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Jun3
Them Bones by David Housewright- A Review
Tag Archives: book
Mar3
The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh
This book was dropped off in my little free library and it looked intriguing so I took the time to read it and now I can’t decide if I should put it back in my library. Not because it isn’t a good book, because it is entertaining, but the publisher really screwed up this paperback. Imagine reading along, getting to the part where things are being revealed and then, suddenly, on the next page, there is no segue way, but different people in the room than were in conversation the page before. Confused, you look to the top of the page at the page numbers and the book goes from page 278 to page 311. So, you check what chapter you’re on. It’s 48. Then you skip forward to see that the next chapter is 56. So, BIG chunk missing. Vital pages are missing. But you soldier on and get to page 342. Book then reverts to page 311 again and then those pages up to page 342 are in there again. Still nothing on the chapters that were omitted. Wild, huh? There are only 364 pages in the book in its entirety. To say the reader is robbed is putting it mildly. A big chunk of stuff is missing.
I was able to fill in most of the blanks of the story, but was disappointed to not be able to read the whole book. I wonder if all this print run was so screwed up. I’m glad I didn’t spend my money on it as I would have been really much more upset.
As far as the plot, characterization and twists, it was a well-constructed story. The author has a way with words and her prose is easy to read. The tale of Leo and Emma was complex and well-written. I enjoyed the story but am disappointed in the fact that vital pages were missing. I don’t like to downgrade a review due to things beyond the writer’s control, but I can only give this one three stars because her publisher let her (and the reader) down; otherwise, this would have been a solid four from me.
BLURB:
Emma loves her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby: she’d do anything for them. But almost everything she’s told them about herself is a lie. And she might just have got away with it, if it weren’t for her husband’s job. Leo is an obituary writer; Emma a well-known marine biologist. When she suffers a serious illness, Leo copes by doing what he knows best – researching and writing about his wife’s life. But as he starts to unravel the truth, he discovers the woman he loves doesn’t really exist. Even her name isn’t real.When the very darkest moments of Emma’s past finally emerge, she must somehow prove to Leo that she really is the woman he always thought she was . . .But first, she must tell him about the other love of her life.
Feb27
Ten Incarnations of Rebellion by Vaishnavi Patel
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine for an ARC of this wonderful book for review.
The author took inspiration from the Ten Avatars of Vishnu and wrote this story of an alternate reality as if India didn’t gain its independence back in 1947. The beginning of the story was set in the 1960s and we follow the main character and her allies for a number of years.
This non-independence for India in the 1940s made for interesting reading in a couple of ways. One, the characters who were front and center were normal young women who stepped up to fight for freedom from their oppressors. The author didn’t spare any detail on just how cruel an occupying force can be on the citizens of the country they are subjugating. Some of the scenes were brutal and heart-wrenching.
Most of the young men of the fictionalized town in the story were sent off to fight in a war that they weren’t responsible for making. They were basically the bodies needed to engage the enemy and had no choice as they were drafted.
The women of the town stepped up even more once the men were gone and waged their own war against the government occupation.
One of the things I enjoyed a lot about the story was learning more about the Ten Avatars of Vishnu. The author was very skillful in how she wove them into each of the chapters of the book. The action in the chapters were each tied to one of the incarnations and each chapter ended with a tale of a certain avatar. There were ten chapters representing the ten avatars. The tie in stories of Vishnu added so much flavor to the story. A very clever way to tell the tale. Each of them taught lessons that we can all learn from such as compassion, courage, and justice. I especially enjoyed that the main character’s name was tied so closely to one of the avatars. Again, very clever.
I admit I didn’t know much about all the avatars of Vishnu when I started reading and this book really taught me about them in a way that was easy to read and comprehend. I found myself doing research to refine what I was learning in the book. I love learning about the culture of India and find myself reading a number of fiction tales set in that region as they are interesting and enlightening. This one gets five stars from me for the adventure, alternate history with women at the forefront and for the lessons learned about the Hindu religion.
BLURB:
Kalki Divekar grows up a daughter of Kingston—a city the British built on the ashes of Bombay. The older generation, including her father, have been lost to the brutal hunt for rebels. Young men are drafted to fight wars they will never return from. And the people of her city are more interested in fighting each other than facing their true oppressors.
When tragedy strikes close to home, Kalki and her group of friends begin to play a dangerous game, obtaining jobs working for the British while secretly planning to destroy the empire from the inside out. They found Kingston’s new independence movement, knowing one wrong move means certain death. Facing threats from all quarters, Kalki must decide whether it’s more important to be a hero or to survive.
