Archives for July 2014

The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay

July 11, 2014 By 1 Comment

KISS
The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay
Publisher: Choc Lit Limited
Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (317 pages)
Heat Level: sweet
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Must forbidden love end in heartbreak?

Kayla Sinclair knows she’s in big trouble when she almost bankrupts herself to buy a life-size portrait of a mysterious eighteenth century man at an auction.

Jago Kerswell, inn-keeper and smuggler, knows there is danger in those stolen moments with Lady Eliza Marcombe, but he’ll take any risk to be with her.
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Over two centuries separate Kayla and Jago, but when Kayla’s jealous fiancé presents her with an ultimatum, and Jago and Eliza’s affair is tragically discovered, their lives become inextricably linked thanks to a gypsy’s spell. Kayla finds herself on a quest that could heal the past, but what she cannot foresee is the danger in her own future.

Will Kayla find heartache or happiness?

Kayla is happy in her job, about to be married to her boss and loved by her family. What more did she need? Life changed when her Aunt leaves her a legacy and Kayla buys a painting. Her fiancé is not amused and their engagement ends. Even more frightening, the man in the painting begins to talk to her.

Jago, the smuggler, and Lady Eliza fall in love but the lady is married to Jago’s half brother, the lord of the manor. After the birth of her son, Eliza dies but Jago vows to join her in eternity. During their affair they are painted individually by Thomas Gainsborough and yes, this is the painting Kayla buys. The portrait of Jago.

The one time smuggler asks Kayla to find the painting of Eliza so the lovers may be together. She can’t resist the temptation and with Jago giving her clues she follows the trail to the old manor house. Here she meets Wes and his daughter Nell, descendants of Eliza.

I loved this book. At first I thought it would be another time travel or love across the ages, but the neat seams between the past and the present, the story of Jago and Eliza entwined with Kayla’s life in the present – all this kept me reading avidly from beginning to end.

I have to admit I originally started reading this book because I like Choc Lit books, but in future I will also look out for more books by Christina Courtenay. She has the ability to draw me into the story and keep me there, eagerly awaiting the next chapter and following the lives of people many years apart. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Loved it.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Once More, My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath

July 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

ROGUE
Once More, My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (384 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Bluet

They are England’s most eligible bachelors, with the most scandalous reputations. But for the right woman, even an unrepentant rogue may mend his ways…
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Born to the street but raised within the aristocracy, Drake Darling can’t escape his sordid beginnings. Not when Lady Ophelia Lyttleton snubs him at every turn, a constant reminder he’s not truly one of them. But after rescuing her from a mysterious drowning he realizes she doesn’t remember who she is. With plans to bring her to heel, he insists she’s his housekeeper—never expecting to fall for the charming beauty.

While Ophelia might not recall her life before Drake, she has little doubt she belongs with him. The desire she feels for her dark, brooding employer can’t be denied, regardless of consequences. So when her memory returns, she is devastated by the depth of his betrayal. Now Drake must risk everything to prove she can trust this rogue with her heart once more.

Remember that movie “Overboard,” with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell? How tempting would it be if you had the opportunity to get a little of your own back against someone who had belittled you and scorned you at every opportunity? That’s the first thing that came to my mind as Lady Ophelia Lyttleton called Drake Darling “Boy,” and ordered him to bring her a glass of champagne at a ball. While Drake is not a noble, he is the adopted son of a duke, and has never done a thing to spark Ophelia’s spitefulness. So, later when he rescues a mud-covered lady from almost drowning, and takes her home, and realizes that it’s Ophelia, and that she has no memory of anything, he decides to make her believe she is a servant for a day before he returns her to her home.

This Ophelia, however, is not at all like the haughty heiress who has plagued Drake. While she is pretty inept as a servant, she quickly learns, and works hard, much to Drake’s amazement. Since the circumstances of her accident are very murky, Drake does some investigating, and feels that she may still be in danger, so he doesn’t take her home right away, as planned. They quickly develop an intimacy and an attraction. Without her prejudices clouding her judgment, Ophelia (now called “Phee”) sees Drake for the man he is. And Drake is a wonderful man – he’s big, strong, handsome, and protective. And I quite liked Phee now, that is, until her memory came back.

