little disappointed that there was not more attention given to some types of advances which would bring in the literary steampunk aspect, but when you (and I) read the book you do understand why. I enjoyed reading the series very much but I need to be honest and say that the ending was somewhat of a let down. If this is truly the end of the series, there is a lot left unresolved. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Angry Robot Books.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Other Side of Silence (A Bernie Gunther Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Philip Kerr Page; Review: For readers who anxiously await each new installment in the Bernie Gunther series, grab some quiet time and just start reading this one, but have your seatbelt buckled because you are going on a corkscrew twisty ride. Readers new to the series can certainly begin here, I'm not going to tell you not to, but you need to understand that Bernie has a huge amount of backstory and this author loves to bring back characters from several books back and it might get a little confusing. In this story Bernie is really, really bored. So bored with his life that he goes so far as to try to end it. I say he couldn't have been very serious in the first place to have failed so completely. However, that was good news for me - and you. Imagine living on the French Riviera and being bored. Most of us would have a hard time contemplating that but then Bernie has lived a life chock full of life threatening and death defying experiences so he doesn't look at things the same way you or I might. He's is his position as concierge of the Grand Hotel du Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, it's 1956, he's changed his name to Walter Wolf, nobody knows about his past in Germany during World War II, he has found a regular group to play bridge with, all is not well but he's getting along. Then, looking across the hotel lobby he spots someone from his past and everything changes in the blink of an eye. That's the last time you will ever be completely certain in this novel that there isn't another plot twist waiting in the next paragraph. Filled with absolutely fascinating information concerning the British Intelligence community during World War II and how they interacted with first the Germans and now (in 1956) with the Russians - with the Americans lurking on the periphery - this novel is almost a history lesson of how these systems came to impact the war. Secrets don't remain secret because someone always has access to the information to use as blackmail against a target to make them do exactly what you want. Somerset Maugham and his nephew Robin play a large role in this story along with other true historical figures from the times. The double crosses come at a race-track-fast rate. Bernie is even more moody and depressed in this novel than in others. Maybe he will learn at some point to stay clear of the type of woman he gravitates toward? There is a murder which Bernie solves almost in an off-hand manner without having the criminal brought to justice. Later in the novel he explains his thinking of the difference between revenge and vengeance and that's all it took for me to cheer Bernie's decision at the conclusion of the novel. The feeling of being in this place at this time is wonderfully shored up with mentions of Bernie seeing the yacht of Aristotle Onassis moored in the harbor. Somerset Maugham receives an invitation to the wedding of Prince Rainier; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Find Her (A D.D. Warren and Flora Dane Novel); Author: Lisa Gardner/Tia Williams; Review: This is the type of book which will stay with you long, long after you finish reading it. The pure psychology of the issues faced by the victim will force you to question your own mental and physical strength, to wonder if you would have survived this ordeal. I found the story disturbing, but only because the depiction of this one case makes me understand that there are others out there, now, being lived through, being survived by victims. Or perhaps they aren't fortunate enough to survive. This novel is fiction, but it reads like it is so very real. Seven years ago Flora Dane was a carefree collage girl enjoying a Spring Break vacation. Then she left her group of friends to go to the bathroom and was not seen by them again. Nobody thought too much about that, they were busy having a good time. By the time they did begin to worry about Flora it was days later and the trail had gone completely cold. Flora managed to live through four hundred and eighty two days of captivity and now she wants to help find other women who disappear. She is trying to see what she can uncover about a recent disappearance case when something totally unexpected happens. Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren of the Boston homicide division is on restricted duty while she continues to recover from a serious injury she suffered investigating her last case. All she needs is to have this new case complicated by a female possible suspect/possible victim making a personal call to the Boston office of the FBI. And the man she called came to the crime scene. Who is this woman? Reading the story of Flora's time in captivity is truly a horror story and yet it is also fascinating. To see how one person can impose their will on someone else to this extent seems almost unbelievable. To watch as the situation changes and becomes something totally unimaginable was quite hard to read. Lisa Gardner has done an outstanding job of putting the reader right there in that pine coffin, right there on that filthy brown carpet, right there in that abandoned building. This novel is probably not going to be appreciated by all readers, but it certainly does give a comprehensive view of what crime does to that ever widening circle of those involved when a criminal selects a victim. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Penguin Group/Dutton.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pacific Burn: A Thriller (A Jim Brodie Thriller); Author: Visit Amazon's Barry Lancet Page; Review: As an American dealer of very high end Japanese antiques and sometimes private investigator, San Franciscan Jim Brodie is perfectly placed to aid the mayor of that city in his Pacific Rim Friendship Program to improve relations with the city's neighbors across the ocean. Matters are proceeding nicely with the friendship initiative and the antiques business until Brodie is called in to help a young boy who speaks only Japanese and who obviously saw his father murdered in the Napa Valley area. When he arrives on the scene Brodie finds he knows the victim. When another member of that same family is the victim of a sniper attack after leaving a meeting concerning the friendship program, Brodie has to figure out the reason for this family being targeted by an assassin. Is it art, antiques or politics at play here? This is the third story in this series but the first one I have read. The author has given readers all the information they need to begin the series with this novel with no trouble at all. I read a great many mystery novels and thoroughly enjoy books set in countries other than the United States. This is the first novel I've read with an emphasis on Japan and I am glad to say the author made it very easy to read and understand the portions of the novel which take place with non-English speaking characters and Japanese locations and customs. The subjects of manga and cosplay are well explained (if you don't already know what they are) and an important-to-the-story legend is presented in a detailed explanation. I admit to being intrigued by the Steam Walkers; that information really got my imagination going. I enjoyed this novel from the aspects of Japanese culture, porcelain antiques, and the author's ability to keep the criminal hidden from me until the very last minute. Altogether this was a good introduction for me to this series which has the potential to continue for a long time while remaining fresh and interesting. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Simon and Schuster.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sisi: Empress on Her Own: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Allison Pataki Page; Review: This is the second book written by Allison Pataki concerning Empress Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary. The portions of Sisi's life, beginning in 1853, are covered in the novel THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS. It certainly is not a requirement to have read that first novel because the author has included enough background material for readers to understand what happened in the past so that Sisi found herself in the situation she is in now. While reading this novel it is imperative to remember that this is a work of fiction that utilizes people who were real and facts which are well known to researchers and historians. I wanted Empress Elisabeth to be an interesting character, but the way she was written in this novel simply made me irritated with her continued attitude of self-centeredness. I didn't even begin to warm up to this character because almost every move she made was to make life easier and more pleasurable for herself. Sisi married Emperor Franz-Joseph at the age of fifteen and very quickly began to produce heirs for the kingdom. Circumstances covered in the first novel of this series outlined the personal hardships she underwent because of Archduchess Sophie - both her aunt and her mother-in-law - and her rigid, duty bound husband. By the time we reach the story in the second book Sisi has an infant daughter and has determined to live away from the court in Vienna so she can keep control of this one of her four children and raise Valerie herself. Oh, yes, and so she can ride horses all day, every day (evidently). Each time she returned to Vienna to support her family or perform her court duties it was because she was ordered to return by the Emperor. The one exception to this was when she discovered that Crown Prince Rudolph, just ten years old, was being mistreated by his tutor in order to toughen the boy up for his future role as Emperor. Once Sisi had gotten that situation changed it seems as if she just left the court again to continue riding her horses and traveling from country to country in a never ending search for something to assuage her restlessness. The first three quarters of this novel was a sore trial for me to read because it was so slowly paced and, yes, boring. It felt more like a fluffy romance novel where the heroine was constantly swooning over the love of her life who certainly was not her husband. Would Andrassy look her way? Would his hand brush her arm as he walked past? Honestly, I didn't care but I certainly did get tired of reading about it. And how many references did I have to read about Sisi and her hair, Sisi and her fantastic beauty, Sisi being sewn into her clothing, Sisi and her horsemanship, Sisi and her wanderlust? Tiresome, very, very tiresome. The final quarter of the novel (about 100 pages) was interesting because that's where almost everything happened. I also liked the chapters interspersed throughout the book foreshadowing the assassin and; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Back Blast (Gray Man); Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Greaney Page; Review: Book five in The Gray Man series will answer those nagging questions fans have had throughout the series about why Courtland Gentry has been on the SOS (shoot on sight) list for the CIA for the last five years. An American operative with the CIA, you just couldn't help but wonder what it was that Gentry had done that made all his handlers and his team members turn against him. All through the first four books there have been small hints, but in this one author Mark Greaney recreates, through flash backs, the actual mission that got Gentry into trouble with his bosses. If you are looking for a spy-thriller-espionage-action adventure, this will be just your ticket. If you expect only assassin confrontations that can be imagined as fully factual.......don't even think about reading this book. It is, after all, fiction with great leeway given to the author's imagination. Greaney has created a world of action and he gives readers a heaping helping of it in all his novels, never more so than in his Gray Man series. Can and does this kind of thing happen in real life? Gosh, I hope not, but is it ever fun to read about in fiction. I stayed up waaaay past my bedtime in order to finish this book and I don't begrudge one second of the time. This entry in the series is longer than the previous books, probably because we are given so much more insight into the person Court Gentry is. Layers of his past are revealed which lead to a more complete understanding of why he is so very good at the set of skills necessary to keep him alive in the hostile world he lives in. Court has to deal with members of the international intelligence community who say one thing but most likely mean something entirely different. Who to trust? How much to believe? The twists and turns, plots and counter-plots come thick and fast in this novel and you sometimes find yourself wondering if there are any good people left in the intelligence community. I know from reading material I've found about this author that he does meticulous research into the places and resources his characters use. Some of the weapons I can barely comprehend even existing but if they are available to be used in a fiction novel you can bet even more unbelievable items are being tested and used by those with a "need to know" designation. This was a totally absorbing reading experience for me and I'm very glad to see by the way it ended that this will not be the last Gray Man novel. I like that it is so action filled, even if I also know some of the action might be just a tad on the unbelievable side. Who cares? If you want to read an action thriller, give this series a try. There is one final plot twist at the end that took me totally by surprise. I like that an author is so talented that he can fool me; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: No Shred of Evidence: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: This is a wonderful place for new readers to the Inspector Rutledge series to begin their journey with Ian and the not-so-often present Hamish. The Charles Todd writing team did a thorough job of allowing new readers to understand the background for Rutledge, his service in World War I, his ex-fianc Jean Gordon, and the specter of Hamish McLeod which haunts Ian day and night. I was glad to see Hamish playing a smaller role in the story because that meant that Rutledge had a chance to proceed with this investigation without being so overwhelmed by what he had suffered through during the war. Yes, it is still there, but the depression isn't so all-consuming this time and as a reader I can hope for better mental health for this character in the days to come. Four young women were having an idle paddle on the river when they saw someone waving at them and trying to get their attention. One of the women wanted to ignore him because she thought he just wanted to flirt with them. When it became obvious he was in serious trouble the women tried to rescue him from the water. A witness on shore managed to swim to the boat, helped get the drowning man into the boat, but then accused all four women of trying to murder the man. When Rutledge arrives from London to investigate for Scotland Yard he finds that one of the women is Kate Gordon, the cousin of Jean Gordon the woman he was engaged to marry in1914. Rutledge had vowed never to return to Cornwall because of all the tragedy he associates with it. Now he's about to have to relive the past as well as deal with this case. I loved the way the authors changed up the plotting of this case and moved it away from being the standard plot of a mystery novel. This one had tangles of story lines which kept intersecting and causing confusion as to what was happening in the case Rutledge had been sent down to investigate. Unknown to anyone involved in the death of the man in the boat, Harry Saunders, other factors were taking place in the background which took skillful handling by the authors to keep camouflaged while the general investigation was carried out. I also enjoyed watching the dilemma Rutledge was faced with in trying to separate out whom among the four women might have had intent to injure Harry Saunders. All kinds of social pressures were brought about because of the levels of society represented by those involved and in 1920 those societal levels still played a huge part in how suspects were dealt with, but the great war had gone a long way toward beginning to level those differences so Scotland Yard inspectors had a very narrow line to tread. I thought this was an exciting novel to read from the standpoint of watching the Charles Todd team go in unexpected directions. It worked wonderfully for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Try Not to Breathe: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Holly Seddon Page; Review: This is a very impressive debut novel by Holly Seddon. As she admits in the Acknowledgments located in the back of this book there was a lot of artistic license used in order to write this story. In view of the medical condition of one of the main characters, artistic license was necessary to present the story from the standpoint of Amy, a young woman who has been on a Neuro-Disability ward for the last fifteen years due to brain trauma she received in a criminal assault. This story is told in alternating chapters featuring Alex Dale, an alcoholic struggling to convince herself she is still in control of her life and her disease by working sporadically as a freelance journalist, Jacob Arlington who had been Amy's boyfriend in 1995 when she disappeared and Amy Stevenson locked in her private world on a hospital ward. As Alex is investigating what really happened to Amy with the help of Jacob, Amy is slowly beginning to have more brain activity which is helping in her recall of what actually happened to her. The chapters featuring Alex were difficult to read when they focus so graphically on her alcoholism but watching how the investigation into this crime alters her pattern of drinking went a long way toward making me more sympathetic toward her. All of the characters are well developed and the investigation shows how difficult it is for one person to completely and truly know another person as well as they think they do. Going back fifteen years to try to get to the truth behind motives and situations was a difficult task for the author, but she worked all of the intricacies of the plot together to make an enjoyable reading experience for me. I'm certainly looking forward to reading more novels by this author after such a successful beginning. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ninth Life, The: A new cat mystery series (A Blackie and Care Cat Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Clea Simon Page; Review: I liked this novel in some respects, but I imagine readers who love to have cats featured in their mystery novels will enjoy it much more than I. First off, the entire story is narrated by Blackie, the cat. He befriends a young girl with pink hair - called Care which I constantly saw as Clare - who lives on the street and is involved with people dealing in drugs and theft. It took a great deal of skill for the author to present the entire novel from the perspective of the cat, but that same situation caused me to get rather impatient with the novel for quite a bit of the time. In order to find out what the round things rolling around on the floor were the reader had to wait for Care to give them a name. This type of situation often took quite a bit of time to accomplish because her mind and the mind of the cat were not always centered on the same thing at the same time. This is not a happy, cozy mystery with a cute teenage girl and a sweet cat she rescued. This is a grim, gritty story of life for a homeless girl and an ownerless cat who come up against criminals who show no hesitation in killing humans and animals alike. For those readers who are sensitive to animal cruelty, be warned that this cat is abused and treated violently. It is, however, definitely germane to the story. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fatal Inheritance, A: A Celtic historical mystery set in 16th century Ireland (A Burren Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Cora Harrison Page; Review: The body of Clodagh O'Lochlainn is found in the early afternoon tied to the stone god Far Breige with a noose around her neck and the key to her recently attained cottage dangling from her hand. Why is it that no person will admit to seeing this crime committed even though the stone is visible from a fair number of houses? Mara, the Brehon (judge) of the kingdom of Burren investigates the crime along with the students attending her law school. In Ireland in the 16th century the Brehon held the power to investigate and then to assign the required fine to the person found guilty of any crime. But Irish law did not demand imprisonment or death of a person deemed guilty of any crime, even murder. I absolutely love reading novels in this series because of the historical information covering the legal system of Ireland before the country came under the rule of the English. Children from about eight years of age were placed with a Brehon where they learned all aspects of the Irish legal system and investigated crimes, large or small, under the watchful eye of the judge of the kingdom they represented. In this series Mara is the wife of the king of this specific kingdom but they live apart almost all the time. He is a warrior king, she is a judge and teaches law students. As you read through these novels you learn all kinds of interesting facts about how advanced Irish law was and how well the system worked. You also get to watch her students mature in age and their understanding of the legal system and how to investigate crimes. One of her students is her son, another is her grandson. One is going to make an outstanding lawyer someday, the other still can move in many directions. Mara has full authority to go to any place within her specific kingdom territory and ask any of the citizens to answer the questions she requires to decide guilt or innocence. In some ways this system of justice feels almost nave when I think about it from the standpoint of modern times. However, author Cora Harrison does an outstanding job of placing the reader very firmly in the time period of the rule of the English king, Henry VIII. You can certainly begin reading this series with this novel, there isn't any reason you won't enjoy the novel if you pick up the story here. I have to say, though, that I'm glad to have had the opportunity to watch Mara mature (she's going to be celebrating her 50th birthday) and her students grow more adept in their learning and understanding. The characters are deeply developed and the descriptions of the Irish landscape are simply marvelous. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Skin Like Silver: A Victorian police procedural (A Tom Harper Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Chris Nickson Page; Review: Book number three in this Victorian era (1891) police procedural was a treat to read. The setting for this series is Leeds which makes a nice change from the more often used London in historical mysteries set in England. This was my first time reading anything written by Chris Nickson and this can very easily be considered a stand alone novel even though there is a relationship problem between two policemen from a previous case. Billy Reed had decided to transfer to the fire brigade but he and Detective Inspector Tom Harper are assigned to work together again after the terrible fire at the railway station. The body of a woman was found in the aftermath of the fire and it will take the skills of both men to identify her and find motive and killer. Firmly entwined in the plotlines of this novel is the suffragist movement and the way the women were perceived by their friends, co-workers, and family members. There is a note from the author in the back of the book where he gives information concerning the historical events and people he worked into his story. The feel of the Victorian era is well developed so the overall feeling I came away with was one of satisfaction from reading the story. The police investigation worked along a logical path and information regarding the victim and the possible suspects was gathered by basic hard work through proper methods. None of the characters was so flamboyant or overpowering that they stole every minute of the story and I especially enjoyed that aspect of the construction of the novel. If you enjoy good characterization, good placement within a specific time period, and good police investigative processes, you will almost surely enjoy this novel. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blood Tracks: A new action adventure series set in Louisiana (A Grey and Villere Thriller); Author: Visit Amazon's Matt Hilton Page; Review: Matt Hilton is a new author for me and since I am a fan of thriller/mystery/suspense novels I was pretty much prepared to be entertained. I liked the characters very much so that's a big plus. Teresa (Tess) Grey has a compelling backstory to explain why she is no longer a police officer and why she is beginning a fledgling private investigation business using her skills as a genealogist to help with the low key cases she has managed to get. Tess comes from a family of law enforcement officers so playing by the rules is the only way she knows. What could be her big break comes when she is hired by a local specialist inquiry firm which asks her to find a witness needed by Maine law enforcement for his testimony against a drug kingpin currently being held in jail. Without testimony from witnesses this man will have to be set free. Unfortunately the witnesses are turning up dead on a rather regular basis. The thinking is that this witness Tess is looking for has fled to Louisiana. Tess enlists the help of an ex-con from Louisiana who just happens to be living in Portland, Nicolas (Po) Villere. If you can make it past the very graphic and violent first chapter of this novel, you will find a series debut which has a great potential. As I've said, I genuinely liked the lead characters of the novel and Pinky Leclerc in Baton Rouge was a secondary character I hated to see left behind when Tess and Po returned to Portland. Tess might have been quite a bit more nave than I would have expected when it came to her handling of the villains in the case, but Po takes a strong lead to help her get used to loosening up on playing everything strictly by the book. I'm sure in their next case she will begin to see the benefits of actually carrying a gun into dangerous situations. Contrary to what this novel might lead you to believe, those of us who live in the American South do not take three showers per day. Yes, the heat and humidity can be "interesting" to deal with, but it isn't really quite that bad. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ghosts of the Past eBook; Author: Visit Amazon's Harry McCallion Page; Review: Ghosts of the Past will give readers who enjoy mystery/thriller novels a fast and furious adventure. This one takes in just about all the topics you can put into a novel at one time: drug smuggling, IRA and PIRA fighting and in-fighting, corrupt policemen, assassins, Ukranian mobsters, British MI5, and a Russian woman with diplomatic immunity. All Detective Inspector Nevin Brown of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has to do is stop all those criminals in their tracks even though he's simply assigned to observe the English police force over the next six month period. The story was quite good and the author managed to keep all the many plot threads working well in spite of their number. I thought as I was reading that this story is presented almost in "report" format because there isn't a lot of development of the major characters. They are presented, for the most part, from their professional work perspective without a lot of emotional connection. Of course, you might say with so many of them being involved in killing everybody in sight that it would be hard for an author to make most of the characters warm and friendly anyway. This was a quick reading experience and I liked it better as I got more involved in all the story threads. If you like action thrillers, this book will definitely give you that. The date mentioned in the beginning of the novel is May 1993 so many of the IRA issues that play such a big part in this novel have been resolved. Still, an enjoyable, entertaining reading experience. I received an e-ARC of this novel through Endeavour Press.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dancing Made Easy: A Flap Tucker Mystery; Author: Phillip Depoy; Review: Flap Tucker is the best private detective you've never heard about. After reading this third novel I'm still loving every twist and turn author Phillip Depoy wants to dish out in his series with the most multi-faceted character I've had the good fortune to meet in a good while. Flap does his thing in Atlanta, Georgia along with his very good friend - from childhood even - Dalliance "Dally" Oglethorpe, owner of Easy the jazz bar in Atlanta. This series of stories keeps the reader on their toes with literary and artistic references mixed liberally with Flap's preference for really good red wine and his gift for centering himself so he can see the big picture - he just might not be able to interpret it all right away. This novel focuses on a serial killer who hangs his victims from street light poles and pins obscure messages on their clothing. So if it's a serial killer doing this, how does the murder of another woman fit into the picture since she was smothered with a pillow? Flap begins to lose confidence in his mental "thing" when so many people, including the police, are urging him to use it to spot the clues which will lead to catching this definitely deranged killer. Of course it doesn't help any that Flap is on the scene when each of the hanged women is found along with a local character named Joepye whose brain is almost totally picked from alcohol consumption. Stir in Mickey "The Pineapple" Nichols a crook who takes pride in his highly commendable vocabulary (seriously!), Foggy Moskovitz the best car thief along the Eastern seaboard, and a great jazz bass player and you've just begun to line up the characters who make this such an interesting novel. I will tell you that I never ever would have guessed the resolution to these crimes. It absolutely blindsided me. Fans of this author will be glad to know that Depoy has given Foggy Moskovitz his own series of novels. The first one is called COLD FLORIDA and it is every bit as excellent as the Flap Tucker stories. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Endeavour Press.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Snakewood; Author: Visit Amazon's Adrian Selby Page; Review: If I could give 1/2 star ratings, this book would probably come in more as a 3.5. However, I've bumped it up to 4 stars because I really did enjoy some of the unusual elements the author used. In some ways Snakewood follows some very familiar roads if you are a reader of novels depicting stories of mercenary forces who hire out their blades, knives, and skills to the highest bidder but are always working toward putting their King, Queen or Princess back on their rightful throne. What Snakewood has going for it are the twists the author has put on those familiar themes and tropes. I have to say here that I was reading this novel as an ARC, not the finished copy, so I am hoping like crazy that the finished version will have a glossary of terms in it. I really could have used that feature because what happened was me having to try to figure out for myself what specific words and events meant. Usually that will come about naturally within a sentence and that did happen here sometimes, just not often enough. One of the interesting additions to this fantasy world was the use of natural items for fortifying the fighters for battle and for healing purposes. These potions and brews made the users skin change color so others could judge their ability to afford the best product, therefore identify their skill level as an opponent. Also of interest was the fact that the recipe books and the people cooking up the concoctions had specific value also. The novel is narrated by one of the mercenaries from a group called Kailens Twenty. The group had disbanded long ago but someone is now hunting down the remaining members of the Twenty and killing them. The narrator himself is being hunted and through him we gain information about Kailens Twenty when they were active and the individual members whose specialized skills made them invaluable to the group. Those hunting out the members of the Twenty find themselves being shadowed by a mysterious assassin who seems perfectly willing to kill hunted and hunter alike. I thought the writing was very good and author Adrian Selby added in enough different elements to make me want to keep reading this version of the grim and gritty assassin-for-hire saga. I really could have used that glossary, though. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Orbit Books.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: BRYANT & MAY - LONDON'S GLORY; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Fowler Page; Review: This collection of short stories and additional information provided by Christopher Fowler will be a great reading experience for fans of the Bryant & May series as well as someone just becoming acquainted with these quirky characters. There are eleven stories here and I had only read one of them previously as a stand-alone e-short story. The assortment is varied with some taking Arthur Bryant and John May far back into the past and one story being told from the viewpoint of the Peculiar Crime Unit's own Detective Sergeant Janice Longbright. Each story begins with a short introduction from the author letting us in on what inspired that particular story. I enjoyed reading the Introduction to the book by Fowler where he gives us insights into his background of reading crime novels and tells about some of his favorite mystery writers. His explanation for why he believes this style of novel is still so popular even though they don't even vaguely resemble true crime investigations is insightful for explaining why he continues to write this type of novel. Of great interest to me was the section which follows after the short stories end where Fowler comments on each of the twelve novels he has written in the series thus far. Having an author give the synopsis of his own creation plus providing the backstory for what caused him to write it was enjoyable and greatly appreciated. Several times in this collection Fowler mentions his intention - or desire - to write more short stories. He also explains why he has taken Arthur Bryant down the path disclosed in THE BURNING MAN. I understand his reasoning, but I still wish he had not gone in that direction. And if you have ever been curious or (as I am) in awe of Bryant's strange (?), incredible (?) library of books, there is a list of titles with Fowler letting us decide for ourselves which are real books and which are from his own imagination. Also included with this other treasure trove of stories and information is an excerpt from the latest book, BRYANT & MAY AND THE BURNING MAN. If you haven't taken advantage of other opportunities to see what that volume is about, you have another chance here. This collection of stories presents Bryant & May from many different angles. It was a hit for me and I recommend the collection highly. I received an e-ARC of this short story collection through NetGalley and Random House/Alibi.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Butcher Bird: Oswald de Lacy Book 2; Author: ; Review: THE BUTCHER BIRD is an historical novel set in 1350 as the English are beginning to recover from the horrific loss of life from the Bubonic Plague which the author thinks was probably actually the Pneumonic Plague, but what matters is that approximately half the population died. This novel is the second in the series and is told by Oswald de Lacy, the 19 year old Lord Somershill with a second property nearby, Versey Castle. Both properties are located in Kent which is normally known for the lush growth of farm goods but because of two previous wet Springs the crops have been poor and the labor force already decimated by the plague is now reduced even more by starvation. The feudal system of England is coming apart at the seams because the lack of workers makes them realize they have more value so they begin to demand higher wages or they will move on to other holdings where they will be paid more. Into this mix of fomenting emotions comes a man accused of opening his wife's grave and producing a great butcher bird with her dead body. At the manorial court Oswald can see plainly that this man's affliction is madness brought on by grief. He decides to refuse to punish this man. Almost immediately a dead infant is found impaled on the thorns of a blackthorn shrub and the talk is that the butcher bird belonging to the madman is responsible. When a second infant is found even Oswald begins to wonder if he will ever solve the riddle of the deaths. This was an interesting historical novel but Oswald is not mature enough to handle the many issues he must face as Lord Somershill. The characters are not easy to like, not one of them, and that made me have to urge myself to finish reading the novel. This time period is one that is a favorite of mine to read about in historical mysteries so I wanted to see how author S. D. Sykes would handle the day-to-day living conditions plus the effects on the small, rural communities which concentrated on agriculture after the plague. Oswald was much too nave to carry such a heavy load of responsibility and the author never could convince me that he was worthy to be the central character in a mystery series. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Pegasus Books.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sara Moulton's Home Cooking 101: How to Make Everything Taste Better; Author: Visit Amazon's Sara Moulton Page; Review: I have been a fan of Sara Moulton for many years and, as expected, this wonderful book is just one more example of the quality you can expect from a product which bears her name. This book is a feast for looking, reading, cooking and tasting. As an exercise in trying to distill cooking into a 101 class, this book rises to the top. One reason it will be so successful is because Ms Moulton doesn't ever "talk down" to cooks or people interested in learning more about cooking. Some recipes are going to be a challenge for new cooks because they would be a challenge to someone like myself who has been cooking for over 50 years. What I loved was finding so many things I've never seen before and yet I want to try, and I am going to try. Just one example: how to make butter at home. I was a Girl Scout leader for many years and one of our favorite activities was to put whipping cream in a Mason jar and have the girls shake that thing until they were finally sitting on the floor, being quiet, and being intrigued. Now Sara has intrigued me because I love making compound butters but have always started that process with purchased butter. Now I'll start at the real beginning. It doesn't look hard to do at all. But I'm sure you want to know about the recipes most of all. The second day I had the book (I spent the first day reading it from cover to cover) I made two recipes because I already had all the ingredients in the house. Isn't it nice to read a cookbook and not have to run straight to the grocery store? On page 242 is Blasted Chicken (the most stress free basic, baked whole chicken you will every cook!) and page 287 gives the recipe for Sweet Potato and Grilled Corn Salad with Spicy Cilantro Dressing. Everything was absolutely delicious and EASY! There was plenty of chicken left over for (page 187) Green Chile Rice and Chicken Skillet Dinner several nights later. Easy and Scrumptious! I've also tried Korean Vegetable Pancakes (on page 220) paired with my recipe of kale salad for a wonderful vegetarian meal that was healthy and satisfying at the same time. I've also tried Zucchini Patties with Garlicky Yogurt Sauce from page 226 by cooking them on the grill. They are pretty delicate, but using two spatulas helped with turning them over to grill on both sides. I'm looking forward to trying many, many more recipes. Next on the list to try is Tortilla-Crusted Tilapia with Pickled Red Onions and Crema on page 122. The book is a full size 9 1/4" wide by 10 1/4" long with 368 pages. Most of the recipes have a full color photograph included - with the exception of the section of side dishes. Each section of the book has a theme color with the title of the recipe and the ingredient list in that color which makes it super easy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Death by Sunken Treasure (A Hayden Kent Mystery) (Volume 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Kait Carson Page; Review: One of the things which interested me when I thought about reading this mystery novel was the fact that the main character, Hayden Kent, is a paralegal working in a law firm which specializes in wills and estate probate. I don't know much about those two legal specialties so I thought this might be a good way to learn some interesting facts. There were some tidbits of information that I had not specifically encountered before so those kinds of things kept me interested in the book. On the other hand, I have absolutely no interest in underwater diving at all and this book didn't make me want to explore that subject. The novel takes place in the Florida Keys and centers around recovery of treasure from a ship discovered on the bottom of the ocean. The question is whether one of the salvage operators working the wreck had died from suicide or foul play. Mikes mother and others had noted how strangely he had been acting in the weeks leading up to his death and the fact that he had signed a new will on the day he died lead to a lot of speculation. Having a second will show up which had been signed on the same day really got the investigation going. Hayden Kent was a very determined investigator, keeping up her search for clues long after everyone else had been willing to accept the results from the Medical Examiner. Hayden might have struck me as being rather nave, but I couldn't fault her for her determination. The character seemed to do a lot of scratch-the-surface investigating, but not much really hard work. Lots of driving around from one place to another in her Subaru (or in the Prius of her friend) and making poor decisions which, naturally, led her into trouble of one sort or another. Lots of describing what outfits she was wearing. I certainly have to give the author her due because I really didn't see the resolution of the crime coming, it was quite a surprise. This is the second book in this series which promises to leave bodies scattered throughout the Keys but maybe the next book will take place when it is warm and sunny more often than cold and rainy. Its hard to get over those pre-conceived notions of perpetually sunny skies and hot temperatures. Especially since I didn't really make a connection with the main character in the novel and was only so-so in interest in the plot. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 200 Best Sheet Pan Meals: Quick and Easy Oven Recipes One Pan, No Fuss!; Author: Camilla Saulsbury; Review: I'm going to divide this review into the pro and con sections to better illustrate my star rating. PRO: The book is a convenient size (approx. 7"x10") with 240 pages. The information concerning the size and metal material your sheet pan must be is very good and the information about using foil or parchment paper lining is good to know. There is a tip for how to remove the baked on brown bits that may have accumulated in the corners of the pan. The ingredient measurements are given in both "American" and metric. In the ingredient list they do not intrude upon each other, but within the recipe there are a lot of parentheses. The ingredients are definitely easy to find in a grocery store. You will probably even have enough ingredients already on hand to make some of the recipes immediately. I made Smoked Sausage Hash Brown Casserole (page51), but I made half the recipe since there were only two for dinner that night and used my quarter sheet pan (9"x12" with a 1" rim - not a cookie sheet, still the same commercial grade material as the larger pans). I wish the author had thought to mention this size pan because it is so much more convenient if you are cooking for two or three people. You get the same heavy gauge metal, just in a smaller size. The recipe was easy to make but I had learned my lesson about blandness by now so I added black pepper, garlic powder, and a smidge of cayenne. It was delicious with hot biscuits. Breakfast for dinner! Another recipe I have tried is Roasted Chicken with Butternut Squash, Apples and Thyme (page 144). This went very well and was very good. I had not thought about pairing butternut squash and apples and that was a success. I did switch out the dried thyme for mixed Italian herbs because we like that flavor combination better. CON: This book makes me realize how visually oriented I am with a cookbook. There are three sections in the book which each have eight full color recipe photographs - a total of 24 pictures in this book. Out of 200 recipes only 24 are in color. This bothered me. There is no "color" on the pages. Everything is white paper, black print, grey heading box. This also bothered me. I try to follow a recipe the way it is written the first time, but these recipes are bland. So far, of the recipes I've tried, we thought most needed more flavor and one failed completely. I was going to a meeting at the home of a friend so I offered to bring the main brunch item to cook there: Broccoli Cheddar No-Crust Quiche (page 18). I even took my sheet pan so everybody could see what I'm talking about when I mention one-pan oven meals. (I do a lot of one-pan dinners.) The recipe was easy to assemble, it cooked well, but everyone thought it needed more flavor. This was the opinion of six women. I made; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cold Barrel Zero; Author: Visit Amazon's Matthew Quirk Page; Review: If you enjoy the black ops action adventures, you will probably like this novel. The author did so many things well. He did have quite a few plot situations going on all at once which caused me to have some trouble keeping track of everyone and every incident leading up to the current exploits, but for the most part Matthew Quirk handled all the juggling well. What I do think went on a little too long was the tease of not giving enough explanation for readers to get their characters into the proper niche for the novel. I almost bailed from the book at the 20% mark because I was still completely in the dark about what was happening. This novel begins with actions on three fronts and each is populated with multiple characters, locations and intentions. Sorting just some of that out faster would have helped me really dig in and follow the various plot threads knowing they were going to join up at a particular point. This is a novel about terrorism brought home to American soil and all the hidden manipulation of people, governments, and ideologies involved in having the plot reach point zero. I commend the author for keeping the major piece of information very well covered until the final few chapters. I had no idea and was taken completely by surprise. See how easily we can be led astray. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Mulholland Books.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Muddied Murder (A Greenhouse Mystery) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Wendy Tyson Page; Review: For me this book fell into a sub-genre that I've begun to call "semi-cozy" for my own clarification. I am not a fan of the classic cozy mystery novel. There is some emphasis in the book on the aspects I normally expect from a cozy mystery, but with a lot of intense investigative work involved to solve the mystery or, as is usual, multiple mysteries. I also liked this book because the main character didn't blithely wander around completely ignoring situations which would have quickly led to her solving the questions she was asking (read that as meaning clues). Megan Sawyer is trying very hard to rescue Washington Acres farm from the mismanagement of her father. Probably someone who was never suited to being in his small town/farming world Megan's father wanted to move on with his new love interest to Paris but needed for Megan to give up her law career in Chicago to return to Winsome, Pennsylvania to care for her grandmother and the farm. Now Megan wants to open an organic caf and larder in downtown Winsome and it's going to take a lot of work on her part and some cooperation from the city planning committee to allow her to do these things. Tempers flare when Megan's renovations of the caf in town and barn out at the farm are both turned down by Simon Duvall, the town's zoning commissioner. When a dead body is found in the barn out at the farm whispers start and long kept secrets begin to surface. There is a lot going on in this small community when you start peeling back the layers of deceit. The writing style of Wendy Tyson was very pleasant and her plotting of the mystery kept the story moving toward the resolution of the secrets surrounding this rural community. There are characters you can pretty much guarantee will turn up in this type of story and when you add in the cute Pygmy goats, dogs, cats and chickens the story is going to have something to warm the heart of just about any reader who picks up a book about a rural farming community in Pennsylvania in the first place. If you tend to read quickly, this one will go by in a flash. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bitter Poison: An English village cosy featuring The Colonel (Village Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Margaret Mayhew Page; Review: I enjoy reading this English village series of mystery stories written by Margaret Mayhew. They are relaxing and give me that lovely feeling of the tiny English village of my imagination, probably not something that really exists at all in real life. The characters are all sufficiently developed so that I already feel as if I know them from previous novels in the series. The Major with his eye fixed firmly on the clock waiting for it to strike six in the evening so he can have that drink he's pinning for and always on the lookout for an attractive woman to flirt with. Freda Butler concealed behind the curtains in her cottage with the Zeiss binoculars picking up most of the comings and goings in the village. Naomi Grimshaw usually shows up in some decidedly outlandish piece of apparel from long ago or a land far away and thinks it is completely normal. At the center of all the village activity is the one person who values his privacy more than any of the others and is therefore disturbed most often, the Colonel. Everyone wants to know what use he has for the shed in his garden but so far he has managed to keep his new hobby a secret. How long will that last with the Frog End equivalent of the KGB on the prowl for clues? Will the new couple from London fit into the social life of Frog End by participating in the Christmas theatre production? Or will the famous fashion model let everyone down by refusing to be The Snow Queen? I had begun to think that this book wouldn't have any mysterious death to investigate at all since it came so late in the novel, but there is finally something for the Colonel to tackle and the author presents it in an unusual way. Quite an interesting way from my point of view. This is one of those mystery novels you can feel good about recommending to your friends who don't like to read the more grim and gritty variety of murder mysteries. A quiet corner, a comfortable chair and something nice to drink will complete the picture of the atmosphere of this book in particular and this entire series in general; just a nice, old fashioned cozy. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cold Florida: A hard-boiled mystery set in Florida (A Foggy Moskowitz Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Phillip DePoy Page; Review: I enjoyed this new Phillip DePoy novel so much that I read it in one day. I have rather recently come across Mr. DePoy's novels which feature Flap Tucker and are placed in Atlanta, Georgia. Those were so good that I didn't even hesitate when I saw this new series was available. DePoy creates accessible main characters which really endears them to me. Here I found Foggy Moskowitz living in Fry's Bay, Florida. The year is 1974 and the weather is cold and rainy. People have a tendency to overlook the fact that it actually gets cold in Florida and the sun doesn't shine every day. The weather, in this case, definitely adds to the overall feel of everything Foggy is going to be up against as he tries to find a newborn, substance addicted infant removed from the hospital by the mother. Three hours without medication and the child will die so Foggy, as a representative of Child Protective Services, goes hunting in all the low places a drug addicted woman would likely go to hide herself away. So why is Foggy in Fry's Bay when he is definitely a Jew from Brooklyn and why is a professional hit man trying to kill him and where does the Seminole tribe come into all this? The mystery novels I've read by DePoy all have a very good mystery with intelligent protagonists and a touch of humor which often makes me chuckle - even out loud. As an example from this book: ".....but are we certain that the four of us don't make the most obvious group target in the southeastern United States? A wounded Indian, a soggy Jew, a known hitman, and a tall, bleeding woman? All we need is Sidney Greenstreet and we have the makings of some lost Bogart movie." The plot of this story revolves around the motivation for Foggy's move away from Brooklyn. Thankfully, the author does explain what happened to Foggy in the past which makes him feel the need to protect children, the ultimate victims of the bad behavior of adults. The Florida Seminole tribe is represented by many characters in the novel, notably John Horse. Don't believe anything John Horse tells you until you are sure he is truly your friend - he's one tricky dude! If you want to find a new author to put at the top of your "follow" list, Phillip DePoy just may be your man. This novel is serious while still having that light, humorous edge that gives you a feeling that these are people who might well actually exist outside the pages of a book. The location is shown in a different light than normal which adds dramatic impact. Plus, the good guys are actually nice, good people. I wish I had the recipe for Foggy's Aunt Shayna's beef brisket, though. Maybe DePoy should think about putting recipes in the back of the book? I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: High Flyer, The: An aviation mystery (A Ben Norton Aviation Mystery); Author: Elizabeth Darrell; Review: What an interesting and unique mystery novel this was. Author Elizabeth Darrell surprised me with almost everything about this story. First we have a main character whom I really had to work hard to care about since he was definitely more on the anti-hero side than is usual. Then there was all the information about proving the worthiness of a new type of fighter airplane in the years between the world wars. Finally, the members of the Lance family weren't exactly paragons of virtue for me to form warm attachments to. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. Chris Peterson married into the Lance family, owners of Marshfield Aviation, as an aviation hero from World War I so it was big news when dignitaries and important men in the government were invited to watch his test flight of a prototype fighter plane. Only Captain Ben Norton knows the secret Peterson has carried all these years and that day he was on hand to watch his former friend prove the worth of this new weapon of war. After the test flight, he was going to confront Peterson and force his own agenda on him or ruin the man's reputation. Ben Norton will use every situation to cement his own place in Marshfield Aviation, but someone is trying to make sure he doesn't live to make his own test flight of the Lance. The main character in this novel is not a standard issue hero. He isn't honorable, he doesn't have a pristine past, he doesn't have pure motives and yet the author managed to interest me in him enough to get me firmly hooked on wanting to know what was going to happen in the novel. The small village atmosphere of the time period was very well presented and the truth about many of the characters was held back until the very end so I was never quite sure of what the resolution for the story would be. There are many unusual happenings which Ben has to solve along with his constant need to keep large portions of his past hidden. These things created a goodly amount of tension within the novel. The police don't come off looking very effective in their investigations so that was yet another deviation from the standard mystery novel. I had not read any other book by this author, but by doing some investigating I see that she has many to choose from for continuing to read her work. This is the first book in the Ben Norton series so evidently there are more good stories to come our way. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Trident's Forge: Children of a Dead Earth Book Two; Author: Visit Amazon's Patrick S. Tomlinson Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Angry Robot Books. Yahoo, all you lovers of space opera escapism gather round. May I present the second book in the Children of a Dead Earth series, "Trident's Forge". I don't know how many of you will have the slightest concept of what I'm talking about, but this book is pure Buck Rogers! On Saturday afternoons we oldsters (who were then youngsters) would take our allowance money and walk (by ourselves even!) to the movie. If we were very fortunate we got to see the "next" thrilling space adventure episode of Buck Rogers. After some years had passed there was a Buck Rogers series on television. Both good, both not-to-be-missed because they were about SPACE adventure! Golly! Gee! Wow! As I was reading this novel I could almost smell the popcorn and hear all the kids yelling for Buck to look behind him because the aliens were coming to get him. The humans in this book are almost three hundred years removed from a destroyed Earth. In the first book they had to deal with the results of a madman who killed thousands of the people living contentedly in their space station home. New plans had to be made. The Atlantians, looking up into the sky from their planet, saw two new "stars" in their universe, then a slender thread which seemed to move from one star down to their world. So most of the remainder of mankind moved down from the Ark to Tau Ceti G - Gaia, and the colony of Shambhala over the next three years although they are still dependent on the Ark for specific resources. One group of humans, the Unbound, want to be out from under the observation of the remaining colonists and the governing body - they just want to be free - so they plot and plan to secretly go to another portion of the planet to establish themselves. In doing so they encounter the original inhabitants of the planet. The clash of the two cultures would have proceeded well had it not been for the greed of a few. This is a well conceived world on Gaia and the author has made the aliens different from the humans so that both sides have to work at learning how to cope with each other. The main alien character is called Kexx, a truth-digger, and the G'tel (Atlantians) are non-gender specific. This means that there is no her, him, hers, his but instead ze and zer. My brain didn't particularly like that and it took me quite a while to be able to read over those words quickly and meaningfully. On the human side we have Bryan Benson, the man who saved humanity in book one. What can I say about Bryan? He's a fighter, a born leader of people and as much of a common man as you can be when everything you do turns you into more and more of an heroic figure. But don't get me wrong, Bryan doesn't get a big; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: THE SEMESTER OF OUR DISCONTENT (Lila Maclean Academic Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Cynthia Kuhn Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press. Now this is what I want to read when I look for a somewhat lighter amateur sleuth mystery novel. The main character in this novel is Professor Lila Maclean, an Assistant Professor of English at Stonedale University southwest of Denver, Colorado. That career for the main character means that the reader should expect to read about a character who is intelligent and responsible and thankfully that is exactly what author Cynthia Kuhn produced. The novel takes place over an entire semester so the first murder takes quite a while to be solved, but that portion of the story is shown to happen simply because the guilty party was so well concealed, not because the investigating police department was inept. This story is filled with all the behind the scenes rivalries, jealousies and departmental political maneuverings that take place within many work places, not just among academics. Lila is intelligent (and is legitimately shown to be so), but she is also reasonable, practical, and level headed, not prone to throw herself into improbable situations from which she constantly needs to be rescued. She also knows her limitations and doesn't hesitate to seek help from others and to listen to advice. Heroines lacking in these qualities make me wonder why any author would spend time creating such a person so it is annoying to me and sets the book up for failure with me. As is apparent from the additional information adjoining the title of this novel, this is the first novel in a series planned by the author. With the pleasant surroundings and the addition of many interesting and likeable characters I can certainly see how this group can go on to feature in future stories. Lila has a family member, her cousin Calista, already in place on the faculty of Stonedale and frequent mentions of her famous artist mother tell me they will figure prominently in other novels. The entire English Department of Stonedale is rife with potential subject matter and the author hasn't even introduced other departments yet. There is plenty of material to make this a new series that I am definitely interested in following. I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fool Errant: A Benbow Smith Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Patricia Wentworth Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media. I became a fan of the writing of Patricia Wentworth when I ran across my first Miss Maud Silver book in a used bookstore many years ago. I fanatically collected each one of them and periodically sit down and devour one just for the heck of it. Miss Silver and Miss Marple "speak" to me and I thoroughly enjoy each one, even if the individual books may have a few problems here and there. I was very surprised to find there is another series of Wentworth books which I had never heard of featuring a character with the improbable sounding name of Mr. Benbow Collingwood Horatio Smith. Thankfully the series is just called the Benbow Smith series. Mr. Smith evidently has something to do with a British government office although those things were presented to the reader with a nod and a wink so you have to take his connections by faith alone. Our young hero is Hugo Ross and he is desperate for a job. He gets word from a friend that an eccentric inventor is looking for a secretary so he goes down to the country near this inventor's house the night before so he can be the first on the scene to interview for the job. While walking down the totally dark lane he literally bumps into a young girl who is running away from the relative she is currently living with. Improbably as it sounds (both here and in the story) they are immediately attracted to each other even though they can't see each other in the dark and he doesn't even know her name. (This meeting-in-the-dark-and-falling-in-love is a recurring theme in Patricia Wentworth novels.) Fast forward to the next day and Hugo is hired for the secretary position. The inventor is such a nutjob that Hugo falls back on playing the part of being almost a simpleton with a stammer evident in times of stress in order to avoid clashes with his new employer so he can keep his job. However, Hugo is definitely not a simpleton and he can't help but begin to be uncomfortable with some unusual things that keep happening. Making a trip to London finds Hugo telling his troubles to Mr. Smith who fathoms (by osmosis?) that something is very wrong in the world of the great inventor. A phone call to the War Office is in order. As I've already said, I am a huge fan of this author so I am more likely to overlook some deficiencies in plotting than a brand new reader might be. Even I found myself thoroughly wishing the feather headed love of Hugo's life could have her dialog cut at least in half. Unfortunately she is absolutely essential to the plot so we will just have to put up with her. The portions of the story regarding the stolen aeroplane plans was intricately plotted and filled with tension so I can honestly say I enjoyed the story. This is Book #1 in; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cluny Brown; Author: Visit Amazon's Margery Sharp Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media. What an utterly charming reading experience this novel was for me. Not having read anything previously by Margery Sharp I had no idea of what I might find. The result was a true delight. This was light and sweet and humorous in bringing the spotlight on the English class system and what happens when someone doesn't fit into their "place". Yet there was no malice or cruelty involved, just warm feelings for a world which might have only existed to this extent in the pages of novels anyway. It seems that this and other novels by Margery Sharp are being reissued in electronic book format. I can only hope that will tempt more people to read Cluny Brown and then move on to read more of Ms. Sharp's novels just as I will be doing. In this book Cluny can't help but feel that she wants things to happen to her so she steps out of her social position and makes them happen. Unfortunately this leads her Uncle to feel that the young woman needs some serious taking in hand. Finding that Cluny had gone out to unblock a sink when the call came in for her plumber uncle on a Sunday afternoon, Uncle Arn is beside himself when he finds Cluny alone with a bachelor in his home and she's been in the bathroom. Put those words in italics, and underline them because that's how much of a serious social infraction Cluny is guilty of. Yet she is genuinely oblivious to any damage to her reputation which might have come about by exploring this very opulent room, the likes of which she has never seen. Something simply has to be done about Cluny before she gets herself into more trouble. Uncle Arn didn't think it could get worse than Cluny going to tea at the Ritz alone, but this proves him wrong. Once Cluny makes her way into service at Friars Carmel in Devonshire and becomes a Tall Parlour-maid in training, the people living in the house and the neighborhood have varied, but positive, reactions to her. Cluny, however, takes on the work and the people in her own inimitable way - with absolutely no idea of how she changes the lives of those she meets. There are wonderfully developed characters in this book from all the many layers of the social scale represented with the specter of the possibility of another war hanging over the novel. Set in 1938 in what was once a lavish lifestyle setting the changes to the entire population are about to change dramatically again, but the novel doesn't dwell on what is to happen in the future. Cluny isn't beautiful, in fact she's plain, so she doesn't cause problems from that aspect. She is intelligent, but from a common sense standpoint so that doesn't cause problems. She just doesn't know her place so she keeps finding herself being treated as if she belongs everyplace. It makes some people nervous while others; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Double Knot (A Davis Way Crime Caper) (Volume 5); Author: Visit Amazon's Gretchen Archer Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press. I have been a fan of this series of "crime capers" since I read the first one. The author's sense of humor matches mine almost perfectly and she puts a lot of humor in this series. Yes, there is some highly improbable action that goes on, and yes, sometimes things can get just a tiny bit frenetic but as long as you approach it as a fun adventure you will fare just fine. Davis Way Cole is a saint. There just can't be any doubt about that. Even if it is no more than having the wife of her boss, Bianca Casimiro Sanders refer to her as David instead of Davis there is no doubt about the sainthood likely to be assigned to Davis at some future time. It's not bad enough that Davis is the mirror image of Bianca, now they are both pregnant at the same time. Bianca isn't handling the eminent birth of her daughter, Ondine, well at all. In fact she has restricted herself to bed rest and stuffed herself with Papa John's pizza to such an extent that she has gained a whole lot of weight. Naturally she can't let anybody see her looking less than perfect so Davis is kept busy doing all the public appearances as Bianca. Davis definitely can pass her pregnancy off as Bianca's since she is six months pregnant with twins and looks ready to birth those babies any day. Bianca forces Davis to take her place on the inaugural Caribbean cruise aboard the half-billion dollar superyacht Probability. This thing is so exclusive there are only fifty mega millionaires on the entire ship. No mingling with the common folk here. Security isn't just tight, it is approaching strangulation stage. So with Bianca's due date approaching very quickly, Davis, her Mother, Fantasy, No Hair, and Anderson Cooper set themselves up for a pleasant cruise in Suite 704. Super Secret Spy Davis Way is in for quite a little adventure as the Probability sets sail from the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. After all, what could go wrong? This story was a delight for me to read. These stories do contain one of my favorite peeves, though, the name dropping for all the super expensive items Bianca finds to be necessities of life. In the case of these books the mega-labels simply serve to show the personality (as well as the bank balance) of Bianca versus Davis. Mrs. Way figures very prominently in this novel and it was very good to find out so much about her. There is also a lot of computer technology expertise shown here and I'm not smart enough to know if it is real or not, but I was surely impressed! This is a fun series to read if you want some lighter more humorous aspects of mystery novels. This one made me laugh out loud at some points and have a tear in my eye at others. Good entertainment from a talented author.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Stories of Your Life and Others; Author: Visit Amazon's Ted Chiang Page; Review: Ted Chiang writes elegant literary science fiction. I think I'm one of the lucky readers because I've never experienced any of his stories before so these stories were a treasure trove of discovery for me. Each story I read was my favorite until I read the next and then that one took me to such an amazing world of science fiction which just seemed almost to be completely, solidly normal.........so then that story became my favorite. My reaction to these stories continued throughout the collection in exactly that way. This is a list of the eight stories in the collection and the year of their original publication as given in this book. There is also a helpful section called Story Notes where Mr. Chiang tells us where he got the idea for each story. "Tower of Babylon" 1990 "Understand" 1991 "Division by Zero" 1991 "Story of Your Life" 1998 "Seventy-Two Letters" 2000 "The Evolution of Human Science" 2000 "Hell is the Absence of God" 2001 "Liking What You See: A Documentary" 2002 Each of the stories is completely different. The enthralling part was that they were science fiction just one step removed from our normal life. In some of the stories it took a while to see that there was science fiction involved at all but once that realization hit, it was very exciting for me to see where the author was headed. Mr. Chiang is a masterful storyteller. I only hope the upcoming movie based on "Story of Your Life" will be a faithful representation of the adventure I read on the printed pages of this book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sleeping Giants: Themis Files Book 1; Author: Neuvel Sylvain; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine/Del Ray. Today while I was running the vacuum cleaner I figured I still had about 20% left of the story to read...........how would Sylvain Neuvel bring this part of the story to a close? Because I never doubted that this would have to be a series. So I raced through the vacuuming and settled down to finish the novel and have to admit the ending was a little bland, plus I really can't tell what was going on in that epilogue. However, please sign me up for the next installment because the universe is the only limit for where this story can go next. I have to admit that I wasn't thrilled when I discovered that the narrator/interview format was going to continue throughout the whole novel. But I did settle into it and was eventually fascinated by the unknown narrator who seemed to pull rabbits (and political legerdemain) out of his pocket anytime he wanted, at least until he met up with Mr. Burns. So the story is that monstrously large metallic pieces resembling a human body are being searched for all over the globe by a mysterious unnamed man who assembles a group to learn how to make the giant work once the parts are assembled. The political ramifications of this enterprise are huge. But what if control of the giant falls into the wrong hands? What plan does the narrator have for the team that has already risked their lives multiple times if the whole thing comes crashing down? I don't like to see one book compared to others because I think each needs to stand on their own merit. I've seen this novel compared to The Martian and the two books couldn't possibly be any more different. So, if you are thinking about reading this one based on that information, do yourself a favor and just forget any comparison and simply start reading this one. My attention was snagged after the first interview with Dr. Rose Franklin who actually fell into a hole when she was a child and landed in the palm of the hand, the first piece of the giant found. Now she is on the team trying to figure out how to find the remaining pieces and how to make the giant work. The chapters are very short which made me think I could keep getting away with reading just one more, just one more...........ah, that old favorite phrase of the book addict.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Heretics of De'Ath (Chronicles of Brother Hermitage); Author: Howard of Warwick (author); Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and The Funny Book Company. Count on me every time to be willing to read a mystery novel about medieval times in England. Then add the word "humorous" to the description and watch me hesitate for a fraction of a second to try to figure out what could have been all that funny about conditions of that time. However, hesitation aside, I still decided to read this book. The result for me was, the book was okay, but trying to apply humor to each situation caused me to stop being entertained pretty quickly. And, really, bathroom humor? Enough of that already. If the author had stuck with light touches of humor periodically I would have liked this novel enough to give it four stars. I don't imagine I will be curious enough to continue with the following books in the series. Brother Hermitage seems to have been the only monk genuinely interested in listening to the opening arguments of the debate. Maybe everyone else drifted on to other things because it was the fourth day of the opening statement. While trying to formulate some questions to pose to the Brother delivering the opening argument Hermitage completely missed what happened behind the lectern. He certainly didn't miss when he found himself accused of murder. The Abbot of the Monastery of De'Arth Dingle sent Hermitage to Lincoln to inform the Bishop of how the debate had ended and to ask for a judgment of how, or if, they should continue. Hermitage actually has a worse sense of direction than I do. I wouldn't have believed it. A story rife with the combinations of religious and political skullduggery and monks both incredibly nave and completely worldly, this novel will have to have a verdict of "lightweight" from me when it comes to the mystery side of things. A little humor is fine, but when there isn't quite enough mystery puzzle to be solved that humor doesn't have anything to attach itself to. The humor concerning the human bowels and the supposition of what went on between the monks in their cells was kept up throughout the entire novel and pretty much made it a much less pleasurable and interesting reading experience for me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Murder at the 42nd Street Library: A Mystery (The 42nd Street Library Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Con Lehane Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. When I get set to read a novel written by an author I'm unfamiliar with I try to find some biographical information that makes me "see" that person. One of the uh-oh moments for me was when I read that author Con Lehane teaches fiction and mystery writing. I'm about 50/50 in my enjoyment ratio of novels when I've found that information about an author. But, after all, this was a mystery novel about the 42nd Street Library where those iconic lions help ground photographic evidence of New York City. So I began to read. Actually, except for some problems with pacing (mainly caused by his choice of such an iconic location), it wasn't a bad read at all. This library is for research only, it isn't a circulating library so anybody wanting to do research has to stay there and work in the various reading rooms devoted to specific subjects. That fact alone guaranteed that the characters in the novel would be present on the premises of the library for the greater part of the book. If they weren't actually inside, they were sitting on the front steps, sitting in the park adjoining the library, or walking around the library to hold private conversations. It got to be rather heavy one the "location" side of the novel after some time. It was also necessary for characters such as Ray Ambler - main character - to leave his job at all times of the day to pursue the mystery of the man murdered in the office of his boss. Obviously nobody is on the time clock at that job site. This man is so devoted to his job he even worked Saturday and Sunday. Hmm. So, as the story goes, there is a mystery novelist who has donated all his private papers to the crime fiction department of the 42nd Street Library. Trouble is, now he doesn't want a famous biographer to have access to the papers because he expects a hatchet job revealing all his secrets. (So why did he give those specific papers to the library in the first place would be my question.) As the story begins a man enters the office of a library employee, the door opens, the man is shot twice and two shots are fired at the employee seated at his desk and yet he doesn't identify the shooter? There is history connecting everybody in this story going back to the 1970s at least and it all gets very twisty and turny as the investigation proceeds. I liked the book, even though what I've already written may make you question that, but it made me wonder about some aspects of it. There is no way to specifically date when the story takes place, I think in modern day, but then why refer to one character as Mrs. and do it every time she's mentioned? It made me wonder. Do New Yorkers not eat at home? Never just pick up a sandwich from; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: That Darkness (A Gardiner and Renner Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Black Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Kensington Books. I absolutely devoured this novel in one day. Normally I hesitate to say that about a novel because, to me, it almost makes it seem that the book was so lightweight that there wasn't much there to dig into as a reader. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could be farther from the truth as it applies to this story. I was so engaged with these characters, helping them to solve these murders and yet hiding the information that would solve these murders at the same time. Finally I realized I was "helping" two characters going in completely opposite directions and one of the me's reading this was destined to be upset. Maybe. This novel has an absolutely superb premise that simply can't work and yet Lisa Black made it work. Hot Dog! Where do I sign up for the next one? This is the first book in a new series written by Lisa Black, this one featuring an over thirty, divorced woman who began working in the Cleveland, Ohio, law enforcement department as a civilian criminalist but who has now moved on to include crime scenes and fingerprint analysis, Maggie Gardiner. Her counterpoint in fiction is in his early fifties, a divorced man, a homicide detective, Jack Renner. These two are on the same side in the law enforcement world but because of their access to an incredible amount of information, one is walking down a very secret, very dark, very well hidden track. Someone has made the decision to take the law into their own hands and become a vigilante to right a horrible wrong. Collateral damaged along the way? Well, it's all something that just happens on the way to completing a good cause. For me, this novel had such wonderfully written characters because the author made them completely realistic and believable. Oh, how tired I get of reading nonsensical fantasy when it comes to homicide investigations. Yes, these novels are fiction and some license has to be given to an author to portray their fictional crime fighters in the way they want, but Lisa Black shows you can have honest representations of career criminal investigators and still have them be interesting, logical, thinking people. Add to all of this that question which confounds all of us from time to time - how far would I go to right a terrible injustice. What factors should be taken into consideration when you determine right from wrong? Thank goodness there are more novels by this author already published. Even if they do feature a different set of main characters at least I know where to go exploring when I'm in the mood to check out more.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper; Author: Visit Amazon's Phaedra Patrick Page; Review: If you've read the description of this novel you know by now that the charms referred to in this book title can be multi-fold; you can think about them as being the charms on a bracelet which Arthur Pepper found hidden away in his late wife's boot toe or you can translate the charm as belonging to Arthur himself. In both cases you would be correct. This book fit the word charm or even charming in a lot of ways for me, a charm bracelet, featuring a charming man I felt sympathy for, set in a charming novel. However, that's really about all the book did for me. The author has written this novel in a very simple style which allowed me to whiz through it in no time flat and without finding anything especially exceptional about it. The sentences are often very short. The action proceeds almost at the pace of a tortoise. (If you read the novel you will understand better what that means). The experiences Arthur Pepper had in coming out of his self-imposed lifestyle prison following the death of his wife, Miriam, weren't truly that interesting to me. Well, I was pretty impressed to think that Miriam could have managed to live with Arthur all those many years without him having any single suspicion that she had been an independent, adventuresome woman before she married him. But then, Arthur did come across as rather dull and definitely introspective. Arthur discovers reasons to establish better relationships with his son and daughter and actually begins to respond to his neighbors. Watching Arthur work his way through the grieving process by learning about Miriam's past was touching. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy reading the novel, I'm just saying I didn't find anything different from other stories of this type and nothing that will make it stay in my memory to such an extent that I will want to read it again..; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Greensmith Girls: Supernatural Witch Cozy Mystery (Lainswich Witches) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Raven Snow Page; Review: Seventy-eight pages doesn't give an author much time to establish character traits. In this instance the main character was all over the place with disparaging remarks about her family, the town she came from and then the man she met when she got back to the small town to deal with the current crisis. Then she makes lightning-quick turnarounds about everything. I think that was caused by the brevity of the novella, but it made Rowen Greensmith appear immature and unsettled. It's no wonder her cousins didn't exactly welcome her back with open arms. The plot was interesting, but the body found in the chest remains a mystery to me. Oh, I was told his name and his history and who killed him.. What I wasn't told was how and what happened to that person afterward. Those problems could have been solved with two sentences and they weren't.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ides of June, The: A mystery set in Roman Britain (A Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain); Author: Visit Amazon's Rosemary Rowe Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. Only one month has passed since Marcus Septimus Aurelius returned from his almost disasterous trip to Rome. The government is still in turmoil there because of all the factions planning and plotting in the political arena to see who can bluff or fight their way to being the next Emperor. Libertus does not expect to hear from his patron today because it is the ides of June and everyone is staying home to avoid any possible unpleasant luck known to happen on this day. Marcus, however, has different ideas for how Libertus will spend his time. It seems that Marcus has received an anonymous letter from someone promising to kill him and all his family. Libertus is assigned to investigate, but naturally without letting anyone know what or why he is investigating. Author Rosemary Rowe includes an introduction before the fictional story begins to help readers understand what was happening in Roman history at this point in her series. That information is always welcomed by me because Romans favored using the same names throughout the time of their rule and the factual information can get a little confusing if you aren't a Roman history scholar. This book in particular was interesting from the standpoint of watching a high born Roman cope with the life citizens of Britannia endure, specifically in the areas of Glevum (modern Gloucester) and Aquae Sulis (modern Bath). There are several events Libertus becomes involved in while he's trying to trace the anonymous threats to Marcus and they all tie back together by the book's end. It was interesting to watch the extended family members of Libertus play such major roles in this story. This is a story I recommend for readers interested in historical mysteries in general and Roman history of around AD193 in particular.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Night Wanderer, The (An Aelf Fen Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Alys Clare Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. I really like the way Alys Clare writes this Aelf Fen series set in Norman England. There is a decided air of mysticism and magic in the stories - this one most particularly - which probably harkens back to the beliefs prevailing during that period in history. Lassair is being taught about the practice of medicine by her mentor, Gurdyman. He is also training her to appreciate and understand the other talents whick link her to the magic public opinion dictates she would need to keep secret. Magic is feared and those practicing it are not tolerated. In this particular novel the fact that Gurdyman is actually a wizard comes into play more than I've noticed in previous books because the murderer is reminding the townspeople of Cambridge of the old legend of the night wanderer. This killer, man, beast or demon, rips out the throat of those he kills. As the victim count mounts the connection to wizardry and Gurdyman becomes extremely important. However, the solving of the case has to continue to rely on the human resources of hard investigative work....with a few clues from otherworldly sources thrown in for good measure. This was an absorbing, exciting reading experience where the focus was on the human relationships and the crimes and not very much on the basic living conditions of the time period. There were just enough portions of strategic information concerning how life was lived during the time period to place me firmly within the Norman age, but not so much that I became tired of reading about it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Quick and the Dead: A contemporary British mystery (Alex Quick); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan Moody Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. Sometimes when I'm reading a book I get the feeling that the characters are starting out flat and basically uninteresting to me and it is a challenge to continue reading. In this case I kept hoping I would feel more sympathy and even empathy for Alex Quick in her search for clues as to the whereabouts of her friend and business partner and the identity of the dead woman found in that friends house. Alex doesn't recognize the dead woman, the police can't identify her terribly mutilated body, it looks like the case is going to stall until....ta da....bolt out of the blue - Alex comes up with a name. Hmm. Rather convenient, that. This was, for me, basically an okay reading experience. Good enough to finish the book to find out what was going to happen but not sorry to see it ended. This appears to be the first in a new series for this author plus I see that she has at least seven other novels to her credit. If you've read any of those, you will already know her style and whether or not you want to begin a new series with her.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Redemption Road: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's John Hart Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Thomas Dunne Books. I've been searching for a single, specific, descriptive superlative ever since I finished reading this novel last night. I just can't condense it down to one word. This book is not going to be for the reader who wants violent and dark situations implied but not described. The characters in this novel are all hurting and damaged individuals. Bringing them together can't do anything except bring an explosion of action and feelings that will make readers wonder how some of these situations will ever be resolved, never mind all of them. There is the cop who is staring down the possibility of being brought up on charges because of the way she handled a violent situation. She's now being categorized as misusing her badge in the use of excessive force to rescue a victim being held by two suspects. She might easily be dismissed from the force. There's the ex-cop who has spent the last thirteen years in prison after being found guilty of second degree murder. He has somehow managed to live through the brutality and torture his life was reduced to. There is the fourteen year old boy who decides to kill the ex-policeman who was convicted of killing his mother. There is the young woman held captive by two sadistic monsters. John Hart barely gives you a chance to take a deep breath between the revelations of corruption and perverted motives and betrayals and secrets which hide a serial killer. This novel isn't just dark, it is gut wrenching.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Summer of Sloane; Author: Visit Amazon's Erin L. Schneider Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Disney Book Group. Probably the best thing I can say about this novel is that, regardless of the page count, the book is short enough to be read quickly. Therefore I was put out of my misery pretty quickly. I did not like Sloane, in fact of all the characters in the book probably the one I was most happy to see appear on the page was Sloane's twin brother, Penn. Some of that may be because Penn plays such a small, peripheral roll in the novel. As you can read in the book description Sloane (or Mack as her best friend calls her because of her last name) has been betrayed by her boyfriend and her best girlfriend. Luckily Sloane finds out about the results of the betrayal one day and is off to Hawaii to visit with her mother for the summer the next day. Maybe things will settle down while she's gone or maybe not, but this summer vacation is going to be all about Sloane. Her heart is broken because she really loved Tyler and Mick has been her best friend almost all her life. At seventeen everything can become total drama, but this situation has serious consequences. Her heart doesn't stay broken for long, though, because driving around Hawaii in a car your mom bought just for you to use while you are visiting gives a girl plenty of time to meet guys. With the resulting angst that involves. This wasn't a good fit for me. Hopefully you will enjoy it more.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Service of the Dead: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Candace Robb Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Pegasus Books. This was my first time reading any novel written by Candace Robb. I am a fan of historical fiction and when you add in a mystery or two to be solved I'm usually pretty content. This story takes place in 1399 in the city of York, England and is the first in a new series. That location raised my interest to a great extent because I have had the privilege of walking those very streets the author was mentioning where her story was taking place. It was very easy for me to put myself "in the moment" as it were. However, as I continued to read that same familiarity with the location made me question some of the situations the author had made in her novel and, unfortunately, caused me to not enjoy the story as much as I had hoped. The story felt like it had too many modern overtones. The main character, Kate Clifford, seemed to be Superwoman in long skirts. There were circumstances in this story which simply did not happen in average every-day life in 1399. Added to those things was my disappointment in finding that Kate was involved in renting out one or more rooms in her guest house for the wealthy and powerful men of York to spend the night with their mistresses. I did not like the main character so the book was never going to be enjoyable for me. If you are already a fan of this author, you may know that this is the way she structures her novels and you will find nothing amiss and will thoroughly enjoy the book. I hope so, but for me it was just okay and I don't feel any compulsion to read other works by this author.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: A Cast of Falcons: A Birder Murder Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Steve Burrows Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Dundurn Press. This was one of those novels where the police investigation team members do not have close personal relationships with each other outside their work. Naturally their private lives spill over into the work place, but there isn't a close, connective bond between the members otherwise. I don't think I got this impression only because this is the third novel in this series and I had just begun reading here without being familiar with the first two books. No, I think these characters have work connections but aren't personal friends. This novel takes place in north Norfolk England, primarily in the town of Saltmarsh. The thread that holds the series together is the love of birding exhibited by the main character, Detective Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune. Birding is not a hobby I'm familiar with so, for me, when the book focused on that subject it really slowed down a lot. If, however, you are an avid birder, especially for specific birds in this part of England, I'm sure you will find that information very interesting. And in fairness to the novels, they are advertised as being a "Birder Murder Mystery". DCI Jejeune makes a hurried trip to Scotland when a bird identification book with his name in it is found in the pocket of a man who fell to his death from a cliff top. The police in that remote area could really do with some help in identifying the victim. Jejeune understands the clue, but he's not sharing that information. In the meantime, a murdered man has been found on Jejeune's own home patch so why did he go haring off to Scotland and leave his team to investigate this baffling crime? The body was found on a pathway which provides public access through what is private property. Behind the fences is a company steeped in secrecy regarding their research into carbon sequestration and storage which is being carried out at the Old Dairy project facility. There are lots of mysteries to be solved in this novel. Not the least of which is how DCI Jejeune manages to either skirt around or completely ignore correct investigative procedures plus spend so much time birding when he's supposed to be working. This man is allowed to break pretty much every rule in the detection book and when this was combined with the detailed emphasis on birding I'm afraid it made me not enjoy the novel as much as I had hoped.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Southern Cookie Book; Author: The Editors of Southern Living; Review: First off, I am a huge fan of the Oxmoor House/Southern Living line of cookbooks. This one has me a bit conflicted. Cookies are not an essential part of living. They are a treat, they are an indulgence and they can be creatively personalized fun. Because of all of those things a cookbook featuring this treat should be bright and cheerful. Unfortunately for me this book just didn't meet that expectation. Don't get me wrong, the cookie recipes are absolutely wonderful, but the styling of the photographs is not. The Recipes: I've read through the entire cookbook and found exactly what I would expect from a Southern Living cookbook in the form of a variety of recipes with helpful hints on which quality ingredients and utensils to have on hand to give you optimum results. I really love the fact that the ingredient list is separate away from the instructions and the photograph for each recipe. I like the feature called "Cookie Swap" which gives hints on how to switch out ingredients for that particular cookie to give variety to the recipe. I love that there is a separate photograph of each finished cookie. On looking through the recipes I recognize many of the recipes I already consider old favorites except with a different name or slightly different ingredients. I've tried four recipes already - I was actually making out a grocery list the day this book arrived in the mail so planned my shopping list for two recipes immediately - and all four have turned out really well. Just as I would have expected. These are the four I've made so far: Chocolate-Dipped Toffee-Pecan Cookies, Browned Butter Pecan Shortbread, Lemon Cheesecake Bars, and Praline Bars. There is also a recipe for Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting that is going to come in very handy. I took the Lemon Cheesecake Bars and the Praline Bars to a party last night and there wasn't even a crumb left. That's high recommendation indeed. The Presentation: Because of the styling decisions made for presenting the finished product, this cookbook is "dark". That's not what I want to see in a cookie cookbook. I've noticed this trend in cookbooks for a while now and it sometimes works for other food but definitely not for cookies. The surfaces the cookies are placed on are either old, dark wood or an old galvanized type metal surface. The containers the cookies are placed or stacked in are old worn cookie sheets, dark buckets, old metal dishes or old metal pans. Often the cookies are displayed on the parchment paper they were baked on and that has turned a dark brown. The utensils shown as dressing for the finished products are old and dark and worn out looking. There is even one sifter I would be afraid to put any ingredients in to sift because it looks like flecks of metal might end up in my flour. No......I'm sorry Southern Living, this was a mistake and people simply picking up the book and thumbing through it will (in my opinion); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Tall Tail: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Rita Mae Brown Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine, Bantam. I have been seeing books written by Rita Mae Brown on bookshelves and websites for a long time and had promised myself I would try one. So......now I've tried one. Reading the list of characters starting with the eighteenth century humans (12), eighteenth century animals (9) the slaves of Big Rawly (4), the slaves of Cloverfields (11), the present times humans (10), and the present times animals (6) made me seriously wonder how I would ever keep everybody straight. Okay, so I got a little confused at times, maybe even more than a little at other times. That's a daunting list to contemplate even if this is book number 25 in the series. I persevered through to the end, but my pleasure wasn't enhanced by not ever really liking any of the human or animal characters. I've never read a novel before where EVERY animal talks. Even if the humans can't hear them they still hold conversations among themselves. Whew! The mysteries to be solved were interesting, especially concerning the tracing of family history being done by Samuel Holloway. However, the unfortunate thing is that my puzzle solving antenna activated at warp speed when I read the description of one of the characters and, darn it, I was right. Hopefully Ms. Brown doesn't telegraph information like that in all her novels. Okay, so what did I like? The illustrations. It has been a very long time since I've seen scenes from a novel illustrated along with the story and I thought those were charming. Not charming enough to raise my star rating, though.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Morgue: A Life in Death; Author: Dr. Vincent Di Maio; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. Dr. Vincent Di Maio and Ron Franscell spent two years collaborating on a book that gives fascinating insights into the world of the forensic pathologist and the far-reaching impact of what their findings reveal. Even the forward is written by someone you might recognize, Dr. Jan Garavaglia - the Dr. G of the Discovery Channel. Di Maio and Franscell pull back the magic curtain to give readers an insiders look into the evidence presented in some of the most publicized cases of the past forty-five years, and even one case going back farther than that. I am going to assume that you wouldn't even been contemplating reading this book if you didn't already know the work a forensic pathologist does, but it is evident that an effort has been made to make the information as readable for non-medical professionals as possible. However, there are simply some aspects of this branch of medicine that cannot be sanitized. If you don't want to read about what remains of a human body after suffering death, mutilation, or explosives, don't read the book. It isn't for you. The book covers cases Dr. Di Maio was involved in throughout his active working career and now in his role as a consultant. Because of that the book leads off with the most recent and most highly recognized case, the George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case. Throughout the entire book Dr. Di Maio points out that medical examiners are supposed to reach unbiased, fact-based, scientific conclusions. In their job, either as a medical examiner or forensic pathology consultant, their objective has to be to find what they feel the evidence shows them to be the truth. I was quite surprised to find that sometimes the attorneys who hire Dr. Di Maio choose not to use him as an expert witness because his evidence will not fit the case as they have mapped it out. The cases which were the hardest for me to read were the ones dealing with the infant deaths. The case which fascinated me the most was of the car bombing where two victims were found but establishing their identities was essential because of the racial tensions surrounding the case. One case was something which happened in my part of the world and I remember living through the years of that terrible situation. Seeing the case through the eyes of this expert actually satisfied my gut impression of what had been going on behind the scenes of that tragedy. One of the outstanding points I came away with from this book is how easy it can be for a coroner or medical examiner to get it wrong. Sometimes because of ignorance about how to do the job, sometimes simply by making a mistake in the interpretation of the clues left behind with the body. Dr. Di Maio asserts that a smart medical examiner from the 1940s - with about one day of training - could perform very capably in a modern morgue setting.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Alzheimer's and Dementia For Dummies; Author: Visit Amazon's Consumer Dummies Page; Review: This book will give you very basic, easy to understand information concerning Alzheimer's Disease and dementia. I appreciated the fact that each chapter is constructed in such a way that you can read just that information and then move on to another category of information as you need it. If you are just beginning your search for a diagnosis, you don't need to read chapters devoted to legal and financial tasks; those can wait until you know for sure what you are dealing with. If you check the "look inside" feature on the Amazon product page for this book you can scroll through the entire Table of Contents to see what topics are covered. Naturally within the chapters there will be some repetition, but I'm glad to say it has been held to a minimum. The first information you need to review is which symptoms you or the possible patient are exhibiting in order to have the most open and frank discussion possible with the physician you consult. This book doesn't try to differentiate between the many different types of dementia but it does bring home the fact that dementia does not always include Alzheimer's while Alzheimer's always includes dementia. It is also quite possible to show signs of dementia which are caused by another medical problem which needs to be treated. We have all heard all types of statements regarding Alzheimer's and dementia. Now find out in an easy to read content which of these statements are true, half-true, mostly false or completely false. Putting off finding out the facts may result in you or someone you know suffering needlessly. Even if you find you need more information on a specific topic, this book will definitely get you started in finding out what is happening and where to go for help with your next step.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Worthing Chronicle; Author: Visit Amazon's Orson Scott Card Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Endeavour Press. Sometimes jumping into a science fiction book series at the end isn't a good idea. Maybe that's why I was slightly confused by this novel for the first two chapters. I had never read any of the older novels written by Orson Scott Card and was definitely not familiar with this book from 1983. However, being the great author that he is, Card used the dream sequences of this book to tell me enough about the previous two stories that he brought me completely up to date without any harm being done to my psychic self. (That's a small joke.) This book is relatively short and consists of twelve chapters, ten of which contain dream sequences where Lared is given information regarding the history of Jason Worthing to put down on parchment. Lared isn't a scribe, he is the sixteen year old son of the village blacksmith in the village of Flat Harbor, living in the Inn when all the world changed with The Day of Pain. The dream sequences lead Lared through unimagined history and time to show him how Jason and Justice arrived at this place so that he could write out the history of the world. At one point Lared asks Jason if what he is seeing in the dreams and writing down is true. Jason's answer is: "It's your memory of your dreams of Justice's memory of my memory of things that happened to me in my childhood on a planet that died more than ten thousand years ago. How could it help but be true?" If you take the time to wrap your mind around that statement and come away as intrigued as I was.......you will love this story. This is a truly intense story of who and what constitutes God or a god and how they, he or she, make decisions which impact human lives. A fascinating reading experience.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sorcerer's Daughter: The Defenders of Shannara; Author: Visit Amazon's Terry Brooks Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine, Del Rey. I've noticed the novels written by Terry Brooks, in fact it would be hard to miss them if you are a fan of fantasy fiction. Even so, this is my first time reading one of his books. I thought since this is described as a stand alone book it would introduce me to the world of Shannara and some of the characters. I did not have any trouble picking up the story right here because the author made that easy for me. What had gone on in the past, well, there are enough backstory remarks to give me some idea of that but probably on a very superficial level. After all, there are a lot of stories about Shannara. THE SORCERER'S DAUGHTER starts out with a meeting between the Federation and the Druids to work out differences -if they can - so they can live in grudging acceptance of each other even if not exactly in "peace". Paxon Leah is attending the conference as the High Druid's Blade. He has left Leofur Rai back in Paranor to watch over his sister, Chrysallin who is trying to recover her wishsong, her ability to perform her magic. Naturally Arcannen Rai, Leofur's father and a powerful sorcerer, is going to use every power he has to keep the two sides apart. After all, it's to his advantage. This fantasy world has it all: Druids, magic, witches, trolls, a powerful evil sorcerer, swords, shape shifting and airships. That last word in the list tripped me up there for a minute as I was reading. How interesting it was to get the feeling of a time period that reminded me of medieval times and yet find airships and even rapid firing guns. I liked the book, probably more along the lines of a 3.5 rating for me, but not quite captivating enough to merit 4 stars.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray; Author: Visit Amazon's James Renner Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Thomas Dunne Books. I think I was a little misled by those three big words in the title of this book. I did not know of James Renner, did not know he was a journalist writing about true crime and did not know anything at all about the Maura Murray case. I'm from a whole different part of the country and we have our own unsolved mysteries of this type here. So what I expected was to read about a journalist who had "lost" himself in true crime investigating for all sorts of different crimes and reporting with the Maura Murray case as just one of his investigations to show how persistent he is. No, that isn't what this is. Or at least that isn't what I came away with. Maybe the remainder of the title should be given more emphasis by readers considering this novel. It's for sure I should have paid more attention. The Maura Murray disappearance happened in 2004. James Renner began working back over the evidence in that case in 2009. Granted he did spend a large amount of time going over the gathered evidence which he could gain access to, but for me it seemed he was doing all of that for material for this book, not because he had some insatiable thirst to be the one to break this case. Not because he was addicted but because he has an instinct to investigate. It isn't as if this is the only case he's ever worked on. As I said, I didn't know about this case before I began reading this book, but I'm hard pressed to find new material uncovered by this author. It looks like old information turned over again and again and refusals by almost everyone involved to give him more insights into Maura personally and what was going on in her life the night she disappeared. If you think by reading this book you will come away with a positive solution for what happened to Maura Murray, then you will be disappointed. That does not happen. There is a lot about Mr. Renner personally, about his family, and about the way he investigates. Of Maura Murray there is still no sign. And just think, this whole book happened because he went to a strip club.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Psychic Surveys Book Three: 44 Gilmore Street - A Supernatural Thriller; Author: Visit Amazon's Shani Struthers Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Crooked Cat Publishing. As you can tell from the title this is book three in this series, but it is the first I've read of the adventures of this group of psychic investigators. One important thing I realized very quickly is that the characters in this novel are depicted as being and living very normal lives apart from their various psychic abilities. In most novels of this type which I'm familiar with the boundary between average and supernatural people is sharply distinct and the paranormal characters join together in their own community made necessary by their unusual ability. They are set apart, mostly by prejudice. In this novel the characters pretty much are assimilated throughout the community and are not thought of as odd, weird or dangerous. Even as simple as that premise is, it took me some time to adjust to it. Assimilation, however, doesn't necessarily mean understood, accepted or appreciated. At least until you need their services. There are four women in the group and the business, Psychic Surveys, is owned by Ruby. It appears that their main function is to establish if a ghost is still present in a home, make contact with the ghost and point the ghost to "the light" - said light having no religious connotations. Sounds pretty straightforward doesn't it? But what if the ghost doesn't want to go? What happens then? When it came time for this specific ghost to head toward the light and he refused to go, that is when the novel began to break down for me. No matter how often I tried to tell them what a st.........what an unfortunate rookie mistake they had made, it still took until the 68% mark in the book for them to finally figure it out. Over half the book? And the missing ingredient needed to resolve the problem, well, let's just say it took a whole leap of faith to buy into that coincidence. Ah, but there aren't any coincidences, right? At the beginning of the novel - and indeed for the entire duration of the book - all the characters are trying to get Ruby to take some time off, take a vacation, go away for the weekend; Ruby needs some time away from the business. Ruby needs it real bad. I gave this book a 3 star rating but if the opportunity had been available 2.5 stars would be more appropriate from me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The White Cottage Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Margery Allingham Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA, Bloomsbury Reader. I consider myself a fan of the Margery Allingham mystery novels so I was absolutely delighted to be given the chance to read this first mystery written by a favorite author. According to the information contained in the book this was the first detective story written by Allingham and was first presented in serial form in the Daily Express in 1927. It has all the elements necessary to make for a good mystery; everyone has secrets, everyone seems to have had the opportunity to commit murder, and everyone was relieved the victim was dead. Watching how Allingham unfolded the plot and the relationships between the characters was of great interest to me when compared with her more polished, more complex novels in the Albert Campion series. This one is good, but it was a pleasure to realize how much her talent grew as she continued to write. Don't miss this one if you are a fan of that wonderful Golden Age of crime fiction. It has murder, a policeman and his son who play off each other to find clues and discuss suspects and motives plus travel to Paris and then on to the Riviera in search of a solution. This is a short novel, probably a result of being written for serialization, but it has a solution that may come as a surprise to you. Always something to be looked forward to if you are a true mystery buff.