Told as ten moments from Kalki’s life that mirror the Dashavatara, the ten avatars of Vishnu, Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is a sweeping, deeply felt speculative novel of empowerment, friendship, self-determination, and the true meaning of freedom.
Feb16
The Library Game by Gigi Pandian
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the copy of this book for review.
This is the fourth book I’ve read by this author with these characters. I’m very much enjoying the series. The main character is Tempest Raj, a woman who was an entertainer for many years who is now working in her family’s business of remodeling homes. But these remodels have a twist. The company specializes in secret staircases, hidden alcoves, trick entries and other seemingly magical architectural details.
Tempest’s family are very supportive of each other as well as their community and friends.
The characters in these stories have come to feel like friends to this reader as well. They have quirks in their personalities and each one is unique.
In this story, Tempest and her gang are working on a house they are transforming into a library. The owner passed away and left a vast number of volumes of old-school mystery books. He left funds for his nephew to renovate the house and make it into a specialty library with living quarters above.
To introduce the new specialty library to the community, a play is written to entertain the crowds during a weekend event. While rehearsing the play, things begin to go awry. From what seemed to be a murder victim, to a disappearing body, a busybody neighbor, and one of Tempest’s friends being put under surveillance by the police, this story is full of twists and turns. One issue after another arises and Tempest and her friends have to solve the real life mysteries before someone else gets hurt or killed.
Another successful adventure by Gigi Pandian. Even though I figured out many parts of it, I love these characters and plot lines so much that it’s like hanging out with old friends. Bring on the next one.
Feb14
Lost Angel by Sam Knight
This story is part of a series of midlife crisis thrillers.
Jeff McKenzie is the protagonist of the story. He’s divorced with a teenage daughter. The girl is secretive and doesn’t spend a lot of time with her father. He’s a bit lonely and also still a bit obsessed with his former wife who has remarried and has a small stepson with her new spouse.
Jeff is in charge of one of the floats for the Christmas parade. One that has a lot of children on it as a children’s choir.
During the parade, one child disappears. And it’s the one child that puts Jeff in the crosshairs of the local police. His former wife’s stepchild.
Convinced he’s the one who has arranged the boy’s disappearance, local law enforcement are determined to pin it on him. Jeff himself is determined to find the boy and return him safely to his family.
A wild ride ensues as the reader is swept along with the tide that threatens to overtake Jeff.
The next few days are hazardous not only to Jeff’s chances of staying out of jail, but also hazardous to his health.
Over the time the story takes place, Jeff learns some things about his daughter, the man his wife is married to, and also about himself.
I liked this story a lot. It was fast paced but also contained a good character growth arc. I did figure out whodunit pretty quickly, but I enjoyed the journey with Jeff as he discovered that he had depths to himself he never suspected.
BLURB:
Jeff McKenzie used to be young, good-looking, and married. Now his ex-wife’s new husband is all of those things, and Jeff is just doing the best he can to spend time with his teenage daughter. But when a body turns up in the park during the holiday festival and sets the town on edge, and then his ex-wife’s stepson vanishes right off Jeff’s float during the Christmas parade, accusations fly. His float, his fault, and maybe the two incidents are related. With the police breathing down his neck, accusing him of murder and kidnapping, even his own daughter starts doubting him, and Jeff knows he is running out of time to find the real kidnapper before it’s too late—for everyone.
Feb12
Cold in the Earth by Thorne Moore
Thank you to Thorne Moore for a copy of the book for an unbiased review for Rosie’s Book Review team.
I liked this one from the beginning as I like stories that start with random scenes that the reader has no idea how they will connect, but then the connections are made and things gel.
That being said, I enjoyed the section of the book that took place in the past more than the portion that took place in the present.
I confess, there were parts of this book that literally enraged me. The crimes themselves made me angry as well as the cover up that occurred for twenty-five years, but what really set me off was the rash, illegal actions of the former detective turned private investigator. I could scarcely keep reading that section as it really set me off. This character really irked me with the sense of entitlement to mow right over someone else in the furtherance of her own agenda. I almost stopped reading the book at one point.
I kept going and the former detective somewhat redeemed herself, but every time I let myself think back to that section of the book, I get mad again. Even now, after I’ve read other books, I find myself thinking about her behavior and getting mad all over again.
To sum up this review, the author is a great writer who had an intricate plot both in the sections set in the past as well as the sections set in the present. The fact that this fictional character gave me such a visceral reaction to her deeds tells me the book is excellently written.
