Why Mermaids Sing by C. S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr, Book 3)

Why Mermaids Sing is the third book in the Sebastian St. Cyr series by C. S. Harris. Sebastian St. Cyr is the Viscount Devlin and heir to the Earl of Hendon. Despite his aristocratic lineage, Sebastian finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation.

He is asked to assist by his friend, Magistrate Henry Lovejoy, after a body is found in a public location in London. This is the second body in as many months that has been “butchered” after death. The body is that of a nobleman’s son which is why Lovejoy has prevailed upon Sebastian to assist. With his title, Sebastian is able to gain access to members of London’s Ton where Lovejoy cannot.

As Sebastian and Lovejoy investigate the murders, there are shocking rumors and revelations that are exposed. The possible motive behind the murders is so unthinkable that it is outside the bounds of civilized society. The investigation puts at risk the reputation of powerful men who will do anything to keep the secret hidden.

This series is very well done setting the tone for the time and place – letting the reader into the world of the London elite during the Regency period. You have access to the struggles both within and between the classes. A victim of that struggle is the relationship Sebastian has with his longtime love, Kat Boleyn, a renowned London actress. Though Sebastian is ready to give up everything to have her as his wife, Kat refuses to let him sacrifice so much.

This entry in the series is the best yet. Each successive book has been better than the last – and that’s saying a lot since I’ve enjoyed each book so far. The secondary characters such Sebastian’s tiger, Tom, and his good friend Paul Gibson, a surgeon, are entertaining but also contribute significantly to the stories. This is definitely a series that I will continue. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I have a serious book crush on Sebastian… ❤ ❤ ❤

Rating: 4.5

Witch Slapped by Dakota Cassidy (Witchless in Seattle, Book 1)

Witch Slapped is the first book in the Witchless in Seattle series by Dakota Cassidy. This book is a cozy mystery with the addition of familiars, mediums, witches and more. I don’t usually read cozies but this one was by an author whose books I’d read before – the Accidental Friends and the Kiss and Hell series – and I was interested to see what she did with this one. I was not disappointed –the story had an interesting mystery, likable characters and snappy dialogue.

Stevie Cartwright is a former witch who often worked with departed souls, helping them to move on. She was stripped of her magical powers and shunned by her coven forcing her to flee to her hometown of Ebenezer Falls, WA, a small town outside of Seattle. When Stevie left her coven, she was joined by Belfry, a cotton ball bat (checkout the online photos of this very cute and tiny animal!) and her familiar.

Though Stevie has no powers, Belfry is still attached to the afterlife and is contacted by a spirit, named Winterbottom. Belfry is able to connect Stevie and Win so that Stevie is able to hear him. What she discovers is that he needs her assistance in solving a murder. Madame Zoltar, the town’s fake medium, has been killed and Win wants to catch the killer.

This is definitely a series to check out if you enjoy Dakota Cassidy’s other series, or even if you just enjoy cozy mysteries. It’s a fun, easy read and I will be reading others in the series. This is a spin-off of the A Paris, Texas Romance series which I also plan to check out.

Rating: 4 stars

An Evil Mind by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter, Book 6)

An Evil Mind is the sixth book in the Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter. Robert Hunter is a Los Angeles police detective assigned to the Ultra Violent Crime Unit of the homicide division. Hunter was a child prodigy who attended Stanford at 16 and received his PhD in psychology and criminal behavior by 22. His thesis on criminal behavior is required reading at Quantico.

Early in the morning at a small truck stop in Wyoming, a group of customers, including the local sheriff and his deputy, are enjoying breakfast. In a freak series of events, an out-of-control truck careens toward the diner but changes direction at the last moment after hitting a large pothole. After clipping a car in the parking lot, the truck comes to rest against one of the outbuildings of the truck stop. As the patrons rush out to assist the driver, the deputy notices a grisly scene in the sprung trunk of the car that was hit.

