End of the month stretch - Mini Book Reviews

Mind Games (Mind Games #1)

by Kiersten White (Goodreads Author)

Hardcover, 237 pages

Published December 3rd 2013 by HarperTeen (first published February 19th 2013)

I really liked the premise of this book. It is about two sisters who lose their parents to an accident that blind sister, Annie foresees. They are taken in to this school for special kids that also have paranormal powers. Soon they learn that Fia (short for Sophia) has the uncanny knack for intuition. She is right every time she has to guess at something. 

The story overall was good. But the thing that continued to trip me up was the chapters kept changing POV (point of view). So sometimes the *I* in the book was Annie and sometimes it was Fia. Then not only did the chapters change POV but the story kept going backward and forward in time as well. I found myself wondering if this section was in the past or present and who was speaking more than once. It was kind of annoying to me. I had read a huge book series a couple of years ago in the "Sweep" series and for about ten or more books there was one POV and then in book 11 or 12 suddenly the POV switched back and forth between two people. So, I guess I just have a sore spot for unusual POV.

Because of all of that, I only gave this book.

3 stars.

The Paris Assignment (The House of Steele #1)

by Addison Fox (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 288 pages

Published July 1st 2013 by Harlequin (first published January 1st 2013)

This book really appealed to me because it reminded me of my own internet based series called The Legacy. That series was set in both Paris and London and this House of Steele series also was set in those two locals.

Abby was a work focused gal who didn't have time for a life and Campbell was also a work focused character who had turned his life to the side of good after a wake up call from his grandfather. I loved following the mystery here. Watching Campbell try to convince Abby that she needed protection was quite entertaining. 

My only niggle with the plot was that the bad guy wasn't even spoken about until about half of the book was over. These types of characters need to be introduced earlier so we, the readers, can feel like we are figuring out the mystery along with the characters.

Still, this was a very enjoyable book.

Four stars.

Most Eligible Spy (HQ: Texas #4)

by Dana Marton (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 224 pages

Published August 20th 2013 by Harlequin (first published January 1st 2013)

This book did not disappoint. I think I want to keep it around to read again and again. It was my sweet indulgence of the month.

I loved the character of Moses Mann. Part video gamer geek, part warrior, part drug enforcement agent. He was quite a bit of contradiction. I love it when characters just jump off the page like that. And then pair him with Molly Rogers and she brings the sweet to his spicy. 

I loved the fact that Molly had a kid and Mo wasn't put off by that. I loved how she stood up for her brother until Mo had to literally show her the crime scene for her to admit that her brother wasn't who she thought he was. 

I truly enjoyed the mystery of this book. If I could step into any story, this would be a great choice to live out a week in.

Four stars,

Memorial Day Reading Marathon - Mini Book Reviews

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day holiday. I sure did. I took the time to catch up on some books I had stashed away. Many of them are from the cool Henery Press. Take a gander at this Memorial Day mystery offering.

Front Page Fatality (A Nichelle Clarke Headlines in Heels Mystery #1)

by LynDee Walker (Goodreads Author)

Kindle Edition, 292 pages

Published November 20th 2013 by Henery Press (first published January 29th 2013)

I work at my local newspaper so this book was right up my alley. (I work as an ad designer and not a reporter.) It didn't take long to realize that this wasn't really a cozy mystery. There was tons of action and I really liked Nichelle's interactions between her fellow newspaper co-workers and the Mafia guy, Joey. Nichelle really has a nose for news because she lands in the middle of the story of her career. The writing was so easy to follow and i think I read a lot if it all in one stretch. I actually did not figure out whodunit which makes this all the better. I love a good mystery where you follow the clues that are dropped. I wish the reporters at the newspaper where I work were half as go-get-em as Nichelle.