As a lawyer who has made it her life goal to be honest and have integrity at all times, this one section hit me hard when the character I’d grown to like did something so against my personal morals. My heart rate was not at a good level during those pages. 🙂
I’m giving this one four stars for the writing and plot. For anyone who might not be triggered by a former law enforcement officer breaking all kinds of laws, this might be a five star story.
BLURB:
How long can the truth stay buried?
When a murderer is convicted, the survivors of the victim can bury their loved one and move on. But what if they are denied even that?
A disturbed young man has been killing girls, but where has he hidden them? Twenty-five years on, their families are still waiting for the chance to bring them home. Ex-detective constable Rosanna Quillan is determined to bring it about, but time is running out and she discovers there are more lost souls than she had realised.
Feb10
The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall
I have been remiss in posting reviews lately. No excuses, just madness in my day job. I wrote a few this weekend, so I am trying to do better.
This was an excellent book. I very much enjoyed it. There are two distinct story lines with two heroines, Audrey and Kate. The stories intersect when the two characters meet at a large estate house that has been turned into a boutique hotel.
Audrey was an English young woman who was living in Berlin in the 1930s. Her mother had been German and her father was English. Her mother passed away when Audrey was young and she spent a lot of time with the neighbor girl where she lived. When her father returned to England, Audrey stayed in Berlin with the Jewish family across the street. The daughter of the house was her best friend. Audrey was a gifted pianist studying her craft and stayed to keep at her studies.
Kate is a young woman in the early part of the 21st century. Her marriage and job ended and she had nowhere to go as the lease was up on the place she and her husband rented while married. Her parents had passed away in a car accident and she was going to be all on her own. She was lucky enough to land a job at the boutique hotel that came with a place for her to live.
The two ladies meet and, after some initial animosity, they form a friendship over a period of time. Slowly, both of their stories come to light.
Audrey was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Nazi party took over Berlin and the Jewish family she lived with had some harrowing times. Audrey refused to abandon them and her own life thereby became fraught with danger.
Kate was also in the wrong place at the wrong time and had her own life changing moments.
Without giving away any spoilers, I have to say the bravery and heroism of Audrey was amazing to read as her story unfolded. The time period she lived in held many dark days and she withstood a lot.
Kate’s story was not as full of life or death circumstances, but she had a rough go at life as well.
How both of these ladies persevered and overcame makes for a great read. This one is high on my list of favorites. I read a lot of stories set in Audrey’s early life time frame and this one ranks high on intrigue and a compelling story line. 5 stars.
BLURB:
Northern England, 2010. After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers that the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own .
Berlin, 1938. Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. When a shocking turn of events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.
Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.
Oct3
Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.
This one had a premise that attracted me as soon as I saw the blurb. It’s obviously fiction but the author uses real golden age of mystery writers as the main characters and I am here for it.
The main protagonist is Dorothy Sayers. She had the great idea to start a club of detective fiction writers called the Detection Club. The only problem? The men who are part of the club she created are adamant that the only female members should be she and Agatha Christie.
This doesn’t sit well with the two women and Dorothy devises a plan to have them, along with three other female crime fiction writers, solve a real mystery.
A young woman has disappeared with no trace from a train station restroom in France. The bathroom has no exit other than the one door into the very public main station. No window, no air conditioner duct work, nothing to aid her in leaving the room without being seen. A true locked room mystery in a quite busy place.
The five ladies travel to France to see this room for themselves and try to solve this case, not only to find the missing woman, but figure out how the lady got out of the station without being seen. Dorothy has a secret of her own that she wants to keep hidden. That adds a unique component to the story.
Their adventure is undertaken with due seriousness as well as a bit of fun with taking tea and visiting shops to talk to potential witnesses. The plot moves along nicely.
I very much enjoyed the storyline as well as the personalities of the five main characters of whom I’ve read some of their work. Of course, these were fictional imaginings, but the author seemed to capture the spirit of each of the ladies as they appeared to be in life.
An interesting plot that was well-constructed and enjoyable to read. Many moments of the humanity of these women and how they related to each other and their friends and family also fully fleshed out the story. The locked room component was clever as well
A very enjoyable read.
BLURB:
London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman found strangled in a park in France who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment.
May Daniels, a young English nurse on an excursion to France with her friend, seemed to vanish into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there is an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they’re stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden.
Inspired by a true story in Sayers’ own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels.