This book was well written, and flowed nicely. I love the trope of amnesia, when it’s well done. And, frankly, it was a good thing that Ophelia had a chance to reflect on her former nasty self, because she came out of it a much better person. There are a couple mysteries – what caused Ophelia’s accident, and what happened in her past to make her the unpleasant person she had been. There is a touching scene near the end between Drake and his adopted father which brought tears to my eyes. And I thoroughly enjoy that this series of books is about the children of the characters from Lorraine Heath’s previous series, The Scoundrels of St James. This is a wonderful read, particularly if you like stories of redemption and self-forgiveness. I highly recommend reading it.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Play by Kylie Scott

July 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

PLAY
Play by Kylie Scott
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (304 Pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl. Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

What Kylie Scott excels at is creating compelling characters that own their stories. Play is no different.
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When Anne meets her teenage crush, rock band drummer Mal, she makes crazy eyes. I think I did pretty much the same thing as soon as I delved into this story. Mal is thoroughly convincing as a slightly crazy, fan-spoiled, irresponsible flirt of a man. Scott would be risking making her leading man a conceited, unpleasant hero if she hadn’t given him a soft (not in a cliché way) core and a wild sense of humor.

A propos of humor, the novel is chock-full of laugh-out-loud scenes that make the atmosphere around Anne and Mal electric with sexual tension and palpable lust. Mal’s comical side also accentuates the darker issues that Mal faces, making the novel all the more attractive because of how compelling and intricate a character Mal turns out to be despite the initial impression of him being shallow.

The dialogue is witty and truly engages the reader because every line spoken between the characters adds to their personalities or forwards the plot. The pacing is relentless, also on account of the clever rejoinders flying to and from between Mal and Anne. The fast pace also mimics Mal’s hyperactive personality and the rushed lifestyle of a rock band. It seems like Ms Scott doesn’t leave anything to coincidences; every word in this novel has a specific purpose. This makes the narrative fast-paced, compelling and utterly enjoyable.

Although Mal is so over-the-top that one would expect the shy heroine to be completely overlooked next to him, Anne is still a character that manages to hold her own. She grows throughout the story, and we follow her journey as she begins to get to know herself. Towards the end of the story, she proves she is a woman with a backbone when she makes a choice that is painful, but right. Anne becoming the strong character who learns to fight for what’s hers makes the relationship between her and Mal so much more realistic and consequently more fascinating.

Scott’s Play is far from just another hot romance. It’s a novel with a strong plot, compelling characters and a very real attraction between them. What happens to Anne is bound to happen to every reader – you will fall for Mal.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Play Date by Olivia Starke

July 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

DATE
Play Date by Olivia Starke
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (35 pages)
Other: F/F, Toys, Anal Play, Spanking
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Kim can’t get over her ex-girlfriend, Ava, the most perfect woman in the world. She stumbles upon a spell in her email that promises to find her love. But there is only one person she craves, and she’ll do anything to get her back.

Ava walked away from Kim, yet her heart won’t let go of the life and intense passion they shared. Before she knows it, she’s outside of Kim’s home and has no idea what to do next.
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With magic in the air, they fall into Kim’s bed. What follows is a playful and rather creative reunion.

Second chances don’t come along every day. Will Kim and Ava get one?

Whipping up the right amount of chemistry in a short story isn’t easy, but Ms. Starke makes it look effortless. Kim and Ava’s longing for one another felt as real as their occasionally sensitive reactions to their memories of the big breakup. I don’t know if the author intends to revisit these characters, but I’d be interested in hearing from them again in the future if she does.

The dialogue sometimes veered into awkward turns of phrases and sentences that explained things in a little bit too much detail. These characters have known each other for so long that they could have gotten away with a lot less verbal communication as their sex scenes heated up. Giving them more opportunities to give nonverbal consent would have also made more sense given everything that’s revealed about the relationship they once had with one another.