Heartache Motel (Rose Strickland Mystery #3.5)

by Terri L. Austin (Goodreads Author), Larissa Reinhart (Goodreads Author), LynDee Walker (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, First, 225 pages

Published December 10th 2013 by Henery Press (first published December 8th 2013)

If you have been wanting to check out some Henery Press books but have been hesitating, this is the perfect book to dive into. It is all Elvis at Christmastime-themed. It also all takes place in the flea-bag motel called Heartache Motel where drag queens of all of Elvis' co-stars work the floors.

DINERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS by Terri L. Austin

A Rose Strickland Mystery Novella (follows DINER IMPOSSIBLE)

All the quirky characters from her previous novels are either present or mentioned in this short story which features Ma convincing the gang (Rose & Roxy) from the Diner, along with Ax and Stoner Joe to take a holiday to Graceland. And of course, as goes with Rose's life, they run across a dead Elvis impersonator. Terri L. Austin manages to get a pretty good mystery into a few pages and I always appreciate that. Tons of good stuff here.

QUICK SKETCH by Larissa Reinhart

A Cherry Tucker Mystery Novella (prequel to PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY)

I actually haven't read a novel by this author yet, so it was quite a hoot to get to know the artistic Cherry Tucker and her poker-phenom boyfriend, Todd. They run across Todd's cousin who has, gasp, lost all his money in a bogus poker tourney and now has no money for Christmas presents or for that matter, his entire life. Cherry and Todd pretty much set up a cool sting that I really didn't see coming. I totally thought this was a blast of a short story.

DATELINE MEMPHIS by LynDee Walker

A Headlines in High Heels Mystery Novella (follows BURIED LEADS)

Leave it to crime reporter, Nichelle Clarke to get herself boxed, literally, into a Graceland thievery ring. When it is discovered that one of the original jeweled belts of Elvis has been switched with a fake, Nichelle is on the case. I had read the compelling Front Page Fatality at the same time I was reading this and I found it to be quite a good mystery as well.

All the authors managed to give a similar feel about the Heartache Motel and I thought it was just a wonderful offering for those who needed an extra dose of their favorite cozy(or crime drama) characters not to mention a dose of Elvis and Christmas.

Double Dip (Davis Way Crime Caper #2)

by Gretchen Archer (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, First, 276 pages

Published January 28th 2014 by Henery Press (first published January 24th 2014)

It took a little investigating to figure out that Davis Way, the main character of this book was a girl. I had to go read the synopsis of the author's first book to discover exactly who "she" was. After that hurtle, I was digging into the mystery. There are a lot of characters in this book and they all are really explained to perfection. I gritted my teeth at the bossy behavior of many people around Davis in this book. Bianca was an overbearing boss' wife making lookalike, Davis, do her every bidding. Her bald supervisor was nearly as overbearing as the boss' wife. I think I have used the word "hoot" too many times in this Memorial Day reading wrap up but this book was definitely that. Her ex-Eddie was another one of the annoying characters that litter this story. Then pile onto that the mysterious So Help Me God Church who are not quite as holy as they appear and this book rounds out to be a real winner. I will definitely check out book one in this series too!

Model Undercover: Paris

by Carina Axelsson (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 368 pages

Expected publication: July 1st 2014 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky 

I thought this premise sounded like a hoot. Fashion and mystery. Very cool. I understand the author used to be a fashionista herself too. This story follows Axelle Andersen who is chomping at the bit to be the world's next private eye, but her mother has other plans. When she pokes her nose into one too many places, she is sent to Paris to stay for a week with her Aunt V who is the editor of a fashion magazine covering nothing less than Fashion Week in Paris. To Axelle, this is more than punishment, it is just cruel. But leave it to Axelle to find a mystery to solve in Paris when one of the most popular designers goes missing! I devoured this book in less than a day. It was so interesting to see the setting of Paris through the eyes of Axelle. I enjoyed all the secondary characters too and look forward to new books by this author. This was Carina Axelsson's first novel. Good job, Carina! I'd buy book two in a hot minute.