The driver of the car is taken into custody by the FBI due to the nature of the find and the assumed identity of the suspect. After three days of silence during interrogation, the FBI is forced to asked for outside help and brings in Robert Hunter to conduct the interviews. What Hunter finds out opens the door to years of unsolved cases of missing persons and homicides. Has a killer been operating under the radar for years, without the FBI aware that he even existed?

This book was different from the prior five in the series. While the murders were just as gruesome and the killer just as sadistic and elusive, the focus of the plot was the interview process with the suspect and the murders seemed to be secondary. Through these interviews we learned more of Hunter’s past – something that has been hidden until now – and were not continually rushing from one crime scene to another. This was my favorite book in the series so far.

Rating: 4.5 stars

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen, Book 4)

War Storm, the fourth and final book in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard, is a battle for the future of Norta and the Lakelands, as well as Montfort and Piedmont. Will Cal or Maven be victorious? Will the Reds or the Silvers end up with the crown?

I went into this story with a good dose of frustration from the ending of the last book. Throughout the story, I’ve had issues with Mare and her “all or nothing” approach to Cal. This was a primary focus of the last scene in King’s Cage and in the opening scene in War Storm. Cal has been raised to be King of Norta and she expects him to give it up for her. Cal is certain that that better path is to take up the crown and try to change the system from the inside. He is already sympathetic to the Red cause and is more open to change than any kings before him, but this is not enough for Mare who wants it all and wants it now.

Even as Mare and Cal’s relationship is shattered, they are aware that they must work together to take down Maven and Iris. Cal is able to assemble his Silver allies brought together through their allegiance to his family and those of the Rift gained through his betrothal to Evangeline. Mare and the Scarlet Guard have their Reds and New Bloods throughout the nations. Davidson, the Premier of Montfort, is supportive of the Scarlet Guard’s cause and agrees to supply an army.

The personal relationship between Mare and Cal aside, I enjoyed this book and felt that it was a good end to the series. The story is one long battle as Cal attempts to create a foothold in Norta in which to establish his rule. Once that is accomplished, Cal and his army move on to take Archeon. While the brothers focus on each other, others scheme to take them both down and assume control of Norta.

I have to say that my favorite POVs in this book are those of Evangeline, Iris and Maven. Evangeline has grown on me throughout the series and became one of my favorite characters even as she struggled with her duty to family vs her own desires. Iris was an interesting character both in how she handled Maven and her own background. Maven – poor, broken Maven – never really had a chance after what his mother did to him. Throughout the story, Cal always retained that small hope that his brother could be fixed but that was never going to happen – even Maven knew he was damaged.

Rating: 4 Stars

The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry (Cotton Malone, Book 9)

The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry is the ninth book in the Cotton Malone series. Cotton Malone was an agent for the Magellan Billet, an intelligence agency for the United States. Cotton was recruited to the Billet after going through naval flight school and then becoming a JAG officer. After a botched mission in Mexico City, Malone retired from the agency and moved to Copenhagen Denmark to open a bookstore.

September 1861: President Lincoln is in possession of a shocking secret. This information is so volatile that Lincoln must determine its best use - save thousands of American lives or keep the nation from being torn apart.

The Present: The US intelligence community is investigating an international businessman, an elder in the Mormon church. This sets off of political battle between the White House and a powerful US Senator. During this investigation, an agent for the Magellan Billet has gone missing.  Stephanie Nelle, Cotton’s former boss at the Billet calls and asks a favor – an agent is running late getting to a rendezvous and she needs someone she can trust to pick up an informant. Cotton agrees and is soon caught up in gun battles and museum heists.

This story was slow and at times too buried in the history of the Latter Day Saints. Additionally, two main characters acted so out of character from previously books that it was frustrating. Stephanie was her usual “need to know”/"play everything close to the vest" personality but on steroids. It seemed that some of the troubles occurred because of Stephanie holding information back from Malone. This was definitely my least favorite of the series so far.