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen: A Novel (Six Tudor Queens); Author: Visit Amazon's Alison Weir Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books. I have never before felt that I know an historical figure as I now know Katherine of Aragon. Following this shy, young Spanish Princess from the time her ship landed in England until her death was truly a fascinating experience. I don't think author Alison Weir necessarily excels in writing fiction, but she certainly does make up for that with her ability to make this historical figure come poignantly alive in the pages of this novel. There is such a wealth of information that I didn't dare skip even one page for fear of missing out on a life changing event for Katherine. You see, this is written as it happened to Katherine not as individual instances which would later become of historical importance. Watching her remain steadfastly loyal to Henry even after he had finally spoken with her face-to-face about desiring a separation from her and seeking a male heir elsewhere showed her incredible strength of character and her complete abiding belief in her religion. This is the first book in the series which will allow one book for each of the wives of Henry VIII. Quite honestly, after reading this book I didn't know if I could read the next book centered on Anne Boleyn because my feelings are set so strongly against her and all the horrendous troubles she urged Henry on to. But then, that might be exactly why I do need to read that book because I can see the depth of research done by this author to humanize Katherine so I need to see what lay behind the ambition and treachery that was Anne Boleyn. If anyone can get me to willingly read that story it will have to be Alison Weir. I thought I knew a lot about Katherine of Aragon, but I wasn't quite right. I knew basic facts I had picked up from various sources but I never knew the woman from a personal standpoint. Alison Weir changed that for me and now I have to find out how much more there was to the other five wives waiting in the wings. Katherine truly was in love with Henry, it will be interesting to see if any of the others were.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Stealing the Countess: A McKenzie Novel (Twin Cities P.I. Mac McKenzie Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's David Housewright Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. Starting off reading novel number thirteen in this series wasn't any problem for me at all. Lucky thirteen this time? Probably not, just good writing. Naturally as a reader I know there is a lot of backstory involved with these characters and their circumstances, but I never felt lost or confused. That's a sign for me that the author concentrated more on this particular story than trying to pull forward elements in previous books. The writing was very good with descriptions of places in the Twin Cities that I easily recognized from visits to Minneapolis and St. Paul. Moving away from that area to continue the story still felt familiar even though I have not traveled to these specific towns. Obviously David Housewright has captured the feeling of the populace in this part of the country. This is a great example of the "fair play" style of mystery novel where the clues to help solve the mystery are scattered throughout the narrative. You have to be aware enough to pick them up, but if you do, you can feel like you were given a chance to solve at least some of the questions. There is a plot twist I didn't see coming because I didn't give enough attention to a small detail, but once it was revealed to me I fully accepted that it was my own fault for failing to pick up on that clue. In other words, I don't feel the author gob smacked me at the end by pulling rabbits out of the mystery clue top hat. Rushmore (Mac) McKenzie is quite an interesting character. I was 89% of the way through the novel before his first name (or even his nickname) was ever mentioned. McKenzie was in law enforcement, but became wealthy by virtue of a reward attached to a case he solved. He is now characterized as a wealthy private investigator who only takes cases which interest him. In this story he is not receiving any fee for his investigation. At some point in the past I hope the author reveals how McKenzie augmented his $1 million plus reward because that money doesn't constitute "wealth" of the type alluded to in this story. McKenzie and an acquaintance from at least one previous novel try to solve the mystery of the stolen Stradivarius violin with them both not necessarily working toward the same goal. A trip to Philadelphia puts them in grave danger, but being in small town Bayfield where the Countess Borromeo Strad disappeared isn't any guarantee of safety either. I will definitely be reading some of the previous novels in this series because I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the plotting for this story. I can't say that Mr. Housewright fooled me about the story behind the theft of the Stradivarius, but it was fun to watch him hide clues and spring surprises on me. Both entertaining and enjoyable for readers of mystery novels.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sandpit: An Action-Packed Spider Shepherd SAS Novella; Author: Visit Amazon's Stephen Leather Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novella through NetGalley and Lawsome Books When I found this novella offered on NetGalley I thought it would be a great way for me to sample a military adventure thriller from Stephen Leather. I've been promising myself to try one for a long time so this suited me just fine. This story takes place when Shepherd was still serving in the SAS. Spider, Jock, Geordie and Jimbo are assigned to an embedded operation in Afghanistan helping a faction of mujahideen fighters who were loyal to Ahmad Shah Massoud before he was assassinated. They are to go in unarmed (at least without British weaponry) to the Panjshir Valley to teach some SAS methods of fighting to junior officers who fought for the late Massoud. This was supposed to be for one summer only, but then they happened upon a secret that simply could not be ignored. I liked this novel and the way the author set up the mission and then when the mission changed, the way Leather had the fighting group carry out a seemingly impossible task. I read a lot of military thrillers and this one is very different in that there isn't nearly as much blood, brains, and gore described. Almost as if the reader can already imagine those things so the author describes more important things to his story such as tactics. I appreciated that difference very much. The result was the same, just without me getting all squeamish. The final 10% of this digital download is a sneak-peek at the next Dan "Spider" Shepherd adventure called DARK FORCES which will be available in July 2016. DARK FORCES will take the reader back to the more modern stories where Spider has moved away from the combat battlefield and into the modern world of espionage.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ink and Bone; Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Unger Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, Touchstone. I love paranormal mystery novels but they have to have a serious premise and serious characters dealing with realistic problems. No smarmy, cute little ghost friends because that's just a cozy gone bad to my way of thinking. This book by Lisa Unger will never be mistaken for anything like that. This one crosses from thriller to suspense to paranormal into horror and does them all well. These characters are serious when dealing with their paranormal abilities. Lead character Finley Montgomery immediately lets the reader know they are headed for a novel with a very different main character when she enters the book on her Harley with the electric-purple gas tank and fenders. She has moved back to The Hollows to attend a nearby college, get away from family and friends who were causing her to mess up time after time, and to have her grandmother help her understand how to use her psychic abilities. And her grandmother is definitely one who can be counted on to help because she has a worldwide reputation for solving crimes and finding women and girls who are missing. Finley doesn't know it, but she's about to become involved in the case of a ten year old missing girl that will cost her more than she may be able to give. The description of this novel as a "page turner" is absolutely correct. I've read other novels by Lisa Unger but I don't remember the Finley Montgomery character. I think this novel sets the stage for others to come with Finley joining private detective Jones Cooper in solving cases involving missing persons. This novel is very heavily tilted toward the psychological makeup of all the characters; the couple whose marriage was threatened even before their daughter disappeared; the relationship between Finley's mother and grandmother; the family members who continue to stay close to Finley even though they are dead because they still have stories to tell. In the perfect novel for me there would have been more emphasis on investigations and less on so many relationships. Still, I am definitely going to be waiting to see what will happen to Finley in the next novel. I also want to see which tattoo gets finished in book two.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Warning Order: A Search and Destroy Thriller; Author: Visit Amazon's Joshua Hood Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Touchstone. This book probably falls more into the 3.5 star rating for me because I liked it but I did have some problems with it. It is positively a military action thriller with the emphasis on the action almost to the exclusion of all other elements usually expected in a novel. I read a lot of action adventure novels set within the military community. I like those types of books so this isn't the first novel of this type I've read. Therefore, when I say the novel was too heavily oriented toward violence, I say that from having other novels to compare it with. There was little, I'm almost tempted to say no, character development. This is the second book of the series and I did not read the first book so it's always possible that the characters were explained in the previous novel. If so, including some of that information for those of us who missed the first book would not have gone amiss. Several sentences placed almost at the end of the novel just wasn't enough. Mason Kane is obviously not in the military, nor is his warring best buddy Zeus, a Libyan and ex-intelligence officer who speaks Arabic. That comes in handy since the story opens in Syria in 2014. The non-combat characters go all the way from the President of the US, through highest ranking Cabinet officers to field officers to a CIA agent, David Castleman. The military missions are supposed to be either off-the-books or flying under the radar of media. As odd as it may sound, the characters I connected with the most were Renee who is serving in the military and definitely knows how to hold her own within her elite unit and Zeus. The main character, Mason Kane, has the appearance of being nothing more than a highly inventive killing machine, impervious to any and all major wounds. I didn't get any sense of his humanity and didn't like him at all. I don't feel I was given a reason to like him. Perhaps if the author could have scaled back some of the time spent on the warrior scenes if he was pushed for space and added depth to the characters in the novel so I could understand their motivation more fully, then I would have enjoyed his novel more completely. The first fighting scene of the book was still not fully completed by the 30% point in the book. From there the story simply moved into a different fighting scene. I understand from reading the biography of this author that he has the credentials to write with authority about the types of face-to-face combat and military infrastructure found in this novel. I simply feel spending some of his writing time making the characters in his novel more understandable and even sympathetic for the reader would result in a more well rounded story. It will always be violent, because that is the nature of the story, but it would at least be nice; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Amy Snow: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Tracy Rees Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. I had no idea what an emotional, poignant reading experience I was in for when I began this wonderful novel by Tracy Rees. The time period of Victorian England is captured by swirling skirts, sumptuous balls and strict rules regarding the conduct of women and their place in society. Using the example of the newly crowned Queen Victoria as a guide for how lives can be changed, some of the women in this novel are pulling against the strict rules of society. One has been ignoring all the rules for many years. This novel features two main characters, one living and one dead, but they both will have a profound impact on the reader. Ms. Rees has written one of the best "discovery by letter" novels I've ever read. Even though her illness has taken Miss Aurelia Vennaway of Hatville Court she is not truly and completely lost to Amy Snow, the infant Aurelia found in the cold January snow seventeen years previously. Amy has been given a legacy concealed from the Vennaway's with a puzzle to unravel to find the secret Aurelia wants her to uncover. No one must know, it must remain a complete secret from Aurelia's parents who would take the legacy from the foundling they have hated from the moment she entered their house. Had it not been for the force of character exhibited by Aurelia they would have immediately sent the infant to an orphanage. So Amy Snow grew up in a world where she had no place; not a servant, even though she often performed the duties of a servant and not on equal footing with Aurelia even though they were inseparable. Now Amy Snow must transform herself from a small, insignificant female clad in the cheapest of black mourning clothes into someone who can travel away from this small village community to uncover clues on this treasure hunt Aurelia has set for her. Nothing will come easily as Amy struggles to fulfill her obligation to the woman she loved like a sister. The source of her strength is knowing Aurelia loved her as much in return. The writing in this novel is absolutely beautiful. It was nothing short of fascinating to watch a character who died in the first chapter be brought back to life through the letters she wrote, the plans she conceived and the impact she had on people she met. Amy Snow is the perfect counterfoil, at the beginning of the novel she is the exact opposite of Aurelia in every way. By the end of the novel the author has transformed her completely by using incremental maturing as Amy encounters the world outside of Hatville Court. If you have ever had a friend so close you almost read their thoughts and then lost that friend to death, this novel will be a moving experience. For me it was actually painful at times, but it helped me deal with feelings I have too long avoided. There are two areas; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dear Amy: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Helen Callaghan Page; Review: This is not the novel I thought I was going to be reading. I was all ready for one thing and got something else and wasn't particularly happy about it. I can't complain about the writing in this debut novel for author Helen Callaghan because she did a very good job in that regard, but when I had been expecting an in-depth investigation into the disappearance of a 15 year old student and got almost none of that - well, let's just say I realized early on that I was going to be reading a book I had not chosen. Because it doesn't take any time at all to understand this book is going to be all about the psychological health of the main character, Margot Lewis. In addition to teaching classics and English literature in a Cambridge high school Margot also fills the post of giving advice to people through her column of Dear Amy in one of the local newspapers. Her letters and emails are pretty much along very predictable lines until she received a handwritten letter in the mail from someone calling themselves Bethan Avery who claims to be the victim of a kidnapping and begs for Margot to help find her. Margot's life is already stressed enough at school because of the unexplained disappearance of one of her former students, Katie Browne, and at home with her separation from her husband because of he has left her for another woman, but now she takes this letter to the police and they actually laugh at her for believing what the letter says about a kidnapping that happened over twenty years previously. This is where I began to talk to this book and ask some very serious questions which I'm not getting any answers for. Unfortunately this started in the very early portion of the novel and I kept asking my questions as one improbable or impossible coincidence after another rears its ugly head. Add to this the fact that the chapters presented from the perspective of Katie Browne were too infrequent and didn't give me the feelings of terror and dread which were necessary for her situation. If you read carefully, author Helen Callaghan begins to sprinkle clues through the narration about what you might need to look out for. If you are an old hand at reading mystery novels, you won't need to wait for Callaghan's clues because they are right there much earlier than I think she meant for them to be. This isn't a bad book, it certainly isn't a poorly written book, but the premise of the novel I thought I was going to read would have been of much more interest to me. It didn't help matters that I didn't like Margot Lewis at all.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sidney Chambers and The Dangers of Temptation (Grantchester); Author: Visit Amazon's James Runcie Page; Review: I received an e-ARC copy of this novel through NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA. Readers of this book will probably easily fall into two basic categories: those who have seen the television series and those who have not. I belong in the "have not" group but was intrigued when the description of the novel mentioned the television program. This book five in the series contains six individual mysteries linked by the carry-over characters with the stories falling chronologically. All six stories focus on various types of temptation, both secular and theological, hence the book title. These stories take the reader from the late 1960s and just barely into 1970 and explore how people were responding to such varied happenings as living in a commune, reacting to the problems in Biafra, the scheduled moon landing and a Cricket mega-star caught in the issues of black versus white in South Africa, homosexuality, and a trip to communist East Germany. (Those topics are not necessarily in the order in which their story is presented in the book, just from my memory.) Each story has some type of crime or personal dilemma to be resolved by Sidney. I can easily see how each of these stories might be an episode for a television series, however, that doesn't mean I necessarily enjoyed the written version of each one. The author makes no allowances for anyone beginning the stories at this point. You just have to grab on and hope all will be explained eventually. Characters are brought into the story with no background at all - IF you haven't watched any of the series or read any of the previous books. Sidney is now the Archdeacon of Ely which I think is a recent promotion from Grantchester but it makes no difference because he's there and in London all the time anyway. He certainly does seem to have lots of time to fritter away. Anyway, the stories are interesting, the concept is interesting but how does one rate a book that is simply interesting? I've settled on 3 stars because I'm glad I read it, but Sidney needs to really, truly figure out how he feels about his ex-girlfriend and then leave her alone or be honest with his wife. There is a lot of theological discussion throughout this book in all six of the stories. I can't help but wonder if it is featured so prominently in the television episodes.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Big Stick-Up at Brink's; Author: Visit Amazon's Noel Behn Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media. Originally published in 1977, this accounting of "the great Brinks robbery" (as I've usually seen the crime referred to) is being reissued in June 2016, this time in digital form. Author Noel Behn (1928-1998) began meeting with four major participants in the Brinks robbery in October 1972 and recorded over one thousand hours of "confessions" from men who had publicly denied complicity in the crime even though they had been convicted and served penal time for it. This is both an incredibly fascinating book and an exasperating book. Fascinating because of all the minute details which went into the process of staging the robbery, but also exasperating because all of those minute details are outlined in the book and often became shear drudgery for me to slog through. However, I will certainly concede that you cannot possibly understand the robbery if you don't understand the principal who conceived and planned the entire crime. All four men demanded payment for their "confessions" and the author agreed to pay each man the money. Tony Pino was compulsive in both his desire to break into the Brinks vault in Boston and his planning and practice sessions which took over six years to perfect before the time finally came to put them into action. The portions of the book which bogged down terribly for me were the chapters devoted to all the practice sessions for preparation to rob the vault. Yet those chapters are essential because they relate the minute details Pino was discovering and adding to his store of knowledge. This was also the time (over these six years) when he was enlisting the other members of the gang. All criminals in the same line of robbery business as Pino, they were a fluid group mixing and mingling into groups to commit robberies and safe breaking jobs while watching the plans for the Brinks job wax and wane according to such things as weather, seasons of the year for longer hours of darkness, other criminals pushing their way into the plan to rob Brinks, members of the various gangs being in and out of prison. Six years the planning took and less than half an hour for the robbery to be done. Of special interest to me was seeing the climate in this relatively small section of Boston which harbored these criminals and yet never once did anyone snitch about the plans for a robbery of this size being planned. Even those not invited to join the robbery gang knew something big was being planned and yet nobody gave the authorities any indication of who was involved or what the target was. What went right during the robbery? What went wrong and why? How much money did they actually steal and how much did each member of the gang get? What ultimately happened to help the FBI break the case with only a few days remaining before the statute of limitations ran out? Six years of compulsive planning by one man; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Late Harvest: A nineteenth-century historical saga; Author: Visit Amazon's Fiona Buckley Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn Publishing House. I have read other novels by Fiona Buckley but they have always been mysteries. When I saw that this was not a mystery I was intrigued because I enjoy historical fiction. The writing in this novel is superb and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the characters develop over a long period of time. The feeling of the historical time is also very well done with the influences of the reign of George III forming the basis for the split between two communities and the way they earned their livelihood. The story is told from the viewpoint of eighty year old Margaret "Peggy" Shawe in the year 1860 as she looks back at her life. In these tiny Exmoor villages people were born to be either of the land, farmers, or of the sea and all the related ways of making a living from the sea. As Peggy's mother often told her, land and sea don't mix; the meaning was very clear, stick to your own kind and her kind were farming folk. It was accepted as fact that Peggy would marry one of the sons of a neighboring farmer. The problem is that Peggy has met Ralph Duggan and the Duggan's are boat builders and free traders, otherwise known as smugglers. The story involves all the twists and turns fate has in store for us when we think we have our future all mapped out. I did enjoy this new type of novel by Fiona Buckley and think it was a success. Because the story is told from Peggy's remembrances there are large portions of the novel without dialog. Sometimes those sequences seemed to go on for a long time. If you enjoy this period of British history around the 1800s to the 1860s and the lives of those evading the King's Revenuers, this will be a welcome reading experience.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Written in Red: A spy thriller set in Oxford with echoes of the cold war (An Anna Hopkins Mystery); Author: Annie Dalton; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House. The three women who became friends in the first book in this series, THE WHITE SHEPHERD, are back again trying to figure out who is determined to harm members of a group involved in a 1960s covert operation to find supposed communists among the student body of Oxford University. Anna is back with her white shepherd, Bonnie, to work with Tansy to help keep Isadora safe from the shadowy figure who seems intent on extracting revenge against the Oxford Six, as Anna has named them. There are anonymous letters, portions of a diary keep mysteriously being shoved through letter boxes and the same set of photographs kept by both Isadora and James Lowell, the first to be attacked. This story branches out in many directions. Anna has unresolved issues from her teen years when her entire family was murdered.. Bonnie and the calm, levelheaded Jake help with keeping some of her demons away. During the investigation Isadora discovers things she didn't know about her group from the 60s and has to learn to deal with those consequences. It's a good thing this author keeps adding secondary characters to the novels because I began to wonder who would be left standing before this investigation was done. Actually, I feel the character list is beginning to become rather overcrowded and it took away from the mystery aspect of the novel more than I liked. There turn out to be a lot of people who have secrets twisting and twining themselves around the three principal women and that is distracting because it takes up too much reading time. At least for my taste in mystery novels. I would actually rate this second novel as a 3.5 star rating, not quite as satisfying as the first book because of uncovering all the relationship secrets. It's pretty obvious that Tansy's story will come next because the set-up is very plain to see in this story. Besides, it's her turn to get bashed over the head.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman who Ruled an Empire; Author: Visit Amazon's Julia Baird Page; Review: I have read many biographies of the life of Queen Victoria. What sets this one apart from all the others for me is the sense of intimacy Julia Baird has created between the subject and the reader. Some biographers seem to set out to only reveal the best sides of Victoria, some go in the opposite direction and focus on the negative aspects of her personality. And there are certainly negative traits aplenty if you want to portray this woman from a single viewpoint. Thankfully Julia Baird has been fair, not making any effort to sway the reader in one direction or another. Probably the best compliment I can give Ms Baird is that I don't know if she has any bias either for or against Queen Victoria after reading this very detailed book. This book goes into much depth regarding the day by day, year by year life of Victoria while being weighted most heavily toward the time she was married to Albert. He was the driving force behind all the changes which took place in her realm while they were married and this book does a wonderful job of showing that Victoria understood that she was not the intellectual equal of Albert, but she was the Queen and she would never waver from that fact. He could suggest, she would listen, but the decisions always came from the Queen. If you enjoy finding out what the truth was behind some of the rumors surrounding Victoria, Albert, their children, John Brown and Abdul Karim there is evidence and documentation here to allow you to make up your own mind. Ms. Baird spent many years of research on this work and the list of those people and institutions she mentions in her Acknowledgements section is impressive. Inside this book you will find information to help you enjoy the book; a family tree, maps, a list of characters, copious Notes, a bibliography and an index. This author was given a great deal of access to archived information regarding Victoria, some of it newly released. All of it gives us insight into this very private woman who occupied such a public stage. The reign of Victoria, the Queen saw incredible changes worldwide. Many of those changes can be directly attributed to this very complex woman and I found it fascinating to follow along in this book while the best and worst of Victoria was detailed.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Curse of Tenth Grave (Charley Davidson); Author: Visit Amazon's Darynda Jones Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. You would think that after reading the previous nine books in this series the slight oddity of the titles would be pretty familiar to me. Not with this one. For some reason I always read it as The Curse of Tenth Grade. I'm trying to figure out what happened to me in tenth grade that has me so hung up. But, I digress. Charley and the whole crew are back in New Mexico after their month long stay in New York in the previous novel. Ahh, it was good to be back home. It was also good to see Charley back to investigating cases, private investigator style, instead of spending the entire novel in the good/bad godly realms. I like those parts, but I especially like it when she solves cases using the unusual paranormal talents she has at her disposal. One new thing in this book is Charley letting other people know she has paranormal powers; as in regular folks, like some paranormal investigators who latch on to her as a person to be investigated because of a video. She also spends some time with Rocket and Strawberry Shortcake so I know they are doing fine. If you are thinking about beginning this series here, with Tenth Grave, you can do that pretty easily because the author herself provides a book full of spoilers regarding what has come before in the story arc. It was really good as a refresher for me but new readers might wonder why they need to read the other nine books. For those who like the romance side of this multi-genre series the interactions between Charley and Reyes (son of Satan - it's hard to say that with a straight face) would probably be a reason to practically memorize, never mind dog-earing pages and highlighting passages, of specific portions of all ten books. It is quite a love story.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Collecting the Dead: A Novel (Special Tracking Unit); Author: Visit Amazon's Spencer Kope Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. I am going to try so very hard not to gush over this book because I don't like to read gushing reviews and I'm sure you don't either. So, can I get right to the point and say this book was amazing? A debut novel and it was this well written? with such a well developed special feature? and it was so believable that I positively couldn't stop reading until it was all done? Yes, yes, and yes and there, I just gushed - again. Drat! Sometimes having a "gift" can be a blessing or a curse. Most often it is a combination of both. "Steps" Craig can see the shine emanating from each person. Some might call it an aura but Steps calls it shine because it stays behind on every object a person touches. The color combinations are totally original to each individual so Steps lives in a world with so much color it almost makes him ill. Thankfully early in his youth he discovered that wearing glasses with crystal lenses shuts out the color long enough for him to control the headaches. The usefulness of this gift is incredibly valuable to the FBI, so much so that an entire unit was established, the Special Tracking Unit, so Steps can go to crime scenes all over the country to pick out the shine left by the killer. He can then uncover clues completely unseen by other investigators. Steps relates what he sees to his partner of five years, FBI Special Agent Jimmy Donovan who has developed some serious tracking and profiling skills and then they have to find a way to report how they come upon these clues which every other law enforcement team member missed. Not always an easy task. Now Steps is finding a shine he's seen before and the race is on to catch a very smart serial killer. So, the paranormal aspect of this novel is not just new to me, it is also realistically done to the extent that it seemed completely natural as I was reading the book. The gift doesn't make life easy for the STU team, in fact the only member of the team who knows about what Steps can see is Jimmy so they even have to spend time covering up his ability from their own support group. The only thing that was missing from this debut was how the Director of the FBI became aware of what Steps can do. I am looking forward, Mr. Kope, to finding out all about that in the next book. Or even in book three.....or four. I sincerely hope you are spending all your time writing; vacations are highly overrated.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Long Time Dead: A Mike Hammer Casebook; Author: Visit Amazon's Mickey Spillane Page; Review: There are eight short stories in this collection. Each story comes from an idea first noted by Mickey Spillane for what might or might not eventually become a Mike Hammer novel. Spillane's friend and collaborator has taken the portions written by Spillane and added material to turn an idea into a short story. I found this fascinating and tried my best to figure where one writer had left off and another had begun, but with absolutely no success. Max Allan Collins explains that he has tried to present the stories in chronological order using references such as the lingerie company Fredericks of Hollywood when Victoria's Secret came on the scene (I say that, not Collins), a restaurant where Mike and Velda liked to eat, and even Hammer's love of Pabst beer changing to Miller Lite when Spillane did television commercials for the beer. All of these things date the stories to the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. As I said before, there are eight stories in this collection and I really liked six of them. One story had a very weak and disappointing ending and the final story simply didn't feel as if it belonged in the collection. Even saying those things, I think this collection will be a great reading experience for Mike Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer fans. Enjoy this collection because Collins says there may not be another. Make sure you read the Introduction because it contains a huge amount of information about Mickey Spillane.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Great Revolt, The: A mystery set in Medieval London (A Brother Athelstan Medieval Mystery); Author: Paul Doherty; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House, Crme de la Crime. FINALLY, finally, finally -- the great peasant revolt of 1381 has happened. How many books has it taken for this incredibly short time of social upheaval to now be in our rearview mirror as readers of the Brother Athelstan novels? I was beginning to wonder if author Paul Doherty was going to make me wade through this historic event one day per book. But, no, it has come in this novel and is over all except for the future references to it as an event in the past in the lives of all the residents of Southwark in particular. So, these novels are mysteries, right? And mysteries usually involve a murder which the main character has to solve. Okay, but why in the world was Brother Athelstan made (by the author) to "solve" a mystery from fifty years in the past instead of something which had just happened? It felt as if the book was two novels with distinctly different plots; one regarding the revolt and one regarding Edward II. A delegation had arrived in London just as it was about to erupt into flames and rampaging revolution (I would be asking my travel agent for a refund on my bookings, I can tell you!) to investigate the circumstances around the death of Edward II which will clear the way for the formal opening process of his beatification and canonization. As this process gets underway there is the murder of one of the Brothers in the delegation. By resolving the questions surrounding Edward II this and other deaths are explained. However, don't think that the solution presented here is the only accepted accounting. The author states in his Author's Note that this version of a solution is based on his own non-fiction novel and the research he did for that book. The exposition for the Edward II question was the longest I have ever read, between 20% and 25% of the novel. If I had not already been almost positive before this exposition began, my idea of who was guilty of the current murder was proven correct within the first few sentences when Brother Athelstan began to explain his investigations. And then it just went on and one and on and culminated with a very unsatisfactory punishment description. I like the Brother Athelstan novels when he is dealing with his own parishioners and involved in his priestly duties around Southwark and St. Erconwald church with forays outside this vicinity to work with Sir John Cranston, Lord High Coroner of the City, to solve murders. I can only hope that is the direction these novels will once more take. If not, I may have just read my last novel in this series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Rendezvous with Death (Victorian Murder Mystery Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Sally Spencer Page; Review: I've read several contemporary Sally Spencer novels so when I discovered there was a series of novels set in the late Victorian era I simply had to try one. Historical mysteries are always interesting to me because they are a way to understand the time in which they are set and to see how people coped with the resources they had at hand. I'm glad to say this first book in the series provided me with the good reading experience I was hoping, I would almost say expecting, to have from a novel written by Spencer. The novel is set during the week prior to the celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and the story is very much influenced by this upcoming event. The main character is Inspector Samuel Blackstone of Scotland Yard, a very good investigator but not well liked by those in command because he is pretty much his own man when it comes to running his cases the way he wants to run them. Blackstone was highly influenced by his service in the Army and especially his time spent fighting in Afghanistan. In modern parlance, he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but that condition was unknown at that time. He functions well in his job for the most part, but the PTSD does rear its ugly head in many ways. The investigation centers on the body of a murdered man found floating in the Thames. From the time the body is identified the investigation becomes a battle between Blackstone and everyone else who wants the murder hushed up so there will be no breath of scandal to mar the Jubilee celebration. Solving this case involves going so high up the social ladder it might even reach the Queen's ears. That can never be allowed to happen. This novel is well loaded with all types of twists and turns so don't get too comfortable while you are reading. I have to say the mid portions of the book slowed down to almost a crawl because so many restrictions had been put on Blackstone's investigation it made it hard to see how he would unearth any clue that would set him on his way to working out what had happened. I never, ever would have guessed one particular turn so even if you solve lots of mysteries you may find this one eludes your best efforts until the author shows you what's going on. Definitely worth my reading time and there are many more in the series so I'm rubbing my hands together in gleeful anticipation.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lowcountry Book Club (Liz Talbot Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan M. Boyer Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press. I am so glad to be able to give this novel by Susan Boyer five stars. The previous two books, especially the last one, went too far into the personal relationships area between Liz and Nate for my taste. Now that those issues are all settled they can get back down to some really good investigative procedures. That's what I look for in a mystery novel and am never satisfied if the author allows the main character's love life to take away too much attention from the mystery. I had such an unusual reaction to the murder victim in this story. Normally that person is primarily a bridge to get from one element in the story to another, but here that poor victim really made an impression on me because she was just so darned nice. The author also did a very good job of keeping the killer under wraps and even dragging a red herring across the trail. I'm sure all the real people who find themselves characters in this novel will get a big kick out of reading the finished novel. By the way, I don't think the author knows this, but Blake and I kind of have an understanding going so she can forget plans for him to marry somebody else. This is a fine example of someone taking their environment and writing a novel around the things they know and love. The mystery is really good. The characters are portrayed in ways that make them completely believable and I want to visit every restaurant mentioned in Charleston and Stella Maris and try each of the food items described. The only thing I'm not quite sure of is when Colleen began to fully manifest from her ghostly form and eat real food. Those came as surprises to me.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bullet Riddled: The First S.W.A.T. Officer Inside Columbine and Beyond; Author: Visit Amazon's Grant Whitus Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Waldorf Publishing. I have always been curious about what actually happened inside Columbine High School on that awful day in 1999, but have avoided reading anything that took me too close to what actually was happening as I watched the pictures on my television screen. This book appealed to me because it promised the proximity to the events which would satisfy my curiosity. I read a lot of true crime books because I'm interested in the subject. I am also one of those people who asks "why". This book did answer my questions and gave me the insiders look into a portion of the horrendous results of that never to be forgotten day. Thank you Mr. Whitus and Mr. Vines for sparing the reader as much of the physical descriptive detail as possible. Grant Whitus obviously thought there was incorrect information given regarding what happened inside Columbine during the entry of the S.W.A.T team and their time spent inside the building and I sincerely hope telling his side of the story will have a cathartic affect for him as he moves away from public law enforcement into the private security profession. This book tells the stories of the main incidents which shaped the law enforcement career of Grant Whitus. The first was in 1995 when he was a patrol officer involved in a hostage and murder situation at an Albertson's grocery store parking lot. The next was the April 20, 1999, mass murders at Columbine High School. Lessons learned from those two situations helped the S.W.A.T responses in 2004 in Granby, Colorado with the man who had fortified himself inside a self-made tank, his "killdozer"; in September 2006 at the Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado hostage and murder incident; and the December 2006 Willow Springs, Collorado situation. There are other events described in the book which never escalated to the level of media attention of the primary four call-outs of the S.W.A.T team mentioned. As is not uncommon, when people are involved in terrifically stressful careers profanity will be a type of stress reliever. If you don't wish to read a book which contains profanity, then this book will not be a good reading experience for you. Also, there are pictures of dead bodies and serious wounds included in this book. If seeing sights such as those bother you, once again, you may want to reconsider reading this book. Readers need to keep in mind that this is realism at its highest level. The book is probably not for everyone. The reason for my four star rating instead of five stars is because I think the book could have been so much better if it had been constructed in a different way. Almost all the book is going from one devastating incident to another. I feel a lot of opportunities were missed to help readers completely understand what was happening at Columbine especially. A time line would have been of immense help to me in knowing where the two shooters; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Quantico Rules: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Gene Riehl Page; Review: I received an e-ARC copy of this novel through NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media. What an excellent reading experience this book was. I have to say I enjoyed it from cover to cover and sincerely hope there will be more Puller Monk novels in the future. Author Gene Riehl was an FBI agent himself and this experience means that he brings a level of realism to the story which shines through. I also like that he dotted every "I" and crossed every "t" as the story moved along instead of waiting until awkward moments to bring me up to speed with how his characters got themselves into and out of trouble. I have to say I never saw the plot twist coming so must congratulate the author on keeping his intentions cleverly hidden regarding the overall plot line. The character of Puller Monk was developed in such a way that I found him completely believable as an FBI agent. Monk is working as a supervisor in charge of special investigations for the White House. The brief for his team at the moment is to investigate a Federal Judge being considered as a new candidate for the Supreme Court. In fact, if confirmed she would be the first black female member of the Court. All seems to be going well until a probationary agent spots some time unaccounted for in the personal disclosure documents for the judge. Monk sees his job with this department as a means to moving on to what he really wants - working in counterterrorism. He's ready to get out of the office for a while, even if it is only to check up on these weeks when the judge went missing off the radar. This book was first published in 2003. That doesn't make any difference to me because there is a feeling of feasibility here that made me think this was something which might have actually happened. Yes, it is exaggerated somewhat for fictionalization purposes, but it still was a most entertaining reading experience.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Mannings: The Fall and Rise of a Football Family; Author: Visit Amazon's Lars Anderson Page; Review: From my perspective, regardless of what the title of this book may be, this feels essentially like a book about Archie Manning. Yes, the three young sons and their mother are mentioned frequently, but in a book with 303 pages of narrative the first 167 are devoted to Archie with everyone else being mentioned only in conjunction with him. I have to confess to being surprised by that amount of attention being placed on one of the football Mannings, but it is obvious when reading the book that the author, Lars Anderson, was highlighting the major contributing factor in the Manning football legacy. I wonder why Anderson didn't just write a book about Archie? Unfortunately, I think those portions of the book went on for much too long since I wanted something different. I read in the Acknowledgements section of the book that Anderson often had personal contact with Archie regarding this book. That he had the same type of personal relationship with Cooper, Peyton, and Eli is not stated. This is very much a football book and by saying that I mean from the technical aspect of the sport: how to play, prepare physically, prepare mentally by the Manning way and even recalling specific downs played in specific games. What this book is not is a way to learn more about the personal lives of Cooper, Peyton, and Eli. I became quite fascinated while reading this book to discover that almost without exception every sentence or phrase which caught my eye was mentioned in the Notes and attributed to another book, magazine article or newspaper article written by someone else. This means if you are a true fan of one of these sports figures you will probably not find much, if any, brand new information here. The book is well written from the standpoint of gathering all the information from a myriad of sources and putting it together into a readable whole. But as far as revealing anything of a personal nature about Peyton and Eli, it just isn't in here. It took until page 288 to even mention that Eli was married at the time of the 2012 Super Bowl. Cooper Manning is allotted one chapter for his story. Peyton and Eli Manning each have some chapters devoted to each exclusively. All three of the boys, plus Olivia Manning, are mentioned throughout the book as being ancillary to Archie's life. The book answered several specific questions I had, but I discovered from the Notes section that I could have found the answers myself if I had only been motivated enough to search for them. The overall picture of the book is the Manning family being involved with football. Maybe that's all I should have expected, but reading this did not humanize these people overly much for me and therefore I found it took me a long time to read the book. For someone who easily reads as many as four books in a week, having one take almost ten days is a sure sign that I'm not connecting well with; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Whitefern (The Audrina Series); Author: Visit Amazon's V.C. Andrews Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books. I did not read My Sweet Audrina and this book can be read without having had that experience. The backstory is explained well enough for me to have an understanding of what had come in the first novel. However, I have read other novels which were actually written by V. C. Andrews and I can tell you this one doesn't measure up to the original works, no matter what series you might have read. I'm sorry, but this book didn't give me the shivers, it didn't make me wonder about the existence of ghosts or haunting spirits. It just made me irritated with Audrina and the situations she allowed herself to be maneuvered into. Whitefern is more than just a house, it is a world. A world that has become more and more isolated because terrible things continue to happen to those who make it their home. Does this house contain the restless spirits of those who have died within its walls? Audrina and her husband Arden share the house with Sylvia and the family patriarch Damien. Sylvia is now twenty years old but has the mental capacity of about an eight or nine year old. She suffers when being exposed to interactions with people outside the realm of Whitefern so she remains within its protective area watched over by Audrina. You would think in a family that is supposed to be wealthy that outside help would be employed and Audrina wouldn't be so totally tied to the house and her sister. Unfortunately that is the role placed on her by her father and once he has died the burden continues because of a circumstance which must be hidden from the outside world. At times during the reading of this book I honestly wondered which one of the characters was the most emotionally handicapped. I think you could put them all in a bag, reach in and choose one, and when you pulled that one out of the bag they would be the choice of the minute. The overall feeling is supposed to be dark and oppressive (I think). Instead what I felt was anger at Audrina for allowing herself to be pushed, forced, coerced - whichever or all three - into a truly bizarre situation. Whew, at least it was a fast read but quite disappointing.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: My Name is Amelia, and I'm a Sociopath; Author: Visit Amazon's Amy D. Brooks Page; Review: I am so glad I read this book using the Kindle Unlimited option and did not pay any money for it. I suppose the author felt that the word "sociopath" in the title would be more interesting or compelling to people deciding on a book to read. Too bad she never bothered to give any indication that she had actually received that diagnosis. So....what happened was that she was in the third or fourth grade (she evidently couldn't remember which) and she spent the day disrupting the classroom when a substitute teacher was in charge. On the way out the door this woman supposedly remembers hearing that man tell her that she is a sociopath. That isn't a diagnosis, that is a comment. Amy Brooks is an alcoholic. That is a horrible condition to live with as anyone knows who either suffers from it or knows someone who does. Was that just not "good" enough for her? Did she think saying she is a sociopath made her sound more unable to live a normal life? Were we supposed to be more sympathetic? Unfortunately, it didn't work. I believe, judging by the things Amy Brooks began to do in her early years, that she does absolutely have psychological problems. You don't find five year old children beginning to steal alcohol and progressing to setting fires, self mutilation, pathological lying, and meeting random men for sex - all before the age of fourteen and think that person doesn't have severe problems. This book is poorly written from a writing literacy standpoint and it is poorly edited. I couldn't believe that this is the revised edition when the book is still filled with errors. Author, you really should fix all of those times throughout the book when you allowed the word "mine" to remain in place when you clearly meant "me". I suppose spell check just didn't do a very good job of reading your mind. The book also needs to have the formatting corrected in multiple places. So......if you are planning to read this be prepared for page after page after page of drinking vodka by multiple bottles until the author vomits all over herself and wherever she happens to be and blacks out for hours, days at a time. Be prepared to read everything you never really wanted to know about how to inject yourself in multiple places with multiple substances and then vomits all over herself and wherever she happens to be and blacks out for hours, even days at a time. (Are you seeing a pattern here?). Really, Ms. Brooks, it was nothing except tedious. Prepare yourself for the statement that she had broken all contact with her family and yet her family is mentioned throughout the book. Also expect to keep trying to figure out whether the author was talking about her real age, her pretend age, or if she had just forgotten how old she was. After slogging through all of the awful, repetitive mess for chapter after chapter be prepared to see Ms. Brooks go into rehab, rediscover; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Rebellion's Message (Bloody Mary Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Jecks Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing, Crme de la Crime. I love reading historical mystery novels and could not help noticing the many books written by Michael Jecks, but had not tried one up to this point. When I realized this was the first book in a new series I thought it would be a great place to start to discover if this author would be a good fit for my likes. It really was quite enjoyable for me and I especially liked the way the narrator would periodically step outside the action to address the reader. There are some quite funny bits there. It did leave me wondering if this is a departure from Jecks books in other series because there was more humor written into this novel than I'm accustomed to when dealing with revolts, imprisonments of political foes, beheadings (and worse), and the general unpleasantness of daily life evident in a simple stroll down a London street. The stench alone would have been overpowering. So I suppose I'll have to read something else written by this author to satisfy my own curiosity. This novel takes place in January and February 1554 and deals with the rebellion centered around Queen Mary and Lady Jane Grey. How interesting it was to watch this author weave in the importance of a cutpurse, Jack Blackjack, with dangerous political maneuvering during this violent time. I'm a little ambivalent toward Jack. On one hand he seems to be a harmless young man who lives with a gang of other cutpurses who have to contribute all of their booty to the keeping of Bill, leader of the gang. Jack is presented as almost an innocent who stumbles and bumbles his way into trouble without seeming to even try. But on the other hand, his role is vital in the outcome of this rebellion. After he takes a purse in an unusual manner he is hit over the head and regains consciousness with a very sore head while lying next to the dead body of the man he robbed, but manages to escape with the man's purse still hidden inside his clothing. Then the chase is on because Jack hasn't just stolen money, he's accidently stolen something vital to the coming rebellion. This is where characters began to be added in a wholesale fashion and I found myself sometimes slightly confused as to who was who and what they were supposed to be doing in the story. Poor Jack, it seemed everybody wanted to cosh him over the head - or worse. There were many times when the coincidental meetings with just the right person Jack needed for help with his situation went too far to be easily believed. That being said, Jack went through a tremendous amount of danger and trouble in order to find out a life changing lesson: in this line of work, don't ever trust anybody completely. Jack survived this short period of time almost by miraculous means to live to be the hero in the; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Women of the Souk, The: A mystery set in pre-World War I Egypt (A Mamur Zapt Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Pearce Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. This is my first venture into the pre-World War I mystery series featuring the Mamur Zapt. Taking place in Cairo, Egypt this novel was filled with writing which made that time and place real and intriguing. Author Michael Pearce almost forced me to slow down, relax, get the feel of what was happening in the Souk so I could better understand how Egypt was standing at the crossroads of change. In the Egypt of this time period women are allowed only limited amounts of freedom so when a young woman in the sixth form of her school is kidnapped the incident doesn't have the effect we might expect. She is a daughter of a rich family so the supposition is that she is being held for ransom. Some, mainly the poor, don't see this as a problem they should be concerned with. Other wealthy families are just glad it isn't happening to them, but don't exactly see why they should get involved. The family of the young woman is even divided on whether or not to spend money to get her back. After all, she's only a woman. From this one incident comes a series of events which the Mamur Zapt, Gareth Owen, the Head of the Special Branch, finds leading to political revolt against British rule in Egypt as well as drug smuggling and eventually murder. Women in all social classes in Cairo are beginning to envision different lives for themselves and one way of showing their influence is to help in the rescue of Marie Kewfik. All of this was accomplished by the author in such a low-key manner that I was almost surprised to find so much was happening. The conversations have a tendency to travel in circles which made me want to hurry them along a bit, but I enjoyed the novel and the atmosphere created for this part of the world with which I am completely unfamiliar. This is one of those mystery novels you will want to read when you feel the need to kick back and enjoy a quiet afternoon or evening.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: In a Time of Torment; Author: Visit Amazon's I. F. Stone Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books. As someone who has never before read a John Connolly novel I can't quite figure out exactly what I jumped into. I know I definitely enjoyed the book even if it was spooky as heck. I certainly don't know if all the Charlie Parker novels are matching this one in tension and darkness, but I do know I had a serious talk with myself about putting the book down and going to sleep and then promptly ignored my own advice. The elements of mysticism and evil are so powerfully written that more times than one I actually felt a shiver travel up and down my spine. Artistic license aside for whether or not this type of community of separatist individuals could exist so completely successfully for hundreds of years, there has to be a strong feeling of possibility for me to buy into the premise. And I did definitely buy in. The inclusion of Jerome Burnel takes awhile to reach in the novel, but Burnel is the catalyst which gives Charlie, Louis and Angel a connection they have been seeking in their effort to find a centralized force directing criminal acts of pure evil. First they encounter a truly creepy character called Roger Ormsby who makes people disappear and through him the trio finds yet another link to the fanatical worshipers of the Dead King. All the tension continues to build as Charlie and his friends arrive at the Cut in search of the worshipers and an extremely well organized criminal enclave. I enjoyed this novel immensely, but feel readers need to be aware that there are multiple instances of harm coming to young children. If you want to avoid that subject matter you would probably be very distressed by this novel. This was quite a strange book from the standpoint of the subject matter and the way in which the story is presented. At times there is a narrator who speaks directly to the reader but that may be common practice in the series. The chapters sort of roam around between one segment of the story and another yet always keeping the previous material current in your mind because the chapters are very short. I've spoken to authors who say they don't know how their book will write itself until it is finished. I've never gotten that feeling before, but I definitely had that feeling here. So if you are in the mood for a story which is dark, mystic, tense, dealing with evil deeds as well as evil thinking, well, you've come to the right book. Enjoy yourself, but keep lots of lights on if it's dark outside.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst; Author: Visit Amazon's Jeffrey Toobin Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Doubleday Books. Jeffrey Toobin has done his level best to present the facts in the Patricia Hearst kidnapping phenomenon in a fair and even handed way. Patricia Hearst Shaw did not agree to be interviewed in any way for the writing of this book, yet Toobin has presented the evidence so the reader can make their own judgment about whether or not she became a willing member in the Symbionese Liberation Army and changed herself into an urban guerrilla. Toobin was able to amass a huge amount of information from law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, as well as documents held by other members of the radical political group so he has evidence in his possession to validate much if not most of the information he shares in this book. It is chilling to read and watch the metamorphosis of Patricia Hearst from a young woman still in her late teens rather reluctantly planning her upcoming wedding into a machine gun firing fanatical advocate for violent social upheaval. When all of this was taking place in 1974 and 1975 I knew only the most basic information concerning Patricia Hearst because I was busy living my own life and not paying much attention to something which didn't seem to touch me at all. Over the years I have often wondered what the truth behind the kidnapping and conversion of Hearst really was, but still didn't spend any energy trying to find out more. When I saw this book was going to be published I thought it would be a good place for me to find some answers. And I found them. Mr. Toobin has written this book in a very readable style with the tension mounting as the capture and arrest of Hearst became more and more eminent. There is background information supplied concerning all the members of the SLA as well as the people who befriended them and the families, attorneys, FBI agents, and other law enforcement agents who had a more than passing impact on the long episodes to bring this case to a close. I can't help but wonder why it seems that so many people helped the fugitives after they had been identified and yet none seem to have been held accountable. An author, his wife and his parents especially make me curious because they provided hiding places for the three remaining fugitives for months as well as driving them back and forth across the country. Some questions I will just have to wonder about. In addition to the facts concerning what happened to Patricia Hearst there are Notes and a Bibliography which provide some additional answers as to where Mr. Toobin got his information. I think there are probably photographs also, but they aren't included in my review copy. This was a very informative book, told in a fair and open way which covers a multitude of incidents over a long period of time. It is obvious that Mr. Toobin went to a great deal of trouble to; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Female Detective (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Andrew Forrester Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. The detective/mystery novel is my favorite type of novel to read. Add into that mix a story set in an historical setting and I'm ready to settle in and enjoy myself. I also like to read this type of book to learn more about the history of the mystery genre. This book was published in 1864 and now the first e-book edition will be released by Poisoned Pen Press and the British Library in 2016. There is a Foreword written by Alexander McCall Smith where he talks about female detectives in literature and an Introduction by Mike Ashley which zeros in on this particular female detective, "G" or "Miss Gladden". I really wish I had not read the Introduction until I finished reading the stories. If you choose to read the book, you will see that Ashley reveals who the author of these stories was and I would have preferred to have that information withheld until after I had read all seven of the stories. There are seven actual cases, but the first chapter is written by the detective describing the circumstances and drawbacks for being a private investigator and being female. Okay, so on to the stories themselves. Sorry to say this but they weren't very good. Also hampering my enjoyment was the style in which the prose is presented. Understanding that this is the style of 1864 did not help with the pacing or the verbosity of the author. Here is a sample of the writing: "I find, by reference to the diary I have kept since I entered the service, and at which I work equally for pleasure, and to relieve my mind of particulars which would overweight it, for I may add that in this diary, which would be intolerable printed, I fix down every word of a case I hear, as closely as I can remember it, and every particular as near as I can shape it - I say I find, by reference to my diary, that it was the fourth Sunday I rode out with the Flempses, and the sixth week of my acquaintance with those people, whom upon the whole I found very respectable, that I got the first inkling of one of the best, even if one of the most dissatisfactory, cases in which I was ever engaged." If that style of writing is something you can abide or at least tolerate, this group of stories will be of some interest to you, even if it is purely from the historical progression of detective fiction from then until now. I found the stories to be much more concerning morality issues than follow-the-clues to solve a case. One story is not even finished. I recommend this book to readers who are interested in the history of the detective story. As mysteries to be solved, though, the verbosity and complexity of the prose style caused me to struggle to care enough to finish the book. I did read it all, but over; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Wages of Desire: A World War II Mystery (Inspector Lamb); Author: Visit Amazon's Stephen Kelly Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Pegasus Books, W. W. Norton & Co. If you decide to read this book, take my advice and don't ever let yourself begin to think you have all the ducks in a row and you can solve the case on your own. No such thing because this author will have his plot take twists and turns from beginning to end. I enjoyed that. Of course it didn't hurt at all that I was reading what I like to think of as a "classic" historical British mystery. This one takes place in 1941 and features Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Lamb. In order to keep his daughter, Vera, from being conscripted and possibly sent into a dangerous war area Lamb has shamelessly created a job for her as the driver of his official police car. Vera is 18, but it's hard for a parent to allow their child to go into harms way if they can pull a few strings to postpone that problem for a short while. Word comes to Lamb that a woman has been found shot dead in the cemetery of a small town outside Winchester, at Winstead in Hampshire. Lamb knows he will have to allow Vera to go if she is called up, but right now his sprained ankle makes it extremely difficult to drive the car himself so why not let her do the job and keep her busy. He certainly wasn't successful in keeping her away from danger. Filled with characters who are trying to hide all sorts of different things from the police, plus no telling how many people are walking around the village streets, meadows and woods during the dark of night, nosey neighbors, a vicar and his wife, tramps, Land Girls, skeletons and the IRA. Take your pick of any of them and you could have a good mystery novel but put all of them together and you have a combination of stories to keep a reader guessing until practically the final paragraph! There's some good stuff here if you like to try to figure out the puzzles as you read. This is the second book in the Inspector Lamb series and I'm already planning to go back and pick up the first book in the series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Killfile: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Farnsworth Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Bonnier Publishing, Zaffre. Whoa, this was a really good book. I've been a Christopher Farnsworth fan since I read The President's Vampire and loved the way he constructed his plot and built his characters. This book goes in a different direction but the plot and the main character both have that classic Farnsworth touch and the talent John Smith has is so well developed it was amazing. John Smith is a psychic; he is a reader of minds trained by the CIA to fully develop his gift. Loner doesn't even begin to describe how isolated he keeps himself. This story starts off with Smith taking on a job in his profession as a private investigator for hire to take on the really tough jobs for only the richest of clients. Smith specializes in those clients listed in the Forbes 500 to be sure they can afford his services. This time he's hired to recover some computer coding stolen from the client, his intellectual property. Naturally the whole situation goes sideways in a hurry and Smith and his helper have to run for their lives to keep from being killed. Now you might say that the story in this novel is larger than life and you would be absolutely correct. But what would be the fun of reading something you know would stand the chance of being boring? There are an almost equal number of chapters which take place in the present with Smith and Kelsey Foster trying to stay alive after John is rumbled by that big secret government agency and chapters which tell the John Smith backstory. Sometimes backstory just makes me itchy to move ahead with the current problem, but in this case I can see why we had to find out exactly what John's gift is and how he had used it in the past. And speaking of his talent, I can tell you that you will have better concentration than I do if you can resist stopping every once in a while to think about what ramifications that talent would present if it really did exist. I finally came to the decision that I would rather not know what thoughts are swirling around in somebody's head. I thoroughly enjoyed this first in a new series by Christopher Farnsworth and look forward to reading the next book due out in 2017.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Curious Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Janet Evanovich Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine/Bantam. Hmm, so Janet Evanovich allowed her name to be used in connection with this book. Well, there she goes off my list of auto-buy authors. From now on I will allow others to take the chances. Do you by chance remember the cartoon and comic book character Richy Rich? Well, he's in here. How about if Nancy Drew grew up, went to Harvard Business School and then Harvard Law School and lost her common sense along the way? Yep, she's here. Remember the Marx Brothers films where they do all the pratfalls and come up laughing? Yes, lots of that too. Is it high on your list to read about exotic animals and their "pooh"? Well, you need to get ready for that because one of these authors is really fascinated with the word pooh. The book reads like a comedy script with the yuck-yuck jokes flying thick and fast. What it does not read like is a serious murder mystery. I have no objection to lighter moments being included in a mystery novel, however, this level of comedy makes a mockery of the fact that there are murders committed. Murder as in killed, dead, no longer alive. And to make it even worse there isn't even a good mystery to be solved. Everything is handed to the reader on a plate. There are two reasons I gave this book a one star rating: 1) Phoef Sutton got a book published and I never have, 2) it was as low as I am allowed to go. I seriously didn't like this book.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Ghost Talkers; Author: Visit Amazon's Mary Robinette Kowal Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge. Alternate history, ghosts, spies, and a sweetly wonderful romance; just the kind of novel tailor made for me. I have never read anything else written by Mary Robinette Kowal and I can't help but believe this will begin a trend in marking me as a fan. The idea for this novel being centered around spiritual mediums, mostly women, who were "doing their part" in The Great War is simply an abundant orchard with fruit waiting to be harvested. There are so many directions Kowal can go with the second novel (what I'm actually saying is that I hope there will be a second novel). In this war women were allowed to be nurses but that was about as far as their gender could go toward the war effort short of growing more vegetables and knitting more scarves and socks. This story gives women a very special place to serve, in the Spirit Corps. To most of the world they appear as women who have volunteered to present a calm, friendly face to men who are going to the front or just returning. While some of the women are doing this another group is taking part in the secret missions of having mediums conduct interviews with the spirit of men killed in battle in order to gain almost instant battlefield reports. Then comes the news that the Central Powers have found out about the mediums and are going to try to eliminate them. Ginny Stuyvesant is an American, a medium, and the fiancé of Captain Ben Harford, a British officer in the espionage service. Together they are doing their part to fight the war according to their own talents. The mixing of the circles of mediums anchored by mundanes along with the ability of mediums and sensitives to detect auras surrounding others was quite fascinating and was written so well that it made the concept feel as if it should have been used in reality during the real war. The stories of the soldiers who knew they had died yet still felt it was their duty to report in to the Spirit Corps were sad and yet fulfilling at the same time. The concept of the ghosts grew as the story progressed so the book continued to be fresh and interesting. Having the spy angle become a major factor kept me guessing and therefore fully involved in what was going to happen. There is a lot of action which takes place just getting around from one location to the next, but I have to keep reminding myself to consider the time period in which the action is happening so walking between towns doesn't seem such an unreasonable thing to do. While the ending wasn't what I would call satisfactory, it was realistic and it did work. Now it's on to the second book so I can see how this particular type of talent or gifts was used to solve the next set of problems.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nothing Short of Dying: A Clyde Barr Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Erik Storey Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Scribner. I think there is the possibility of a good thriller series buried under the mound of dead bodies in this debut novel introducing Clyde Barr. I didn't connect enough with the lead character to make me anxiously await the second book in the series, though. Clyde doesn't really have much for me to connect with in this first book. Okay, he finds himself coming to the aid of underdogs, people having a hard time, people being mistreated. That's it? That's a pretty thin premise to set a series on. Clyde needs a whole range of things to make him more interesting because just killing people isn't going to keep readers interested for very long or at least not this reader. And it isn't even the high body count which was the problem for me. There is one series I follow where the protagonist went up against twelve professional assassins in the first book and lived to tell the tale, but the encounters were smart and different each time and showed the ability to think through a problem. Not Clyde; no Clyde goes barreling ahead and then tries to figure out how to work out the problem once the bullets, arrows or knives begin to fly. If author Erik Storey can formulate his main character into someone other than a one dimensional killer, and if he can ignore the comparisons between Clyde and Jack Reacher (really, there's only one Jack Reacher and comparisons are not doing this author any favors), then Clyde can become someone I want to read about and follow in his exploits. I'm hoping that growth of the character happens and I'm willing to give a second book a try.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Brown Belt Sudoku (Martial Arts Puzzles Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Rios Page; Review: No wonder these puzzles are so easy........I bought the wrong book! I was so happy when my replacement book arrived so I sat down to work the first puzzle and it was a whiz-through, the same for the second, third, fourth, fifth, and on and on until I really looked at the cover this morning and discovered I had bought the Brown Belt Sudoku by Michael Rios. Drat! and this even deserves a Double Drat! The good thing I can definitely say about this collection of puzzles is that the pages are perforated. They can easily be removed from the book in order to solve them. I always have to use a box cutter to remove puzzles from the binding of these types of puzzle collections because it makes it so much easier for me to work and solve the puzzle. This book has perforated pages, my favorite books do not. I've been doing the Brown Belt Sudoku puzzles by Frank Longo for years, buying the same book over and over because I love the difficulty level and will never in a million years remember how to solve each puzzle after I've gone through 300 of them. I like that the Longo puzzles are solvable, but lots of the puzzles really make me stretch and work for it. When I got this new book out of the package I never even bothered to look at the author. So...........I will keep solving these EASY puzzles whenever my brain needs some relaxing time from the Longo Brown Belt puzzles, but, believe me, I will be much more careful about paying attention to the author from now on. I really wish the covers of the books were not so similar. I'm off to place my order for the book I really wanted in the first place.....by Frank Longo. I've been solving Sudoku puzzles for at least 25 years now, even before they became known by the Japanese name. I've worked all the degrees of the martial arts books and settled on the brown belt because those puzzles don't make me crazy like the black belt puzzles can. Enjoy finding your own level of difficulty.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Murder with Majesty; Author: Visit Amazon's Amy Myers Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Endeavour Press. Edit: Since posting this review I have become aware that this is not the first book in this series. Since there seem to be differing opinions on what the book number actually is, I've decided to leave the review as it was originally written. This is the first book in the Auguste Didier series, but it surely does read as if there was another case previously worked by Auguste and his friend Chief Inspector Egbert Rose of Scotland Yard. The original publication date for this book was 1999, but that is of no consequence since the story takes place in 1905 in the Kentish village of Frimhurst with a wedding taking place at Farthing Court between Arthur, Lord Montfoy and Gertrude Pennyfather, daughter of the American soft drink millionaire. Auguste is a master chef but he only cooks for His Majesty King Edward VII under specific circumstances. You see, Auguste is married to a distant relation of His Majesty so he gets called on to provide the fare for special occasions taking place outside the royal residences. If this all sounds like very familiar historical mystery stuff, think again. This is the last time anything will be as you think it is in this novel. The village of Frimhurst is pretty much owned by the Montfoy family so when word comes down that an old fashioned English traditional village is needed to impress the bride in the upcoming wedding, Frimhurst gets its act together and pulls out all the stops. This place turns itself into such a caricature of an Old English Village it is totally unrecognizable from the reality. Murder is real though and the woods are literally and figuratively full of suspects. Nobody is where they say they were and lies come thick and fast because it seems political intrigue has managed to insinuate itself into what should be a pretty basic wedding. Didier is involved on both sides of the baize door because of his tenuous relationship with His Majesty, who, by the way, is not officially even supposed to be on the premises when the murder happens. It all gets very mixed up and if you can spot this killer you deserve a prize. I think this book would really be more of a 3.5 star read for me because I found myself getting impatient with it many times. There is a lot of emphasis on French cuisine with the names of French food floating around like dust motes because of their numbers, but thankfully there are no actual recipes. That would have been a step too far for me. Take my advice and make your own crib sheet with the names of the characters on it and who or what they are because I found myself often having to ask, Now who is she? Auguste Didier is quite an engaging character and I enjoyed his interplay with both royalty and commoner alike. There are many more books in this series so if you like this; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dark Omens (A Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain); Author: Visit Amazon's Rosemary Rowe Page; Review: Libertus seems to have more commissions in this Rosemary Rowe historical mystery than he can likely handle. Well, if you believe that it can only be because you haven't read any of the other novels in this series. Rowe does such a good job of showing the reader the full spectrum of life in Roman Britain with all the obstacles of living under the rule of conquerors, but we also see the benefits when someone such as Libertus has a patron as powerful as Marcus Septimus Aurelius. The news comes from Rome that Emperor Commodus is dead and Marcus plans to travel there in the depth of winter to stand by his patron and friend Pertinax as he is proclaimed the successor to the throne. As always, Marcus has sleuthing he wants Libertus to do. It's the new year and things aren't going too well with bad omens seeming to be everywhere. Two dead bodies don't help matters either. How can Libertus fulfill a commission he took on in time to be paid the double fee but still help his neighbor who has had the most appalling bad luck lately? I enjoy these novels by Rosemary Rowe because she melds the history with the fiction in such a way that it's hard to tell when you are reading something that actually happened in Roman times. Her mysteries are always challenging to solve and it is a pleasure to be back in the households of Libertus, his adopted son, his patron and his friends and neighbors.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dead Man Walking: A country house murder mystery with a supernatural twist (An Ishmael Jones Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Simon R. Green Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. I read the first book in this series (The Dark Side of the Road) in 2015 and gave it four stars because I liked that one and felt there was a lot of potential for it becoming a series. Obviously that has happened with the publication of this second book retaining the premise of the first. I liked this second book, but it was actually pretty much a remake of the first. Still a group of people trapped in an isolated location with outside help unavailable. Let the spooky murders commence. Ishmael Jones works for the Organization, his only contact with the group is through the Colonel. Yep, that type of super secret Organization. The men meet in London where the Colonel reveals that a former Organization assassin turned enemy agent wants to return to the fold and "retire". Frank Parker claims to have vital information about traitors within the Organization and names of competing assassin for hire groups which he will exchange for the Organization helping him disappear from the assassin radar forever - but still be alive and kicking. Jones is to travel to the Organization's secret facility, Ringstone Lodge, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Naturally this place is reputed to be haunted and is avoided by all the locals. The Colonel wants Jones to question Parker before the official interrogation begins to be sure this man actually is Parker. With all the plastic surgery available it is thought that only one agent could possible spot another agent under all that reconstruction. Ishmael Jones and Penny Belcourt, from Belcourt Manor in book number one, set off by train to try to spot the spy. My first problem came when this super incredibly secret Organization allowed a total nonentity (Penny Belcourt) to become involved in their super incredibly secret business just because Jones said he wants to have her as his partner. What? No vetting, no investigation into her background, no training? Okay, so I just swallowed hard and rolled my eyes and continued to read - artistic license must be allowed in some cases even if it doesn't quite make sense or follow the established premise. My second problem came once the duo arrived at Ringstone (which my brain insisted on seeing as Ringtone!) and it became perfectly obvious after the first death who was behind it all. Now that one is harder to swallow and be happy about it. My third problem is that the combination of Ismael and Penny sends the dialogue off into very close to the "hackneyed" zone for me. She doesn't add anything to the plot, in my opinion, and is just there so Ishmael can talk about his origins. I can do without Penny. I still enjoyed the novel so can legitimately give my four star rating (actually 3.5 rounded up). But......I will try book number three only after I see reviews of it. Once with a plot line was good, twice with the same plot line was very iffy,; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Foreign Bodies: A mystery set in Ancient Rome (A Marcus Corvinus mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's David Wishart Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. I have been reading this mystery series set in ancient Rome for a while now and absolutely can't wait to find out what Marcus Corvinus is up to in each new book. The humor is wry and there is a lot of it, which suits me fine because it is so well done and natural, and the juxtaposition of ancient Roman times with modern language makes the books lighter and easier to read without going into the "cozy" category. This particular book, however, took off into the "oh, my gosh, where in the world is he headed" realm. To say it bogged down in all the plots, sub-plots and city names in ancient Gaul would be an understatement for me. If I knew the Latin word for "struggle" I would put it right here. I really wish the list of Gaul to French city names had been included at the front of the book, but now YOU will know to look in the back of the novel when your cursory research only turns up Georgia and Maine as locations for Augusta. (To help you along, Lugdunum = Lyon, Augusta = Trier.) Even though I usually lap these stories up like cream from a saucer, this one was way too heavy on the traveling from Rome through various cities in Gaul with a long cast of characters in each town with names my poor, tired brain just couldn't hold on to before it was time to move again and add even more Rome/Gaul named characters. If you are a student of this time period, AD 42, which I'm not, you will notice that the revolt spoken of is made up by our esteemed author. He confesses this in his Author's Note at the end of the story. Quite frankly the entire premise that Tiberius Claudius Caesar would send Corvinus all that distance to investigate a murder was stretching it a bit too thin for me. I absolutely loved the novel until we arrived in Gaul, but once there it really became a drag. I shall wait patiently and read the next book when it is released. If you are new to this series, do yourself a favor and pick a different novel to start off with. You'll be glad you did for two reasons: #1) this has been a great series for me; #2) you will be ready for this one when you get to it.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies; Author: Ross King (author); Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA. The artists who led The Impressionist Period are, for the most part, my favorite artists. I've not tried to choose a "favorite" because different paintings by different artists give me pleasure in varying ways. Claude Monet has always been special and his water lilies in particular give me great pleasure in simply standing before a painting and losing myself in the picture. I've not read any works by Ross King and I have to admit I hesitated before requesting this book because I was afraid it might lean either too far toward the technical aspects of each painting or it might simply be a dry as dust listing of facts. Neither of those could possibly be farther from what I found. Claude Monet came alive for me in this book. His family, his friends, his works, his struggles and successes also came vividly alive under the skillful handling of Mr. King. Monet was not an easy man to deal with from both personal and professional aspects and this book does not try to gloss over those portions of his life. The need to paint, not just the water lilies but all the scenes which have defined the French countryside around Giverny is presented as a compulsion which drove Monet to produce the masterpieces we now see, even though they weren't considered masterpieces for a long time while he was still alive. Reading about how Monet destroyed hundreds of his paintings was positively painful to me as I was reading about his physical problems with his eyesight in his later life. Ross King has given us a view of Claude Monet which feels personal and private. I enjoyed every minute of the time I spent reading this wonderful book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nessie: Exploring the Supernatural Origins of the Loch Ness Monster; Author: Nick Redfern; Review: I received an e-ARC copy of this book through NetGalley and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. I would first like to state that I saw the title of this book and was intrigued. I did not then, nor do I now, hold any beliefs about what the Loch Ness Monster is. I simply saw a title, was curious, wanted to read the book, and my request was granted by the publisher. At the beginning of the book I highlighted a statement by the author: "As my book shows, there is demonstrable evidence that the monsters of Loch Ness are of a definitively supernatural - rather than a flesh and blood - nature." That's a pretty darn strong statement which must be backed up by facts. But it was not backed up by anything other than the suppositions and beliefs of the author. When someone attempts to provide proof of anything paranormal they take on a very heavy burden of evidence which will, by its very nature, be open to interpretation on all sides. Rick Redfern believes that there is not just one Nessie, but at least several Nessies and perhaps many supernatural creatures which have all fallen under the same name regardless of how different these creatures may appear to the humans seeing them. Creatures appearing both on land and in the waters of lakes in the Loch Ness region of Scotland. But, gosh darn it, nobody seems to have had a camera handy in order to have at least photographic evidence of these land or air sightings. Even a blurry, over exposed picture would be better than nothing, but no, nothing like proof for the weirdness walking around in the woods or flying around in the skies. The author's answer to this is that these creatures are paranormal and they can freeze a person in their tracks to such an extent they totally forget to take a picture. Even in the rare cases when a photograph does exist of Nessie the paranormal aspect reaches down into the postal service or a newspaper office and makes the evidence disappear. I could go on about how poorly the book is written from a literary standpoint, but there really isn't any reason to. Mr. Redfern stated that he could prove his statement, but Mr. Redfern did not come anywhere close to doing that. Just believing something yourself does not automatically translate into evidence or proof. One very curious thing was revealed in this book, though, the fact that the author went with his parents on a trip to Loch Ness when he was a young boy - about 7 or 8 years old if I remember correctly. Where is the information in this book regarding personal experiences this author has had in exploring this Loch Ness Monster phenomenon? Descriptions of personal experiences would have at least lent some validity to the author's argument. I remain completely unchanged in my belief of what the Loch Ness monster actually is - I simply don't know. I can say that reading this book gave me quite a few chuckles; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Haunted Bridges: Over 300 of America's Creepiest Crossings; Author: Visit Amazon's Rich Newman Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. I have to admit that I was curious. I saw this title offered on NetGalley and wanted to see how a book covering 300 of America's creepiest bridges would be presented and whether it would pique my interest to go have a look. The layout of the book is very simple; each chapter puts the focus on a specific type of haunting then arranges the bridges alphabetically by state with a brief synopsis of the type of paranormal activity which has been most often reported for each bridge and any additional pertinent information given by the author. It actually works well in this format. The chapters cover these types of activity: hangings and lynchings, invisible hands, sad suicides, crybaby bridges, phantoms from the past, the dead hitchhiker, scary creatures, scene of the crime, mysterious lights, unfortunate accidents, and unaccounted oddities. The author, Rich Newman, has a very light and informal approach to relating the information and he gives tips for things such as accessibility of the bridge, restrictions placed on the bridge by its location and everyday use, structural safety conditions, and whether or not it is a local spooky party hang-out for teens and other thrill seekers. I enjoyed Newman's style of presenting the material. He understands that not everyone is a believer in the paranormal and he tells readers that they may or may not come away with any describable episode. If you are someone who wants to visit haunted bridges, there is a section in the back of the book where the bridges mentioned are gathered by the state they are in. From there it would be just a short jump to finding specific directions. It is emphasized many times that some of these bridges are in very poor structural condition and it is always best to investigate with a friend and to make sure to take safety precautions if a bridge might be unsafe. I would also add that it might be a good idea to check with law enforcement in the area to be sure you are allowed to approach the bridge in question if it is not in good structural condition. Each explanation for paranormal activity for individual bridges is very short and there are no photographs in the book. I understand Mr. Newman's problems. How often can you begin a sentence with the fact that you are repeating an urban legend without being boringly redundant? Newman strikes a good balance between the interesting anecdote and the necessary repetition. I also know that a book with pictures of each bridge would be both cost prohibitive and, in some cases, impossible because the actual bridge has been destroyed. I'm sure paranormal enthusiasts will find great pleasure in making lists of all the bridges they want to investigate. Maybe starting with their own state first then branching out. I wish you happy hunting.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Murder in the Goblins' Playground (DCI Arthur Ravyn Mysteries) (Volume 1); Author: Ralph E. Vaughan; Review: This was a well written, suspense filled, intricately plotted novel. I'm so glad I found this book and was able to read it because I think author Ralph Vaughan has a wonderful talent for setting up one heck of a spooky atmospheric mystery novel. Set in the fictional English county of Hammershire this book has all kinds of things that don't just go bump in the night, they also will get people killed. The tiny village of Ashford has come to the attention of a group of outsiders who want to bring in development in the form of houses and a Tesco against the wishes of most of the Ashford residents. And yet, slowly the tide seems to be turning in the favor of the developer with a little money under the table here, a good job there, a remodeled business . In short, these City men know what it will take to convince the most vocal residents to change their mind and vote for progress. But that was all before they ran into the Three Sisters and the whisperings and flashes of light in the ancient wood. Then the first murder happens and Detective Chief Inspector Arthur Ravyn and Detective Sergeant Leo Stark have to learn how to work together as partners to solve a mystery where they can't even figure out what the murder weapon is. Even the ancient past is alive and well in Ashford. This main character, Arthur Ravyn, is very well developed and his ties to this village from his childhood gives the story even more depth. I am absolutely looking forward to more novels in this series. Witches, elves, paganism, mysterious standing stones, a haunted wood, and buried secrets....yes, it's all here and very well done too.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox; Author: Visit Amazon's Carol Burnett Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Crown Publishing. If you are fortunate enough to have seen some (or all) of the live performances of the eleven seasons of The Carol Burnett Show, this book is sure to have you remembering, laughing, and even sighing gently to yourself about "the good old days". Even though the programs have gone into syndication that doesn't mean you get to see the entire show; those programs only show the comedy sketches. If you want to see the musical segments included in each show you can purchase the full seasons on videos. Just imagine, doing eleven years of a comedy-variety show and holding it all together for all but the final year with the returning performers. Quite an undertaking. This book is also quite an undertaking because Ms. Burnett lets us all go with her behind the scenes of the entire 276 shows from 1967 to 1978. That's a tall undertaking. There are summaries of many of the comedy skits and anecdotes about the ideas which worked well and those which were not quite as successful. Reading this book is like opening the pages of who's who in the entertainment industry of those years. This is a very positive book, perhaps because Carol Burnett seems to have a positive personality in real life, but there are not any snippy comments or negative incidents included. Even when she had to gather up her courage and fire one of the original cast members there are no negative comments at all. That is quite an accomplishment and one of the things which makes this book such a relaxing, fun filled, joy to read. At the end of the book there is a wealth of information included in Appendix 1 listing every show during each season with things such as date the program originally aired and who the guest star is. Appendix 2 lists who the writers were for each of the eleven seasons. Some of my favorite segments of the book deal with the Q & A times with the audiences and the skits which included Tim Conway. Really, it's hard to not enjoy this book if you liked watching the series because the writing of Carol Burnett feels exactly like the off-script Carol Burnett - someone you could meet in the grocery store and have a good, old fashioned gossip with. Thank you, Ms. Burnett, this was a wonderful escape back into a time when comedy didn't have to bristle with profanity to be considered funny. Many is the time I ended up reaching for the Kleenex box to wipe away the tears streaming down my face from laughing so much my face and sides hurt. What great television that was.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Secrets of Wishtide (A Laetitia Rodd Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Kate Saunders Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA. I absolutely enjoyed this novel from first page to last. I read a lot of historical mysteries and I'm delighted to say that Kate Saunders pleased me in all aspects of this novel. The only thing which would add to my enjoyment was knowing there will be more Laetitia Rodd stories. What a well constructed character she was, old enough to be settled and solid without being stodgy (52) and yet having the intelligence to work out feasible answers to the mysteries she investigated. Mrs. Rodd is the widow of a clergyman living in reduced circumstances but making the best of any difficulty she faces. Two years into her widowhood she still misses her husband dreadfully but has found that she can earn money to add to her meager income by helping her brother, a criminal barrister, in the investigations for his cases. Fred one time called her services "Management and Prevention of Scandal". He wasn't far from wrong. In this first book in the series Mrs. Rodd is hired to go to Wishtide in Lincolnshire on behalf of Sir James Calderstone. It seems that the son of Sir James has gotten himself involved with a woman his parents deem unsuitable and they want Mrs. Rodd to investigate and find out the true history of this woman. It all sounded so simple in the beginning. Taking place in 1850-1851 this wonderfully written period mystery novel has a reasonableness often missed by other authors I've read. I know the times were different then, but I still need to see the characters in a novel react to circumstances in a level-headed way. Too much flightiness and the characters seem to be caricatures of the times, too much stodginess and they are dull and boring. Ms. Saunders hit just the right note for me to like the characters she invented. That is what I always look for because I can't enjoy helping solve a mystery if I don't like the people I'm reading about. This book provided me with some lovely reading time and I'm looking forward to more novels in the future.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd: A Flavia de Luce Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Bradley Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine. My rating for this novel is 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because the writing is definitely better than deserving of only 2.5 stars. Unfortunately for me that's about all I can say that pleased me with this eighth novel in the series. The portions of this novel which caused me to lower my rating are the types of things which would be considered spoilers and I certainly don't want to spoil the book for any other reader. I read this book back in June, I even read it a second time. I could not post my review here on Amazon until the book publication date and I was hoping to find that the second reading would show that I had just not been in the proper receptive mood the first time, but that is not the case. I still didn't like the portrayal of this Flavia nor the ending of the novel which I consider to be terrible. In this story the de Luce family is suffering through a crisis but at times that plot element is pushed so far into the background that I began to wonder if the author had forgotten about it. I realize that Flavia is now 12 years old, but it is also important to remember that she left for Canada in September and she is now back at Buckshaw in late December. No matter how much we as readers want to allow this child to grow up and mature that simply wasn't enough time for her to have made the leaps required to do the things she did in this story. And where were the adults who should have been supervising her? Only Dogger paid any attention to the places she was going and even he left her alone to do as she pleased most of the time. The mystery itself in this book was not very satisfactory from many angles for me, but I found myself really disturbed by the reaction Flavia had when she found the body. This was a death scene which was truly bizarre and yet she never slowed down for a second in reaction to the circumstances. The whole book was filled with incidences that I felt were going too far to expect a 12 year old to deal with in such an unemotional way. The ending was not just a shock to me, it also put me at the end of my patience with the series. Two books in a row, each unsatisfactory for me in its own way adds up to me knowing it is time for me to say farewell to this series. I'm truly sorry about that.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Family Plot: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Cherie Priest Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge. Take my word for it, this is one scary novel. My only reason for not giving it five plus stars is the ending which would seem to indicate that this will become the first novel in a series. I sincerely hope there will be more books, but going into the book expecting it to be a stand alone and then encountering that ending bumped me down with quite a thump. Not so much disappointed as questioning. At times I actually wanted to stop reading the book, to go do something else, but I absolutely could not. On American television there is a program called Salvage Dawgs featuring the company Black Dog Salvage and their experiences in removing important historical architectural artifacts from old homes being renovated or demolished. This author, Cherie Priest, saw one of the episodes of that program and an idea for this book was born. Having watched that program myself, I can certainly see how Ms. Priest came up with this very scary paranormal story. Here the salvage company is called Music City Salvage based in Nashville, Tennessee, and the owner has been offered the chance to run a salvage operation on the entire Withrow estate outside Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. The home was built in 1882, but Augusta Withrow is the last member of her family and she wants to donate the land to an historic battlefield organization once the buildings have been demolished. Chuck Dutton has to find some way to get the money to pay Ms. Withrow the fee she's asking because this salvage could be the one that keeps his family business going until he collects some outstanding debts. He sends his daughter, Dahlia, to supervise the salvage along with two other family members and a summer part-time employee. It didn't take any time at all for the paranormal elements to begin showing up in this novel, but the story is told so well that the author makes it seem perfectly normal for odd things to begin to happen as soon as the team arrives at the house. The intensity of the unusual episodes moves along at a rather sedate but acceptable pace until Dahlia decides to take a shower in the "Mamie Eisenhower pink bathroom". Suddenly the reader is thrown headlong into an incident which makes the Bates Hotel shower scene seem low-key. Honestly, if there had been dramatic music accompanying the shower scene in this book I probably would have found myself throwing the book down and running for the hills! Cherie Priest has done an outstanding job of developing the characters and their relationship to each other as well as giving the reader much more than one ghost to haunt them. There is a very definite reason this book is called The Family Plot! And yet the book is not just a ghost story because the salvage of the material on the property is fully included in the story, it isn't just an excuse for being in the house, and; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Purloined Poodle (Oberon's Meaty Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Kevin Hearne Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novella through NetGalley and Subterranean Press. First, please be aware that this is a novella, 112 pages in length. If you've read any of the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne and you are a dog lover, you have most likely formed a great attachment to Oberon the Irish Wolfhound belonging to Atticus - the Druid featured in the series. Oberon is so interesting to read about because you never know what he will understand and what Atticus will need to explain to him. These instances provide teaching moments for Atticus and learning moments for Oberon and often even for the reader. So, having set the stage the only other thing you need to know is that Atticus and Oberon communicate by thoughts, but Oberon can understand what other humans say as well. In a trip to the local dog park Atticus and Oberon find out about the theft of a Grand Champion Poodle. As they are talking to that owner they discover that other Grand Champions are being kidnapped but no ransom is ever demanded. This leads Atticus to the supposition that the dogs are being put out to stud and the fees collected by the kidnappers. So the investigation is on with Atticus and Oberon almost getting into hot water because of their ability to "shift" from place to place through the astral plane. Investigating police detectives would just never understand that concept. During the investigation one of the pet owners is found dead and an entirely new aspect of the case begins to demand intensified action. I enjoyed this a whole lot. Oberon is one of my favorite fictional characters and I think Mr. Hearne has a wonderful touch with writing realistic dialog between a human and a dog. If you've never tried one of the Iron Druid novels, this might be just the impetus you need to get you started with those. Start with the first book so you get the full understanding of the world being portrayed and the mystical powers of the characters.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Iron Water, The: A Victorian police procedural (A Tom Harper Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Chris Nickson Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. This is the fourth title in the Inspector Tom Harper mystery series and I have to admit to being a little surprised when I saw it offered on NetGalley since I had just read Skin Like Silver: A Victorian Police Procedural in March of this year. However, I was pleased to be allowed to read this one since I had liked the other so much. All of the favorite characters are back and there is even a newly promoted detective working on Detective Inspector Tom Harper's team. In 1893 Leeds has just been given its designation as a city so everyone is trying to become accustomed to reacting to problems as large cities do instead of just a town. It makes a difference to the police department because they have a lot to prove to other cities and nobody wants to tarnish the newly minted city's reputation. Inspector Harper happens to be on the scene when a body comes floating to the top of Waterloo Lake in Roundhay Park. This corpse had been tied to a weight and would likely have remained hidden if it hadn't been for the torpedoe practice. (Yes, I know, but that's how the word was spelled at first.) Fortunately the nude body was identified very quickly, but the same could not be said for the dismembered leg of a woman which was found later. This story has the central theme of someone trying to force warfare between two rival criminal bosses, but there is also the plot line of Harper's wife deciding to sell her business, the growing suffragette movement in Leeds, and the specter of Scotland Yard taking over what turns into a multiple murder case. My personal preference in mystery novels is to have only a small amount of personal involvement outside the crimes and this novel stepped way, way over that boundary line for me. It actually felt as if the main mystery almost became of slightly less importance under all the other activities taking place in the personal life of Harper and his wife. That isn't true, but now that I look back on the book after several days, that's the feeling that floats to the top of my memory. I will give this series another chance since I was still able to assign a four star designation to the book, but I'm starting to feel like I'm on thin ice with this series. I'm afraid the suffragettes are only going to take up more and more space in the upcoming novel. Especially with DI Harper's wife playing such a leading role in the organization. I'll have to wait and see. By the way, just in case you are wondering, The Iron Water refers to the color of the water in Waterloo Lake.