Slated (Reiniciados #1)

by Teri Terry (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 448 pages

Published May 3rd 2012 by Orchard Books

This book actually freaked me out a bit. It is the first book in a three book series. It is a dystopian novel which means that the future is a bit Hunger Games-esque. Nothing is quite the way you think it is. Kyla has been slated. It means her memory has been erased. They tell her she was a terrorist and she had to be rehabilitated into society and given a second chance at life. Kyla soon realizes that she can do things other Slated people can't. She can think for herself. Not to mention the device monitoring her that is supposed to quell her anger impulses does nothing of the sort. I really enjoyed this novel. It was confusing and interesting at the same time and I look forward to books 2 and 3.

Blackberry Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #17)

by Joanne Fluke

Hardcover, 357 pages

Published February 25th 2014 by Kensington (first published January 1st 2014)

I have only read "The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder" by this author and I was afraid that I would be a bit spoiled by jumping to the last book in the series, but I do seem to find myself doing that quite a bit in my reading journey. But, even though I was a bit spoiled in one aspect, I was quite taken with the new mystery which had Hannah Swensen locked up in jail and getting ready to go to trial for the accidental murder of a mysterious man on the side of the road. I do have to admit that the mystery was a bit predictable and I was able to figure out what was going on, caught nearly all the clues and got to the conclusion before the author led me there. But needless to say, this was still a great book and I completely enjoyed it.

BOOK REVIEW: Rose Strickland Mysteries by Terri L. Austin and Henery Press

Diners, Dives & Dead Ends (Rose Strickland Mystery #1)

by Terri L. Austin 

Paperback, 333 pages

Published July 17th 2012 by Henery Press (first published July 1st 2012)

Last Diner Standing (Rose Strickland Mystery #2)

by Terri L. Austin 

Paperback, 296 pages

Published December 3rd 2012 by Henery Press (first published July 17th 2012)

Diner Impossible (Rose Strickland Mystery #3)

by Terri L. Austin 

Paperback, 286 pages

Published November 12th 2013 by Henery Press (first published November 7th 2013)

I started this series by reading book three to review for Net Galley and when I came away hating it, I knew not reading books one and two had been a big mistake. So, I vowed to read the entire series straight through in order to give book three another chance. And I am glad I did. I really loved this series. I loved the characters once I got past my original negative view of it.

Rose Strickland and her band of cronies are just a hoot. Here are a few of my favorites: Ma and her son who run the breakfast diner where she works, Roxy and her blue hair, Axel and his stoner friend, Joe, and we can't forget self-confessed criminal/aka business magnet, Sullivan or Officer Andre "Hard Ass" Thomas.  Anyone who loves a good mystery and isn't afraid to pay attention to the clues will really love these books.

Each book had a greatly plotted mystery that kept you guessing. My only advice would be to do a bit more of telling everyone more of who the characters are description-wise in books 2 and 3 so no one will come away really hating this wonderful series. I'm so glad I gave this a second chance. It totally deserved it. Thank you for this great series. I look forward to new mysteries in the Rose Strickland line.

Please give this series a try. It is published by an uber cool company called Henery Press. 

I purchased books 1 and 2 with my own money and was gifted book three through Net Galley.

BOOK REVIEW: The Circle- Book One of The Sidhe

The Circle (The Sidhe #1)

by Cindy Cipriano 

Paperback, 186 pages

Published June 1st 2013 by Odyssey Books

I enjoyed reading this book about the fairies known as the Sidhe (pronounced "she"). I learned a lot about the mythology of the fae realm and I found that part quite interesting. The story was okay but I could have done with some more suspenseful pacing. I don't know if this is targeted at mid-grade readers or YA but it seemed a bit more mid-grade than YA in my opinion. I loved the interaction between the characters and the character selection was interesting and compelling. I wish that Riley gal would have had a bit more fire in her like Cordelia from Buffy does. But overall I found this book was great. I  would have given this 3.5 stars but Goodreads doesn't do half stars so I rounded up and gave it four stars. I would buy the next book in the Sidhe series just so I can figure out what happened to Finley. Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher (Odyssey Books) for letting me review this literary offering.