Rating: 3 stars

Coming Home by Kris Jett (Snowy Ridge: Love at Starlight, Book 1)

Coming Home by Kris Jett is the first book in the Snowy Ridge: Love at Starlight series. The story is set in a small tourist town in northern Wisconsin known for its snowmobiling trails. The main character, Jessie is the proprietor of the Starlight Pub along with her mother. Jessie’s two sisters – Wynn and Lucinda – left town years ago and Jessie has had no contact with either of them. However, that is about to change when Jessie’s mother informs her that Wynn and Luci are returning to town, are going to live with her until they find housing and will be working at the pub. Needless to say, does not go over well with Jessie.

While these changes are taking place in Jessie’s life, she meets oh-so-sexy, Cade Stone. Cade has recently moved back to Snowy Ridge with his equally hot brothers and is in the process of opening a snowmobile parts and repair shop. His history with relationships is non-existent; as soon as the woman starts to show signs of getting serious, Cade drops her and moves on. However, Jessie has found a way into his thoughts and his heart as no one has before.

The dialogue is funny and quick, the story interesting. It’s easy to see where many of the storylines are going, but it’s generally fun getting there. There are issues with the story which is why it got a 3 star rating – grammar and word choices (both of which could have been helped with a better editor), questionable character choices that didn’t seem to fit the story and two characters that are generally unlikable. This is the first book of the series and I will read the second – the book had promise and I hope to find that the author and the story improve over time.

Rating: 3 Stars

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles, Book 2)

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles. In Scarlet, we meet “Little Red Riding Hood” who is actually an 18 year-old girl living with her grandmother in France.

Scarlet’s grandmother has been missing for several weeks and the police have no clues. In fact, they are about to close the investigation under the assumption that Scarlet’s grandmother left her farm and her granddaughter of her own free will.

While making a delivery of farm produce to a local tavern, Scarlet meets a street fighter known as Wolf. She’s drawn to his striking eyes and his quiet, but strong, presence. Wolf asks Scarlet to take him on as a farmhand but she declines, too preoccupied with the disappearance of her grandmother and too concerned over her attraction to this stranger.

However, later that night, she has cause to think that Wolf may have been involved in her grandmother’s disappearance and goes looking for him. She finds him at an illegal fight that both repulses and excites her.

As Scarlet and Wolf join forces to unravel the mystery of her missing grandmother, only to find themselves in the middle of another mystery when they are joined by Cinder. Now, they are all on the run and trying to stay one step ahead of the Lunar Queen, Levana, who wants to kill Cinder.

I listened to this book on audio as narrated by Rebecca Soler who, again, did an awesome job with the various characters and personalities. Each was unique and recognizable. Once I complete this series, I will be looking forward to other books Ms. Soler narrates – I highly recommend her for audio.

Rating: 4 stars

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles, Book 1)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles series. The Lunar Chronicles is a fairytale retelling of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White.

In Cinder, we are introduced to Lin Cinder, a 16 year-old cyborg girl. She’s a gifted mechanic in the city of New Beijing in the Eastern Commonwealth. She lives with her stepmother Audrey who blames her for her husband’s death, and her two stepsisters, Pearl and Peony. Audrey forces Cinder to work in the marketplace to support the family. It is there that Cinder meets Prince Kai, the only son of the Emperor of the Eastern Commonwealth.

Cinder and Kai immediately hit it off – probably because Cinder doesn’t swoon at his feet like the typical teenage girl but instead, is refreshingly honest with him during their discussions (except, of course, never telling him that she is a cyborg). The annual festival during which aspiring young women hope to catch the Prince’s eye is to be held at court in a matter of weeks. Kai asks Cinder to attend as his personal guest but she declines (no dress, no transportation, forbidden by Audrey, etc.)

Underlying the excitement of the festival and the potential for romance is the fact that thousands are dying each week from an incurable plague that has affected the Earthen people. Despite their best efforts scientists have been unable to create a cure for the disease; however, Lavana, the Lunar Queen, offers an antidote – for a price.

I listened to this book on audio as narrated by Rebecca Soler who did an awesome job with the various characters and personalities. Each was unique and recognizable. Once I complete this series, I will be looking forward to other books Ms. Soler narrates – I highly recommend her for audio.