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Flash Point: A Psychological Thriller (A Dr Jenna Ramey Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Colby Marshall Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. If you have not read any of the previous books in this series, you will probably be as much at sea as I was trying to figure out what was going on. Normally I find an author gives me enough backstory information so I can pretty much pick up a series at any point. Not here. The author made no attempt to work new readers into what had come before for this team of investigators or characters associated with them. I kept plugging away at it hoping for some relief but that isn't something I'm ever going to find enjoyable in a novel. That's negative point #1. Negative points #2 and #3 will be explained later. Dr. Jenna Ramsey is a member of an FBI special team because she "sees" colors associated with crimes - grapheme-color synesthesia - and this specialized team is built around that ability. A group of killers has invaded a bank during business hours and killed twenty-one people, but left one bank employee alive to pass on a message from the group. Jenna immediately begins to pick up on the literary references contained in the formal note left at the scene. Now the rush is on to find the motives of the group by solving the riddles from literature. Negative point #2 concerns how easy it was to spot the twist once all the impediments were dealt with. This is the second novel I've read recently where someone has the gift of seeing colors (or auras) and works for the FBI. Flash Point was not the book I enjoyed the most. Which leads me to my negative point #3 -- this is a cliffhanger ending. From what I can piece together from beginning to read this novel this one picks up at the clifftop where the last one left off. I don't like the cliffhanger device in crime novels, period, but especially not in one where I'm constantly feeling I'm missing something which the author could have easily filled in. So, not a favorite and I will not be reading the previous books or any that come later.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Assassins: A British mystery series set in 1920s London (Inspector Stark Mystery); Author: Jim Eldridge; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. Assassins is the first book in a new series and one which I enjoyed reading. In 1921 London the just finished war is a subject which can still cause troubles, especially for the lower classes of service men who returned with serious injuries and the widows and children of fighting men who died in the fighting. Into this swirling atmosphere comes Detective Chief Inspector Paul Stark and his Detective Sergeant Robert Danvers. This is a novel in which the class system of Britain plays a major role and Stark and Danvers are prime examples of this. However, in this novel author Jim Eldridge has been very clever in reversing the social standings of his main characters. Stark is from a "lower" class than his Sergeant. Allowing these two men to get to know each other and learn to work well together was quite interestingly written and a pleasure to read. The novel is presented mainly from the viewpoint of Stark, but also allows the reader to see situations from the point of view of Danvers. Another quite interesting technique the author used was to allow the reader to learn, along with the investigative team, who was responsible for committing the murders only to add the twist of revealing that the story very definitely doesn't end here. The field of possible suspects is crowded in this novel from the Irish delegation in London negotiating a vote for home rule for Ireland to the British Communist Party becoming a force among the dissatisfied returning soldiers to a shadowy whisper of another group the police can't identify. Winston Churchill is very active in trying to drive the police investigation into the murders in the direction he wants the police to go. People who are admirers of Churchill will probably not be enamored of the way the author has written this Winston. Special Branch comes into conflict with DCI Stark and the poor man finds himself in the middle of everyone's political struggles while he only wants to solve the murders he has on hand and keep more from happening. With two murdered VIPs, Stark needs to find what connects them before the investigation begins to make sense. Before any appreciable headway is made, however, there is another assassination. This mix of characters and writing elements shows promise of becoming a real favorite for readers who want to experience what life was really like in this time period of British history, even if only in a fictionalized version. Stark, Danvers and their families, colleagues, friends, and enemies are well written and fully developed characters. Definitely recommended for a reader looking for something quite different in the genre.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Tale of the Dancing Slaughter Horse: A Memoir; Author: Victoria Shade; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing. If I had known that I was going to be reading the story of a young girl from seven years old to when she graduated from high school, I most likely would not have requested this book. Going through all of the drama involved with Victoria and the awakening to her love of all things horse as well as hearing about her traumatic family situation was just not what I had bargained for. Maybe my review will help someone else have more information before they pick up the book to read. It would be my supposition that the book is a means of showing how the focus of love and attention on Moonshine helped Victoria cope with her family instability. Well, in that case, a clearer picture of everything that was going on in the family should have been explained better. Not just the references to adults screaming at each other all the time, not just the parents in their constant custody battles for the two young girls. If you are going to open that can of worms, be prepared to give clear explanations for why these actions are happening. The family drama was a serious turn-off for me because I never fully understood it. Victoria can quote conversations she had at the age of eight verbatim but can't give precise reasons for why this book opens with her parents in full fledged screaming battle. So, here are some questions I ask myself during the time I'm reading a book and after I've finished: 1.) Did I mind when I had to put the book aside to do other things? No. 2.) Was I anxious to get back to reading after an interruption? No. 3.) Did I like the main character? No. 4.) Did anything in the book touch me deeply? No. 5,) Do I think the book was well written? No. 6.) Did I want to see a good outcome for the characters? Yes. 7.) Did I enjoy reading about the horse? Yes. I live in an area where there is a very active riding community. We have Olympic medalists show horses here. I'm familiar with the barn rats and the parents who spend thousands and thousands on buying horses, boarding horses, paying for lessons, paying traveling expenses, and all the other expenses that go into this sport. This book didn't give me enough of what it took for Victoria to overcome the abuse Moonshine had been through to make him a stable horse she could ride and teach. In addition, the young woman in this book didn't convince me that she had any understanding or concern for what her horse riding days cost her family. Her mother should have gotten a whole lot of praise and thanks for the hours and hours and hours, not even counting the money, she spent on Victoria's passion. But it's not here. I think that is due to the lack of quality writing.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Moth Catcher: A Vera Stanhope Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Ann Cleeves Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books. The only good thing about me waiting so long to experience my first immersive indulgence in this Ann Cleeves novel is that I know there are others I can read now that I'm thoroughly hooked. I certainly can't say this series has never been brought to my attention, but I finally made time and read one. What a satisfying time I spent getting to know Vera Stanhope and her investigative team. Outside Gilswick village, secluded in a valley not far from the Hall live three couples who have built their homes in their personal paradise. That might have been true at one time, but the first dead body leads to a second and the seemingly unconnected threads of two murder investigations begin to circle around coincidences involving either the residents of the valley themselves or someone they are close to. The hobby of moth catching and identification seems to be the only thing the two victims had in common. Vera Stanhope is not what these people would think of if they imagined a police Inspector, but Vera is exactly who they've got to deal with. And Vera doesn't trust in coincidence. Each of these characters are so well portrayed they feel as if they are real. Vera was a treat for me to meet in the pages of this story and she is the reason I will go looking for previous novels in the series and waiting for book #8 to be released. This is one of my favorite types of police procedural mystery novels; there are separate investigations by the team members, there are sessions where they all gather to compile the information they've dug up, but there are also private thoughts and actions by team members which show them to be more than automaton rule followers. This was a highly engaging novel and I contemplate reading more with delight.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Fell Hound of Adversity; Author: Visit Amazon's Parker T. Geissel Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and the author. This novel is such a mashed, smashed mix-up of genres it was hard to get a firm handle on how the author expected readers to react to it. Was it a spoof of fantasy novels? Was he going for the paranormal unknown menace? Was trying to be a genre bending combination of hard boiled, noir horror? Don't ask me because after reading the book I just know I didn't really like it very much because it just tried too hard. This book is supposed to be so "different", but the only difference I saw was the use of the IRS, a city mayor, a city auditor and politicians in general cast in the roles of villains. The world building is not done well enough for me to understand - or even care - about why an IRS agent has been sent to Adversity (also called the Charmed City) to do an audit. Yet, instead of doing actual auditing - which was never the point anyway - she and her henchmen spend the entire novel fighting "things" and people with killings and gore happening right and left. This is how the author describes the mission of Colonel Dashenka Ivanovna Stavrogin: "Colonel Stavrogin was sent by the Capital with special dispensation to mete out fiscal justice with extreme prejudice upon the local government." There is supposed to be a legendary creature in this town. Nobody will speak its name or talk openly about it because it likes to hear itself talked about and will come and kill, hurt, or generally disrupt things wherever you are. So throughout the whole novel we have this thing that can't be talked about but people are trying to kill. Oh, and let's not forget the package which people are beaten up to obtain when they don't even know about any package. Characters throughout the book are given very odd names with no purpose except to call attention to how odd they are so the reader will chalk up another mark toward how "different" this novel is from others like it. And there is the problem, it tries so hard to be different and yet ends up being like all the others - tough character with henchmen comes to clean up evil, dirty city politicians and in the process forms romantic attachments with local citizens. Do yourself a favor - if you plan to read this book, check out the 'look inside' feature on Amazon.com. If you like what you see there, go for it. I just wish I had followed my own advice.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Recipe Revival: Southern Classics Reinvented for Modern Cooks; Author: The Editors of Southern Living; Review: I've got a kitchen full of Southern Living cookbooks but this one just might have to take Pride of Place! Yes, for me this one is THAT good. Every region of the country has their particular styles of cooking. Naturally the same can be said about the South, but I just can't even tell you how many cookbooks purporting to be about Southern cooking don't even begin to come close. This book began to show its Southern roots from the first page and continues on to the last recipe. So, so many good things about this one that it's hard to know where to begin. The only small niggle of "gosh I wish" is that the artistic design team continues to make the pages darker than in the past. I liked those bright, clear colors for the recipe presentations and I wish they would rethink how they are doing this. Also, the print size is tiny..... This book is like opening my recipe scrapbook. I have probably hundreds of pages torn out of Southern Living magazines which are in clear plastic sheet protectors. A lot of my favorites are now in this cookbook; shrimp and grits, Texas caviar (made it last week), beef brisket two ways (made it last month), lowcountry boil (helped with one several months ago), lemonade chicken, and King Ranch chicken (made it several weeks ago). Those are just some of the cook-them-all-the-time recipes included in this book. Throughout the book there are menus for various functions called The Way We Dine. They are for 1970s Ladies Luncheon, 1980s Cocktail Party, 1990s Dinner Party, 2000s Potluck, and Today's Dessert Party. I went to a potluck just last week and took a recipe from 2000s Potluck.....and that was before I even got the cookbook! Each recipe is shown in full color, most with one page per recipe picture and one page for instructions except for something like various toppings for Fried Green Tomatoes. Each recipe also includes an introductory paragraph telling some of the history of the recipe - these are _must_ reads for me because this is where you truly delve into the why and how of the recipes. There are sidebar segments called Fresh Take and Flashback which are pretty self-explanatory, but fascinating reading anyway. Fresh Take will usually have an updated version of a recipe included. I love the section called Sideboard because this is where you will find all the vegetable casseroles Southern cooks make and take. Honestly, everybody I know who still cooks has at least two insulated casserole carriers. We make-and-take often and for a lot of different reasons. But this isn't just a cookbook of old recipes.....oh, no. There are so many new ideas and variations on traditional favorites that they will provide years of new things to try. I haven't even had the cookbook a full week yet and I've already tried Sorghum Vinagrette, Cornbread Madeleines, candied carrot curls and banana pudding shooters. My husband is a real nut over banana pudding. He says I can make the shooters again just any; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: America's Most Haunted Hotels: Checking In with Uninvited Guests; Author: Jamie Davis Whitmer; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Llewllyn Worldwide, Ltd. This is quite an interesting book to read, especially if you have just a basic interest in the broad subject of hauntings and paranormal investigations. I like the way the book is structured and I enjoyed the folksy and friendly atmosphere in which Jamie Whitmer wrote. She seems to take her subject seriously, but doesn't seem to expect that everyone else on the face of the earth does. She and her husband made trips to 10 hotels reputed to be rife with paranormal activity and spent at least one night in the facility. Thankfully she was very honest about the fact that she was not always able to report anything unusual happening during the stay. I would much rather hear that than to be bombarded with ghostly activity at an unbelievably high level. Ghosts probably don't always feel like playing 24 hours a day you know. The only times I felt my skepticism level shoot to the ceiling were when the author mentioned seeing a "zombie". I wonder how she uses that word in daily life because the people just sounded like street people with some serious physical or psychological problems to me. Zombies, hmm. There are ten haunted hotels investigated in this book, each having one full chapter of their own. Each chapter includes a history of the town and/or physical location of the property, history of the principal ghost or entity or location in the hotel, the experiences of the author, the experiences of the author's husband, photographs of the properties, then segments titled: If You Decide to Visit, Types of Tours & Hunts Offered, Tips/Suggested Itinerary which sometimes includes room rates, and Closest Airports. During the discussion of some of the properties Whitmer includes information she has gathered from other paranormal investigators or from books and articles written on the subject. The Conclusion portion of the book is extremely short and probably could have easily been lengthened. There is a Bibliography at the end of the book. At the beginning of the book Jamie Whitmer makes very clear her feelings about only wanting to make contact with non-malevolent spirits, dark forces need not try to make contact because they will not be acknowledged by the author or her husband. If you are looking for a book relating encounters with evil or dark spirits, you will need to look elsewhere. This was quite an entertaining book and I think it will bring the most enjoyment to readers who share the same feelings as the author regarding the spirit realm and whether there is anyone there to make contact with.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder Underground (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Mavis Doriel Hay Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. This is a British Library Crime Classics novel. If someone asked me whether or not they should read this book, I would say that it would be enjoyed more as an example of the early style of crime detection novels. If you like that old style of writing and crime solving, yes, absolutely you should read this book. I love to find and read these reprints of practically lost novels because it shows the bones and skeletons which writers who came after someone such as Mavis Doriel Hay built upon to get to where we are today in crime novels. This isn't the style of what is now classified as a cozy mystery, but it also isn't an example of grit and gore that you can find today. Some would call it stuffy, some would call it slow. I call it a fine example of the emerging craze for detective fiction. The best way for me to describe this novel would be by using the word chaotic. There are a lot of characters in the novel, none of them is the single lead character. Everyone goes off in different directions evading the police, purposely telling lies and reconstructing their actions during the times involved in the murder to keep themselves out of trouble. There are three "courting" couples, very different, and yet precisely the same because they do everything in their power to muddy the waters to keep the police from finding out the truth. It can get a little confusing at times because so much hangs on a precise timetable of events but the author doesn't actually give you that precise timetable all at one time. The author also doesn't have anybody tell everything they know about what happened all at once. The standard response seemed to be, Well, they didn't ask me. By the way, there is a Diagram of Chief Places (map), a family tree and a diagram of the Belsize Park Underground Station which _finally_ answered my question about something that had been driving me nuts. It was shown at approximately the 17% mark on my electronic reading device. I don't know why I love those little hidden gems of maps and other such things tucked away in a novel like this, but love them I do! Yes, this book is old fashioned in its writing techniques and language. Will you spot the murderer because the author "played fair" with the reader? Probably not because she didn't actually try to play fair. Are the police treated with disdain? Yes, for quite a way into the novel I didn't even know the name of the investigating officer. But, did I like the book? Absolutely.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Miss seeton rocks the cradle (Heron Carvic's Miss Seeton); Author: Visit Amazon's Hamilton Crane Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Farrago. I had to do a little sleuthing of my own to figure out why all the different author names on the Miss Seeton mystery series books. It turns out the original five books in the series were written by Heron Carvic who died in 1980. His intention had been to parody the novels of Agatha Christie featuring Miss Marple. Next was Roy Peter Martin writing three more Miss Seeton books using the name Hampton Charles. From book nine on the books have been written by Sarah J. Mason writing as Hamilton Crane. The entire series is being reissued in 2016 with the very distinctive covers which catch my eye and prompted me to request the galley. Now it am going to have to read one of the books written by Heron Carvic and one by Hampton Charles before deciding if I want to read more of the Miss Seeton books. Based on my reaction to this specific one I would be inclined to not read any further. I knew going into the book that it was a parody and that's fine with me, but this main character went overboard with the "ditheryness" and the embarrassment caused by her artistic "gift" and her seemingly mystical ability to provide clues/foretell solutions of crimes committed (?) or about to be committed (?) in her art work. The truly bazaar part of all that drawings/clues bit was that Miss Seeton herself never discussed anything she had drawn. Everything had to be interpreted by someone else because she was just too, too modest to see her gift as worthwhile in mystery solving. It got pretty darn tedious. Also pretty darn tedious were the lessons on the birds of Scotland and the history of Scotland all delivered by an expert author on both subjects who lived in this same tiny village. Quite a coincidence that, says I. What I did like were the action portions of the book - the times when something was actually happening to help solve the murder and explain the very strange behavior of the people in this tiny village in Scotland. But was it enough to lure me into reading more of this series? Well, if the books by Carvic and Charles are different enough from this one, yes. I like gentle old fashioned mysteries which take place in small village settings and include a protagonist that might not be expected to be helpful to the police. They provide a relaxing reading experience from the modern grim and gritty police procedurals and private investigator stories I enjoy so much. Even a parody of the old fashioned is usually fine with me. Unfortunately I couldn't quite understand the trancelike state Miss Seeton goes into to see into the future and then doesn't even try to figure out what the meaning is for what she has drawn. This Miss Seeton proved too self-effacing for me, but I'm hoping the other authors will have been a little different in their treatment of her personality. If; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hell Bay: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Will Thomas Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. I've been a fan of this series written by Will Thomas for a long time. Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn are just quirky enough to ensure that the cases they become involved in will be different from most crime solving investigators set in historical times. This case took place in 1889 and Llewelyn is writing it from his perspective of how the case unfolded back then. Astute readers (ahem, all of us) can figure out some important information from that fact alone. When I began reading this eighth novel in the series I was worried that Mr. Thomas had decided to fly a little too closely into the airspace firmly allotted to Dame Agatha Christie in her novel And Then There Were None, but even though there are many similarities, the differences are there. So the basic premise is that a group of guests have been invited to a week long house party to give the two sons of Lord and Lady Hargrave a chance to meet eligible young women with an eye to becoming engaged. The family lives on one of the Scilly Islands, Godolphin Island, belonging to the Hargrave family and accessible only by private ferry which runs when summoned by a signal. Lady Hargrave is the best friend of Mrs. Philippa Ashleigh who just happens to be of paramount importance to Cyrus Barker. Her Ladyship has high hopes that being part of the house party for a week will encourage Barker to propose to Mrs. Ashleigh. As if these wheels-within-wheels weren't enough, the French Ambassador is the godfather to the Hargrave daughter so that will nicely cover the true diplomatic reason for his invitation. If all of this sounds a little complicated, don't fret about that because soon after the travelers settle into their holiday setting on Godolphin Island they realize that they are under siege and only the death of every guest in the party will satisfy the unknown assassin. An unusual element in this story was how interesting the unknown assassin's story was. The author's planning of the methods of death went a little bit too far to be totally believable, but it did make this story stand out from most "stranded in a big house" murder mysteries. As always the character development by Mr. Thomas was first rate. I like that he doesn't mind at all allowing his main characters to exhibit flaws and to even fail in some of their endeavors. It's rather refreshing to know there will be surprises hidden away within the stories which make the characters resemble true flesh and blood people. I look forward to the next book in the series for another cracking good read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Girls Next Door: A gripping, edge-of-your-seat crime thriller (Detective Eden Berrisford crime thriller series) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Mel Sherratt Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Bookouture. This was my first venture into reading a novel written by Mel Sherratt. I see from checking the author out that there are many more books available, not all in this series. I have to confess to finding this one a very middle-of-the-road reading experience. It certainly wasn't bad, but it also didn't make me eager to get my hands on every book the author has ever written. I doubt that I will be trying any more books written by this author. The story takes place in a small English city which feels more like a small town because the feeling is that everybody knows each other. There are a group of teens in the fifteen to eighteen range who hang around together, but feel the need to go to the lower economic parts of town to do that. Most of them are doing things they shouldn't be doing with some of the activities much more serious than others. Then one night a murder takes place and everyone is paying the price for what some of them did. As the time approaches for the trials for those involved in the murder very frightening intimidation incidents happen to other members of the group. A police Detective Sergeant is involved in the murder case and now her teenage niece has been kidnapped. She is allowed to stay on the case and investigate. As I said, not a favorite novel for me because I found that I wasn't having any sympathy or empathy (or even curiosity) for any of the characters I should have cared about. That being said, it doesn't mean that other readers will not find it a much more engaging reading experience than I did.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Lost Child of Lychford (Witches of Lychford); Author: Visit Amazon's Paul Cornell Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this story through NetGalley and Macmillan Tor/Forge. This is the second novella in the Lychford village series by Paul Cornell. I would hesitate to recommend that someone begin with this second story. So much happened and was explained in the first story, Witches of Lychford, and that is very important information which is not as clearly presented in this second episode. I must confess to being surprised that this was another short story of less than 150 pages; I had made the assumption that Witches of Lychford released in September 2015 was an introduction to what would be a full length novel. Things didn't turn out that way. Judith (the witch) and Autumn (the witch apprentice) are once again joined by the Reverend Lizzie Blackmore who has been given some of the same gifts of sight as her two friends. Now Judith, who loves to give the appearance of being anti-social, is working in the magic shop owned by Autumn. Lizzie is tied up with the preparations for Christmas. All three friends begin to feel that all is not right with the boundaries they are charged to maintain between their world and the "other". When the lost child begins to appear before Lizzie her feelings of dread and helplessness take on startling manifestations. Unfortunately her friends are fighting battles of their own and cannot help her. So who will protect Lychford? I did enjoy this story, but this is one of the few times I think the story would have truly suffered if I had not already read the first novella. They are both so short I would advise readers new to this Lychford witches series to take the time to read the first story before moving on to this one. I think it will make you appreciate this one much more. I've now read two short stories about these characters and their fantasy/paranormal world. I'm ready for a full length novel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Inheritance: A Charles Lenox Mystery (Charles Lenox Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Finch Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. This was one of those wonderfully enjoyable reading experiences that you wish didn't have to come to an end. I love the way Charles Finch can make words flow across a page and into my mind so that I feel comfortable and completely at one with the story that is being told. For some unknown reason I have allowed myself to miss out on the last few novels in this series. What a terrible shame, but how delightful to know that I can go back and pick them up and enjoy them all. Even if you've never read any of the Charles Lenox mystery series you can begin comfortably here with #10 and feel perfectly at home. I am always amazed at how easily some authors can handle that feat while others turn the backstory into clunky, unwieldy pieces of sentences that I just want to hurry through. Charles Lenox went to Harrow as a boy. Of course he did, it was, after all, a family tradition. He befriended the one boy who was a complete outcast because he had absolutely no niche in which he fit. He wasn't socially connected, he didn't come from wealth, he seemed to be the opposite of endowed with average intelligence, he couldn't play sports; in fact Gerald Leigh wanted nothing so much as to go back to Cornwall and get out of this world in which some mysterious benefactor had placed him. Over time Lenox and Leigh became friends and as young boys their main project was to try to find out who the MB was who provided the funding for Gerald to attend Harrow. MB being mysterious benefactor, someone they tried desperately to uncover, but failed. Now, thirty years later, Leigh has arrived in London to collect an inheritance left him by an anonymous benefactor. It simply must be MB. Thank goodness Lenox now has a detective agency so he can devote time to solving this mystery once and for all. The historical atmosphere in which the novel is set is wonderful. Again, Finch uses featherweight touches to bring the reader to notice the inventions in this age which were to change the world. January 1877 is snowy and cold in London when Charles Lenox receives a note from his friend asking for a meeting. Before it's all over months have passed and there are multiple mysteries which I was perfectly content to allow the author to solve for me and huge changes taking place in the lives of those closest to Lenox and his family. A splendid reading experience and my hope is that you will become as immersed in it as I was. Set aside some quiet time just for yourself and you won't be sorry.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: DI Will Jackman 2: Beneath the Ashes. Shocking. Page-Turning. Crime Thriller with DI Will Jackman (The DI Will Jackman; Author: Visit Amazon's Jane Isaac Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Legend Press. I had not read the first book in this series, but the author did an admirable job of seamlessly integrating the information regarding the characters and their friendships and relationships to each other so I had no problem whatsoever in picking up the threads of this investigating team. Inspector Will Jackman and his police partner Sergeant Annie Davies arrive on the site of an isolated barn which has burned down. The village is quite small and this particular barn is located away from other structures. The reason the detectives are called in was soon discovered. The mystery only became deeper as the investigation began to sift through the ashes. The author has woven the private lives of the principal characters into the story just enough to show what stresses and tensions they are involved in, but not enough to detract completely from what is going on with the criminal investigation. I enjoyed my first venture into a novel written by Jane Isaac and will be sure to mark the first book in the series down to read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Haters: Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online; Author: Bailey Poland; Review: I received an e-ARC of this non-fiction book through NetGalley and University of Nebraska Press - Potomac Books. Cybersexism and Cyberfeminism. If you are interested in how these two topics are impacted by the presence of women on the Internet, this is a good book to read to find the meanings, details and examples to satisfy your curiosity. For women even casual chats with friends on the internet can be fraught with threats, profanity and events which spill over into their life outside the internet. The ability to post comments under an anonymous account name gives many the idea that they can degrade a discussion to the lowest possible level with impunity. Death threats are commonly made to women, doxing allows an unnamed person to post the most private of details about a woman and make it her responsibility to try to clean up the mess and preserve as much of her private life as humanly possible. The efforts are not always successful and the information can remain on public view to the extent of causing women to lose their jobs along with their professional standing. I enjoyed this book more when Bailey Poland was dealing with concrete examples of the abuses she and other women have encountered. That is probably because it is so difficult to believe that anyone would be so filled with rage that they would want to harm a woman in the ways this book describes simply because she's posting her thoughts and opinions. The examples given make you put all doubt aside and believe. There are suggestions for things a woman can do to minimize the possibility she will become a target, but the reality is that the internet safety nets in place are easy to circumvent and if someone wants to make a woman's life miserable because of her gender, her looks, her race, her religion, her career, her stand on a particular issue, they can find a way to do incredible damage. The damage comes in many forms, the result of being subjected to harassment and abuse on a daily basis by simply using a medium which is supposed to be a haven for enjoyment, learning and communication . Bailey Poland has presented her case and provided the research proof to back up her statements. If you have suffered or are suffering from any type of harassment on the internet, read this book for some suggestions for how you may be able to help your situation, and to prove to yourself that you really are not alone.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Blood Lines (Detective Kim Stone crime thriller series) (Volume 5); Author: Visit Amazon's Angela Marsons Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Bookouture. This is book five in the D. I. Kim Stone series, but the first time I've read any novel by Angela Marsons. I almost despaired when I began to look through the galley and noticed there were one hundred chapters. Oh, nooo, not one of THOSE! I'm happy to say that, no, it isn't one of THOSE. This novel was so interesting I even thought about it while I was doing the grocery shopping this morning. Now that's what I call "setting the hook". My only problem was that I had almost finished reading the book but there was enough left that I couldn't even begin to figure what was coming next. Because of the excellent writing I can easily say this book will work as a stand alone story. The only problem with that is you are going to do the same thing I'm going to do.....read more about the characters in this book. Psychological suspense meets police procedural and they begin to duke it out, bare knuckle. The character of Dr. Alexandra Thorne is so well written she gave me the shivers. Detective Inspector Kim Stone was fighting so many past demons while leading an intricately involved murder investigation that it made me wonder how she could keep her wits about her long enough to work through the crimes. And that was one of the most interesting portions of this story: what connection did the victims have to each other? Nothing about answering that question came easily for this team of investigators. The story is written from many points of view and there are even journal entries that are clear in their content, but are not understood by the reader until well into the novel. All of those many chapters are there to indicate a change in point of view and each is very short but fascinating at the same time. The author showed her dexterity by balancing all the balls in the air at the same time without dropping a single one. This novel was a great success with me. It has definitely meant that I have to investigate the writings of Angela Marsons to see which of her other books I need to download to my Kindle pretty darn quick!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Iron Ship (Gates of the World); Author: Visit Amazon's K.M. McKinley Page; Review: The positive aspect of this novel was that the author's imagined fantasy world was so fully formed and different. But, because of that very construction, I found the book to be a slow reading experience, especially for the first half. All of the information is important, the ancient history of this world is necessary to allow the reader to understand how the characters and their actions in this evolved world of the present fit together and matter. Yes, all of that lead up to the present and the various character threads are necessary, but they did slow the book down so much that I often had to talk myself into continuing to read. It did me a lot of good when I discovered two segments at the end: Notes on the Hundred Kingdoms and On the Geography of Ruthnia. I would even suggest that you read those portions before you start the novel. They do not have any hidden spoilers and they will clarify some of the very long historical information regarding this fantasy world. This novel covers a lot of characters since there are six siblings within the Kressind family and they all have very large parts to play in this story and the stories to come in the series. Their numbers also make necessary many supplementary characters to support them and fill out their stories. There are five brothers; a bureaucrat, an engineer, a playwright, a soldier, and a Guider of souls of the dead. The sister begins her part of the novel as a young widow about to be married for a second time. Her talents become apparent later in the novel but play a major role in the adventure this first book is leading up to. Quite frankly, I enjoyed this character more than any of the others and she is the main reason I was willing to continue with the novel. The story did begin to be of much more interest to me once tangible events began to take place. The second book in this series, The City of Ice, will be released at the end of December, 2016. I am looking forward to reading that book because the characters in this volume have all been disbursed far away from each other and their individual stories are interesting now. I was reading this novel in digital format and I wish the publishing company would revise the book in order to correct the many errors which were a hindrance to the completely enjoyable reading experience for me. I read galley versions of novels all the time and have learned to overlook mistakes which will be corrected before a novel is released for publication. This book made me think it was an ARC all the way through. There isn't any excuse for that when the novel has been available for sale for this length of time.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Spence at Marlby Manor; Author: Michael Derek Allen; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Endeavour Press. I am so grateful to Endeavour Press for their work in providing digital copies of so many wonderful old books which are often difficult to track down in print form. This mystery was first published in 1984 so it is devoid of all the modern technological gadgets we take so much for granted now, but the action is set in a time when the authorities at least had telephones and automobiles for their use. Even though this story takes place in a "manor" it is very far removed from the lives of opulence and high society I often identify with when I see a word like that in the title. Here I found a 73 year old widowed mother and grandmother living a quiet life in a home much too large for her but which she loved. Lady Dinnister's staff includes a companion, a secretary, a butler, a cook/housekeeper, a chauffeur, several part-time housemaids and a staff of two gardeners. Not really such a crowd for an estate of this size. She also has two grandchildren who think it's time for her to sell Marlby Manor and go into a smaller, more economical place to live. Naturally the large selling price and a portion of her residual fortune would come in handy for them to have right now, instead of waiting for her will to be read. Lady Dinnister is having some very strange accidents. After the third one she is pretty much convinced that someone just might be trying to do away with her. When the fourth "accident" happens there is no choice but to call in the police. This was one of those delightful, almost soothing mystery novels that I just love to immerse myself in and let everything else pass over my head. The police in the story are Detective Chief Superintendent Ben Spence and Detective Inspector David Laurel. These men are friendly both in and outside their jobs which makes for a relaxed investigative team. In fact, Spence's wife even gets involved in working out the psychological factors of the case. All very much done against proper procedures, but quite a nice touch all the same. Another aspect of this story which kept me turning the pages is the plot twist which happens about halfway through the novel. I thought that was very well done because it really continued the fresh approach author Michael Allen had shown in his writing and plotting. Luckily this book is available in print form as well as digital and there are other novels in the series. I like the way the main characters interacted and definitely plan to read more of the Spence stories.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Miss Silver Comes to Stay; Author: Visit Amazon's Patricia Wentworth Page; Review: The Patricia Wentworth series featuring that wonder of private investigation, Miss Maud Silver, can always be counted on to deliver a relaxing, comfortable reading experience. In today's mystery novel culture they are wonderful road trips down a small village street where you can be assured of hearing no profanity (surely there must be SOME, but it certainly doesn't stand out in my memory), of reading a description of murder couched in only the most oblique of phrases, and of knowing something lurking in the past will raise its ugly head to cause trouble in the present. To be quite frank, the Miss Maud Silver novels are written to a specific formula. To say that I have read them all and continue to re-read them speaks volumes about how well Patricia Wentworth formulates her characters. You feel you know and understand these characters. There is something infinitely endearing to read about Miss Silver's high regard for her brooch pinned to her dress collar and the miniscule differences between her best and second best hat. These are added to other aspects of her personality which make me smile and feel soothed by the familiarity. On top of this, the mysteries are actually quite good and will give you a workout for your brain. Wentworth writes in the old style where words impress you and set the atmosphere. One example is when one of the characters is walking through a dark wood one night: "There was light enough when memory held so bright a candle." I think that style of writing is fabulous and so often lacking in modern novels. This book was first published in 1951 and the story takes place after the end of World War II. There are some modern conveniences such as telephones and automobiles, but people are also still content with candles and bicycles. The world is in transition and this novel is a great place to begin watching Miss Silver untangle the motive and perpetrator of the murder which has its roots twenty years in the past. Once you read one, you will most likely want to read them all.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lone Wolf (An F.B.I. K-9 Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Sara Driscoll Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Kensington Books. Author Sara Driscoll has done an admirable job of showing the closeness which develops between a member of law enforcement and the dog they use as part of their job. Megan Jennings and her black Labrador, Hawk, are a part of the FBI K-9 unit. Their primary function is search and rescue, but Hawk has been cross-trained so this team is available for more criminal scenarios. I liked the informational segments at the beginning of each chapter which help familiarize readers with the terminology of dog training. I also enjoyed the rapport between Meg and Hawk because it was presented in such a natural way and let the reader know how the dog was fully a part of Meg's life. The novel concerns an unknown person who has detonated a bomb in a Federal building. The search for the criminal is hampered by the unwillingness of any person or group to claim responsibility for the act. Then an email is received by a newspaper reporter and the hunt begins for who or which group is behind the bombing. Then it happens again. I enjoyed this novel because the bond between Meg and Hawk is so well illustrated. Some of the "Super Meg" investigation went a little too far for reality, but it worked okay within the confines of a fiction novel. The relationships between Meg, the journalist, and a firefighter she kept meeting will probably continue to expand in future books, but in this one there is no romance. I also liked the way the author kept the identity of the bomber hidden for so long in order to keep the tension high regarding how to solve the case. With no hint to who was placing the bombs there was no way to know where the next strike would come and, thankfully, the author resisted taking the easy way out and immediately blaming the standard bad guy villains. This was an enjoyable first book in the series and I would definitely want to read a second one.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: BLOOD AND BLADE (Volume 3); Author: Visit Amazon's Matthew Harffy Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Aria. This third novel in the Bernicia Chronicles starts off with an encounter between Beobrand and his arch enemy, Torran. Not only does this initial chapter set the tone for the historical time in which this story is set (635 A.D., Albion) but it also brings the reader immediately into the life and death struggles between the Saxons and the Picts. Beobrand is still recovering from an arrow wound in his leg received from Torran in their last meeting plus another healing wound which makes it impossible for him to hold his shield. This is fighting hand-to-hand in the Dark Ages. New readers to the series are artfully drawn into the storyline by writing which includes good information regarding place names and their modern equivalent as well as a map. Author Matthew Harffy was excellent with his portrayal of Beobrand and his struggles with both physical and mental problems. He is trying to reconcile his mourning with his physical attraction to a thrall within his household. I liked the way Harffy didn't make this a main theme which took away focus from the warrior life of Beobrand, but did allow the reader to see how other concerns and distractions filled out his personality. This is definitely not a one dimensional character. Another element in the plot which I found enjoyable was the returning character of Nelda and the mystical aura her malevolence embodied whether she was present at that point in the story or only spoken of and remembered. That touch of magic added so much to the atmosphere and, for me, added to the growing importance of those who believed in the Christ and the monks who practiced those teachings which are so different from the old beliefs. Beobrand and his men are summoned to attend King Oswald and find that they are going on a trip as escort for Oswald and his brother Oswiu. Oswald has decided to marry the daughter of Cynegils so a trip all the way to Wessex is to be undertaken. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I began the series here and had no difficulties in understand what had come before in the first two novels even though I had to refer to the place names listing quite often at first. The introduction of the Christian faith and the development of medical advances used by monks is presented in a low key manner and yet it is obvious these things are going to play a great part in the series as it progresses. This is one readers will want to follow because of the historical realism and the character development of not just Beobrand, but all those who contribute to the story and help it move forward.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death Ship: A British police procedural (A Shaw and Valentine Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Jim Kelly Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing. I have read several other books in this series of police procedurals to feature Shaw and Valentine and, as the author points out in the Acknowledgments, "the team is now well-established". I agree because I think this book number seven has these two men more completely comfortable with each other than I've seen them before. The old history between them is not gone, just has the edges smoothed over so that they understand each other and recognize and utilize the strengths each brings to the entire team of investigators. These are now fully formed characters for me and I can focus all my attention on watching them solve their cases. A European mega-construction company has been given the rights to reconstruct the beloved pier at Hunstanton on the north Norfolk coast. The problems begin to arise when word leaks out that what is actually going to be built is not the same as those plans which were approved, and eagerly awaited, by the residents of this area of the coast. There are huge investments in this project and political "help" succeeds in keeping the project going. Protests begin to emerge, mischief starts up, vandalism moves on to arson and the police become involved in finding out who might be behind the efforts to stop the project. In the meantime a missing person alert has been filed by a guesthouse owner because one of his clients has not returned for several days. Now the attention of the police force is divided in two directions. Before it's all over Shaw and Valentine will solve a case going all the way back to 1953, but which has everything to do with what is happening now. This is my favorite Jim Kelly novel so far. The plot is well thought out and well written with strands of several different cases moving back and forth within the story, much like the undulating strands of seaweed under the ocean which hides secrets so well. Valentine's wife plays an important role in this book from her position as a Probationary Police Constable. This novel had so many threads of crimes and investigations that it meant less time spent on the personal lives of the main characters. That's the style of mystery novel which suits me best so this book was a tense, gripping, unqualified success from my standpoint.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mistletoe Mysteries: Tales of Yuletide Murder; Author: Visit Amazon's Charlotte MacLeod Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this collection of short stories through NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media. Sometimes it's just relaxing to settle down with a book that has one purpose, in this case that purpose would be to read a collection of short stories based on the Yuletide season. This collection was first released in 1989 and each of the stories contained in the book was published in 1989. This edition will be released again in December 2016 with an eye-catching updated cover. What was of great interest to me was reading the short introductory material by Charlotte MacLeod which preceded the story. It was pretty much amazing to me to see how many of these giants of the mystery genre were already so well established in their writing careers in 1989. Here is the author and title of each story in this collection in the order in which the story appears. Charlotte MacLeod: A Cozy for Christmas Peter Lovesey: The Haunted Crescent Dorothy Salisbury Davis: Christopher and Maggie Eric Wright: Kaput John Lutz: The Live Tree Howard Engel: The Three Wise Guys Mary Higgins Clark: That's the Ticket Bill Pronzini: Here Comes Santa Claus Sharyn McCrumb: A Wee Doch and Doris Henry Slesar: The Man Who Loved Christmas Edward D. Hoch: The Touch of Kolyada Aaron Elkins: Dutch Treat Susan Dunlap: Ott on a Limb Isaac Asimov: Ho! Ho! Ho! Marcia Muller: Silent Night Each of the stories is very short, so if you want to take fifteen days to work your way through this book you will have a little taste of a Christmas mystery along the way. If you want to read these stories in the middle of a scorching heat wave of summer, the stories are still so well written you will enjoy them at that time as well. Each of the stories is different from all the rest, not a redundancy among them which is quite a feat all by itself. Only one story wasn't a particular favorite for me, but I still was interested to sample the work of the author. This collection will appeal to any reader who loves to see how highly regarded authors of their time managed to turn out stories which were interesting and engaging with nary a cuss word to worry about. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Plaid and Plagiarism: The Highland Bookshop Mystery Series: Book 1 (The Highland Bookshop Mystery Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Molly MacRae Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Pegasus Books. This opening book in the Highland Bookshop mystery series was a pleasant reading experience. Building the foundation of a series around four women being joint partners in a business meant there had to be a lot of attention paid to establishing four individuals as principals in the story line. This became just a little crowded at times, especially since the author then had to add in all the additional characters to make this episode work. The women are divided into the two older women and two younger with their previous professions before bookstore ownership being a reporter, a lawyer, a social worker, and a librarian. This variety in both age range and professional expertise should ensure this series is well stocked with an on-site expert in most scenarios you could want to invent for a cozy mystery. The four women are beginning to settle into their new environment - at least it is new for one, semi-new for two others and home for one. They have very ambitious plans to operate the bookstore and also open a tea room and B&B in the adjoining shop space. There is a lot that needs to be planned and work that needs to be done. While waiting for tenants to vacate the property owned by Janet Marsh so she and her daughter Tallie can move in, the body of one of the village residents is found on the property. Janet, Talley, Summer, and Christine join forces to help solve the murder of this seemingly unloved villager. One thing I will definitely give this author credit for, all four of her main characters are common sense, intelligent, reasonable women with not one kookie cut-up among them. That alone is enough reason for me to be willing to read a second book in this series. I don't do crazy characters well. I take mystery novels and my precious reading time too seriously for that.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Kill the Next One; Author: Visit Amazon's Federico Axat Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Mulholland Books. I was completely glued to the pages of this book! Nothing, absolutely nothing, can be trusted in this story. As soon as this wonderfully inventive author had me feeling secure in knowing where the story was heading he turned everything upside down. Then it turned it inside out. Next, it switched around again and I had no idea of where it was headed. All of this change while keeping the story based so well that I accepted the changes and didn't find them strange or even contrived. Wow, for an American debut novel for Federico Axat I would say he has done pretty darn well. Ted McKay is presented with an opportunity - of sorts. He knows he's dying from an inoperable brain tumor and he wants to end his life, but then someone makes him an offer he has to seriously consider. What would be better for his wife and two daughters, to know he committed suicide and left them of his own free will or that he was killed by an unknown assailant? The Organization has constructed a scheme where specially chosen people are given the opportunity to kill a person who deserves to die but the legal system can't touch them and then kill someone who wants to commit suicide. Then Ted (in this case) will be killed by a person with no connection to him thus avoiding the stigma of suicide for his family. It sounds like a perfect solution to Ted. Of course, his therapist may not agree. So, will he tell her? You would need to be a mind reader to know how many switches, twists, and turns this novel was going to utilize. And the great thing about them was that I never felt they were gimmicky, they all felt perfectly logical as evidence was piled on evidence. It has been awhile since a psychological thriller captured my imagination the way this one did. I sincerely hope you decide to read it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bryant & May: Strange Tide: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Fowler Page; Review: It is so easy for me to love a Bryant and May novel. They give me the things I want most when I pick up a mystery novel. This one has an explanation for what has been ailing Arthur Bryant - author Christopher Fowler says he has been giving us clues through the last three books but I have to confess to not being eagle-eyed enough to pick up on them - so now I'm happy again that Arthur and John are actually investigating normally without Arthur's health issues intruding to such a large extent. Well, as normal as the Peculiar Crimes Unit can ever get. (By the way, have you ever wondered what happens with the phone calls the two Daves take when everybody else is too busy to answer the calls? Because the mind just boggles!) This novel uses the tides of the River Thames as the means for solving the mysterious deaths which happen on this one small stretch of beach along the river. And let's not forget the human appendage that's involved which seems to simply muddy everything up but in reality provides a lot of answers. It was an accumulation of historical knowledge and modern sleuthing which, once again, provided the solution to the crimes. I enjoyed catching up with the continuing cast, was sorry to be losing one of the cast, and still feel so sorry for Raymond Land. Probably, in the long run, he's the most normal and sane one of the bunch. Great fun for readers who like their fictional characters to be loaded with quirks and personalities, but who also want a serious puzzle to solve right along with the police. I suppose there isn't any reason not to begin reading the series here, but if you do you will not enjoy the questions and tensions the author had built up over the welfare of Arthur Bryant through the previous three novels. Just go ahead and read them all, but remember the first word in the name of their crime unit is "peculiar" and a peculiar group they are.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Ice Beneath Her: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Camilla Grebe Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine. I really enjoy a well written psychological thriller and this one can certainly be described in that way. I have to confess that it didn't start off with a lot of promise for me because the translation felt stiff and slightly unnatural, but it didn't take long at all for those observances to be completely replaced by my full attention being focused on the three principal characters. The book is written from the viewpoint of three characters, all in first person, each having the chapter devoted to their viewpoint, with two of their stories taking place in the present and one beginning several months earlier. I did not find it at all confusing to keep the characters separated in their own chapters because their voices are all very different. There are two women and one man and each of these people has emotional baggage weighing them down; it was almost to the point of being an irritant to me, but not quite. The investigation of the case by the police force doesn't happen in a standard police procedural kind of way. Instead the mystery is solved by the author uncovering what is happening in the life of each main character. This was a very enjoyable novel and quite an accomplishment for author Camilla Grebe. I believe she has worked with other authors, but this is her first solo novel and the first time it has been released in the United States. The activity centers around a murdered woman who is found decapitated in the home of a notable figure in the retail sales industry in Stockholm. The way the head was posed brings back memories for the police detectives of another case they worked on about ten years previously. Their main problem is to identify the victim and locate the famous CEO in whose home the body is found. Prepare yourself for the story to take many a twist and turn before the resolution.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Pinch of Poison (A Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Alyssa Maxwell Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Kensington Books. After reading the first book in this series I was hoping my overall reaction would be more enthusiastic with any other one in the series I decided to read. Luckily for me I was offered the chance to read the second book and I am glad I decided to accept it. In this book the characters are more rounded out, there seems to be much more to the two primary characters than just the above stairs Lady Phoebe and her below stairs lady's maid Eva. The author transformed them into real women who, granted, live in a world of privilege (even Eva is allowed to escape her bonds of work seemingly at will) yet still have the compassion needed to throw themselves into solving crimes and helping others who don't quite fit into this small village setting. The book takes place in 1919 so the aftermath of World War I is still being widely felt; deprivations are felt by those returning from the fighting and the survivors of those who didn't, shell shock is a problem people are having to learn to recognize and deal with, and actions taken by those on the battlefield come back to haunt them. Phoebe Renshaw and her lady's maid Eva Huntford both attended the Haverleigh School for Young Ladies - Eva by virtue of a scholarship. When the headmistress of the school dies under mysterious circumstances these two young women can not possibly allow a police investigation to begin without trying to help find clues which will solve the ultimate question: accident or murder. The position each woman occupies in society plays an important role in their investigations with Eva being given much latitude in performing her ordinary lady's maid duties in order to lend a hand (and act as chaperone) to Lady Phoebe. Eva is definitely my favorite character of the two and she seems to have eclipsed Lady Phoebe quite often in gathering clues or making inroads in the investigation. I wonder if other readers will feel, as I do, that Eva stole the show in this one? This was an interesting, well written, well plotted novel with a genuinely good mystery. I'm very pleased to be able to say that and also pleased to know that I will be waiting for the third book in the series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: House of Silence; Author: Sarah Barthel; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Kensington Books. The premise for this novel had so much potential. That is the main reason I'm so disappointed that the author barely skimmed over all the intriguing subject material and ended up with a novel with no tension, no menace, no bite. In fact, the tone is so light that the novel makes it sound as if the main character has simply gone away to a country house for a short stay instead of someone fabricating symptoms so she will remain in the safety of a sanitarium to evade a dangerous situation. I found myself so confused by the lightness of the tone with regard to the subject matter that I actually investigated the book to see if it was classified as a middle school rated novel. No, it's just so shallow you feel you've picked up something a 12 year old might like. Authors need to be so careful with the words and phrases they use when they attempt to write a novel set in a specific historical period. This novel is set in 1875. Somehow I doubt people talked about wearing a particular color of dress because it "popped" against the color of the curtains and walls of a room, nor is it likely they described someone as "leaving a paper trail" behind their activities. Those words and phrases stand out because they are too modern for the time period. I am reading an advanced readers copy of this book, maybe those things will have been edited out before the book is made available for sale, I certainly do hope so. But what will not be edited out is the lost opportunity to give readers a serious, in-depth view of what it was like for women to be confined to an institution such as Bellevue, often for the remainder of their lives, simply because they had no control over their own lives and no one to advocate for them. The story of the sufferings of Mary Todd Lincoln is fascinating to read about, but not in this book. If you are in the mood for a light reading experience which features a heroine who makes the wrong decision each time an opportunity presents itself, then you just might enjoy reading this.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Rustle of Silk: A new forensic mystery series set in Stuart England (A Gabriel Taverner Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Alys Clare Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishers. This novel was a great surprise to me. A very pleasant great surprise at that. I've read quite a few historical mystery novels by Alys Clare and have enjoyed each of them, but this one struck me as being perhaps more historical fiction with mysteries included for Gabriel Taverner to solve than simply a mystery novel set in a specific historical time period. The deaths are explained quite early on, not as a climactic ending, so the novel continues to develop the characters for a long while after that. This could easily be a stand alone novel because of the way it is constructed but as you can see by the title there is an indication that this is the first in a new series. I want to thank the author for giving me some information regarding the mask pictured on the book cover. I have seen that so often and yet never knew the significance of it. Now I know what it was used for but even so the feeling of foreboding or evil remains. The time is April 1603 and Gabriel Taverner is attempting to set up his practice as a physician. James VI of Scotland is about to follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth as James I of England and the country waits to see what his rule will be like. Taverner went to sea when he was twelve and lived through many battles and engaging with his shipmates in what was technically piracy of Spanish ships so managed to accumulate enough fortune to set himself up with a home in the vicinity of Plymouth near his childhood home. After studying medicine in London he has returned to Devon, to his new home at Rosewyke to work. It is very easy to see, though, that someone is not happy to have a new doctor in the area as evidenced by the foul items left on his doorstep. Thankfully the coroner for the area calls Gabriel in when a dead body is found. Who was this man whose body is so badly decomposed that identification is not possible? Even though this story has been concluded in this volume, the narrative was richly filled with other characters who will surely be appearing once more when Gabriel has his next encounter with crime. I definitely plan to be there when it happens.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Graveyard Shift: A paranormal mystery (A Pepper Martin Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Casey Daniels Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishers. Have you ever read a book that just tied you up in knots when it came to assigning a star rating? Well, this story #10 in the Pepper Martin series was just such a book for me. First off, I had never read any of the other stories but that wasn't a problem, this one can be your first venture into the series with no problem as long as you know it is going to have long-running backstory characters and themes. My dilemma came about because this book edges much too close to the "cozy" mystery line and I don't normally enjoy the cozy sub-genre of mystery novels: that's a minus. But on the other hand the basic paranormal premise was intriguing to me and at least the author had not Name Branded each item described in the book: that's a plus. Then there was the trick device the author used in solving the mystery: that was a minus. But, there was also the fact that it took really good writing to carry off the situation the author got herself into by introducing that trick device in the first place: that was a plus. See what I mean?? Pepper Martin is a ghost private investigator -- or, she works for ghosts to solve their mysteries. (Somehow I don't think that job will end up paying Pepper very much money; maybe she's just satisfied that she can be of some help.) Naturally Pepper works at Garden View Cemetery, but she wouldn't last a week at her job in the real world because she's constantly late for work, she doesn't work on projects unless she feels like it, and she doesn't return phone calls. This job gives her the ability to meet lots of ghosts, some of whom need mysteries solved for them as does the ghostly character in this novel, Elliot Ness who can't fully (ghostly) materialize because most of his ashes were stolen and he needs to be reunited with them so he can pass along. Let's just say that this story has good ghosts and bad ghosts and leave it at that. I tend to be a very literal person. In this book the author sets up the story by saying that the pond/lake in the cemetery has been drained and Pepper wades out into the middle of all the mud and debris in order to take pictures of the cemetery from that angle which they couldn't do before. Well, why not? Why not just take a rowboat or a canoe or a kayak and get your pictures that way? And after Pepper is standing on the ground at the center of the lake she is snapping pictures like crazy from all angles. Sounds good, yes? Well, what about the fact that the lake was six feet lower in the middle than on the edges and the only thing she could see was the roof of the chapel? When I come across something like that in a book; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death Notes (A Phineas Fox Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Sarah Rayne Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishers. I've read several other novels by Sarah Rayne and enjoyed them so requesting the galley for this first novel in a new series was a definite go from the beginning. There are a lot of story lines going on in this novel, so many in fact that it took the final three chapters to tie them all up. Phineas Fox is the new main character who is the lynchpin of this series and yet even after reading the novel I don't think I know very much about Phin. Well, except that women seem to throw themselves at him every time the poor man turns around and his new next door neighbor specializes in singing very old bawdy songs. However, the main portion of the story where Phin appears is in his research work which is hopefully leading to a television documentary regarding a Russian violinist who was extremely popular but was hanged for his part in the assassination of Tsar Alexander II. Phin has uncovered what he hopes will be a blockbuster of historic proportions so he's off to the west of Ireland to track down clues. The two other main story threads take place in this same small Irish town with particular emphasis on one specific cottage. I must admit to finding myself slightly confused at times over the Russian violinist portions of the story. The novel is written from many perspectives. Sarah Rayne does spooky really well, but this time there was so much going on that the spooky didn't work well for me. I may be tempted to read the next Phineas Fox adventure but I really can't say I'm looking forward to it with high expectations.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Modern Crimes (A WAPC Lottie Armstrong Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Chris Nickson Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Trafalgar Square Publishing. Having read several novels written by Chris Nickson, and enjoyed them, I did not hesitate to request this first book in the WPC Lottie Armstrong mystery series. The time is 1924 and Lottie (Charlotte) Armstrong is one of only two Women Police Constables on the Leeds police force, specifically Milgarth Police Station. Times are hard because of the previous war years and Lottie was pleased to be taken on by the police department. Probably showing some tendencies to be rather ahead of his time, her husband Geoff was just as pleased and supportive of his wife's dream to be on the force. Lottie and her partner, WPC Cathy Taylor, are on foot patrol each day and are only authorized to deal with problems pertaining to women and children. When Lottie and Cathy are assigned to investigate the disappearance of an eight-month pregnant unwed mother in a special home for women in that condition they soon realize that even though they are investigating a problem with a woman at its center this is sure to begin very quickly to involve other sections of the police department. When Lottie shows a natural talent for questioning suspects she gets word that she is to report upstairs to the CID room. Maybe she might get to do something like real police investative work after all? Historical mysteries are a favorite sub-genre for me to read because I learn so much historical information. Author Chris Nickson has given the reader a clear picture of how strict the limits were in the 1920s for what a woman was allowed to do. He has written Lottie as a more assertive character than I might have expected for her time period, but has still managed to keep her actions reasonable enough to show how her intelligence and drive were utilized and yet still mostly under-appreciated for the simple reason that she was competing in a man's world, doing something considered to be in line with the capabilities of a man. I would expect that to change in the second book due out in the Autumn of 2017. The first chapter of that second book is included at the end of this one so readers will understand better the slightly disappointing ending of this first book. I liked the way Nickson inserted all the things designed to place the story within the specific time period and the places mentioned to solidify the location. While I think the mystery portion of this novel wasn't quite as good as I would have hoped, this first story certainly did provide the back story for what is to come in future novels. This is a very good beginning for the story of WPC Charlotte Armstrong. I'm looking forward to reading about her adventures in the second book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Old Man; Author: Visit Amazon's Thomas Perry Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through Grove Atlantic Mysterious Press. I am glad to say this is one of the best books I've read in 2016 -- ahh, but it doesn't actually release until 2017 so maybe I'll need to move it to that list, or just have it on both. Who cares, I just am absolutely so glad I had the chance to read this book. I read lots of thrillers...lots...and the genre comes with the understanding that the reader is going to have to suspend belief in some areas, often over long periods of time, in order to completely enjoy the book. So as a reader I go into a book of this type knowing I will give the author license to have the main character commit some super-improbable things in order to stay alive through the whole book. But, but, but.....how can it be possible that I could actually imagine Dan Chase, at 60 years of age, being able to accomplish all the things this clever author made him do? It just ain't supposed to be possible. This book will fool you if you don't watch out. Here's a 60 year old man, a widower, with two lovely big black dogs he loves to take for miles and miles of walks and he seems so totally normal. Just like me and you. Until it all begins to be revealed - how this man has a past which taught him the things he will need to know to keep himself alive when one of the branches of Big Brother starts looking for him. So many years of peace, but so many years of planning for the day which he always knew might come so he stayed prepared, vigilant, watchful. Now it's time to leave the peace and quiet behind and flee for his life. What exactly will Dan Chase have to do to throw them off his trail? I loved every aspect of this thrill ride. The author used a device to keep the story moving which, had I not been so involved in helping poor Dan out, I probably would have complained about if it hadn't been done so well. I finally couldn't see the words clearly any longer at 2 am so I went to bed and was up by 7 the next morning reading the remainder of what was going to happen to The Old Man. Yes! Finally a 60 year old who isn't portrayed as a drooling, blithering idiot. But I'm a mite prejudiced since I'm 74! I've seen information that this is a stand alone novel. Gosh, I hope not.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Elusive Elixir (An Accidental Alchemist Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Gigi Pandian Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Midnight Ink. This is the third mystery in the Accidental Alchemist series. Don't worry if you haven't read the two previous books because the author gives you lots of information to help you catch up. And just in case you might have skipped over those bits, she gives you more backstory and then adds in some more just to be reeeally sure you've gotten it all straight. I'm proud to say I was able to catch on pretty quickly and wasn't much confused at all. Zoe Faust is an alchemist based in Portland, Oregon who shares her attic workroom with her gargoyle friend Dorian. Some gargoyles are magical and they can turn themselves into solid stone (you know, like rock) in order to conceal themselves and then change back into stone, but the kind that can move around and talk. Dorian, however is slowly finding that he's turning into stone (well, rock) and he's not able to reanimate himself fully any longer. For a chef, if you can't use both hands and arms you begin to have some trouble whipping up the tasty dishes you want to. Right now it's just one arm he can't use, but who knows what it will be next? Zoe knows she needs to find the book of alchemy secrets to save the life of her gargoyle friend so off she goes to Paris to follow up clues. Naturally, when she gets to Paris everything becomes very complicated. This is a fast, easy reading book and fans of Zoe and Dorian will be glad to catch up with what is happening in the lives of the many characters who populate this series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Bear and the Nightingale; Author: ; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey. This galley has been on my Kindle for quite some time and I was patiently waiting until I could spend some time enjoying it. And that is exactly what I did - I enjoyed this incredible debut novel from Katherine Arden. With this as a first example of her talents it would seem the sky is the limit for this very talented author. The language is so beautiful and descriptive of this cold, cold Russian world that it would prove a wonderful antidote for someone suffering through a heat wave in the middle of Summer. Told in the fashion of a fairy tale coming to life there are collisions between the old ways and beliefs of the simple Russian people and the new ways being taught by a charismatic Priest who wants them to abandon their ideas of relying on the old ways and convert to the new. In the process the small tributes and gifts offered in the past to the creatures who helped control what went on in the houses and the fields and the dark woods faded away, but so did the good harvests, the care of the farm animals, and the helpfulness with daily chores. People weren't happy any longer and the winters just kept getting more and more cold. My reason for electing to rate the book with four stars instead of five is because I found myself too often wondering exactly where the story was going and how long it would take to reach the point where I knew where it was headed. The tale unfolds slowly, over a long period, with just the smallest of glimpses of what the crucial factors might turn out to be. It kept me from enjoying the book wholeheartedly, but I can certainly say this is one book which will have readers crying out for a sequel. In all honesty, I don't know if that would be such a good idea.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Butcher's Hook: Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2016; Author: Visit Amazon's Janet Ellis Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Pegasus Books. Set in London in 1763, this novel is a dark, dreary tale narrated by the main character, 19 year old Anne Jacob. This was a time in history when the position of women was held in low regard by society. They were not considered worthy of wasting an education on because it was widely believed there was no place in society where they could utilize the knowledge they acquired. Anne Jacob was lucky in the fact that she came from a moderately well-to-do household, not from great wealth but certainly comfortably situated, and her parents indulged her thirst for learning by allowing her to have a tutor. Granted, that tutor was only expected to spend time on the most basic of subjects, but Anne was such a willing student that they found themselves delving into far ranging ideas. Anne's life both within her family and with her tutor was a happy one until two disastrous events happened which changed each situation. In the case of her family life it was the death of her three year old brother. From that point on Anne seems to have become unhinged mentally and by the end of this novel the depravity to which she would stoop made me shudder. I began reading this book with what I consider to be an open mind, but it didn't take long for me to see it was going to be a struggle for me to maintain my interest in continuing to read. Anne is such a selfish, self-centered individual and the novel moved from dreary and dismal and dark to twisted, macabre and chillingly unsettling. The only reason I continued to read was to see how far the author was willing to take this psychologically damaged character. If there had only been some spark of compassion or hope written into this character, I would have at least thought she was worth saving. As it is, the ambiguous ending could lead some to think this might not be the end of Anne Jacob's exploits. It is definitely the end of them for me.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Civilianized: A Young Veteran's Memoir; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Anthony Page; Review: I received a copy of this book from the author. The opinions expressed are entirely my own. PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Fiction and nonfiction books alike have been written about it and readers who haven't been associated with anyone suffering from the problem have tried to understand what it must be like by reading books featuring the subject. So far I've read many fictionalized versions so when I was offered the chance to read a true account, a memoir from a man who went through the experience, I decided this would be a good way to gain insights into one person's journey. First, Michael Anthony is quite an accomplished writer. He knows how to craft a story and I was very glad to see this talent as soon as I began reading the book. It was interesting to read the descriptions of how stressed Michael was on his return to the States and to watch what remedies he used to cope with this stress. Unfortunately his life revolved around alcohol, cigarettes and prescription drugs taken in large doses and certainly not taken for their original intended purpose. By mixing the pills with alcohol he managed to keep himself in a drunken semi-stupor. From this example I can only conclude that denial that there is any problem has to be one of the largest obstacles to overcome with PTSD. Michael turned out to be quite a time management expert, giving himself a specific time before his problem would be solved. In the meantime it was just one bout of drunkenness and drug impairment after another. I confess to finding the relentless repetition of the same scenario boring. How sad for me to make that statement. I know this is a true story of the way PTSD affected the life of this one particular man. I think he missed a lot of opportunities in this account to provide helpful information to other veterans who are suffering too. It isn't his job to save or cure others, but he could have used at least a portion of this platform to give information, encouragement, and resources.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (Charley Davidson); Author: Darynda Jones (author); Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. Thank you. Since I already love this series I think Darynda Jones has hit another home run. Without exception, each and every character in this series is interesting and/or notable. That's not something I would normally say about a series and certainly not one that's been going on for this length of time. My only slight cause for concern is that Charley Davidson has moved quite a bit away from her original Grim Reaper role, a part of the series which appeals to me very much. Charley knew she was the grim reaper (with a bright shiny light like hers, it would be hard to not know and then there's all that business of dead people crossing through her to the other side) but lately she's begun finding out even more things about her super goddessness. A lot of the grim reaper has been left behind because this new path is so important to the story arc. I can't help but miss some of the more simple Charley/Reyes times. Oh, in case you aren't familiar with this series, Reyes is the son of Satan. This specific book deals with finding out the full truth regarding the agency which sent Reyes on to his incredibly abusive foster father. The subject has always been on the back burner in the series, but now another possible victim has emerged and Charley is determined to get to the bottom of how it all came about, especially when a toddler disappears without a trace and the trail begins to lead back to this same agency. As this series has progressed Charley has continued to find out more and more things about her past and her powers. Reyes knows the answers but he won't tell her, she has to discover the answers for herself. So far she knows she's the grim reaper and she's a god but before the girl can even get used to that whole god thing she discovers that's not even close to everything she needs to know about herself. One of the things which keeps me coming back to this series is the laugh out loud funny things Charley says. That woman has a sassy streak equaled only by her sarcastic tendencies. Each chapter in the book begins with a slogan or saying and they are often hilarious. My favorite this time is from Chapter 10: "Thank God I don't have to hunt for my food. I don't even know where tacos live. - MEME" Every time I think about that I have to chuckle. On a more serious note, remember this is book eleven in the series. Lots of things have happened in those previous ten books and even though Ms. Jones tries to keep readers reminded of some of the more recent important developments this would be a 1,000 (or more) page book if she put in everything you need to know about the characters and concept. At least read the first book in the series to get a; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Corpus: A gripping spy thriller for fans of Robert Harris's MUNICH; Author: Rory Clements (author); Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Bonnier Publishing Zaffre. Thank you. For my first time reading a Rory Clements novel I really picked a doozie! I love to read a mystery novel set in a previous time period just to see how the author will present the day-to-day setting for me. This 1936 feels absolutely right. Sometimes I forget how many British citizens were sympathetic to the Hitler agenda and how that sympathy crossed all class lines. You would have thought that couldn't happen since the elite classes and the lower classes were so divided, and yet each group thought that what Hitler was offering would be best for their country. The atmosphere of espionage permeating all layers of British society is very well developed and this is one novel where you have to go all the way to the end to be really sure you know which side some of the characters are really on. Two young British women go to Berlin for the Olympic Games and for some vacation time. One of them has a mission to perform which will have ramifications she could never have imagined. Cambridge University is filled with men who have secrets they don't want revealed and a plot develops to make sure that Edward VIII remains on the throne so his belief in the cause of the German Nazi party will result in an unshakeable ally for Hitler. Unfortunately for Edward, he is being pushed to make a choice between the throne of England and Wallace Simpson. Not only is she considered unsuitable because of her divorce, but she is also a Nazi sympathizer. How will events unfold behind the scenes to give us the results we know from history? Yes, this is a work of fiction, but that doesn't stop the ideas of what went on behind the scenes during this turbulent time period from capturing my attention from first page to last. This story can be confusing at times because many of the characters are publicly following one line of political belief while privately working for another one. All of Europe was seething during this time, Russia, Spain, France, Germany, Britain - all with tangled political politics both in public and behind the scenes. I really liked the Thomas Wilde character. He's really quite a well rounded fellow; an American with an Irish mother, a Cambridge professor of history, birdwatcher, motorcycle enthusiast and interested in boxing. All of those interests ensure that Thomas can stick his nose into pretty much any investigation the author wants him to in future books in the series. I don't know that this will become a series, but there is certainly enough historical material available to allow for that. Now that I've seen what a great author of mysteries Clements is I'm going to have to check out one of those John Shakespeare novels I've seen for sale.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rather Be the Devil (A Rebus Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Ian Rankin Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company. Thank you. I've read several other Inspector John Rebus novels, but just can't seem to get really 'sold' on them. At least never to the point of waiting expectantly for the next book to be published. This one didn't help me put up the 'sold' sign either. The major reason was because in the opening chapter a totally non sequitur statement made by John Rebus while he was out having dinner with Deborah Quant leads absolutely nowhere in that chapter in the book. This caused me to have to go back several times later to read it again to see if I missed any significance which would connect it up with the investigations being carried out by Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke regarding one of the major crime bosses of Edinburgh. It took a long, long time for that out-of-the-blue statement to matter. Next Malcolm Fox is sent back to Edinburgh from his transfer to Gartcosh to do some sniffing around for that police agency. Incidents escalate until Police Scotland swoops in and takes over the entire crime boss case. There is a lot of inter-agency rivalry in this investigation with Rebus (fully retired from the police force but acting as if he's still in charge), Siobhan and Malcolm (resented because of his promotion to Gartcosh) coming back together to work as an uneasy trio trying to work on one case while still pursuing their separate investigations into other matters. Honestly, it got a little confusing at times. This was an okay read for me, just not great and certainly not excellent. If you are a true fan of this series, though, you will probably enjoy it immensely. There is a lot of information about Rebus and how he is faring with his retirement plus his relationship with Deborah. Readers new to the series would probably enjoy this one more if they read some of the earlier novels first.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Right Behind You (FBI Profiler); Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Gardner Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Penguin Group, Dutton. Thank you. Those of us with soft hearts will be troubled to read this novel with the backstory of how Telly and his young sister, Sharlah, survived in their horrible, abusive home. Until the one night when everything came together in an explosion of violence which sent these two children into a system just barely able to cope with their experiences. The truly sad thing is that even though this is a fiction novel, situations such as this do, regrettably, happen. The good news is that the evil doesn't have to win. So be warned, this book opens with a dark look into the brutality of parents against their children. Lisa Gardner wrote two powerful characters in Sharlah and Telly because it really is hard to capture a maturity level which fluctuates seemingly by the minute with teens. They go from child to young adult in the blink of an eye and then right back to child and Gardner got that right on, especially when combined with the past history of this pair. This is my first time to read a Quincy and Rainie book, but I had no problems picking up on who they were, what they had done in the past, and what they mean to each other. This is a well written, tense, psychological crime novel that is absolutely chock full of surprises. Gardner leads readers by the hand down the path she wants them to take and then gives the story a twist to make sure you are paying attention. Just don't become complacent and think you are finished with the twists. No....more ahead so get ready. My mouth fell open when she revealed the baddest of the baddies. Frankly, I'm glad I was home alone.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Unpunished (A Gardiner and Renner Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Black Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Kensington Books. Thank you. Having read the first book in this series (That Darkness) in April 2016, I was very pleased to see this second book released so quickly. It was nice not having to wait a year for the next in the series, which seems to often be the case. I was very glad to pick up the stories of Maggie Gardiner, a forensic scientist/tech, and Jack Renner, a police detective, a short while after they finished their last investigation. These are two intriguing characters and author Lisa Black does a good job of balancing the good/bad events in the lives of both. Jack has set himself up as a person who rights the wrongs society allows to go on for too long and now Maggie knows about what he does, but Jack has a hold over her if he wants to use it. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least, and investigating the suicide which quickly reveals itself to be a murder at the Cleveland, Ohio Herald newspaper leads them into other situations where Maggie has to wrestle with how much she can actually trust Jack to keep his word. If you are like me, you will read the Dedication of this book by the author to the newspapers of America. And I understand and agree wholeheartedly with her in the feelings she has for the daily print newspaper. However, for me the descriptions of how the newspaper is actually printed and the many monologues by different characters about the purposes and the needs for print newspapers to continue took up too much of the space in this novel and caused me to lower my star rating to four stars this time. I agreed, I got it, I wanted to move on with the story, but especially those thoughts about reporting and investigative reporting in particular went on longer than was necessary from my viewpoint. I still liked the growth in the tension and atmosphere between Maggie and Jack so I read the entire book, but sadly found myself skimming through yet another explanation of why reporters for a print newspaper make all the difference in real news. There are several indications within this story that Maggie and Jack will return for another book because their secrets will be very hard to keep covered over for a long time. I look forward to reading that story when it is released.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Old Bones: A British Police Procedural (A Bill Slider Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Cynthia Harrod-Eagles Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House. It is so easy for me to enjoy reading a book in the Bill Slider series. Author Cynthia Harrod-Eagles continues to make me feel involved in the story and involved in the lives of the characters she has developed. And that's one very important point; these characters continue to grow in their development, not remaining stagnant so that they begin to feel rather calcified. Once again the plot of the story unfolds in a slow, deliberate manner, not because the book is slow reading, but because this is the way a factual investigation of this type would unfold. Detective Chief Inspector Bill Slider and his team continue to try to await a decision in an investigation begun in the previous book which seemed likely to reach into high places in the police department and possibly take down very important people involved with drugs and sex with under aged girls. The whole team is walking around on pins and needles waiting for word on what is happening in that investigation and tempers are beginning to fray. When a landscaping contractor finds a bone believed to be human in a garden shed renovation he's just begun Slider's boss gives the investigation to the team. The bones are human, in fact of a young female, and so the wheels begin to turn in order to find out what might have been going on twenty-five years ago to lead to the death of this young girl. If you enjoy a police procedural novel which allows you to investigate right along with the homicide team, then this is definitely the kind of story you will enjoy. Not slow, not plodding, just collecting the evidence in small segments and piecing the whole thing together. I tip my hat to this author for making this investigation feel so real and relevant. Police work isn't all 48-hours-to-solve-a-case and it doesn't hurt to be reminded of that from time to time.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Murder by Ghostlight (Charles Dickens & Superintendent Jones Investigate); Author: Briggs; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Trafalgar Square Publishing, The History Press. Thank you. This third mystery in the Charles Dickens and Superintendent Jones series will please readers who enjoy a novel which places strong emphasis on both historical settings and the literature of Charles Dickens. Author J. C. Briggs has written impressively in the style I would have expected if this book had actually been written by Dickens. All kinds of elements of his life and his literary works appear throughout the novel and succeeded in placing me very firmly in the England of 1850. The first portion of the novel takes place in Manchester where descriptions of the industrial city read as if they came directly from the pen of Dickens. After the second performance of a play Dickens has acted in and sponsored he returns to the empty theatre to find a man seated in a chair on the stage which is lit by the ghostlight. The man is dead and Dickens soon finds himself taken into custody as the main suspect in the death. He can't help but wonder why he ever picked up that pistol. Naturally it will help enormously in your enjoyment of this novel if you like the writings of Charles Dickens. The author has done a wonderful job of using the types of descriptions you would find in a Dickens novel to describe both Manchester and London as well as the people Dickens and Jones come across in solving this case. The mystery is also constructed in a way I can imagine Dickens using - sometimes taking the long way around in favor of dense prose when more basic, succinct wording probably would have done just as well. Some of this denseness caused the book to be a slow read for me; quite enjoyable, but slow nonetheless. I don't think I would want to read two of the books back to back, but that's just me.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blue on Blue: An Insider's Story of Good Cops Catching Bad Cops; Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Campisi Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Scribner. Thank you. I love to read a story-behind-the-story and Charles Campisi (along with Gordon Dillow) has provided that in this completely fascinating look into the world of police officers charged with investigating other police officers in New York City. As is made very clear in this book, nobody wants to be known as a snitch and certainly not a rat, so how do you overhaul a department charged with investigating whispers, tips, complaints, and allegations against New York cops? Well, by changing it into a bureau, of course. Naturally that is a simplified answer, but it is what happened in order to put the authority needed behind the endeavor. It went from the Internal Affairs Division (IAD) to the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) which moved it above the level of simply being one of many departments. In addition Chief Charles Campisi was given a broader scope for the department and allowed to put his own stamp on how to run it with help from police chiefs and city mayors over his seventeen years as chief of the IAB. What follows is a look at what it takes to investigate the police officers who make wrong decisions and cross the line between protector and criminal. The book covers all kinds of fascinating information about how sting operations were set up and run, how 'uncles' (undercover agents) were used to gather evidence and proof and much more. Officers didn't want to serve in the capacity of investigating their own so a system of drafting a police officer for two years was put into place with practically no excuse being good enough to allow someone to dodge the assignment. By making the service mandatory the stigma of being a snitch was removed and many officers elected to stay with the IAB when their two year hitch was finished. I learned about how testing situations were put in place to see if officers passed or took the bait and committed a crime, investigating an incident when an officer was involved and questions might possibly be raised, investigating the use of excessive force, how complicated - and long running - an investigation could be using uncles, wire taps, and video, cooperation between NYC and other law enforcement communities, plus much more. The book doesn't place special emphasis on big, attention grabbing news stories although those are discussed and described. If you don't live in New York you would probably not have head about most of the cases, but two high profile cases, Abner Louima and Amadou Diallo, were familiar to me. Sometimes the irony involved was almost more than a civilian such as I could fathom. Like the policeman who was talking on his phone with disgust about dirty cops when the IAB unit was listening to his conversation because all of his cell phones had been tapped and he was being shadowed almost 24/7 because of the investigation into the criminal activity he was involved in. I enjoyed this book very much and feel that; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Chilbury Ladies' Choir; Author: Visit Amazon's Jennifer Ryan Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Crown Publishing. Thank you. Author Jennifer Ryan made some fine choices for the points of view expressed by a wide range of characters in this epistolary style novel covering about seven months in 1940 as the fighting was beginning to truly commence in World War II. I like that there is such a variety of characters represented: a thirteen year old girl and her eighteen year old sister, a nurse, a midwife, an RAF pilot, and a ten year old Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia. The setting is the small village of Chilbury in Kent where the men are either gone or preparing to go to fight against Nazi German forces who seem to be steamrollering over Europe as they please. Women once again were being left behind to carry on with their lives as best they can, but then the local Vicar declared the church choir was disbanded until the end of the war. It didn't take long for the women to realize that they were having to take on roles normally seen as being appropriate only for men so why couldn't they sing with only women's voices? People have been urged to keep journals of their lives during these hard times so some of the story is told through those entries. Other parts are told through letters, but through a combination of both sources we are given the opportunity to watch village life continue through this harrowing time with adjustments being made by everyone and sacrifices a regular occurrence. It would be hard for me to chose a favorite character, but the combining of their experiences told a poignant story of ordinary people trying to live through a situation they had not chosen and often didn't understand. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir was a constant linking thread to keep each family in touch and communicating. I enjoyed this novel a great deal and can't help but wonder if there will be more books coming. Goodness knows there is certainly a lot of war and hardship yet to come for these resolute souls.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gilded Cage SIGNED / AUTOGRAPHED COPY; Author: Visit Amazon's Vic James Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine. Thank you. This first book in the Dark Gifts trilogy sets the stage very nicely for how this alternative history of Britain works. Author Vic James has made it easy to understand how the Equals and slaves came about. I appreciated her cleverness in calling the ruling class aristocrats "Equals" when, of course, we see in this novel that they are nothing of the sort. They are, instead, a group of people who have inherited magical abilities. These abilities are used to keep the ordinary people under their strict control. If you don't posses the Skill, you must do a term of ten years as a slave doing the jobs necessary to keep an economy running. If you live through your decade of slavery, you are then declared to be "free". And since it has been this way for so many hundreds of years the Equals keep becoming stronger and the others stay exactly where they are. For the most part the primary characters in this novel are young adults, mostly in their late teens or early twenties. When Abigail Hadley learned that her parents were about to enter their decade of slavery she applied to the Labor Allocation Bureau for permission for her entire family to be sent to the Kyneston Estate in Hampshire to remain together and do their slaveyears together. On the day of their departure they found that mother, father, Abigail (19) and Daisy (10) were, indeed, bound for Kyneston. Luke (17) however had been assigned elsewhere. As each member of the Hadley family begins their new life as a slave they have remarkably different experiences though none of them are entirely pleasant and it only gets worse as time passes. One of the Equals on the Kyneston Estate has powers other Equals can't even begin to imagine and he intends to use those powers for his specific purposes. This story shows perfectly how power can be used in corrupt and dangerous ways. Fans of Young Adult fiction will enjoy this imaginative world created by a talented writer. I'm sure people who enjoyed this first book will be awaiting the second with great anticipation.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Gunmetal Gray (Gray Man); Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Greaney Page; Review: Thank you to Berkley Penguin Random House for an ARC of this novel. Buckle up your seatbelt readers because once again Court Gentry performs six impossible things before breakfast! If you like thrills, chills, and intrigue.....and who doesn't?.....then this book #6 in The Gray Man series is just what you are looking for. But be warned, Court has run into someone who seems to be coming pretty close to being as good as he is at the espionage tradecraft. Having been an ardent fan of Court Gentry since I read The Gray Man I can tell you these stories of spies and criminals and various other really bad guys are addictive. As soon as I finish reading one I begin to wonder how long before author Mark Greaney will be able to get my next fix to me. Court is a complex character and this book shows that aspect to great advantage. An author has to be very talented to spend hundreds of pages explaining how his main character manages to kill in multiple complicated ways and yet have the reader think so well of the morality of that main character. The Gray Man is a good person, he just happens to do some bad things to accomplish his mission. In this case, Court is now working as an agent of the CIA (and yet not an employee of the CIA) on a mission to pick up an asset who would be invaluable to the intelligence community of the United States. Naturally this computer whiz asset has extreme value to his Chinese handlers who want him back and to the Russians who want him to do just a tiny bit of computer hacking for them too, but who would have guessed that all the criminal gang organizations would go to such extremes to get their hands on funky monkey? All Court has to do is fight everybody, including the reluctant hacker himself, in order to get him to safety. This was another exciting, thrilling adventure for the Gray Man. This book is longer than the others and it took me a little time to get the players all straight in my mind, but once the story took off it didn't stop. It is definitely a stand alone book, but if you are new to the series, do yourself a favor and be prepared to read them all. I read a lot of thrillers and I can honestly say this is the series I wait impatiently for each time.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Racing the Devil: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: I absolutely love it when a mystery author (or in this case, a team of authors) is able to fool me about the guilty party. I fell for the entire story and was genuinely surprised when the solution was revealed. I read lots of mysteries, and I do mean lots, so that surprise doesn't happen very often. This is a really, really good book added to the accumulated works. A group of seven officers were gathered completely by happenstance in France on the evening before one of the largest offensives of World War I. Even though they hadn't known each other in civilian life their circumstances forged a sense of kinship on this night. Each knew their chances of surviving through the remainder of the war were slim and yet, as if to taunt the devil, they made plans for meeting in Paris one year after the war ended and racing each other in motorcars to Nice. Five survived the war and met in Paris. How many would survive the drive through the mists along the twisting, dangerous road leading to Nice? For some inexplicable reason this book had the feeling of moving backward in the story arc and yet the year of this investigation doesn't show that. It must have been my imagination. It was absolutely captivating to see how two tiny villages being so close together could remain so separate from each other simply because of the difficulties of transportation in 1920. Two villages, two police constables, each extremely aware of his own territory and professional jurisdiction. When Inspector Rutledge was called in by one of the constables, as the representative of Scotland Yard, he had to practically insist on help from both villages - so isolated within themselves were they. It made for very entertaining reading watching Rutledge work his way around the complications something as simple as geography set up. The one thing both villages had in common was their disbelief and grief over the death of the Rector of East Dedham, Sussex, but what none could understand was why he was driving a car belonging to someone else. There are, as usual, many characters in this novel, but I didn't have trouble keeping them clear in my mind. Rutledge uses his own experiences in the war to help him understand the undercurrents of what is happening in this mystery and series of deaths. Hamish MacLeod, that persistent voice in Rutledge's subconscious, is present again in this story and contributes his usual warnings when Rutledge is in danger. This book especially was written to make it easy for readers new to the series to feel they understand what is happening. Those of us who have followed the books as they have been published understand about Hamish, but sometimes the books can be a little sparse on explaining about him and in making him a sympathetic character. Rutledge calls on his many contacts to gather information in an unofficial capacity as well as using Sergeant Gibson at Scotland Yard in London. There are a lot of trips in Rutledge's; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Don't Tell a Soul; Author: Visit Amazon's M. William Phelps Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this true crime book through NetGalley and Kensington Books, Pinnacle. Thank you. This is a book which is simply crying out for an introduction to the material which will be covered before the reader begins to follow the crime, the investigation and the trial. The first portion of the book was confusing to some degree and it took me urging myself to continue reading which allowed me to get past that slightly disconnected feeling. Also, there is no objectivity in the telling of this story. I realize that Kim Cargill was convicted and sentenced for the murder, but the case is still going through the appeals system of the state of Texas. Reading the story as Mr. Phelps told it, it would seem unlikely that a court would overturn the guilty verdict, but anything is possible when you become involved in the criminal courts. Ms. Cargill hasn't been executed yet and if there was even the slightest chance that she might be allowed another trial, it seems to me a less biased presentation would have been a better idea. Thirty-eight year old Cherry Walker was killed in June 2010, and forty-three year old Kim Cargill went on trial for her murder in May 2012. This book examines the lives of both those women as well as the murder investigation and highlights of the trial of Kim Cargill for murder. At the end of the book there are crime scene photographs released by the Smith County Sheriff's Office, Tyler, Texas. These photos will not be disturbing to anyone looking at them because the only close-up one from the scene where the body was found is of the soles of the shoes Cherry Walker was wearing. Following these photographs there is an excerpt from another book written by William Phelps, Dangerous Ground. I often read books which explain how true crime events are investigated and tried. I did enjoy this book and would certainly recommend it to someone looking for reading material within this genre. I would feel compelled to tell anyone I recommend the book to that it contains copious amounts of examples of mental and physical child abuse. If you are especially sensitive to that issue, you need to be aware of the content before you begin reading. At one point I just could not stomach another example of Kim Cargill's abuse of her children and I had to begin skimming over those sections. Those examples were prolific and even the author stated he could have written even more about the abuse but decided not to. Also, Cherry Walker had learning disabilities with a maturity level generally equal to a nine year old. Throughout the book Cherry is often referred to as "MR" or "mentally retarded". If you might find that phrasing objectionable, reconsider your decision to read this book. I would like to add, just as a purely personal opinion, that I don't think the cover of this book is representative of the material contained within the covers. The cover makes it look like a crime; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Very Important Corpses: Severn House Publishers (An Ishmael Jones Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Simon R. Green Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House. I was disappointed in this third book in the Ishmael Jones series and it will be the final one I will read. Why? Let's see: huge house - check, complete isolation - check, crammed with people - check, gruesome murders - check, monster de jour - check...........So which book am I talking about? Sadly, all three are absolutely the same. I had high hopes for this series after reading the first book because it has some elements which could be strong enough to carry through for many books. Ishmael Jones is not your usual garden variety secret agent, no, he's some"thing" very different. Well so far those differences haven't been used for anything more than giving him a heightened sense of smell, strength and quickness as far as I can see and that's after reading three books. Not enough goes on in these books to keep me interested. Putting the story in this location wasn't an advantage because it wasn't used as an advantage. My reaction to this third book is still confusion over what the author is trying to do and where he's trying to go with the story line. Super secret agents who can't keep their mouths shut about all the things they've done in the past, a totally superfluous girl friend who specializes in scintillating dialogue featuring "Ick" and calling Ishmael "alien boy". He, in turn calls her "spy girl" which she definitely is not, by the way. Actually, the whole thing is just silly and I'm tired of wasting my time on silly stories. If this series is supposed to be a joke, readers really should be warned in advance.