Sep27
Threshold by Murphy St. John- A Review
I’m reviewing this book for Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT and thank the author for a copy of the book.
Seven people end up in the same place and they don’t know how they got there nor do they know each other and they really can’t figure out where they are.
The book initially reminded me of the television show Lost as the characters were in a place they couldn’t identify and it was jungle-like. They then found an airplane on the ground that happened to have food stored there. I wasn’t sure about the book at this point as it seemed all too familiar.
The main protagonist of the book is a man named Malcolm. Malcolm is a hard one to read. Sometimes I liked him and sometimes I didn’t like him at all. He was definitely not always a character for the reader to want to see succeed in his quest for the elusive second chance.
Eventually, the reader learns that the group is in a kind of purgatory where they’re each given the chance to redeem themselves before they’re relegated to hell. Some of the trials don’t go so well for the subject of the particular redemption.
A mix of horror, thriller, and mystery, the book drags in some places but moves swiftly in others. Overall, I enjoyed it, but had to skim some parts that didn’t move the story along quickly enough for me.
Some of the characters were just plain nasty and unkind. Others had more redeeming qualities, making the reader want to root for them. Kudos to the author as he definitely has a twisted mind and made his characters go through some things. Each individual was unique and had their own quirks.
The horror isn’t too horrible, so if you’re on the fence about reading the book because of the word horror, don’t let that be the reason you don’t pick this one up. It’s basically a thriller with some slow parts and a bit of a hell-scape slotted in for fun. Three and a half stars from me.
BLURB:
Malcolm can’t remember being fatally stabbed. If the masked woman, Thalia, is to be believed, he’s now in limbo along with six other strangers who are all guilty of unspeakable crimes.
For atonement, they must each survive a dangerous trial involving an eerie monster in a haunting locale. Succeed and return to life. Fail and it’s straight to hell.
Malcolm could let the others face their trials alone. The monsters wouldn’t sneeze at him otherwise. Unfortunately, he’s grown to like some of these people. While death in limbo guarantees failure, risking his neck to help the others with their trials might be Malcolm’s smartest play. The more allies in his corner come time for his own trial, the better his chances of seeing his family again.
As the trials proceed, Malcolm uncovers a link between their earthly demises. Each of the seven was responsible for the death of another, but the whos and whys are only a piece of the puzzle. He must uncover the identity of his murderer, but with his spicy temper, he might not be able to resist a little revenge. That is, if he can dodge the creature with a vintage camera for a head whose pictures literally set the scene on fire.
Sep16
Booked for Murder- by P.J. Nelson- Review
It’s been a summer! Didn’t realize I hadn’t posted here since the beginning of July. Life sometimes carries on the crest of a wave!
Booked for Murder, by P.J. Nelson
Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this book.
This one had lots of things I love about cozy mysteries. A quirky setting, a bookstore, a murder mystery, set in the south and a feisty heroine. It was a good read and I read it in an afternoon. The characters were fleshed out for the most part and the plot was well executed.
Where the book fell short for me was that it wasn’t memorable. It was such a quick read that when I sat down on two occasions to write a review, I honestly couldn’t remember a lot about what happened in the story. It just didn’t stay with me for long. While I was reading it, I liked it well enough. Sadly, it wasn’t very memorable. It looks like it’s been set up to be a series and I enjoyed it enough to probably read the next one, but I’ll have to refresh my memory to recall what happened in this one.
The writer has excellent skills in characterization and plotting and I wish something had stood out to make the book resonate more and stay with me.
I’m giving it four stars as it was well-written and I think perhaps I have merely read too many books that are similar and it’s a “me” problem as opposed to a problem with the work.
BLURB:
Madeline Brimley left small town Georgia many years ago to go to college and pursue her dreams on the stage. Her dramatic escapades are many but success has eluded her, leaving her at loose ends. But then she gets word that not only has her beloved, eccentric Aunt Rose passed, but she’s left Madeline her equally eccentric bookstore housed in an old Victorian mansion in the small college town of Enigma. But when she arrives in her beat-up Fiat to claim The Old Juniper Bookstore, and restart her life, Madeline is faced with unexpected challenges. The gazebo in the back yard is set ablaze and a late night caller threatens to burn the whole store down if she doesn’t leave immediately.
But Madeline Brimley, not one to be intimidated, ignores the threats and soldiers on. Until there’s another fire and a murder in the store itself. Now with a cloud of suspicion falling over her, it’s up to Madeline to untangle the skein of secrets and find the killer before she herself is the next victim.
Ramblings of a Writer 