Rating: 4 stars

The Ripper's Shadow by Laura Joh Rowland (Victorian Mystery, Book 1)

The Ripper’s Shadow by Laura Joh Rowland is the first book in the Victorian Mystery series. In this story, the year is 1888 and Jack the Ripper is terrorizing London. Sarah Bain, a photographer in Whitechapel, believes that she may know how The Ripper is finding his victims…and it’s her fault.

Sarah is living on the edge, barely making enough from her photography to pay her monthly rent and to feed herself. So, when one of the streetwalkers of Whitechapel proposes a way to make money from illicit “boudoir photographs” Sarah accepts. However, now two of her “models” have been killed by The Ripper and she fears for the safety of the others.

Over the course of the story, Sarah collects a varied assortment of friends who are willing to help her protect her models and to discover the identity of The Ripper. Lord Hugh Staunton, a gay nobleman who she found “in flagrante”; Mick, a street urchin who she befriended after he tried to steal her photography equipment; Catherine, an aspiring actress and one of her models; and a Jewish butcher and his wife. Unfortunately, Sarah and her friends also catch the eye of the London police who are doing what they can to take down the killer as well as the attention of the killer himself.

The story was suspenseful and interesting. There were points when the pacing was a bit slow but it didn’t detract from the story and Rowland’s unique take on Jack the Ripper. I will be continuing with the series.

Rating: 3.5 stars

A Mortal Likeness by Laura Joh Rowland (Victorian Mystery, Book 2)

A Mortal Likeness is the second book in the Victorian Mystery series by Laura Joh Rowland. Our protagonist, Sarah Bain, is a photographer in Whitechapel, London. She is also a private detective. Along with her friend, Lord Hugh Staunton, a disgraced nobleman, she is hired by a jilted wife to find evidence of an affair.

While tailing the wayward husband, Sarah and Hugh find themselves in the Crystal Palace. Seizing an opportunity to catch the man and his mistress in several incriminating moments, Sarah snaps several photos. However, the man realizes what they are about and chases them off. Later, when Sarah is developing the photos, she notices that there is more to the scene than she first thought.

The following day, Sarah and Hugh discover that at approximately the same time that they were at the Crystal Palace, there was a botched ransom exchange for a young child who has been missing for several weeks. They realize that there was a man in Sarah’s photograph that may be a potential witness. They contact Sir Gerald Mariner, the child’s father, who hires them to investigate the kidnapping and insists that they move into his home while conducting their investigation.

Once in Sir Gerald’s home, Sarah and Hugh realize that there is no shortage of suspects beginning with his own family – his trophy wife (the child’s mother), her sister, and his 2 adult children –as well as his secretary, his wife’s entourage and the servants. There is a lot of misdirection which has you questioning the innocence of everyone involved.

This is a fast-paced, interesting mystery that keeps the reader guessing.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

Pieces of Her is the new standalone thriller by Karin Slaughter, the author of the Grant County and Will Trent series.

The story opens with Andy and her mother, Laura, having lunch in a diner at the mall in a small beachside town. Without warning, a gunman enters and begins firing at the customers – killing two that were just speaking with Andy and Laura. As the gunman pauses looking for another victim, Laura approaches him and attempts to talk him down so that Andy can escape. What happens next shows Andy a side of her mother that she never knew existed.

The police begin questioning the witnesses to the shooting but Laura refuses to speak with them and refuses to allow Andy to speak with them. In fact, Laura tells Andy that she needs to move out, find her own place, and she needs to do it immediately, tonight. As much as Andy tries to get her mother to open up to her about what happened in the diner, the more determined Laura becomes to keep her secrets.

Andy finds herself alone and without her mother’s guidance for the first time in her life as she begins to follow the trail of her mother’s identity and discovers more than she ever expected. Suddenly, everything Andy thought she knew about her mother for the past 31 years is called into question.