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes; Author: Visit Amazon's Lyndsay Faye Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this collection of short stories through NetGalley and Grove Atlantic. Thank you. I'm a real Sherlock Holmes fan and am almost always disappointed when I stray into the area of authors penning their own versions of the Holmes/Watson adventures. I'm very glad to say I found good entertainment value in this collection of 16 stories. The main problem I see for readers is, if you have followed the writings of Lyndsay Faye in her Holmes variations, you may already have read some, most or all of the stories gathered here. I don't remember where I read it, but the first story was familiar to me. Luckily I had not seen any of the remaining stories. I especially liked two journal entries presented from the viewpoint of Sherlock. One was concerning the problem he was working on during the first week Dr. Watson was traveling to Baskerville Hall - it was nice to think this second criminal exercise might have been what kept Holmes from traveling with the party when they left for Dartmoor. The second journal entry was of particular interest because it gave me a view of how Holmes valued Watson from what can be considered his personal standpoint. So here are the story titles and pertinent information presented in the Credits segment provided by the author. Most of the stories were published in The Strand magazine. The Case of Colonel Warburton's Madness - 2009 (Appeared in Sherlock Holmes in America) The Adventure of the Magical Menagerie - 2015 The Adventure of the Vintner's Codex - 2011 The Adventure of the Honest Wife - 2009 The Adventure of the Beggar's Feast - 2009 (previous title The Case of the Beggar's Feast.) Memoranda Upon the Gaskell Blackmailing Dilemma -2013 The Lowther Park Mystery - 2011 An Empty House - 2014 - (Out of the Abyss) The Adventure of the Memento Mori - 2012 Notes Regarding the Disappearance of Mr. James Phillimore - 2014 The Adventure of the Willow Basket -2015 (The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories volume II) The Adventure of the Lightless Maiden - 2012 The Adventure of the Thames Tunnel The Adventure of the Mad Baritone Notes Upon the Diadem Club Affair - 2015 (published as Notes Upon the Diadem Club Affair, #47); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder, Stage Left (The Nero Wolfe Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Goldsborough Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media. Thank you. Robert Goldsborough has continued the Nero Wolfe series begun by Rex Stout with mixed success from my perspective. This was an okay read, but it certainly wasn't as well done as some of the Goldsborough offerings. This one just didn't have enough substance to it, not enough mystery to require a full novel. The producer and director of a play currently running on Broadway in New York comes to the old brownstone to say he has a feeling something isn't quite right within the cast and crew of his show. This producer comes up with the plan of having Archie come to the theatre to secretly interview the cast and some of the crew using the guise of a reporter from a magazine in Toronto, Canada. Archie goes, he interviews, gets nothing of any note and reports back to Wolfe after finding a dead body. When a suicide takes place each actor and the stage manager are invited to visit Wolfe to be interviewed. So, essentially all this book does is have the same people being interviewed twice. Wolfe does one of his 'lips moving in and out' tricks, everybody is summoned to the brownstone again.....culprit revealed. Frankly, the story just seemed to go a long way around to end up not doing much. It definitely needed some punching up with some kind of action - of the action kind - in order to make it interesting. I've read all of the Goldsborough books in this continuation of an original series and liked some more than others. This one was okay, but I could have missed it and not felt deprived.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Cheltenham Square murder; Author: John BUDE; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you. This is one of those classic historical mysteries I would not have been aware of if it weren't for Poisoned Pen Press being willing to work with books being re-released by the British Library. I had read one John Bude novel and was pleased to see this one is set in Cheltenham, a city in Britain I'm not familiar with. The opening of this novel can be a little confusing because a murder happens in a section of Cheltenham called Regent Square which has ten residences in a U shape positioned around a park-like area. Thus you will be introduced to all the residents of the ten houses to begin the story. Don't worry, though, because the most important characters quickly come to the forefront and the book concentrates on them. Originally published in 1937, this novel is a great example of the quality mystery novels being written during this period. This is also one of those novels where it appears that an unknown narrator is often speaking directly to the reader. I enjoy that type of novel so this one had the potential to be a special reading experience for me. Superintendent Meredith of the Sussex County Constabulary, Lewes, Sussex is the major investigator in this story. He is taking a few days to visit his friend, Aldous Barnet, a writer of mystery stories. Barnet and Meredith are going to collaborate on a story which accounts for the policeman being on the scene in Regency Square. One very unusual detail in this type of novel is that many of the residents of this square are also members of an archery club. Guess what the murder weapon is! Meredith is given permission by his extremely generous boss in Lewes to remain on the scene to help the Cheltenham police detective work out the who, why, and definitely the how. This was a very interesting novel from many standpoints, two of which are how the murders were committed and what the motive was. There is no way I would or could have figured out the method for the murders but that's okay, I was having so much fun it didn't matter that I couldn't guess how. Hmm, I didn't guess who either now that I think about it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The First Rule (A Joe Pike Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: I enjoy all the Robert Crais books but my stand-out favorites are the ones which feature Joe Pike. Elvis Cole is a great character but Pike has such a depth of character that his stories are hard for me to resist. I just can't help but wonder what is actually going on behind those dark glasses. This novel gives readers a closer, more personal insight into Pike. The story begins with a home invasion where three adults and two children are killed. It would have gone down as another in a horrible string of robberies and murders except this one had a special element, here the man murdered was one of Pike's guys - a member of his hand picked team - when he was a mercenary. The police are saying all the other incidents of this type were on people with known criminal leanings. Pike has to find out if Frank Meyer was dirty and prove it one way or another so he knows how to react to the death of his friend. Did Frank manage to fool Pike when they were working together? In order to solve this case Crais brings in Elvis Cole, Jon Stone, Pike and many of their contacts in the shadowy world folks like me hope to never see. I thought the plotting was absolutely spot on and the technology still held up well even though this was published in 2010 and we all know how quickly spy gadget development moves. The twist at the end was especially impressive.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Enemy Action (The Blitz Detective); Author: Visit Amazon's Mike Hollow Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Lion Hudson Plc Lion Fiction. Thank you. This is the third book in the Blitz Detective series, but the first novel I've read either in that series or by Mike Hollow. The story takes place in the Essex County Borough of West Ham in 1940. This area of London was bombed so heavily during the Blitz because it was located near the shipyards and the German strategy was to disrupt the building of British ships to make the island even more isolated and incapable of fighting the German warships. In previous novels I've read about this horrible time in British history the people who took shelter from the bombs did so in the tunnels of the London Underground. In this story the people shelter in concrete bunkers constructed above ground, actually in the roadway. The author shows what a nightmare these above ground bunkers must have been with no ventilation systems and nothing to do but sit in the dark on a concrete bench or on newspapers on the floor until the all-clear sirens sounded. It's no wonder so many people made the deadly decision to remain in their homes or to go into their own Anderson shelters in their back garden. When the all-clear is sounded after a night of heavy bombing the body of a man is found in one of the above ground shelters. Police are called and Detective Inspector John Jago and Detective Constable Peter Craddock follow the clues to discover the identity of the victim and the motive for the killing. Their investigation leads them to the pacifist movement, the state of the education system for the children remaining in the city and the temptations for corruption in the local governing body. I learned many new facts concerning this point in the history of World War II and for that I thank the author. I could not seem to become completely engaged with the main characters, but I might be willing to read another book in this series in the future.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Vicious Circle (A Joe Pickett Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's C. J. Box Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam. Thank you. Joe Pickett tangled with the Cates family in the 2015 release of book 15 in the series titled Endangered. The Cates family definitely came out on the losing end of that confrontation but now Dallas Cates has been released from prison early and word around town says he's not trying to hide his thirst for revenge against the game warden who caused his family to lose their criminal livelihood. But it soon becomes clear that Dallas isn't just after Joe, he's after the entire Pickett family. I still enjoy reading these novels with their depiction of the wilderness areas of Wyoming and the kind of strength and self-reliance it takes to make those isolated areas your home. Box does another great job of making me feel as if I'm there in that quiet country where you can see for miles in all directions, but he also makes me very aware of the fact that I would find all of that open space intimidating. I love to read about it, but reality would be something else entirely. I think it's a great tribute to Box that he can attract readers like me who feel the way I do about leaving big towns and cities behind. All of my favorite characters from the series are in this one and there is a twist at the end which maybe was a little too easy to see coming. There was also a subplot that felt like it wanted to go someplace but just never did. Bottom line.......if you are a fan of this series, you will enjoy this latest story. If you haven't read Endangered, the author gives you enough background information to help you understand what went on to precipitate this revenge spree. Personally, I would advise you to read Endangered first, then this one because in order to help readers see the motive for the way Dallas Cates acts Box has to reveal spoilers for the previous book. Besides, Endangered was so good I still get chills running down my back when I think about that hiding place.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Double Up (A Davis Way Crime Caper) (Volume 6); Author: Visit Amazon's Gretchen Archer Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press. Thank you. I've read all the books in the Davis Way series and liked some, loved others. This one I liked, but it would be the one I would be most unlikely to ever read again. It just went a little too far in the frantic mode for me even though I will repeat, I liked it. Mostly I liked it because of finding out about the new babies for Davis and Bradley and because Bea Crawford, Davis' ex-ex-mother-in-law, was such a hoot. This book is definitely not crafted along the lines of a regular mystery novel, be that cozy, semi-cozy, or deadly serious. This one takes on a whole set of new problems by dealing with Davis and her inability to leave her home for the eight months since the babies were born. Yes, Davis lives in complete luxury on the 28th floor of the Bellissimo Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi which has now been turned into a smart house. I would be more likely to call it a horror house. This kind of smart is where a computer can't differentiate between a word in a normal conversation and a command to phone the fire department anytime a word even vaguely related to fire is spoken. Or smart as in it brews a fresh pot of coffee if that word is mentioned. Don't say it's chilly outside and please don't let a pigeon land on the balcony railing! All of this was cute at first and it was leading up to something important, but it began to get old and tiresome pretty quickly. It's pretty hard to write a crime novel when there are multiple protagonists but you only ever meet one for about a paragraph's worth of words. Still, author Gretchen Archer pulled off a novel which had lots of very unusual elements in it and I did enjoy it. I just wish some of those loose ends left flapping in the breeze had been tied up in cute little bows to match the bows on the tiny, blond heads.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: How to Get the Death You Want: A Practical and Moral Guide; Author: John Abraham Rev.; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). Thank you. At my time of life I am seeing more and more of my friends and acquaintances dealing with serious health issues. I am also attending more and more funerals. None of this is pleasant, but it has brought home to me how much the same these deaths are and yet how completely different each one has been. I find I have a lot of questions. This book has answered many of those questions in a practical way which allows for dealing with situations in a more knowledgeable and sympathetic manner. This is not a book presented from any religious viewpoint. The author, John Abraham, was an Episcopal Priest for most of his adult life but he states he is no longer active in that capacity. Instead he now is a thanatologist - a person who specializes in the study of death related issues. The first six chapters of this book puts the focus on how terminal illness and death are treated in our society, philosophical expressions from the author and others on what death or a possible life after death means, and how to satisfy yourself on your feelings concerning your own death as well as loved ones and friends. This portion of the book was interesting to me, but I wanted more facts, solid information I could read to give me ideas of what might be ahead in the form of actions. Beginning with the seventh chapter I found what I was looking for, the practical realities of dealing with what happens when death is either eminent or has already taken place. There is a huge amount of information regarding how a person with a diagnosis of terminal illness needs to talk to their family, their friends, their doctors. Even if you don't need to ask every question on these lists, you do need to see the words to be sure you have taken that item into consideration. What would you do if someone asked you to be their advocate as they are going through the hospital or hospice stage of dying? How would I go about choosing an advocate for myself? What legal liabilities does an advocate have? What legal rights do patients actually have and how do patients make sure their wishes are being carried out? What is the benefit of a Durable Medical Health Care Power of Attorney? What benefit can a patient expect if they have a Living Will? You will be very surprised by most of the information you read in this book. I know I was. Who is truly in charge of your care as you are dying? There are probably not many people who get up one morning and suddenly decide they want to read a book about making all possible arrangements for their death. No, neither did I, but I have witnessed the anguish of family members and close friends who never gave much thought to what would happen when their body had deteriorated to such; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Age of Myth: Book One of The Legends of the First Empire; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael J. Sullivan Page; Review: I wanted to read this first book in the series in preparation for reading "Age of Swords" because I already have that one as an ARC. I knew this first book would establish the fantasy world and the characters and with so many books planned for the series it would be best for me to get in on the ground floor with the world building. Unfortunately there are many tribes, clans, cities, and countries all presented at once with people being either gods or not with names which take a long time to grasp hold of. I needed to spend a lot of time in the Glossary of Terms and Names mainly because the naming of these things didn't make any sense to me. Once I had passed the 20% mark in my e-reader I had more or less figured who the main characters were going to be so I just let the others slide. By that time I knew this wasn't going to be a favorite book or series. This world and the people in it appear too simple for my taste in epic fantasy. They live in mud roundhouses with crude thatch on the roof and yet speak in a very modern 21st Century style. People never seem to ask each other important questions. An action is viewed only as something that happened right then, not something which might just possibly have been used to mask a hidden agenda. So many of the characters are so one dimensional it made me wonder if they just leaned up against a wall when they weren't actually having a speaking part. Raithe, Malcom, Nyphron and Suri were definitely favorite characters and they will be moving forward into the second book. Other characters will also, but I'm not really very interested in them. There are people who are supposed gods who can work magic and there is a mystic. Most people in this fantasy world are described as human but we aren't allowed to call them that except to explain that they are human. Honestly? The book began to pick up in interest when I reached about the 75% mark so that's a long time for me to be trying to make Persephone use some logic and figure out what was actually going on. When one of the main characters is so dense about motivations it makes me wonder how the author ever planned for her to survive. So not a favorite for me but it is a fast read. Don't give up when/if you bog down at the beginning from having to learn all the made up words and names, just plow through and chose the characters who are obviously crucial to the story arc and you will be rewarded by some action toward the books end. The second book will have to knock my socks off for me to continue with the series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life; Author: Visit Amazon's Sally Bedell Smith Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this biography through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group. Thank you. This is not an authorized biography of Prince Charles, but it is a very even handed attempt to show what this man is like both when he is in the public spotlight and when he isn't. I have read other biographies of the British royal family written by Sally Bedell Smith and my reason for wanting to read this one was because I knew I would find a balanced approach to the subject at hand. I always make sure to read the Dedication, Bibliography, and Acknowledgments because I often find interesting nuggets of information revealed there. In this case, the revelation of how Ms. Smith was close enough to her subject matter to be believable. Also, even though there are literally pages of names of those who were willing to provide Ms. Smith with information about Prince Charles there were only thirty people who requested to remain anonymous. That percentage was quite impressive to me. I also discovered how access to the royal family came about and how many people within the royal circle can be considered friends of this author. It explains why many of the incidents involving Prince Charles over the years were treated as they were. In this biography Ms. Smith has dealt with Prince Charles fairly, but impartially. When she was recounting things he had said or done which were unwise she has not held back from offering a critical view of his actions. However, and just as important to me, when Prince Charles has been wrongly perceived or maligned Ms. Smith has not hesitated to set the record straight to give readers a view of the whole man. Thankfully she has not tried to whitewash obvious errors in judgement or turn Prince Charles into an unappreciated saint. The balance of giving the opposite view when misleading information was more prominently reported has made Prince Charles into a more personable individual for me. It seems fairly obvious that Ms. Smith is to be considered more on the side of the Prince of Wales than his enemy, but attempts appear to have been made to present him as he is, as events happened , mistakes and all. One of the aspects of this book which I found most interesting was watching as Prince Charles appears to come to terms with his role in waiting to become King Charles III. Everyone matures over the period of their life. It was most interesting to watch Prince Charles as he had to come to terms with his place in the line of English monarchs with the eyes of friend and foe alike firmly focused on him, evaluating his every move in light of his future possibility of sitting on the throne. This book has been most helpful to me in watching Prince Charles mature and change as he has had to deal with everything life has given him and come through it all with a grace and purpose which bodes well for the English monarchy.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Scarweather (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Anthony Rolls Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you. Anthony Rolls is not an author I have read before, but I enjoy reading the British Library's Crime Classics re-issues so I decided to try this one. The novel is quite different because the involvement with the characters takes place over a decade and a half. With a death happening fourteen years before the proof is gathered I found this book to be both fascinating and slow. I was on guard as soon as I read in the introduction by Martin Edwards that the pace was "leisurely". Yes, that it was. Scarweather is an isolated manor house on the coast of northern England, the story begins just months before the outbreak of World War I. This mystery has archeology as the central theme so if you aren't interested in that subject you might take this as a warning. I know practically nothing about ancient burial sites in Britain or elsewhere so I found myself often wondering if the information was true or had been made up by the author. When so many experts in the same field have totally different opinions of what is fact and what is not it just confuses me more. Plus, I'm sorry to say I was correct very early on as to what was happening regarding the mystery ship and the death had a pretty obvious solution also. Yet in spite of all those things which would seem to be an impediment to enjoyment, I really did like the book. I certainly liked it enough to make it through the middle portions which slowed down from a crawl to a creep. Read this novel if you want to see a different style of mystery writing done well.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Waking Gods: Themis Files Book 2; Author: Visit Amazon's Sylvain Neuvel Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey. Thank you. The first book in this series is "Sleeping Giants" and I highly recommend you read that book before you begin this second book. Even though Sylvain Neuvel has sprinkled some backstory information throughout this book he did not try to re-create the first book. If you don't know what happened before, it will take you longer to fully appreciate what is happening as you get into the body of the new material. I can say I absolutely raced through this book. Because the 'files' (instead of chapters) are short it seemed entirely possible to keep saying just one more, no, really, just one more. The style in which the book is written takes no time at all for the reader to adjust to something a little different from standard narrative. Each file is a report or a conversation and those conversations are only between two characters so you don't need quotation marks. There is an unnamed individual and his portions of dialog are shown in a lighter color to differentiate him from everyone else. You find yourself falling into a comfortable rhythm as you read and this, plus the fact that the action moves very quickly from one area of the world to another, makes the story pretty nearly impossible to put down. In the first novel the pieces of a giant robot were discovered all over the globe and assembled into a huge robot christened Themis. Speculation ran rampant as to why this obviously advanced technology was on Earth and how it could be made useful. Now two pilots have learned how to use Themis, but suddenly a robot that looks slightly different from Themis has appeared in the middle of London. How will the countries of the world react if they feel threatened by this robot that simply appears? What if there are others? What do they want? How should the Earth Defense Corps react to something obviously not from this world? I enjoyed this second book, perhaps even more than the first and that's saying something. The questions raised about how humans might react to something so foreign was great fodder for conversations with other fans of science fiction. I don't know how many novels have been planned for this series, but there is no way it can end here. Why? Well because there are still unanswered questions, but most of all because I want to read more.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple; Author: Visit Amazon's Jeff Guinn Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Simon & Schuster True Crime. Thank you. This is a story which will disturb you during the time you are reading it and after you put the book down. I wanted to see how Jim Jones was able to convince so many people that he was one person when he so obviously was another. One of the things which came as such a surprise to me was how his ministry began around such a good thing: equality and dignity for everyone. And Jones absolutely believed in helping people attain those things. What also surprised me was how willing some of his followers were to allow him to use whatever means he wanted in order to forge his ministry into his ultimate goal. I think about the only thing Jones never actually did was commit murder, but he sure made people who tried to leave his mission think that he wouldn't hesitate to do that too. Living the perfect socialist lifestyle (later with definite leanings toward communism) is how this incredibly charismatic man took his small town Christian revival teaching to the front pages of the world's newspapers. Of course, by then it was too late for those who had shown their ultimate love and loyalty to him by dying for him. Even then Jim Jones didn't follow his own teachings because he took a bullet in the head instead of the agonizing death by cyanide poisoning which his followers endured. Some might have needed persuading by the armed guards before they gave the infants and children the poison squirted from syringes while adults drank it from cups, but most were willing participants. Some members simply told the guards they wanted to leave and they were allowed to go. Down to the bitter end this was a contradiction of good intentions versus evil manipulation. Author Jeff Guinn has written an absolutely fascinating revelation of exactly how Jim Jones became the leader he was so we can understand the power and control Jones had over almost everyone he came into contact with. Even people who were never members of his Peoples Temple were willing to do his bidding after spending even a small amount of time in his presence. How do you fool so many people? The answer is, you have charm, you tell them what they want or need to hear, and you have people backing you up to help you run the con game. Good people joined Peoples Temple because Jones promised them racial equality and dignity or because they saw through his religious faade to his socialist intentions and agreed that was the way the world would work best. Not everyone remained with Peoples Temple, some left. Some even left many times and returned. I was absolutely fascinated to learn at what point the Peoples Temple followers knew about the mass suicide plan. What an incredible hold he had over them. I read this book on an e-reader. The final 15-16% of the book is taken up with the Footnote information.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Age of Swords: Book Two of The Legends of the First Empire; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael J. Sullivan Page; Review: I read the first book in this series, Age of Myth, and had some issues with it which kept me from thinking it was more than just an okay read. I read it, however, because I wanted to be prepared for this second book so I would know if I will be continuing with the series and if I want to begin reading two other book series related to this one by this author. Michael J. Sullivan has done an adequate job of including concise backstory from the first book, but I think it will still be best for readers to read that first novel to understand this fantasy world. Age of Swords brings the characters from the first book to the realization that they are going to be involved in a war, no matter how much they might wish to avoid that. Now we meet giants and dwarfs. The dwarfs have weaponry which the humans, called Rhunes here, haven't learned how to make yet but they want Persephone to handle a problem faced by their race before she can have the weapons. Persephone is now leading her clan and has planed to move away from their settlement in order to find safety in an area with other Rhunes. She knows that her followers will need to protect themselves during this journey so the first stage of the journey begins with a trip across the sea to the home of the dwarfs to acquire weapons. Once again I found it hard to mentally place this race of humans in a setting where they had no knowledge of such basic inventions as a wooden cart to carry heavy loads and yet they speak in modern 21st Century language. It was most disconcerting. One example of this jarring disconnect comes when Raithe (known as The God Killer because....well, he killed a god) is talking to a man who was a slave before throwing his lot in with Raithe: "What did you do today, Mister Enterprising Ball of Ambition?" This coming from a man who is a fighter with all the skills of that craft but only rudimentary skills for anything else at all. This style of writing dialogue is just too noticeable when the narration deals with people who don't even know what a wheel is. Plus, even if there had not been the problem with the dialogue I still had the problem of being perfectly content to put this book aside for long periods and not even think about picking it up again. I just never became attached to most of the characters and certainly was not riveted to the page. I will not be continuing this series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Gallow's Thief; Author: Visit Amazon's Bernard. Cornwell Page; Review: I put this Bernard Cornwell book on my e-reader after being notified about a special pricing event for Kindle. Once I read the story I came back hoping to find other stories in a series. Unfortunately it doesn't seem that Cornwell continued the adventures of Captain Rider Sandman or at least not yet. (If you have information about other books in this series, I would appreciate you leaving a comment about that. I've looked but can't find reference to any others, but I might easily have missed something in the listing of Cornwell's works.) I had not read any of Cornwell's other novels, but when I saw he had written what is considered a mystery I couldn't pass it up. The writing is absolutely superb, but be prepared to spend a lot of reading time rehashing the battle of Waterloo. Yes, it was to be expected that the subject would find its way into the book so I can't really complain. Captain Sandman has been stripped of just about everything except his pride. Thanks to the financial irregularities and suicide of his father Sandman has lost his fiancée and his fortune. Having sold his commission so that he can provide the necessities for his mother and sister he finds himself having to play cricket for pay. That's a very hard way to earn your room and board. When Sandman is offered the one-time job of checking into the guilt of a prisoner scheduled to be hanged in one week's time the money is too hard to resist. As someone who never even thought about doing investigations into guilt or innocence he has no idea of where to even start. This was supposed to be a one day job where he manages to wrest a confession from the man accused of murder and then Sandman will move on to finding a way to earn his living. Unfortunately, instead, he is convinced the convicted man is innocent and so he begins to look for evidence to prove him innocent. Along the way he almost accidently forms a rather eclectic band of helpers. This was actually a good mystery plot and the characters are wonderfully drawn. Even minor characters are given life on the page and that is an unusual thing to find in a relatively short mystery novel. I enjoyed this quite a bit and think that the characters could have worked very well in future stories. There are loads of unfinished sub-plots so perhaps Cornwell will pick up the story again in the future.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI; Author: Visit Amazon's David Grann Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this non-fiction book through NetGalley and Doubleday Books. Thank you. This book will be of interest to many readers wanting information on different historical happenings in the early 1920s of Oklahoma regarding the Osage Indians, the Osage Reign of Terror, Tom White, and the early days of J. Edgar Hoover at the helm of the Bureau of Investigation, later changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. There is so much information here that over 25% of the digital download is devoted to the Acknowledgments, Notes on the Sources, Archival and Unpublished Sources, Notes, Selected Bibliography, and Illustration Credits. The book is also filled with high quality photographs of people and places mentioned in the book and they bring the book to life. When the United States government forced the Osage Indian tribe off the lands they had been allotted in Kansas they were sent to a part of Oklahoma that wasn't really of any use to an agrarian society, and the Osage were hunters, not farmers so this move was a double blow to them because they didn't know how to farm and there was no prey for them to hunt. Yet the tribe members had great representation when the ownership documents were signed for the land so this move at least turned out to be beneficial to those on the tribal register when oil was discovered below those rocky lands. What began as a wonderful windfall turned into the Osage Reign of Terror as the Osage listed on the tribal register began to die, one after another. Some of the methods of death were easily figured out, some took longer, but the local law enforcement elements were certainly not in any hurry to find who was wiping out the Osage Indians. Enter Tom White, one of the 'Cowboys' remaining in the Bureau of Investigation. Hoover directed the investigation from Washington, DC and he wanted results. This was a hugely interesting accumulation of facts concerning the murders of so many of the Osage Indians and I'm sorry to say I had never even heard about this horrible time in our nation's history. David Grann has obviously spent a great amount of time doing research and visiting the area where this tragedy took place. His sympathy for this subject matter comes across through his sensitive narrative and his presentation points out both the greed and bigotry of the people behind the killings and the sincerity for seeking justice among those who infiltrated this community of lawlessness and righted as many wrongs as humanly possible.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Little Death, A: A forensic cold case mystery (A Kate Hanson Mystery); Author: A. J. Cross; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House. Thank you. There are several previous novels in this series to feature Dr. Kate Hanson, a Forensic Psychologist with the UCU (Unsolved Crimes Unit) in Birmingham, England. I had not read any of the previous novels and had no problems beginning the series with this novel. I'm especially interested in reading mystery novels where the motive of a killer is explored and in this story Dr. Hanson plays a very large role in working the cold case. A body has been discovered buried in a shallow grave on the edge of a field and machinery is set in motion to identify the body. Once the identification is made the problem becomes very complicated since a cause of death cannot be established by the coroner. How can the team find out what happened to this victim if they don't even know how she died? All the resources of the cold cases team will be called into play to make headway on this one. This case is obviously set in modern times, but I couldn't get any firm grasp on exactly what year the death occurred. I prefer to have some inkling of a date for a story so I can judge it fairly regarding the use of technology in solving the crime. Since there was no date I just had to mentally place it in this year and that all by itself caused me some problems. First, the initial investigation of the disappearance of this person must have been a very shoddy affair. There were multiple pieces of evidence which were never examined for forensic evidence and even the UCU didn't attempt to use that evidence until almost the end of the story. Why not? There was trace evidence found on the skeletal remains and yet, once again from a forensic standpoint, only the most cursory investigation went into identifying this evidence. In short, this investigation was totally unsatisfactory if you are a dedicated reader of mystery novels involving modern forensic evidence techniques. Other aspects of the book which kept me from enjoying it very much have to do with the main character, Dr. Kate Hanson. She divides her time between her family life with her thirteen year old daughter, lecturing at a university, and working as a forensic psychologist for the UCU (which, by the way, my brain continued to see as ICU throughout the book!) along with the other members of the team. Dr. Hanson's ruminations on what the psychological reasoning behind the motive of the killer might be seemed to go on forever. I was reading this book on an e-reader device and I kept looking at the percentage read and wondering how many pages there were in the book. I would have guessed at over 400. The page count is 252. The story simply moved at a snail's pace for me. It was also annoying that the author referred to this main character as Hanson throughout the book instead of Kate or Dr. Hanson. I was pulled; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Fool's Gold: A 1960s British mystery (A Liberty Lane Mystery); Author: Caro Peacock; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishers. Thank you. 4.5 out of 5 stars This is book eight in the Liberty Lane series set in Victorian London - and, of course, its environs. I really enjoyed this book which functioned very well as a stand alone novel, but which has put me in the mood to download more of the stories to my Kindle. Author Caro Peacock has constructed a Victorian female private investigator in such a way that she doesn't irritate me at all - and that's saying something because I can be a very picky reader when it comes to time period mysteries. In May 1841, Liberty and Robert are newly married and on their honeymoon sailing on a borrowed yacht close to one of the Greek islands, Cephalonia, when they see a young man diving into the ocean. His natural beauty and grace call to mind the images of Greek gods from art and literature. Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael receive an invitation from a wealthy man living on the island to come to dinner and they accept. There they meet the diver, a young man of eighteen or nineteen years, blind, and of an uncanny resemblance to Lord Byron. Their host, Matthew Vickery, plans to take Georgios to London to take his rightful place in society as a son, even though illegitimate, of Lord Byron. A tragic death by drowning happens before Liberty and Robert sail away from Cephalonia with Georgios blaming himself because he feels he carries a curse which causes danger to follow him wherever he goes. When everyone meets up again in London it looks as if Georgios (now called George) just might be right. The Liberty Lane character has had seven previous novels in which to become fully formed so what I found here was someone who was unconventional for the times, but not a woman prone to making exactly the wrong decision each time she was given the opportunity. The supporting characters returning from previous books were just as well developed as were the new cast for this story. The historical time period rings true without spending annoying amounts of time discussing sewage and general grime and uncleanliness. (I do get so tired when those things are what an author relies on most to create atmosphere in a novel.) The actual mystery plot is very well imagined and carried out and I was completely fooled by who was behind the curtain moving people about like puppets. A very enjoyable reading experience and recommended for readers who enjoy sensible characters and a difficult problem to solve.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder is for Keeps: A Penny Brannigan Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth J. Duncan Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books. Thank you. This number eight Penny Brannigan cozy mystery was a solid 3.5 star read for me. It was my first time to read the series and I was impressed with the good writing and plotting I found here. There were just enough location and character names to firmly establish the action taking place in Wales. The clues were well concealed within the story and I did not have the solution completely figured out until it was revealed by the author. While the manner of death was not unusual, the length of time it took to establish that the victim had even been murdered was very well done because of how that death was accomplished. I also liked the way the author established the relationship between Penny and recently retired Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies. Taken all together, this was a very pleasant reading experience which I enjoyed.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Besieged: Stories from the Iron Druid Chronicles; Author: Kevin Hearne (author); Review: Fans of the Iron Druid series will appreciate this collection of nine short stories because Atticus and others fill in the blanks about some of the things which happen in the novels but might not be completely explained. Each story begins with the author, Kevin Hearne, stating who the narrator will be and exactly where that particular story falls within the series. If you have not read any of this series, some of the information given here will help you grasp what the novels are about and help you make a decision about whether or not to begin reading the first novel. These are the titles of the nine stories and a very brief synopsis of each: The Eye of Horus - Atticus tells the story of his journey to Egypt to the Great Library of Alexandria. Goddess at the Crossroads - Atticus and William Shakespeare meet Hecate. The Demon Barker of Wheat Street - fair goers get to choose between heaven and hell at the Kansas Wheat Festival. Gold Dust Druid - a demon is loose in San Francisco feeding off of greed. The Bogeyman of Boora Bog - Owen Kennedy explains how he met Siodhacan O'Suilebhain (Atticus) and took him on as apprentice. Cuddle Dungeon - narrated by Perun, an old Slavic thunder god. No synopsis because of spoilers. Blood Pudding - Granuaile has finished her apprenticeship and is ridding Poland of vampires. Hunted to Devils - curing a genetic disease in Tasmanian devils. The End of Idylls - a vague "story" to set up the next novel. All of the stories were good and there was only one I had read before, The Demon Barker of Wheat Street, even though I have not read the anthology Hearne says that story appears in. (This short story does appear as a short story in digital format but I can't find it on the records for my Kindle.) On page 94 there is some very funny and interesting conversation between Atticus and Oberon (an Irish wolfhound) about book reviewers. Oberon is giving Atticus very low star ratings for the story he is telling. I found that whole sequence very amusing. So, yes, I did read the book! So read this collection to get yourself ready for the next adventure with the Iron Druid. Evidently we are going back to the land of ice and snow.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Allingham Case-Book; Author: Visit Amazon's Margery Allingham Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this collection of short stories through NetGalley and Ipso Books. Thank you. I seem to be reading a lot of short stories lately. Quite often they just don't measure up. That's why it was such a delight to read the 18 stories included in this collection and to be so satisfied with the whole thing when I finished reading. I could sit down and read one or several of the stories at my leisure and look forward to getting back to the book as soon as possible. The biography included in this book states that Allingham wrote over 20 short stories so most of them are included in this volume. I didn't keep precise count, but it seems to me that approximately half the stories include Campion and either Inspector Charlie Luke or Superintendent Stanislaus Oates. Allingham doesn't always give a precise ending to a story, instead allowing the reader to think for a moment before having that "Oh, now I get it" moment. One story I still haven't quite figured out even though I read it twice. Margery Allingham has always been one of my favorite mystery novel authors because she makes her characters possess not just intelligence, but also wit and charm. This was a thoroughly enjoyable collection of entertaining short stories. At the end of the stories there is a sample of the Allingham novel Traitor's Purse. There is something here for readers who are already firm fans of this author plus intriguing glimpses into the high quality of the writing you will find if you read the full length novels. Try this sampler then go for the main course. You almost can't go wrong with any book you pick. Super sleuth Albert Campion made his first appearance in "The Crime at Black Dudley" (not his best showing according to me) and became the main character of the Allingham books in "Mystery Mile".; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Birthrights (Revisions to the Truth); Author: Visit Amazon's J. Kyle McNeal Page; Review: I am sure there will be readers who find this fantasy world created by author J. Kyle McNeal a fascinating reading experience. Unfortunately I am not one of those readers. Boiled down to the most basic level I would say the book is about varying beliefs in faith and heritage and what is "true". Even after reading the book I find myself slightly confused about who believed what and why. The novel is presented from the viewpoint of many different characters in the very short chapters. A consequence of presenting all of these perspectives was to keep me from forming a close bond with any one character because they would disappear for long stretches of time. Some simply left completely. It might have helped if there had been a glossary to help me keep in mind who and what I was reading about. Since I was reading an ARC a segment such as that might be included in the published novel. There is a line drawing map showing the many regions of this kingdom and I had to make use of that very often. There are also line drawings scattered throughout the book which actually helped me quite a bit. Characters such as the Rat Man were so much more understandable when shown in a drawing. The downside to that was the character left the narrative almost as soon as the picture placement was left behind. Secondary characters pop up as the focus of a chapter and I would have to spend time trying to remember who they even were and what they had been involved in previously. Sadly, this novel is just not for me. That doesn't mean it will not be a delightful and enjoyable read for you, though. Tastes differ and my inability to have any curiosity or concern for the overall cast of characters meant I found the book a hard chore to read instead of a delight. I hope you will fare better. There is a short excerpt from the second book in this four book set immediately following the end of the first novel. According to the page count there are 529 pages in Birthrights.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries; Author: Visit Amazon's Martha Wells Page; Review: An excellent story with a level of characterization difficult to achieve in only 160 pages. Murderbot was a well developed character with traits which quickly made me interested in finding out how it was going to handle the situation it was in. Very engaging to watch it become more aware of its humans on their space exploration mission. I got a good chuckle to find that Murderbot withdrew from the noisy, emotional, overwhelming world of the humans by watching feeds of entertainment programs. The ending for this segment was a very good setup for more stories to come. I was a little apprehensive about the length of the story because I have been disappointed by short stories and novellas in the past because they never fully engaged my emotions. I didn't need to worry about that with this story by Martha Wells and I am definitely looking forward to reading the continuing adventures of this Imitative Human Bot Unit.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miraculous Mysteries: Locked-Room Murders and Impossible Crimes (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Martin Edwards (editor); Review: I received an e-ARC of this book of short stories through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you. This collection of short stories has a lot going for it. Included in this book are 16 locked room, or often called impossible, puzzles needing a solution. Luckily for those of us who especially enjoy these older classics there were some fine deductive thinkers on the scene. As is almost a standard for a collection of this type the editor, Martin Edwards, has included a brief biographical segment at the beginning of each story to help the reader understand the placement that author had in crime fiction of that period. The stories are arranged more or less in chronological order so I got a nice mixture of authors I was familiar with bumping up against those I didn't know at all. Here is a list of the story titles and authors: The Lost Special by Arthur Conan Doyle (not a Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson story) The Thing Invisible by William Hope Hodgson The Case of the Tragedies in the Greek Room by Sax Rohmer The Aluminum Dagger by R. Austin Freeman The Miracle of Moon Crescent by G. K. Chesterton The Invisible Weapon by Nicholas Olde The Diary of Death by Marten Cumberland The Broadcast Murder by Grenville Robbins The Music-Room by Sapper (not a Bulldog Drummond story) Death at 8:30 by Christopher St. John Sprigg Too Clever By Half by G. D. H. and Margaret Cole Locked In by E. Charles Vivian The Haunted Policeman by Dorothy L. Sayers (a Lord Peter Wimsey story) The Sands of Thyme by Michael Innes (a John Appleby story) Beware of the Trains by Edmund Crispin (a Gervase Fen story) The Villa Marie Celeste by Margery Allingham (an Albert Campion and Inspector Luke story) There was only one story I didn't particularly enjoy and only one that I solved as it was unfolding. Altogether a very pleasant time of enjoying short snippets of wonderfully written stories at my leisure.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Miles Off Course (Rowland Sinclair Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Sulari Gentill Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you. Australian author Sulari Gentill has now written at least three novels in her Rowland Sinclair series set in the 1930s. This one is 1933 and takes place in New South Wales and the Snowy Mountains. It is quite an interesting mix of the outback cattle ranching and wealthy amateur sleuth themes. Her main character is an artist specializing in the "female form" and his group of friends include a poet (who doesn't write, just quotes from other poets), a watercolorist/sometime vagabond and a sculptor. The three friends are very fortunate in having Rowly for a friend because he is very wealthy so it would seem to take a lot of pressure off the other three to make a living from their art. I got a little confused sometimes and had to stop and ask myself who Ed was until I would remember that was what the others called Edna. There has been a spate of sons of wealthy society families kidnapped and held for ransom. When three men break into the suite Rowland is sharing with his friends and try to abduct him, the natural assumption of the group is that it was a kidnap for ransom attempt. Rowly's older brother wants him to undertake a job of finding out what has happened to the foreman of the cattle moving crew in the Snowy Mountains so this seems like a good time for Rowly and his friends to decamp and evade any further kidnap attempts. I always enjoy reading mystery novels set in locations other than the United States because I tend to learn very interesting history of the places I'm visiting in the book. This novel was certainly no exception to the learning experience and the Australian slang and word phrasing put me right in the country. Political events were of immense importance at this time in Australia and the author really was able to show the Communist and Fascist influences by weaving in true historical people and events which would lead up to World War II and the stance the Australian government took. The beginning of each chapter has an excerpt or reproduction of printed material in newspapers of the day (or slightly more modern) which I feel confident were real and which cast insight on the content of that chapter. Altogether a very interesting reading experience and it is very nice to know there are already two previous novels I can read in the series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Match Up; Author: Diana Gabaldon; Review: I received an e-ARC of this collection of short stories through NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. Thank you. The connection point for all the authors in this anthology is that they are members of the International Thriller Writers group. In this collection each story is a collaboration between a male and a female writer. The stories also often result in having a female and a male protagonist. Some of the authors requested to work with a specific author, the others were paired with someone they knew but had not worked with before. Some were familiar with writing short stories, for some it was their first venture into that territory but they had been given the chance to work with an author who had short story experience. I already had two authors in the list of twenty-two which I consider favorites, I found five more I could add to my list for checking out their books. Seven out of twenty-two wasn't quite as many as I had hoped for. One of the problems I encountered was that one of the main characters in each story seemed to dominate the story. I would have expected an author who had a character strong enough to carry an entire novel, or even a series of novels, to have as much of a strong influence in a short story. Maybe it was just my perception that so many of the stories had one weak and one stronger character. Most of the stories are contemporary in nature with private investigators and members of some aspect of law enforcement being the predominant reason for their involvement in solving the crime. There is one time travel story and one which has a paranormal element and I was surprised to find that these were two of my least favorite offerings even though I enjoy reading paranormal suspense. There is good representation of the thriller short story presented here. I liked that I felt very comfortable putting the collection down after reading only several stories (which usually is a signal for trouble with liking the book for me) and then picking it back up to read one or two more without losing interest in the overall book. Each story is preceded by an introduction by Lee Child giving the background of how the two authors in a story were placed together and a brief detail of how they picked the basic idea of their story and what method they used in writing the collaboration. There are biographical sketches of each author in the back of the book. Ultimately this was a pleasant reading experience and I found some authors/main characters I want to explore further. That has to be regarded as a success for the project.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Rogue Horse Recovery; Author: Visit Amazon's Chris Poindexter Page; Review: So.......what would this series be called? The Fat Man series? Not very appealing. This is a thriller novel about a group of six characters who merged their various talents together in the aftermath of the 9/11 catastrophe and became a covert operations unit hired by anybody with money to help deal with the threats from the bad guys. (Don't wait for the backstory of how they all met because you won't be getting any.) This was a strictly off-the-books enterprise with no traceable ties to any responsible government or intelligence gathering system. The money rolled in faster than they could count it or evidently before they could even make an accounting for it. After the most immediate threats began to be more manageable within legalized intelligence communities this group stayed together to take on odd - but evidently extremely lucrative - jobs whenever the problem appealed to them. This is where we find ourselves as the story begins when the client asks for their help in finding her husband who has gone missing with $65 million dollars worth of bonds. Wife type wants him found so he can be proven innocent. Could it be that all is not as it seems? Well of course, now is when the fun begins. I actually liked this book in spite of itself. First, why no information to help me understand exactly what made each of these principal characters the quirky way they are? Each is flawed in some very obvious way and yet I wasn't allowed to know why they were flawed so I could have a sympathetic understanding of the person. The Fat Man---was he supposed to have some kind of psychic ability so he could simply look at a person and know what they were and whether they were good or bad and what they were going to do? There is a specific scene that takes place in a restaurant where he (the Fat Man) walks up to a man and woman who are total strangers to him and tells them all about the relationship problems they are having, what their sexual orientations are, how the man needs to handle the situation with the woman and her "needs" and what will happen with the two, or three, of them in the future. What? No, no, no you can't just keep doing that kind of stuff in a book and expect me to take it seriously. And then we get to the wealth. These characters are supposed to be fantastically rich billionaires, multi-millionaires, who knows, but still only live to take on super dangerous jobs from their convenient current location which, by the way, they own. Naturally they do. In fact they own so much they don't even know exactly what all it is that they own because everything they try to use as an asset in their crime fighting schemes grows into an enterprise that just morphs into the worlds biggest, best or baddest thing and makes them a ton more money. All while flying totally under the radar of any government entity; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Roofworld; Author: CHRISTOPHER FOWLER; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Hydra. Thank you. Christopher Fowler is the author of a series of novels I'm completely addicted to, Bryant and May from the Peculiar Crimes Unit. When I saw Fowler's first novel, published in 1988, was being digitized for e-readers I absolutely had to read it. I'm very, very glad I did. I have to admit it was difficult for me to read this book without the inevitable comparisons to the Bryant and May books, but it was also a special treat to dig out nuggets of style and substance which would stand Fowler in such good stead later. If you are approaching this novel from only having read that most popular series featuring the PCU, be prepared for things to be different in this book because it is definitely not from that series. This London focuses on the rooftops, away from the Groundes, the Insects, to the people who were so dissatisfied with their lives that they needed to get away and begin their own culture complete with rules, guidelines, laws and enforcement of their secret society. Nobody ever looks up, it was the easiest thing for them to form a society and develop various methods for transporting themselves from one building to another with complete ease and no fear. Ah, but then it began to come apart when two strong leaders found they had differing values and reasons for the roofworld to exist. Now it's war and London begins to notice as the casualty count increases. My overall reaction to the book was to be impressed by how wonderfully it was written. All the Fowler touches which have now become so familiar were there from the beginning. Things are a little quirky; London is the host for a different world hidden in plain sight; a goodly amount of information is related regarding the architectural variations of the city; the police are trying their best to deal with mystical situations outside the covers of the books of standard legal procedure; there are some wonderful examples of black humor. But then I got to the pure gruesomeness of the killings and was stopped in my tracks. After a specific incident I approached the remainder of the book with caution hoping that I wouldn't come across anything like that again. If you are at all squeamish but still want to read this book, go ahead because you will be given ample warning that this portion is about to happen and you can just skip several pages ahead. Just naming what is going to happen will be your warning. So I am glad I read the book. If a friend asks for my recommendation, I will say the same things I've said in this review. I do think I'll be staying with the Bryant & May books from now on, though.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Waking Land; Author: Visit Amazon's Callie Bates Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine De Rey. Thank you. When she was five years old Elanna had been kidnapped for political reasons and by the time this story takes place she is nineteen and has come to look upon her kidnapper as a father figure. That was a pretty important idea for the story which wasn't explored as much as I think it should have been. Now Elanna is involved in a political movement again, also against her will - at least in the beginning. In this fantasy world magic is forbidden and we are reminded multiple times + 10 about the witch hunts to remove magic from the kingdom. Well, guess what....or guess who has magical abilities. Now all she has to do is learn what her powers can do and how to control her use of them. This fantasy world is superficially drawn with very little real depth to any of its elements and Elanna is not someone I want to spend any more time with. The story is written in first person so you get many gems such as "I wake." "I fold my arms. I don't believe it." That writing style is not ever going to be my favorite because I feel I'm missing so much by being trapped inside the head of one character. However, this coming of age novel will definitely appeal to the mid-teen age group I think it was written for. There is lots of talk of kings and princesses and using magical power for the world's good and romance, romance, romance. All presented in a completely fairy tale atmosphere which will be entirely satisfactory to its target audience.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Right Side: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Spencer Quinn Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Atria Books. Thank you. The main focus of this riveting novel is the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder suffered by the main character, Sergeant LeAnne Hogan, after she receives a traumatic injury during a mission in Afghanistan. Fully the first half of the novel is focused on her past family history and on this tragic aspect of LeAnne's life as she tries to grapple with the consequences both physical and psychological coming out of her last military mission. The loss of her right eye, the scarring left from that wounding, the headaches, blackouts, and memory loss seem overwhelming obstacles to move on from. This story is told with flashbacks which slowly reveal to the reader, as well as to LeAnne, what the true circumstances were in that mission which failed so tragically. The paradox of this story was that LeAnne had been such a strong woman in her military service and yet that same strength was keeping the military and her doctors from helping her reconstruct the failed mission for intelligence analysis and her learning how to cope with the stress she was living through. Progress is made for LeAnne slowly, made because she does what she knows will help her cope best, by setting a mission for herself. This mission involves the fellow soldier she shared a room with at Walter Reed Hospital and LeAnne's struggle to get to Marci's home town. Her arrival sends LeAnne to the next part of her mission, finding Marci's missing daughter. I've read all the Chet and Bernie novels written by Spencer Quinn. This novel is completely different. Everything is much more serious here, the main character; the adult stray dog who appears from nowhere with some kind of previous training which helps LeAnne handle her missions; the psychology and physical wounding of Sergeant LeAnne Hogan. I think this is the first book in a new series for Quinn, at least I certainly hope there will be more written about these characters. It seems that LeAnne is working her way to learning how to deal with her problems - almost on a minute-by-minute basis. But what about Goody, the stray dog with such unusual abilities to be such a help to LeAnne and yet be completely lacking in basic obedience training? I need to know more about these two and I'm counting on Spencer Quinn to continue their story.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lowcountry Bonfire (A Liz Talbot Mystery) (Volume 6); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan M. Boyer Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press. Thank you. I've read all of the Liz Talbot mystery novels and this is the one I like the least. I kept picking up on too many things that just seemed wrong. Granted, author Susan M. Boyer still writes Southern the way it really is - maybe with just a tiny bit of exaggeration for emphasis purposes. I must confess to liking the books more when the ghostly presence was kept as more of a background note and the way Liz and her husband Nate walked all over correct police procedure in this book was too egregious to overlook. So was this just me being too picky? I don't know for sure, but I didn't have to dither around to decide on a 3 star rating - smack in the middle of really/kinda bad and really/kinda good. This story begins with a woman pitching a purely hissy fit when she gets the investigative report from Liz and Nate (private detectives) that her husband is having an affair. So she gathers up his clothes, piles them in the 1969 Mustang convertible he loves so much and sets the clothes on fire. Naturally Tammy Sue is going to be a suspect when her lying, cheating husband turns up dead. Except that's also when everybody on the tiny island South Carolina community of Stella Maris finds out just how little they knew about Zeke Lyerly. As I have said, this one didn't work well for me. If you live in a very small community, and everyone is supposed to know the complete history of everyone there, then why was nobody ever curious about Zeke's background? You really can't have it both ways. Plus, Colleen (the ghost) has turned into a pest instead of a charming point of interest of the series. At least for me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Bedlam Stacks: By the Internationally Bestselling Author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street; Author: Natasha Pulley; Review: This novel was so long in getting started that author Natasha Pulley almost lost me. The first one hundred pages is essentially the information available in the book product description. I finally had to decide to keep reading until about halfway through just to be sure I wanted to complete the entire novel. That's a very slow start in my opinion. For me the pace never did pick up but I did become accustomed to the almost dreamy feeling of the narrative. I would probably describe the writing as quiet or delicate. I was surprised at how often I had to go back and read a passage again to be definitely sure I had caught the meaning of what had happened. So if you decide to read this novel, my advice would be to expect a pacing where nothing seems to be happening until you realize that quite a lot has actually happened. This historical fantasy has the East India Company turned into a civil service branch of the British government. There are riots in India because of the spread of malaria and a shortage of quinine. The government of Peru has a monopoly on the remaining cinchona trees from which quinine is made so a secret mission is undertaken so Merrick Tremayne will travel to Peru to find the cinchona trees and take cuttings while the expedition is presented as a map making trip with his friend Clem Markham and his wife Minna. Many years before another member of the Tremayne family had made his way to this particular part of Peru and founded a city which he called New Bethlehem. This is the area Clem is supposed to be mapping, but not everyone wants strangers traveling into those mountains for their own selfish reasons. What Merrick finds is much more than he had ever bargained for. This novel takes place over quite a long span of time, 1859-1881. The fantasy world is filled with unusual elements which make perfect sense when seen within the parameters of the novel. There is also a concept suggested which will have you rethinking and wondering about some of the natural wonders discovered in isolated places of our own world. A novel which just might lead you to your own flights of fancy.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Cardinal's Court (Hugh Mac Egan Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Cora Harrison Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Trafalgar Square Publishing, The History Press. Thank you. I'm hoping I just read the first novel in a new series by Cora Harrison, one of my favorite authors of historical mystery novels. I've read many of the books by this author which feature Mara, Brehon of Burren, but they are all set in Ireland. This Hugh Mac Egan book takes place in England, specifically at Hampton Court in 1522. The wonderful character development, intriguing plot and insights into the Irish legal system which I find so fascinating in the books featuring Mara are all present in this novel featuring this new (at least to me) character. Law in Ireland was based on very different concepts and it was very interesting to watch Hugh balance what he was accustomed to at home with what he had to deal with in England. As if that wasn't enough he found himself mired in the politics of arranged marriages promoted between couples for monetary, hereditary and crown loyalty only. Love, or even liking, need not be involved. In fact, Hugh is at Cardinal Wolsey's Hampton Court to prepare the marriage papers between James Butler (son of the man Hugh is employed by) and Mistress Anne Boleyn, a marriage not favored by the bride-to-be. James is at Hampton Court because he is considered a ward of Cardinal Wolsey. Anne is there because she is part of the household of Queen Katherine, making a visit to Hampton Court. When the instructor of the wards is found dead behind a tapestry in the great hall with an arrow marked as belonging to James Butler in the wound the Cardinal can give Hugh only five days to find the real murderer. It will take all of Hugh's efforts to avoid the serjeant-at-arms for the cardinal and the his counterpoint representing the king to keep James away from a charge of murder. His trial with a verdict of guilty would smooth the way for so many political problems. English law judges a defendant guilty unless proven innocent. This novel, indeed all of Cora Harrison's medieval and Celtic legal thrillers, will give readers a thorough understanding of what political intrigues were going on behind the scenes in the court of King Henry VIII even though he does not make an appearance in this novel. If you have not read any biographies of Anne Boleyn, you may be surprised at how she is portrayed in this novel. This book will likely whet your appetite to explore more of the system of law set in place in Ireland at this time and the Mara, Brehon of Burren, novels are at your fingertips to satisfy that curiosity. I'm just hoping there will be more Hugh Mac Egan novels situated in England to provide a striking contrast between the Irish and English systems of punishment for crimes.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Incredible Crime: A Cambridge Mystery (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Kirsten T Saxton (writer of introduction) Lois Austen-Leigh; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you. When I saw this book had been written by Lois Austen-Leigh how could I possibly resist? Even if it was just to find out the quality of the writing that would have been enough, but to see it listed as a mystery as well, ah - just no way to pass that up. So, was I impressed with the writing talent of the granddaughter of Jane Austen's favorite nephew? Yes I was. I was also pleased that the writing was so good that I eventually forgot to even think about comparisons between the two writing styles. They don't come close to being the same and that's just fine. The story was first published in 1931 and takes place in Cambridge, Prince's College, and one of the venerable old country estates located in Suffolk with the mandatory resident ghostly presence. But is the manor house really haunted or is that just atmosphere being used by the author to heighten the interest of readers? The story takes place during the time between the World Wars, but politics isn't a driving force of the plot. Instead we have smuggling and the questions of who might be smuggling, what they might be smuggling, and how the police will ever penetrate far enough into the rarified air of the inner workings of college and the inner halls of a very private home. The main character is a young woman of independent nature and extreme loyalty to family and friends. Prudence must discover the truth about the smuggling but she's afraid the answers may lead her to some incredibly difficult choices. I liked the writing of this novel, so that's a plus, but I did not like all the emphasis put on hunting and fox hunting in particular. Firstly, I didn't understand the language of fox hunting so I had no idea what was happening during the scenes and there were a lot of those scenes. So minus points for the fox hunting. Also, minus points for all the talk of rugby. And this would be a good time to say that this novel is a suspense novel, not a murder mystery. I didn't realize that would be the case for a long time so I kept waiting for something that never was going to happen. Would I recommend this novel to another reader, definitely yes, but I would also make sure they knew what they were going to be getting. There are three other mystery novels written by Lois Austen-Leigh but I have no curiosity to track them down and read them. I was initially interested in reading this book because I am a lifelong fan of Jane Austen fiction so I was curious and that curiosity has now been satisfied.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Two Nights: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Kathy Reichs Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Bantam. Thank you. This novel features a new main character for Kathy Reichs and I'm sorry to say that Sunday Night just didn't come across as someone I want to read more about or follow in a series. I normally read most of the work Reichs publishes, but I simply didn't become invested in Sunday enough to want to read more about her. Some of that is because Reichs made such an effort to keep the secret past of Sunday hidden for so long that I never had a reason to give her the benefit of the doubt when it came to her impetuous behavior. If I had known from the beginning..........but I didn't and by the time the reason for Sunday behaving as she did was revealed I had formed almost a dislike for her. My inability to sympathize with Suday didn't take away from the fact that this plot is well presented (aside from keeping Sunday's past hidden for too long) and presents a slightly different take on the "terrorist" sub-genre of thrillers. A matriarch of old-money Charleston, South Carolina has hired Sunday to find her granddaughter, missing for over a year. Stella's mother and brother were killed when a bomb exploded outside a school for Jewish girls. Sunday travels to Chicago to consult with the investigating police officers and try to pick up information overlooked by them. The clues are few and far between and the search turned into a long slog for me. Hopefully you won't experience the frantic highs and tedious lows which seemed to typify Sunday Night's personality for me.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Best Dr. Thorndyke Detective Stories (Dover Edition); Author: Visit Amazon's R. Austin Freeman Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Dover Publications for making this digital galley available for me to read. Any mystery novel reader who loves the old classic authors will most likely be familiar with R. Austin Freeman and his main character Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke. Freeman was the first author to feature a detective who placed so much emphasis on the scientific investigation of crime and a Thorndyke story will always feature chemical experiments and scientific processes to solve a case. Freeman also lead his colleagues in being the first to present the "inverted" crime, a method he invented. An inverted mystery begins with the crime taking place so the reader knows what has happened but the challenge is to pay enough attention to spot the clues Thorndyke will use to solve the case once he has been called in. There are three inverted mysteries in this collection: "The Case of Oscar Brodski", "A Case of Premeditation" and "The Echo of a Mutiny". These stories appear first in the collection. The remaining stories are "The Mandarin's Pearl", "The Blue Sequin", "The Moabite Cipher", and "The Aluminum Dagger". All straightforward detective stories. The final story in this collection is "31 New Inn" which is a shortened magazine version of the novel The Mystery of 31 New Inn. This story takes up almost 30% of the entire collection because of the methods in which Thorndyke's working partner, Dr. Christopher Jervis, is involved and the complications of the time line for the actions that take place. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories presented here which are only a portion of the Dr. Thorndyke stories available. When Freeman created Dr. Thorndyke as a barrister as well as a doctor of medicine he placed the character in a position to become a type of forensic and legal expert which kept him knowledgeable about most aspects of the criminal world. Adding Dr. Jervis as a general medical practitioner allowed both characters to have the opportunity to be well placed to observe murder, or possible murder, first hand. These stories are not modern and all have previously appeared in collections dating between 1912 to 1931.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Room For Doubt (A Carol Childs Mystery) (Volume 4); Author: Visit Amazon's Nancy Cole Silverman Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press. Thank you. This fourth Carol Childs mystery novel finds Carol being given a late night call-in show at the radio station. With all the downsizing taking place Carol doesn't have much choice but to accept in order to keep her job. Finding topics is a big problem until Carol begins to receive advice from a private investigator with his own axe to grind. There have been unusual murders taking place and the PI thinks there may be a connection between them regardless of how far-fetched the idea may seem. Carol sees a body hanging from the Hollywood sign as the police are beginning to investigate. She also sees something decidedly odd connected with the body which is never mentioned by the police so it doesn't make it into the news. When a woman calls the radio show and cryptically asserts that she and a group of revenge seeking women might know something about the case Carol has to figure a way to meet this woman. Especially when the woman reveals the strange circumstance the police are keeping hidden. The biography for author Nancy Cole Silverman lists twenty-five years in news and talk radio as her means of being familiar with the main circumstances in this novel. There is tension throughout the plotting and I'm sure readers familiar with the other three books in this series will be glad to find characters returning. The addition of the private investigator character will be interesting for fans to watch in subsequent books for a possible new romantic interest for the divorced Carol Childs.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Punch Escrow; Author: Visit Amazon's Tal M. Klein Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Inkshares Geek & Sundry. Thank you. This was a wonderful reading experience and the mix of humor with science - with an added twist of adventure - made me want to put everything else aside to see what Joel was into now. This story takes place in 2147. Freight teleportation began first (not slowed down at all by the loss of one of the art world's practically sacred icons), but by 2126 human teleportation had become commercialized by one of the largest corporations in the world, International Transport. (See, we can blame it all on IT!) Joel Byram's wife Sylvia works for IT and has been so consumed by a new project that it has caused some serious stress on their marriage. The plan is for the two of them to teleport to Costa Rica for a second honeymoon. Sylvia leaves first (because only one person can go at a time) and a few seconds later Joel's teleportation process begins. So why does Joel regain consciousness after being given a huge electric shock to find himself not in Costa Rica but in a room with three people he doesn't know and without the ability to use his comms? The story is told by Joel as a way for him to explain to people in the future how he found out there was a dirty little secret about teleportation and a huge global corporation would do whatever it took to keep that secret hidden. This is Big Technology against Religious Fanatics and, yes, the capital letters are necessary. The book is very much science fiction with the insertion of humor making it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The author has done this one right because everything from the monetary system to the medical science to global governing has moved far ahead of our present world. Joel is definitely not going to impress as a standard hero of a novel except that you understand that he is basically a very good guy, he just lets his attitude and sarcasm get him into all kinds of trouble. Tal M. Klein did such a good job with the science of explaining what the Punch Escrow is that even I understand where he was going with it. There is good hard science involved in telling the story and making it plausible but it is also filled with lighter moments of humor and plot twists that keep readers wondering what - or where - in the world the book will go next. Grab this one if you like something really different to read. Grab this one if you like science fiction. Grab this one if you want to feel like you've been on a big, impossible adventure. In short, just grab this one because it's such a darn good book!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Killing Gravity (The Voidwitch Saga); Author: Visit Amazon's Corey J. White Page; Review: This novella reminded me of going to a full-on fancy dress party and being presented with an appetizer. The chef lets the guests know that all the ingredients from dinner are present in the appetizer, but he expects everyone to have to work hard to figure out what they are. So let the tasting begin. I could say the same thing about this debut offering from Corey J. White. He tells us Mars (officially known as Mariam Xi when she was sold by her father for use in augmentation experimentation) is a space pirate who travels from one end of space to another with her only companion, Seven. (Later we will learn more about Seven but I want to pet her/it? right now.) Mars is rescued from her crippled spaceship by the three person crew of another ship and they will definitely pay dearly for that act of kindness. Two of those rescuers are pretty easy to understand but I think we have to wait for the novel - which simply MUST be coming - to fully understand Squid. I think I get it but maybe what I'm thinking is way too easy. Okay, back to Mars. So why has Briggs waited until now to decide he wants Mariam back? Mars knows how dangerous she is because Briggs and his "home" made her that way. She does have some little surprises up her sleeve, though, because she has made a few little changes in her abilities which come in handy when Briggs kidnaps her three rescuers and she has to find him and get them out of his evil clutches. (Cue creepy laugh and music.) Lots and lots of ingredients partially revealed in these 176 pages. Mental abilities used by Mars which literally blow your mind (and body) away so lots and lots of bloodshed. Is Mars a Voidwitch? What is a Voidwitch? Lots and lots of questions left unanswered that will have to be addressed in a novel. Or it could be a second novella. With Corey J. White, how the heck can you ever be sure? Combine good writing with a large dose of violence and an occasional soft side for Mars thrown in and you get one buckle-up-your-seatbelt space adventure.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: See What I Have Done; Author: Visit Amazon's Sarah Schmidt Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Grove Atlantic. Thank you. This is probably one of the most well written books I will never, ever want to read again. I felt like an emotional wet rag the whole time I was reading this fictionalized story of the Lizzie Borden tragedy. I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have been like for Sarah Schmidt. This is powerful prose and Schmidt's writing talent is what makes the retelling of this gruesomeness a possibility for readers to endure. You've heard that awful rhyme, we all have, but how many of us want to research what that whole tragedy was about? Certainly not I. Schmidt has told the story in a fictionalized version with factual information forming the basis for the narrative. Then she has built what might have happened through the eyes of three women and one man and come up with a story of what could have been going on inside this household. The Borden family was prominent and wealthy in Fall River, Massachusetts, but Mr. and Mrs. Borden did not seem to want to be socially active. I can't help but wonder if they were simply penny pinchers or if they might have had some idea of what Lizzie was really like. Perhaps it was a combination of the two. Abby Borden was the second wife of Andrew Borden but Emma and Lizzie never forgot their mother and Abby was not able to have the sisters grow to love her. This is a debut novel and quite an impressive one. There were some small things that kept grabbing my attention and distracting me from the story, but my overall reaction was so strong that I simply can't be bothered to worry abut them. I will positively put Sarah Schmidt on my list of authors to watch out for in the future.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Continental Crimes (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Edwards Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this collection of short mystery stories through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. This book is part of the British Library Crime Classics series. Thank you for the opportunity to read this collection. 3.5 stars One of the interesting aspects of this collection of short stories featuring crime scenes taking place in locations other than standard British areas was how many of the authors I was not familiar with. If you enjoy trying out the writings of new authors, these short stories might give you new avenues of exploration. I enjoyed most of the stories so would give the collection a 3.5 star rating; it was too good for just three neutral stars, but not quite enough to round up to four so I was stuck in star rating limbo-land. There are fourteen stories. Here they are listed in the order in which they appear in the book with title and author plus any additional information I found most interesting to me. The New Catacomb by Arthur Conan Doyle written during the time when Holmes had died so this does not feature the famous pair A Bracelet at Bruges by Arnold Bennett The Secret Garden by G. K. Chesterton a Father Brown "impossible" story The Secret of the Magnifique by E. Phillip Oppenheim Petit-Jean by Ian Hay The Lover of St. Lys by F. Tennyson Jesse first appeared in a magazine in 1919 Popeau Intervenes by Marie Belloc Lowndes created her Belgian ex-policeman, ex-spy Hercules Popeau before Agatha Christie began writing about her own extremely similar character. Quite interesting don't you think? The Perfect Murder by Stacy Aumonier a favorite author for me, Christopher Fowler, states Aumoniers stories should be considered classics. Story first appeared in The Strand magazine in 1926. The Room in the Tower by J. Jefferson Farjeon The Ten-Franc Counter by H. de Vere Stacpoole first appeared in a magazine in 1926 Have You Got Everything You Want? By Agatha Christie main character is Parker Pyne with the initial appearance in 1933 The Long Dinner by H. C. Bailey a Reggie Fortune story in a collection from 1935 The Packet-Boat Murder by Josephine Bell Villa Almirante by Michael Gilbert There is definitely something here for most readers who have a decided fondness for the Classic Age of mystery novels. Once again Martin Edwards has put together a themed collection, this time to delight lovers of both short stories and continental European locations as well.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Urban Enemies; Author: Visit Amazon's Jim Butcher Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this anthology through NetGalley and Gallery Books, Threshold Pocket Books. Thank you. This was one of those books where I got what I had been wishing for and then wondered if I really appreciated what I got. For me the unremitting villainous focus was harder to enjoy than I had expected (so probably a 3 star rating would express that better), but the writing for each story is excellent so I'm going with the 4 star rating to reflect that aspect. I found that I needed to take breaks from the stories because it was hard for me to start with the first story and read straight through the collection. I've discovered I like my villains better when there is a comparison of actions with the good guys. A few of the stories feature both the good and bad character from a series - and those were my favorite stories - but there aren't many of those. There were quite a few authors included here who were unfamiliar to me. I have been given a great tool to help decide if reading more by specific authors will be in my future. This collection is edited by Joseph Nassise and he has a story included. There are seventeen short stories and all the stories have the 2017 copyright date but I'm not sure that means none of the stories have been published before. I'm going to list the author, the series title(s), the short story title and the villain(s). Jim Butcher, The Dresden Files: "Even Hand", Gentleman John Marcone. Kelley Armstrong, The Cainsville Series: "Hounded", the Huntsman. Jeff Somers, The Ustari Cycle: "Nigsu Ga Tesgu", Mika Renar. Craig Schaefer, The Harmony Black Series and The Daniel Faust Series: "Sixty-Six Seconds", Fontaine (Harmony Black Series) confronts The Redemption Choir (Daniel Faust Series). Lilith Saintcrow, The Jill Kismet Series: "Kiss", Perry. Kevin Hearne, The Iron Druid Chronicles: "The Naughtiest Cherub", Loki narrates. Caitlin Kittredge, The Hellhound Chronicles: "The Resurrectionist", Lee Grey. Joseph Nassise, The Templar Chronicles: "Down Where the Darkness Dwells", Simon Logan and Ashereal. Carrie Vaughn, The Kitty Norville Series: "Bellum Romanum", Roman (aka Gaius Albinus). Jonathan Maberry, The Joe Ledger Series: "Altar Boy", Toys. Faith Hunter, Jane Yellowrock Series: "Make it Snappy", backstory of Leo. Jon F. Merz, The Lawson Vampire Series: "Chase the Fire", Shiraz Aziz. Diana Pharaoh Francis, The Horngate Witches Series: "Unexpected Choices", Giselle works with Shoftiel. Steven Savile, Glass Town: "Reel Life", Seth Lockwood. Domino Finn, Black Magic Outlaw Series: "The Difference Between Deceit and Delusion", backstory for Tunji Malu. Seanan McGuire, The InCryptid Series: "Balance", a cuckoo - telepathic ambush predator. Sam Witt, The Pitchfork County Series: "Everywhere", Joe Hark against the Long Man.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books; Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Edwards Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you. The crime stories written during the Golden Age of crime have proven their ability to remain entertaining and even addictive among modern readers of crime fiction. These books are different in many ways from the modern novels but if you look closely you will recognize an aspect in the modern book which mirrors a theme or technique which was once considered brand new. Martin Edwards has once again given me a method for studying the classic crime novel and the authors who paved the way for all the changes which have taken place within the genre. This book confines itself to the first half of the last century, between 1901 and 1950, and is a companion to the series of the British Library's series of crime classics. If you've enjoyed reading any of those reprints, this work will go far toward filling out your knowledge of the authors, titles, and themes which moved the classic crime fiction stories forward as they continued to change and evolve. There is simply too much information in this book to give anything like a list of authors or even a list of book titles. I can tell you that there are twenty-four chapters, each dealing with a different aspect of the novels from miraculous murders (also called impossible murders) to the lure of the countryside, the English manor house, the amateur detective, the educated sleuth, the backlash against politicians and on and on. In each chapter Edwards explains the theme, gives a brief synopsis of the examples of the novels he has chosen to illustrate the theme and a brief biography of the author. Each chapter discusses four or five novels. The book as a whole moves in a more or less chronological order, at least in the easiest way for the format to do that. The book also contains an Introduction, Select Bibliography, Index of Titles, and an Index of Authors which all provide a tremendous amount of detail on the subject. This is a book to savor, a book to keep as a reference guide, a book to help you find authors you aren't familiar with but want to try to track down. Even the most well known authors may have a novel mentioned in this collection which you have missed. I was equally surprised at how many of the authors and stories I was familiar with as well as how many authors I knew nothing about. Even though I initially read this book in digital format I already know I will have to get the print edition so it can go on my shelf of Classic Age crime fiction reference books. How could I resist?; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Emma in the Night: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Wendy Walker Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this digital galley. Mesmerizing. Fascinating. Engrossing. There are so many superlatives to describe this psychological thriller. Author Wendy Walker has written a story that changed with every scene to keep me on the edge of my chair and completely unable to predict the outcome. And throughout the narrative she seamlessly inserted information concerning narcissistic personality disorder for those of us who were unfamiliar with that diagnosis. Walker was also able to reinforce the knowledge that anyone outside a family unit cannot possibly know everything taking place within that family dynamic. What appeared to be a "perfect" family to those observing from outside was actually a battleground within. Two teenage sisters go missing on the same night. Was it suicide? But if so, why? Were they kidnapped? Are they still alive? Three years after Emma and Cassandra Tanner went missing Cass came back. From the beginning of the story I was never sure exactly what was true and what was not. This is well written. The chapters alternate between Cass and Dr. Abby Winter, a forensic psychologist with the FBI. Abby has not been able to leave the case of the two Tanner girls behind and over the three years the inability of law enforcement to solve the case has been a heavy weight on her, even driving her to seek professional help herself. Now Cass is back and she keeps demanding that they find Emma. As someone who had no previous information about this psychological disorder I have to say I found this book absolutely absorbing. Highly recommended.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bibliomysteries: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores (Bibliomysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Otto Penzler Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this collection of short stories through NetGalley and Pegasus Books W.W. Norton & Company. Thank you. Each story in this collection was not a five star read for me but when taken as a whole I have to let the star rating indicate how interested I was in the collection and how eager I was to read each succeeding story. The stories are completely different - even though there was the same circumstance which happened in two stories the narratives themselves were so different it didn't seem to matter to me. All the stories center on books; some are individual books, some are collections of books, some are privately owned, some in libraries, one was not a book at all but a scroll found while unpacking a crate of books. There are stories with a tiny feeling of the paranormal and there is one which unashamedly moves to the fantasy/mystical realm. I got a real chuckle when one author was describing a display of books written by bestselling authors in the front window of a bookshop and he included his own name. These are the authors with stories in the collection in the order in which they appear: Jeffery Deaver, C. J. Box, Ken Bruen, Reed Farrel Coleman, Peter Blauner, Thomas H. Cook, Loren D. Estleman, William Link, Laura Lippman, Anne Perry, Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins, Andrew Taylor, David Bell, John Connolly, Nelson DeMille. There isn't much information given about original publication dates or whether stories have appeared previously in anthologies or collections, but there is an Introduction written by Ian Rankin and dated 2014. The C. J. Box is the only story I had read previously so 14 out of 15 stories being new for me was a great treat. The William Link story featured Columbo, if other stories featured an author's main series character I did not recognize the name - well, with the exception of the Mickey Spillane, of course. Otto Penzler has done a superb job of presenting fifteen themed stories by modern authors in modern settings. The only thing I had a little bit of a problem with was the title. When I saw that title along with the cover art I immediately thought about stories from the golden age of crime fiction, but I was totally wrong. I would absolutely recommend this collection to anybody who wants to read well written stories by great writers. Some of the authors I was familiar with and already know I enjoy reading but I'm thrilled to have six new names I can begin investigating for reading full length novels they've written. That classifies as a bonanza to me!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Plague of Giants: A Novel (Seven Kennings); Author: Visit Amazon's Kevin Hearne Page; Review: I liked this book enough to give it a four star rating, but not enough to continue on with the series when the second book is released. One of the problems I have had with the Iron Druid series was that there were so many different points of view in each novel that it was sometimes hard to keep track of where I was supposed to be and with whom. This first book in the Seven Kennings series has that same issue in spades. There is Dervan the narrator who interacts with the bard and holds the story together. Then there is the bard, Fintan, who tells the story of the war which has just been waged to the survivors gathered in one city and uses a creative invention by the author which allows him to take on the physical appearance of the person who's story is being related. Each day Fintan and Dervan gather in the town square and the bard sings before he assumes the physical manifestation of the person telling their portion of the story. Some days there are more seemings (where the bard takes on the appearance of another) than others, but the action has always already taken place. There are nine more characters who have their part of the story told. Each chapter is divided into days, there are 19 days in all, and within each day there is a label with the character's name in it to tell you who is speaking. With a little over 600 pages in the book and with so many stories being told, you can bet I got my characters mixed up at times. The world Hearne has developed here is complicated. There are many different nations and each has its own speech, religion, and main source of earning a livelihood. Within each nation there are people who have a 'kenning', a gift which sets them apart from others; they must specifically seek this kenning and few are chosen. Those who don't survive the attempt die. There are five kennings already known and the sixth kenning is discovered in this first book. The remaining books in the series will be the search for the seventh kenning. It is very obvious that Kevin Hearne has been in the process of planning and writing this saga for a long time because he has developed so many differences in the appearance of the people and almost all the plants and animals are new inventions. My main qualm with the story is that it is so large with so many circumstances and battles and discoveries and the author had to continue throughout the book to grow the abilities of each kenning and even added a character toward the end of the novel. I gave this book four stars because I found it interesting. Notice I say that it was just *interesting* for me. I don't have any desire to know what the seventh kenning is. Because of the makeup of what cost a kenning can have for a person when they utilize it to its; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Big Book of Rogues and Villains; Author: Visit Amazon's Otto Penzler Page; Review: I absolutely revel in reading short stories. Most often I concentrate on mystery and suspense so this collection, while not being a collection of those specific genres, was full immersion time for me. This Otto Penzler edited book concentrates on the villains and rogues with Penzler making that distinction easy to understand once you begin reading the stories. These are not mysteries for a reader to try to solve but they do all involve a crime of some type and the degree of "badness" of the principal character is what differentiates a rogue from a villain. So, yes I positively loved this book but that doesn't mean it had no problems. Luckily the problems are not with content, but they are physical and you may need to make the decision of whether to read the digital or print copy. My copy is print and this is one B.I.G. book being 9"x7" and a generous 2 inches thick. It is heavy, 3.25 pounds, and awkward to hold being just over 900 pages. I have some arthritis in my wrists and thumb joints so I had to either put the book on a pillow to hold or have the book on a table so I wouldn't need to hold it. The stories are also formatted in a very unusual way; the introduction for each story by Penzler is written as a standard page, but the stories themselves are divided into two columns per page in a sort of magazine style. Those are the problems you might want to consider as you think about buying this collection. The book contains 73 short stories and each has an introduction by Otto Penzler which gives the publishing biography of the author plus delicious little tidbits of information that make the authors and their stories come alive. Sometimes I enjoy the introduction more than the story. There are eight categories into which the stories are arranged: The Victorians, Nineteenth-Century Americans, The Edwardians, Early Twentieth-Century Americans, Between the World Wars, The Pulp Era, Post-World War II, and The Moderns. I was most surprised that there are only ten stories in The Moderns section and three of those are by Lawrence Block and one by Donald E. Westlake. Most of the stories in this collection are of the length I expect when I think about a short story, but there is one by Donald E. Keyhoe called "The Mystery of the Golden Skull" which is fifty pages long. Some authors are represented multiple times and many are authors I was completely unfamiliar with. Some of the names I expect you will recognize, but not necessarily associate that author with featuring a villain as their main character. I'm certainly not going to try to list all the authors, but a sampling includes E. W. Hornung (Raffles), Washington Irving, Maurice Leblanc (Arsene Lupin), H. G. Wells, Sinclair Lewis, and Edgar Wallace. Some of my favorite stories were "The Affair of the Man Who Called Himself Hamilton Cleek" by Thomas Hanshew, "The Universal Covered Carpet Tack Company" featuring Get-Rich-Quick Wallingham by George Randolph; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors: Book One in the Risen Kingdoms; Author: Visit Amazon's Curtis Craddock Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this book. The three star rating is me bumping my rating up because the author presented such an unusual fantasy world in this novel. I liked seeing his imagination at work. The landmasses, known as skylands, float in the air and are large enough to support cities, towns, and all other expected forms of life. No creepy critters or giants or gnomes or zombies but almost regular people, except of course for the clockwork parts added on to some of them. Some skylands are larger than others but they all have one thing in common -- if you fall off the edge you are just plain gone. A great way to get rid of an enemy! Transport between the islands in the air is done in skyships which are equivalent in almost every way to old wooden sailing vessels. Navigation is a chancy thing because the ships float on air currents and some interesting obstacles can happen with wind speed and velocity as you sail near to the place you want to dock (still floating). The people are classified as either clayborn or of a royal house and are strictly ruled by a king, a queen or both. Each kingdom's royal genetic line has its own magical power. Those were really interesting. The characterization of Princess Isabelle is where the author let me down. I have a problem with a main character who goes for chapter after chapter being shunned and abused physically and verbally until she is a cowering, quivering mass of jelly only to emerge instantly from her shell and accept the job of bringing peace to all the kingdoms of this fantasy world. Without a single mention of learning how to even curtsey let alone negotiate with some pretty evil dudes, Princess Isabelle agrees to marry a prince sight unseen in order to convince the warring kingdoms that peace would be better for everybody involved. Plus I waited absolutely forever for Isabelle to discover what her magic power was only to be so totally underwhelmed that I had to go back to read that part again to see what that magic power is. I'm still unsure. So, have no fears, this is just the first book in what will be a multi-book series. I won't be along next time because it is absolutely unheard of for a book to take me over two weeks to read. I honestly thought it was never going to end.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Golden Age and Other Stories; Author: Visit Amazon's Naomi Novik Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the opportunity to read this digital galley. I have been a fan of the Naomi Novik stories featuring Temeraire since I read the first sentence of the first book. When I saw this collection which seemed to be offering short stories to accompany the now finished series I literally almost broke my finger smushing it down on the "request" button. Naturally, since I already know the author's writing style I enjoyed this book. I don't know if that will be said of anybody who isn't already a fan but who buys this book because they see dragons in the illustrations. There are six short stories at the beginning of the book, five are very short, one is much longer and, honestly, that is what saved the whole reading experience for me. The first is a Temeraire story which will only make sense to fans who have read the series and understand why dragons voting is such a big deal. The final short story is Novik's take on the Meryton Ball sequence from Pride and Prejudice except - naturally - from a totally different angle. I absolutely loved that! Following the stories are 26 Drabbles. Quite honestly, I had no idea what a Drabble was. Novik explains that it is a story in 100 words and she followed that rule - 100 words only in each story. Not only was I underwhelmed, I was totally underwhelmed. It seemed to me that these drabbles were notes made on cocktail napkins, on the backs of grocery lists, jotted down on used envelopes......whatever. They felt more like an exercise in how to organize thoughts for an idea which could be filled out later on. Pretty non-earthshattering stuff. This book seems to be available in print only - at least when it is first released. (ETA 8/31/17: I see now that the book has been released in digital format as well as print.) I'm sure the reason for that is so the artwork in the book can be shown to best advantage. I can see the art quite clearly on my Kindle, but lack all the color the print copy will have. I'm sure it will be stunning. So, if you have a collection of all the Temeraire stories you will definitely want to think about adding this new release to your collection. For me, "Dragons and Decorum" was a total delight and simply points out what a truly talented author Naomi Novik is.