As mentioned in the blurb, this short story is part of a series. It can easily be read out of order or as a standalone piece since each instalment focuses on a different couple and the brief backstory is quickly explained in the opening scene. I do recommend checking out the rest of the Click Me tales if you enjoy this one, though, as there are certain similarities among them that are interesting to pick out.

Play Date is a good choice for anyone in the mood for something hot and heavy that can be finished in one sitting.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Dreams of Perfection by Rebecca Heflin: Spotlight and Giveaway

July 11, 2014 By 2 Comments



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rebecca will be awarding an author-graphed ebook to two randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter. Click the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What if perfection isn’t truly perfect?

Best-selling romance writer, Darcy Butler, is holding out for perfection in the form of her own carefully-crafted heroes. Once blissfully engaged to be married, Darcy’s post-traumatic commitment phobia is depriving her of the very thing she wants most: her very own happily-ever-after. Now, here she is just six months shy of her thirtieth birthday, and not a Prince Charming in sight.

Successful lawyer, Josh Ryan, is the boy-next-door with a soft spot for the less fortunate, and Darcy’s best friend without benefits. Darcy often comes to him lamenting her love-life, or the lack thereof, whereupon Josh patiently doles out his sage advice. Problem is Josh is in love with Darcy.

But when Darcy finds herself looking into the handsome face of the man who graces the cover of her soon-to-be-released novel, she’s convinced her dreams of perfection have come true. Or have they?

About the Author:

Rebecca Heflin is an award-winning author who has dreamed of writing romantic fiction since she was fifteen and her older sister snuck a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss’ Shanna to her and told her to read it. Rebecca writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance. When not passionately pursuing her dream, Rebecca is busy with her day-job as a practicing attorney.

Rebecca is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Florida Romance Writers, RWA Contemporary Romance, and Florida Writers Association. She and her mountain-climbing husband live at sea level in sunny Florida.

Awards:

2013 Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Award Finalist (Rescuing Lacey)
2013 Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence Winner (Rescuing Lacey)
2013 Virginia Romance Writers Holt Medallion Award of Merit (Rescuing Lacey)
2013 Georgia Romance Writers Published Maggie Finalist (Rescuing Lacey)
2013 Shooting Star Award (Rescuing Lacey)
2013 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Finalist (Rescuing Lacey)
2013 Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers’ Awards Finalist (The Promise of Change)
2011 Royal Palm Literary Awards Finalist (The Promise of Change)

Website: http://www.rebeccaheflin.com/wordpress/
Blog: http://www.rebeccaheflin.com/wordpress/blog/
Twitter: @RebeccaHeflin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaHeflinBooks


a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: , , ,

Blackout by Madeleine Henry

July 10, 2014 By Leave a Comment

OUT
Blackout by Madeleine Henry
Publisher: New Heroes Media
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Length: Short Story (118 pages)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

One wall divides life from darkness. After the worldwide Blackout, America built a concrete wall—the Frontier—across the middle of the nation to isolate its precious electricity in the top half. Everyone below the Frontier was forsaken, and now only a few survive in the grim region known as the Dark Zone.

Sixteen year old Phoenix Troublefield endures the dark with his girlfriend, Star Windsong. When America announces that it will trade electricity for immigrants, Phoenix and Star sacrifice themselves for the power that might save her younger brother. On the other side of the Frontier, they find America is not what they expected, and instead they are thrown into a shocking and deeply personal contest that threatens to destroy their love. When the chance comes to escape back into the Dark Zone, it may already be too late.

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This is one of the most richly detailed stories I’ve read so far this year. The world these characters live in is cold, dark, and rapidly decaying. Danger lurks around every corner, and I felt its stale breath on the back of my neck as I watched Phoenix and his community struggle to survive.

While I understand that this is the first book in a new series, so much time was spent describing the place where Phoenix grew up and the members of the other families who live nearby that his actual journey to America felt rushed. If the page count were twice as long this introduction would have been perfect. As it was written, the pacing was slow in the beginning and rushed over the course of the last few chapters.

Phoenix’s unusual relationship with his parents piqued my curiosity. I can’t say too much about it without wandering into spoiler territory, but he has much more freedom than most teens his age. How he responds to this arrangement reveals a lot about his strengths and weaknesses. I didn’t always like his choices, but knowing about the unique environment he grew up in helped me to understand why he picked them.

