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