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: 12 Days at Bleakly Manor: Book 1 in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas; Author: Visit Amazon's Michelle Griep Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc., Shiloh Run Press for allowing me to read this digital book galley. I truly enjoyed this well plotted mystery novel filled with well developed characters. Six people receive an invitation to spend the Twelve Days of Christmas at Bleakly Manor, beginning on December 25, 1850 and ending at midnight on January 5, 1851. Each is promised something that they desperately want or need will be their reward for spending the season there. Once they arrive at Bleakly, however, they discover that only one will receive the promised reward for staying the entire time and anyone who leaves before time is up, regardless of reason, forfeits their chance at the reward. The mixture of character types was quite interesting and the author, Michelle Griep, was very clever about keeping the true motivations of each person well under wraps. There are no deaths which take place, but this is definitely a series of mysteries. In the first place no one knows the identity of the owner of Bleakly Manor. Neither do they know whether the six guests are who or what they claim to be. So prepare yourself for a Christian mystery novel where faith, love, and charity all play their part in helping...........Ah, but that's where the twists begin so you really need to read this to find out how these strangers deal with all the misfortunes and adventures they find themselves involved in. A sweet love story is the main basis for the novel, but trying to figure out what is going on will bring readers enjoyment also. The first chapter of book two in the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series, A Tale of Two Hearts, is included at the end of the book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Property of Lies: A 1930s historical mystery (A Herbert Reardon Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Marjorie Eccles Page; Review: I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishers. Thank you. Marjorie Eccles is quickly becoming a "must read" author for me. She writes the kind of books I want to read. This one is set in the 1930s and involves a girls boarding school, Maxstead Court, where Ellen Reardon has just been hired as the new French teacher. Ellen and her policeman husband, Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon, have not lived in this part of England long but now that they are settled she is ready to be productive outside the home, to take up teaching again. The previous French teacher left under suspicious circumstances but everyone is horrified when her body is discovered hidden in an area of the old manor house which is in the process of being demolished. I thoroughly enjoyed finding out the answers to this mystery right along with DI Reardon and his team of investigators. Having his wife at hand on the scene of the crime gave the story a very personal touch, but it is much to the credit of this author that she didn't write the story so that Ellen was always on the scene to find the clues. I will admit to being led around sniffing red herrings pretty much throughout the story. By the 75% mark I had settled on three different possibilities and managed to switch back and forth between them like some sleuthing novice. Good for you, Ms. Eccles! These characters were written with depth and perception of how completely unpredictable people can be and how well they can lie and hide anything they feel is going to cause them to look silly or even guilty. There are students in this story and they are essential to understanding what was going on pretty much under the noses of their instructors, but the story never spent so much time concentrating on the teens that it ignored the complicated past and plans of the adults. This is not a brand new plot line in a mystery novel. What made it so good for me was the way the author made the characters come alive on the pages, how she put the emphasis on how complicated human emotions are and how she allowed one specific personality to remain unchanged when it would have been so easy to have written a storybook ending. It felt like this was the right ending.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Plain and Sweet Christmas Romance Collection: Spend Christmas with 9 Historical Couples from Amish, Mennonite,; Author: Visit Amazon's Lauralee Bliss Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing Inc., Barbour Books for allowing me to read this digital galley. I've always been curious about this mixture of romance and faith novels and decided a good way to experience them would be through a collection of stories written by different authors. What I found were nine wholesome, charming and relaxing looks at romance inside religious communities I'm not very familiar with. The added bonus is a recipe included at the end of each story. One recipe was even from one of my favorite places to visit, Colonial Williamsburg. This is the type of book where you can read one story a day to lift your spirits or read it from cover to cover to discover all the different situations you will find. I've listed the stories along with other information which was interesting to me so you can make sure you haven't read the stories before. Laura Lee Bliss -"A Crossroad to Love" - 2011 - Quaker - 1846 - Waynesville, Ohio Ramona K. Cecil -"Simple Gifts" - 2011 - Quaker - 1880 - Serenity, Indiana Dianne Christner -"A Christmas Prayer" - 2016 - Mennonite - 1881 - Mountain Lake, Minnesota Melanie Dobson -"Treasure of the Heart" - 2016 - Amana Colonies - 1907 - Amana, iowa Jerry Eicher -"Love is Forever" - 2016 - Amish - 1941 - Lancaster County Olivia Newport -"Love's Pure Light" - 2016 - Amish - 1910 - Lancaster County Rachel O. Phillips -"Pirate of My Heart" - 2011 - Quaker - 1825 - Rock and Cave, Illinois Claire Sanders -"Equally Yoked" - 2011 - Quaker - 1838 - Southern Ohio Anna Schmidt -"Abigail's Christmas Candles" - 2016 - Mennonite - no date given - Hope, Wisconsin Naturally, out of all nine stories I did have some I enjoyed more than others, but considered as a whole I think this collection was a very good introduction for me to the treats in store among these types of novels. I look forward to exploring more by these and other authors.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Murder Too Soon: A Tudor mystery (Bloody Mary Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Jecks Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn Publishing for allowing me to review a digital copy of this novel. This is the second book in the Jack Blackjack series and we now find Jack in a much better place - at least from a financial standpoint because he now has a permanent job, a house to live in and money to spend on his favorite pastimes, drinking and entertaining the ladies. All of this without having to cut any purse strings. The trouble is that Jack has been put on retainer of sorts to be an assassin. Jack knows he is definitely not an assassin but he figures he will cross that bridge when he gets the order to kill somebody. Unfortunately that opportunity is given to him soon after the Rebellion has quieted down, Queen Mary is on the throne and all should be well. Naturally all is not well. Jack is instructed to leave his beloved London and go to the palace at Woodstock, two or three days journey on the other side of Oxford. The Lady Elizabeth is being confined there. Jack is appalled; not only must he leave London , but he has to travel to some horrible, crumbling palace and kill a woman. Luckily it isn't Lady Elizabeth, but it is someone very close to her. What to do, what to do? How can Jack come out smelling like a rose this time? Once again Michael Jecks has presented the stumble-bumble Jack Blackjack as a quite good example of the anti-hero. Jack is unfortunate enough to fall over corpses, be attacked by all sorts of people all the time while being generally beaten about the head and pricked with a knife more times than I cared to keep count of. Jack isn't at Woodstock alone but since he doesn't really trust the men he works for he might as well be. My criticism is that there were too many physical attacks and injuries to Jack's poor body with absolutely no time to recover from one injury before being beaten up again. This whole book takes place over four days time and that is how the book is divided, there are no chapter breaks, just days. I also thought the book went on for a little too long and it would have been an even better read for me if there hadn't been so many twists and turns to wind the story down. So now I've read two Jack Blackjack stories. Did I enjoy this one enough to look forward to a third? That's a good question and even I don't know the answer yet.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death of a busybody; Author: George BELLAIRS; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read a digital galley of this novel. I am so grateful to Poisoned Pen Press, the British Library Crime Classics series and Martin Edwards, editor of this novel, for bringing books such as this back into circulation so they can be enjoyed by readers who particularly enjoy the classic crime novels. This one was first released in either 1942 or 1943 (there's a little difference between the copyright date and the date Edwards states in his editorial introduction) but it was definitely sometime when World War II was still being fought. There are many small clues like black-out curtains on the windows, petrol shortages, land girls doing jobs on the farms and some mention of rationing, but rationing had not reached the extreme levels which later years made necessary. There is a tea shop which specializes in all sorts of sweets and there is definitely no shortage of sugar at this point. There also is not a single mention of fighting on any front and that is quite at variance with most mystery novels set in this time period. Author George Bellairs was a new writer for me but I am glad I've discovered his works now. From the standpoint of depicting the villages of Hilary Magna and Parva in typical country style Bellairs has held true to the expected in a novel of this time period. The people who live in Hilary Magna or Parva, though, now that's where things get very interesting. The people in the villages are perfect in their types, but then Bellairs reveals a little more and a little more until you find you didn't really know some of the people at all. There are twists I never expected to see. The village busybody has been killed, her body left in a really unusual place and there is even a mystery of how she actually died. Motives are everywhere but they just don't seem to lead anywhere. The book deals with a very serious subject, yes, but the author doesn't hesitate to inject some lightness into the atmosphere when things start to get too oppressive. Bellairs steps outside the novel often to relate little things which humanize his characters to a great extent. For example the Scotland Yard Inspector goes into the tea shop and buys his wife two pounds of fudge and has it sent to her through the post. The reader is told that they later had a conversation about the fudge and Mrs. Littlejohn "was delighted with her husband's kindly thought of her at a crucial moment in his case, but, on hearing the price, said he had paid at least four times more than the stuff was worth". Bellaires also finishes up all the stray ends by telling the reader what happened to some of the characters after the story was finished and they had gone on with their lives. This was a very nice touch and let me feel good about characters I had been spending my reading time with.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Miss Seeton Quilts the Village; Author: Heron Carvic (associated with work) Hamilton Crane; Review: My thanks to NetGalley and Farrago for a digital galley of this book. Yes, this is a new Miss Seeton book. Will fans of Miss Seeton love it? Almost certainly. However, if you are not necessarily a total fan you might put it in a more modest position on your bookshelf. Certainly it was entertaining in its effort to satirize the small village way of life and the spinster who solves problems even Scotland Yard can't get hold of. But by the time it was finished I had had enough of Miss Emily Dorothea Seeton and her extraordinary ability to work her magic with her writing block and tin of colored pencils. Oh, and her umbrella. Don't let's forget the umbrella. Secrets, secrets and more secrets permeate this story. In fact people were keeping so many secrets it turned out most people knew the secrets anyway, they just didn't know they knew some of the secrets but not all of them. It did get a little bit crazy there for a while. There was the village versus rival village secret - that's the one the book title is about. Then the Scotland Yard assignment to investigate a secret which the Oracle, Detective Chief Superintendent Delphick, and Detective Sergeant Bob Ranger had to figure out without actually being told what the secret was. Next came the eyes peering out from the plaster wall during the renovation of Summerset Cottage. And the secret the foreigners in the village were looking for. And the secret the motorcycle gang was looking for. And what secret did the drawings of Miss Seeton signify? I was fairly worn out with secrets. I have read several Miss Seeton stories in the past, all of which I enjoyed. This one was enjoyable also and I'm sure will bring great joy to established fans of the series plus earning the books new readers. You can easily begin your adventures with Miss Seeton here, at number 23, without spoiling any of the earlier novels.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Scarred Woman (A Department Q Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Jussi Adler-Olsen Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Penguin Group for a digital arc of this novel. Definitely for fans of the Nordic suspense novels, this one placed in Denmark. The author was very adroit in making this reader wonder what in the world was going to happen next. The characters are not cardboard cutouts and the tension builds to such a level that I found myself saying aloud, Look in that room! You didn't look in that room! I might have felt a little foolish except the detectives really did need to look in that room. Department Q is the cold case unit of the Copenhagen police force. They have already seen themselves moved down to the basement and squished into space much smaller than they need. The word has come down from the top level: show some results or the unit will be disbanded. The group is hampered by the types of cases they investigate normally, but also by the unusual behavior of one of their own team. Then a recent case seems to be connected with a cold case Department Q is investigating. From there the body count starts to climb. The translation of this novel is very good and the feeling of being in Denmark is strong and vibrant. I really enjoy reading novels set in places I've not been fortunate enough to visit and this one made me see Denmark as well as the living conditions and feelings of the characters portrayed. I enjoyed this one very much, but be prepared to turn the pages way past your normal bedtime.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bryant & May: Wild Chamber: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Fowler Page; Review: This is book fourteen in this series. Would I recommend that someone begin reading the series at this point? Hmm......sure, why not. But you also need to know that I never worry about that kind of thing when picking a novel to read and don't follow the advice of most who advise against jumping into a series as well established as this. It all depends on how easily you find it to work out the relationships between established characters. With this novel, though, you also have to deal with a physical condition Arthur Bryant has confronted but has not totally conquered. One of the features I look forward to in these books is the memo Unit Chief Raymond Land posts on the notice board as the story is beginning. This is where you will find a list of the characters who make up the Peculiar Crimes Unit (hereafter referred to as PCU) even down to including the office cat - Crippen. This time there is a new name to identify a policewoman from Cologne, Germany who wanted a temporary secondment to a world-class specialist unit and got the PCU instead. The classic Raymond Land "Private and Confidential" memo doesn't come at the first of the story so you will have to wait a little while for it. The crime being investigated by our intrepid group took place not in a locked room, but in a locked garden. When the garden can only be entered through the gate and only with a key, and the gate was locked, how did the murder happen? That is only the tip of the iceberg with this mystery. Naturally author Christopher Fowler couldn't have anything so mundane as only a locked garden mystery so get ready to be entertained. The members of the PCU are always fighting to keep their unit alive. This time they may be collateral damage in a bigger political battle. I really did enjoy this one because it covers one of my favorite London joys, their incredible parks and gardens. The story did ramble on a bit - rambling is something of a requirement with Arthur Bryant - but this one rambled almost too much for me. However, thinking back over the story I don't exactly see what could (or should) have been left out so just read it all and pay attention. I never, ever knew who the killer was and was quite surprised. That's still a good thing. I absolutely loved Arthur's little side trips into arcane slang - that was lovely. I missed Crippen and the two Daves. If you remember the origination of the names Fowler chose for his lead characters (Bryant & May) be prepared for another joke from him along those same lines. You can read about that in the Acknowledgments at the back of the book and - do as I did - smack yourself on the head for not being more aware. I like reading an author who has enough regard for his readers that he likes to play little games with them.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Tiger's Daughter (Ascendant); Author: Visit Amazon's K Arsenault Rivera Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for providing me with a digital review copy of this book. Over the course of this novel the history of two women is related in a letter from one to the other. There are deviations from time to time to allow action sequences to be described, but more than anything it is the retelling of the circumstances involved when two women fall in love and the life altering experiences that follow. I found this book to be more of a love story than an action filled fantasy novel. This fantasy land seems to be an amalgamation and interpretation of Japan, China and Mongolia without the geographic barrier of an ocean. The writing is wonderfully evocative of the language of those cultures. The two women are both daughters of warrior women who were friends and wanted their daughters to be friends so there was as much time spent during childhood as was practical given the large geographical spaces involved. O-Shizuka will become Empress when her uncle dies and she takes the throne, Oshiro Shefali was born into the life of roaming the steppes. These two children first met at the age of five and promptly proved how independent they were of anyone except each other when they ran away on a lark and killed a tiger - at the age of five. From then on the hunting and killing of demons is done by Shefali. Personally I would have appreciated more action in the book and a little help from the author to let me know what some of the words she was using meant without having to get through large portions of the book before I figured it out for myself. In this type of novel a glossary of words and terms is never excess baggage for a book. I also wanted to know what the symbolism of the two pine needles was. It might have indicated a deep love would grow between the two girl babies but I'm not quite sure. This author has a beautiful way of using words, I could almost imagine I heard gentle music in the background as I read, but I don't think the description of the book does it any favors. This wasn't the book I was expecting to read.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Old Scores: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Will Thomas Page; Review: Thank you to Minotaur Books, St. Martin Press for a review copy of this novel. Oh, how lovely it was to be back in London spending time with Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn as they tackle the problem of the murdered Japanese Ambassador. The date is 1891 and there is a delegation of Japanese officials sent by the Emperor to set up an Ambassador's residence and offices in London. Japan had been under American influences for many years, but now they want to begin thinking globally. So what all does that involve? It's for sure they create quite a stir in London where Chinese are well known but the Japanese are a whole different story. Readers who have been keeping up with this series will definitely want to read this book because of all the personal history revealed about Cyrus Barker. Thomas Llewelyn is the 26 year old Welsh employee of Mr. Barker who turns his hand to anything his boss needs for him to do in their roles as private inquiry agents. Even Llewelyn had no idea of the extent of past experiences he would discover as Barker walked through the political minefield of investigating this murder. How do they satisfactorily solve the crime when they know who the murderer was but can't come up with the proof? This is a book filled to the brim with interesting historical information concerning Japan; the people, the history, the customs. I found it all very enjoyable and am please to say that once again Will Thomas has entertained me with his writing, his plotting, his solution to the crime, and the depth he has given to the major characters in this novel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hello Again (Dr. Evelyn Talbot Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's Brenda Novak Page; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital arc of this novel. Having read Hanover House, a novella, and Her Darkest Nightmare, a novel, I had been ready for this next book in the series and settled down to enjoy it. This one is still a very good story, well written with characters you can easily like or, in the case of the serial killers, very easily dislike. My problem is that I'm seeing so much of a sameness about all three of the stories involving this main character that I'm wondering how much longer I will be willing to stay with the series. Having set her story in the tiny town of Hilltop, Alaska, has become very limiting for author Brenda Novak. I'm ready for some moving around from that location because just how many blizzards can we have without beginning to notice the weather is always a large part of the story? This series is going to have to move away from Hilltop to snag my interest next time. Surely there must be a police force somewhere that needs to consult with Dr. Talbot about a possible serial killer investigation they have going. Let's hope. Dr. Evelyn Talbot has accomplished her ambition of establishing a maximum security prison devoted only to serial killers so that research can be carried on regarding why they do the horrible things they do. Hanover House was not popular when it was first proposed to the citizens of Hilltop, but things seem to have settled down on that front and Dr. Talbot has just had Lyman Bishop, nicknamed the Zombie Maker, transferred to Hanover House. She is ready to get down to some serious psychological evaluation with Bishop, but always keeps in mind her own experience with Jasper, a friend from high school, who kidnapped and tortured her when she was fifteen. What new insights or information will she get from Bishop and what blockbuster situation will change everything for him? I liked this story, but when considered as a series it seems to be staying too much on the same track where the psychology is concerned without actually doing much research and having more and more of the personal romantic life of Evelyn take over the focus. That's not why I began reading this series so I will be very careful before I read the next book. No more automatic reading for me. For readers new to the series, I would suggest that you begin with the novella at least before reading this one. That way you will get the most information about Dr. Talbot's past experiences with Jasper, the serial killer she had her own horrible experience with and the reason she is so passionate about the research opportunity Hanover House presents.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Weycombe: A Novel of Suspense; Author: Visit Amazon's G.M. Malliet Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for an arc of this novel. I think I've read every book G. M. Malliet has written, she is a real favorite of mine. When I saw this one was located in an English village and read in the descriptions all the comparisons to Agatha Christie I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately it was a big disappointment and the only comparisons made to Agatha Christie were the main character thinking she was following in the sleuthing footsteps of that great author. She was not! Jillian White is the main character and the narrator of the story. She is an American who has lived in England for ten years and fell in love with and married a member of the British aristocracy - but of a rather minor sort so don't go getting all starry eyed over that connection. Jill finds the body of a woman, actually her next door neighbor, from the exclusive gated community in which they both live in the village of Weycombe. So far things seemed to be going well with the reading until all the unsettled atmosphere and dark psychological attitude began to intrude. The problem was that our main character was just not a nice person and she was carrying a ton of emotional baggage which she seemed almost content to hold on to. After reading almost half of the book I took notice of some rather unusual phrasing I was picking up on so decided to keep notes. Hmm, what I had was a roadmap to the guilty person. I kept on reading to the end because I wanted to see how Malliet would present the completion of the story. This novel is one where it would be very easy to tell too much about the story and end up spoiling it for anyone who hasn't read the book. I don't want to do that so I'm just going to repeat that I was very disappointed. I didn't find anything that was good enough to compensate for the main character and the overall plotting.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Grave's a Fine and Private Place: A Flavia de Luce Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Bradley Page; Review: I am so very pleased to see that book #10 in the Flavia de Luce series is back to 5 star status for me! Alan Bradley has given readers a twelve year old girl and a mystery situation we can fully accept and enjoy. This story picks up six months after the sad ending of the previous story and Flavia, Ophelia, Daphne, Dogger and Mrs. Mullet are suffering under their grief and the rigid decrees from Aunt Felicity. Everyone's future has been mapped out by that dynamic woman, but nothing says they all have to like it. It is Dogger who manages a holiday, a trip paddling down the river. With lazy days, picnics on the river bank and nights spent in inns along the way. Should anybody be surprised when they come to St.-Mildred's-in-the-Marsh, location of the "Poisoning Parson's" murders, and Flavia finds a dead body? This story is brimming full of the innocence and inventiveness of that chemist-cum-detective, Flavia. These people need to heal from their tremendous grief and this story gives each of them a way to do that. The improvised chemical experiments are exactly what I always enjoyed so much in most of the previous stories. In addition, the mystery is very much worth reading as well as giving the reader the opportunity to solve along with those involved. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am so glad to have "my" Flavia back.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures: Volume 1: Unfinished Manuscripts, Mysterious; Author: Visit Amazon's Louis L'Amour Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Bantam for allowing me to read a digital galley of this book. When Beau L'Amour became the executor of his fathers estate in 1988 there were literally tons of books, manuscripts, unfinished stories, outlines, notes and other random material to be gone through. Louis L'Amour made his name as an author of fictional stories of the American West. He wanted to write about so much more. In L'Amour's case he was held captive by the time period in which he wrote. The paperback novel was inexpensive enough for people to be able to afford them and the subject matter was interesting to readers wanting to escape into a time when the lines between right and wrong were easily seen. Plus, it certainly didn't hurt at all that L'Amour wrote well and created characters a reader connected with. All of this was wonderful for Louis L'Amour the man, but Louis L'Amour the author wanted to spread his wings and move into different genres of fiction. In this volume Beau L'Amour has gathered 22 unfinished manuscripts, short stories and "treatments" from the works left by his father. A treatment is a brief presentation suitable for explaining to a publisher, television or movie producer the basic premise of a story. If the story was accepted, the entire story would be written. L'Amour wanted to do more than western novels, he wanted to work with historical novels, crime fiction, and adventure stories. Only toward the later part of his writing career did publishers begin to accept material from him which didn't fit the profile of a standard western novel. Beau L'Amour has included an introduction to explain the concept behind this book as well as a comment at the beginning of some of the works and notes at the end of each piece. These end notes are where you will find an incredible amount of information about the L'Amour family, how the household worked in order to provide a haven for an author and what a task it was to piece together found material to form what you had just finished reading. In one instance a novel had been started and set aside at least ten times with changes being made each time the project was picked up again. There is a wealth of detail in this book concerning Louis L'Amour as a person and as an author. Some of the reading is bittersweet when you find a story you are drawn into only to find that it ends on the next page. Some stories are longer than others, one goes on for seven chapters, but they are all unfinished. What a shame it is that L'Amour was an author ahead of his time, that his work was mostly confined to a single genre, so we will never get to read some of these intriguing stories.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Beautiful Ones: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Silvia Moreno-Garcia Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Thomas Dunne Books for this digital ARC. This is going to be a short review. This book is romance first, fantasy somewhere way in the distance. I had not expected that. According to one blurb I read it is supposed to take place in the Belle Epoque era, but if so it would have to be toward the end - 1914ish - since there is one mention of new wonders such as the motorcar and photographic camera. But it actually doesn't matter what time period it took place in because it has all the trappings of any other historical romance you've ever read. This is the dreaded triangle with one man and two women. Sweet country bumpkin girl goes to the big city to stay with beautiful, rich, relative by marriage who will make the proper match for her. (Substitute the upper crust English ton for these French sounding Beautiful Ones.) Enter commoner who has loved beautiful, rich witch (with a 'b') for over a decade but can't have her because she's still married, so he goes for the other one in a revenge kind of way. Done it, read it all before, never have liked it regardless of whether it had a fantasy element or not. The aforementioned fantasy element is that man and sweet, nave bumpkin both have telekinetic powers. Don't get excited, it only comes in handy once. And the girl wasn't even a bumpkin, just honest and natural but that went against all the rules of society. If those things I've described aren't a problem for you then you will probably enjoy this book. However, be prepared for slooow. Or creeping. Or crawling. Hmm, which to choose, which to choose.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Nine Lessons: A Josephine Tey Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Nicola Upson Page; Review: Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of this book. What a great reading experience this book was. I just want to rush out and get all six previous books in this series and lock myself in a room and read them. Naturally I will have perfectly cooked morsels of food delivered to my door. Seriously, though, how have I missed this mystery series? It is obvious that this group of characters have a lot of past history but that was no impediment whatsoever to my enjoyment of this current novel. Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose and his sergeant, Bill Fallowfield, are in Hampstead to investigate a particularly gristly discovery in an old grave. The identity of the murdered man is known but why was this particularly cruel form of death inflicted on him? Perhaps a portion of a postcard found in the grave will provide the clue needed to get the investigation started. There are two distinct plot threads happening simultaneously in this story, the murder under investigation by DCI Penrose and a series of rapes in Cambridge investigated by the local police. Penrose is often in Cambridge because his case takes him there and he becomes familiar with the investigation into the rape cases. Cambridge also has become the home of Bridget, Marta, and Josephine Tey who is housesitting for Marta while she goes off on a business trip to the U.S. So if you are familiar with the series you can see that all the characters are present in this one. The two threads weave in and out of each other with perfect justification and both are completed by the ending of the book. The atmosphere of 1937 England is very well described and the ghost stories from which the clues for the murders are taken is a real book. As fraught with tension as this story was, I don't see myself seeking that book out to read the ghostly entertainment anytime soon. A very good mystery novel and highly recommended.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Trouble With Twelfth Grave (Charley Davidson); Author: Visit Amazon's Darynda Jones Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital review copy of this novel. Well, Darynda Jones has gone and written a thoroughly entertaining paranormal novel again, for the twelfth time! All the crew is there, we get to spend plenty of time with them and even learn a secret or two that even Charley didn't know about them. Reyes (Charley's husband who just happens to be the Son of Satan) is going through a hard time. So is it really Reyes or is it something that has taken his place? Read it and find out but prepare to be unsure. Charley is still the Queen of Snark and manages to get into more trouble than any mortal could possibly withstand. I've noticed when I read these books I'm always feeling tired - probably because Darynda Jones doesn't allow Charley to ever sleep and I'm sympathizing with the character. Charley is trying to figure out who came out of the god glass because he might look like her husband but he sure doesn't act like him. Then the murders begin to happen with the strange damage to the bodies and even Charley can't figure out what could be causing those burn and claw marks. Why those specific people? Is there a common thread? The various plot threads are nicely separated so I didn't quite know where they were headed. There is much going on and Charley is pulled in a lot of directions at the same time. I loved having all the regular characters back in this story. Never would have expected to find Rocket, Blue and Strawberry Shortcake hanging out at a Chuck-E-Cheese, but that's one of the threads that didn't quite get tied up. Tune in for book #13 to see if the answer is there. Well, after the way this one ended we are all going to have to read #13 anyway. Smart move Ms. Jones.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mr Campion's Abdication; Author: Visit Amazon's Mike Ripley Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for allowing me to review a digital copy of this novel. I have read all of the previous novels by Mike Ripley as he has continued the adventures of an older Albert Campion. I was surprised to discover that I gladly allowed Mr. Ripley to put his own writing stamp on this favorite old series of mine; surprised because I can be very hard to please when it comes to a new author taking up the tales of a much beloved fictional character. So I began reading this title with every expectation of thoroughly enjoying it as well. Sadly I didn't, couldn't quite work myself up to complete enjoyment. First, there is the fact that the author uses his notes at the beginning of the book to say that this story takes place in early 1970, but that fact isn't mentioned again anywhere in the actual novel. Yes, I had read the Author's Note, many readers will skip right over that bit. If you skip over, you will find yourself pretty much muddled about when the story is supposed to be taking place. I knew it was in 1970 and I still had to very, very often remind myself of that fact. Mentioning a lime green VW mini-bus just wasn't enough to place me within the historical time period. Second, the history of previous events in 1935-1936 were oft repeated but still confusing and went on too long. Too many winks and nods and putting a finger aside a nose in this one. The story seemed to positively crawl until the final four chapters which is where practically everything happened. For me, this one was just not as good as the previous Albert Campion novels by Mike Ripley. I do not count myself as discouraged, though. When the next book is hot off the presses I will be very willing to give the series another try.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Price of Silence: A First World War Espionage Thriller (Anthony Brooke Espionage Thriller); Author: Dolores Gordon-Smith; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for a digital galley of this novel. I've read several novels by Dolores Gordon-Smith in her Jack Haldean mystery series and enjoyed each of them. I definitely appreciate the writing talent of this author and her characterizations and plotting are spot on. I did not read the first book in this new series, Frankie's Letter, but will definitely look for it after reading this second installment. This is a World War I espionage thriller which begins with either a murder/suicide or a locked room mystery. Once that is sorted out the need becomes apparent for Dr. Anthony Brooke to infiltrate behind the front lines into Belgium in order to rescue a little girl. Getting in isn't easy, getting out safely is just as hard. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me and a little more of a departure from the Jack Haldean series than I had expected. I must say, Ms. Gordon-Smith handled the change in series very well. As with most espionage novels the characters often have one or more names they go by and some of that got a little bit confusing at times but the general story was very well done to show the factual devastation in Belgium. Ms. Gordon-Smith also used the real name of an underground Belgian spy network, The White Lady, as well as one of the smuggler operatives in that organization, but his actions in this book were wholly fictitious. I was also very interested to learn about an organization called the American Relief Administration set up by the future United States President, Herbert Hoover, to supply food to the people of Belgium while being exported through British ports. It seems an impossibility that this could have all worked so well when the Germans and the British were engaged in a full scale war, but the organization was undoubtedly responsible for saving an untold number of citizens in Belgium from starvation. This depth of research is what I love to find when I read such a quality product as this novel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Smoke and Mirrors (A Miss Barnum Mystery); Author: Casey Daniels; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn Publishing for a digital galley of this novel. This historical mystery by Casey Daniels was just not a good fit for me. Set in New York City in 1842 the main character, Evangeline Barnum, is out of place in this time period. Evie is presented as being much too modern in her thinking and actions so almost everything she does stands out as being wrong, nave, or dangerous. Set in a more current setting her actions would have suited the story better. The information about the museum Evangeline's brother, P. T. Barnum, established in the city is interesting but was not smoothly inserted into the story so it was almost like reading research notes for me. Evangeline has a secret in her past and the author used that as a carrot to keep the reader interested and reading further, but that device backfired for me because she withheld even small bits of information relating to the secret for so long I just didn't care any more. I read the entire book, but not because I wanted to. I feel an obligation to finish a book when I have accepted a copy for review and that was the main reason I stuck with this book. I also wanted to see how far the author would make her character go in order to find a reason for the murder that happens early on in the novel. The things which bothered me may be of no consequence to you and that is the reason for my 3 star rating. I have tried other novels written by Casey Daniels and had hoped this new series set in this historical period would suit me better but it did not.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Miss Silver Deals With Death: A Miss Silver Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Patricia Wentworth Page; Review: This is book number six in the Miss Silver series by Patricia Wentworth. This one takes place while World War II is still going on so there is some intrigue happening in connection with the war. Meade Underwood met Giles Armitage in New York where they had a whirlwind romance before boarding their liner for the trip back to England as an engaged couple. The ship was torpedoed and Meade was rescued but Giles was not. Now Meade is living with her Aunt Mabel while she recovers from the disaster and tries to recover from the physical and mental trauma. Vandeleur House has been made into apartments and if you look long enough you will see that there are secrets in each of those apartments. Combine secrets with someone with the desire to blackmail and you are sure to get tragedy. Patricia Wentworth is a wonder with creating tangled webs of lies and deceit which she sets Miss Silver to unraveling. Miss Maude Silver, an ex-governess, is the noticing kind (a phrase I borrowed from an Agatha Christie story) and it's certainly true that everyone in Vandeleur House wants to keep something out of sight. The characters in this story are fully developed and I felt so sorry for Meade I just wanted to give her a hug. That isn't what I wanted to do to other characters. This is not a story of the deprivations suffered in war torn London, but the atmosphere of the time and place are wonderfully rendered in this story of love lost, secrets, and evil.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Midnight Line: A Jack Reacher Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Lee Child Page; Review: Many thanks to Net Galley and Delacorte Press for the digital arc of this novel. I wanted to give this book three stars because of some problems I had with it. I ultimately gave it four stars because reading it from cover to cover in less than twenty-four hours (half one day, half the next) has to count for something. Plus I enjoyed the book as a whole. This is classic Lee Child which makes it classic Jack Reacher by extension. People who think Jack Reacher doesn't have a sensitive side to his nature simply have to be substituting soppy or sappy for sensitive. Of course Reacher is sensitive, otherwise he wouldn't go off on these quests to find the reason for some situation others just walk right on by. In this case a stroll down the street while his bus is sitting in the depot of Rapid City, South Dakota leads him to find and buy the ring of a woman who graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2005. Her initials are engraved inside so, with no other reason in sight, Reacher decides she might have fallen on hard times and he wants to return the ring. So where does he go from there? Well, for on thing he tells the bus driver he won't be getting back on the bus. The remainder of the book is classic Reacher pulling multiple rabbits out of the hat. So here are my reasons for my quandary about the three or four star rating. How can some of the people Reacher is dealing with live completely off the grid for years with absolutely no source of income? Because that's what happened here and it just didn't make sense. I think the details were not included because if they had been then the story could not have unfolded in the way it did. But I'm curious, I notice little details so I wanted to know because that wasn't a small detail, that was a big deal. Next, Reacher is a large man (6'5 and 250 pounds) but he's not a monster. Why did the author have people call him names synonymous with urban legends? That was odd and it stood out, but not in a good way. Finally, that last chapter is a mess. As far as I can tell not one plot thread is tied up. There is an awful lot I, as a reader, am left to assume about pivotal characters in this novel. Why? So the page count (400 pages) could include that last interaction? Well, I'm sorry but it just seemed like pity to me and that didn't fit with the character of the Jack Reacher person I've come to know. I gave the book four stars. I've given my argument for both the three and the four. Now you get to decide what you think. Edit: November 14, 2017 for sake of clarity.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Full Dark House: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Fowler Page; Review: I enjoyed this first book in the Bryant and May series quite a lot. I've been reading the novels for some time, but skipping around in the chronology. The quite interesting thing about this particular book is that I'm not sure I would have continued with the series if I had read the first book, well, first. Christopher Fowler is a confident author who moves his characters around on his personal story chess board without regard to how important or trivial each one will be or has become within the story arc. Full Dark House runs a dual story line with Bryant and May appearing in their 80s as well as when they first began their professional relationship at 19 and 23. The story centers on the actors and staff members of a theatre rehearsing a play that will open while London is enduring the nightly Blitz bombing. All is chaos outside so the theatre becomes a refuge away from the bombing. Deaths which seem to mirror the Greek mythology upon which the play is based begin to happen and one by one the actors become victims. If you've not read any other books in this series, you might not realize that there is always a touch of mysticism in a Bryant and May novel. Never going too far, Fowler puts the ideas in then lets the reader decide what really happened. In this novel Bryant is 83 and May is 80 and they have been working as a team for about sixty years. The living and working conditions during the Blitz are wonderfully retold by this author and it only added to my amazement regarding the can-do spirit of the population of that great city.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Artemis; Author: Visit Amazon's Andy Weir Page; Review: Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an e-ARC of this novel. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been so disappointed when reading a book. Partially that has to be because I loved the previous book written by this author so much and I expected to be reading something along the same lines as that when it came to the qualities of writing, plotting and character development. No. Artemis has a main character that represents practically everything I dislike in a main character. I struggled with bringing my star rating up to 3, but if you can keep reading until approximately the last 25% of the book you will find what I did, namely a problem of catastrophic proportions which had to be solved with intelligent reasoning. Was it worth all the time I spent annoyed by it? Probably not. Artemis is the only moon colony and it survives financially from tourist and mining revenues. There is a small permanent resident population of approximately 2,000. The main character is 26 year old Jasmine "Jazz" Bashara who has lived on the moon with her father since she was six years old. She may be 26 but she acts more like a petulant 18 year old fighting against any authority simply because it's there. She is also a smuggler, obnoxious, feckless, a smart aleck, and completely annoying throughout the entire novel. Those are all hot buttons for me and I don't read novels where that type of character holds center stage because, just like Jazz, these are characters who are always allowed to get away with any ridiculous and dangerous prank or plot or joke they come up with. Naturally Jazz is the one who takes on a job of sabotage. Having done such an incompetent job at that, she is then the one who has to go in and fix things. Hmm, wonder how that's going to turn out? Author Andy Weir could not have gone in any more different direction with this book from his first success if he had tried. Quite honestly, it felt as if I was reading the manuscript for a film coming to a movie theatre near you soon.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Ghosts of Galway (Jack Taylor); Author: Visit Amazon's Ken Bruen Page; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Mysterious Press for the opportunity to read a digital galley of this novel. I did what most followers of a certain author will tell you not to do. I began reading Ken Bruen with book thirteen in this series featuring Jack Taylor. And I survived. Actually, not just survived but thrived. Yes, the writing is dark. Everything about this book is dark and at times difficult to read. Jack has gone through some very bad times with some of it his own fault but certainly not all of it. At the beginning of this story he has just learned that he is part of a huge scandal in the Irish medical system because of dire diagnosis errors. He's not in the best of health, but he's not about to die from any of his health issues. So it's back to the cigarettes and the booze but he has learned that moderation won't kill him so Jack Taylor tries to live like most people do. He gets a job as a security guard by fudging a little on his resume and spends time reading everything that catches his interest, taking care of his dog, going to his many favorite pubs and working his job. He's not on the job long before his employer asks to see him and takes him off the clock to do a private job for him. It all starts going pretty horribly wrong from there. Since this was my first book by this author it took me just a little while before I became comfortable with his writing style; after that the pages of the book seemed to fly by. If you've not read a Jack Taylor book before it is completely true to the environment Jack lives in so there is profanity all over the place. Irish politics play a huge part in the atmosphere, but the political references aren't confined to Ireland. The characters who return from previous novels have deep development, but even a newbie such as I could catch on to the feelings and atmosphere very quickly. Many of the things that take place in this story surprised me because the author has the courage to let them happen. Where the story goes from here, I don't know, and I'm still absorbing what I read so it will take a little time to decide if I want to check out the next book. I have to admit, though, I am intrigued.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Mansions of Murder: A Medieval mystery (A Brother Athelstan Medieval Mystery); Author: Paul Doherty; Review: Thank you to NetGalley, Severn House and Crme de la Crime for a digital copy of this galley. The Great Revolt has been smashed and you would think things would be more quiet in London in the year of Our Lord 1381. Perish the thought. When one group of evil doers leaves the scene another quickly takes its place. In this instance we have the gangs who have divided up the territory and make life a misery for the ordinary folk. The Sycamores, led by Simon Makepeace (also known as "The Flesher" - and if you let your imagination go you will realize what he does to his victims) is one of the largest and worst of these gangs. Makepeace rules his territory with a bloody fist and has no problem with bringing down death and destruction to any who stand in his way. How is The Flesher going to react when Brother Athelstan and Sir John Cranston, Lord High Coroner of London begin to chip away at his empire? This is another well written adventure, number 18 in the series which pairs the Benedictine Friar with the Coroner of London to solve cases where what is going on beneath the surface may be political or criminal or a combination of both. This story involves Sir John personally because of something which happened eighteen years previously. The secrets have remained hidden so well many might have thought the incident never happened. Now the layers of lies and treachery are being peeled back and exposing the truth. I especially enjoyed this one because it has a locked room mystery and those are favorites of mine. There are also many seemingly smaller mysteries that I wondered if author Paul Doherty would be able to tie up. Why did I even bother to wonder? If you are a fan of historical mystery novels placed in this time period, you know you will be wading through all the filth, muck and gore that was the great city of London. I don't enjoy those parts, but they certainly do set the tone for what that world was like. Brother Athelstan and Sir John are two of my favorite mystery duos and this book in the series was a satisfying read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bucket's List: A Victorian mystery (A Charley Field Mystery); Author: Gary Blackwood; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn Publishing for a digital galley of this novel. I have to give author Gary Blackwood credit for trying to do something different with a mystery novel. This one is set in Victorian London, 1853 to be precise, and features Charley Field, retired Inspector of the Detective Branch of the police force. When Charley retired he decided to become a private inquiry agent but the clients haven't exactly been thick on the ground. Charley's friend, Charles Dickens, suggests that he needs something to call attention to his business and changing the name will do the job. After all, Charley is the police inspector Dickens used to pattern his Inspector Bucket after for his novel Bleak House. Why not take advantage of that free publicity? The story is told by a narrator using present tense who tells readers at the beginning of the novel that he cannot be trusted to always tell them the truth. Charley is presented as a kind of Sherlock Holmes expert at deduction because he can look at someone and tell where they are from, what kind of work they do and what their problem is. This "ability" didn't work nearly as well for Mr. Blackwood as it did for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The title comes into play because Charley made up a list of those-who-got-away while he was on the force but who can be pursued now that he isn't tied to the force. Therefore - Bucket's List is where Charley goes to look to match the description he has for a likely suspect in a murder disguised as a suicide. This murder is the main thread of investigation in the novel, but there are many other mysteries large and small which occupy Charley's attention. In this case, more is not better. Victorian London is shown well in all its sprawling grime and glory with Charley spending his days and most of his nights going from one problem, large or small, to another which needs righting or solving. The story was muddled by being sent in so many directions at the same time and by keeping me from being able to tell if some of it was tongue in cheek or if it was supposed to be serious. There are a large number of characters remaining after all the mysteries are solved and Charley has a mission to help orphaned children being used as slave labor in mills. Those are indicators that there is plenty of material which can be used in future novels.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Deadly Dance (A David Vogel Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Hilary Bonner Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the digital galley of this novel. I have to say immediately that I did not like this book. Psychological thriller/suspense novels are usually quite enjoyable for me but this one made me feel very uncomfortable while I was reading it. I should have just put the book aside and not continued to read. The way the book is designed forced me to read a lot of segments presented by three men with different sexual problems. One has a problem relating to women in person so he has been getting to know women online. The second man is gay but has not acknowledged that to anyone so he's living two lives. The third man is a pedophile and he certainly isn't apologetic about it. The chapters alternate with one of these three and the police procedures taking place trying to find the murderer of a 14 year old girl. This specific psychological condition would have been very interesting to read about, but I was so uneasy about the graphic nature of the chapters concerning the three men that there was no pleasure in the book for me. About at the halfway point the investigation begins to be presented more prominently but now the poor police detective has a personal problem thrown at him. It was all way too much for me.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Chord of Evil: Wartime suspense (A Phineas Fox Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Sarah Rayne Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for a digital galley of this novel. I have read other books by Sarah Rayne and liked them very much. I began this series with the first Phineas Fox novel and rated it a three star experience. I had hoped this second book would suit me better, but I've only given this one three stars so I don't think I'm going to ever warm up to Phineas enough to follow the series. This second story relies too heavily on coincidence. Every time the story needed to move along -- Bingo! a piece of necessary information materialized hidden inside something. And I'm still confused about all of that sheet music that kept turning up. There are three major plot threads in this novel with one taking place in Germany between 1939-1941 which progresses from a home to a concentration camp. There is a rape scene in this older section which is described rather completely so you might want to know that ahead of time. The improbable scenarios keep stacking up until the three threads come together. I am not forming any kind of attachment to Phin so it would not make sense for me to continue with the series.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Enchantress of Numbers: A Novel of Ada Lovelace; Author: Visit Amazon's Jennifer Chiaverini Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a digital galley of this novel. I thoroughly enjoy learning about historical figures through fictionalized versions of their lives which contain the facts I want alongside the fictional additions which keep the narrative flowing. I particularly liked reading the second half of this book when the story of Ada Byron had finally moved on from her first nineteen years of life to her becoming Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace. I find it difficult to look kindly on a narrator who describes situations she remembers from when she was six months old. Yes, Ada was an interesting woman but having her remember her thoughts of comparing the sumptuousness of her home to the cathedral her mother was touring when Ada was less than a year old went just a little too far. The first nineteen years of Ada's life seems to have been an exercise in surviving the manipulation her mother engaged in to make sure there was no chance for the "bad Byron blood" Ada inherited from her father, Lord Byron, to once again taint the lives he touched. Ada was not to be allowed to engage in any thoughts or studies which might excite her imagination; no fairy tales, no ghost stories, no association with anyone not approved by her mother. Once the story reaches the point of Ada being married, when she is removed from the stultifying presence of her mother, a new portrait of Ada commences and she more resembles an individual with a personality of her own. Because of her position in society Ada comes into contact with many of the greatest people of her time and this novel is filled with the scientific advancements and literary masterpieces we know of from her lifetime, December 10, 1815 to November 27, 1852. Most notable among these, and the inventions she is most connected with, were the two very early versions of a computer being built by Mr. Babbage, the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine for which Ada created an algorithm based on the punched card system she had observed at a mill producing Jacquard fabric. This algorithm is the reason Ada Lovelace is considered to have been the first computer programmer. My enjoyment of this story was hindered somewhat by the author's decision to spend so long pointing out how Ada Byron was formed by her mother and society into the person she eventually became. Still, I'm glad I read the information in the book and learned about the trials and victories of a woman who wanted so desperately to become a mathematician and how she endured to fulfil her dream.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Quick Curtain (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Melville Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital galley of this novel. I have read many short stories written to satirize the detective story but never a full length novel attempting that feat. As I began to read this one I wondered if I could continue since Alan Melville is taking on the detective story and the theatre world with this single novel. Those are two of my great loves and I didn't know if I would get enjoyment out of watching someone poking fun at them both. I will admit to having to encourage myself to continue reading at first, but quite soon I found that I was enjoying the silliness. What saves this novel for me is the fact that there is actually a good mystery involved. A murder takes place on stage of an opening night performance. The Scotland Yard police inspector and his journalist son are in the audience so are right on the spot to begin investigating. The conversations between the father and son make for some of the best reading in the novel. Nothing is entirely serious, no clue is ever set in concrete, no motive is ever investigated fully enough. There are mistakes made by the inspector (gasp!) and by his son (another gasp!) and they don't exactly get much of anything right. When one theory proves to be wrong they just move on to another theory and whittle away at it. There is more than one death so the intrepid duo has their hands full throughout the novel trying to tie up all the motives and alibies. If you are a serious reader of these older re-issued detective stories, give this one a try. I was surprised by how involved I became in the story in spite of not particularly enjoying satire. If Alan Melville ever wrote a serious detective story, I'll bet it was a pip.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death of Anton (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Alan Melville Page; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital copy of this book. Published in 1935 and with an Introduction by Martin Edwards, this is another book rescued from obscurity by the program sponsored by the British Library. I am glad I read it, but I tend to like for the mysteries I read to be more serious than this one was. The Anton of the title is the star attraction of a circus where he puts his seven ferocious Bengal tigers through their paces in the center ring. At least he did until one fateful night. A Detective Inspector of Scotland Yard just happens to be in this small town making final preparations for his sister's wedding so naturally he becomes involved in solving the questions surrounding Anton's death. Minto is definitely unorthodox in his investigation techniques. If this story had been presented in a more serious way, I would have enjoyed it more, but still a good reading experience and an interesting example of crime fiction written between the world wars.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cold Welcome: Vatta's Peace: Book 1; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Moon Page; Review: Author Elizabeth Moon's writing absolutely latched onto my reader's soul when I started reading the Paksenarrion series. I've read all of those books and some of them more than once. I was aware of the Vatta's War series but have not read any of those five books. My interest perked up about ten levels when I saw that NetGalley was offering a digital galley of "Into the Fire", book two in the Vatta's Peace series. It was time for me to get off my duff and read "Cold Welcome", first book in the "Vatta's Peace series. I was definitely not disappointed. I am totally amazed with the way Elizabeth Moon can change her author's "voice" from the epic fantasy series around Paksenarrion and her world as compared to Ky Vatta, founder and commander of Space Defense Force, originally from the planet Slotter Key. This is a world very much like our own but with tempting tidbits of technology that allow for the kinds of human enhancements we would all like to be able to take advantage of. Skullphone anyone? Ky is going back to her home planet to make some speeches and shake some hands because she evidently saved the world in the Vatta's War series (just gotta read those books now!) when the space shuttle she is traveling in has an emergency. The crash is going to happen in the ocean near a segment of land which has been abandoned and is known as a "terraforming failure" where the cold temperatures and foul weather makes it uninhabitable for humans or animals. Simply surviving the splash-down will take all their knowledge and resources. This was a very exciting, action packed story that moved quickly through all the survival phases for the people who made it through the shuttle crash. It was obvious at times that this story had a lot of history behind it because of the references to people and events which had already taken place. All of those things were from the Vatta's War novels and were easily assimilated when combined with what was happening in this novel. There were some issues left unresolved but all in all this was a superb 4.5 star rating book for me. I'm definitely ready for the next one in the series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Wife Between Us: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Greer Hendricks Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital galley of this novel. If you are in the mood for a story of psychological suspense, you have found the book for you. This is a collaboration between Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen where their voices mesh together so well there is no distinction between them. The narrative flows easily and creates an atmosphere of tension that continues to build throughout the book. The story is told mainly from the perspective of Nellie, recently divorced from Richard. As if she hasn't suffered enough trauma during the marriage and divorce, now she learns that Richard is already engaged to someone. The story then begins to center around what Nellie can do to change that situation. In order to keep from spoiling the story for other readers it wouldn't be wise to relate any more of the plot. The city of New York provides the bustling, noisy, impersonal background for what is happening to the women whose lives swirl around Richard. The twist at the end of the story caught me completely by surprise. Even after I finished reading I still wonder if I actually have the story right. This would make a good book to read at least twice.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death Makes a Prophet (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's John Bude Page; Review: My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital galley of this novel. Within the past two years I have discovered a number of books reissued through the British Library Crime Classics program. These are classic crime fiction novels which have fallen out of print for a variety of reasons but which are being enjoyed again by a new readership. This is the third novel I've read in this group featuring John Bude's work. This one was originally published in 1947 and differs quite a bit from the other Bude works I've read because of the light feel for this one. Bude included a lot of humor, especially in the first half of the book, which was okay for me but I did want the story to move on in a more serious direction. The series detective Bude used often is Inspector Meredith of Scotland Yard and his presence in the last half of the book puts a damper on some of the lightness of tone. I suppose it had to when the body count began to rise. The plot of this story centers around the believers in the religious teachings of Cooism, the Children of Osiris, founded by Eustace Mildmann in the Garden City of Welworth which didn't even exist 30 years previously. The cult's most wealthy sponsor, The Honorable Mrs. Hagge-Smith, proposes a summer convocation of Cooists on the grounds of her estate. Mildmann seems to be losing control of his own religion with someone else wanting the position of Head Prophet. Could there be trouble among the Children of Osiris? Well, naturally. I have to admit to thinking about abandoning ship during the first half of the book because it was being much too "punny" and cute. Luckily I stayed with it until the story became more serious, but even then the Scotland Yard detective did lots of smiling, laughing and chuckling. I've found a lot to like along the lines of classic crime fiction by John Bude, but I think I will probably approach any other books by him after doing as much research as I can. One humorous murder story was okay, in fact I eventually became fully involved with this book, but I don't think I want to read one like this again. I tend to take mystery novels rather seriously.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Long Arm of the Law (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Martin Edwards Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Critical/Biographical; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital galley of this book. Martin Edwards is the editor of this collection which features short mystery stories from the viewpoint of a professional in law enforcement. The British Library Crime Classics series has rescued many little remembered stories and gathered them together in a themed volume. The stories are almost presented in chronological order and it is very interesting to watch the style and language change through this collection from the early 1900s to the late 1960s. The amateur detective stories of the past have probably been more popular with readers, but it was enjoyable to read this collection which put the spotlight of attention on the professional in crime fighting. Edwards provides an Introduction to the book as well as specific information before each story to provide more background for the author and the short story. I have listed the fifteen authors, story titles, and publication date when it was provided. Askew, Alice and Claude, "The Mystery of Chenholt", 1908 Wallace, Edgar, "The Silence of PC Hirley", 1909 Sims, George R., "The Mystery of a Midsummer Night" Meynell, Laurence W. "The Cleverest Clue" (this might be Leonard Meynell) Verner, Gerald, "The Undoing of Mr. Dawes", 1935 Vickers, Roy, "The Man Who Married Too Often", 1936 Gribble, Leonard R., "The Case of Jacob Heylyn" Crofts, Freeman Wills, "Fingerprints", 1952 Lorac, E.C.R., "Remember to Ring Twice", 1950 Wade, Henry, "Cotton Wool and Cutlets", 1940 Brand, Christianna, "After the Event", 1958 Blake, Nicholas, "Sometimes the Blind...", 1963 Creasey, John, "The Chief Witness", 1957 Gilbert, Michael, " Old Mr. Martin", 1960 North, Gil, "The Moorlanders", 1966 I hope you find some favorite authors in this collection as well as some you want to find out more about. Some of the stories are quite short, only a few pages long and the Christianna Brand story is by far the longest in the collection.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: In the Shadow of Agatha Christie: Classic Crime Fiction by Forgotten Female Writers: 1850-1917; Author: Visit Amazon's Leslie S. Klinger Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for a digital galley of this book. From the standpoint of learning about the roles women played in writing crime fiction published between 1850 and 1917 this book was interesting and successful. On a personal level the stories were not quite as engaging as a whole for me. I did not reach for pen and paper even once to jot down the name of an author I wanted to explore further. The premise of this book is to show that the successes of Agatha Christie have cast the writings of the authors presented here into a shadowy area so their work isn't given as much attention and credit for advancing the female crime fiction writers efforts. In other words, Christie would not have been so successful without the efforts of those women whose work came before her. My take on this collection is that now I understand just how well the Christie books are written. Granted each Agatha Christie novel isn't a literary masterpiece, but taken as a whole I have no trouble settling myself down to read any of the Christie books again and again. All of this doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy some of the stories collected in this volume, because I did, just not as many as I would have expected. There is an Introduction by Leslie S. Klinger which provides background information for the state of crime fiction publication by women from 1850 through 1917. In this introduction many female authors are discussed, not just those who have a story presented in the collection. Each story has a brief biographical segment about the author, some historical information regarding her novel and story publication and usually a publication date for the featured story. So many of the women wrote their stories under one or more pseudonyms so that information is provided also. The following is a list of the author and their story included in this book: Catherine Crowe - The Advocate's Wedding Day Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell - The Squire's Story Mary Fortune - Traces of Crime Harriet Prescott Spofford - Mr. Furbush Ellen Wood - Mrs. Todhetley's Earrings Elizabeth Corbett - Catching A Burglar C. L. Pirkis - The Ghost of Fountain Lane Geraldine Bonner - The Statement of Jared Johnson Ellen Glasgow - Point in Morals L. T. Meade and Robert Eustace - The Blood-Red Cross Baroness Orczy - The Regent's Park Murder Augusta Groner - The Case of the Registered Letter M. E. Braddon - The Winning Sequence Anna Katherine Green - Missing: Page Thirteen Carolyn Wells - The Adventure of the Clothes-Line Susan Glaspell - Jury of Her Peers Sixteen stories are presented from authors you may not be familiar with. If you are interested in reading stories from female authors who made a difference in the history of crime fiction, this will be a great place to begin your exploration of that subject.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Wanted (An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Crais Page; Review: I enjoyed this addition to the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike collection. This one felt a little different because the problems involved three young adults with a total lack of caring for the consequences of the crimes they were committing. Their view of what was fun was painfully innocent. Tyson Connor's mother was worried because his behavior had changed so much recently. When she searched his room she found a watch with a price listed in the stratosphere. Then she found new clothes and then cash; lots and lots of cash. She wants Elvis to follow her son to find out what he's doing. All it took was one phone call for Elvis Cole to know there was going to be big trouble for Tyson and his friends. This is a story filled with a lot of unusual characters so having it unfold from many points of view was a good way to present the story. The two hitmen are actually two of the most interesting bad guys I think I've ever encountered in fiction. Stone cold killers and very good at their job yet amazingly devoted to each other. Those two are probably what I will remember best about this story. Tyson's mother was also very realistically presented. I would have wanted to wring his scrawny neck too if I had been her but she always kept sight of the fact that Tyson was an immature 17 year old boy who simply wanted to fit in somewhere, with someone. Joe Pike doesn't have much of a part to play in this novel, more of someone to be a backup for Elvis, but it was still nice to have him in the story. I definitely would have liked to have some solid resolution about what happened to all three of the burglars. The reader spends so much time with two of them that I think we deserved that. Not my favorite in the series, but better than 3 stars.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Brading's Collection (The Miss Silver Mysteries Book 17) - Kindle edition; Author: Visit Amazon's Patricia Wentworth Page; Review: It isn't very often that Miss Maude Silver turns down a case but she sent Lewis Brading away after listening to his story. Mr. Brading was edging much too close to blackmail in order to keep his assistant working at his job. Miss Silver recommended he let Mr. Moberly leave his employment and then either donate the pieces in his jewelry collection to museums or place them in other secure settings. Naturally Mr. Brading was never going to take either one of her suggestions. Several weeks later she was surprised to receive a second request from her to take his case, this time in a letter asking her to come to Warne House in Ledstow where she could even name her own fee to take the case. That was surprise number one that morning with surprise number two coming when she opened her daily newspaper. Many of the Miss Silver stories have a romance as a central portion of the plot; this book has a bit more emphasis on the romance aspect than usual. Unfortunately for me the female romantic lead is the character type I'm not best pleased to find. However, it's a Miss Silver story which helps me not pay so much attention to Stacy Mainwaring and focus more on the unusual aspects of the environment in which the crime takes place. This comes very close to a locked room story, but not quite. Everyone isn't telling the truth when they give their alibis. Some of the Miss Silver stories are better written than others but I always get that comfortable, contented feeling when I open the covers of one of these books. The classic situations will be there, good will prevail and evil will be brought to light. If you've never read one of these mystery gems, you are in for a treat as long as you allow that the story will be along the lines of a classic mystery novel. This one was published in 1952 so prepare to slow down and enjoy the puzzle. (This book is titled both as The Brading Collection and Mr. Brading's Collection.); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The English Wife: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Lauren Willig Page; Review: Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital galley of this novel. What a cracking good mystery/romance this book is. I've read several books by Lauren Willig in the past so I was excited to see what she had done with this historical story of an old-money society family in New York during the 1890's. The story takes place along two lines, beginning in London in 1894 as well as in New York state in 1899. Baynard Van Duyvil has arrived in London during his Grand Tour of Europe and meets a woman with a mystery in her past. Bay's sister Janie leads the story in 1899 when the consequences of that fateful London trip have to be dealt with. Usually I prefer that my mystery novels not involve romantic entanglements because I feel they don't add anything to the story of the crimes to be solved. In the case of this book that feeling does not hold true. Without the romance portions this story wouldn't have any purpose. Lauren Willig kept me in suspense throughout the whole novel and I readily admit to having no idea who committed the murder(s?). The characters are finely written and believable. The city and state of New York at the end of a century are very well portrayed and play important parts in the novel. I have to say I very much enjoyed reading this novel with such strong and believable female characters.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies; Author: Visit Amazon's Jason Fagone Page; Review: My oh my, what an amazing story this book has to tell. Puzzle solving is something I find myself doing on a small scale on a daily basis so this revelation of the work in cryptanalysis by Elizebeth Smith Friedman was positively fascinating. Thanks to the passage of time documents which tell this story have now been declassified and it is possible to learn the debt we owe to Elizebeth Friedman for her work with the coast guard and their solution of the Enigma code and William Friedman, her husband, for his work with solving the Japanese code Purple. But Elizebeth's team didn't just solve the Enigma code, they solved it three times! Elizebeth Smith was given the opportunity to live and work on an estate outside Chicago in 1919 to help prove that Shakespeare's works are actually codes written by Francis Bacon. This is where she met William and where they married. Once Elizebeth admitted she did not see any coded messages in the Shakespeare plays she was allowed to move on to other types of codebreaking. Eventually both the Friedman's needed more depth and freedom in their professional lives so they left Riverbank to continue on their codebreaking careers except for different government agencies. This book reveals the genius of Elizebeth Friedman when it came to codebreaking and her absolute loyalty to her teams and her government. She swore an oath of secrecy and she never broke that oath even when others were appropriating her successes and claiming them for themselves. The more information that becomes available about J. Edgar Hoover the more his self styled crown of achievement tarnishes. The successes of Elizebeth Friedman are brought to light here. The toll this incredibly intense profession had on both the Friedmans is sad to see. I was positively riveted to the pages of this book when the codebreaking during World War II was revealed. This is an incredible story.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carnegie's Maid: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Marie Benedict Page; Review: Thank you to Sourcebooks, Landmark and NetGalley for a digital copy of this novel. What is so interesting about this novel is that I liked the parts which were obviously the research informational portions so much more than the imagined character interactions. I enjoy reading non-fiction books and I'm now intrigued by the Andrew Carnegie story and want to find out more about him. The story of Clara Kelly, an Irish immigrant who came to America to try to earn money to relieve the desperate poverty of her family left behind, wasn't very well written and so did not engage me as much. The conversations are stilted and unnatural; the situations Clara and Andrew are in feel forced and uncomfortable. The author never made me feel this was a story which might actually have happened, it was obviously fake from the beginning. For me this novel would have been much more enjoyable if I hadn't continuously gotten the feeling that it was two stories, the fact and the fiction. Frankly, I would have liked the factual alone much better.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Wired Love: A Romance of Dots and Dashes; Author: Ella Cheever Thayer; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Dover Publications for a digital galley of this novel. First published in the United States in 1890 this novel suffered from an erroneous surmise on my part which just wouldn't go away. I knew there was going to be a romance involved, but I had expected the overall story would revolve more around the telegraph than the love life of the operators. The romances (for there end up being many young people who are more than willing to fall in love) were very basic entanglements with not much to show for themselves. Two of the major characters are working as telegraph operators when they begin to talk "on the wire". A little conversation begins to be a lot of conversation until it must have been taking up a goodly portion of their working day. Soon the author moves the characters away from the telegraph office and the story becomes a series of misunderstandings and unrequited love. I wanted more, and definitely more exciting, telegraph scenes. The book I wanted is not the one I got and I'm afraid I wasn't too much impressed by this story. The craft of writing a romantic novel in this time period was interesting; sentence structure and language is much different from modern styles so those aspects kept me entertained. The romance is squeaky clean so readers don't have to worry about finding anything to be upset about along those lines.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Price of Freedom, The: A mystery set in Roman Britain (A Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain); Author: Rosemary Rowe; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for a digital galley of this novel. I've read all the Rosemary Rowe novels featuring Libertus Flavius Severus and enjoyed them all. This one will go on my list as being one of the best. Rowe includes a Foreword to give the reader an idea of what would have been happening during this time period, the final weeks of AD 193, in the Roman Britannia in which the story is set. That information solidifies the action which will be taking place during the fictional story and explains the Roman political scene as well as traditional life in Britannia at this time. I find that information very helpful in making the activities which happen in the story easier to understand. Libertus is quite uneasy when he accepts an invitation to dine at the home of his patron, Marcus Aurelius Septimus, the local magistrate who also happens to be one of the wealthiest and most politically powerful men in Britannia. Naturally there is a catch just as Libertus thought; he's being nominated to a position on the town council of Glevum (modern Gloucester) . Libertus names all the reasons he shouldn't be nominated but Marcus has made his mind up. A messenger arrives during the dinner to bring Marcus the news of the death of the tax collector in a small town outside Glevum. Libertus is dispatched immediately to go investigate and try to recover the tax money. If that money isn't found, the members of Glevum's council will be forced to contribute the money from their personal wealth. Rome will have it's tax monies......no excuses will be accepted. I always like these stories when Libertus travels away from home during his investigations for Marcus, but this one I especially enjoyed because it put the focus on the military roads and system of accommodation along those roads. Naturally every person in Roman Britannia was not an honest, upright citizen but these novels give a view of what the system of power and wealth might have been like. From the lowest slaves who had absolutely no personal freedom and were valued only for their ability to do a specific job all the way to trusted, honorable slaves who conducted the day to day business of a society, I find this world fascinating. Here power meant total power as long as all your stars were properly aligned. Properly aligned stars depended on a combination of the political power of who you knew and how wealthy you were or what service you could provide. Libertus has an uncanny ability to reason through a situation and solve crimes. His wife is grateful for that skill, but what she really is grateful for is his ability to make quality tiles which results in him getting large contracts. Libertus has a lot of people depending on him so it's a good thing he's so good at what he does.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rufus Spy, The: A medieval mystical mystery (An Aelf Fen Medieval Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Alys Clare Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for allowing me to read a digital galley of this novel. I've been following this series for some time now and am impressed by how fresh and entertaining the author has kept the characters and stories. This latest story picks up exactly as the previous one left off so new readers might feel a little lost until they get the characters and situations clear in their mind. Lassair is a wonderfully developed character and in this story she is torn between two men who are in love with her. How does she feel about Jack and Rollo? While Jack recovers his strength from wounds he received in the previous novel Lassair accompanies Rollo from the fen country to the north of England in search of King William. Rollo has information regarding William's brother plus he is anxious to get Lassair away from nursing Jack back to health. The fen country outside of Cambridge is particularly dangerous right now with men being attacked or killed. The common denominator seems to be their physical resemblance to each other. Rollo will need to be very careful. I enjoyed this eighth story in the Aelf Fen mystery series set in England around 1090. The descriptions of the landscape as well as the characters makes me feel invested in the lives of these people and the circumstances they have to deal with. This is a great series to follow.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ritz and Escoffier: The Hotelier, The Chef, and the Rise of the Leisure Class; Author: Visit Amazon's Luke Barr Page; Review: Cesar Ritz was already on his way to making a name for himself before Richard D'Oyly Carte convinced him to come to London for a short stay to help get the new Savoy Hotel on its feet. Ritz brought along Auguste Escoffier to take care of the food side of the service. Both men remained much longer than they had expected to and were instrumental in changing the old rules of accommodation and dining for their wealthy patrons. The juggling act of including new money patrons with the aristocratic customers was deftly handled by Ritz. Escoffier began to educate the palates of Englishmen who were more inclined to entertain at home. During these late years in the reign of Queen Victoria the social climate was changing as more and more money was being made through trade, not inheritance. D'Oyly Carte was content to allow Ritz and Escoffier to run the Savoy as they saw fit until the profits began to disappear. Through a combination of bad management and conducting business as it had always been done the men were on a collision course with disaster. Ritz and Escoffier worked so well together they established the standards for luxury and indulgence in hotels throughout Europe. This book is a look at what went wrong at the Savoy after everything had gone so right. From there Ritz and Escoffier continued to run hotels only now as owners or partners. Their willingness to use modern technology, such as 24 hour electricity throughout the hotel and elevators which worked round the clock, made their properties the destination of choice by those who could afford to stay there. This book gives readers a look at an important age of social change. Ritz was such a forward thinker he didn't hesitate to break down the old rules of who would be allowed access to the finest luxuries in lodging and food. His efforts were directly responsible for women dining in a public place when unaccompanied by a man. It seems that Ritz was constantly working to loosen the strictures of society in order to make his hotels more financially successful but also to give genuine pleasure and comfort to patrons. Escoffier changed the entire atmosphere of the kitchen and provided an example of how a kitchen could be run to remove the turmoil which had been known to rule there. These are food service standards which are still practiced today. Both men had a proven impact on how the two industries they represented were changing with the times. The hotel and food service industries would never be the same. The information is available in an easy to read narrative but I have to admit to finding the book easy to put down. This book might be of more interest to readers with a special interest in the food and lodging industries.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Into the Fire: Vatta's Peace: Book 2; Author: Visit Amazon's Elizabeth Moon Page; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Del Rey for the digital galley of this novel. Woo-hoo! Five stars because this book was just so much fun to read. If you like space opera, this will probably be the book for you. Second in the Vatta's Peace series - after Cold Welcome - this one takes up right where that one left off except now Ky and Rafe have had a little bit of downtime from the startling events around Ky being stranded on a supposedly uninhabited continent for six months. She and Rafe are having to make alternate plans for their future because their bank accounts have been frozen. That's pretty bad, but now the bad guys have managed to bring their citizen status to the attention of the Immigration officials and they can't even leave Stella Vatta's house without risking arrest. On top of those problems Ky discovers that the military personnel stranded with her were not sent home on leave; the others are being held in appalling conditions with their survival hanging by a thread. Those are Ky's people, naturally she has to rescue them. It is entirely possible to consider this a standalone novel, but I think you would enjoy it even more if you read Cold Comfort first. I also think I may have some sad/bad news for readers who like this series. Judging by the fact that every single loose end was tied up with a bow on it at the close of this book, plus the main characters making statements about "Vatta's Peace" as if it is an accomplished thing, this might be the last of this series. The door is always open for more, but this sure does feel *done*. I hope not. For me, this series isn't Elizabeth Moon's best work, but that's just my personal notion and it sure is enjoyable and fun to read. Here's a thought: the character of Stella Vatta made great strides in her personal growth during this book so how about a series featuring Stella? Or Grace? Or the twins?; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Look for Me (A D.D. Warren and Flora Dane Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Gardner Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group-Dutton for a digital galley of this novel. When a story touches me so much it makes me cry, that story deserves a five star rating. And I don't mean just tear up, I mean cry. If you have been following the Detective D. D. Warren series you will remember the circumstances of the kidnapping, torture and sexual abuse of Flora Dane in the book FIND HER. In that book we learned what had happened to Flora during her 472 days of captivity and watched her turn into a vigilante force for finding and helping other victims. Now Detective Warren is grudgingly using the very unusual skills Flora and some of her group of survivors have to try to find a missing teen, Roxanna Baez. When they find her, will Roxy be a victim or a suspect? Her family members have all been killed inside their home on a quiet Saturday morning. Where is Roxy and why is she still alive? I am a real fan of the writing of Lisa Gardner because she captures my interest and draws me into the situations in her stories so well I find myself feeling fully involved. This story of a family being killed with all that happened to them leading up to that tragedy was definitely hard to read because it felt so believable and possible. Unfortunately situations like this come to our attention frequently in the real world but Gardner keeps the crime scene details as vague as she can while still showing the reader the crime. If you have difficulty reading about children and teens placed in harmful situations, this might not be the book for you. So many people were trying to do good and yet it went so terribly wrong.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Semiosis: A Novel (Semiosis Duology); Author: Visit Amazon's Sue Burke Page; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for allowing me to read a digital galley of this wonderful debut novel. What a pleasure this science fiction book was to read. Author Sue Burke's construction and writing style actually made me slow down and enjoy this story she crafted for readers instead of racing through it like my hair was on fire. There are seven segments of the novel with a different narrator from a different generation to guide us through the history of the group of colonists from Earth who land on a planet which their computer had chosen while they were in their 158 years of hibernation. Fifty people from Earth made the trip to their new home which they are calling the Commonwealth of Pax, but only nineteen survivors remain as they begin to explore how they can live and flourish on this new world - taking with them only the best from Earth. Sue Burke didn't spoon feed these colonists, they had to learn how to live with wonderfully diverse plants and animals which really worked throughout the story. Pax had many qualities that resembled Earth but always with a twist that added just enough of a surprise or danger to keep me wondering what might be going to happen next. Each narrator has a voice that differs from the others just enough that I found myself liking some more than others. As the generations evolved their philosophy developed to the point where they identified themselves as Pacifists. What they discovered is that was an easy concept to adhere to as long as they were not being threatened with annihilation by another race. The role played by plants in this novel is absolutely fascinating and makes the book stand out for me from other science fiction books I've enjoyed. I will never be able to reach down and pull up a little acorn seedling again without wondering.................; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Seven Dead (British Library Crime Classics); Author: J. Jefferson Farjeon (author); Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital copy of this novel. This began as an interesting read for me until it began to show signs early on of the hot buttons that cause me to argue with a story. I kept on reading and finally ended up at a rather farfetched ending that just didn't satisfy me. Obviously the policeman in this story didn't have even one superior officer he had to report to because he could take off for days and even weeks at a time in pursuit of this criminal. Never mind that he was a regional policeman and not a part of Scotland Yard. Add to that an amateur who happens on the scene and is instantly allowed access to all the police findings and it would be bad enough. In this story it gets even worse because the amateur falls into *adoration* instantly with the sweet young girl of the piece. They have conversations where neither of them finishes a sentence because they just "know" what the other is thinking. Hmm. This is the story of a crime which had it's beginnings in the past - although the time line is rather confusing and blurred. There are seven suicides to begin with (maybe), some murders, a mutiny aboard ship, a group of castaways, cricket balls and bats, a self-employed journalist, a fainting heroine, a not-so-nice uncle, and a policeman who seems to pull solutions out of the air. It started out well and then it just wasn't. Not a favorite from the British Library Crime Classics series but I did read it all because some bits were interesting.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire; Author: Visit Amazon's Ruth Downie Page; Review: Medicus is a story I've been meaning to read for a long time. I'm just glad I finally got around to this well written depiction of a Roman doctor of the Twentieth Legion who seems to have a gift for walking straight into trouble on the streets of Deva - modern day Chester. Gaius Petreius Ruso should know better than to get involved in anything going on in the streets of this outpost of the Roman army. Now he's saddled with a slave with a broken arm and she will most likely die before he can even attend to her injury. Since Tilla didn't die, Ruso needs to get her well enough to serve as his housekeeper until he can sell her. He certainly doesn't need a slave to worry about when his credit is so thinly stretch and his brother needs his financial contributions to keep the farm going back home. The best place Ruso can find for Tilla to recuperate is a bar/brothel. The problem with this place is that slave girls seem to keep disappearing from there. Did they run away or is the truth darker than that? I love mystery novels of all types but Roman Britain especially appeals to me. Ruth Downie has given the character of Ruso just enough of everything I like: intelligence, morality, inquisitiveness, kindness and humor. I liked Tilla too, but I'm going to need to read more books in the series in order to have her personality unfold more for me. Ruso's roommate, Valens, another doctor, is a wonderful character who helps get Ruso in and out of trouble while keeping any of the damage from sticking to his reputation. Together the three of them promise to provide me with many hours of entertaining reading. I'm off to put the second book on my e-reader.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Gate Keeper: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: It's hard to believe this is book twenty in this most excellent series about a Scotland Yard Inspector struggling to maintain his career while secretly suffering from shell shock. What happened on the battlefield in World War I literally haunts Ian Rutledge. At times it seems the character hasn't made many advances in recovering from his mental trauma and yet when I look back on the series it is surprising to find that only a few years have passed since Rutledge returned from France and began to pick up the pieces of his life. In this story Rutledge has just seen his sister Frances married and off on her wedding trip. Even though he is happy for her he also knows the stability he has found in relying on her will change when Frances and her husband return to London. All the changes soon to take place in his life keep him from settling for the night so he puts some clothes in a bag and begins to drive through the night with no destination in mind. What he comes upon in the dark hours is a mystery that will demand his full attention so he can keep other deaths from happening. The Todd writing team have developed the Rutledge character to such a degree that I find myself thinking of him as a person, not simply as a fictional character. Maybe that is why the seemingly slow progress Rutledge is making in dealing with his shell shock doesn't bother me so much any more. In the past I've wanted him to be mentally healthy quickly. But that would mean that the character would be totally changed and that's not really what I want. In December 1920, with Christmas just around the corner, this addition to the series shows the residents of small English towns and villages making their slow progress toward what is now normal, working out how life can be lived without all the men who never came back from the fighting. These are stories I enjoy for the mystery set down by the authors. I enjoy the way they build this story from Rutledge having absolutely no clue about what is happening to him finding tiny crumbs of information and building the picture up over time. This story can definitely be read as a standalone novel because a generous portion of the backstory is given to help readers new to the series understand a lot of what has happened previously. There is a generously portioned appearance by Melinda Crawford which readers of the second Charles Todd series (Bess Crawford) will enjoy. The mystery in this story is not solved until almost the final pages. The twist in the story was quite enjoyable and had me fooled. Another top-notch addition to the series.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Gate Keeper: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: It's hard to believe this is book twenty in this most excellent series about a Scotland Yard Inspector struggling to maintain his career while secretly suffering from shell shock. What happened on the battlefield in World War I literally haunts Ian Rutledge. At times it seems the character hasn't made many advances in recovering from his mental trauma and yet when I look back on the series it is surprising to find that only a few years have passed since Rutledge returned from France and began to pick up the pieces of his life. In this story Rutledge has just seen his sister Frances married and off on her wedding trip. Even though he is happy for her he also knows the stability he has found in relying on her will change when Frances and her husband return to London. All the changes soon to take place in his life keep him from settling for the night so he puts some clothes in a bag and begins to drive through the night with no destination in mind. What he comes upon in the dark hours is a mystery that will demand his full attention so he can keep other deaths from happening. The Todd writing team have developed the Rutledge character to such a degree that I find myself thinking of him as a person, not simply as a fictional character. Maybe that is why the seemingly slow progress Rutledge is making in dealing with his shell shock doesn't bother me so much any more. In the past I've wanted him to be mentally healthy quickly. But that would mean that the character would be totally changed and that's not really what I want. In December 1920, with Christmas just around the corner, this addition to the series shows the residents of small English towns and villages making their slow progress toward what is now normal, working out how life can be lived without all the men who never came back from the fighting. These are stories I enjoy for the mystery set down by the authors. I enjoy the way they build this story from Rutledge having absolutely no clue about what is happening to him finding tiny crumbs of information and building the picture up over time. This story can definitely be read as a standalone novel because a generous portion of the backstory is given to help readers new to the series understand a lot of what has happened previously. There is a generously portioned appearance by Melinda Crawford which readers of the second Charles Todd series (Bess Crawford) will enjoy. The mystery in this story is not solved until almost the final pages. The twist in the story was quite enjoyable and had me fooled. Another top-notch addition to the series.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Coffin Scarcely Used; Author: Visit Amazon's Colin Watson Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago for allowing me to read a digital galley of this novel. In late February 2018, Farrago will begin releasing e-books of the Flaxborough Chronicles series by Colin Watson. Originally published in 1958 these gems will once again be easily available for readers of historical mysteries who enjoy a lighter touch but a seriously interesting police procedural. Colin Watson has written a series which is lightly comedic without crossing over to the satirical. One of my many favorite passages is here: "The waitress drifted near, eyed them with sad disapproval, and retired to lean against the further wall like a martyr turned down by fastidious lions." Six months ago a prominent member of the Flaxborough community, Mr. Harold Carobleat, passed from that small town realm to another unknown one. Now there has been a death in the home of the late Mr. Carobleat's neighbor. This one has some seriously mysterious signs that set Detective Inspector Purbright and Detective Sergeant Love on a trail that seems to have no beginning that would lead to murder. Naturally that changes through the special investigative acumen of our intuitive duo. This story kept me slightly off balance all the way through because the deeper Purbright and Love got into their investigation the more they uncovered of what was happening in sleepy little Flaxborough under all the olde English village trappings. While the story is noticeably dated by the 1958 publication time period this is still a grand mystery for readers to use in finding out if they can figure out what is going on before the police do. I freely admit that the twist at the end caught me completely by surprise.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Woman in the Water: A Prequel to the Charles Lenox Series (Charles Lenox Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Finch Page; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for a digital galley of this novel. Important to both first-time and long-time readers of the Charles Lenox mystery series, this story takes place at the beginning of Lenox's career as a detective with his first important case. This is where Lenox and Graham cut their detecting teeth on a very difficult puzzle and establish a relationship with Scotland Yard. At twenty-two years old Lenox has been seven months in London after graduating from Balliol College, Oxford, where Graham served as his scout. Now Graham is serving as valet to Charles as they both try to get his career started. Very soon Lenox will celebrate his twenty-third birthday and begin trying to solve a case very well constructed by author Charles Finch. The body of a young woman is found in a trunk floating at the edge of the River Thames. No identity can be established but a letter to one of the newspapers claims credit for the writer committing the perfect murder. The chilling letter includes information that this will not be the only murder. Scotland Yard doesn't want any help from Lenox and Graham. Then a second body is found. This was a very enjoyable novel to read and to watch as both Lenox and Graham start learning this craft of being a detective. The pressures of the position Lenox holds in society are interesting to see in this novel which takes place in 1850. I have followed this series enough to be basically familiar with the Lenox family and with Charles, the second son, in particular with all that meant. The mentions of the youth and inexperience of Charles Lenox form an important basis for this story but after the halfway point of the novel it would have been nice if the author had given readers the benefit of the doubt as to whether they had already noticed that information.......many, many times.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Agent in Place (Gray Man); Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Greaney Page; Review: Book seven in this high octane adventure series has Court Gentry back on the good side with the CIA but now as a freelance operative. While he's waiting for his next assignment with them Gentry takes a job through another group. That's why you will find him sitting in the audience at a top designers fashion show in Paris. Take a deep breath during this sequence of events because from here on out this book is one perilous mission after another. If you are looking for fast paced action, you will have located your target with this story. Greaney has allowed the character of Court Gentry to grow and change over the years so watching how the agent operates in such a hostile environment and yet maintain his values is something I enjoy very much. The political quagmire in the Syria of this novel was complicated to the extreme and yet I'm sure Greaney is using information he gets from his research to let us know what it's like just to survive in a country constantly at war within its borders. As always I learn some great information about the intelligence tradecraft and weaponry from reading one of these novels. I was especially interested in the sniper weapon and shooter capability aspects. While the Court Gentry books are all written to be standalone novels (and this one is no exception) I hope you will enjoy this one so much you will want to go back and pick up the first book (The Gray Man). I have read that first book three times and am still impressed with the intricacy of the plotting. Book seven continues that fine plotting legacy.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Magic Chair Murder, The: A 1920s English mystery (A Black & Dod Mystery),First World Publication; Author: Visit Amazon's Diane Janes Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for a digital galley of this novel. One of the things I found interesting in this first novel in a new series is that there is no police presence in the book. The two main characters, Fran Black and Tom Dod, do all the investigating on their own with no help or hindrance from anyone in the official policing community. The story moves along at a rather sedate pace with Fran making many trips through the Dales on public transport busses to meet Tom (who does have an automobile) for investigations or meetings to compare notes. Luckily Fran is able to afford a telephone because that instrument is invaluable in keeping Tom and her friend, Mo, apprised of the progress of the investigations. Fran and Tom are members of the Robert Barnaby Society, a nationwide group established to honor the famous author of children's books. At the yearly conference one of the speakers goes missing before she can give a speech which had the potential to cause dissention among the membership. Now it seems that the Executive Committee of the society would prefer to have Linda Dexter's death be quietly ruled a suicide so that no hint of scandal attaches to them. Fran and Tom see the possibility of more going on and decide to try to find the truth. The time period of 1929 is a little hard to feel in this novel even after reading about Fran taking advantage of her first opportunity to vote for Prime Minister. The author does a good job of trying to keep the language true to the period but I did find myself reacting a few times to particular words or phrases. Not enough to ruin the book for me, just enough that I noticed. The author has also written the matrimonial situations for both lead characters in such a way that it is hard to see how they can remain sleuthing companions without involving themselves in personal problems. I hope there will be some way out for these two who are obviously attracted to each other and yet have two such unusual marriages. The pace of this novel is rather slow, but very thorough in revealing the facts uncovered by the two amateur sleuths. That very slowness is the reason the resolution of the crime struck me as so rushed and unsatisfactory. One level of the novel I really enjoyed was seeing the inner conflicts and positioning of the members of the Robert Barnaby Society. Those segments of the book rang very true and will be easily recognized by anyone who has ever been involved in a group of this type. The hint of a second book is pretty plainly stated at the end of this story so it probably won't be long before this investigating duo is back at work trying to find the truth behind their next mystery.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Good Guys; Author: Visit Amazon's Steven Brust Page; Review: Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for the galley. Definitely 4.5 stars. Okay, this was so very, very good! I've been trying to figure out how to begin reading some of the Steven Brust books but there are so many my head would just spin around whenever I tried to decide on a jumping off point. So this book, a new series, proved to be just the right place. I was definitely impressed with the writing, plotting and just general storytelling ability of Brust. I want this crew back entertaining me as soon as possible. There are two organizations which work to keep the existence of magic from becoming general knowledge. The Foundation and the Roma Vindices Mystici were once a single organization until they had a disagreement about what Franco was doing in Spain. They still work together in a way, both still wanting the same things but the old scars keep the two organizations separate. The crew we are concerned with each have specific abilities that allow them to handle magic-gone-rogue. Somebody is killing and using magic to help. Our team has to use all their magical abilities and the resources of the Foundation to stop this rampage without knowing who the assassin is or how he chooses his victims. The answers will cause a whole lot of shake-ups in the world of magic. These were characters I came to like in a very short time. They aren't perfect, they aren't even admirable in some instances, in fact they are pretty rough all over, not just around the edges, but I just couldn't help but want everybody to come out of the magic fights in good shape. This story is a rock-um-sock-um magic street fight and I would have liked to have a little more explanation from the author of what forces/actions had happened during the fight scenes. Most of that wasn't spelled out and I needed some explanation. Maybe in the next story? I hope so because I want to know more than just who died or was maimed or injured in the fight. Other than that observation, I just enjoyed the heck out of this book!