I would have also liked to see more time spent developing Star’s personality. She has an incredibly amount of empathy for other people, but I had trouble getting to know her as an individual because Phoenix only ever describes her in glowing terms. Even the kindest person in the world will eventually have a bad day, and I would have liked to see how she reacts when she’s angry, scared, or overwhelmed with life.

The science fiction elements of this tale are much stronger than the romantic ones, but the romance blends in well with everything else that’s going on. Phoenix and his girlfriend are a few years older than the age recommendation listed above. This is their first taste of love, though, and how they react to it is something that I suspect will be just as appealing to somewhat younger readers.

Give Blackout a try if you’re a fan of young adult dystopian fiction. It’s solid premise and surprising plot twists make it a good choice for anyone who likes this genre.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Daniel’s Decision by Nicole Flockton

July 10, 2014 By Leave a Comment

DANIEL
Daniel’s Decision by Nicole Flockton
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (112 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Life in the small town of Emerald Springs, Washington, is anything but slow and peaceful. An old feud between former business partners Whitman and Sanders keeps competition on a high burner, fueling resentment, renewing rivalries … and love. Now someone is trying to bring down Emerald Tea Farm, and it’s up to both families to protect their future while still wrangling over the past.

Daniel Whitman has a plan to turn their hospitality retreat into a high-end eco-friendly resort, but his father and brothers think the timing is wrong. Against family wishes, he heads off to Australia to an award-winning eco-spa to test their services. He is immediately attracted to marketing manager Rochelle Harris but pushes it aside to concentrate on discovering what has made this resort so successful.

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The more time they spend together, the more the attraction grows. Then a disaster back home makes Daniel realize he has to step up to his responsibilities. But is Rochelle prepared to take the risk and relocate halfway around the world—and can Daniel open up and let someone be a true partner in his life?

This sweet romance shows that even career-driven people are capable of falling in love and having meaningful relationships.

The story started off smoothly, with likeable characters and an interesting set up. At the beginning, the romance between Daniel and Rochelle is sweet, and it’s enchanting to watch them struggle with the attraction they feel for each other. The chemistry is there, but they both have plans that don’t include relationships. The conflict feels genuine, but despite this, or maybe because of it, the quick development of their relationship seems believable.

But as the story progressed, instead of the conflict between them and their inner struggles becoming more pronounced and stronger, they seemed less and less convincing and almost contrived. The story developments after Daniel had received the urgent phone call from home all felt naïve and cliché. I hoped for the characters, so charming at first, to develop and grow throughout the story, but instead they became more or less stock figures with a predictable ending.

I realize this novel is part of a series, but some of the events at Emerald Springs lacked closure or at least a hint at a resolution sometime in the future. On the other hand, the secondary characters (who are protagonists in the other novels in the series) were well-written despite the fact that the series is penned by various authors. Although this was an ARC, the spelling and grammatical mistakes were too recurrent for me to be able to ignore them.

In Daniel’s Decision, a man and a woman who swore off love and serious relationships find just that. The strength of these characters is in how they accept the gift of love.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Once Upon a Wager by Julie LeMense

July 10, 2014 By 4 Comments

roses2
Once Upon a Wager by Julie LeMense
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (168 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

When Lord Alec Carstairs returns from the Peninsular Wars, hailed as a hero in the midst of the London Season, only Annabelle Layton knows the sort of man that he really is, that the honor everyone praises is illusory.

They’d been close friends once, before a passionate kiss changed everything. But if she’d secretly loved him, those feelings had died one bright summer morning, when a reckless wager left Annabelle with terrifying injuries. Alec had abandoned her without a backwards glance.

Hardly the actions of a hero.
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But Alec has never forgotten her, despite his vow to stay away. There is more to that long-ago day than Annabelle knows, and shocking lies have distorted the past. Can he uncover its painful truths, and still keep his distance from the stunning beauty? Can he deny his forbidden desire, even as it flares again between them, hotter than ever?