As for my feelings on the cover design, I didn't find it as compelling as other series I have seen.

BOOK REVIEW: The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling/Capstone Publishing

The Diamond Thief

by Sharon Gosling

Paperback, 276 pages

Published February 1st 2013 by Curious Fox, Capstone Switch Presss 

FIVE STARS!!

This book is completely amazing. I'm star-struck. The characters are wonderful. I root for the heroes of the story and boo the bad guys. (I want to strangle the Professor) I love the vividly expressed setting of Victorian London. Remy, the trapeze girl and jewel thief is engaging and exciting. The addition of Thaddeus is just great and thrilling to the plot. This book is one I can definitely see on the big screen. Everything is depicted so beautifully. The text is easy to read and has great flow. I understand this is targeted to teens but this book would be great for just about everyone. It's as if these characters just stepped out of the past and emerged all shiny and new in the 21 century. I am greedily awaiting her next book in this series. Sign me up now. lol

Paperback version

I can't stop at just the amazing book in general but also the cover is amazing. I have the uncorrected proof provided to me by Net Galley and Capstone Publishing. On it is this really wonderful (have I said that word enough yet?) depiction of Remy, the thief of the book. I love this cover. But on Goodreads I discovered that the paperback edition has a different cover. I don't like this one as much as the Remy cover but it is also very appealing. Good job to the Capstone Publishing designers. You are winning in great book design! I also loved the Trajan-ish type face at the beginning of each chapter. Just wonderful! :)

I hope you can tell that I liked this book. I mean, it's da bomb dot com, as the teens say. lol

These opinions are my own. Thank you for such a wonderful offering. I love, love, love it!

BOOK REVIEW: Gone by Michael Grant

Gone (Gone #1)

by Michael Grant 

Hardcover, 559 pages

Published June 24th 2008 by Katherine Tegen Books

I am really, really glad this book is over. I don't think I will delve into the books after this one. The story was decent. The characters were excellent but I just had a hard time believing that some kid would kill another kid before the 8th day of them being captive under the dome. That fact colored the entire experience I had with the book. I loved the twist at the end concerning Little Pete. That was quite clever and explained the oddness of everything to that point. I did enjoy the writing style and the world they built for the readers. That was excellent. Since this is a YA novel and I am far from the age of a YA reader, I think that also colored my experience with the book. I would, however, recommend this book to a YA aged reader.

In case you are interested in this book here is a brief synopsis. All the children are in school, doing school-like things and then suddenly their teacher disappears right before their eyes. It isn't discovered until later that every adult and kid above 15 years old has also disappeared. Poof. Gone.

This story isn't without its sci-fi elements. Many of the children have discovered they have new abilities, many knew about them earlier before this incident. Sam, the main character, has an ability to make a light, and/or fire burst come out of his hands. He accidently burned his step father pretty badly when he first discovered the ability. Sam's mom worked at the school that is on the outskirts of their town up on a cliff. This school is for troubled youth, and when the invisible barrier comes crashing down on this city, the kids from this school decide to take over. One kid, Caine, has powers that equal Sam's. Sam has proven himself more than once to be a hero saving a bunch of kids on a bus years earlier and so he is the one many of them want to be in charge. And so begins the fight over who is and is not in charge in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone.). This is what they call their new town without adults. 

BOOK REVIEW: Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle

Espresso Shot (Coffeehouse Mystery #7)

by Cleo Coyle (Goodreads Author)

Hardcover, 332 pages

Published September 30th 2008 by Berkley Hardcove

This is my third Clare Cosi Coffeehouse Mystery. So I have gotten to know the characters pretty well. I sped through this book in a little over half a day. I have been reading them out of order which can make certain aspects a bit confusing but I am totally digging the barista world of Clare Cosi. I think the more you get to know the characters and this world, the easier the reads will be. I would suggest this book series for anyone who loves a good mystery.