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Smoke Eaters; Author: Visit Amazon's Sean Grigsby Page; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for a digital galley of this novel. Captain Cole Brannigan, firefighter, almost 60 years old, retiring at the end of the week. Remember all of that because you are going to be seeing a lot about Brannigan if you pay attention to books and chatter about books. This is one humdinger of a fantasy novel. There is practically an adventure on every page. When I finished reading I was huffing and puffing from the non-stop action so much you would have thought I had been running in a race. Okay, so the story starts like this: Brannigan goes into a burning house to rescue his crew members who should have already made an exit from the house because it's obvious now that there is a dragon in there. They don't come out so Brannigan goes in to get them. That's when he survives breathing the toxic dragon smoke, that's when he finds out he is a smoke eater. Oh, did you get that bit about dragons? Well, these are mean and nasty dragons who prefer humans as their tidbit of choice. Brannigan finishes up with his firefighter career only to begin all over again working in his new career as a smoke eater. They get all the cool toys! Absolutely an adventure on every page. At some point I was wishing for a little less action so I'll tell you now not to hold your breath waiting for that. This debut story by Sean Grigsby features an adventure junkie in the form of Cole Brannigan and all kinds of futuristic goodies Grigsby's imagination invented and made realistic for Parthenon City, Ohio, in 2121. There are fire-breathing dragons and wraiths and corrupt politicians and a robot dog that is programed to speak Korean and that's just some of the things this novel is packed with. There is also more profanity than I'm used to seeing in fantasy novels but, hey, this is dangerous work so I just ignored it. This is going to be BIG down the road so get your copy of the book and read it now. Then you can be all smug when your friends try to tell you about it because you read it before they did. Soon to a toy store and motion picture theatre near you. Oh, and surely there will be book two, right?; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Foreign Bodies (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Edwards Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital galley of this collection of short stories. My rating for this collection of fifteen translated mystery short stories should probably be 3.5 stars if judged solely by my enjoyment of the majority of items included in the collection. I assign 4 stars mainly because of the convenience of having such a wide assortment of translated stories all in one volume and because of their historical interest. Martin Edwards has gathered a collection which was two years in the making so mystery fans can compare and contrast authors we've probably not read before with the more available American and British authors. The stories are presented in chronological order by Edwards as much as possible. THE SWEDISH MATCH, Anton Chekhov, Russian A SENSIBLE COURSE OF ACTION, Palle Rosenkrantz, Danish STRANGE TRACKS, Balduin Groller, Arad, Hungary (later Romania) THE KENNEL, Maurice Level, French FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW, Maurice Leblanc, French THE RETURN OF LORD KINGWOOD, Ivans (Jakob van Schevichaven), Netherlands THE STAGE BOX MURDER, Paul Rosenhayn, Germany THE SPIDER, Koga Saburo (Haruta Yoshitame), Japanese THE VENOM OF THE TARANTULA, Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, India MURDER A LA CARTE, Jean-Toussaint Samat, French THE COLD NIGHT'S CLEARING, Keikichi Osaka (Suzuki Fukutara), Japanese THE MYSTERY OF THE GREEN ROOM, Pierre Very, French KIPPERS, John Flanders (Jean-Raymond-Marie De Kerner), Belgium THE LIPSTICK AND THE TEACUP, Havank (Hendrikus Frederikus van der Kallen), Dutch THE PUZZLE OF THE BROKEN WATCH, Maria Elvira Bermudez, Mexican As is perfectly natural with an assortment of this type I enjoyed some of the stories more than others. I don't plan to track down other works by any of these authors, but it was interesting from the historical progression viewpoint to have the stories gathered in this one place. For me, because of the subject material, it's pretty hard to go wrong when reading one of these collections from Martin Edwards and the British Library Crime Classics.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Double Dog Dare (A Davis Way Crime Caper) (Volume 7); Author: Visit Amazon's Gretchen Archer Page; Review: Many thanks to NetGalley and Henery Press for allowing me to read a digital galley of this highly entertaining novel. I will try not to be overly effusive in my reaction to this novel. That will probably be a battle I will lose. It was just so darn funny in places that I laughed hard enough to bring tears to my eyes. My funny bone was tickled and then some! I've been following the madcap exploits of Davis Way Cole from the start of this series and I have enjoyed all seven of the books - some a little more than others, but this is an author who is sure to give me an entertaining read. This time Davis is expecting a visit from her sister Meredith and Meredith's best friend Vreeland who are visiting the Bellissimo casino in Biloxi, Mississippi because of the dog show competition. Vree shows up but her dog and Meredith don't. That's when Davis gets the ransom demand. Before it's all over with we have kidnapping, dognapping, a witch, Jesus Water, a blind sheik, cyber theft, crazy lottery winners, Bianca judging the dog show (if you read these books you know how that actually pans out!) and Bradley in Nashville for a conference. Just another normal week in the life of Davis Way Cole. And did I mention the twins are now twenty months old? As I said before, this one had me in tears. My husband even came to check on me because I was laughing so hard. I'm not someone who likes my mystery novels to be humorous, but this author's writing style made a connection with me from the very first book and I've been hooked ever since. No - the situations aren't realistic, of course they aren't. But what they are is good escapism reading. The troubles Davis and her crew get into are the ultimate good versus evil situations and I just plain like these characters. Maybe it's because I'm Southern to the bone and so is Gretchen Archer. I have friends just like some of her characters. I often WAS one of her characters when I was younger and I still have a friend who is absolutely, exactly like Vree so I connect with these books. You can certainly begin reading right here with book number seven. Then you can get book number one and read them all because chances are you will want to do that very thing.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Queens of Innis Lear; Author: Visit Amazon's Tessa Gratton Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for a digital galley of this novel. This is a retelling of the Shakespeare play King Lear mainly identifiable by the leading characters of Lear and his three daughters along with his decision to carve up his kingdom to benefit the daughters who can express their love for him better than her sisters. The main problem is that you have to read way, way into the book before you get to that pithy bit of Shakespeare's maneuvering of characters. The Queens of Innis Lear has wonderfully lyrical prose and yet I came away feeling very ambivalent about the characters. I couldn't seem to work up any emotional attachment for them or their predicament-of-the-moment. There is earth magic in here - as in being able to communicate with the trees and elements - which I normally enjoy and liked here too. There are all sorts of misunderstandings about events that happened in the past and we are given many flashback opportunities to see for ourselves what actually happened but only after we have watched characters struggle with their misconceptions of those events over long segments of the book. When I'm reading a novel and find myself frequently wondering how many pages there are in the book, well, that's not usually a good sign. For me this one is firmly in the 3 star category. I'm glad I read it (even though it took me a rather long time to get through it), but have zero desire to read it a second time.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mind of a Killer: A Victorian mystery (Alec Lonsdale Mystery); Author: Simon Beaufort; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for a digital galley of this novel. Historical mysteries are favorite reads for me and having one set in Victorian London should have added to my pleasure. I didn't, however, enjoy this novel as much as I had hoped. The research done in preparation for this story into newspapers and reporting of the news by those papers in 1882 is used extensively throughout this novel, even down to using true historical figures as characters in the novel. There was so much factual information included that it left me with the feeling of distant and unemotional characters who remained solely fact finders through the novel. The story is told from the viewpoint of Alexander Lonsdale, a reporter for The Pall Mall Gazette, an evening London newspaper. Lonsdale happens upon a story concerning a possible six murders but his confidential source is killed before he can find out any facts. Now there are definitely two murders for him to investigate and by the time he's resolved all the questions the numbers grow to almost unbelievable proportions. Well, it is fiction after all.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Void Black Shadow (The Voidwitch Saga); Author: Visit Amazon's Corey J. White Page; Review: This second story in The Voidwitch Saga is every bit as good as the first was except with even more violence and destruction. It is amazing to read the psychic powers the author has given Mariam Xi (Mars). At the end of the first story Mookie has been taken into custody by MEPHISTO and moved to a military prison to be court marshaled for desertion. Mars feels responsible for his capture so she is hunting for the prison. If she can find it, she can get inside and rescue Mookie. A great space saga featuring a voidwitch trained with psychic powers even stronger than those medical scientists who developed her had expected, Mariam Xi is the epitome of contrasts. She thinks and feels nothing when causing the deaths of thousands but wears a cape with a hood so her cat can snuggle up close to be with her all the time. The amount of death and grisly details concerning scientific experiments is quite a bit higher in this story so you might want to watch out for that. Luckily the author is adding new characters to the story as it goes along because it's a pretty dangerous place to be if you are close to Mars when she starts using her powers.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Portrait of a Murderer: A Christmas Crime Story (British Library Crime Classics); Author: Martin Edwards (writer of supplementary textual content), British Library (publisher) Anne Meredith; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital galley of this novel. This novel written in 1933 is not so much a mystery as a psychological look at a murderer and the reasons for the crime. The family gathered at King's Poplars in 1931 to celebrate Christmas. Adrian Gray had not expected anything but trouble with his adult children but he got more than he had expected when his murder took pride of place in the emotional stew surrounding the lives of his family. This is just not a favorite style of mystery for me and, therefore, I didn't enjoy it very much. I do know that my preferences are strictly my own so I am trying to be fair to the author. The murderer is revealed early on and the first half of the novel is spent showing the emotional feelings of all the people gathered at the house with their squabbles, bickering and disagreements. None of them was a sympathetic character so it really mattered little to me who had actually done the deed of murder. What was important to each of the characters was money. The police presence happens at about the halfway point and from this point the book held my attention so I read the last half with more interest than the first. Still, even the police investigation did not raise this book past a three star rating. When I forget I'm even reading a book until I accidently run across it in my e-reader, that is never going to elicit a ringing endorsement from me. If you prefer to know the psychological reasoning behind the crime of murder, plus the subsequent justification for what was done you might want to give this one a try.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Crow Trap: The First Vera Stanhope Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Ann Cleeves Page; Review: The Crow Trap is the first novel in the DI Vera Stanhope series and the first of the books I've read. Having seen the adaptation of this novel on the television series, it took some time for me to get that memory pushed to the back of my mind. The book and the television episode are very different. I like the characterization in the television series for Stanhope more than the book version so I'm hoping the character will have continued to evolve as the author wrote the novels. A crow trap is a cage where a tamed crow is placed to lure in wild birds so a gamekeeper can slowly get rid of the crows. In this story Stanhope used women spending time in an isolated farmhouse to lure a murderer back to the vicinity of the first murder victim. Constructed using multiple viewpoints, this novel worked very well because the chapters didn't skip back and forth between characters but had long sections devoted to telling the story as experienced by four women, one of them being the detective. The mystery is very intricately presented and the guilty party was well concealed and a surprise to me. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the location as well as observing how the author used that feeling to add depth to the overall mystery setting. This book was definitely good enough to have me download book two onto my e-reader.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Scot Free (A Last Ditch Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Catriona McPherson Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for a digital galley of this book. I'm sorry to say this book just did not do a thing for me. I have bought and read every Catriona McPherson book in the Dandy Gilver series and absolutely love them. This first book in a new series was completely the opposite of those novels and I was very disappointed. Perhaps the whole story was meant as a joke and a satire of the cozy mystery/amateur sleuth novel. If that is so, then the main character who is a marriage counselor that makes every mistake possible in her own marriage was a suitable leading lady. This one has lots of profanity and unnecessarily intimate social situations.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Lady in Red: An Intimate Portrait of Nancy Reagan; Author: Visit Amazon's Sheila Tate Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing, Crown Forum for the digital galley of this book. The subtitle of this book indicated an intimate portrait of Nancy Reagan but I don't think Sheila Tate followed through on that to the extent I had hoped. Ms. Tate was closely associated with Nancy Reagan from 1981 to 1984 as her press secretary during the first term of Ronal Reagan's presidency. After that period of time Ms. Tate moved on with her career and was not as aware of what was taking place in the public and private life of Nancy Reagan. Ms. Tate did maintain friendly relations with Ms. Reagan but the years after Tate left the White House staff are not covered as closely in this book as I had thought they would be. Sheila Tate has provided an opportunity for readers to understand the problems faced by Nancy Reagan as she was endeavoring to take on the monumental task of being the First Lady. Things often didn't go smoothly in the beginning so reading about some of the ways Ms. Reagan began to put her own personality stamp on that position makes interesting reading. As someone who was aware of the problems facing Ms. Reagan and knowing some of the mistakes she initially made, this book was an opportunity to look behind the scenes and to understand just how serious she was about her Just Say No to drugs campaign. Many people evidently underestimated the fervor with which Ms. Reagan chose that message to promote during her time in the political limelight. I was very glad to see that my perception of her interest in that cause was correct and to read about her successes with the work she did in that area. I think perhaps this book might be of more interest to readers who were not dialed in to the political landscape of our country during the years of Ms. Reagan's time in Washington, D. C. What I had hoped to learn more about were the years when the Reagan's left the glare of public life. I didn't find much in this book about those years.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Unjust Judge, An: A Mystery set in 16th century Ireland (A Burren Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Cora Harrison Page; Review: Once more a super good entry in the Burren mysteries series by Cora Harrison. This is one of my favorite historical mystery series, this one set in 1524 in the western portions of Ireland. Mara has been Brehon (judge) of the Burren (kingdom) for over thirty years and is still the only female Brehon in Ireland. Her husband has just appointed a new Brehon for the neighboring kingdom and he and Mara are on hand to attend the inaugural judgement day for Gaibrial O'Doran. Everyone is shocked when the Brehon hands down the most harsh sentences possible to five young men accused of mostly minor infringements of Irish law. Tempers flair, relatives are justifiably upset because they will be called on to help pay the fines of milk cows and silver and Mara knows nothing good will come of these unusually unjust judgements. This series continues to show the closeness of these small, isolated Irish communities and how self-sufficient they were. Clan is all important and they stick together through good times and bad. The author doesn't spend a huge amount of time describing the weather conditions and yet is completely able to let the reader know when that element plays a part in the unfolding story. The glimpses of Irish law are always eye opening for me because of their forward thinking nature and the ability to control almost all lawless activity without resorting to jails, long term prisons or capital punishment. This particular story shows how Irish law protected the older citizens who suffered from mental incapacity. There is also a plot thread for how the English were trying to move their laws into areas of Ireland that were resisting changing over to the law as practiced in English held Dublin. This was a satisfying reading experience.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Battered Badge (The Nero Wolfe Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Robert Goldsborough Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media for the digital copy of this galley. Unfortunately I found myself being ambivalent toward this continuation of the Nero Wolfe series by Robert Goldsborough. In one instance it was nice to be back in the old brownstone investigating with Wolfe and Archie. On the other hand the mystery here is very thin and I couldn't seem to work up much interest in what was happening. A wealthy reformer working with a private watchdog organization concerned with police ineptitude was shot down on the street outside his residence. Inspector Cramer had not made any progress toward solving the mystery so he was put on administrative leave. The battered badge of the book title is referring to Inspector Cramer. This was just an okay reading experience for me mainly because almost all that happens is that the same suspects keep being investigated and interviewed by the same people with the results remaining the same. The name of the murderer felt as if it had been drawn out of a hat. The wordplay between Archie and Lon Cohen (of The Gazette newspaper) focused on them making puns and drawing attention to each other's vocabulary. Not very exciting stuff when I found the words they were discussing to be rather commonplace.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Before Mars (A Planetfall Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Emma Newman Page; Review: I enjoyed this space adventure even without having read the two previous books in the Planetfall series. Normally the first person narrative is not my favorite style of novel but in this case it was necessary so readers can follow the thought processes as Dr. Anna Kubrin works her way through her feelings for those she left behind on Earth and her new associations with the crew of Mars Principia. The travel time between Earth and Mars is months long and Anna was alone. She spent much of her time in mersives, maybe too much time for her mental health. Anna cannot understand some of the unusual incidents she begins to experience as soon as she leaves the transport ship and joins the crew members of the base. Mars Principia is the name of both the base and the AI that runs it for the GaborCorp. Anna and her husband both worked for Gabor when she found herself fast-tracked to a place on the next shuttle to the planet because of her work designation of geologist, but perhaps more as an artist who will paint the Mars landscape and therefore provide more profit for the GaborCorp bottom line. Not everyone at the base is glad to see Anna filling a spot on Mars, but would anyone truly want to harm her? The mysteries around Anna and the footprint she finds in a previously unexplored portion of the Mars surface lead to a very well constructed story filled with one surprise after another. The ending of this book does not feel like it is the final book of a trilogy so I think the Planetfall series will continue. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group Ace for a digital galley of this book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Slow Horses (Slough House); Author: Visit Amazon's Mick Herron Page; Review: Slough House is the place where the rejects go. The hope is that the MI5 agents reassigned to work out of Slough House will eventually take the hint that their days of performing useful work are over and resign from the service. Sometimes that does happen, but more often they hang around wondering what they can do to get back in the good graces of those in charge. Slow Horses are what the mess-up agents are called and they work out of a place called Slough House with each agent trying to overcome the mistake which sent them to that purgatory. When Jackson Lamb is asked to run an errand for Regent's Park he sends River Cartwright on his first out-of-the-office job since he landed in Slough House eight months earlier. How can bringing in trash bags to search for unknown evidence possibly link up with the video of the hooded man waiting while the time limit for his beheading tick slowly by? I enjoyed this tremendously. It was like going home to all the wonderful spy novels written years ago because Herron got everything right for me. The atmosphere within a super secret spy organization, the interactions between the agents, the unraveling of details to help explain why an assignment had gone the way it had and the climbing over other agents in order to improve career opportunities, all of it was there. These characters have come fully formed from the author's imagination and I am definitely looking forward to seeing how they react together in the next book. Thank goodness I have four more to read!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Glass Room (Vera Stanhope); Author: Visit Amazon's Ann Cleeves Page; Review: I'll bet Ann Cleeves had fun writing this story - a murder mystery that takes place during a retreat for budding authors taught by professionals either in or associated with the publishing industry. This story was especially interesting because much of it is shown from the viewpoint of one of the tutors, automatically a suspect simply from being on hand when the victim was discovered. DI Vera Stanhope, Joe, Holly and Charlie all work together to collect the small bits and pieces that eventually grow together to form the picture of the suspect. Even Vera's hippie neighbors have a large part to play in this story so it was interesting to find out more about Joanna and Jack. If you've watched the television series Vera, you may think you know all about these characters. I can tell you the television cast does not portray the characters as they are presented in the books. I am pleased to say I can enjoy both versions of the characterizations. The solution for this mystery was a doozy and I had no idea of who the murderer was. Looking back I can see that all the clues are there, but hidden, very well hidden. Available in e-book form as of late April 2018. Enjoy!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dead Man's Ransom (Brother Cadfael Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Ellis Peters Page; Review: Another excellent story in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael series. This time it is 1141 and Sheriff Gilbert Prestcote along with his deputy sheriff, Hugh Beringar, have been fighting to keep the peace when the civil war comes too close to Shrewsbury. Unfortunately Prestcote is taken prisoner by the Welsh, alive but gravely injured. Before any arrangements can be made about a rescue a Benedictine nun comes from Godric's Ford to say their cell was raided. As a result they have a young Welshman who might be useful as a hostage swap. Serious problems arise when murder happens in the infirmary and Cadfael has to collect the evidence to solve the murder. Even though this is book number nine in the series you can easily begin reading here to try it out. There are four very nice maps in the front of the book to ground you in the area where the story is taking place plus a Glossary of Terms and A Guide to Welsh Pronunciation at the back of the book. You will also get a preview of book ten, The Pilgrim of Hate. Ellis Peters writes good mystery puzzles along with interesting descriptions of the living conditions of the time. Characters are very well developed and established and it is always a real pleasure to find myself back in the abbey catching up on the lives of the continuing characters in the series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman: A Mystery (Lady Montfort Mystery Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Tessa Arlen Page; Review: This book captures the best relationship I've encountered between the lady of the house and her housekeeper. Author Tessa Arlen hit that target spot on for me with Lady Montfort's easy assumption that she could ask for help from her housekeeper in solving the many mysteries swirling around Iyntwood. Also on target was the struggle Mrs. Jackson had with stepping out of the rigorous confines of her own position as housekeeper. Rules of conduct were put in place to keep upstairs and downstairs firmly separated and now those two stations were coming together to compare gossip picked up from all kinds of sources. Things will never be the same again, but needs must to keep Harry from being suspected of the murder of his cousin. I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the Lady Montfort series and will certainly keep reading the remaining books. I appreciate the way Tessa Arlen handled the subject of women's voting rights. Even with such a worthwhile subject there were still two sides to the controversy taking place when the struggle was going on. My main reason for wanting to read the next story in this series is to watch how the author handles the changed relationship which now exists between Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson. That is going to require a lot of adjustment on both sides of the baize door.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Only Human (The Themis Files); Author: Visit Amazon's Sylvain Neuvel Page; Review: The Themis Files trilogy has reached an end and I'm sorry it's over but hope the author will leave this series right here. If there are other books to come in the future with a vague tie-in to this theme, that would be fine, but I like where Only Human ended - with the opportunity for some serious discussions between friends and book readers. This trilogy is one of those exceptions to my own rule about jumping into a book series at any point and digging out what happened in the past while you read. It will be so much more enjoyable for you to follow the route the author set and make your discoveries at their proper place in the story arc. Book one concerns a hunt throughout Earth for buried parts of a giant robot. Once the robot is reassembled and functioning as a weapon book two tells the story of what happens when a similar robot arrives in London and death and destruction results. Now book three shows what happened when the first robot, Themis, disappeared from earth and came to rest on Esat Ekt. Only Human covers what was happening during the nine years the crew of Themis was gone from Earth and the impact they had on the planet Esat Ekt. Once again the story is told in the form of files and reports of conversations or interrogations where two worlds are trying to deal with changes brought about by a long ago visit to Earth. This is the type of science fiction series that really excites my imagination because you can have wonderful conversations about how the author constructed the two worlds the humans and the aliens found themselves in. How hard would it be for Earth to be in the position shown by this author? The frightening conclusion I reached is: not long at all. Read all three books and see what you think. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Del Rey for a digital copy of this novel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Crooked Staircase: A Jane Hawk Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Dean Koontz Page; Review: Not for me, but with his legion of fans of this series I'm sure Dean Koontz will be able to carry on. This is the third book in the Jane Hawk series with the books being published at a very smart clip, book one was just published in June 2017, which is maybe why readers don't seem to mind the incredibly abrupt cliffhanger ending to this one. This is my first Koontz novel, therefore my first Jane Hawk, so I did mind the ending. There is a confederacy of the rich and the powerful who are using an injectable chemical that takes over the portions of a person's brain that controls their actions and will. After the person has fulfilled their use to the Arcadians the now virtual puppet is given the command to commit suicide - and so they do. This chemical injection is given to anyone seen as being useful or a danger to the utopia society being planned by the rich and powerful baddies. In this case, young adult twins, a brother and sister, who write books. Yep, them authors are always a danger, especially the ones who write fiction. One thread of the book follows the escape attempt of the twins, another follows Jane as she plots and plans to find those responsible for injecting her husband and forcing her to hide her son and spend her own life hiding from her former employers, the FBI. The book moves fast, is action filled, has clearly defined good versus bad actors and has a cliffhanger ending. Never fear, book #4 should be releasing shortly. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Bantam for a digital galley of this novel.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen: A Novel (Six Tudor Queens); Author: Visit Amazon's Alison Weir Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for a digital galley of this novel. I am reading this series of novels covering the lives of the wives of King Henry VIII of England in the Six Tudor Queens series by Alison Weir. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books but found this one much harder to become and then stay interested in. I kept trying to work out what was keeping me from feeling as enthusiastic about this book and I believe the answer is revealed in the Author's Note segment at the end of the book. There is not much historical evidence of the life of Jane Seymour so this book, unlike the two previous novels, is mostly fictional material, especially Jane's early life. Another aspect of the novel which held me back from enjoying it wholeheartedly was the paranormal influence the author has chosen to weave into the story. All of those portions are simply story telling by the author and they felt out of place. It must be very hard to write three different books about three women who were familiar with each other and living in the same timeline. In essence Alison Weir has told the same general story three times just using three different viewpoints. That must be very difficult to do while keeping the books individual yet fresh. My reaction to this story has not dimmed my enthusiasm for the next book in the series. I will be waiting impatiently for book number four.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: American Hippo: River of Teeth, Taste of Marrow, and New Stories; Author: Visit Amazon's Sarah Gailey Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian-Tor/Forge for a digital galley of this collection. This is a collection of two novellas by Sarah Gailey, River of Teeth and Taste of Marrow. If you read the novellas when they were released you will find the only new items here are two very short stories using the same characters from the novellas. First is Winslow's Problem where Winslow Remington Houndstooth has just committed a robbery and needs to make a getaway on his hippo, Ruby, but she just won't get up. Whatever shall Winslow do? The remaining story is called Nine and a Half where Houndstooth and Archie are involved in robbing a bank while carrying on with the running joke about how many times Archie has saved Winslow's life. These stories are quite good entertainment with Gailey writing with humor about the life of hoppers who ranch hippos in the South for an alternative meat source. You get all the trappings of a story out of the American West with hoppers instead of cowboys and con artists, lawmen, gamblers, riverboats, the Mississippi River and people who maybe aren't exactly people as we know them. Hero is always referred to as they, them, their so I spent lots of time trying to work out exactly what I thought Hero looked like. Gailey lets the reader use their own imagination for some things but spells them out for others. I had already read River of Teeth so the remaining novella and the two short stories were new for me and I enjoyed them a lot. Looking forward to more fantasy work from this talented writer.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lowcountry Bookshop (A Liz Talbot Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Susan M. Boyer Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Henery Press for a digital galley of this novel. Book number seven in the Liz Talbot Mystery series was another visit with the folks I've come to know in Stella Maris and Charleston, South Carolina. After reading one of these books I always have the strongest urge to fly to Charleston and eat in all the wonderful restaurants Liz goes to. But then I also want to be invited to Momma's house for either Wednesday dinner or Sunday lunch. Oh, well, I can dream. I also have this author to thank for getting me hooked on a particular soft drink her characters drink, but I'm not complaining about that. Liz and her husband Nate have been hired by a Charleston attorney to investigate a case for a young woman who seems likely to be arrested for vehicular homicide. An anonymous client wants the case against Poppy Oliver fully investigated to keep her from being charged. According to Poppy she found the man dead in the road but the police aren't so sure about her just happening to find him. Especially when Poppy reveals that she thinks the man was abusing his wife and she wanted to help the woman. The ghostly Colleen helps with this investigation by giving hints for Liz and Nate to follow. It's too bad Colleen can disappear into thin air just when Liz asks the hardest questions. Combining the sudden appearances by Colleen and the meetings in the haunted cemetery give this addition to the series a decided paranormal touch but not so much that it might ruin the story if you don't believe in those things. The close family ties keep the story warm and friendly even when the slightly over-the-top things keep happening to Liz's mother and father. The thought of what happened with the goats when they got into the house had me chuckling for a long time.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: City of Lies: A Poison War Novel (The Poison Wars); Author: Visit Amazon's Sam Hawke Page; Review: Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for a digital galley of this novel. The greatest misunderstanding on the part of the citizenry living within the walls of Silasta is that those living without are happy with their lot in life. Nothing could be further from the truth as is revealed when the peasants suddenly surround the city and begin to force their way inside with revolution on their minds. As the story unfolds it turns out that the wealthy pampered citizens aren't the only ones who have been basing their actions on lies. As a debut novel from author Sam Hawke I couldn't help but be impressed by how well defined she has made both this physical world and the characters who populate it. In some ways that became a hindrance for me because the first quarter of the book moved rather slowly in order to establish this world and I had to keep pumping myself up to give it just a little more time for my interest to be fully engaged. The story is told from alternating viewpoints of Jovan and his sister Kalina. That construction of a novel will often leave me feeling frustrated and this was no exception since I would be enjoying what I was reading but the next chapter would abandon that line of the story arc in favor of another character and their perspective. I reconciled myself to this fact, but would have enjoyed it more if an unknown narrator had been the one telling the story. Before each chapter there is a description of a specific poison, its symptoms and how a proofer can recognize when it has been used. These bursts of information would have been much more interesting if they had always led to that poison being used or suspected. In fact, poison recedes into the background once it is used to get the story started. I also didn't understand how the inherited family position of proofer against poisoning attempts on the life of the Chancellor could have been practiced in secret, or even why it was truly necessary for that to be a secret association between two of the six ruling families. All in all I can say I enjoyed this first book in the Poison Wars series but I doubt I will read the next book. Actually a 3.5 star read for me but I bumped the rating up to a 4 because I did enjoy the action taking place in the story.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Orphan X: A Novel - Kindle edition; Author: Visit Amazon's Gregg Hurwitz Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for the digital galley of this novel. I love reading black-ops thriller novels but somehow I missed this one when it was published in January 2016. I was very glad to accept the invitation of the publisher to read all three books in the series in anticipation of book four to be released in January 2019. My weekend has been hijacked by Orphan X -- and I enjoyed every minute of it. This first book in the series sets up the history of Evan Smoak and how he became a member of a classified assassination group that was so secret the other members didn't even know there were more members in the program. Evan is Orphan X, trained in isolation through his pre-teen and teenage years by one man to be a weapon to be deployed wherever an off-the-books assassination needs to be done to give politicians and career government workers a clear means of deniability. Alone, having only himself to rely on. Gregg Hurwitz gives Orphan X impossible tasks to perform and then imagines impossible means for him to use to come out of the situation alive. I don't know how much of the tech and spycraft in the novel is (or was) real at some point but Hurwitz sold me on the possibility of it working. I liked getting to know Evan Smoak, his incredible bunker of a penthouse and his ability to see a weapon in practically every object he touches. If I could have tapped the pages of my Paperwhite faster I would have because I stayed up until 2 am reading. If the black spots in front of my eyes had just gone away I probably would have stayed up all night reading. This is just good, escapism reading with a main character that I can gladly cheer for. Now it's on to book two, The Nowhere Man, to meet a new group of people who either want to kill Evan or want him to help them out of the trouble they are in. This guy stays busy!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Believe Me: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's JP Delaney Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a digital galley of this novel. Definitely a 4.5 read for me despite the graphic descriptions of the murder scenes left by a sexual serial killer. In all honesty, if you take away those brutal words you lose the entire purpose of the book but just be warned, if you feel you will be uncomfortable reading those descriptions you should give this book a miss. This book, Believe Me, is a re-work of the novel The Decoy (published in 2001 by Tony Strong) while keeping the basic plot but making substantial changes. Believe Me is a psychological thriller that kept me off balance the entire way through. The main character is an actress and her ability to take on any role she chooses made me wonder exactly who Claire really was at any moment. When was she acting? What was Claire and what was her character? These were the same traits which made Claire so valuable to the police in their undercover operation. J. P. Delaney included a lot of acting lessons and techniques to show readers what a really good actress Claire was, he certainly convinced me. Another device to fill out the premise of an actor's life was in using dialog boxes; it is as if you are reading the script of a play. You will either like this technique or it will become bothersome but it is not used exclusively throughout the book. Because I believed the premise of Claire's abilities I lost my objectivity to tell whether she was acting a role or not. It was interesting but also somewhat disconcerting. I can certainly understand why readers might not finish reading the book. Luckily for me I pressed on and found myself surprised by multiple twists in the plot until I finally stopped trying to figure out how it was going to end. Then the ending turned out to be the least interesting part. Go figure.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder on the Marshes: A gripping murder mystery thriller that will keep you turning the pages (A Tara Thorpe; Author: Visit Amazon's Clare Chase Page; Review: Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital galley of this novel. This story, set in the environs of the colleges of the University of Cambridge, started out as a classic locked room mystery with a twist: instead of a room we are dealing with a garden. According to the information recorded with the key card codes nobody entered the locked garden gate after it was closed at 5:30 p.m. So how did a murder occur there after midnight? The police discover that an object was sent to the murder victim as well as to a journalist. There doesn't appear to be any connection between the two women but the police decide to allow the journalist to gather research information on Professor Samantha Seabrook. Tara Thorpe doesn't know what the object she received means but she knows she needs to find out everything she can about the murder victim. I enjoyed reading this novel which approached the crime from two directions at the same time. The information uncovered by the police and the journalist was slightly different but nicely filled out the picture of the victim and others involved in the investigation. Having Tara Thorpe already skittish because of an extremely unpleasant incident in her past added another level of suspense to the story. The ending to this story leaves the crime solved but Tara's future occupation up in the air.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with businesses as follows:
Title: Vinny Vegas Pizza; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: First time I went, about a week after they opened and banging Mac n Cheese, pretty good pizza! Last two times was awful!! Pies were burnt and the sauce was lacking, had the Mac and Cheese again and my stomach was hurting all night. The only reason they got 2 stars was how good that first experience was. I will not be going back. It's too bad because it's a great location, I really wanted this place to stay tasty.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: I used to love to go to this place. Just recently they change their menu and it is definitely not as good as it used to be!; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Buhos Latin Fusion & Bar; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Used to be absolutely amazing! The margaritas and the food were spot on delicious. Now the food taste old and the margaritas just aren't as good! I used to be a regular here, not anymore.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar; City: Radnor, PA; Review: If you want to be treated poorly by a team of bartenders and servers that only want to serve people in highly priced suits then you picked the right place. I have now been twice and had the same experience both times, phrases like "what do you want" without the servers or bartenders even introducing themselves. No water refills, the bartenders didn't even ask if I want another drink after mine was empty for 10 minutes. It's too bad because I used to frequent the one in Tampa, Florida, and got great service every single time. There I was treated like a person that was spending between $150 and $200 for two people to go have a dinner.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Outback Steakhouse; City: Royersford, PA; Review: Great food, wonderful service and easy to get to location. I have never had a bad experience here, the bartenders are always extremely friendly and when I get curbside Takeaway they're always on time and prompt. Keep it up guys; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Asian Bistro; City: King of Prussia, PA; Review: Went for the first time last night and will be back again soon! I'm picky when it comes to sushi, no one wants old raw fish, there fish was fresh and so were the veggies in the rolls I got. Tuna was bright and flavorful. The salmon and avocado roll was perfect and it had a lot of salmon and avocado. All this at a steal of a price, plus they run lunch specials that are ridiculously good, check it out!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Elevation Burger; City: Collegeville, PA; Review: Long story short, Food here is so awesome, when you get what you ordered! You may think that's odd "get what you ordered", so 50% of the times I've gone here, over 15 in a year, you don't get what you ordered. For example bacon is $1.75, it's awesome bacon, but most of the time I pay for it on my burger and it doesn't have it on it when it comes out. When this happens they throw some in there fryer and bring it out to your table 5 minutes later, five minutes is a long time when you have a hot burger in front of you and you are hungry. Another perfect example is when you ask for a side of something, like I love their balsamic Dijion but it's a little overwhelming on top of the burger. I always asked for it on the side, and when my food comes out I always have to go up to the front desk and wait in line to get a side of balsamic Dijon. You might say that's no big deal, but when it happens every time it kind of sucks. Overall if you want a great burger and fries, this is a great place to go as long as you don't mind them screwing up your order half the time.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Sips Bistro & Bar; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Great Happy Hour specials, awesome Bartenders cool atmosphere!! Food is always great and they change the menu seasonally! The oysters ($1) at happy hour are a great deal and delicious, highly recommend the Sips Margarita also.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Valley Beach; City: King Of Prussia, PA; Review: Beautiful day and I'm at Valley Beach, paid my $10 to get in. Well worth it for a pool, good drinks and tastey food! So I get a loungechair which is awesome!! Waitress sees me sit down, her hands are a little full we make eye contact, I give the nod I would like her attention when she can. I understand she needs to bring dishes to the kitchen maybe put in an order or put in some drinks for another table. No biggie I get it, I just sat down. A good 10 min later she comes through with a menu, 5 min later comes back to tell me the bar is not stocked today so I cannot order any drinks off the menu. It's hot today and I wanted a little cold booze with my sun experience! This is not what I would have paid to experience! Very disappointing why even have cocktails on there if you don't stock your bar!!; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Downtown Bangkok Cafe; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: The food was good, not great but good. I had the chicken pad Thai, a little skimpy on the chicken was my only real gripe. I am by no means a Thai Food expert but I felt like the menu had a large variety of options and it was super fresh. I would go back, definitely but I would try something new!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Liberty Square Pizza & Restaurant; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Best Pizza in Phoenixville, if you live in town you know that's not saying much! For real, the pizza is really good and fresh. Went out on a whim the other night and did 10 hot wings also, the sauce was a little hot and delicious but the wings were overcooked :( Going to stick with the pizza. The people(just a few I've seen) run the counter, answer phones ect.. our nice but not overly friendly. They have delicious pizza and are always pleasant with me. I would recommend and I am a loyal pizza loving patron.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill; City: Collegeville, PA; Review: Let me start by saying the food is usually very good. I've ate here about 15 times now, and a couple times they have overcooked couple items but we're more than happy to re-cook them. I think that they're happy hour is freakin awesome. The pretzels with beer cheese is like heaven, their fried chicken tenders are absolutely delicious, the tenderloin sliders are amazing and they have new chicken sliders on the menu which might be my new favorite!! For entrees, I think that the prime rib for is their best entrée, I would not recommend the salads or the soups. Now the reason why I gave them 2 stars is because I've had bad service there are a couple of times, non attentive servers or not able to time tables. Also they have a mailer you can sign up for to receive coupons and discounts, awesome right!?!? It would be if they would actually enter me into the computer, I have filled out their slip of paper three times and talk to a manager but I can't seem to get signed up.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Planet Fitness; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: This is an awesome, clean, well maintained gym! The equipment is newer and I've never had to wait for equipment. For the price you cannot beat it!! I'm a black card member, $20 a month, no contract and a free guest every visit!! Not to mention tanning, hydro massage and regular massage chairs!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Guatemalan Kitchen; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: What can I say besides, banging!! Everything the two times I have went so far has been delicious, 1st time el pastor tacos, couldn't get any better, fresh and flavorful. Next week got the el pastor couldn't resist but also got the carne asada meal with yellow rice and red beans. This steak was slightly sweet, well seasoned, and made me want to go out and get another! Keep doing what your doing, great place; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill; City: Collegeville, PA; Review: Let me start by saying the food is usually very good. I've ate here about 15 times now, and a couple times they have overcooked couple items but we're more than happy to re-cook them. I think that they're happy hour is freakin awesome. The pretzels with beer cheese is like heaven, their fried chicken tenders are absolutely delicious, the tenderloin sliders are amazing and they have new chicken sliders on the menu which might be my new favorite!! For entrees, I think that the prime rib for is their best entrée, I would not recommend the salads or the soups. Now the reason why I gave them 2 stars is because I've had bad service there are a couple of times, non attentive servers or not able to time tables.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pepperoncini Sotto Restaurant & Bar; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: You know it's always a crap shoot here, hence 3 stars wavering with 2 :/ It's not that the food is bad, usually but I've had chicken Parm served that obviously hit the microwave (and for way to long). I've been charged for meals that come with a salad, never to receive the salad. I've had the bartender ignore me to flirt with the servers at service bar. With all this being said, I've been probably 10 times and 5 out of 10 were good experiences, they have an awesome happy hour with greatly discounted drinks and apps. I personally like their caprese salad, spaghetti and meatballs or meatball Parm sandwich and there Ck Parm meal(when it's not going in the microwave lol). Consistency is key, they need to manage their team and if they did that it would be a 4 Star Place!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Vecchia Pizzeria; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Pizza is always delicious but hours are spotty, they are not always open when they say they're going to be, which can lead to no pizza, how sad! Wish they would throw a specialty salad or something like that on their menu. I feel like the little garden salad is just lacking in comparison to the great pizza. Shoot with all that fresh mozzarella do a great caprese salad. I recommend coming during their five dollar pizza lunch time. It can get a little costly because one of their small pizzas doesn't really feed 2.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kumo Sushi & Asian Bistro; City: Collegeville, PA; Review: Best Sushi around the area!! There lunch specials are the best around with great roll choices for there combos or discounted specialty rolls if that's your style. I have not had one item that didn't taste fresh or that was didn't like. There atmosphere is great also, fast for lunch or great mood lighting for a romantic dinner. They have never gotten my order wrong for take out or dine in and I usually ask for at least a couple modifications. Many people are nervous to try a new sushi restaurant but let me tell you this one is worth the try, as many other yelp reviewers have said they have the freshest and greatest menu around.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Philadelphia International Airport - PHL; City: Philadelphia, PA; Review: Horrible customer service is the name of the game at this airport. I've had the staff point and yell at me and other patrons very rudely. I wouldn't recommend using this airport unless you have to. As some other reviewers have said the airport is dirty, bathrooms especially. I think if the people that worked here paid a little more attention to cleanliness and customer service instead of dilly dallying and being unhelpful the airport would be a lot better!; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Glow Skin Boutique Spa; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Was very unimpressed by the level of service given by glow day spa, my boyfriend gave me a gift card for a specific package. I booked that package and arrived at my scheduled time, then was told the lady got confused in my package is not available until 1 PM and hour later. I then proceed to hang out around the area for an hour, when I go in for my appointment it is a different woman and she said my gift card is not good for the package that the lady booked me for. It would then be 30 more minutes, for whoever was available, I told her I did not think this was very good customer service and was frustrating. She didn't seem very concerned by this and said well that's why I said that you could be frustrated by this. In my opinion if you're offering spa services that are meant to relax your clients, the people that work for you should be Pleasant, knowledgeable and this was not the case. Obviously there are many happy people that go here, that was not my experience; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Chikara Sushi & Asian Fusion; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Great, fresh sushi! I have tried Chikara about 4 times now and let me just say this is a great addition to the current restaurants and Phoenixville. The lunch specials are an amazing value, not to say the prices are high for there regular menu but merely if you would like to save a little cash it's a great way! My favorite is the salmon and avocado roll but there specialty rolls are always awesome. A couple other convenient things are you can order online and also pay, so when you walk in they ask for your name and hand you food and your out the door. Also I've noticed that anytime I've gone in to eat there was room and I got a table right away. Definitely give them a try if you haven't already!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Root Down Brewing; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: So let me first say the beer was really good so if you're just going to grab a beer and you don't mind subpar service or food then this is the place for you. Let me start with the good parts, tried four different beers all were unique and good, that's not always easy for local breweries. The scene is cool, graffiti on the walls, arcade games, right up my alley and this place is really big so you don't have to worry about somebody bumping into you every time you turn around even when they're busy. I so wanted to love this place, I had heard really good things from all my friends but it was just not my experience. OK now the not so great parts, this is my first time here so I didn't know the drill for how it works. This may seem like a weird statement if you've never been here before because I've been to a lot of restaurants and kind of assumed I know how to go to one get a drink and get food. So I walk in and head up to the bar, my boyfriend and I sit down and the bartender asked what we would like. We asked to see a menu, reply is we keep the menus at the front and you should've grabbed it on your way in, my response was it's my first time here I wasn't aware you kept the menus there. Well being a first timer there's no way to know that the menus were upfront, no biggie we get the menu order the beer. Brings my boyfriend his beer first then mine, we sip are beers and look over the menu, as I said before the beer was really good! So we figure out what we want to eat, and we wait and we wait and we wait some more. At this point we ask the other bartender on duty if we can order some food, which we told the original bartender we wanted to do so he was aware, she said you don't order at the bar do you order in the other room at the kitchen in a tone that we should have known better. I replied I told the first bartender it was my first time here and I wanted to order and he never said anything to us about ordering in another area. Then she replies the kitchen is closing in five minutes so you better hurry up, anyone who works in the business knows what kind of food you're going to get when the kitchen is closing in five minutes. At this point, I feel a little unappreciated for spending my money here and look at my boyfriend and ask if he really wants to eat here at this point. He says let's do it, we order the pretzels, pork tacos, Buffalo chicken sandwich, and the hummus nothing was great the only thing that was even kind of good was the hummus and pork tacos, everything else was bad. Let me; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Nook and Kranny Kafe; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: I've been going to nook and Kranny for years, ever since I moved the Phoenixville area, always had amazing experiences! Food has always been excellent, service a little slow but a great atmosphere so I didn't mind, anyways you have to wait a while for things to be done right! I honestly wish nook and cranny had an email so I could send this to them first but they don't so yelp is going to hear about my experience. I've always love nook and cranny because they get good portions with fair prices and it's always delicious. This time I went in for a take-out order, the bag felt really light in comparison to what I would normally get, when I looked in the bag it was not aesthetically pleasing. Small portions not all the toppings on the sandwich, and charged me like six dollars more than what I used to pay for the exact same thing. I shouldn't say the exact same thing it used to look good and taste good. The item I'm talking about is the gobbler off of the specialty menu which I've been waiting all year for and I'm now very displeased. Maybe instead of opening another restaurant and putting all your good people there you should have kept up with the customers that have stayed loyal to you for years, very disappointed; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Grabbed some of your new pretzels for takeout last night, the last time I had them they were delicious. Got them home, I live in Phoenixville on Washington so it took me all of 5 minutes to get home and the pretzels felt like they were never heated along with the cheese sauce that was refrigerator temperature and it's to go ramekin. Maybe for some people this would be fine, I don't own a microwave so trying to get cheese sauce heated in a plastic to go ramekin when there's not a lot of cheese sauce in there to begin with is not easy. I got takeout food in order to have an easy dinner, picked up a pizza too, so I could go home and relax and watch a movie. By the time my pretzels and cheese sauce were hot, my pizza was cold.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill; City: Collegeville, PA; Review: Let me start by saying the food is usually very good. I've ate here about 15 times now, and a couple times they have overcooked couple items but we're more than happy to re-cook them. I think that they're happy hour is freakin awesome. The pretzels with beer cheese is like heaven, their fried chicken tenders are absolutely delicious, the tenderloin sliders are amazing and they have new chicken sliders on the menu which might be my new favorite!! For entrees, I think that the prime rib for is their best entrée, I would not recommend the salads or the soups. They have been under new management the past year or so and the service has really improved, or year and a half ago I would've given them three stars but now with several service changes five stars all the way!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Party City of Exton; City: Exton, PA; Review: If you want to know why retail space is dying just go to this party city, employees and supervisors are inept at their jobs and not very friendly. At least 4 out of 20 items I bought did not ring up the same as marked. Supervisor says it's not her fault, the price rings up what it rings up and she will not match the tagged price. I've never heard of a place not price matching there own marked price. I know this is one of the only places to buy party supplies in person but believe me if there were any other options I would never step foot in this store again; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Foodery; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: You know I really wanted to give this place a great review, I've actually been here 4 times in hopes I would have positive things to say. So I'm going to tell you the positive's first, they are one of the only sandwich shops in Phoenixville that have boars head deli meat, my preference every time! Next the owner is super nice and willing to try and help to fix any situation. He also is trying to bring fun things to do to his establishment and the area, this is something to be respected. Now for the not so great parts, I have yet to get the sandwich that I ordered at this location, every time it's completely different than what I put in their computer system. Each time it's been wrong and I approached the person making the sandwiches, I have been talk to rudely and told that I must have put it in wrong, even though the receipt tells you exactly what you ordered and what I ordered is not what they gave me. The staff is rude, the bartender, the cashiers, the people that work in the deli. I know it's not hard to find great people and Phoenixville because they work and a lot of other establishments and they don't have these problems. I really think the owner needs to find some great help and pay them accordingly because if not I don't feel like this will survive in Phoenixville; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Bridgeside Deli & Grille; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: What more can I say than this is one of the Best places to get a snack, lunch, or sandwich in Phoenixville! The people that work the counter always super nice and willing to help. The food is always fresh and taste great, I personally love the tunafish sandwich here. The burgers are always really good also, and when you go in they have all kinds of snacks and drinks available. My lunch is always less than $10, usually more like seven dollars. It's an amazing value with great service and they are always fast and efficient.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wasko's; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Mmmmmm..... this just about sums it up!! First time I experienced delicious sandwiches from Wasko's I was not even living in the area, but somebody brought me one of their sandwiches and since then I've gone out of my way to incorporate it into my diet! Their steak sandwich is delicious, add the horse radish sauce and it's out of this world. One of my personal favorites is the Italian, If I could pick any sandwich this is the one I would get, I like to add pickles to mine! Always fresh and ready on time, it's a small shop but packed with great flavor.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Texas BBQ; City: Royersford , PA; Review: I've always love food trucks but Texas barbecue takes the cake! I love their pulled meats, and their potato salad. It's nice that he changes locations so that it's available in a large part of town. His prices are superlow and the quality is high, you always see people driving up parking next to his food truck to enjoy the delicious barbecue. I live close by one of his hotspots and can walk out my front door and smell the delicious meat on his fire. This is a one-man operation and the guy who owns it is super friendly and knows what he's doing when it comes to smoking meat. Definitely give them a try if you haven't already; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nook and Kranny Kafe; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: I've been going to nook and Kranny for years, ever since I moved the Phoenixville area, always had amazing experiences! Food has always been excellent, service a little slow but a great atmosphere. There were some growing pains with the opening of there other location but those seemed to be worked out! A couple of options here that I love are the Belgium waffle, always fluffy and delicious if you like breakfast that is, but who doesn't!?! There Multi grain toast is super thick and has great flavor so the basic breakfast here is super delicious also. Now if you're headed in for lunch the club is so awesome I get it almost every time I come It has super fresh avocado, always amazing red tomatoes and freshly made meats, I always get mine on that multi grain bread but the brioche is also super delicious! Now if a French dip is your thing there's is soooo good. Also I always upgrade to their seasonal salad, for a small up charge but always well worth it! Overall I've had a lot of great experiences at nook and Kranny and I hope you do too; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sedona Taphouse; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: I think that the 1 and 2 star reviews of this place are justified, went in on a Saturday night and it was slammed. Sat down at the high top area by the bar, no one came over so eventually we went up to the bar to order drinks. Great bartender but the drinks were not good, got 2 of your specialty cocktails at $14 each. For that price should have been great and a good amount of booze but they were not, unfortunately. Had a salad, it was soggy like tossed an hour before we ate it :/, my Slider was purple under cooked in center, flavor was good though. I got the rockfish and my boyfriend got the chicken Marsala. Not great portion size and my fish did not come in fresh that day like they claim on the website, it wasn't bad just not $22 worth of fresh. I got the Mexican street corn which another yelper pointed out is a certain dish, corn on the cob with creamy sauce, lime, usually a hint of spice and cheese. This was a small side of corn with soggy veggies in it, doesn't that sound appetizing. Overall this was a restaurant I walked by for months before it opened and couldn't wait to have a new place in town but it was a letdown. Happened to be a let down that cost over $100 for two, take my advice and choose another place in town! Step up your game Sedona; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Glow Skin Boutique Spa; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: I've had 2 great experiences at Glow, I recommend there facials. They really do a great job of customizing the experience so that areas of concern are addressed! Very relaxing environment and the serums they use are green which is important to me and I think they are better in sensitive skin. Overall I would definitely recommend trying glow, especially for skincare needs.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cabinets To Go; City: Willow Grove, PA; Review: In the progress of installing my brand new kitchen cabinets!! Ben the manager is awesome and not at all pushy, he made sure I was aware of different options so I could choose where I wanted to save $ and where I wanted to spend it. I would choose them again in the future. The cabinets were super easy to put together, easier than IKEA furniture for those of us that have had the opportunity to assemble that before cabinets look great and if you get them during a sale they are extremely cost effective!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bridgeport Rib House; City: Bridgeport, PA; Review: Let me just say if you have not been to Bridgeport rib House yet you do not know what you're missing! I usually do there burger, which is always tasty and amazing but they came to a local event and I tried there pulled pork sandwich! All I can say is this is the best pulled pork sandwich I have ever had in my whole entire life, whether you get sauce on it or eat it plain it is so delicious! Definitely go in and give them a try, one of the best parts is you get entertainment with your meal, they always have a live band which is super awesome!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Han Dynasty; City: Royersford, PA; Review: The best Chinese food around, many locations, this one is great. Never extremely busy and they do a chefs tasting on certain days in the month, extremely affordable for such authentic high quality food. The owner is nice and she makes sure you have an amazing experience. All different spice levels so it's great for everyone to find something that fits their spice comfort level! My favorite is black bean style chicken, also there appetizers are all fantastic! Definitely nice size portions, I recommend getting several meals for the table and sharing.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tropical Smoothie Cafe; City: Wayne, PA; Review: Not really sure how they got so many great reviews of there smoothies. I went in with my boyfriend and we got there blueberry, strawberry and banana. First off, no banana to be tasted by either one of us and then the filler in the smoothies is ice so it really tasted like I spent $6.50 a piece to get a bunch of crushed up ice with some fruit flavor. Never had there food and would never bother coming back to try it. Save your money and go somewhere that knows how to make a smoothie, I felt pretty cheated for value and time wasted.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Wayback Burgers; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Well let me say that this Wayback used to be my go to for tasty shakes, delicious burgers and banging chicken tenders but wow have times have changed!! Now you get sloppy food, super slow service, unhelpful service team and corporate eeek it's pretty bad. So all in all, unless you have 30 minutes to kill waiting after your quoted order time or you want to deal with the mess of an experience you will most likely get to get mediocre food then go here!; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: IL Granaio - Phoenixville; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: Omg the best authentic Italian food around and the staff is so friendly and inviting. So to the good stuff my fave is starting with meatballs and a dinner salad. The meatballs and sauce are superb, some of the best sauce I've ever had! The dinner salad is light but very complementary to all the food. My favorite entrée is the chicken Parmesan, I've never been disappointed, it's a medium portion, fresh and always delicious; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bistro Dos; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: So let me start off saying that the food and drinks were absolutely fantastic, the service was a little bit slow and our server was not extremely personable. This may have distracted from the experience if the food and drinks weren't so amazing, the margaritas traditional and flavored are off the chain! I got the chicken enchilada which was one of the best I've ever had.I will definitely be back, especially if they have some happy hour specials!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Steel City Coffeehouse & Brewery; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: I'm so happy that this place was converted with the new owners. The menu is smaller but there are a number of great options. I love the turkey and avocado sandwich, it was healthy and delicious! Always a cool atmosphere in here, and great coffee. I haven't seen any shows yet but I plan on going in the future; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bistro Dos; City: Phoenixville, PA; Review: So I have been in 3 times now and the food and drinks are really delicious my fave is the chicken enchiladas which are perfectly portioned and so delicious! There margaritas are really good not too sweet and sour mix was definitely made in house. Now my rating would have remained at 5 stars but the team is inconsistent I've called told completely booked then called back and another person tell me there's availability. Another occasion I came in an hour and a half before close, 7:20 on a Sunday night and was told by the bartender they are closed not seating anymore even though the bar was empty and plenty of other guests were still dining inside and out.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | yelp |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Tactical Axe with Sheath “Tomahawk” Survival Hatchet, Throwing Axe and Breach Tool w/ 2.75 Inch Hardcased Black Steel Blade; Brand: SOG; Review: The handle is a little slick, but if you wrap it with P-cord you'll be fine. I really like the feel, it's weighted really well.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Russell Athletic Men Cotton Tanks; Brand: ; Review: great for gym; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nalgene HDPE 48oz Silo Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle; Brand: Nalgene; Review: great size.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Russell Athletic Men’s Essential Cotton Tank Top; Brand: ; Review: great for gym; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: KA1214-BRK USA Fighting Knife; Brand: Ka-Bar; Review: Great quality.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 5.11 Tactical Trainer Belt, Heavy Duty for Military and Law Enforcement, 1.5-Inch, Style 59409; Brand: 5.11; Review: Love it, great belt to snug up your CCW holster. really well made, i would buy again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 5.11 Rush Delivery Multifunction Tactical Messenger Bag Military Briefcase for Laptop/Camera/Tablet, Style 56176 56177; Brand: 5.11; Review: Another Great product!! I'm going to start buying all 5.11 gear.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sticky Holsters SM-1 NAA Pug Small SM-1 NAA Pug, Black; Brand: Sticky Holsters; Review: the pug fits great in this, would recommend to others.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clout Fitness Quick Release Pair of Locking 2" Olympic Size Barbell Clamp Collar Great for Pro Crossfit Training by; Brand: Clout Fitness; Review: Great price and they work really well. no longer do i have to go searching for collars.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Sports_and_Outdoors |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Shorai LFX14A1-BS12 Extreme Rate Lithium Iron Powersports Battery; Brand: Shorai; Review: I have only had this battery in my bike for about a month. One thing that I noticed is how fast the bike cranks in cold weather. Usually it does not crank as fast during the winter. . I am very happy with this product so far. Hopefully I will continue to be happy with it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Yuasa YUAM716GH Lead_Acid_Battery; Brand: Yuasa; Review: It was a little larger then I thought but it fits in my 2008 Star Raider.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sinopec AW32 Hydraulic Oil, 5 Gallon, Pail; Brand: Sinopec; Review: worked great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bosch 69128 Original Equipment Replacement Elecric Fuel Pump; Brand: Bosch; Review: Nice and quite, works great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bosch 68015 Filter Kit for Fuel Pump; Brand: Bosch; Review: it worked; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dorman 625-001 Oil Cooler Line; Brand: Dorman; Review: worked perfect; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fit System 99033 Ford Driver/Passenger Side Replacement Mirror Glass; Brand: Fit System; Review: it fit and stayed on; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Anchor 2802 Engine Mount; Brand: Anchor; Review: Just like the factory mounts; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dorman 625-100 Oil Cooler Line; Brand: Dorman; Review: worked perfect; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: YTZ10S Z10S Lithium Ion Sealed Powersports Battery 12V 300 CCA - Maintenance Free, No Spills, Fully Charged and; Brand: MMG; Review: Got this battery for my 2008 Yamaha Raider S, when it took it out of the bow I was shocked at how light it was. When i put it into the bike and started it up I loved how fast it cranked. This was a great buy. fits snug in the battery box but I'm good with that.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tool Aid SG 23500 Back Probe Kit; Brand: Tool Aid; Review: love this kit; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fel-Pro ES 72174 Cylinder Head Bolt Set; Brand: Fel-Pro; Review: Worked perfect; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lisle 69300 Master Relay Test Jump Set; Brand: Lisle; Review: Great kit, perfect for back probing circuits; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Automotive |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Skin9th Princess Anna Lace Paisley Chiffon Cosplay Costume Play Long Dress for Girls Kids; Brand: Skin9th; Review: I think the dress is well-made for the price--great details. Fits perfectly around the body but is too long for my 18-month-old.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bloch Dance Girl's Bunnyhop Full Sole Leather Ballet Slipper/Shoe; Brand: Bloch; Review: My daughter loves that these are true pink instead of ballet pink. And I love that you can adjust them to make them more snug by pulling on the string that gets tied into a bow. Also, these are much less expensive than local dance stores' inventory but of the same quality as far as I can tell. We've had both.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Salt Water Sandals by Hoy Shoe Surfer Sandal (Toddler/Little Kid/Big Kid/Women's); Brand: Salt Water Sandals; Review: Great everyday sandal, haven't gotten them wet yet.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kenneth Cole Reaction Float On U 2 Sandal (Toddler/Little Kid); Brand: ; Review: My daughter loves these! I love them, too. They go with so many of her outfits.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Clarks Women's Enfield Tess Boot; Brand: ; Review: So comfortable! And they look great with skinny jeans, dresses, leggings, etc. Wore these walking all around NYC, and they felt like stepping on pillows.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: prAna Lahari One-Piece Swimsuit; Brand: prAna; Review: I have this in the Rich Fuchsia Panama and love it! It is a sexy one-piece, while covering enough and providing enough structure that I imagine I should be able to play with the kiddos in the pool or at the beach with no problems (just received it as a gift and ordered in a second print). That said, I have a fairly small chest for how tall I am (5'10" and 36 B/C); I can see women with a larger chest being worried about a wardrobe malfunction. The lines of the Panama print are so awesome, add curves instantly. For what it's worth, I have a medium, and I am 5'10" and athletic, have a short torso for my height, am about 146 pounds. The medium fits great!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: But First, Coffee Lover Funny Women's Workout Fitness Tank Top By Superior Apparel; Brand: Superior Apparel; Review: I love the softness of the material, but I would order a smaller size next time.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Champion Women's Curvy Sports Bra; Brand: ; Review: So comfortable! And looks good too!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: CLARKS Men's Un.Easley Twin; Brand: ; Review: I bought these for my husband, to replace his everyday work shoes from Cole Haan. He absolutely loves these! Great price on Amazon, way better than the Clark's store.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel; City: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; Review: I have used the Renaissance on multiple occasions for business meetings and we are always very satisfied. Excellent room, good lighting and extraordinary service from the staff. They are very skilled at being present and available at all times yet not being obtrusive or distracting. The food is superb quality as well as very appealing in presentation. As may be expected with any downtown hotel, city noise is part of the environment as this is located in the heart of the business district, directly across the river from PNC park. Being on a higher floor helps alleviate this if you are particularly sensitive. We will continue to do business with Renaissance as they are a joy to work with!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Seven Springs Mountain Resort; City: Champion Pennsylvania; Review: I have been coming to 7springs for over 30 years in various capacities; teen, young adult, couple, parent, girls'weekends and now I can add corporate meeting. I can say that the facility has made marked improvements in its customer service although not quite up to par with resort attention. Staff was pleasant enough but not that extra mile that you might expect while paying high fees. I would have like to seen them as more polished for executive meetings. The meeting space itself is decent with what they have to work with. Rooms are well lit but no outside source of light by the design of the building. AV does not have a state of the art feel - the easel in the room was a wooden tripod with no way of securing an actual easel pad to it - it was more of a display easel. WIFI was an issue. The Conference Service manager tried her best to resolve our issues but no one from AV ever came to the room or tried to get in touch with me to resolve it. Those are the things that can make or break your meeting. I was ultimately not charged for the service but it would have been a better experience if the meeting had been seamless. Food was excellent I was surprised at not only quality and taste but the presentation was nice too. Very well done. Hotel sleeping rooms in the Tower are the ones that are being identified as renovated. I was not overly impressed with them, the still look dated. They are smallish but that could be overcome with better quality furniture and re-donig the bathrooms with tile and/or granite. Now that 7Springs has purchased HiddenValley, it will be interesting to see which one they target to the corporate demographic. I would love to have a Bedford Springs feel at one of these resorts. All in all, a very good value for the money and based on our location, it is convenient but I would rather make my choices based on service and atmosphere.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: SpringHill Suites Baltimore Downtown Inner Harbor; City: Baltimore Maryland; Review: Traveled with my family (2 adults, 3 children) for a trip to the Aquarium. I am an event planner so I used points for our stay. Very nice hotel, we did request an upper floor due to the street noise/sirens/bar patrons whom you can hear in the middle of a weekend night. Not really the hotel's fault, just the nature of being in this district. Great location to the Inner Harbor, walking distance to all the shops, restaurants, ships and aquarium. Breakfast was good, staff friendly and helpful. 2 things in the hotel's control to be improved: 1. Our suite slept 5. We did not realize that the ''sleeper sofa'' was a single bed size, not a double! The mattress was terrible and being a single size, was too small. 2. The TV placement in the room was very awkward. The room boasted 2 tvs, one bedroom and living room. The bedroom was fine but the one for the living space was hung on a wall between the living room and bedroom so was literally inches away from the other TV. It was hard to watch from the living room sitting on the sofa. Thank goodness for wireless and Netflix.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nemacolin Woodlands Resort; City: Farmington Pennsylvania; Review: Superb property for any type of function or vacation. I planned and attended a 2 day corporate meeting/team building at Nemacolin July 2014. The event planners are very professional and very willing to accomodate any request you may have. Food was excellent and the attention by the staff was perfect - very attentive without being intrusive. The chef who conducted our private dinner was the perfect balance of skill and professionalism but with an easygoing enjoyable personality that was warm and welcoming. All of the staff from the concierge to the valet, bell man and banquet captains, all demonstrated a commitment to make sure each guest was happy. The property itself is smack-down, straight-up, blow your mind, over the top luxury. It is definitely something to be experienced. There is plenty to do on property but it is not so chaotic that it is distracting. The adventure center is well run and safe with enough challenge to satisfy everyone. The rooms at the Chateau were large, not enormous, which I feel is part of the charm of feeling European. Well done, tasteful, yet luxurious all at once. Very comfortable and despite being sold out, I still felt that it was quiet and peaceful. Cost - this place is expensive, no question. Know that going in. But if your budget allows you to spend money on high end luxury, this is the place to be. You are treated as royalty.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Westin O Hare; City: Rosemont Illinois; Review: I planned a small executive meeting at this property in April 2015. I plan many meetings a year so I have a basis by which to judge the level of attention to detail and ability to follow a plan. The meeting I planned was less than 20 people compared to a huge convention that was happening in the hotel over the same dates. However, I truly appreciated the full attention of the staff that was assigned to executing my meeting. Everyone, from the event planner to AV to the guys who moved the furniture were very polite and accomodating. I had forgotten to order a vegetarian meal for an attendee and the staff swiftly took care of it to the extent that I don't believe anyone realized I forgot! This definitely will influence my future choices for meeting planning.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Courtyard Kokomo; City: Kokomo Indiana; Review: I understand this property is in a small, mostly rural area and not a metropolitan area so I am keeping that in mind for this review. First, this is a very clean, convenient and welcoming property. Staff is friendly and accomodating. We were sold a room that we were told accomodated 5 people, as it was a 1 bedroom suite. We requested a rollaway bed for our 5th person. We were only staying 2 nights and figured we could make the best of it, not planning to spend a lot of time in the room. We realized at bedtime the 1st night that the pull out couch was only a single. (and a very uncomfortable one at that). That left 1 king size bed (2 people) 1 twin rollaway (1 person) and 1 twin pull out (1 person). Not sure where that 5th person should be sleeping? My son ended up making a bed out of the couch cushions on the floor. Needless to say, we ended up having to book another room for the 2nd night just so everyone could have a bed. These rooms should not be sold for 5 people. The other issues to speak of is noisy heaters that we ended up shutting off and the minifridge, while we loved having it, made such noise that it woke us up in the night. The furniture is very appealing and modern but not practical or comfortable to sit on. Looks like it was chosen to take up as little space as possible but there was no way to actually be comfortable sitting on it. It has a weird slope and seat that makes you lean back. Very odd choice. The 2 chairs (we had to take one out of the bedroom so the 5 occupants could actually sit down), were round and straighbacked, again, not a relaxing way to sit and watch TV. Overall the property is very nice for the area, definitely not for more than 2 people at most in a room, and bring earplugs for all the room noise. Don't plan on lounging around in the sitting area of a suite, it is for for aestheic purposes only.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston Downtown; City: Boston Massachusetts; Review: I book travel as part of my job and have booked dozens of Hiltons worldwide for an executive traveler. I also regularly use Hilton as an event destination. I needed to cancel 1 night of a 2 night stay at this location *(ironically, moving to another hilton to be near the airport for an early flight), and was told that I could not cancel 1 night, there was a 2 night stay minimum. The representative offered a front desk manager to see if an adjustment can be made. After several minutes on hold the manager comes on with a ''hello, this is Andrea, how can I help you"". NOTE TO MANAGERS: if you have already been briefed on the situation, do not come on the line and ask your customer to re-explain everything that they have alread explained. I asked her if she understood the situation since it was fairly straightforward and she said yes and she's sorry, there is a 2 night minimum. I asked her if she had looked at the executives HHonors account (gold) and again asked to release the 2nd room and if she could not, who could help me do just that. She back-pedaled and said if I would have let her finish she was going to offer the adjustment as a ''courtesy''. I agreed to that and after the call, reviewed the reservation which no where stated that it was a 2 night minium and stated a cancellation policy of 24 hours. I don't know what Hilton thinks it is doing at this location but as a travel planner, I can assure you, this is outside the norm and any product that treats its clients this way is going to fall off my preferred vendor list. While I got the outcome I wanted, it was certainly not pleasant and was annoying I had to demand an adjustment in what should have been an easy transaction.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: SpringHill Suites Pittsburgh Southside Works; City: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; Review: I have two reviews in one. First as a guest - nice hotel, great location, clean and spacious. It is expensive for this product but probably because of its desirable location. Yes, it is literally a few yards from a train track where trains run consistently. I slept fine with earplugs and I could see the train from my window. So fairly decent place, no major complaints. I stayed for business and had a meeting on property the next day. While I was assured everything was taken care of, that was not the case. The staff has no idea how to do a room set up and support a meeting. I had to set up all the AV equipment myself which included a screen that was lopsided and a series of extension cords and a broken easel. Once I had it set up, it was fine and we made do. The staff was pleasant enough but seemed apathetic. No one checked in with me during the course of our 9 hour meeting to see if things were ok. Even though the sales rep was aware the room was not set up for me, I did not hear from her either during the day nor in the days afterwards. I will say that the catered lunch that was brought in was surprisingly good and was on time. I probably will not use this property again for a meeting with the lackluster service. As a guest, it was a decent stay.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fairfield Inn Suites White Marsh; City: White Marsh Maryland; Review: This was a very nice, clean and spacious hotel. Front desk very friendly. Drawbacks are the small breakfast buffett/eating area and 1 waffle maker. Maybe add another? No one should have to wait 20 min to make their own waffle. My one complaint is the pool. It is hardly worth having the pool it is so small , maybe 12x12. The one young lady lifeguard was surly and continually asked the kids not to hold their breath underwater. Understand that there is a sign that says no breath holding contests for safety reasons but that was not what they were doing. She seemed bent on making sure no one was having fun so we'd leave the area (we did). Should also mention that when we approached the pool there was no one in it EXCEPT the lifeguard lounging and then she took her time to get out, and do whatever water testing needed, making us wait. No smile, no apology, no please or thank you. That didn't sit well with me. Otherwise, hotel is very convenient to mall, restaurants etc.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Southpointe; City: Canonsburg Pennsylvania; Review: Hotel has beautiful airy lobby but room was outdated with a popcorn ceiling and worn furniture. Also, very poorly lit rooms, hard to sit and read. TVs were small in proportion to the room. It was clean enough and comfortable.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hampton Inn Owings Mills; City: Owings Mills Maryland; Review: This hotel is a Hampton Inn. It is not a high end product, not a luxury resort. It is a nice hotel, with decent clean rooms, quiet hallways and ample parking. The free breakfast was standard fare for this hotel, not any gourmet meal but hot, fresh and appetizing. The staff was friendly and helpful. The price was perfect for the property and it was a convenient location for us. I am completely happy with my stay and would definitely stay here again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hampton Inn Limerick Philadelphia Area; City: Limerick Pennsylvania; Review: I understand this product is not a luxury resort. But there is no reason to have surly unsmiling staff at the front desk who do not even try to respond to any pleasantries. That and a fair amount of dirt on baseboards, light switches and corners make this as disappointing hotel. Easy fixes but apparently ignored.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Garden Inn Exton West Chester; City: Exton Pennsylvania; Review: This was one of the nicest HGI I have ever seen. The lobby was beautiful and spacious which sometimes means rooms are small - not in this case! The room was nicely sized, very comfortable, upgraded bathroom and quiet. It is also close to restaurants and stores. I would definitely stay here again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Bone Club Sunset Hotel; City: Side Manavgat Turkish Mediterranean Coast; Review: My partner and I stayed for a week in June and this was our second visit to Turkey having stayed at the wonderful Hotel SU in Antalya last year. First the positives: Friendly staff and very clean with private beach where you can chill or play games and eat and drink at the all inclusive bar. The negative stuff: Even outside of school holidays there are a lot of children here and hotel is mainly German guests and pool area is not a quiet place for couples to chill. We overcame this by simple half mile walk or free bus to the aforementioned beach. The food is okay but not great and I am comparing this to previous Turkish visit. You have to pay for fresh juice here and the all inclusive drinks are limited. The cheese appears predominantly in the morning and the fruit in the evening. My partner loves fruit for breakfast however on occasion there were only apples in restaurant in the morning. Chicken most nights with casseroles although there is a bbq every night with a limited selection. In terms of spa we also had the introductory package however be wary of them selling you more massages if they discover "problems" with your body. The fact that they tried it with both of us gave the game away. All in all a great place for you and your kids and not recommended for couples who want a quiet holiday.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Gables; City: Hunstanton Norfolk East Anglia England; Review: Went there for a weekend with friends. Room very nice lovely old building neatly converted to pleasant rooms. Very welcoming and good English breakfast taking pride in offering best of British eg Heinz beans and coffee was nice and strong actually woke me up. Location is really good I am a local lad and it is in a good central position near the seafront too (a block back). Recommended we would stay again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sugar Beat Eating House B B; City: Norwich Norfolk East Anglia England; Review: Popped in for a couple of burgers on way home. Excellent and attentive service, nice booth, left alone to munch at our own speed. Long Suffering Partner went for mozerella and I had house special. lSP had a mountain of chips more than I received which was strange considering serving cup was same size. Please do not skimp on the fries guys! lSP enjoyed her burger lots of pesto on her bread. My burger was meaty and although not best tasting recipe I have had it was 4/5. Taste was perhaps a bit too sharp on the finish. Cheese was very tasty and nice serving of bacon in a bun that was nicely toasted. Accompanying relish was tangy, red peppers and went well with fries. Pleased to report LSP gave up some of her fries so I could enjoy this more. One thing I would suggest is that burger range is expanded, for example a chilli burger always goes down well. At moment range is limited, noting too that a lot of different dishes are available generally. Also iced water would not go amiss as a complement to the food. I will definitely be back for some beats next time, musical acts look fun.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Panoramahotel Guertl; City: Haus im Ennstal Styria; Review: This hotel punches above its weight. Beautifully presented and spotless with a great restaurant, a comprehensive spa and most of all a warm and friendly 'family' of staff to cater for your needs. This is our second visit here in four years and we rarely return to the same place and we both agree we will return here again. Peter Guertl is a brilliant host and is hands on to ensure that you have all you need. His staff give great advice on what to do in the region and there is more than enough to do in the summer here. You get a free 'Sommercard' that entitles you to free cable car and public transport and this sets you free to explore the mountains and towns. We have been karting, gliding, zip wiring, walking, visiting Ice Palaces and sky walking 2700m above sea level. Each day brings us back to hotel pool, therapies and steam/sauna all of which are clean and a wonderful environment to enjoy your hot chocolate. Evening meals are varied and always expertly cooked, we noticed an upgrade in quality this time. To summarise, come here to have a mountain holiday you will never regret or forget.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chambres Cathares; City: Servies en Val Carcassonne Aude Occitanie; Review: Terry and Benedicite are very welcoming hosts with great knowledge of area and also if history is your thing they are expert guides. They are also multi lingual including Bavarian German and nothing is too much trouble for them to sort for you. Rooms are charming and the food plentiful and delicious. Looking forward to next visit!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bilderberg Garden Hotel; City: Amsterdam North Holland Province; Review: We visited for a three night break; chosen based on TA feedback and location as we had a concert at Ziggo and then two nights downtown. Room was comfortable and spacious; nothing amazing and nothing amiss - in this price bracket of 150 euros per night it was good value. Staff made the difference as they were all really helpful and although it was busy they always made time for you. I would say the service was excellent. Location is not a problem with the trams, a short hop to the South Station and you have a direct train to Ziggo. A few stops to the North and you are in Dam Square; also easy from Rail and Airports. If you haven’t used the transport cards before in Amsterdam then I would recommend these as very cheap and stops are all informative with live updates on arrivals. In summary, we would definitely stay at the Bilderberg again, it is in a nice district and location for exploring wonderful Amsterdam.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Weber Style 6445 Professional-Grade Stainless-Steel 3-Piece Barbeque Tool Set; Brand: Weber; Review: These are amazing quality...great weight and have a nice rubber grip area. Would HIGHLY recommend...I bought these as a gift and will be getting a set for myself; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: API POND ALGAEFIX Algae Control Solution; Brand: API; Review: I love this stuff as it really helps me not have to clean the filter as often, is not toxic and offers good value...been using it for 5+++ years and will continue; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CobraCo HHRLEF Leaf Design Copper Finish Hose Holder; Brand: CobraCo; Review: Fits a 100+ foot hose no problem...good finish, seems well constructed and hides the hose perfectly. Would recommend although it is a little expensive, but in this case I can tell this is not cheaply constructed. You get what you pay for!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Charcoal Companion Ultimate Barbecue Pit Mitt Glove - For Grill or Oven - Measures 13" Long - CC5102.; Brand: Charcoal Companion; Review: No more oven mitts or rags for me. This is perfect for grilling multiple items, such as bacon-wrapped corn in tin foil as you can grab them directly for flipping and removal and won't damage the foil. You cannot feel any heat when working over the flame/meat. Great product; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sun Joe SPX3000 Pressure Joe 2030 PSI 1.76 GPM 14.5-Amp Electric Pressure Washer; Brand: Sun Joe; Review: My dad and I have been using gas pressure washers for 20+ years. Craftsman Briggs/Stratton Honda etc...they were all great and served their purpose well. I bought this for my dad for Christmas this past year and also put it together for him. He has now used it for a month and is in love with it. He wakes up early an can now wash his cars without bothering anyone. The unit is well built (based on my first-hand knowledge putting it together; it does have some plastic parts, but as long as you don't leave it outside in the sun for years I do not foresee any issues). It is very compact, meaning it has a much smaller footprint that all of my gas ones and is much easier to operate. No heat generated from the unit, so cant burn your leg or hose on the heat shield or block. I have a 7.5hp gas PW now, and once it craps out I will be buying this unit as well. Will update if and issues arise...GREAT value also, needed to mention that; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kempf 5162 Water Retainer Mat, 2' x 3', Blue; Brand: Kempf; Review: I was very impressed with the quality of the mat. It has a nice, tapered rubber edge all the way around that will prevent anyone from tripping on an edge. The bottom is rubber so it is anti-skid, and the brown color (it is a light coffee/tan color, but can look darker in dim light) really went well with my house/color-theme. Also, it has a low enough profile that it can go right in from of my door and when it opens it does not touch the mat, which was very important to me. Will update if there are any quality issues, but very happy with this mat! Highly recommended for indoor use; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Outdoor Interiors Eucalyptus 3 Piece Round Bistro Outdoor Furniture Set - includes cushions; Brand: Outdoor Interiors; Review: I am satisfied with this product...good quality, nice cushions and packaged very well. The only downside, and this is a personal preference, is the table looks too tall when the set is setup. Now I must say that when you are seated next to the table the height is perfect...BUT when looking at the set from 5 feet and further, the table appears too tall. Others may not see this, so it may be a total personal preference. Replaced a 5+ year old set and this appears to be of similar quality...so will expect at least 3 years out of this set. Will update later...but overall very happy with the value and will make a great table/chairs setup for my purpose!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Classic Accessories Ravenna Square Patio Ottoman/Table Cover - Premium Outdoor Furniture Cover with Durable and Water Resistant Fabric, Large; Brand: Classic Accessories; Review: I could not be happier than I am with the Ravenna's covers I purchased. I now have two of these for the end tables, 3 ottoman covers, fire pit and grill covers...along with the 6-chair/table cover and an umbrella cover. I am so impressed with the quality and craftsmanship. And since they come with a 4 year warranty, I highly recommend these. I will be purchasing more of these covers as they are by far the best I have owned and even seen at other people's houses...have rec'd multiple compliments. Also, they are true to their size, so measure twice and if they fit the parameters you will be a happy consumer with amazing covers!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Classic Accessories Ravenna Patio Umbrella Cover - Premium Outdoor Furniture Cover with Durable and Water Resistant Fabric (55-159-015101-EC); Brand: Classic Accessories; Review: This is my 8th or 9th Ravenna cover I have bought and every time I am surprised at the quality and functionality. These are very well built, have a 4 year warranty and will protect your umbrella very well! Fits my 9-foot umbrella perfectly and I think there is room to spare if you have a 10-foot umbrella. I highly recommend Ravenna covers and will update if anything changes...but for now, these are the only covers I own and will buy in the future!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Patio_Lawn_and_Garden |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes & Probiotics; Brand: Animal Essentials; Review: I'm about to place my second order for Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes & Probiotics. I am very pleased with the results I've had with both of my dogs. One pup suddenly developed a sensitivity to his food. He had several bouts of diarrhea and several tests and rounds of antibiotics and VERY PRICEY vet supplied probiotics. Once I switched him to a low ingredient diet (L.I.D.)and added Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes & Probiotics, he got much better and has remained well. My other pup wasn't sick, unless you count poop-eating as an illness (YUCK!). I started adding it to her food too as I thought it couldn't hurt! And low and behold, she had stopped the poop-eating! Both my pups are little (about 14 lbs each) and the amount I have to use is about an 1/8 teaspoon each meal per pup. So one bottle has lasted over 6 months! I highly recommend this!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Comfort Zone with DAP for Dogs Spray, 60 Milliliters; Brand: Comfort Zone; Review: UGH! What a waste! Had ZERO affect on my pup. I used as directed for several weeks. Nothing. If anything, my pups separation anxiety got worse. Glad I didn't waste my money on the diffuser!; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Sentry FiproGuard Plus Dog Flea and Tick Drop; Brand: Sentry; Review: I love this product! Works just as well as the stuff I paid twice as much for at the vet! It contains the same active ingredient, Fiprinol, as the vet stuff. I've never had a problem with ticks or fleas when using this. I usually get a two six month supplies as I have 2 pups. So much more affordable!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Outward Hound Kyjen 41004 Paw Hide Treat Toy Dog Toys Scent Puzzle Training Toy, Large, Blue; Brand: Outward Hound; Review: My pup loves this puzzle. He loves all puzzles. I rotate 4 puzzles so he doesn't get bored. This one was probably the easiest for him to get. I don't hide treats in all the compartments so he has to find the ones that contain the treats.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gorilla Supply 1000 Pet Poop Bags w Free Dispenser; Brand: Gorilla Supply; Review: Great bags and the dispenser is nice too! It makes sure you only pull one bag at a time instead of 3-4 by mistake! Bags are good quality and won't tear open mid-scoop (ICK!). Recommend!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Simple Solution Large Washable Puppy Pad | Reusable Dog Pee Pad | Absorbent and Odor Controlling | 30x32; Brand: Simple Solution; Review: Durable and washable! I have a pup with severe separation anxiety and he has accidents. I was using pee pads and felt awful about the waste! These are great! Tip: use Nature's Miracle Laundry Boost to get the odor out when you wash! I also add baking soda and vinegar just to make sure the odor is gone!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nature’s Miracle Laundry Boost 32 fl oz; Brand: Nature's Miracle; Review: Not very helpful in removing urine odor. I washed a washable pee pad 4 times in hot water and it still smells....; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: GREENIES Grain Free Dental Dog Treats; Brand: Greenies; Review: Haven't really helps with my pups death breath..... or the plaque on her teeth. Guess I'll have to start brushing her teeth. Which she hates....; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: CANIDAE Grain Free Pure Dog Wet Food; Brand: CANIDAE; Review: One of my pups cannot have grain in his food and he has taken to this very well. I've had a hard time getting the grain free canned food he used to eat (canning factory issues) and this has been a real find! I will definitely re-order!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Happy Hoodie 2 Pack; Brand: Zoni Pets, LLC; Review: Can I just say, "WOW!"? I have a pup who is full of anxiety. Anxiety when I leave. Anxiety during thunder storms. Anxiety during fireworks. I had tried everything. Thundershirt (aka the $40 t-shirt I bought for my dog!). It didn't help. Doggy Prozac. Didn't work. A few weeks ago during a thunderstorm, I posted on facebook that I wished there were some kind of ears plugs for dogs. Well, I Google'd and low and behold, there is! I will admit I was turned off by the ridiculous name: The Happy Hoodie. I tried it last week during a thunderstorm and, while he wasn't "happy" about the Happy Hoodie, my pup did calm down noticeably! Last night, July 4th, would prove to be the REAL test! My pup was getting anxious as the fireworks ramped up. So I slipped it on. Within minutes, he calmed down and eventually went to sleep while all around us explosions are going off. Yes, it looks silly. Yes, the name is ridiculous! But does it work? It did for my pup! And it's certainly a better value than that $40 dollar t-shirt I got my dog! (still bitter about that... I don't spend $40 dollars on t-shirts for ME!) I only wish I had found this 6 years ago!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: High Road Dog Car Barrier with Full View Mesh Cover and Padded Steel Frame; Brand: High Road; Review: Came without instructions and multiple straps. I have NO idea if I've installed it correctly or not. It's a bit inconvenient to have to refer back to this purchase to see the instructions and or video. Would it have been so hard to include the instructions in the box? I don't think so. Very disappointed.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Deluxe Quilted Dog Belly Band for Male Dogs – Washable Reusable Diaper Wraps – Includes 4 Belly Bands Per Pack; Brand: PawSpec; Review: I ordered the small as my dog measures 12" around his belly. It BARELY fits. It's extremely snug. It's supposed to be for dogs up to 13". I was afraid if I had ordered the medium it would be too big. Also, they are very wide. So, part of it is around the belly and the other is around the chest, making it difficult to get a snug fit without making it hard for my pup to breathe. But I have to get a snug fit due to the fact that it's too small, so it's a bit bunched up near his legs. I wish the sizing guide had been more accurate.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Canned Wet Dog Food, Grain Free, Venison and Sweet Potato Formula, 13-Ounce; Brand: Natural Balance; Review: My pups love it! I'm very disappointed that the subscription I had was discontinued. I would love to have kept ordering it. But now the price is WAY too high. I will look for it at Petco or Petsmart.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: PureBites Beef Liver Freeze-Dried Treats Dogs; Brand: PureBites; Review: UPDATE: Placed a 2nd order on 12/9/16 with JNDBRJKSNS. Today is 12/20. The status still says "Preparing for shipment" and "Arriving Dec 30, 2016 - Jan 13, 2017. And now they've disappeared as a vendor for this product and their storefront is empty. If they reappear, I don't recommend ordering for them. One of my pups has to be on a grain free diet. It's not easy to find affordable grain-free treats that he likes. He LOVES these! And I like that they are made in the US. I break up the larger pieces for my small pups. They both get very excited when I reach for the bag!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: K&H Manufacturing K&H Pet Products Self-Warming Lounge Sleeper Pet Bed 16" x 20"; Brand: K&H Pet Products; Review: I love them! My pups love them! The material is so nice and soft. And I love the color (brown on the outside and green on the inside). Very nice beds!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: NAC&ZAC Waterproof Hammock Pet Car Seat Cover, Non-slip, Extra Side Flaps, Machine Washable; Brand: NAC&ZAC; Review: Very nice! I love the side panels and the elastic straps that help keep them in place. It really helps keep dirt off the entire seat, not just the top. The straps that go over the head rests are well made and the connections to the panel are sewn to last! Just wish the panel on the back of the front seats had pockets. It's a good product at a fair price!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Homdox Automatic Pet Feeder Cat FeedersABS MaterialDog Cat Dry Food Portion Control; Brand: Homdox; Review: Slows my speedy eater pup down so she finishes when my slow eater pup does. She used to finish way before he was done and would go over to him and stare at him as he ate. No fights, but I had to watch to make sure she didn't nudge her way in and start eating his breakfast!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Wegreeco Washable Female Dog Diapers (Pack of 3); Brand: Wegreeco; Review: Cute and do the job! My pup wasn't very happy about having to wear them (she walked a little funny at first). But at least no more accidents on my expensive carpets!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: ORE Pet Speckle & Spot Ceramic Shallow Bowl - Bandana Blue; Brand: ORE Pet; Review: Cute design! It goes with my other blue and white dog bowls. It's the right size for my Shih Tzu mix. He seems to like the shallow bowls more than the deep ones and this one is almost a plate rather than a bowl.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Ship of Destiny (Liveship Traders, Book 3); Author: Visit Amazon's Robin Hobb Page; Review: I really didn't want this trilogy to end! Robin Hobb is a great writer and makes you feel like you are experiencing the story, not just reading.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming: The Visionary Modern Classic: A Way of; Author: Masanobu Fukuoka; Review: Thought provoking and life changing. I want to try out some of the methods on our farm and in my life.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality; Author: Daniel A., Ph.D. Helminiak; Review: Very interesting historical look at what the bible means.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dragon Keeper (The Rain Wild Chronicles); Author: R. Hobb; Review: Again, lost in another world and couldn't put the book down. But it ended so abruptly that I thought my Kindle had not downloaded the whole book. It really is like a long book was divided in half after it was written. Still, Robin Hobb transports you to another time and place that you don't want to leave to you know the whole story.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Natural Antibiotics: Homemade Natural Herbal Remedies to Prevent, Heal and Cure Common Illnesses, Infections and Allergies (Natural Remedies) (Volume; Author: Amy Adams; Review: The title is deceiving and it is quite short with only about 8 recipes.; Rating: 2.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Danskin Women's Essentials Ankle Legging; Brand: ; Review: Very soft and comfortable; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sam Edelman Women's Gigi Thong Sandal; Brand: ; Review: Fit well, the sole has a good amount of padding.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: ZERDSKY Men's Regular-Fit Solid Color Dance Prom Dress Shirt; Brand: ZERDSKY; Review: Fit well; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kangaroo Costume Wigs; 1960s Rock 'n Roll Black Wig;; Brand: Kangaroo; Review: Great fit & very authentic; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Vesuvio Napoli Men's Paisley Design Dress Vest & NeckTie DARK PURPLE Color Neck Tie Set; Brand: Vesuvio Napoli; Review: Great for Mardi Gras ball or prom; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bunz Kidz Little Girls' Unicorn Dreams; Brand: Bunz Kidz; Review: Material is not too soft!; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Minus33 Merino Wool Men's Kancamagus Midweight Bottom; Brand: Minus33 Merino Wool; Review: warm; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Caldwell Deluxe Universal Medium Varmint Front Rest - Filled Bag; Brand: Caldwell; Review: ok; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gore-Tex Medium Weight Repair Kit; Brand: Gear Aid; Review: worked great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Minus33 Merino Wool Men's Kancamagus Midweight Bottom; Brand: Minus33 Merino Wool; Review: warm; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Shoreline Marine Pump Lower Unit Fill; Brand: Shoreline Marine; Review: pumps great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: UST Sparkie Fire Starter; Brand: UST; Review: fire good; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Sports_and_Outdoors |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: A Lancaster Amish Home For Jacob - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Rachel Stoltzfus Page; Review: East reading.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Amish Valentine: Amish Short Romance Fiction (Faith's Creek Amish Short Romance Book 3) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Sarah Miller Page; Review: short and sweet and to the point. quite enjoyable.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: AMISH ROMANCE: The Horse Trainer - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Rebekah Fisher Page; Review: easy reading and always has a happy ending.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Restless Disobedience: Clean Amish Romance (A Jamesport Amish Romance Book 1) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Joy Witt Page; Review: good reading,; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Sugarcreek Amish Romance (Amish of Sugarcreek Romance Series Book 1) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Anna Fisher Page; Review: Always enjoyable stories and easy reading and would recommend it to others.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Kindle_Store |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Enlishop women Sleeve Shift Fit Flare Evening Party Knee Length Dress; Brand: Enlishop; Review: Runs small buy a size or two bigger. I'm a size 4/6 and bought a large and fit just fine.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Women's Casual Distressed Vintage Denim Knee Length Skirts Collection; Brand: Fandsway; Review: I'm a size 4/6 and bought a large and it fits just fine.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Betsey Johnson Women's PRINCE d'Orsay Pump; Brand: ; Review: Very pretty shoes but hurt=(; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Women's Flared Bowknot Front Skirt A-Line Pleated Vintage Skirts with Pockets; Brand: PERSUN; Review: Such a cute skirt! I'm a size 4/6 orderd a medium & fits perfect!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Giorgio Brutini Men's 159042 Slip-On Loafer; Brand: Giorgio Brutini; Review: Very nice shoe. True to size.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Choies Women's High Waist A-line Flared Long Skirt Winter Fall Midi Skirt; Brand: CHOiES record your inspired fashion; Review: This is a very pretty skirt & nice material! I am a size 4/6 & 5ft2. I had first ordered a large from reading all the reviews but had to return it because it was way to big. I reorderd a small & it fit perfectly. The only reason why I'm giving the skirt a 4 & not a 5 is because I thought it was midi length & its not it fits me to my ankles.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ivanka Trump Women's Kaydenly Dress Pump; Brand: ; Review: These heels are pretty & very comfortable! True to size.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Trearddur Bay Hotel; City: Trearddur Bay Anglesey North Wales Wales; Review: The bay hotel is really lovely the staff are very friendly and hotel has been recently undergone a very tasteful revamp . It's such a shame that the mattress are possibly the worst that my wife and I have ever had the misfortune too have tried to sleep . Even moving rooms didn't help . Thank god the breakfast was great with good coffee .; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sol Lanzarote All Inclusive; City: Puerto Del Carmen Lanzarote Canary Islands; Review: We have recently returned from a five day stay at this hotel with my wife our son and my mother in law .This hotel is very tired and a little shabby around the edges to say the least .Bedrooms are cleanish cotton sheets are rough and scratchy but also have massive cockroaches in the rooms . There are far to few sunbeds for the amount of guests that are staying at this hotel , people start claiming there places around the pool as early as 7am the sunbeds don't get unchained until 9-15 .Breakfast was average for a hotel that is geared more for it's all inclusive guests but the coffee is the worst I have ever had anywhere in our travels and that goes for the nasty over sweet orange juice as well . My wife ask to speak to someone about it and was directed to the quality manager he agreed and as he said it is truly awful and wouldn't drink it himself .So you have to wait for the snack bar to open or walk 15mins along the prom to find a nice itailian coffee shop.The entertainment team were a little poor we made a effort to see one of the evening show for our son and wish we hadn't .The location of the hotel is about 5 mins drive from the airport so if you are a plane spotter you will love it as they fly passed all day very close . It's not a 4 star book another hotel .; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Milton Brook Estate; City: Chester Cheshire England; Review: As a family we stayed at the Milton brook cottages in November for around 3 weeks due to major building work on our home . We choose the cottages as it is not to far from our house and the children's schools. The first cottage we stayed in was the grooms it was above the game room and indoor pool. It all look very warn and a little shabby ( no chic whatsoever ) bedding was very old and far from fresh. The mattress on the double bed was probably the most uncomfortable thing I have ever slept on ( had too buy a mattress topper the next day) .We never had the heating on as the boiler room is below the cottage and heats it up to a uncomfortable temperature (God help anyone staying in the summer) The weekends the cottages become a hen and stag night factory with screaming shouting ,taxis coming and going until the early hours not the best when you have children. The lady that manages the bookings cocked up our booking so we had to move across the court yard to the granary cottage. The granary cottage is a complete hole dirty ,falling apart we where meant to have had a booking for another week but we were told that had 2 nights because they had taken another booking and they where not bothered about it in any way. So it's dirty noisy not luxurious and not worth booking there are many love cottages in the area to rent as we did after leaving Milton brook .; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Riu Palace Tikida Agadir; City: Agadir Souss Massa Draa Region; Review: Hi all we have recently returned from a week stay at this lovely hotel on arrival you we were meet by the really friendly bell boys to help with luggage and then by the reception team who swiftly checked us in .We are a party of 5 my wife myself and our 3 boys . This is your second trip to Agadir in four years. Our rooms where we'll appointed clean and general good .( apart from the mattress on the beds are VERY firm and a conciliatory amount of black mould in the bath/shower area due to bad ventilation and not the house keeping). All the areas in the hotel are lovely grounds are kept to a very high standard. Pool area is clean glasses are constantly cleared. Spa is lovely. Pool staff are really helpful in sorting out beds & parasols which there are plenty,we never had a problem getting 5 beds and 2 parasols ( evan after a 11-30 lye in on our first morning) Food is of a very high standard in the main restaurant and the snack restaurant . I could not fault the food or the service. We also dinner in the bookable restaurant which are amazing. The entertainment team are a group of lovely young people that work really hard to make everyone happy and the boys joined in with the daily activities.our 6 yr old loved the evening shows which are very good . So the general thing is the hotel is very good service great food .My only bug bear is than for a 5 star hotel that is meant to stock international brand drinks it doesn't, so we are not massive drinkers but on holiday it's nice to have a drink in the afternoon say a rum&coke but cheap local booze that tastes nasty is not part of the 5 star experience the wine was ok. It's a lovely place to visit with s great climate and really nice people.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lough Eske Castle; City: Donegal Town County Donegal; Review: We had the pleasure to attend a family wedding at the laugh eske castle it is truly a amazing location. I arrived early on the Saturday morning to do the bridal parties hair the hotel staff where really helpful and friendly . During the reception everything was perfect from the food to the bar and the service the staff are truly amazing.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: 'Wheel Of Fortune' Guest Delivers Hilarious, Off The Rails Introduction; Abstract: We'd like to solve the puzzle, Pat: Blair Davis' loveless marriage? On Monday, "Wheel of Fortune" welcomed as a new contestant trucking business owner Blair Davis, who offered a biting introduction for himself. When host Pat Sajak asked the man from Cardiff, California, about his family, Davis plunged into one of the darkest personal summaries the show has likely ever heard. "I've been trapped in a loveless marriage for the last 12 years to an...; Category: tv