Even the most honorable and temperate men hide a passion in them. If you don’t believe it, Alec Carstairs will convince you.

Unlike the majority of historical romances, the hero in Once Upon a Wager is not rake who’s after a respectable lady. Alec Carstairs is an honorable and a rather reserved man. His polite manners and ‘priggishness’ – according to his best friend Lord Marworth – would make for an unremarkable hero if Ms. LeMense hadn’t juxtaposed those aspects of his character to the consuming passion that threatens to undo him every time Annabelle is near him. The author manages to show the strength of his love and devotion precisely through this duality of his character.

Another factor that adds to the strength of the conflict is the tragedy and pain that Annabelle had gone through. She’s not a whimsical character with nothing in her past to support her characterization. Instead, there’s a credible change in her personality after the accident, giving her and the plot a lot of weight. Needless to say, the hardships in Annabelle’s life convince the readers to feel for her and invest themselves into the story. And in the end, we are nicely rewarded for that.

Even the secondary characters are compelling, and I will be severely disappointed if Lady Jane and Lord Marworth don’t get to tell their story, preferably a shared one. I loved Sophia, the slightly eccentric, daring woman who introduces Annabelle to society and advises her to take everything with a grain of salt because the ton is a capricious, unreliable phenomenon. The relationships are so convincing I could picture Benjamin’s and Alec’s banter, Benjamin flirting with Annabelle just to annoy Alec, Sophia reading Annabelle’s and Alec’s emotions like an open book … And the chemistry between the protagonists would cause the pages to ignite had I been reading a paperback copy.

The pace of the story was such that I wished I could read the book in one sitting. Even the break between the first and second parts served its purpose, making the emotional distance between the protagonists more perceptible and their cold, distant attitude towards each other even more believable.

I’m glad I got the chance to read Once Upon a Wager because it was one of the best historical romances I’ve ever read. I sincerely hope to read more from Ms. LeMense.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Exercising Her Options by Daisy Dexter Dobbs

July 10, 2014 By Leave a Comment

OPTIONS
Exercising Her Options by Daisy Dexter Dobbs
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (266 pgs)
Heat: Hot
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Adopting an exercise program holds the number one spot on Polly Patrick’s “Things of Zero Interest” list, but with her bestselling author fiancé captivated by the charms of sexy, young fan girls, Polly makes the ultimate sacrifice. Joining a gym and committing herself to torturous workouts is hard enough…but being assigned a sexy, smoldering Greek for a personal trainer is downright brutal.

When Nikolas Kokoris takes Polly on as a client, he’s unaware his job is to get her fit for another man…a jerk who doesn’t deserve her affections. After scrutinizing the sassy, full-figured beauty’s curves for three months of workouts, he’s in trouble. Maintaining his professionalism and keeping his distance has never been tougher.

Struggling to remain focused on the task at hand, Polly and Nick find their lives complicated by a friendly kiss, the potent effects of ouzo, and a cringe-worthy case of mistaken identity.

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Helen and Polly are the best of friends. Ms. Dobbs sets up the first conflict in such a way that a reader knows what is coming. Polly can and does help Helen see the light but when it comes to her own heartbreak, she employs the very denial techniques she wouldn’t let her friend Helen get away with. The only good thing that came from that debacle was Polly’s joining a gym. What happens next is inevitable but fun.

Reading Polly’s internal dialogues when it came to Victor was like reading the do’s and don’ts of dating a loser. It was text book and why Polly couldn’t see that drove me nuts. The heroine has a great sense of fun and adventure, has a wonderful talent and has so many things going for her but she’s not realized her full potential. Why is that? The wrong man, that’s why. Just how wrong he turns out to be gets discovered in a most unlikely way and the act of revenge was especially diabolical and perfect. Polly is a very crafty lady. She also has a very sexy and passionate side to her that keeps getting stymied by something called a Merry Widow. I don’t think I want one. Although, what happens to the hapless heroine is both funny and almost scary. Thank goodness she had a hunky Greek hero to save her.

Even though the plot conflict was rather predictable and at times annoying, because I knew that deep down she KNEW but was in denial which is the stupidest thing to be in since she wouldn’t let her friend do it so why was she any different is beyond me, there were a ton of fun, sexy and outright hilarious moments sprinkled throughout the book.