I am a fan of Karin Slaughter’s Grant County and Will Trent series as well as her standalone novel, Cop Town. This book, Pieces of Her, while well-written and interesting, definitely did not live up to others that I’ve read by this author. The mystery of Laura was fairly easy to solve early on but the path that was taken kept the story moving along. A major issue for me was that I found myself disliking both Andy and Laura – Andy for being a spineless, inarticulate, wrecking ball and Laura for being an angry, radical bitch.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Prayer for the Dead by James Oswald (Inspector McLean, Book 5)

Prayer for the Dead is the fifth book in the Inspector McLean series by James Oswald. Anthony (Tony) McLean is a Detective Inspector in the City of Edinburgh. He tends to get the more challenging cases and even those that should be straight-forward – he “makes complicated” as his DCI likes to say.

In this story, Tony has been asked by Jo Dagliesh, his nemesis at the press, to look into the disappearance of one of her fellow reporters. Not long after, Tony is called to a murder scene deep inside a series of caverns beneath the City and discovers the body of the missing journalist. The body shows signs of a ritual “purification” but there is a surprising lack of forensic evidence. Another murder – and then another – both with some similarities to the first murder, lead Tony to believe that there is a serial killer loose in the City.

While Tony is dealing with these various murders, Madame Rose comes to him for assistance. She appears to have been targeted by a hate group that is trying to drive her out of her home. Tony does what he can to help her get to the bottom of the attacks.

The story was interesting and moved along at a decent pace but there were several storylines working at the same time and none were especially exciting. For the general lack of excitement, this entry in the series lost half a star from my typical rating for the series.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Cold Fire by Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz has been one of my favorite authors since I first picked up Watchers over 30 years ago. He is generally good for an interesting, scary and often thought-provoking read. Based on the description of this book, I expected more of the same. The beginning of the book was great – it had excitement, suspense and mystery – unfortunately it didn’t last. By about two-thirds of the way through, things fell apart for me.

As the book opens, the reader is introduced to Jim Ironheart, a man who is experiencing a ‘premonition’ of sorts. He knows he has to go to the airport but doesn’t know where he’s going until he gets a pull from a location on the departures board, and realizes he needs to fly to Portland. Once in Portland, Ironheart arrives just in time to save the life of Billy Jenkins. Unfortunately, one of the witnesses is Holly Thorne, a journalist.

Jim is able to make his escape and leaves Holly wondering who he is and how he came to be in Portland in the nick of time. Then, she sees a report of another miraculous rescue – this time a mother and daughter in the Mojave Desert – and the savior’s description fits Ironheart. From there Holly is able to piece together a series of similar events and decides that she needs to investigate further.

Jim’s history and personality are revealed through Holly’s investigation and the reader receives more information on his supernatural abilities. There are religious undertones as well as potential for alien involvement. The excitement builds as Jim and Holly face off and she tries to figure out what makes him so special.

And then… things went wrong. Suddenly, Holly became an amateur psychiatrist and is trying to “fix” Jim. Jim’s personality becomes unpredictable – at one moment, excited and wanting to know more, then petulant and childish. The reveal was a letdown after the build-up of the first half of the book and doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the story.

I'm giving this 3 stars for the first two-thirds of the book. This is definitely not one of Koontz's best but it also won't keep me from reading more by him.

Rating: 3 stars

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell (The Saxon Stories, Book 1)

I had this book on my TBR for several months but only got to it after watching the first season of the TV series on BBC. The book is a detailed account of the battle for England in the late 800s between the Danes (Vikings, Norsemen, etc) and King Albert. The story follows Uhtred Ragnarson a Saxon who was captured by the Danes when he was 10 and raised as a son by Ragnar. Uhtred struggles with his upbringing as a Dane and love for Ragnar and the love of his ancestral home Brabbenburg in Northumbria.

Note for those interested in both the TV series and the book - The first season of the TV series extends beyond Book 1.

Rating:  4 stars

The Ice Twins by S. K. Tremayne

This is not my typical type of book but I'd had it recommended to me by several people and saw very high ratings on both Leafmarks and GoodReads so decided to give it a try....which I'm glad I did. The book is definitely more psychological thriller than horror. The story is about a couple whose identical twin daughter died in an accident 14 months ago and now the surviving twin has told them that she is actually the one that they thought died (talk about guilt!). The family is in the process of giving up their life in London and moving the an isolated lighthouse island on the coast of Scotland (yep, THAT'S going to work out well...)