Title: Woman, suspect dead at 'Tarzan' actor Ron Ely's California residence; Abstract: Ron Ely, who portrayed Tarzan in the TV series in the 60s, was not harmed and is alive and well, a sheriff's office spokesman said.; Category: tv
Title: Eric Tse, 24, just became a billionaire overnight; Abstract: A 24-year-old business school graduate has just become an overnight billionaire.; Category: finance
Title: Billie Is Normalizing Female Facial Hair By Asking Women to Take Part In Movember; Abstract: The razor brand is reminding people that women can grow 'staches, too.; Category: health
Title: Latest Australia shark attack sparks tourism concerns; Abstract: Tourism operators want aerial shark patrols to be introduced in Australia's Whitsunday Islands as they try to stem falling visitor numbers following a spate of attacks along the Great Barrier Reef.; Category: travel
Title: Ellen Scares Halsey Into Confirming Relationship With Evan Peters: Watch; Abstract: It's official: Halsey and Evan Peters are dating, as the singer confirmed once Ellen DeGeneres gave her a good scare.; Category: music
Title: How To Open a Can Without a Can Opener; Abstract: All it takes is a metal spoon and some elbow grease.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Think Twice Before Flying with Your Pet. Here's Why.; Abstract: Thinking about taking Fido, Fluffy, or any four-legged friend with you on a plane? Don't book a ticket before reading this! The post Think Twice Before Flying with Your Pet. Here's Why. appeared first on Reader's Digest.; Category: travel
Title: News anchor calls out body-shaming comments after being told she looks 'mighty big on TV'; Abstract: Nina Harrelson of WREG in Memphis took to social media on Sunday to call out critics who share their unsolicited opinions about women's bodies.; Category: lifestyle
Title: 'Out' child presents sleepover challenge; Abstract: Dear Amy: I am a mom to two girls. When my oldest was in middle school, I learned quickly about some of our generational differences, especially as it relates to identifying as LGBTQ. Now, kids seem to come out at an even younger age.; Category: lifestyle
Title: The Milky Way's black hole kicked a star out of our galaxy; Abstract: Astronomers have spotted a star speeding through our galaxy at more than 3,728,227 mph. And in 100 million years, it will leave the Milky Way for good.; Category: news | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Caterpillar Men's Power Stripe Cuff Cap; Brand: Caterpillar; Review: Great price and it fits great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Champion Men's Jersey Muscle T-Shirt; Brand: ; Review: Great shirt for the price; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's Short Sleeve Fashion Tee Shirt; Brand: ; Review: Cool shirt for work and looks professional; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Caterpillar Men's Cat Trademark Ringer T-Shirt; Brand: Caterpillar; Review: Nice work shirt and not a heavy material; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carhartt Men's Big & Tall Workwear Pocket Short-Sleeve T-Shirt Original Fit K87; Brand: ; Review: Great work shirt. The quality is as expected; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carhartt Men's Workwear Pocket Short Sleeve Henley Original Fit Shirt K84; Brand: ; Review: Fits great and a nice price. Fast shipping.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carhartt Men's Workwear Pocket Short Sleeve Henley Original Fit Shirt K84; Brand: ; Review: Fits great and a nice price. Fast shipping.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Industrial Wear DX400 32W by 10L Relaxed Fit Cotton Utility Short Painters Pants, White; Brand: Dickies Industrial Wear; Review: Just ordered more for this summer. Great work shorts.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carhartt Men's Workwear Pocket Sleeveless Midweight T-Shirt; Brand: ; Review: I bought this shirt for this summer and been using it every week due to the heat.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Harley-Davidson Men's Bar & Shield Winged Embossed Leather Belt HD-12; Brand: Harley-Davidson; Review: Nice belt for the price. I have seen them at flea markets cheaper but thats what they were CHEAP.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's 11 Inch Duck Carpenter Short; Brand: ; Review: Heavy work pants but a little long for the summer; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: var aPageStart = (new Date()).getTime(); var ue_t0=ue_t0||+new Date(); window.ue_ihb = (window.ue_ihb || window.ueinit || 0) + 1; if (window.ue_ihb; Brand: ; Review: Great work belt for the price; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carhartt Men's Signature Sleeve Logo Long Sleeve T-Shirt K231; Brand: ; Review: Great heavy duty work shirt; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carhartt Men's Relaxed Fit Five Pocket Tapered Leg Jean B17; Brand: ; Review: Can't go wrong with Carhartt work pants; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's Double Prong Belt; Brand: ; Review: Great work belt for the price; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: var aPageStart = (new Date()).getTime(); var ue_t0=ue_t0||+new Date(); window.ue_ihb = (window.ue_ihb || window.ueinit || 0) + 1; if (window.ue_ihb; Brand: ; Review: Great quility; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's 550 Relaxed-fit Jean; Brand: ; Review: Great quility; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carhartt Men's Signature Logo Midweight Jersey Long Sleeve T-Shirt; Brand: ; Review: I get questions on where I purchased this shirt all the time; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Caterpillar Men's Trademark Banner Long Sleeve Tee; Brand: Caterpillar; Review: What else is their to say. Top quality and long lasting; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's 11 Inch Denim Carpenter Short; Brand: ; Review: The best work shorts for general construction; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Old Glory Led Zeppelin Men's Good Times Bad Times T-shirt Black; Brand: Old Glory; Review: They run small; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: FEA Men's Led Zeppelin Hermit T-Shirt; Brand: FEA; Review: They run small; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's 8 3/4 Ounce Double Knee Painter's Pant; Brand: ; Review: Great painter paints and fit as noted; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bravado Men's The Rolling Stones Tour Of America T-Shirt; Brand: Bravado; Review: Fast shipping and looks cool on my friend; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's Big & Tall Long-Sleeve Heavyweight Crew-Neck T-Shirt; Brand: ; Review: Medium duty work shirt under a hood works great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rugged Blue CSGPTWP1000025168-WHT-36X34 Double Knee Painters Pants, English, Cotton, 36 x 34, White; Brand: Rugged Blue; Review: Excellent painter paints at a great price; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's Relaxed-Fit Utility Pant; Brand: ; Review: Good quality and ware great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's Relaxed-Fit Utility Pant; Brand: ; Review: Good quality and ware great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carhartt Men's Big & Tall Signature-Sleeve Logo Long-Sleeve T-Shirt K231; Brand: ; Review: You know what your getting with Carhartt. Top quality; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Square & Compass Black Leather Light Blue & Gold Medallion Masonic Key Chain - 3 1/4" Tall; Brand: The Masonic Exchange; Review: Very satisfied.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's Relaxed-Fit Utility Pant; Brand: ; Review: Good quality and ware great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dickies Men's Short Sleeve Heavyweight Crew Neck 100% Soft Cotton Jersey Knit; Brand: ; Review: Top quality and ware great; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: The First Rule of Swimming: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Courtney Angela Brkic Page; Review: It was quirky but a good story line. I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters. Sometimes the jumping in time was hard to follow.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Illegal Gardener (Greek Village); Author: Visit Amazon's Sara Alexi Page; Review: It was an easy read. The characters were developed for a chick read. It is a perfect airplane book. Enjoy.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dear Bob and Sue; Author: Matt and Karen Smith; Review: A funny but informative story about visiting all 58 National Parks. It was interesting to hear their take of the parks I have been to and want to see.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Forgotten Garden; Author: Visit Amazon's Kate Morton Page; Review: A typical Kate Morton book. My only complaint is the ending wraps up things too perfectly.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Time to Betray: The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran; Author: Visit Amazon's Reza Kahlili Page; Review: Reza tells us about growing up in Iran when the Shah was in power. He then attends college and grad school in California. He returns to Iran right before the Shah was overthrown. His childhood friend, Kazem, arranges a tech job for him in the Revolutionary Guard after the coup. Disillusioned by what he sees, he becomes a CIA agent. Interesting- the importance of family and the violence and cruelty in the name of Islam.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Serpents Trail (Maxie and Stretch Mystery); Author: Visit Amazon's Sue Henry Page; Review: Maxie and her dog, Stretch, arrive in Grand Junction, CO to find her friend, Sarah, in the hospital. The story evolves to exclude an old boyfriend, an adopted son and others. Good relaxing story.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda; City: Punta Cana La Altagracia Province Dominican Republic; Review: I must start off by saying, that we ended up staying in the Esmeralda, as the Ambar was overbooked and the resort offered to move us here - we graciously accepted. Found the management very visible, always greeting guests as they came by the main desk - how they remember so many guests by name amazes me. They advised me that they would be expanding the Esmeralda - no date determined yet - they just want to make sure they have everything as close to perfection as possible before they add on more rooms. At the present time the Esmeralda consists of 4 buildings with 60 Jr. Suites in each building - making it very quaint and so easy to get to all areas within the Esmeralda. I have posted photos so they will show the nice details of the rooms etc. One big thing we noticed right away was the fact that the halls were carpeted, thereby cutting down immensely on noise in hallways. As usual, the cleanliness throughout the entire Esmeralda was impeccable. Rooms are very well appointed - liked the new washroom layout, with the window above the jacuzzi tub that could be open or closed by curtains if desired. Nice pillow top mattresses - 4 poster beds and lots of room - very spacious. The mini bar was always kept stocked - had the pillow service - very nice, Did not try the room service, but saw many servers bringing meals to rooms constantly. And yes, they do have face cloths ! Lobby Bar was exquisite - and yes they do have Brugal Extra Viejo for those wondering - enjoyed the buffet - good selection and quality - snack bar was also very good and the a la carte called Bella Vista (Italian) was truly outstanding. I had the sirloin steak that did not need a knife to cut it - done to perfection & delicious. Others in our group had steak or pasta and were very impressed. The appetizers are outstanding - the presentation is deserving of a photo shot - Service could not have been better - very attentive staff. If you are a smoker, the shop located in the lobby does not stock cigarettes, so make sure you stock up at the gift shops by the main resort lobby or at the Pueblo Principe shops. The main pool is very nice, but we would spend most of our time at the adult only jacuzzi pool just beyond the large family pool. Because it it much smaller, it is even warmer. This adult only pool is surrounded by 8 cabanas which contain a table and two loungers and the sides can be drawn for any extra privacy. The beach area is very similar in size to the Ambar - quite deep - lots of palapas and never a shortage of loungers. As this is the far south end of the Bahia property, there is more space on the beach than in the centre area of the resort. The children sure were enjoying the new activity item; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Luxury Bahia Principe Ambar; City: Punta Cana La Altagracia Province Dominican Republic; Review: We returned to the Ambar with family and friends from Jan 13 - 20 - 9 of us in total and we had another memorable experience. Five of us were located in building number 64 - a fantastic location. We were all located on the same floor with consecutive rooms - based on the fact that the resort was at full capacity, we were very happy that this was able to be done. Beds were excellent - all of slept great, and this resort does have face cloths, not normally found in many Caribbean resorts, no issues with a/c, turn down service was excellent and I do love the chocolate - and the mini fridge stocked every day. Upon arrival we had the extreme pleasure of being greeted by the Assistant General Manager and the General Manager of the Ambar - the lovely Patricia and Mr. Pere Vila. I must say that these two individuals, along with other members of their management team, were always very visible around the resort - on the beach, around the pool, the Pueblo Principe, lobby, snack bar, etc.. - checking to see if guests were experiencing any issues, lending a hand if required and making sure that everything was operating to their requirements - very visible and effective management team in my opinion. A lot of you may have read me discussing or giving you the email address for Albania Batista at the resort - well we went to her office and there she was, working as hard as ever - what a great job she does and she still has that beautiful smile. The lobby was impeccable as it always has been and the entire resort including the grounds and rooms were spotless. Cleaning, painting and maintenance staff were always working keeping the resort looking this way - I would request that guests using those plastic cups/straws please put them in the refuse containers and not leave them on the pool deck or on the beach. The boardwalk to the beach was a nice addition from last year - makes the trek to the beach and back much easier and noticed that guests requiring the use of wheelchairs made excellent use of it. It starts right next to the entry/exit from the pool and goes directly to the public beach area. Life guard towers are now erected and noticed the prestigious Blue Flag Award Flag prominently displayed there. Beach erosion is occurring along Bavaro Beach - starts at the northern life guard tower just south of the Ambar beach and extends to the area just north of the Bahia Esmeralda public Beach area - it is the width that is reduced - not the length of the beach. The private beach area directly in front of the Ambar is not affected but one can see that the public beach area beyond the private area has been slightly reduced in width. Having seen this happen before in various ocean conditions, the beach area will come back with the ever changing tidal conditions. Many of the guests; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Garden Inn Buffalo Airport; City: Cheektowaga New York; Review: My wife and I had the privilege of staying at this hotel April 6 & 7, 2012,, just as the trees were blossoming in this early spring !. We pre booked our reservations by calling the hotel directly and were provided with very specific and detailed information pertaining to availability of certain rooms and amenities, in a very friendly and professional manner - upon arrival it was exactly as described. We were assisted by both two front desk staff members - Brandon & Karen - both truly dedicated, knowledgeable and very helpful individuals who are a credit to the management of this hotel. Answered all questioons we had and were so helpful at assisting me with accessing the hotels wifi on my iphone (thank you again Brandon) I observed them on numerous occasions assisting other guests in precisely the same manner. We had a room with two beds on the third floor facing Buffalo airport (hotel has 5 floors in total) - impeccably clean and very well maintained. No noise from aircraft at the airport - nice selection of pillows, very comfortable bed, nice room amenities, microwave and a very cold mini fridge plus a coffee maker - very comfortable ergonomic chair for the desk which . Breakfast was available at a cost, but we did not dine there, although many were doing so, both in the morning and in the evening - a very relaxing lobby in the evening with a two sided fireplace as well. The heated pool was a great temp for me - again - very clean - great supply of towels - hot jacuzzi tub was very good but I did detect a bit of an odour (not chlorine) from it. There were many loungers in the pool area as well as 4 patio tables for guests to gather. The exercise room is next to the pool - nice treadmills and elliptical trainers - there were free weights and I beleive a row machine - liked the idea of the personal TV on the cardio equipment and also a large HD TV to catch the "Masters" golf highlights on at the time. There are plenty of snacks available in the room to the left of the front desk - a bit on the pricey side, but I have yet to be in a resort that offers these at what I will call a "discount" rate - they were fresh. Guests may put the cost of these on the room tab or pay the staff member at the front desk. There are nice outside patio areas both at the front /side of the lobby and off top the side of the indoor pool - again - very well maintained. It is a very convenient location to not only Buffalo airport, but also to Niagara Falls airport (took 20 minutes to get there which is no time at all as far as we are concerned) - very handy to Walden Galleria (7 minutes away), the Boulevard Mall (10-12) minutes and the Outlet Mall (25 minutes) - Needless to say; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Travelodge Barrie On Bayfield; City: Barrie Ontario; Review: Stayed with my wife at this hotel at 300 Bayfield St for one night only - August 11/12 as we were in Barrie for a wedding. The block of rooms had been negotiated by the brides parents for out of town guests. There was no doubt that the hotel is rather dated - from the front lobby, the continental breakfast area, the hallways and certainly the rooms. Besides the decor being dated, the pillows on each of the two beds (double size, not queen) were of different consistency and it was our impression that they were the same pillow, but that two were rather old and simply not as firm as the other two. The shower is the older style one piece molded and the fixtures were rather pitted with age. The air conditioning unit was noisy to say the least as it was more than evident when it kicked in and the loud noise when it shut off from it's cooling cycle. We had arrived one hour prior to the wedding and had not turned the a/c on and only noticed the noise when we returned to the room and did turn it on about 1:30 am on August 12 - a little late to have the staff do anything about it then. We also noticed that the wall mounted a/c unit blew the cool air directly up in between the window curtains and the window rather than into the room, so we had to adjust the curtains to allow the air to flow into the room. We did not make use of the pool and hot tub which are open from 9am until 10pm daily. We were on the first floor and the odour of chlorine was quite evident in the hallways even though we were a distance from the pool itself. The hotel does have an ATM machine for guests and a continental breakfast from 6 am to 10 am. It is very conveniently located immediately on the west side of the exit off of the 400 highway at the Bayfield exit. . The staff at the front desk were very polite and courteous.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Luxury Bahia Principe Ambar; City: Punta Cana La Altagracia Province Dominican Republic; Review: Vistied the Ambar resort from July 31 to August 5/12 with myself and a good friend which was his first visit to the Dominican Republic and therefore to the Bahia Ambar. We arrived at the Bahia Bavaro lobby and informed the porters that we were guests at the Ambar. Our luggage was immediately transferred to a trolly and we were taken directly to the Ambar lobby. When checking in, we were so pleasantly surprised to be met by Mr. Pere Villa, Christian and Leonardo - they greeted us like returning family members - it was so nice of them to do this. We were then taken to our rooms in building #68 and were happy that they were able to provide us rooms next to one another. We had prebooked our a la carte reservations prior to arrival and they were all able to be accommodated - there was a reservation that we did require the day to be changed throughout the week, as the week went on and this was accommodated by the Guest Services staff. We dined at the Don Pablo, the Maiko, The Bella Italia and the Garden Grill throughout the week and all were absoultely fantastic for food quality, presentation and service by the staff. The other days we were dining at the main buffet. It never fails to impress me, just how much variety there is, and the quality of the food - even the soups, which I love, were different every night and I must admit, the ministrone soup was so good that I had 3 bowls - i easily could have gone for a 4th but I did want to try the steak and shrimp that was available ! The one factor that is so noticeable at this resort is the visibility of the management - the interaction that they have with the guests and staff is very evident - they truly do this very well. We also had the pleasure to meet the relatively new resident Manager, Marco Pena - a very nice and learned gentlemen who certainly made guests feel comfortable and at "home" at the Ambar. We did notice that the location of the Portofino and El Olivio a la cartes at the Ambar have interchanged - the Portofino a la carte is now located on the west side of the pool snack bar and the El Olivio is now on the beach side of the pool snack bar - they are still opened but still only for 2 days and then closed for 2 days at this time. Being the low season for us here in Canada it is not considered that for many Americans or Europeans, as all of the Bahia resorts were running at a high occupancy level at this time. There was no issue in obtaining a palapa on the beach in the morning - although those right next to the ocean were hard to find at times. Those under a shade at the pool were always first to go, but we did find one within a short; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Luxury Bahia Principe Ambar; City: Punta Cana La Altagracia Province Dominican Republic; Review: 10 of us were amazed at the additions made to the current Luxury Bahia Ambar during our vacation from November 18 to November 25. Additions such as a new pool, an additional 364 guest rooms in 6 additional guest buildings, a new jacuzzi pool, a new sushi bar, another main lobby, another main lobby bar, another a la carte - the EL Rodizio (Brazilian meats). They have paid such attention to detail in the construction of the magnificient main lobby and additional buffet that the photos I have supplied are the best way to describe it. They have added over 800 loungers around the new pool, which is physically divided into 3 sections, dozens of additional cabanas and patio umbrellas and palms. Room buildings are identical in style to those of the Luxury Esmeralda resort with respect to the larger washroom which contains a window to the guest room for additional light and which has privacy curtains as well - all rooms have 4 poster canopy beds with pillow top mattress's and the Don Pablo brand of their own amenities for guests. The only difference is that there is no carpeting throughout the buildings hallways - just well maintained polished marble floors which looked wonderful. The butler service, room pillow menu, 24 hour room service along with the safe included in the all inclusive is still available for all. It was very easy to get to the beach which was less than a 10 minute stroll to walk or guests can take the tram to the beach which runs along both sides of the Ambar on Ave. Ambar or Ave. Bavaro. The entertainment at the new Ambar west resort was very nice to see such as the White Beach Party on Saturday evening outside of the main lobby area (if the likelihood of rain is high) - otherwise it would be at the beach - was over at 10:30pm as the music could bother guests if it continued later. They also held a "Boogie Night" dance party on the pool deck in basically the same area - believe that was on Friday evening. The Brazilian a la carte called EL Rodizio is located on the beach side of the pool snack bar at the Ambar east resort - it was excellent - the meats were so tasty and succulent and they don not stop serving it until you say so ! The service by all staff including the animation staff was second to none - all very pleasant, helpful and professional. While we were there, the Ambar resort was at full capacity. This did put a strain on obtaining beach loungers by 9-9:30 am even though the beach area has been expanded further towards the north end of the beach itself. We will look forward to our next visit.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Luxury Bahia Principe Akumal; City: Akumal Yucatan Peninsula; Review: There were 6 adults along with our 6 month old grandson that vacationed at the Luxury Bahia Principe Akumal Resort from Oct 3/16 to Oct 10/16. We were placed in building 83 - one of two new style buildings for the Akumal resort, however the same beautiful design and amenities as the Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda and the Luxury Bahia Principe Ambar Green found in Punta Cana. Upon arrival we were easily checked in and were introduced to our very professional butler Michael Romero, who took such personal and professional care of us throughout the week that we were all truly impressed us. His knowledge of the resort and his dealings with all staff were very gratifying. We were driven by trolley to our room location on the south end of the resort and shown our rooms. We were very impressed to see that they had a desk for the butlers in building 83 - main floor - in the event we had the immediate need to reach them. We had adjoining rooms, which we requested, next to our daughter and grandson and were provided with a wonderful day bed for our grandson which we truly appreciated. The mini fridge was well stocked every day (additional cervezas were provided on request), A welcome bottle of champagne in all three rooms, flowers and a very nice fruit tray - just wonderful. The rooms were immaculate and turn down service was provided each evening. The only issue we ever had during the week, was with the shaving mirror on the wall in the washroom came loose and almost fell off - we reported this to the butler station on the main floor as one enters the building and it was repaired within minutes ! The in room safe was very easy to use, the robes and slippers were very comfortable and we did use the iron and ironing board provided (the ladies have to look good ! LOL ! ) The washroom layout was very nice, with all toiletries provided (comb, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, hair conditioner, sewing kit, shaving kit, shower cap, emery board, bath gel & body lotion. The air conditioning worked absolutely excellent and as a tip - keep the cupboard door to the mini fridge open to assist keeping the fridge itself cooler. We had two queen size canopy beds which had pillow top mattresses and very comfortable - the pillow menu was available, however, the regular pillows provided, were more than sufficient. There is a ceiling fan in the room which was well used when the A/C was not required - a great and basic idea that we appreciated. We could see the new infinity pool when looking to the right from the balcony, which we were told would become an adult only pool on November 1, along with the two new buildings #82 & 83. There is a dedicated tram directly in front of building 82/83 to take guests to the Akumal main lobby buffet and the 2nd pool and beach area located there. There is; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Express Hotel Suites Edmonton South; City: Edmonton Alberta; Review: My wife and I stayed at this hotel from June 4 to 7 and again on June 9, 2018, with a slight break in between to take a side trip to Jasper. We found the hotel very friendly, very clean - pro-active management always talking with guests to determine their wants/needs/concerns. We enjoyed the pool which was open from 6am to 11pm daily. The hot tub was excellent. The shower in the pool area was a little cool but certainly satisfactory. The breakfast buffet was open Mon to Friday from 6am to 9:30am and from 6:30am to 9:30 am on Sat and Sunday. Excellent assortment and well stocked. The hotel offered an on site laundry facility. a fitness centre and a Business Centre - all very convenient. The rooms were very comfortable - mattress's were more than comfortable, nice pillow choices to choose from, very clean and quiet. Had an issue with the TV the first day - called the front desk for maintenance and they came and corrected the issue within 10 minutes - each and every staff member was so helpful and sincerely friendly and caring. The General Manager (Douglas) introduced himself to us - very knowledgeable gentleman who certainly demonstrated a wealth of knowledge and a passion for the hotel and company - there was a number of staff being cross-trained on the front desk, who were all so helpful with any question, both in the day and the evening.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Becker s Chalets; City: Jasper National Park Alberta; Review: The 4 of us (adults) stayed in Becker’s Chalet on Saturday June 9 while visiting Jasper National Park. We booked this location 2 months prior as we were amazed that everything in Banff and Jasper was fully booked - we got their last chalet available - and what a beauty it was ! A great location just 5 minutes south of Jasper itself - we arrived at 6:00pm with many other guests. The front desk staff were very professional and efficient - the gift shop was very nice. The chalet we had was remarkable. A two bedroom unit with the upper loft contains the second bedroom. The washroom was on the main floor. The fireplace was well used by us that evening and we bought the logs at the main lobby. Impeccably clean and well supplied - all dishes, pots and utensils were there - coffee machine and fridge nice and cold for our drinks. No beach area as it is on the Athabaska River - very picturesque. Guests could BBQ outdoors by obtain a BBQ at the front desk and a number of others were doing so. The breakfast buffet was very nice, but like all resort buffets in this area - pricey as our breakfast for 4 was approx $90. In the evening, the buffet converts to a “Gourmet” restaurant, which was very busy Saturday evening. We did not have the opportunity to dine their for dinner, but judging from the menu and other guest comments, we certainly will next time - the steak and lobster looked mouth watering. Checkout was excellent and pleasant.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Luxury Bahia Principe Ambar; City: Punta Cana La Altagracia Province Dominican Republic; Review: I have included a large number of photos to assist in further reflecting what I have listed below for all to see. Arrived at the new Luxury Bahia Ambar on November 7, 2018 to join friends who arrived a few days earlier and personally see, live and enjoy all the changes – and the resort certainly exceeded the expectations of each and every one of us ! From the ease of the check in process – where we arrived at the “Welcome Lobby” at the Grand Bahia Aquamarine resort (formerly the Luxury Bahia Ambar Green) and after letting the porters know that we were guests of the Luxury Bahia Ambar, we and our luggage were then taken to the lobby of the Ambar where we simply were so warmly and professionally greeted, in the new glorious and magnificent Ambar lobby, complete with two fountains, new front desk, new lobby bar and new large coffee shop - our wrist bands and room cards provided and we were taken to our room – no other paperwork to fill in or sign as the check in procedure is now done electronically – all within 10 minutes of arriving at the Ambar. We were greeted by the concierge staff and shown our room in building 60, facing the Ambar pool, ground level with swim up as “requested” – from the new colours of the guest buildings themselves which were simply classy – to having the concierge desk in the buildings (they act as the butler service from those that would recall from visits prior to Nov 1, 2018) - to the halls in each building which extend from one end of the guest building to the opposite end, making an easy walk through on a rainy day and a much better view available for staff and guests, to the new style/brighter ceramic floor tiles throughout with light woodgrain wall effects, the brighter lighting in the hallways, new doors on each room (a light woodgrain effect), new room signing (stainless steel) - everything new – the rooms themselves were remarkable in our opinion – we were carefully explained about the new a/c controls and a/c sensors that even detect when guests are in the room, notwithstanding, if the patio door is open the a/c will shut off as in past years, to the open concept washroom (a concern we previously had) – however, it worked very well for us and those in our group – no bath tub (which we truly didn’t miss as we never have used the tub in all of our previous visits), to the new vanity with muted white lighting around all sides of the wall to wall vanity mirror – to the lighting underneath the vanity, abundance of toiletries, 1850 watt hairdryer, new vanity countertop, the shower positioned so that anyone entering the room cannot view into it as the glass is clear, the lavatory on the opposite side of the vanity has a complete floor to ceiling frosted glass door, to the brightness of the washroom with the new lighting effect; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with businesses as follows:
Title: Bangin' Curry Franklin; City: Philadelphia, PA; Review: Let me just start off by saying that this is my first yelp review. I had Bangin' Curry this past weekend and wow! my mind was blown. The chicken was crispy and full of flavor. The rice was sticky without being mushy, and off course, the curry was just out of this world. We also ordered their fries with the wasabi sauce and they were delicious! With that being said, you won't be disappointed. I am glad they are part of the neighborhood!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Philadelphia Distilling; City: Philadelphia, PA; Review: My husband and I went for a tour and absolutely loved it! They welcomed us with a delicious cocktail, learned about the process of Distilling spirits and ended the tour with some tastings. Needles to say, the cocktails after the tour were to die for. Highly recommended!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Dutch; City: Philadelphia, PA; Review: I love trying new places and this one didn't disappoint. The food is delicious and their Bloody Mary mix is even better. Check it out!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: MOKO Organic Beauty Studio; City: Philadelphia, PA; Review: I recently tried Moko for the first time and was not disappointed, thanks to stylist Lily! Lily listened to what I wanted and delivered exactly what I had envisioned. I Highly recommend Moko and Lily!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Salon Bass; City: Philadelphia, PA; Review: Went for a haircut appointment with Lily and was not disappointed. Lily recommended cutting a little more than what I was thinking and oh man, was she right. My hair now looks super healthy and voluminous, thanks to Lily!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | yelp |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: The Ivy Apartments; City: Franschhoek Western Cape; Review: Located in the heart of Franschhoek and within walking distance of all main restaurants and shops. The room was spacious and well appointed and with almost all possible amenities one can expect. Friendly checkin and accommodating staff.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Leivatho Hotel; City: Cephalonia Ionian Islands; Review: We considered this hotel to be a real find. The grounds and gardens are spectacular amd the hotel is just a few mins walk from the beach and also boasts great ocean and landscape views. Our room was modern and spacious with a lovely balcony. Service and food at the hotel was very good too and we look forward to returning next year.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Leivatho Hotel; City: Cephalonia Ionian Islands; Review: We stayed at the hotel last year and had a very enjoyable stay. We returned this year with the same expectation, but unfortunately the hotel seems to have suffered a major decline in maintenance, quality and service. Firstly, for 3 days we observed a terrible sewage smell at certain times of day. When we finally figured out the source to be the drain/sewage water used to water the gardens and informed the front desk, the manager’s attitude was that of surprise and no apology was offered. Though The smell and watering did stop thereafter. Secondly, the breakfast is now so poor to be almost inedible. Bread is generally old, meats of very poor quality, scrambled and egg tarts dry like dust, mushrooms that are grey and limp and coffee that is simply horrible. Thirdly, the hotel seems to have downgraded its restaurant and now serves only frozen pizzas etc. No more room service either. No laundry service. Lastly, one of our “superior” rooms was in need of general maintenance and lighting was incompletely insuficient. It had a fridge the size of an ice box and a 2 plate stove that looked like something from a campsite. We love Avithos beach and surrounds, but unfortunately will not be returning to the hotel.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Capofaro Locanda Malvasia; City: Malfa Isola di Salina Aeolian Islands Islands of Sicily Sici; Review: This was one of the most amazing resorts I have ever stayed in. The beautiful grounds with vineyards and Bougainvilleas next to the sea and a small hill are simply breathtaking. Our room had a lovely terrace overlooking the ocean and a simple, luxurious, island style decor and feel. The pool area is lovely with large, comfy sun beds, umbrellas, towels and bar service while you lounge. I particularly want to point out the incredibly professional service we received from all the staff - their friendliness and efficiency added something even more special to an already amazing stay. Specifically, the 2 ladies at the front desk went out of their way to help us change our ferry tickets and arrange transport - it was greatly appreciated and we look forward to returning soon.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Villa Ducale; City: Taormina Province of Messina Sicily; Review: I really have to commend the hotel and all its staff for the absolutely amazing service and hospitality we received - it was on another level and we really appreciated it. The rooms are lovely too and the views breathtaking! I highly recommend staying here when visiting Taormina.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wyndham Grand Phuket Kalim Bay; City: Kamala Kathu Phuket; Review: A week's stay here to relax was an unpleasant experience to say the least. Rooms: 1. Nice & as advertised. However, I had one of the rooms with its own balcony pool. The issue was that due to the design it was mostly shaded & not heated, so swimming in the pool was cold & unpleasant. 2. Noise - my room was just above the bar which would frequently play club music very loudly in the afternoons. Location: 1. Far from everything & no shops close by. Budget 800-1000 Baht for a return trip to town. 2. Free shuttle service has to booked in advance both ways. Service: 1. I simply could not get housekeeping to service my room early. The first day it had not been serviced by 16:00. Thereafter even putting on the "clean room" light had no effect and I frequently had to phone by 12:00 to get someone to come clean my room. 2. The majority of staff could not understand basic english - I don't expect everyone in a foreign country to do so but in a 5 star hotel I expect to be understood. Examples include room service that could not understand "I want a burger and a glass of chardonnay" or the front desk "I need a taxi to Patong beach now". There were many other frustrating examples. Food: 1. Absolutely horrible food for a 5 star hotel. Breakfast & dinner were buffets of extremely mediocre quality food prepared hours before with little seasoning - all of course at exorbitant prices. 2. Breakfast - Often just 1 or 2 cheeses and 1 or 2 cold meats to choose from. Disgusting bacon and sausages. Old potatoes. Cheap bread. 2 old coffee machines (no coffee service to table) which dispensed horrible coffee - often had to wait in line due to the number of people. 3. Room service - Items frequently out of stock. Bones in beef patty. Dry chicken. Spa: 1. Horrendously overpriced. 2. No one at reception when I arrived for my appointment at time advised. 3. Mediocre massage overall and therapist entered room while I was still dressing. Other: 1. Upon check-in the hotel asks for a massive deposit. If you do not pay this, you can't sign anything to your room. So be prepared to pay for room service, spa, etc. Oh and they won't refill your minibar either without a deposit. 2. Cocktails at pools etc. are very expensive, served in plastic/acrylic glasses and once again made from inferior quality ingredients. Despite the beautiful view and room this is by far the worst 5 star hotel I have ever stayed in.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Waters Khao Lak by Katathani; City: Khao Lak Phang Nga Province; Review: This is one of those resorts where the pictures paint a very different picture than the reality, which was rather grim. It feels very much like a resort from the 80s and pools are set between gravel concrete slabs. My room was a pool access room but actually was not private at all since the room above also has access to the pool entrance right by your terrace, so be prepared for zero privacy on your balcony and the pool in front of it. The room needed paint in various places on the wall and had an old fake leather couch in it. The shower was massive but had a tiny little head that would no longer stay in place and sprayed to the side. Hotel completely overcharged on the taxi from the airport - do not use them. More than double the actual rate! Drinks at the bar were extremely expensive - 400 Baht for a double gin and tonic. The spa was the stuff of nightmares! Looks more like a repurposed hall. Old brown, cracked leather couches and dark dingy rooms. Massage therapist was winging it and was clearly untrained and inexperienced. Prices about 6 times more than outside. Located in the middle of nowhere in an unsavoury area. AVOID.; Rating: 1.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: The Recruit (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Absolute Power (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: U.S. Marshals (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sister Act (1992); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: High Crimes (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Pelican Brief (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Men of Honor (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Net (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kiss the Girls (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pearl Harbor (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Holland's Opus (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 2 (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: John Q (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Double Jeopardy (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Troy (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The General's Daughter (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Enemy of the State (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Patriot (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 4 (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tomb Raider (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Clear and Present Danger (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Con Air (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Green Mile (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Fugitive (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Murder at 1600 (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Negotiator (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Bad Boys (1995); Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bourne Identity, The (2002); Genres: Action, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Brady Bunch Movie, The (1995); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 0.5/5.0
Title: Godfather: Part III, The (1990); Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Swingers (1996); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cape Fear (1991); Genres: Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Dolores Claiborne (1995); Genres: Drama, Thriller; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Powder (1995); Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Sixteen Candles (1984); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Doors, The (1991); Genres: Drama; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Rudy (1993); Genres: Drama; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Never Been Kissed (1999); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Pretty in Pink (1986); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: G.I. Jane (1997); Genres: Action, Drama; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Private Parts (1997); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Transformers (2007); Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, IMAX; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Knocked Up (2007); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Sicko (2007); Genres: Documentary, Drama; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Spider-Man 3 (2007); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller, IMAX; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Saving Private Ryan (1998); Genres: Action, Drama, War; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001); Genres: Adventure, Fantasy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pulp Fiction (1994); Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003); Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002); Genres: Adventure, Fantasy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Batman (1989); Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Batman Begins (2005); Genres: Action, Crime, IMAX; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Back to the Future (1985); Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: True Lies (1994); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Independence Day (a.k.a. ID4) (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Jurassic Park (1993); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Apollo 13 (1995); Genres: Adventure, Drama, IMAX; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Fugitive, The (1993); Genres: Thriller; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Ocean's Eleven (2001); Genres: Crime, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991); Genres: Action, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Braveheart (1995); Genres: Action, Drama, War; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Men in Black (a.k.a. MIB) (1997); Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Mission: Impossible (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: X-Men (2000); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Spider-Man 2 (2004); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, IMAX; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long) (2000); Genres: Action, Drama, Romance; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Fight Club (1999); Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sixth Sense, The (1999); Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Spider-Man (2002); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Batman Forever (1995); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Sin City (2005); Genres: Action, Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Forrest Gump (1994); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, War; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Matrix Reloaded, The (2003); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller, IMAX; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Princess Bride, The (1987); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Rock, The (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Pretty Woman (1990); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971); Genres: Children, Comedy, Fantasy, Musical; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Godfather, The (1972); Genres: Crime, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: X2: X-Men United (2003); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Speed (1994); Genres: Action, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Shawshank Redemption, The (1994); Genres: Crime, Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003); Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Silence of the Lambs, The (1991); Genres: Crime, Horror, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Fifth Element, The (1997); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: There's Something About Mary (1998); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: American Pie (1999); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Groundhog Day (1993); Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, IMAX; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982); Genres: Children, Drama, Sci-Fi; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Total Recall (1990); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Beetlejuice (1988); Genres: Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 2.0/5.0 | movielens |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Hotel Riu Palace Peninsula; City: Cancun Yucatan Peninsula; Review: Stayed here with my parents, sister and nephew. Food super yummy! and service at the main restaurant was from another world, our waiter was very attentive. Views from both room we had were amazing, we were able to see the entire resort and still have the view to the beautiful ocean. One pool for adults only, one for families, one for kids, one for activities...thumbs up guys! My sister, my 2 yr old and my self enjoyed the beach party. The only thing I didn't like too much was the kid's club lady who came over to my nephew and I and insisted in taking him to do some activities. I had to tell her twice we were enjoying our time together and we were fine. Other than that everything was perfect! Rooms, beds, view, service...amazing!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Catalonia Playa Maroma; City: Playa Maroma Playa del Carmen Yucatan Peninsula; Review: I stayed here years ago (2008) to celebrate our graduation. We were a group of 20 friends. We had so much fun. The rooms are ok (they were 5 min walking distance from the beach, but we didn't care). The services was good. We made dinner reservations at the restaurant near to the pool and the food was ok. I should say all guys from the reservations center were really nice and helped us a lot to keep us close to each other. I wouldn't go back for a family vacation but I may be back with the same group of friends just to remember those days.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Amarte Hotel; City: Playa Maroma Playa del Carmen Yucatan Peninsula; Review: Nice, cozy and great service. We stayed at this place in 2010 for just one night but we really enjoyed it, tho we didn't go to the beach (it was cold for us). Our stay included breakfast, the food was OK and the service was excellent. The room we stayed at had 2 beds and a little table with 2 chairs, we spent the night there playing poker. The hotel is about 15 minutes from Playa del Carmen. My recommendation if you stay here is to rent a car since you have to take the highway to get to PDC. You can take the van "Playa Express" but it is unsafe to cross the highway walking.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Boutique Bed and Breakfast; City: Barcelona Catalonia; Review: I should start with the good things. The staff is amazing, the girl at the reception that is from Guatemala (I believe) is amazing as well as the other girl who checked us in; excellent service and good tips. We stayed here for 3 nights; We arrived on my birthday and even though they don't do anything special, the girl (sorry I forgot her name), made us good recommendations where to eat at. The breakfast is good and should be enough to start your day. They offer fresh fruit, fresh orange juice, little sandwiches, boiled eggs, bread and cereal. Now let's talk about the room...that teeny tiny room. The bed is comfortable, however the room space is so tiny that 2 people cannot walk side by side in it. The bathroom is literally 2 steps from the bed and it has a sliding door. It felt a bit humid and the bathroom was moldy and didn't help my asthma (not even with the inhaler), so sleeping was not really good for me. Now the big problem we had was with the lighting. Once you are ready to go to bed, it is a pain in the butt to turn the lights off. You "turn" one off and another turns on. We spent like 10 minutes...no kidding...turning them all off. The staff is available until 11 pm, after that you can enter into the building with your hotel room and they give you a code to open the main door. The location is great; a block away from the subway that takes you to the airport and 1 1/2 block to the subway that takes you to La rambla and a block from Passeig de Gracia; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Lancaster Hotel Amsterdam; City: Amsterdam North Holland Province; Review: We loved this place, room size is enough for two people. If you are a tall person the bathroom will be definitely small but we had no problem with it. The shower size was like 65cmx65cm. The resorts offers other items as tooth brush and tooth paste in case you forget them besides other toiletries. The location is excellent...right in front of the Artis Zoo and a few steps from The Resistance Museum and Hollandsche Schouwburg. The tram (9 and 14) is 100 mts from the hotel and it takes to Rembrandtplein and Dam Square and some other places, but those are the ones we visited the most. Many thanks to Manouk! She offers an excellent service, she helped us check in and answered all questions we had.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Aston Hotel Paris; City: Paris Ile de France; Review: My first contact was with Juan from Reservations. I booked my room online and he helped me with all questions I had. He is absolutely amazing. Thank you Juan for your time and patience. The guy from the front desk is really attentive as well, he helped us get to some places and he even printed a map to do not get lost. The hotel has a great location, a block away from the metro station (by the way....we downloaded the metro app and it was amazing). There are also plenty of little places to eat at and a Carrefour city. The room space is very limited. We, first, got a room where the bedpost was kind of broken and we felt twice and then we changed rooms. You can also hear other guests from your room. A couple kept chatting all night long, was kinda annoying but I was exhausted so I was able to sleep.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Del Gobernador; City: Merida Yucatan Peninsula; Review: Ivette and Gabriela from Reservations helped me with my reservation. We booked the Executive Room with 2 queen beds. Too bad they do not have rooms with a king bed (I believe there is just one suite with a king bed and a jacuzzi) The location of the hotel is great. 10 minutes from the Cathedral (walking) and plenty of options to eat at close by. We took breakfast one day only ($135 mx per person), it is enough to start the day but is not that good. The bed was a bit hard in my opinion. The cleaning service was excellent. If you stay in a room close to the stair and first level (as we did) you will hear all noises from the people by the patio.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Shoujo, Super Power; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Juuni Kokuki; Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Supernatural; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Mononoke Hime; Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi; Genres: Adventure, Drama, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: Fuuin Sareta Card; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Howl no Ugoku Shiro; Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa; Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Tonari no Totoro; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Slayers; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Slayers Next; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Mimi wo Sumaseba; Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Neko no Ongaeshi; Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Princess Tutu; Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Romance; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu; Genres: Comedy, Mystery, Parody, School, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Slayers Try; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic, Shounen; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Gedo Senki; Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Magic; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Hamelin no Violin Hiki: The Movie; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Detective Conan OVA 04: Conan and Kid and Crystal Mother; Genres: Adventure, Mystery, Police, Shounen; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Princess Tutu Recaps; Genres: Comedy, Magic, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 7.0/10.0 | anime |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Clevelander South Beach Hotel; City: Miami Beach Florida; Review: While the party atmosphere and location of the Clevelander were exactly what we were looking for in South Beach for my friend's bachelorette party, the constant problems and disorganized staff/management were not. I booked 8 hotel rooms over the course of 3 nights at the Clevelander for a girls' weekend, and ran into MANY issues along the way. First of all, there is no real "pool" at this hotel, although they advertise that there is. There are a few "splash pools" (ankle deep) and a dirty small pool in the middle of the ground floor bar scene. Secondly, every time we would put our hotel keys in our purse (not even close to credit cards), they would deactivate. It was not fun coming home every night and having to have the front desk reactivate our keys again and again. I complained about this, and did receive a $25 credit, but after spending $2K on hotel rooms, it was too little too late. The rooms are BEYOND small, with bathrooms that have a sliding door and are airplane-like (there is not enough room to have a real door open from the bathroom). The rooms are so small that there was no good place to even put a suitcase without cramming it against a wall somewhere. After returning home, I found that the hotel had accidentally charged another girl for one of the rooms, instead of my credit card as instructed numerous times. The same girl also had a charge on her credit card for $220 worth of "damage" from supposed wine stains on towels. She is still arguing with them now over this charge. All in all we still had fun at the Clevelander, but if I were to organize another bachelorette party in South Beach, it might be worth the extra $$ to book a nicer hotel with actual amenities and space to breathe in the rooms.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Cendana Resort and Spa; City: Ubud Gianyar Regency Bali; Review: My husband and I spent 3 nights at Cendana during our honeymoon in Bali and were very pleased with the value and location of the hotel. It is located right in the heart of Ubud, walkable to everything and very convenient. The hotel itself is set back a bit from the road which keeps it very peaceful and quiet. Our room was basic but spotless and very comfortable. We had a big balcony overlooking the pool and rice paddies, and the daily breakfast provided was a nice start to the day. Overall, for the $80/night we paid for the deluxe room, it was a fantastic value and we would highly recommend.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Puri Bambu; City: Kedonganan Jimbaran South Kuta Bali; Review: My husband and I spent the last 3 nights of our honeymoon in Bali here, and we were very pleased with the hotel. The rooms are very large and extremely clean, and the pool was always full of people enjoying themselves (a nice change from some empty pools at other hotels). The spa was very inexpensive and provided great massages - we each got 2 while we were there! The location is walkable to the beach and seafood BBQ restaruants, although the walk home at night is very dark and can be scary with the motorbikes zooming by. All the staff members were so accomodating and friendly. We would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a great value!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Serene Villas; City: Seminyak Kuta District Bali; Review: My husband and I traveled to Seminyak for the first part of our honeymoon in Bali and stayed in the Lotus Villa at Serene Villas. Since it was just the 2 of us we got the smallest, most inexpensive villa they had and it was just perfect for us. The pool is very small (just a plunge pool) but we loved the villa and the cozy feel of it. The staff could not have been more helpful and thoughtful - we had breakfast cooked for us each morning in the villa and all services provided were 5 star. The free wifi was an added plus! We did have some rowdy neighbors the first night who kept us up all night, but they either left or quieted down the rest of our stay and the staff was very apologetic for their actions. The villas are a 10-15 minute walk to town and the beach, and cabs are very cheap as well. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a relaxing, authentic taste of Bali.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: SevenOaks; City: Lake Geneva Wisconsin; Review: My husband and I were totally blown away by SevenOaks. It was absolutely beautiful, perfectly clean, and the owners had thought of every detail. Each suite is its own little cottage, which seem completely new inside with a fireplace, flat screen tv, beautiful bathroom, heated towels, heated floors, jacuzzi, etc. A wonderful cheese plate and bottle of wine were waiting for us when we arrived, and a huge continental breakfast (complete with homemade muffins and warm croissants) was delivered in the morning. The cottage was so cozy and inviting, I never wanted to leave! The owners couldn't have been nicer, and even offer a huge selection of newer DVDs to watch while you are there. If you are looking for pure relaxation and luxury, this is the perfect place. We truly enjoyed our time here.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Orto De Medici; City: Florence Tuscany; Review: My husband and I stayed here for 2 nights in late April, and really enjoyed our experience. We liked that this hotel was a couple blocks off the main tourist drag, and had more of a neighborhood feel than elsewhere. The hotel itself was clean and cute, with a nice outdoor garden and patio area. Our room was decent sized and perfect for our purposes. It's not the newest hotel, but it has character and charm. Breakfast was a nice addition and a good way to start a long day of walking. The desk staff was usually helpful, although one of the people who worked the desk was somewhat unfriendly. Otherwise, a fantastic stay!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rabbit Run Inn; City: Sawyer Berrien County Michigan; Review: We had a great 2 night stay at the Rabbit Run Inn. My husband and I brought our 3 month old son and had a really relaxing getaway from Chicago for the weekend. The owners couldn't have been more accommodating and friendly, and visited with us during an impromptu happy hour each night. We enjoyed the simple but delicious breakfast delivered each morning to our doorstep (fruit, fresh pastries, fresh juice, espresso, etc.). The Inn is very close driving distance to various towns and beaches, as well as the Warren Dunes state park. Tons to do and don't miss Greenbush Brewery which is only a few minutes away!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Motorola FV300 2-Way Radio, Pair (Discontinued by Manufacturer); Brand: Motorola Consumer Radios; Review: exceletne; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Motorola MR350R 35-Mile Range 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio (Pair); Brand: Motorola Consumer Radios; Review: excelente; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Motorola Talkabout Radio MH230R; Brand: Motorola Consumer Radios; Review: excelente; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Midland - LXT118, FRS Walkie Talkies with Channel Scan - Up to 18 Mile Range Two Way Radio, Hands-Free; Brand: Midland; Review: excelente; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cobra CXT235 MicroTalk 20 Mile FRS/GMRS 22 Channel 2 Way Walkie Talkie (Pair); Brand: Cobra; Review: excelente; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 2) COBRA MicroTalk CX101A 16-Mile 22-Channel GMRS FRS 2-Way Walkie Talkie Radios; Brand: Cobra; Review: excelente; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Electronics |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Healthworks Maca Powder Peruvian Raw Organic, 1lb; Brand: Healthworks; Review: Great product and happy with purchase. I use in smoothies. Great price!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: McCormick Chili Seasoning Mix, 1.25 oz, Make Every Night Chili Night With This Delicious, Expertly Blended Seasoning Mix, No; Brand: McCormick; Review: Tasty!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Twinings of London Organic and Fair Trade Certified Mint Green Tea Bags, 20 Count (Pack of 6); Brand: Twinings; Review: Pleased with this tea- nice flavor and good price!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mighty Leaf Black Tea, Organic Earl Grey, 15 Pouches (Pack of 3) Package May Vary; Brand: Mighty Leaf Tea; Review: Great tea- my husband is addicted to this!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bad Byron's Butt Rub Barbecue Seasoning, 4.5 Ounce; Brand: Bad Byron's Specialty Food Products, Inc.; Review: This stuff is FABULOUS! Found on a trip quite some time ago and fell in love with it- was SO happy to find I could buy on Amazon. If you like spicy but tasty- You HAVE to try this stuff!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Grocery_and_Gourmet_Food |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: 3/16-Inch Cabinet Tip Screwdriver 6-Inch Klein Tools 601-6; Brand: Klein Tools; Review: good product; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sperry Instruments VD6504 Non-Contact Voltage Detector, Comfort Grip, 50-1000V AC, 360° LED Light Display, Home/Auto / Professional Electrical Voltage; Brand: Sperry Instruments; Review: good product; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: RIDGID 23498 Model RC-1625 Ratcheting Plastic Pipe and Tubing Cutter, 1/8-inch to 1-5/8-inch Pipe Cutter,Ridgid Tool Company,23498" />; Brand: Ridgid; Review: good product; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Greenlee 0258-14 Leather Pouch, Heavy Duty, 4-Pocket; Brand: Greenlee; Review: good product; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: No. 2 Wire Bending Phillips Round Shank Tip Screwdriver, Black/Yellow, Small Klein Tools 603-4B; Brand: Klein Tools; Review: good product; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Tools_and_Home_Improvement |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Secondhand Lions (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Freaky Friday (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: One Hour Photo (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Hunted (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: 24: Season 1 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Serving Sara (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Invasion (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Backbeat (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Thinner (1996); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Chicago (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: View from the Top (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Duplex (Full-screen) (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cradle 2 the Grave (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: 24: Season 2 (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CSI: Season 1 (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gothika (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Missing (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Eye (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Crazy in Alabama (1999); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Trigger Effect (1996); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: S.W.A.T. (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Trapped (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The In-Laws (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Alex and Emma (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Traces of Red (1992); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Pianist (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Daredevil (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: State of Grace (1990); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Bad Boys II (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Bruce Almighty (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: True Crime (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Holes (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Daddy Day Care (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Adaptation (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Moulin Rouge (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Core (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Tears of the Sun (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Home Fries (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Mona Lisa Smile (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Anger Management (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Shakespeare in Love (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: House of Sand and Fog (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Uptown Girls (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Northfork (2003); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: How to Deal (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: CSI: Season 2 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Last Samurai (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Intolerable Cruelty (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Chasing Liberty (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Seabiscuit (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Under the Tuscan Sun (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Radio (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Whale Rider (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Calendar Girls (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: She's All That (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sweet Home Alabama (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: In America (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Secret Window (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Matchstick Men (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Monster (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Braveheart (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: CSI: Season 3 (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Butterfly Effect: Director's Cut (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Schindler's List (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Reservoir Dogs (1992); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Deer Hunter (1978); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pay It Forward (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Speed (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fried Green Tomatoes (1991); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Wedding Planner (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: National Lampoon's Vacation (1983); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hook (1991); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Midnight Cowboy (1969); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Nine to Five (1980); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon (1987); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: On Golden Pond (1981); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Look Who's Talking (1989); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Cocoon (1985); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Forever Young (1992); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Beaches (1988); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sum of All Fears (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: End of Days (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Planet of the Apes (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Below (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Italian Job (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Steel Magnolias (1989); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Erin Brockovich (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Proof of Life (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bringing Down the House (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Bodyguard (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mission: Impossible (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Angels in the Outfield (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Spaceballs (1987); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Mummy Returns (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Apocalypse Now (1979); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pretty Woman (1990); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rush Hour (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sister Act (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Good Morning (1987); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Murder By Numbers (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Godsend (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Entrapment (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Twilight Zone: Vol. 22 (1962); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: High Crimes (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Fast and the Furious (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Cooler (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Die Another Day (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dirty Dancing (1987); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Top Gun (1986); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Touching the Void (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Eraser (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Caddyshack (1980); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kiss the Girls (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cocktail (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pearl Harbor (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Stepmom (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Basic (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Indecent Proposal (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Broken Arrow (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Runaway Bride (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: My Best Friend's Wedding (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Windtalkers (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Princess Diaries (Widescreen) (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: American Pie (1999); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: A League of Their Own (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Three Men and a Baby (1987); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mission: Impossible II (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Rock (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Coming to America (1988); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Behind Enemy Lines (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: X-Men (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Double Jeopardy (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Men in Black (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: True Lies (1994); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Enough (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Never Been Kissed (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The First Wives Club (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Jurassic Park (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Patriot (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 4 (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Tomb Raider (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dead Poets Society (1989); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Grease (1978); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Independence Day (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Firm (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Remember the Titans (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Graduate (1967); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: On the Waterfront (1954); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: 13 Going on 30 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Father of the Bride (1991); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Con Air (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Fugitive (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Titanic (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Days of Thunder (1990); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Devil's Advocate (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Legally Blonde (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Tootsie (1982); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ghostbusters (1984); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lost Voyage (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ghosts of the Abyss (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 50 First Dates (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Along Came Polly (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Road to Perdition (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Runaway Jury (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Bourne Identity (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cheaper by the Dozen (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Catch Me If You Can (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cold Mountain (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gangs of New York (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Maid in Manhattan (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hidalgo (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Phone Booth (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: A Cinderella Story (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mean Girls (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Door in the Floor (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Man on Fire (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shrek 2 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: I (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Monster's Ball (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Picture Perfect (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The School of Rock (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Manchurian Candidate (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mystic River (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: John Q (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Two Weeks Notice (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: CSI: Miami: Season 1 (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Count of Monte Cristo (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ocean's Eleven (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Van Helsing (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: CSI: Season 4 (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Terminal (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Spanglish (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Before Sunset (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Spider-Man 2 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Notebook (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jennifer 8 (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ray (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ladder 49 (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Gift (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Antwone Fisher (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Elf (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Are We There Yet? (2005); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Ocean's Twelve (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: After the Sunset (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Raising Helen (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Saved! (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Aviator (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Prince and Me (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Shall We Dance? (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Something's Gotta Give (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Taking Lives (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Bourne Supremacy (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: White Noise (2005); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Paycheck (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Incredibles (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Assault on Precinct 13 (2005); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sneakers (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Shark Tale (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The 4400: Season 1 (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Elektra (2005); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: First Daughter (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Taxi (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Life or Something Like It (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Phantom of the Opera: Special Edition (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Final Cut (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Village (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Monk: Season 2 (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Forgotten (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Woodsman (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Alfie (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Flight of the Phoenix (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Spy Game (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The General's Daughter (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Plain Truth (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Monk: Season 1 (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: National Treasure (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hitch (2005); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Multiplicity (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Spartan (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: What Women Want (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Collateral Damage (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ghost (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Men of Honor (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Net (1995); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Score (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Troy (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Coyote Ugly (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Heist (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Enemy of the State (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Stepford Wives (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Pavement (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dawn Anna (2005); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Collateral (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Vet's Best Dog Ear Cleaner Kit, Ear Relief Wash & Dry; Brand: Vet's Best; Review: This is good product, it works well. It has a pleasant smell. The only complaint is that the aroma lingers for hours after the product is used.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food, Chicken and Brown Rice; Brand: Blue Buffalo; Review: An excellent dog food, we feed this to our Papillon and Maltese. We like the small kibble size. The only problem we have is that our dogs like to pick out the pieces of food and leave the LifeSource Bits which have vitamins and minerals. We only have this problem with the smaller dogs, we have two larger dogs on the Blue Buffalo Healthy Weight formula, they don't leave any food in the bowl.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: SportDOG Brand NoBark 18 - Waterproof Bark Control Collar with 18 Levels of Shock - Fits Dogs 8; Brand: SportDOG Brand; Review: This replaced a pet safe collar which activated on vibration only collar which was several years old. The sport dog collar works well. We replaced the buckle type collar which came with this unit with a nylon snap collar. This collar has been in use for a month, we have not needed to replace the battery yet.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Grain Valley 1 Replacement Strap, Color: Blue. Sold Per Each. Fits Most PetSafe Bark Collars and Many Containment Collars.; Brand: Generic; Review: We purchased this collar to replace the buckle collar which came with a sport dog no bark collar. The holes matched perfectly, we used this collar as is without modification. We have used this collar for over a month with no problems.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Smartbones Chicken S 1Pk; Brand: SmartBones; Review: Our Miniature Schnauzer loves these, we have been giving him smart bones as a treat for more than a year. Although, I recognize that they are made in China, we like that they don't contain rawhide.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Milk-Bone Brushing Chews Daily Dental Dog Treats; Brand: Milk-Bone; Review: Have been using these for several months, my dog loves them and his teeth are cleaner. We use these in addition to brushing teeth.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Sunset Bungalows Resort; City: Port Vila Efate; Review: This was our first time to Vanuatu and were a bit concerned as to what we would find post cyclone. However, we needn't have worried - Sunset Bungalows were fabulous and our deluxe room over the water was amazing! Audrey and Greg were so very helpful re everything to do on the island and we made some lovely friends with other couples that were staying at the same time as us. The food here was sensational! Bungalows were nice and peaceful, being just out of town, but easy to get the bus into the centre from just outside the door when required. Definitely worth staying here.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Forest by Wangz; City: Singapore; Review: We visited Singapore to go to the Grand Prix and Forest was recommended to us by friends who had stayed 3 years prior. Well, the place was fabulous! It was very clean and tidy, professionally run and the staff were amazing. They always tended to our needs but also made us feel like part of a family too. They looked after us so well and helped whenever we needed guidance on how to get somewhere. The room was lovely, made up everyday and well appointed. The roof top garden was also great - we enjoyed a few drinks up there with our friends some afternoons or evenings. Great view! Would definitely visit again - thanks guys, you made our trip very enjoyable :-); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Royale Chulan Penang; City: George Town Penang Island Penang; Review: We had a deluxe superior room with king size bed. Room was very well appointed, clean and everything we needed. Complimentary bottled water each day, plus tea and coffee making facilities. Do prefer a balcony, but there is a nice pool area you can go to and enjoy drinks around it if you want. Staff are very accommodating and friendly. Within walking distance to atm and bus stop, plus Little India and other tourist sights.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shangri La s Rasa Sayang Resort Spa; City: Batu Ferringhi Penang Island Penang; Review: We loved our stay here! We spent 3 nights in a Deluxe Garden View room with king size bed towards the end of our 2 weeks stay in Penang. It was perfect timing, as we were very relaxed by this stage and the Shangri-La helped nurture our chilled out status even more. The room was amazing, so clean, large and well appointed. We had everything we needed and loved the extra attention to detail with afternoon snacks being brought in with the turn down service, a book mark with a saying or proverb on it, plus a lovely silver bucket of ice for our sundowner on the balcony! The pool area was great - plenty of sun loungers either around the pool or on the grass. There were areas either in the sun or in shade to choose from and water was brought to us regularly to keep us hydrated, along with being able to order food and drinks. I was amazed that the pot of tea was free. We both enjoyed a massage in the Chi Spa. The garden area of the spa was well kept and beautiful and the couples room was sensational. Very relaxing and a very good massage - exactly the way we like it. Check in and check out was seamless and every member of staff that we came into contact with was friendly, attentive and went the extra mile. Would definitely go back!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pacific Hotel Yamba; City: Yamba New South Wales; Review: We stayed here one Saturday night. We were in room #4 which has a lovely balcony overlooking the ocean and is far enough away from the bar and lounge that we didn't really hear the band when we decided to hit the hay later that night. Really friendly, welcoming service, room was clean and tidy with all the basics you need for a stop over = TV, kettle, fridge and comfy bed.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bayview Tower; City: Yeppoon Queensland; Review: We got our room via AirBnB and were very happy with it. On the 5th floor, our balcony had an excellent view of the beach and the promenade and it was lovely to sit out there for breakfast and an evening drink. The room was well appointed, bed comfortable and everything was spotless. The only slight downfall was the bathroom, although very clean, was in dire need of a renovation/upgrade.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Australian Hotel Motel; City: Dalby Queensland; Review: We needed somewhere to stay for 2 nights on our way to Carnarvon Gorge and Dalby seemed like a good place. The Australian was very clean and people friendly and helpful. The room we had was a double with balcony and boy was the balcony big!! We could've had a great party with bbq there if we'd been close enough for friends to visit! Instead we bought a bottle of wine from the bar downstairs and enjoyed it on the balcony whilst watching the world go by. Beds were very comfortable, sheets clean. The only thing I would mention as a not so good thing was the bedside tables and lamps were very dusty and the lampshades were definitely past their use by dates. Flatscreen TV was great and we had tea and coffee making facilities with plenty of tea and coffee and some UHT milk in the fridge. Would've preferred mugs to the tiny cup and saucers, but better than nothing. Bathroom was very clean and had everything we needed. We ate once in the restaurant downstairs and I had the BEST calamari I've had in a long time! Thanks for a great stay.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Travelodge Carlisle Central; City: Carlisle Cumbria England; Review: We only needed a bed for the night and know that Travelodge is usually the same everywhere - clean and comfortable and a reasonable rate. Carlisle was just this. We were tired from a long drive and this room gave us exactly what we needed - comfort and a good night sleep.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Old North Inn Hotel Inverness; City: Inverness Scottish Highlands Scotland; Review: We only needed an overnight stay, so was looking for something that was clean, comfortable, restaurant on site and low cost. Old North Inn Hotel delivered! Our room was a good size, nice and warm and cosy and very clean. Staff were friendly when we arrived and got us into our room pretty quickly, which was great, as we arrived early evening and were tired. It was fully booked in the restaurant but they made space for us once we'd settled in. Good choice of meals too.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters; Genres: Adventure, Game, Shounen; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Black Lagoon; Genres: Action, Seinen; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage; Genres: Action, Seinen; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Death Note; Genres: Mystery, Police, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo; Genres: Adventure, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: ef: A Tale of Memories.; Genres: Drama, Mystery, Romance; Rating: 9.0/10.0 | anime |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Bayou Bride (Sweetly Contemporary Collection Book 3) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Jennifer Blake Page; Review: This book was one of my favorites! I loved the two main characters. They sere perfect for each other. From the momment they first meet you could tell they were going to fall in love!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sandstone Affair (An Erotic Romance Novel) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Priscilla West Page; Review: The story between Julia and Mark is so unique. Mark teaches Julia how to be in control of her life by letting him take control of her. Julia is a strong women that wants to do everything herself. But Mark shows her that letting others help isn't a bad thing. I started reading it and just couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: His Saving Grace (Regency Refuge Book 1) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Heather Gray Page; Review: This book is now one of my favorites. The author does a great job developing the characters. As you read you fall in love with them. The plot of the book is that the duke believes his childhood friend traps him into marriage. In the beginning the duke is very mean to Grace. Until he wakes up one day and decides to put the past in the past and be nice. That's the only thing I don't like about the book. If he feels like he was trapped you don't just wake up one day and forget about it. I believe the author could have added something to make it more believable. Overall, I think most people will enjoy this book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Redeemed (The Evolution Series Book 2) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Jill Hughey Page; Review: Would read again and that's saying some thing. I don't usually reread books but I will now. Would recommend to my friends and family.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Eternal Flame - Book 6 (The Ruby Ring Saga) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Chrissy Peebles Page; Review: I could do with less of "you're the love of my life, I love you so much, I never want to be apart".... Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed the book but by the end I was so over it I was skipping parts. I hate doing that because I feel I might miss something but I had to. I also feel like the characters were to easily persuaded and the whole time I knew it was a trick. I mean how many times can someone really change their mind?? Anyway like I said if you enjoyed the other books you'll enjoy this one and I look forward to the next book. Hopefully we won't have to wait so long next time.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_Kindle_Store |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: The Sandcastle Girls (Vintage Contemporaries); Author: Visit Amazon's Chris Bohjalian Page; Review: I have read all of his other books and was disappointed in this one. The story started out well and ended flatly. Since this is fiction, I had hoped he would tell the whole story as he imagined it rather than just letting it come to an abrupt halt.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Question of Honor; Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: Charles Todd is one of my favorite authors, both for this series and the Ian Rutledge series. I have read all of his books to date.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Don't Let Me Go; Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Ryan Hyde Page; Review: I have read all of her books and find her descriptions of the relationships children develop with other adults to be thought provoking. As parents we often forget our children are exposed to other adults who care about them.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Where We Belong; Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Ryan Hyde Page; Review: I find her to be a wonderful writer about children and the relationships they often develop with adults other than parents.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ruth B. McDowell's Design Workshop: Turn Your Inspiration into an Artfully Pieced Quilt; Author: Visit Amazon's Ruth B. McDowell Page; Review: I plan to take a seminar soon and her books were required reading. She is an amazing quilter and I have learned a great deal from her techniques. Now I hope to be able to work outside my comfort zone with this class!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Falling Together: A Novel; Author: Marisa de los Santos; Review: I have just started reading her books and think they are so well written.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: An Unwilling Accomplice: A Bess Crawford Mystery (Bess Crawford Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: Charles Todd continues to develop his character, Bess Crawford. Through this series, I have learned so much about World War I and its aftermath.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Long Way Home; Author: Visit Amazon's Robin Pilcher Page; Review: Louise Penny is one of my favorite authors. The Long Way Home continues to develop her thoughtful characters in Three Pines.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ask Him Why; Author: Visit Amazon's Catherine Ryan Hyde Page; Review: I always enjoy her stories of families. This story of Joseph and his younger siblings, Ruth and Aubrey wrings your heart out until the younger two are mature enough to ask him why he did what he did during the Iraqui war. So many times silences caused by parents thinking to protect their families only manage to hurt their children more, and perpetuate the behavior they have caused.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Spool of Blue Thread; Author: Visit Amazon's Anne Tyler Page; Review: It took me awhile to get into the book and finally finish it but it was a good read - complicated family story as many of hers are.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: My Husband's Wives; Author: Visit Amazon's Faith Hogan Page; Review: I didn't think it would be more than light reading, but I enjoyed how the women grew into themselves and became a family together despite what their mutual husband did to their lives.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Girl Who Wrote in Silk; Author: Visit Amazon's Kelli Estes Page; Review: The story of Mei Lien is deeply emotional. It's a tragic part of history none of us have ever heard I imagine. It's well written and I had a hard time putting it down.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Scandal (English and Japanese Edition); Author: Visit Amazon's Shusaku Endo Page; Review: I've read all of his books and liked all of them. But "Beartown" is such a powerful book of our time. Boys growing to men, girls to women, and parents growing, learning and reassessing how they want their children to be as adults.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Tiger in the House; Author: Visit Amazon's Jacqueline Sheehan Page; Review: I liked how the sisters' relationship grew and matured. It was a complex story of their growing up, the people they loved and who loved them enough to remain a strong part of their lives.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Gate Keeper: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: As always I could not put down a Charles Todd novel. Besides his haunting stories of people after WW1, he has incorporated history of the period that I had not studied in school.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Gate Keeper: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries); Author: Visit Amazon's Charles Todd Page; Review: As always I could not put down a Charles Todd novel. Besides his haunting stories of people after WW1, he has incorporated history of the period that I had not studied in school.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM Wide Angle Lens - Fixed; Brand: Canon; Review: This product has added many sharp images to my wildlife collection at: [...] If you need wide angle for your camera you won't go wrong with this lens.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Outlets To Go Power Strip with USB - Black; Brand: Vandora; Review: When traveling; we always need to charge things. This handy outlet packs small and provides enough outlets for us to charge our batteries overnight. This is our second one and a great product.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Anker AH121 USB 3.0 7-Port Hub with 36W Power Adapter [12V 3A High-Capacity Power Supply and VIA VL812 Chipset]; Brand: Anker; Review: I have many accessories and occasional use items that need this connectivity. This product has solved my issues and the quality seems very good. One suggestion I would make is to have a method to secure the unit (suction or velcro) to a desktop if desired.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: LaCie d2 USB 3.0 Thunderbolt Series 3TB External Hard Drive (9000353); Brand: LaCie; Review: This is a well designed product with the performance I was looking for....one curiosity is that I have two of them side by side and one of them; the fan goes on and off much more often.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sewell Direct SW-30471 BlastIR USB Adaptor, IR Repeater 1 Receiver/Emitter; Brand: Sewell Direct; Review: Works well when installed properly. You must make sure that the receiver is in direct line of sight from your remote control to have the best experience. If you have sunlight either direct or close to the receiver, you must block it. The sun generates IR that you won't see but the device will and it will not operate properly. This is a great solution if RF is not an option.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_Electronics |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Hotel Carlton; City: Luxembourg City; Review: Great stay here. Great welcome from the man at reception - friendly and funny! Great breakfast. Free unlimited internet access in rooms if you have a laptop.