The best parts are when Nick and Polly are together. And I’m not just talking about the hot sex and fun sexcapades, which were highly pleasing. I enjoyed their dialogue, the scene with the ouzo, the massage table and the fact that Nick loved Polly exactly as she was for who she was. He was everything that Victor was not and whenever the heroine compared the two, Victor seemed to come up short. Which made me laugh. Many times. Nick is a real treasure and a keeper.

Another aspect that I enjoyed in this story was a scene with the older ladies. That was beautifully written and it touched my heart. I’m glad that Ms. Dobbs included them because it showcased that both Polly and Nick aren’t just good looking on the outside, but they are beautiful on the inside too. And that’s where it counts.

If a reader is looking for pure entertainment, then Exercising Her Options delivers a fun, fast paced and charming romance. The story includes many moments that brought smiles to my face and it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. There is however one part for which I was very glad I had not had any food or drink in my mouth. I would have choked. There is an absolutely funny scene that came out of nowhere and surprised me so effectively, I couldn’t stop laughing and giggling for a few minutes. I re-read the scene and laughed some more. That part embraces exactly what this story embodies – a reason to smile and love life and the ability to laugh at yourself. Reading Exercising Her Options left me in a happy mood and that’s the best recommendation I can give to others for reading it. Get your happy on and read this book.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Sherlock Holmes And the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter by Tim Symonds

July 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment

HOLMES
Sherlock Holmes And the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter by Tim Symonds
Publisher: MX Publishing
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (208 pgs)
Rated: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

The Dean of a Swiss university persuades Sherlock Holmes to investigate the background of a would-be lecturer. To Dr. Watson it seems a very humdrum commission – but who is the mysterious ‘Lieserl’? How does her existence threaten the ambitions of the technical assistant level III in Room 86 at the Federal Patents Office in Berne by the name of Albert Einstein? The assignment plunges Holmes and Watson into unfathomable Serbia to solve one of the intractable mysteries of the 20th Century. In Tim Symonds’ previous detective novels, Sherlock Holmes and the Dead Boer At Scotney Castle and Sherlock Holmes And The Case Of The Bulgarian Codex the author based pivotal historic facts and a principal character on real life. So too in this new mystery.

Old world flavor blends with traditional skulduggery and classic clue-chasing in Tim Symonds’ Sherlock Holmes And the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter. Although Holmes has become a popular character to recreate in various forms, here, fans will be delighted to discover a story written in classic Arthur Connan Doyle style, with all the old characters; all quite familiar, but facing an entirely new challenge.
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If you charge forward through the earliest pages (given in the classic pre-commentary of Dr. Watson) you will be drawn in to what becomes an increasingly intriguing historic mystery. Indeed, there is perhaps too many a mention of things many a reader will already know: Holmes’ death, return, and intentions, explained a touch thoroughly by the good doctor, before we reach the relief of the first conversation.

However, the story picks up quite suddenly and we are confronted with Dr. Watson’s challenge of getting Holmes back to the infamous Reichenbach Falls, for reasons of his own. A brilliant new adversary emerges as the daring two set off abroad. Switzerland will prove no safe haven for the two; Holmes must hastily deduce a code and recall an old one, much to Watson’s surprise.

Although the two have their own challenges, they are soon also confronted with the question “What of Lieserl?” The answer could upset Albert Einstein’s opportunities prior to his first great findings… Could Einstein’s fate suddenly have fallen into Holmes’ hands?

Baker street, bookshops and tiger-skin carpets, Holmes’ deductive skills and Watson’s amazement at his friend’s abilities; all are as familiar as the cherry-bowled pipe to Holmes’ fans, although Symonds achieves a totally new Holmes mystery in his “Einstein’s Daughter.” The characters, conversations, and even the tone achieved are all so very perfect: Holmes fans will be delighted with this latest mystery. Mention of earlier cases are especially fun for those who will recall the various events.

You should deduce from this review that Sherlock Holmes And the Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter must indeed be your very next read.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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