The book got me hooked right away and I read it in a day. Not light reading, not "entertaining" but definitely interesting.

Rating:  3.5 Stars

Blood Brothers by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell (Order of the Sanguines, Book 2.5)

This short story is numbered 2.5 in the Order of the Sanguines series. The story centers around Christian, a young Sanguinist we met in Innocent Blood. I understand why the authors decided to give Christian a more detailed backstory as he is a very interesting and charismatic character. Unlike the prequel short story, City of Screams, this additional story does seem to fit with the main story and provides more character depth. This story should be read as a supplement to the rest of the series as the reader would miss some of the nuances if it was read as a standalone.

Rating: 4 Stars

City of Screams by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell (Order of the Sanguines, Book 0.5)

This is a prequel short story to the Order of the Sanguines series. While the story itself was fine and centered around the character that (so far) I like the best in the series, it didn't really add anything to the rest of the series and doesn't need to be read for additional detail/clarification.

Rating: 2.75 Stars

Blood Infernal by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell (Order of the Sanguines, Book 3)

This is the third book in the Order of the Sanguines trilogy. The book had everything the the final book in a series should have...epic battles, a strong love story (or two) and answers for any remaining questions.

The series rated 4 to 4.5 for me with each book getting higher marks as the tension built and the story unfolded.

Rating:  4.5 Stars

Innocent Blood by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell (Order of the Sanguines, Book 2)

This is the second book in the Order of the Sanguines series and continued on from where the first left off. The prophesied trio - the Knight of Christ, the Warrior of Man and the Woman of Learning - continue their quest to discover the secrets of the Blood Gospel.

The story was fast-paced and intriguing. You learned more backstory of the Sanguinists and Elisabeta Bathory. Can't wait to get to book three in the trilogy.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Blood Gospel by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell (Order of the Sanguines, Book 1)

I thought this was a very interesting story....definitely included an unexpected element. I was not, and am still not, a fan of the female lead, Erin. She often comes off as too "girlie" in her reactions (to her potential love interest, to the injury of one of her students, etc) but then comes through with a "tough as nails" response when needed...it seems a bit inconsistent but maybe I'll come to appreciate that about her as I read the rest of this series. I like the two main male characters, Rhun and Jordan, a lot.

The Angry Hills by Leon Uris

This is a story of an American writer turned reluctant spy during Germany's invasion of Greece during WWII. It is also the first book by Leon Uris that I've read.

The writing was well done - well paced, good character development (mostly) and tension throughout. The Greek/British Underground was busy pulling a fast one on the German invaders, even as the author was giving the reader misdirection. :)

One thing that annoyed me - a typical pet peeve - is that there is a love story where by the 5th day after meeting, they use pet names (honey, darling) and by the 9th, they've professed their love. Maybe I'm just not a believer in love at first sight....

Good storytelling and the tension throughout.

Rating:  3.5 Stars

The Twelve Deaths Of Christmas by Marian Babson

This was an interesting story. Early on, I thought I had it all figured out...by the middle, I (again!) had it all figured out but with a different suspect (lol)...and at the end, I found out who the real killer was (neither of my suspects btw).

The writing style was interesting and definitely added to the mystery. Most of the story was told 3rd person except for the 1st person thoughts/actions of the killer allowing you to see what was driving the murder spree.

I highly recommend if you need a quick, engaging read.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain (Kendra Donovan, Book 1)

I picked this book up based on a library recommendation during the Big Library Read event. It had favorable reviews and looked interesting.

I'm glad I decided to check it out. The storyline was different - a modern day FBI profiler traveling back in time to the early 1800s and becoming involved in the solving of a serial murder case. It was well paced, the action scenes well written and the writing kept me interested.

I am definitely going to read the next book in the Kendra Donovan series.

Rating: 4.25

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

This was a difficult read for me. It was boring and I really disliked the main character, Siddhartha. It's considered one of the most widely read books of the 20th century as it became a favorite of the counterculture of the 1960s and had been on my list for a while. Now, that's taken care of...lol.