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotell Zata; City: Ostersund Jamtland County Jamtland and Harjedalen; Review: We had a great stay at the Zata. The Rough Guide to Scandinavia describes it as plain and simple. However, we found it to be warm and inviting place. We were welcomed enthusiastically by the the staff (I think the owner. Breakfast was escellent. Heated parking in the basement (it can get to -20 degrees celcius!). Free WI-FI throughout the Hotel.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Polonia Palace Hotel; City: Warsaw Mazovia Province Central Poland; Review: We had a good stay. As per the other reviews this is a beautiful hotel. The room was good. King size bed. Great bathroom and shower. Breakfast was good in a spectactular setting as others have said. However a few points that others may be interested in: - internet costs are amazing excessive. 1 hour is 66 zlot (this is $27 Australian dollars!!!!). The internet cafe near the corner charges 3 per hour and is fast and you can take your laptop. - in house movies are even more expensive than internet useage!! There is a great cinema across the road, and many films are in Engligh with Polish subtitles. - car parking is extra and on the street in a very insecure setting, causing us much anxiety. The concierge was the most helpful I have ever encountered on a positive note!!; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: ECONTEL HOTEL Berlin Charlottenburg; City: Berlin; Review: We had a great stay of 4 nights. Big room with king size bed. Free wi-access was a great bonus for us on extended travel. Very clean. Free safe in room which fitted our laptop. Car parking is free in the middle of the street opposite. It is not in the middle of the major sights of Berlin, but the X9 bus goes past every 10mins and takes you to Zooligisher Garten station (S & U Bahnhof) in 5min, where you can travel anywhere quickly including both the 100 and 200 buses which show almost all of the major sights. The X9 bus goes to the airport in the other direction. Bus finishes at 10.40pm, but the U-Bahn keeps going until 1am and there is a station about 400m from the Hotel. Reception helpful. School groups use this hotel, so you may have trouble with noise at night, but they were great when we were there. You will love Berlin!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ibis Mainz City; City: Mainz Rhineland Palatinate; Review: Good location. Handy underground carpark (6 euros per day). Bed confortable and good medium size room. Our room allocation(despite staying for multiple days)was on the road side and this is very noisy as major intersection is in front of hotel - I slept with earplugs. Wireless is not included, about 9 euros a day. Computer with internet available downstairs for free. Breakfast is not included in their standard rate: 9 euros a day. We had an unfortunate run in with one receptionist who took a rude and aggressive approach about an enquiry regarding making phone calls. Never understood why he took this approach. Other staff were great.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life; Author: Visit Amazon's Spencer Johnson Page; Review: Great read; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The God Chasers: My Soul Follows Hard after Thee; Author: Visit Amazon's Tommy Tenney Page; Review: Such a good book!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Leverage Leadership: A Practical Guide to Building Exceptional Schools; Author: Visit Amazon's Paul Bambrick-Santoyo Page; Review: Great book full of insights.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning; Author: Visit Amazon's Peter H. Johnston Page; Review: This book was required by work, but I fell in love with it long before we "had" to be done reading it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards; Author: Visit Amazon's Jen Hatmaker Page; Review: Such a great read, but not what I was expecting!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Secret Garage: Unlock a Purpose-Filled & Powerful Life Through Prayer; Author: Visit Amazon's Phil Robbins Page; Review: Phil wrote from his heart, and it shows! I have already recommended this book to others! Every Christian, new or old, should read this book. Author Phil does a great job explaining his personal journey and growth in Christ while givibg great suggestioms to help in your own personal growth! This is a great present for anyone you know, no matter where in their journey they are!!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Conrad Sanya Haitang Bay; City: Sanya Hainan; Review: Stayed here for a week and it is the ultimate in ensuring a relaxing yet luxurious and peaceful break. Found this hotel by accident when looking for some sun in china. They say it is the Chinese Hawaii. However Hawaii could only dream of having a resort like this one. The villas were unique and one of the best I have stayed in. Overlooking the sea with private infinity pool we were spoiled. Restaurants inside are excellent and we are really well including being able to taste the local hainanese cuisine. Breakfast location was excellent and food delicious. Choice beyond belief. Staff called us by our names everywhere we went and the level of service was amazing. Beautiful sea(although a lot of red flags). Resort is spectactular, gardens and all areas kept to the highest of levels. Carts or bugged to take you around. Sunrises and sunsets were some of the best I have seen. This resort should be better known or well perhaps not! Let's keep this little oasis a secret!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Millennium Hilton Bangkok; City: Bangkok; Review: Excellent hotel! Had previously contemplated staying previously but opted for the Conrad. However this hotel was excellent. Nice location and use and ease of private lovely boats to take you across the river was a nice addition. Very friendly staff and I was warmy greeted. Executive lounge was great and food brilliant with excellent views across Bangkok. Being on the top floor beside the 360 degree restaurant it was ideal. The beach or swimming pool area was fantastic with sun loungers in the infinity pool was spectacular. Breakfast was more than ample and with a great selection! Nice eggs benedict :) All in all a great hotel in a good area and much more reasonable than peninsula or oriental. I preferred hiltons location and friendly staff. Would go back in a second!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund; City: Shanghai; Review: Stayed here as part of my around china holidays and this hotel made it for us! Beautifully appointed and very luxurious. Rooms tastefully decorated but yet ultra modern and the view across the river was nothing short of spectacular. Breakfast was out of this world and served best egg benedict I have ever tasted. A wondrous hotel that is a once in a lifetime opportunity like all the waldorfs. If you get the chance and can afford it without it breaking your bank then go! It's worth every penny!!!! Staff were delightful and friendly.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: InterContinental Bangkok; City: Bangkok; Review: I have been to Bankok many times due to focus in customer service and courtesy of people be it in the service industry or in general. Makes a relaxing change from western degradation in standards. This year, I decide to travel for summer holidays and stay longer in Bangkok and Koh Samui. I am an IHG platinum member (due to extensive worldwide travel for work) including being highest status in other chains. Previously I have stayed in the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza but never in the Intercontinental in BK. if looking for luxury I usually stay at Conrad (nearby) or some of the luxury brands at the riverside. I can honestly say my status is always recognised....... However read on. I had just finished my first 3 days at the Hilton Millenium where my status was acknowledged and upgrades and access to club levels granted automatically. I had booked one night in the IHG believing it to be a more luxurious occasion for my better half as a midway luxury night prior to going to Pattaya..... Taking into consideration that I am due to go to Koh Samui in three days I decided to extend my booking in the Intercontental. This was done through points. I booked Grand Deluxe room (the name sounds grand!). Upon arrival from the Hilton after having a wonderful stay my first impressions were good, the hotel is in a nice shopping area next to everything including BTS. We were promptly greeted by the bell boy and bags efficient taken prior to check in. Once within the entrance everything seemed grand! We were asked if we were loyalty members and taken immediately to the priority club check in desk. All very efficient. Pleasantly greeted and booking found with ease. Taken immediately to room on 24th floor where we finalised the checking procedure. Upon entering the room, it seemed excellent and just what we were after. Large bed, nice lighting, huge TV 47in I would hazard a guess and reasonable view. Very large bathroom and room well appointed in every regard. We were happy. The lovely and friendly lady began to explain our benefits and this is where my first good impressions ended. I was informed of a level of benefits I am used to, but was then told no breakfast nor access to club lounge was possible. Being at the highest level and comparing to other chains an other IHG hotels I have stayed in world wide, this is the first time I have not even had breakfast included. After already enjoying this perk in the Hilton I asked why this was the case, It would seem a grand deluxe is not grand enough and whilst I was upgraded to an exceutive room even this was no sufficient for club access. It needs to be a club room. Now I know most readers will think I am being quite snobby and ungrateful, but the status level is not an easy thing to achieve and there is choice in the hotels I stay at. I was offered breakfast; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Beijing Wangfujing; City: Beijing; Review: Stayed here during our china trip and this hotel is lovely. Only minor nuisance point was an indoor pool...... which was lovely, but I personally prefer a pool outside... seems less claustrophobic. Set in Wangfujing district which is excellent for shopping and close to walk to emperors palace and most attractions. I would definitely stay again. The executive lounge is really really nice and the food and selection brilliant. I say in many Hiltons due to my work and I can say this one is a real stand out. Very modern and funky, rooms are very nicely appointed and I liked the location. Some great restaurants in vicinity and with the shops you have everything you need. Staff were very friendly and with it being our fist stop in China, it provided an excellent start to what ended up to be a great holiday!!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Starhotels Michelangelo; City: Florence Tuscany; Review: Excellent hotel at reasonable price (well booked by my italian company, but I believe it is just under the norm). Good location and walkable distance to most major sites in Florence. Good breakfast and very friendly staff. The olympics were on when I was there and they had set up a 'cinema' showing it with rows of seats in a conference room, which was great. Waiters at bar were very accommodating and a real asset to the hotel. One of them joined in our discussion regarding clothing and was showing us his hand made tie :) It made for an interesting discussion. Also their suggestions on wine were excellent! I will be making this hotel my choice for future visits. We have a site in Florence and I am lucky enough to get to travel there often.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nilhotel; City: Florence Tuscany; Review: This hotel is in a strange complex that seems more akin to being in eastern europe. There are massive gates that require to be opened prior to entry, how strange.. Florence is not that bad! It is closely located to the Selex Elsag facility on Via Barsanti and this is one of the only plusses. The rooms are big and are very clean, however apart from that this hotel is devoid of everything. It has no character at all. The beds are so hard, it feels like prison. Sheets and furnishings are bare minimum, like the bathroom and toiletries supplied (had better in public toilets). The bar is never attended and takes 30 minutes for anyone to come as if it isnt expected to be used. However the personnel are very friendly and I would give them 5 stars..... It is very old fashioned and could do wiht being updated and made more comfortable. Breakfast is not good, coffee is terrible, but at least you can get an expresso or a cappuccio from the waitered service. Orange juice is out of a bottle and sour, croissants are not fresh and are like the ones you buy in packs in the supermarket and the cooked breakfast..... well lets leave that out (as we dont expect good cooked breakfast in Italy). Bus loads of Asian tourists come here and knowing what it is like in their country and the standard of hotels, I can only imagine what they think of this hotel. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone, unless very short trip and you need to go to Selex. Otherwise go elsewhere and be comfortable, life is too short to stay in hotels like this, the pricing is reasonable, but NOT compared to other hotels in Florence. It is about the same as a good 4 star. This hotel could only be afforded 2 stars for lack of everything. I have now asked my work to book all future stays for me in the centre. I may pay more in taxis, but I would pay triple that NOT to stay in this hotel. It is a sad, lonely and underserviced hotel. No more to say.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Frederick House Hotel; City: Edinburgh Scotland; Review: Hotel is situated just off George street, which is prime space in Edinburgh. Not meal facilities, but for breakfast the hotel has an agreement with the caffe across the street Cafe Rouge, which does an excellent continental breakfast. It is actually good having this outside as it gets you moving quickly and there is a lot to see in Edinburgh. The room I stayed on was on the first floor and had a view onto Frederick street. There is a club/bar across the street which can be rowdy when the crowd are leaving, but I have to say I didnt hear a thing when I was there. The view is great for people watching. The lobby is lovely and it looks to have been recently done up. The carpeting is really nice, but on the stairs it can be a problem as it gives an optical illusion...... The front entrance is nicely tiled in what appears to be grey slate. The staff are very friendly and efficient. I give this four stars not due to the amenities, but due to its location, staff and rooms. All of which are very good, as per the four stars!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Conrad Bangkok Hotel; City: Bangkok; Review: Beautiful hotel in Bangkok. Nearby there is a lovely bar and massage place just around the corner - both perfect for drinks and relax after a hard day in Bangkok. Hotel is very luxuriously appointed and close-by to MTR. Hiltons honors status recognised and we were treated like royalty. Pool area is not the best positioned for sunbathing and it is quite small for a hotel such as this. Rooms to high conrad standards and we left saying we will return. Very different to Hilton in Bangkok, more a luxurious feel and in some way more business like at the same time. Lovely executive lounge and breakfast has a fantastic selection. Cocktails are brilliant! Extremely friendly staff and helpful to plan trips, etc. I would go back again in a heartbeat. However only 4 stars due to pool area.........; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Sydney; City: Sydney New South Wales; Review: Although this stay was in February this year, I have stayed here over 20 times and I love it. It is my preference in Sydney and one of my favourite hiltons in the world. Although it is costly and the rooms are quite small, it fully makes up for it with its location, breakfast at the brasserie (lovely) and the fact it has one of Syndeys coolest and trendiest bars within its structure - Zeta! This is great with a lovely cool bar, nice people and you have a choice of view. Stay inside in the nice seating area or at the trendy bar, or in the privates booths.... alternatively you can stand outside looking into the internal structure of the Hilton which is a modern architectural class marvel or indeed go out on to the open air patio section where you have great views of the Queen Victoria Building (gorgeous!!!!!). In summer they set up an ice cream stand there which sell alcohol ice cream. The besautiful people of sydney go here. In addition to Zeta there is also the Marble Bar, which hosts live music nights every week. Be prepared to queue even if you are a guest, but it is beautiful. It was there before the Hilton and has been preserved and is an oldy but very grand bar. A must see. The executive lounge is excellent and up on the top level where you can see great views of sydney depending upon where you sit. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Being right on George street you are in the heart of sydney and can easily walk to most major areas - Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, China Town, Kings cross, etc Pitt street and George street (Hilton is between both) are shopping havens. Cant say enough good things about this hotel. Find me at Zeta!!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Johannesburg Rosebank; City: Johannesburg Greater Johannesburg Gauteng; Review: Stayed here for the first time in a while, since I usually stay at the HI in Sandown. Expecting a similar if not better experience, I was let down. Very little recognition of Priority status upon check in and during stay, so don't expect much. The hotel is attached to the Zone shopping centre, which is good for bars and amenities, however the room I had was overlooking the main street of the Zone and was very noisy, especially as it was Heritage Day. Rooms are quite small and this was supposed to have been one of the better rooms. I had to reset TV and search for channels every day, which was quite annoying as the TV would stick on one channel. Amenities: Don't think you are going to have a swim in the pool - it is more decorative than functional. Service at poolside was non existing and I had to constantly walk in to the bar. Breakfast was ok, but quite limited. Nice Omelette making station and personnel friendly. Hotel bar very small and the hotel can seem quite claustrophobic after a couple of days. Wifi - quite good that it is free to all, but only 30MB per day and only other option is to buy, no conventions or benefits for priority members........... unlike all other HI hotels in SA and generally worldwide. All in all, ok, but for a 7 day stay, it just didn't meet my expectations. Which is a pity as I travel often to SA and I like the Rosebank area. My suggestion would be to check out the Sandton HI, which for similar pricing is much more modern, better equipped, with much better breakfast and pool/services well in advance of this HI. I did speak with the duty manager on a couple of occasions to try and resolve some of my disappointments, answer - I will inform the manager, who never contacted me or was any feedback provided.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Best Western Premier CHC Airport; City: Genoa Italian Riviera Liguria; Review: This hotel is simply great. Hotel staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Check in took only a matter of minutes and the lovely lady at reception was kind to take my bags off me as I had to dash to a business meeting immediately. This is a new hotel and as such the rooms are well appointed and comfy. I happened to leave my bose headphones i the drawer and only realised when I was on the plane for the Rome, however the fantastic Mario sorted everything out immediately (including finding my razor!). It is centrally located in Genoa and also very near the airport, which is a bonus for the business traveller. Free and very efficient wifi service, which is always nice. I have stayed in may properties in Genoa and this has to rate up there as one of the best. Also good for the traveller wanting to explore the Liguria region! Cinque stelle!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: JW Marriott Ankara; City: Ankara; Review: Fantastic hotel. Not located in centre but not far and is near a huge mall with everything you could ask for and many restaurants included. Spa is amazing. Great pool and had a fantastic massage. Definitely one of the better Marriotts.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Istanbul Sisli; City: Istanbul; Review: Well decorated and above average Holiday Inn. Very well placed for Istanbul, especially if you have a conference or for just being close by to most attractions. Only a short taxi away. Hotel rooms are of an excellent standard.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Istanbul Marriott Hotel Sisli; City: Istanbul; Review: Stayed here as I had a conference at the ICC. Seems to frequented by high level dignitaries. Turkish PM was entering when I arrived, which caused me issues for entering due to security, however not the fault of the hotel. Very nice starbucks in the reception area. Staff were excellent and very efficient. I would say this is a high standard Marriott, but if you have read my review for Ankara it is nothing in comparison. A tiny bit tired, but still of a very high quality.One of the more expensive hotels in Sisli.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders; City: Melbourne Victoria; Review: Great hotel in fantastic location. Ability to do your own washing and very very central. Will stay here again and would recommend in a heartbeat. In fact I have to many of my colleagues. So far 10 have stayed there and enjoyed it!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crowne Plaza Melbourne; City: Melbourne Victoria; Review: Great hotel with friendly staff. Excellent breakfast and restaurant. Two minutes away from Southbank and the mighty crown casino (not associated). Stayed here for six months and loved every minute. Great views of the Yarra river and very near docklands. Great free tram access and a short walk to the CBD. Parking is best done close to the hotel in sidley street and the hotel provides guest discounted rates. Decor is a little tired but this is nothing in comparison to location and attentiveness of staff. Rooms are great with brilliant views. Nice gym and a good outside pool. Not to be missed!!!!!!! I’m a IHG platinum member or spire elite as it is called and I highly rate this hotel! Laundry can be organised with close by holiday inn for you to do it yourself.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: The Westin Paris Vendome; City: Paris Ile de France; Review: Excellent Location, Very Nice Rooms, Great Staff. Great Buzz..lots of interesting Guests and Meeting Visitors..always something happening. Eiffel Tower rooms really special but all rooms have real Paris views..even courtyard rooms.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Arts Barcelona; City: Barcelona Catalonia; Review: Very Stylish Building Ocean Front Location Outstanding Staff We checked in with 30 pieces of Luggage (don't ask) and it was handled effortlessy Hotel lobby does get crowded when hotel is busy and layout of lobby, shops and restaurants is confusing but beautiful very large rooms and really outstanding staff make this a Must Stay Hotel for Barcelona; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Ritz Carlton Dubai; City: Dubai Emirate of Dubai; Review: Beautiful Small Property (currently expanding a bit) in an Excellent Location. Great for Business or Lesure situated on an excellent beach and right next to lots of shops and restaurants (it's Dubai after all). Excellent service from check in to departure..really felt staff cared All room face beach and all are very large..in fact even with lots of excellent furnishings rooms fely a bit empty but very comfortable..lots of recreation and relaxing options and outstanding restaurants.Not downtown and a bit far from the Airport/SeaPort But definitely worth the drive.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: JW Marriott Grosvenor House London; City: London England; Review: Rambling old Hotel nicely redone by Marriott. Decorated in the traditional Marriott style, rooms are comfortalble and range from Very Large with nice views to rather small and dark. Service has typical Marriott style if a bit impersonal at times. Excellent location in Mayfair while close to Oxford Street shopping. Decent, if expensive, restaurant options and lots of other options at all price points in the neighborhood. Nice gym and park across the street for exercise options.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Ritz Carlton Tokyo; City: Akasaka Minato Tokyo Tokyo Prefecture Kanto; Review: One of the top Hotels not only in Tokyo but anywhere. Located at the top floors of the tallest building in Tokyo the quality of this property matches the outstanding views. The stunning lobby with live entertainment most evenings also includes several outstanding Restaurants. Rooms are beautiful and elegant and quite large for Tokyo. All have outstanding views but try to request a Tokyo Tower or Mt. Fuli view Room. Excellent spa and health club with a large swimming pool. The Club floor with 5 food presentations daily is well worth the additional cost. The Hotel is directly connected to an outstanding shopping center with Japanese and Western shops and a wide variety of restaurants. Several subway lines are in the Hotel Basement. However what really sets this property apart is the wonderful staff. There is always someone willing to help in any way possible. Friendly and caring the whole staff is truly a wonder.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hyatt Place New York Midtown South; City: New York City New York; Review: Hotel Team was nothing short of Outstanding. Everyone we came in contact with was helpful, knowledgeable,caring and friendly. Rooms were small (its NYC after all) but very clean and well equipped. Location is excellent for sightseeing and shopping. Breakfast is much better than expected.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Parklands; City: Perth Perth and Kinross Scotland; Review: Even Fully Refundable Reservations Have a 20% NON-Refundable Deposit. Online reservations require checking a box which says "I agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy" Read the Terms and Conditions Carefully. Note after Booking the 20% Penalty is then clearly stated and your deposit is now Non Refundable as the Hotel says "even 1 year in advance" Buyer beware and read carefully.; Rating: 1.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Wine Enthusiast Lead-Free Crystal Vivid Wine Decanter 750 ML; Brand: Wine Enthusiast; Review: Very stylish. it is the perfect size, because one bottle of wine comes to the halfway mark, which is the wide point of the decanter.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: WMF Easy Pour Decanter; Brand: WMF; Review: the decanter is extremely functional and elegant, and the price is right. one small quibble. it had a "made in Romania" sticker on it which was rather unsightly and very difficult to remove.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Farberware Classic Replacement Lid, 8-Inch; Brand: Farberware; Review: There's not much you can say about a pot lid, but after 5 months, the plastic thread in the knob stripped. I planned to return it, and informed Amazon. However, I then found a "band-aid" fix that seemed to work, so I mentioned that to Amazon, too. They had already shipped me a new lid, and told me to keep both, so I gave them an extra star!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sharp Countertop Microwave Oven ZR331ZS 1.1 cu. ft. 1000W Stainless Steel; Brand: Sharp; Review: The front trim is stainless, which matches the rest of my kitchen. It cooks quickly, and defrosts extremely evenly, unlike my old microwave. I believe that others have commented that it slides around. Mine does a bit, but not to the point where I can be bothered doing anything about it. Also, I think someone wrote that the light does not come on when you open the door, and that this was a big problem. Indeed it doesn't, but I keep the unit in a well-lit area, so it's not a problem for me. Actually, I think it's an advantage, because if you leave the door open, you're not wasting energy and bulb life.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: HON H5701.GA90.T Volt Low-Back Task Chair - Upholstered Computer Chair for Office Desk - Navy Fabric (H701); Brand: HON; Review: Assembly was a piece of cake. Instructions were pictorial, instead of an awful translation from another language. The only tool you need was provided, together with spare screws. To the gentleman who hammered his wheels in, I'll say this: 1) I hope he didn't damage the chair doing that, 2) The natural way to grip the wheels inclines their shaft at an angle to the receptor hole, so they won't go in. If you adjust your grip to compensate, there's no problem. The chair is sturdy and comfortable, and the tilt adjustment works well. The fabric felt a little harsh compared with similar materials I've seen, but it may "wear in". Update: the chair is solid and comfortable. However, I now think I'd have preferred the more expensive Hon model with arms. Amazon does offer arms as a separate item, but I wonder if this is an error. There is no obvious way to fit them to this chair.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: HON HVL220.VA10 Mid Back Task Chair - Fabric Computer Chair with Arms for Office Desk, Black (HVL220); Brand: HON; Review: I'm very pleased with it. It's easy to assemble, comfortable and appears to be well-made. The price is right, too.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: All-Clad 7110 MC2 Professional Master Chef 2 Stainless Steel Bi-Ply Bonded Oven Safe PFOA Free Fry Pan Cookware,; Brand: All-Clad; Review: All-Clad is simply the best. This is the only one of their ranges that I've tried.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mildew Resistant Fabric Shower Curtain Waterproof/Water-Repellent & Antibacterial, 72x72 - White; Brand: LiBa; Review: If you need a shower curtain, this is the only type worth buying.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Home_and_Kitchen |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Apollo 13 (1995); Genres: Adventure, Drama, IMAX; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pulp Fiction (1994); Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: True Lies (1994); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dances with Wolves (1990); Genres: Adventure, Drama, Western; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Batman (1989); Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Batman Forever (1995); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995); Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Aladdin (1992); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Musical; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Clerks (1994); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Natural Born Killers (1994); Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Silence of the Lambs, The (1991); Genres: Crime, Horror, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shawshank Redemption, The (1994); Genres: Crime, Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pretty Woman (1990); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Usual Suspects, The (1995); Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Speed (1994); Genres: Action, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Schindler's List (1993); Genres: Drama, War; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shallow Grave (1994); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Boxing Helena (1993); Genres: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Exotica (1994); Genres: Drama; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Three Colors: Blue (Trois couleurs: Bleu) (1993); Genres: Drama; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Three Colors: White (Trzy kolory: Bialy) (1994); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clockers (1995); Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Before Sunrise (1995); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Amateur (1994); Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Farinelli: il castrato (1994); Genres: Drama, Musical; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Queen Margot (Reine Margot, La) (1994); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Living in Oblivion (1995); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: My Crazy Life (Mi vida loca) (1993); Genres: Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Love & Human Remains (1993); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cold Comfort Farm (1995); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Double Happiness (1994); Genres: Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: What Happened Was... (1994); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Suture (1993); Genres: Film-Noir, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hoop Dreams (1994); Genres: Documentary; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Much Ado About Nothing (1993); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Star Trek: Generations (1994); Genres: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Léon: The Professional (a.k.a. The Professional) (Léon) (1994); Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Romeo Is Bleeding (1993); Genres: Crime, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rumble in the Bronx (Hont faan kui) (1995); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Truth About Cats & Dogs, The (1996); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Twelve Monkeys (a.k.a. 12 Monkeys) (1995); Genres: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rob Roy (1995); Genres: Action, Drama, Romance, War; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hackers (1995); Genres: Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pyromaniac's Love Story, A (1995); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Age of Innocence, The (1993); Genres: Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Heavy Metal (1981); Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Horror, Sci-Fi; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Germinal (1993); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Strange Days (1995); Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Heavenly Creatures (1994); Genres: Crime, Drama; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Madness of King George, The (1994); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: I Like It Like That (1994); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Go Fish (1994); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: True Romance (1993); Genres: Crime, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Clueless (1995); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Executive Decision (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | movielens |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Naruto; Genres: Action, Comedy, Martial Arts, Shounen, Super Power; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: School Rumble; Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shounen; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Tenshi Kinryouku; Genres: Action, Drama, Romance, Shoujo, Supernatural; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Ai Yori Aoshi; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Harem, Romance, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: D.N.Angel; Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Full Metal Panic!; Genres: Action, Comedy, Mecha, Military, Sci-Fi; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Mai-HiME; Genres: Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Mecha, Romance, School, Shoujo Ai; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Air; Genres: Drama, Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Aishiteruze Baby★★; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Hana yori Dango; Genres: Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: El Hazard: The Alternative World; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: El Hazard: The Wanderers; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: El Hazard: The Magnificent World; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: El Hazard 2: The Magnificent World; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Fruits Basket; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Fullmetal Alchemist; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Military, Shounen; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Full Moon wo Sagashite; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance, Shoujo, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Fushigi Yuugi; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Magic, Martial Arts, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Green Green; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Romance, School, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Mystery, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kannazuki no Miko; Genres: Drama, Magic, Mecha, Romance, Shoujo Ai, Shounen, Supernatural; Rating: 6.0/10.0
Title: Kanon; Genres: Drama, Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Kimi ga Nozomu Eien; Genres: Drama, Romance, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Loveless; Genres: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Shoujo, Shounen Ai, Supernatural; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Blood+; Genres: Action, Drama, Horror, Military, Mystery, Supernatural, Vampire; Rating: 5.0/10.0
Title: Love Hina; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, Romance, Shounen, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Love Hina Again; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Ecchi, Romance, Shounen; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Love Hina Haru Special: Kimi Sakura Chiru Nakare!!; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Romance; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Onegai☆Teacher; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Sci-Fi; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Onegai☆Twins; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Harem, School, Sci-Fi; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Tenshi na Konamaiki; Genres: Comedy, Magic, Romance, Shounen; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Ranma ½; Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Dragon Ball; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Shounen, Super Power; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Dragon Ball GT; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Sci-Fi, Shounen, Super Power; Rating: 2.0/10.0
Title: Elfen Lied; Genres: Action, Drama, Horror, Psychological, Romance, Seinen, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Jigoku Shoujo; Genres: Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Cardcaptor Sakura; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Girls Bravo: First Season; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, School; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: InuYasha; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Shounen, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Ikkitousen; Genres: Ecchi, Martial Arts, School, Super Power; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Golden Boy; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Bleach; Genres: Action, Comedy, Shounen, Super Power, Supernatural; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Hellsing; Genres: Action, Horror, Seinen, Supernatural, Vampire; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Noir; Genres: Action, Drama, Mystery; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Love♥Love?; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, Romance; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Paradise Kiss; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Josei, Romance, Slice of Life; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Peach Girl; Genres: Drama, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Marmalade Boy; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Harem, Romance, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Shoujo Kakumei Utena; Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Psychological, Shoujo; Rating: 6.0/10.0
Title: Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Adolescence Mokushiroku; Genres: Dementia, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 5.0/10.0
Title: Karin; Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shounen, Vampire; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Girls Bravo: Second Season; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, School; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: I My Me! Strawberry Eggs; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Magic, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon; Genres: Demons, Magic, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Slayers; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Digimon Adventure; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Kids; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Historical, Mecha, Military, Romance, Shounen; Rating: 6.0/10.0
Title: Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi 2; Genres: Comedy, Mecha, Romance, Sci-Fi, Shoujo Ai, Shounen; Rating: 6.0/10.0
Title: Puni Puni☆Poemii; Genres: Comedy, Magic, Sci-Fi, Shounen; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Koi Kaze; Genres: Drama, Psychological, Romance, Seinen; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo Ai, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Tokyo Mew Mew; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Sci-Fi, Shoujo, Supernatural; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Dragon Ball Z; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Shounen, Super Power; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Ouran Koukou Host Club; Genres: Comedy, Harem, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Strawberry Panic; Genres: Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo Ai; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Air Gear; Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Shounen, Sports; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Joshikousei: Girl's High; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Ecchi, School, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Nana; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Simoun; Genres: Drama, Magic, Military, Romance, Shoujo Ai; Rating: 2.0/10.0
Title: Gunnm; Genres: Drama, Mecha, Sci-Fi, Shounen; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Slayers Excellent; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic, Shounen, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Zero no Tsukaima; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Magic, Romance, School; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Bokura ga Ita; Genres: Drama, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Chobits Recap; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Ecchi, Romance, Sci-Fi; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Digimon Adventure 02; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Kids; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Monster Farm: Enbanseki no Himitsu; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Ai Tenshi Densetsu Wedding Peach; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Magic, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Death Note; Genres: Mystery, Police, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller; Rating: 6.0/10.0
Title: Attack No.1; Genres: Drama, Shoujo, Sports; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Happiness!; Genres: Comedy, Harem, Magic, Romance, School; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kiniro no Corda: Primo Passo; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Harem, Magic, Music, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 5.0/10.0
Title: Gift: Eternal Rainbow; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Harem, Magic, Romance, School; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Venus Versus Virus; Genres: Drama, Romance, Supernatural; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl OVA; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo Ai, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kaze no Stigma; Genres: Action, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Shounen; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Kamichama Karin; Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora; Genres: Drama, Magic, Romance, Shounen; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Mitsu x Mitsu Drops; Genres: Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Lovely★Complex; Genres: Comedy, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Cat's Eye; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Mystery, Romance; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Clannad; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Slice of Life, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Zombie-Loan; Genres: Action, Horror, Shounen, Supernatural; Rating: 5.0/10.0
Title: Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru Special; Genres: Comedy, Romance, School; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Shugo Chara!; Genres: Comedy, Magic, School, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Myself; Yourself; Genres: Drama, Romance, School; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Blue Drop: Tenshi-tachi no Gikyoku; Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi, Shoujo Ai; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Rosario to Vampire; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, School, Shounen, Vampire; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Ganbare! Kickers; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Shounen, Sports; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Love Hina Final Selection; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, Romance; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi - Miyuki; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Next Season; Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Zombie-Loan Specials; Genres: Action, Shounen, Supernatural; Rating: 5.0/10.0
Title: Kiniro no Corda: Primo Passo - Hitonatsu no Encore; Genres: Harem, Music, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 5.0/10.0
Title: Vampire Knight; Genres: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Shoujo, Supernatural, Vampire; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Special A; Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Itazura na Kiss; Genres: Comedy, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Air Gear Special; Genres: Shounen, Sports; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Clannad: After Story; Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Rosario to Vampire Capu2; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, School, Vampire; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Shoujo Sect; Genres: Comedy, Hentai, Romance, Yuri; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Candy Boy: Nonchalant Talk of the Certain Twin Sisters in Daily Life; Genres: Romance, School, Shoujo Ai; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Skip Beat!; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shoujo; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Vampire Knight Guilty; Genres: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Shoujo, Supernatural, Vampire; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Maria†Holic; Genres: Comedy, Parody, School, Shoujo Ai; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood; Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Military, Shounen; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Slayers Evolution-R; Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Canaan; Genres: Action, Seinen; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Saki; Genres: Game, School, Slice of Life; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: K-On!; Genres: Comedy, Music, School, Slice of Life; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Kiniro no Corda: Secondo Passo; Genres: Harem, Music, School, Shoujo; Rating: 5.0/10.0
Title: Kanamemo; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Shoujo Ai, Slice of Life; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Aoi Hana; Genres: Romance, Shoujo Ai, Slice of Life; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Sasameki Koto; Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo Ai; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kämpfer; Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Romance, School, Shoujo Ai, Super Power; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Angel Beats!; Genres: Action, Comedy, Drama, School, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Joshikousei: Girl's High Specials; Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Dance in the Vampire Bund; Genres: Action, Supernatural, Vampire; Rating: 4.0/10.0
Title: InuYasha: Kanketsu-hen; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Shounen, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kaichou wa Maid-sama!; Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kiss x Sis (TV); Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, Romance, School, Seinen; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kämpfer Picture Drama; Genres: Comedy; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: K-On!!; Genres: Comedy, Music, School, Slice of Life; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: B Gata H Kei; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Romance, School, Seinen; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Highschool of the Dead; Genres: Action, Ecchi, Horror, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Dance in the Vampire Bund Recap; Genres: Action, Supernatural, Vampire; Rating: 4.0/10.0
Title: Hourou Musuko; Genres: Drama, School, Slice of Life; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Yosuga no Sora: In Solitude, Where We Are Least Alone.; Genres: Drama, Ecchi, Harem, Romance; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kuttsukiboshi; Genres: Drama, Romance, Shoujo Ai, Supernatural; Rating: 9.0/10.0
Title: Kimi ga Nozomu Eien: Gundam Parody; Genres: Mecha, Parody, Sci-Fi, Space; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Motto To LOVE-Ru; Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, School, Sci-Fi, Shounen; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Air Gear: Kuro no Hane to Nemuri no Mori - Break on the Sky; Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Shounen, Sports; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kaichou wa Maid-sama!: Omake dayo!; Genres: Comedy, School, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Maria†Holic Alive; Genres: Comedy, Parody, School, Shoujo Ai; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Angel Beats!: Another Epilogue; Genres: Drama, School, Supernatural; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Kaichou wa Maid-sama!: Goshujinsama to Asonjao♥; Genres: Comedy, School, Shoujo; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Blood-C; Genres: Action, Horror, School, Supernatural, Vampire; Rating: 5.0/10.0
Title: Yuru Yuri; Genres: Comedy, School, Shoujo Ai, Slice of Life; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Maria†Holic: Run Run Riru Ran Ran Rara; Genres: Comedy, Music; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Maria†Holic Alive Special; Genres: Comedy, Parody, Romance, School; Rating: 10.0/10.0
Title: Zero no Tsukaima F; Genres: Adventure, Ecchi, Fantasy, Magic, Romance; Rating: 7.0/10.0
Title: Kokoro Connect; Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Slice of Life, Supernatural; Rating: 8.0/10.0
Title: Monster Farm: Legend e no Michi; Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 10.0/10.0 | anime |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Something's Gotta Give (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Reservoir Dogs (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Frida (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rush Hour 2 (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: American Beauty (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Perfect Storm (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Mean Girls (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Jaws (1975); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sandlot (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Beautiful Mind (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Bend It Like Beckham (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Being John Malkovich (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: What Women Want (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Super Size Me (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Finding Neverland (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Napoleon Dynamite (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sideways (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Village (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Whale Rider (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Wizard of Oz: Collector's Edition (1939); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: About Schmidt (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Bruce Almighty (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Garden State (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shrek 2 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Finding Nemo (Widescreen) (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Patch Adams (1998); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Sleepy Hollow (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bowling for Columbine (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Coffee and Cigarettes (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Apocalypse Now Redux (1979); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bringing Down the House (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Under the Tuscan Sun (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Rushmore (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: I (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bad Santa (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Memento (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fight Club (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sin City (2005); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Amelie (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Bourne Identity (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Starsky & Hutch (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Edward Scissorhands (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Big Momma's House (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Saved! (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sister Act (1992); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Insomnia (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Extended Edition (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Stand by Me (1986); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Red Violin (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Empire of the Sun (1987); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Minority Report (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Good Will Hunting (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Turner and Hooch (1989); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: 12 Angry Men (1957); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Stepmom (1998); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Deeds (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Father of the Bride 2 (1995); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: American Pie 2 (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Godzilla (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Gods and Monsters (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: My Best Friend's Wedding (1997); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The School of Rock (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gangs of New York (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: U-571 (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Incredibles (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pulp Fiction (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Meet the Fockers (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Monsters (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: American Pie (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Three Men and a Baby (1987); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Adaptation (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Spider-Man 2 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Big Fish (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Coming to America (1988); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Boys Don't Cry (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: X-Men (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Office: Series 1 (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Men in Black (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Aviator (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Troy (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Best of the Chris Rock Show: Vol. 1 (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Chicago (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Swingers (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Never Been Kissed (1999); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Toy Story (1995); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gladiator (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Trainspotting: Collector's Edition (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jurassic Park (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Spider-Man (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Office: Series 2 (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Shrek (Full-screen) (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Matrix (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Extended Edition (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Grease (1978); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Ocean's Eleven (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Independence Day (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Big Daddy (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Phone Booth (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Mona Lisa Smile (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pecker (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Real Women Have Curves (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Matchstick Men (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kindergarten Cop (1990); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Office Special (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chocolat (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: West Side Story (1961); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chicken Run (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Donnie Darko (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Indecision 2004 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ma Vie En Rose (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: The 20th Anniversary (Rerelease) (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Terminal (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Spellbound (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Run Lola Run (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Some Like It Hot (1959); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ghostbusters (1984); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Batman Begins (2005); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fiddler on the Roof (1971); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Invader Zim (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Monsoon Wedding (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sixteen Candles (1984); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rain Man (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fire (1996); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Eddie Izzard: Glorious (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Majestic (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cry-Baby (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Godfather (1972); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Lost Boys: Special Edition (1987); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lean on Me (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Eddie Izzard: Definite Article (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Green Mile (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Adventures of Pete & Pete: Season 1 (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lost: Season 1 (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Freaks & Geeks: The Complete Series (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Almost Famous (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Bug's Life (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Robots (2005); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Robin Hood (Disney) (1973); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 4 (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Little Shop of Horrors (1960); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Flies (1990); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Alice in Wonderland (1951); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Danny Deckchair (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Raising Arizona (1987); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Beetlejuice (1988); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Wedding Singer (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shakespeare in Love (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dogma (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Annie: Special Anniversary Edition (1982); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Por La Libre (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Shop Around the Corner (1940); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Amarcord (1974); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: BASEketball (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Wayne's World (1992); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Heathers (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Moonstruck (1987); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Addams Family (1991); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Half Baked (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: About a Boy (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Freddy Got Fingered (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Death Becomes Her (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hair (1979); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Mighty Wind (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mars Attacks! (1996); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Full Monty (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Roman Holiday (1953); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Best in Show (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 3 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Addams Family Values (1993); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Pretty Woman (1990); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ciao (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Breakfast Club (1985); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Billy Madison (1995); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Bio-Dome (1996); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Gone with the Wind: Collector's Edition (1939); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dirty Dancing (1987); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Little Man Tate (1991); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cinema Paradiso: Director's Cut (1988); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Willow (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cruel Intentions (1999); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Grosse Pointe Blank (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Apartment (1960); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Citizen Kane (1941); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Election (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Goonies (1985); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: There's Something About Mary: Special Edition (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Friday (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Groundhog Day (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: South Park: Season 1 (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Scary Movie 3 (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: A Clockwork Orange (1971); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lady and the Tramp (1955); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Philadelphia Story (1940); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Psycho (1960); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bubba Ho-Tep (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Barefoot in the Park (1967); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Batman & Robin (1997); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Pleasantville (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rebel Without a Cause: Special Edition (1955); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The NeverEnding Story (1984); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Thelma & Louise: Special Edition (1991); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Boondock Saints (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Schindler's List (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Benny and Joon (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Yours (1968); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: It's a Wonderful Life (1946); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: SLC Punk (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Fish Called Wanda (1988); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Producers (1968); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Children of Heaven (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 2 (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: South Park: Bigger (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Valentin (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Team America: World Police (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Intermission (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Slums of Beverly Hills (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dazed and Confused (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Zoolander (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: South Park: Season 6 (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: South Park: Season 5 (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Big (1988); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 1 (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: L'Auberge Espagnole (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: La Dolce Vita (1960); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Parent Trap (1961); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Old School (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Nurse Betty (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Meet the Parents (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Tootsie (1982); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: James and the Giant Peach (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Absolutely Fabulous: Series 5 (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: But I'm a Cheerleader (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: My Cousin Vinny (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Legends of the Fall (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Witches of Eastwick (1987); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hairspray (1988); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mildred Pierce (1945); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: An American in Paris (1951); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Absolutely Fabulous: Series 4 (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Billy Elliot (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Office Space (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pee-Wee's Playhouse: Vol. 2 (1987); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Say Anything (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Seinfeld: Season 3 (1991); Rating: 4.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: December 6: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Cruz Smith Page; Review: Truly enjoyed December 6, another great historical novel from Martin Cruz Smith. Similar to Stallion Gate, Smith takes actual historical events and let's us look at them from another aspect.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Havana Bay (Arkady Renko Novels, No 4); Author: Visit Amazon's Martin Cruz Smith Page; Review: Good reading; Cruz does an excellent job of putting the reader into the time and place of the story. His knowledge of Havana and the surrounding area, as well as the conditions in which the Cuban people had to live makes the story come to life.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Winter of the World: Book Two of the Century Trilogy; Author: Visit Amazon's Ken Follett Page; Review: Purchased this book of the trilogy before I had completed Fall of Giants; couldn't wait to see what happened to some of the characters. I love historical fiction and Ken Follett is on of the best writers of this genre. I have read almost all of his previous novels and have never been disappointed. For someone that wants to learn more about history, but doesn't want to read a textbook, his works provide an excellent story line with an accurate historical background. As this one reaches more into recent history, I began to pick up on a very specific liberal bias. Do not intend to purchase the last book of the trilogy as I'm sure his portrayal of certain political and military figures of the late 20th will not coincide with my image of these people.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Elizabeth Street; Author: Visit Amazon's Laurie Fabiano Page; Review: Having grand-parents who came to America from Italy during the early 1900's I had a great deal of appreciation for the characters, and how they resolved their problems. The historical connections to events and some other the other characters made the book very compelling.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: China Marine: An Infantryman's Life after World War II; Author: Visit Amazon's E. B. Sledge Page; Review: Without taking anything away from E.B. Sledge, China Marine was very tepid when compared with his previous work, With The Old Breed. However, it was very informative with regards to the mission of the 1st Marine Division during their time in China.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard; Author: Visit Amazon's Elmore Leonard Page; Review: I purchased this book of short stories knowing that I had probably read most of them before in other compilations. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading them for a second time. It never ceases to amaze me how a man (Elmore) having grown up and educated in the Detroit area could have such knowledge about the Southwest United States. His writing so accurately describes the geography and cultural aspects of the region. He is a story-teller "par exellance".; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic; Author: Visit Amazon's Matthew Kelly Page; Review: This in an incredible book for any Catholic; very educational and very humbling. For those of us who think that we are dynamic Catholics, reading Kelly's book will quickly point out the areas where we all need considerable improvement. This is a "must-read" for any Catholic who want to gain a greater spiritual life of action and, in turn, become an example for others in our church community. Russell J. Sepielli; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rescue at Los Baos: The Most Daring Prison Camp Raid of World War II; Author: Visit Amazon's Bruce Henderson Page; Review: This book is an excellent read; we should never forget the men and women that fought for our freedom during World War II. And we should also honor those men and women who had to endure the hardships and cruelty inflicted upon them while they were prisoners of war,; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Timberland Men's White Ledge Mid Waterproof; Brand: ; Review: I'm 6 foot seven and 350 pounds with a size 14 boot. It's hard to find a more comfortable walking and working boot then these timberlands just make sure they fit. I'm on my fourth pair I replace them every 5-6 months.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: ASICS Men's Gel-Synthesis Cross-Training Shoe; Brand: ; Review: They extremely comfortable in my opinion.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: iLoveSIA Men's Classic Dress Oxford Suede Leather Shoe Black; Brand: iLoveSIA; Review: These are alot more comfortable then I would have thought. I originally accidentally bought two pairs. Now I'm happy I did.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's Big & Tall 559 Relaxed Straight-Leg Jean; Brand: ; Review: A little bit smaller than the last one I ordered.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's Big & Tall 559 Relaxed Straight-Leg Jean; Brand: ; Review: A little bit smaller than the last one I ordered.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's Big & Tall 559 Relaxed Straight-Leg Jean; Brand: ; Review: A little bit smaller than the last one I ordered.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's Big & Tall 559 Relaxed Straight-Leg Jean; Brand: ; Review: A little bit smaller than the last one I ordered.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's Big & Tall 559 Relaxed Straight-Leg Jean; Brand: ; Review: A little bit smaller than the last one I ordered.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Coral Oasis Villa; City: St John U S Virgin Islands; Review: Four of us spent a delightful week at Coral Oasis Villa using three BRs. Beautiful villa, very nice pool. Pool water temp a bit on the cool side. Constant breezes so this location is cooler than others in STJ. As you can see from the pics the outside deck area is not huge, but adequate for our four. Would be crowded for more. Easy in/out and great location.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Casa dos Guindais; City: Porto Porto District Northern Portugal; Review: We took a cab from the airport, inexpensive. But dropped on this street it looks like a residential "old" neighborhood. But we found our way inside and the rooms were great. Highly personalized service, suggestions, recommendations, for breakfast, dinner. A couple of days in Porto is plenty but worthwhile. Stay at Casa dos Guindais and you won't be disappointed.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Ribamar; City: Nazare Leiria District Central Portugal; Review: Rooms were OK / average, reception was friendly. Very tiny showers in the rooms. Fairly pricy overall. breakfast is weak but they were willing to pull multiple espresso shots for all of us so that helped a lot. Right across the small and quiet street from the beach. it was cool so not beach season but given the right price could be a terrific location for a summer vaca.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta North Johns Creek; City: Johns Creek Georgia; Review: Typical garden inn rooms. A better than average lobby area with sofas and tv viewing. The tiny outdoor patio is not very attractive. I've never seen anyone in the outdoor pool / spa but it looks clean. This Hilton services the local businesses and their employees. I always unplug the very noisy refridg, hope they don't mind. Gold gets free breakfast for two, a good deal. Otherwise walk across the stree to Panera for better economical meal.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Carter Notch Inn; City: Jackson New Hampshire; Review: What spectacular innkeepers Danny and Donna are. They make you feel like best friends honestly. Good breakfasts, plenty of good coffee, good snacks, free beer! Convenient to Mt Washington hiking and North Conway restaurants, etc. Love it!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gaylord Texan Resort Convention Center; City: Grapevine Texas; Review: This is a big improvement over the typical Vegas, Orlando or other large conference sites although the capacity is much smaller. Very convenient to DFW for quick and inexpensive transportation from out of town. Downtown Grapevine is just a couple miles away for good alternative restaurant options when the on-campus alternatives get too pricey or tiresome. The hotel and conference center are connected via a large (huge) glass covered atrium with trees, water features, etc. It is a nice walk between the two.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Baren; City: Adelboden Bernese Oberland Canton of Bern; Review: We had a balcony overlooking the main street which made for fun people-watching. Huge tub and shower. Comfortable beds with typical room layout. We had dinner and breakfast during our stay. Both meals were excellent. The one negative was the service, beginning with reception, then seating at dinner, and again in the morning for breakfast and checkout. It felt a bit like the help were burned out / exhausted and just didn't care. Not rude, but close. I strongly recommend the food but would stay elsewhere.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel; City: Irving Texas; Review: I stay here whenever I'm in the area and they have availability. It seems to sell out frequently, and I can understand why. From free airport shuttle to good breakfast buffet, reasonable food and a comfortable bar, the common areas and services are all really good. The rooms are solid, quiet, better than average sized.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Garden Inn San Diego Rancho Bernardo; City: San Diego California; Review: It's a typical Hilton Garden Inn, no surprises. The location is easy in/out. The staff are friendly, the rooms and common areas are well maintained and seem to be clean. And reasonably quiet. I stay for business, it fits the bill. And the bill is usually reasonable.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Loews Chicago O Hare Hotel; City: Rosemont Illinois; Review: Large, clean and quiet room. Big windows overlooking trees / greenscape with plenty of sunshine. Amenities good, food options within walking distance surprisingly good given the location. The desk area is functional but fairly small, but that's the only real negative. Staff were friendly and helpful. Overall a strong option in the O'Hare area. I'd gladly return.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Garden Inn Salt Lake City Airport; City: Salt Lake City Utah; Review: Based on a one night stay for business. Fairly typical Garden Inn overeall although common areas small and somewhat dark, and on the other hand my room was quite large. Can't really expect much from their buffet breakfast, served in an echo-y and noisy room with no windows. Can't beat the convenience to SLC airport though. I arrived at about 8PM and literally had to go find someone to check me in.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Carter Notch Inn; City: Jackson New Hampshire; Review: We wouldn't think of staying elsewhere in the Jackson area. Quiet, comfortable, scrupulously clean, great food, priced right. All complemented by terrific hosts Danny and Donna. We visit to hike, Carter Notch Inn is a terrific central location - east to Baldface, south to the Moats, north to Adams, Madison, Wildcats, Carter, etc. and west to Eisenhower, Willey, Field, Zealand, Jefferson and more.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Outpost Motel; City: Grand Marais Minnesota; Review: Six adults and two dogs stayed in three rooms the night prior to our boundary waters trip. The price was fair, the location very convenient for us, the greeting very friendly, and it's super easy to find. It's a motel but at the better-end of the motel scale.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: NH Collection Sevilla; City: Seville Province of Seville Andalucia; Review: I spent 8 nights in a comfortable room, good sized, good amenities. Nesspresso machine in the room is a nice benefit. The included breakfast buffet was solid, fresh fruit, omlets and eggs by request, OK coffee. Pastries not great but plenty of them. The gym is small with two treadmills and two eliptical machines and some free weights. Reach the gym by going outside to the pool and then entering the separate small glassed-in area. Overall the service was adequate although perfunctory - but no issues. The challenge with this hotel is the location. Thirty minutes cab ride to the conference center (FIBES) and twenty minutes brisk walk to the old town (cathedral, etc.). For this reason I would look elsewhere first. (Taxis were always available note.); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Beacon; City: New York City New York; Review: The rooms on lower floors are large but unattractive. The price for a higher floor is well worth it, as is the small addition for a corner. Friendly reception. Super convenient for Beacon Theatre events. Reasonably priced for NYC. I like it and will return.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fairmont Waterfront; City: Vancouver British Columbia; Review: I spent a week here on a business trip. The room was average typical, although with a pretty view north over the water. The bath was small but perfectly functional. The wifi was strong as was the unlimited coffee in the room, a pleasant surprise. The gym was small with a few treadmills and some weights. The restaurant and bar were not appealing, and the menu limited. Not really an issuer since there are many restaurants within a short walk. Given the wet and cold weather the location one block from the conference center was the highlight for me. There is even access via a tunnel system if desired.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Profile Deluxe Motel; City: Twin Mountain New Hampshire; Review: I was surprised to see this property listed by TripAdvisor under the "Romantic" category. Can a motel really be romantic? :>) Regardless it is a great location and functional, clean rooms. With competitive prices and friendly service.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pastoral Hotel Kfar Blum; City: Kfar Blum Northern District; Review: I'm sure that my impressions of this hotel were influenced by the cold and rain of a mid-February visit. The walk from the entrance lobby through the grounds was after dark, cold, and rainy. Our room was large but the heat system was temperamental - sometimes working and other times not. The bathroom was large with a tub and a separate stall shower and separate toilet enclosure. Unfortunately there were many ants on the sink and countertop. Overall the rooms and facilities appeared to be in need of updating and maintenance. But! The breakfast buffet was excellent with hundreds of foods and drinks from which to choose including good espresso drinks.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: PUMA Adult Suede Classic Shoe; Brand: ; Review: The shoe fits a little snugly, but overall I like it. It also comes with white laces, which I like better than the red ones; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: PUMA Unisex Liga Suede Fashion Sneaker; Brand: ; Review: Love this shoe. Fits as expected; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: PUMA Adult Suede Classic Shoe; Brand: ; Review: The shoe fits a little snugly, but overall I like it. It also comes with white laces, which I like better than the red ones; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: PUMA Adult Suede Classic Shoe; Brand: ; Review: The shoe fits a little snugly, but overall I like it. It also comes with white laces, which I like better than the red ones; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Carter's Little Boys' 3 Pack Underwear (Toddler/Kid) - Transportation; Brand: ; Review: I got these for my nephew who is just starting to potty train. He absolutely loves the designs and they fit him really well! I would recommend maybe going a size up - I got 2-3T and they fit him perfectly, but hes also really skinny. Overall Im definitely satisfied with this purchase. Would buy again (and probably will).; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Holding On (Lights of Peril Book 1) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's A.C. Bextor Page; Review: I truly loved this book. It kept me on the edge the whole time. I had so many emotions going on at the end of this book that I hadn't expected. What a ending it was and I can't wait for the next book. This book has everything I love reading and I was head over in love with everyone in the book. Hurry with the next one!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: All the Sky (Signal Bend Series Book 5) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Susan Fanetti Page; Review: I just can't get enough of these families. I have read everyone of them and loved all their stories. I can't wait for the next book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Xavier: Steel Brothers - A Family Affair (A Men of Steel Book 4) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's MJ Fields Page; Review: I have read everyone of these books and I have to say that I needed to fan myself most of the time. Xavier was one of my favorite books. These men are confident and love their women. Thanks for this series but I bet my family is glad this book is over so I can get back to life. I just could not put it down until I was finished.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Show the Fire (Signal Bend Series Book 6) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Susan Fanetti Page; Review: I could hardly wait to read this and it was worth the wait. I am addicted to this series and the book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I will not give it away but get ready for a different outcome from this book. I can't wait for the next book..Hurry....; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Stand Off (Predators MC Book 2) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Jamie Begley Page; Review: I am beginning to love The Predators as much as the Last Riders (almost). This book address some family issues that a lot of people go through daily and with so many blended family this book is a winner. I did not like Max to start with but now I think he is alright. If you have kept up with this series you want be disappointed. Can't wait for Jackel and Penni's story.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lucky's Choice (The Last Riders Book 7) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Jamie Begley Page; Review: I love The Last Riders series and this book was one of my favorite. Jamie you exceeded my expectation on this book. I can relate to Willa and her insecurities about her weight but Lucky nipped that in the bud. This book makes me want to go bake some cupcakes. Can't wait for the next book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Kindle_Store |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Big Night (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Waiting for Guffman (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Road to Perdition (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Billy Elliot (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Analyze That (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Monsoon Wedding (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Soldier of Orange (1977); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Two Weeks Notice (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Daredevil (2003); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: High Fidelity (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The In-Laws (1979); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Drumline (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Jerry Maguire (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Spitfire Grill (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Frida (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1983); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Wedding Planner (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Sting (1973); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bringing Down the House (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 3 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Killing Me Softly (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Emperor's Club (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chicago (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Con Air (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blow (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 4 (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: New York (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shadowlands (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lost in La Mancha (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Italian Job (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Seabiscuit (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Rear Window (1954); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Mighty Wind (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bend It Like Beckham (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Whale Rider (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bruce Almighty (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Secondhand Lions (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Born Free (1966); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Music of the Heart (1999); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: X2: X-Men United (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Man on the Train (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sahara (1943); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Die Another Day (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Radio (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Lover (1992); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 2 (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 1 (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dirty Pretty Things (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Open Range (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lost in Translation (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Matchstick Men (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Under the Tuscan Sun (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Eurotrip (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Miracle (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Van Helsing (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: North by Northwest (1959); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Spirited Away (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Passion of the Christ (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Love Actually (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Amelie (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Butterfly Effect: Director's Cut (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: 12 Angry Men (1957); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: To Catch a Thief (1955); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Music Man (1962); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Spider-Man 2 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hero (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Around the World in 80 Days (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Shrek 2 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Bourne Supremacy (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Bourne Identity (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Rounders (1998); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Godfather (1972); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: What's Happening!!: Season 1 (1976); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Three's Company: Season 3 (1978); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Third Man (1949); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Das Boot (1981); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Catch Me If You Can (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Wiggles: Toot Toot! (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mister Roberts (1955); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Catwoman (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: O Brother (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Return (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Meet the Fockers (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Being Julia (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: After the Sunset (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Point Sebago; City: Casco Maine; Review: Everything about Point Sebago looked fantastic, judging from the brochures and DVDs and even their website. And, I must admit, some things were fantastic. But what the resort calls "Park Homes," are really just trailers without the wheels. We are a family with two adults and four small kids. We've stayed at plenty of hotels and resorts in a two-bedroom unit without a problem. The booking agent assured us we'd be comfortable in one of their "all inclusive" park homes, but we absolutely were not!! The bedrooms were so tiny, there was literally no space to even put a small sleeping pad on the floor. One BR had a double bed (way too small for me and my 6'4" husband to share!) and the other had two twins and room for nothing else. In any case, the units are SMALL, but the resort itself was a lot of fun. My kids had a ball playing the 6-8 year old games. The food was not great, but we cooked most meals in (thank God it didn't rain, the table only sat 4 at a time!) The kids loved the shows and the crafts and I loved the beach and the fact we didn't have to drive all week. Would I go back? Only if we got one of the resort homes on the golf course, but even then, I'd hesistate. I didn't like the fact that everyone zipped around on golf carts, making it tough for pedestrians and bikers to feel safe. This place is more RV park than resort, they should be more clear about that.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Blue Rock Resort; City: South Yarmouth Yarmouth Cape Cod Massachusetts; Review: My husband and I wanted a little two-night getaway and didn't want to spend a fortune. Blue Rock was a perfect solution. We aren't golfers, but the adjoining course made the surroundings seem quieter. Our room had an in-room jacuzzi for two, which was a nice touch. The only complaint was that the restaurant was closed, so we had to drive downtown for dinner. I had been looking forward to parking the car and walking everywhere for a few days, but this isn't the place for that. However, I noticed many of the other hotels/motels in Yarmouth are plunked right on the main road, so I think I'd take Blue Rock over that any day.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murray Hill East Suites; City: New York City New York; Review: We recently spent two nights at Murray Hill East. As other reviewers have mentioned, the place isn't exactly modern, but it was very clean and we had no problems with check-in, etc. Our room did have a great view of the Empire State Building and we were within walking distance of many great bars and restaurants. We paid $179 per night and at check-in, got upgraded to a larger room. We couldn't have asked for more ... a large fridge, a microwave, a dishwasher, a small dining table, a pull-out couch, several armchairs and a separate bedroom with two queen-sized beds. Tons of closet space, small bathroom, but we were impressed overall. I would stay here again, esp. with kids, since you can put them to bed and still stay up to watch TV, etc. Great bargain, great stay.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Vineyard Square Hotel Suites; City: Edgartown Martha s Vineyard Massachusetts; Review: Everything about this place was easy -- the location, the parking and the check-in. Room were clean and comfortable (and air conditioned!) and the manager was very friendly and helpful. We loved sitting on the front porch in the rocking chairs at the end of the night and people-watching, and we loved that there are several fantastic restaurants within walking distance. Continental breakfast in the lovely courtyard was a bonus, too. Would certainly recommend to friends as a top-choice for a Vineyard getaway.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cathedral Ledge Condominium Resort; City: Intervale Bartlett New Hampshire; Review: Just got back from a Feb vacation ski trip and we all agreed we loved Cathedral Ledge resort. Our unit was clean and spacious. The washer/dryer was a bonus, and the kids loved the game room, pool and sauna. 10 minute drive to Cranmore, discounted lift tickets at the front desk, full kitchen, what more could you ask for? I found the staff to be very friendly. Our one (minor) issue was that the front desk doesn't open until 9am -- a bit of a bummer if you're trying to buy lift tickets and get on the mountain early. Other than that, it was a fantastic place to stay.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Viking Shores Motor Inn; City: Eastham Cape Cod Massachusetts; Review: We arrived at Viking Shores on a beautiful fall weekend for my parents' anniversary weekend. The owners were fantastic, the rooms were clean and comfortable, the grounds were amazing and the location was perfect. The off-season rates are very affordable. No complaints whatsoever. Thank you!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Lunaire Women's Plus-Size Coolmax High-Impact Sport Bra; Brand: Lunaire; Review: great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lunaire Women's Plus-Size Coolmax High-Impact Sport Bra; Brand: Lunaire; Review: great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gerber Baby Boys' 4-Pack Organic Onesies Bodysuit; Brand: ; Review: baby; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wolf Ears & Tail Set Headband And Tail by Funny Party Hats; Brand: ; Review: cute; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hanes Women's Short Sleeve Nano-T V-Neck Tee; Brand: ; Review: soft; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hanes Women's Short Sleeve Nano-T V-Neck Tee; Brand: ; Review: soft; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: POSESHE Women's Short Sleeve Casual Loose T-Shirt Dress; Brand: POSESHE; Review: ok; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Baby Boys' Graphic T-Shirt; Brand: ; Review: baby cute; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Baby Boys' Western Button Up Shirt; Brand: ; Review: really cute; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Disguise Marvel Guardians of The Galaxy Rocket Raccoon Deluxe Boys Costume, One Color, 7-8; Brand: Disguise; Review: cute; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fun World Women's Red in The Hood; Brand: Fun World; Review: cute; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: Police search of apartments fails to locate missing girl; Abstract: An intense search of an apartment complex didn't turn up signs of a missing 3-year-old Alabama girl who was abducted from a birthday party days ago, police in Birmingham said Wednesday. Live video from news outlets showed police blocking off a street and the sound of a law enforcement helicopter overhead. Officers in helmets and other tactical gear were seen entering an apartment building.; Category: news
Title: Woman, suspect dead at 'Tarzan' actor Ron Ely's California residence; Abstract: Ron Ely, who portrayed Tarzan in the TV series in the 60s, was not harmed and is alive and well, a sheriff's office spokesman said.; Category: tv
Title: Photo of emotional nurse after 'particularly hard day' goes viral; Abstract: Her sister revealed that she had just wrapped up four days worth of work that included assisting in the delivery of a stillborn baby.; Category: health
Title: Food Network star Carl Ruiz died of clogged arteries; Abstract: Food Network's Carl Ruiz's cause of death was "atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease," The Maryland Department of Health confirmed.; Category: tv
Title: Study: Doctors 'under-prepared' to treat patients struggling with opioid use; Abstract: More than four out of five doctors are reluctant to take on patients using prescribed opioids, according to a survey.; Category: health
Title: Bobby Flay Reveals He's 'Very Single' on Beat Bobby Flay; Abstract: Bobby Flay Reveals He's Single on Beat Bobby Flay; Category: tv
Title: 'Tarzan' Actor Ron Ely: Actor's son allegedly killed his mother before deputies shot and killed him, sheriff's office says; Abstract: The son of "Tarzan" actor Ron Ely killed his mother before he was shot and killed by deputies on Tuesday, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.; Category: tv
Title: Nearly 1 in 2 Families Are Struggling With Addiction; Abstract: As news of the opioid epidemic are on front pages around the country, that and other substance abuse problems plague almost half of America's families. Portions of the trouble continue to rise year after year, according to new research.; Category: health
Title: Costco workers reveal 33 things they'd love to tell shoppers, but can't; Abstract: Costco membership doesn't entitle you to do whatever you want in the store, and employees say they'd prefer if people refrained from these behaviors.; Category: lifestyle
Title: Nike will look into runner Mary Cain's allegations of abuse; Abstract: Nike will look into runner Mary Cain's allegations of abuse while she was part of Alberto Salazar's training group. The runner says it reached the point where she started having suicidal thoughts and cutting herself. Cain joined the disbanded Nike Oregon Project run by Salazar in 2013, soon after competing in the 1,500-meter final at track and field's world championships when she was 17. Now 23, Cain told The New York Times in a video essay that...; Category: sports
Title: The Giudice family reunites and more ICYMI celeb news; Abstract: Giudice family reunites in Italy, Keanu Reeves has a girlfriend, Kevin O'Leary sued over boating accident and more news you might have missed this week.; Category: entertainment | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Saucony Women's Mystic Road Running Shoe; Brand: Saucony; Review: I have relatively wide feet, and these shoes fit great, so perhaps it is a little wider than other brands. I've had another pair of Saucony shoes before this, and it also fit nicely despite the width of my foot. It is really comfortable and quite cute. However, it is definitely one of the "heavier-looking" larger sneakers (it's quite light in actual weight!) and not one of the thinner walking shoes. I use these at the gym and paved trails and they work great!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: JanSport Wasabi Backpack; Brand: JanSport; Review: Nice pretty color; sturdy backpack. I gifted it to someone who works her backpacks pretty hard and it has been holding up!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Urban CoCo Women's Tartan Plaid Blanket Scarf Winter Checked Wrap Shawl; Brand: Urban CoCo; Review: Beautiful scarf! Warm and comfy :); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Joy EnvyLand Women V-Neck Flower Prom Party Tunic Long Cocktail Beach Dress; Brand: Joy EnvyLand; Review: Makes your upper body look HUGE... and the color is not as vibrant as I expected.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Milumia Women's Button Up Split Floral Print Flowy Party Maxi Dress; Brand: ; Review: The string in the front is just for decoration, not a tie-waist. The elastic for the waist is not very tight. If you are between sizes, I would recommend going down.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Floerns Women's Sleeveless Halter Neck Vintage Floral Print Maxi Dress; Brand: ; Review: Beautiful dress! It was not kidding when it says it has no stretch. My chest area barely fit and I'm a 36C, so if you are large on top, this might not be the best dress for you. Also it is REALLY long.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: OWIN Women's Vintage 1950's Floral Spring Garden Rockabilly Swing Prom Party Cocktail Dress; Brand: OWIN; Review: Beautiful dress; great vintage look for a summer wedding :); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crocs Leigh II Ankle Strap Wedge; Brand: ; Review: MOST COMFORTABLE SANDALS EVER. I never thought I'd buy a pair of crocs, but these shoes are cute and extremely comfortable. They are also totally made for the lazy people. The buckle is not a real buckle -- you use the buckle to adjust the length of strap, and then it just slips into a hook. I am so happy with these shoes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Delicious Women's Cindy Pointy Toe Velvet Single Sole Classic Pump; Brand: Delicious; Review: Bought this for a wedding where the bride requested rose gold shoes, and this is literally the most amazing rose gold I've ever seen. I generally wear size 9 heels even though I'm technically 8.5 because I have wide feet, especially at the front of my foot. This shoe had more room in the front than I expected and it was somewhat large. Also it has very little arch support, so I bought a gel arch support to go with it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Leg Avenue Women's Cozy Bat Costume; Brand: ; Review: Coziest Halloween costume ever. The only thing I didn't like it is how the bottom of the hoodie is V-shaped. It makes it look like you are wearing a leotard... not a huge fan of the look. BUT you can totally wear this as a hoddie around the house all year long!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Choies Women's High Waist A-line Flared Long Skirt Winter Fall Midi Skirt; Brand: CHOiES record your inspired fashion; Review: Beautiful skirt! And cozy AF. I am going to wear it this winter with thermal tights and boots. Can't wait! The color is slightly more rose than the deep red I was expecting.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chinese Laundry Women's Rainey Boot; Brand: ; Review: This is partly my fault - when I ordered them, I didn't realize that "smooth" means soft, thin leather. I had a pair of CL boots before, and the leather can mostly stand up on its own + had lots of room for my wide calves plus jeans. Unfortunately, these ones are the skin tight ones that can barely go up my legs, not to mention jeans. It felt more like a pair of thin leather pants versus real BOOTS. I am returning them, but I can see they can be cute for someone who does not live in the Northeast where you need sturdier/warmer boots, and who has thin legs.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Angerella Vintage Halter Swimsuit Monokini One Piece Swimwear Bathing Suits; Brand: Angerella; Review: ADORABLE vintage style swimsuit. Fits well. The cups are a bit on the large side so if you don't have as much boobs, there might be some empty space, but it's not noticeable. I love the ruffles around the belly as it hides my side fat haha. Overall a great a great purchase if you are looking for a cute one-piece!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Alivila.Y Fashion Faux Leather Steampunk Sexy Underbust Waist Belt Corset; Brand: Alivila.Y Fashion Corset; Review: Amazing piece for a ren faire costume, and all for only $8! The material is very stretchy and doesn't suffocate you even if you have a little extra around the middle! =D; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Cell Xcessories Black Leather Folio Flip-Up Folding Case Cover for Apple iPod Touch 4th Gen Generation 4G 8GB 32GB 64GB; Brand: Cell Xcessories; Review: I cannot say I am at all disappointed with this case. So far, it seems very durable. I have dropped my device a couple times and no damage was done, it was well protected. For added protection, you can also get a screen protector but because of the built in magnet in the cover it is not absolutely necessary as this keeps the cover closed at all times. All ports are accessible. Overall it does exactly what it was purchased to do. Not disappointed in the least.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: eForCity® Frost Clear White S Shape TPU Cover Case Compatible with Samsung© Galaxy S2 i9100 SII S II; Brand: ERJFGE; Review: What I paid for is exactly what I got with this case. It is trendy and practical. Fits the phone well and really I cannot complain. I love this case and the fact that you have a place to put all your cards if needed.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Anker® 2 x 1800mAh Li-ion Replacement Batteries for Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch; Brand: Anker; Review: Best thing I could have gotten for my phone. Now when I am out of battery life I just pop this in and voila..no problemo; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nokia Lumia 520 (AT&T Go Phone) No Annual Contract (Discontinued by Manufacturer); Brand: Nokia; Review: Can someone representing Nokia please contact me. This phone does not work for me. Would like to discuss alternatives.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Ringke [Fusion] Compatible with Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Case [Free HD Film, Dust & Drop; Brand: Ringke; Review: Got my phone case and was super excited to put it on, only to realize on opening that this is in fact the case for the Sony Xperia Compact instead of the Z3. On checking my order history, the title line seems to have been changed to z3 compact case however toward the end of the title line still says "not for Z3 compact etc. The extended product description also indicates that the case if for the Sony Z3 and is not for the z3+/Z3 Compact/Z3 Dual/z3 V/Z3 tablet. I am extremely disappointed because now I have to put in an order for a whole new case, spend extra money I had no intentions of spending and wait even longer to get yet another new case.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Xperia Z3 Case - Noot® Basics Ultra Slim Fit Smooth Black [Perfect; Brand: Kethe; Review: Looks good but been using mine less than a month and already the side is broken. Not impressed.; Rating: 2.0/5.0 | amazon_Cell_Phones_and_Accessories |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Rain Bird MANIF21PK Drip Irrigation 6-Port Manifold, 2 Gallon Per Hour Flow Rate Per Port; Brand: Rain Bird; Review: Easy install. No problems.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hydrofarm Active Aqua AAPW250 Submersible Water Pump, 250 GPH; Brand: Hydrofarm; Review: Good price. No problems yet.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hydrofarm Active Aqua Submersible Water Pump, 400 GPH; Brand: Hydrofarm; Review: Good price. No problems yet.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: iPower 1000 Watt High Pressure Sodium HPS Grow Light Bulb; Brand: iPower; Review: Get what you pay for.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Apollo Horticulture GLRP18 Pair of 1/8" Adjustable Grow Light Rope Hanger w/ Improved Metal Internal Gears; Brand: Apollo Horticulture; Review: Love um.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Patio_Lawn_and_Garden |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: How to Draw Manga: Occult & Horror; Author: Visit Amazon's Hikaru Hayashi Page; Review: this book dose not teach you how to draw occult or horror all it dose is give you pointers on how to make your horror pic look better and even then it was still no help i did not like the book if you plain on collecting all the how to draw manga books get this one last and for as cheap as possable; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: How To Draw Manga, Volume 13: Super Tone Techniques (Graphic-Sha Unnumbered); Author: Unkaku Koyama; Review: this book is for people who are trying to make a career out of draw manga because the techniques and the tools they tell you to use is for art students or artist i was just trying to get a better understanding of value on a manga figure and around the figure as well it was no help to me but if you understand that kind of stuff then buy it; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: How To Draw Manga Volume 38: Ninja & Samurai Portrayal; Author: Visit Amazon's Naho Fukagai Page; Review: the thing i liked about this book is it gives you good back ground info on each ninja and each samurai in the book so if you looking to make a story about ninja or samurai this is a good reforance book to use.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Manga for the Beginner Midnight Monsters: How to Draw Zombies, Vampires, and Other Delightfully Devious Characters of Japanese Comics; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Hart Page; Review: not bad but not good it's just ok unless you are into the subject horror; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Manga Mania Occult & Horror: How to Draw the Elegant and Seductive Characters of the Dark; Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Hart Page; Review: This book was ok my only problem with Christopher Hart is that his guidelines are never consistent with his books; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 5: Bishoujo Game Characters; Author: Visit Amazon's Tadashi Ozawa Page; Review: I like the it explains how to put a character and or characters into a story; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: How to Draw Manga, Vol. 34: Costume Encyclopedia, Vol. 2 - Intimate Apparel; Author: Hikaru Hayashi; Review: this is a very good reference book on female intimate attire; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: How to Draw Comic Book Heroes and Villains (Christopher Hart's How To Draw); Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Hart Page; Review: This book has nothing to do with drawing heroes or villains it just a reference On how to draw comic. the characters Look like something from the 1940s this book is out dated; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Colorist's Special Effects - color interior: Step by step guides to making your adult coloring pages POP!; Author: Helen Elliston; Review: There is no color in the book you have to go online for that; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Color Workshop: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Artistic Effects; Author: Visit Amazon's Rachel Reinert Page; Review: Lots of good information can't really follow the step by step unless your using the same media as her; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Colorist's Special Effects - color interior: Step by step guides to making your adult coloring pages POP!; Author: Helen Elliston; Review: All the pages are i black and white you have to go online for color Examples; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Fantasy Fashion Art Studio: Creating Romantic Characters, Clothing and Costumes; Author: Visit Amazon's Meredith Dillman Page; Review: More for water color Artist; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Phantom Tollbooth; Author: Visit Amazon's Norton Juster Page; Review: Awesome book loved this story since I was a kid; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Vampires: An Adult Coloring Book with Sexy Vampire Women, Dark Fantasy Romance, and Haunting Gothic Scenes for Relaxation; Author: Visit Amazon's Jade Summer Page; Review: I enjoy coloring in this book but I mostly use adult coloring book to Practice shading with color or different coloring Techniques with Different media; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Grimm Fairy Tales Adult Coloring Book Different Seasons; Author: Joe Brusha; Review: Very cool line work; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Grimm Fairy Tales Coloring Book Box Set; Author: Visit Amazon's Joe Brusha Page; Review: Really awsome line work and you can store other adult coloring books in the box; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Beginner's Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop: Characters; Author: Visit Amazon's 3dtotal Publishing Page; Review: A lot of information but worth it; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
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