From the book's Introduction: "Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha is a great story, a tale of a gifted individual struggling to discover the meaning of his life. Through his many colorful adventures, he does not settle for conventional answers, but experiences the whole range of human possibilities for himself and comes finally to profound insight and vast compassion."

Rating: 1.5 Stars

The Crush by Sandra Brown

I read this book based on a recommendation (Blind Date with a Book) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven't read a book by Sandra Brown in....over a decade, I think, and forgot how much I liked her books.

This story includes a brilliant but emotionally damaged surgeon who is being stalked by a delusional, cunning psychopath that has "a crush" on her. Enter the charming -but haunted- cop who comes to her rescue. (my current book crush ♥)

Rating: 4

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes, Book 1)

This is the first of the Sherlock Holmes stories. It begins with Dr. Watson returning from war in Afghanistan and taking on Holmes as a roommate. The story was interesting and well done. I've had the Sherlock Holmes Collection on my shelf for a while meaning to read it in its entirety but have yet to do so. I may have to move this book higher on Mt. TBR.

Rating: 3.75

Some Enchanted Evening by Christina Dodd (The Lost Princesses, Book 1)

This was a fun quick read. I haven't been reading many historical romances in the last few years and had forgotten how fun they can be...and quirky...and over-the-top...along with a bit of cheesy dialogue...lol. Christina Dodd is always a fun read.

This this the first in the trilogy "The Lost Princesses". When revolution comes to their country following the revolt in France, the three young princesses are bundled off to England for safety. Over time, circumstances change and their whereabouts become unknown. Now that the country is safely back under the family's control, the Dowager Queen wants to bring the princesses home.

Rating: 3.5

The Executioner by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter, Book 2)

The Executioner is the 2nd book in the Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter. As with the first book, The Crucifix Killer, the murders are described in detail with none of the brutality and gore held back. Consequently, this book is definitely not for the faint of heart or those who are a bit squeamish.

The book opens with the first murder – a priest has been killed and is discovered on the blood-soaked altar steps inside his church. There are ritualistic undertones with designs in the blood as well as the fact that the priest’s head has been replaced with that of a dog’s. (see what I mean about gory?). But, this is only the first of several murders – all different, but all equally savage and disturbing.

The book was well-written and a good read. The story had very good pacing which kept you turning the pages. The main characters, Detectives Hunter and Garcia are likable, interesting and good at their jobs. Despite the heavy storyline, there is also a good bit of humor that often made me chuckle. I will definitely continue with the series.

Rating: 4 Stars

The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter, Book 1)

Robert Hunter and his new partner are called to a crime scene at a derelict cabin in Griffith Park. What they find there is the stuff of nightmares – a woman brutally tortured and left to die. Worse, a symbol on the body pointing to a serial killer that was captured and executed years ago. Is this the work of a copycat or was the wrong man convicted? Hunter and Garcia are about to find out as the killer’s work has only begun.

I liked this book. I was immediately hooked by the opening and quickly became interested by the Robert Hunter character and his past as well as his deductive skills. His partner, Garcia, is also a strong character. The storyline was interesting and had a lot going for it.

Don’t get me wrong, there were issues with the book – many of which have been called out in other reviews (pacing, dialogue, cliché, etc) – that I am willing to overlook as it is the first novel in a series (as well as the first by the author) and I expect many of these issues to work themselves out as the series continues. For example, Garcia comes off as being overly naïve in some cases – allowing the author the opportunity to provide additional detail/background (Garcia is an LAPD office and he’s never heard of “suicide by cop”?). The killer was obvious early on - so much so that our reading group began to question if we were being led - but the motive and extra details were hidden until the reveal at the end.

One area in particular that I hope will be fixed – either by the author or by better editing -- is the dialogue and other poor word choices as there were several instances that were especially distracting as they didn’t fit with the Los Angeles setting/characters (punters, hiring a house, bread dispenser, CCTV, etc) and the repeated uses of gotta, gonna, wanna, and ain’t.

Rating: 4 Stars