Sleuthing the Klondike by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

March 28, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Sleuthing the Klondike by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey
Publisher: BWL, Inc (Books We Love, Inc)
Genre: Historical Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

Helen Castrel and her lady’s maid, Mattie Lewis, have just arrived in Victoria, British Columbia, from England. Helen hires Detective Baxter Davenport to go with them to Dawson City and help find her brother David, who was sent to Canada as a remittance man ten years ago. Mattie has come along to look after Helen and also because she has her own motive to find David.

The last word the family had from David, he was on his way to the Klondike gold rush at Dawson City. Before they leave Victoria Helen and Baxter discover that a man had been killed the summer before and had never been identified. They wonder if he was David.

But Helen is determined to find her brother alive and the three head north armed with an old photograph and a recent description provided by David’s former landlady. When they arrive in Dawson City, the gold rush is in full swing and they are challenged by deceit, fraud, and danger in their quest to find David.

This one starts off with an interesting twist and pulled me along for an exciting ride! It’s not often that a mystery can keep me guessing until the final pages, but this one does just that!

Helen and Baxter make for an unusual pair, but as the story picks us their teamwork, along with the help of some friends, provides for a wonderful search for the truth. When all hope seems lost, a new clue or twist will put them back on the hunt. I loved meeting the cast in this one and enjoyed the storytelling.

Joan Donaldson-Yarmey is a new author to me, and I’d not heard of the Canadian / Alaskan mystery books that inspired and included this story before picking this one up but love the idea and am so glad I got to read this one!

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

Shadows Of Men by Abir Mukherjee

March 27, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Shadows Of Men by Abir Mukherjee
Publisher: Vintage Arrow
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Calcutta, 1923

When a Hindu theologian is found murdered in his home, the city is on the brink of all-out religious war. Can the officers of the Imperial Police Force—Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant “Surrender-Not” Banerjee—track down those responsible in time to stop a bloodbath?

Set at a time of heightened political tension, beginning in atmospheric Calcutta and taking the detectives all the way to bustling Bombay, the latest instalment in this remarkable series presents Wyndham and Banerjee with an unprecedented challenge. Will this be the case that finally drives them apart?

When a Hindu religious man is found murdered Calcutta goes to the brink of a religious war. Can Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee find the killer before the streets run riot with blood?

I have greatly enjoyed this series and found this to be an exceptional addition to it. I really in particular enjoyed that this time the chapters frequently alternate between Sam’s perspective and Suren’s which I really felt gave the whole book a lot more depth and complexities to it. I have to admit I really enjoyed Suren’s perspective and being able to see things through his lens and in particular hear him articulate the reasoning behind his actions was fabulous.

I do feel this book can be read by itself. While the working relationship and friendship between Sam and Suren is a layered and entwined one that has grown through the previous books the plot of this story and the actions and ramifications of their decisions is very contained within this book. I don’t feel readers will lose much from having just picked this book up on a whim. Currently, this is the last book in this series – though I am glad the door was certainly left open should the author chose to continue this series with more installments. I didn’t feel like the ending was a cliffhanger or that it would be outrageous for this to be the last book in the series should it fall that way.

This book is set in India in 1923 so while historical the characters and setting are relevant enough, I feel modern readers shouldn’t get too bogged down in the historical aspect to the story. I felt the main thrust of the plot – figuring out who the killer was and bringing them to police justice – was relatable enough most readers should enjoy it.

A well written and well-paced historical murder mystery this is a book – and a series as a whole – that I have really enjoyed. Recommended.

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

Suddenly, a Knock on the Door by Etgar Keret, audiobook read by Ira Glass

March 26, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Suddenly, a Knock on the Door by Etgar Keret, audiobook read by Ira Glass
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Read by an all-star cast and featuring a bonus story special to the audio edition, Suddenly, a Knock on the Door is a one-of-a-kind audiobook.

Bringing up a child, lying to the boss, placing an order in a fast-food restaurant: in Etgar Keret’s new collection, daily life is complicated, dangerous, and full of yearning. In his most playful and most mature work yet, the living and the dead, silent children and talking animals, dreams and waking life coexist in an uneasy world. Overflowing with absurdity, humor, sadness, and compassion, the tales in Suddenly, a Knock on the Door establish Etgar Keret—declared a “genius” by The New York Times—as one of the most original writers of his generation.

This is an interesting collection of short stories written by Etgar Keret about daily life. Daily life, as we all know, can be complex. Many tricky situations can occur.

Keret delves into various emotions and goes from the normal to the playful, wild, or mature. The themes vary throughout this collection, but there is an underlying knowledge of universal yearning to enhance the stories.

Each piece varies in length—some quite short, and some a bit longer. It is a unique set of tales, sure to touch many readers.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Prince and the Troll by Rainbow Rowell

March 25, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Prince and the Troll by Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

A charming everyman and a mysterious something-under-the-bridge cross paths in a short fairy tale by the number one New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and the Simon Snow series.

It’s fate when a man accidentally drops his phone off the bridge. It’s fortune when it’s retrieved by a friendly shape sloshing in the muck underneath. From that day forward, as they share a coffee every morning, an unlikely friendship blooms. Considering the reality for the man above, where life seems perfect, and that of the sharp-witted creature below, how forever after can a happy ending be?

The Prince and the Troll is part of Faraway, a collection of retold fairy tales that take the happily-ever-after in daring new directions. Whether read or listened to in one sitting, prepare to be charmed, moved, enlightened, and frightened all over again.

I’ve been checking out a lot of Amazon Original Stories recently, and I’ve always been a fan of fantasy and fairy tales, so it was a no-brainer to check out Rainbow Rowell’s short story addition to the Faraway Collection, The Prince and The Troll. Less than an hour in audiobook form or about 30 pages on an e-reader, Rainbow Rowell does a good job spinning the classic fairytale of the troll under the bridge. Narrator Rebecca Lowman did a good job bringing the story to life with her performance in the audiobook.

When I went into the book, I admittedly expected the prince referenced in the title to be an actual prince, but that’s not quite the case. It’s a modern day fairytale, where the “prince” is more of an average person rather than someone living in a literal castle. I did appreciate the gender-bent aspect of the story, as the troll in this is a female. The romance is clean and well-written, so that’s another plus.

One major drawback of the story (and a large part of the reason why I couldn’t give it a full five stars) was how much Starbucks was mentioned in this book. It’s 29 pages, and I’m pretty sure they went through the entire menu of drinks. I realize that the original coffee the ‘prince’ brings the troll is integral to the story, but the level detail they used in describing each drink was excessive and detracted from my enjoyment of the read. The other major drawback was the ending, as it was a bit confusing and didn’t really leave me feeling like I had closure with the characters and the story as a whole.

Overall, it was a good story, and I don’t feel like the time I spent reading it was wasted. If you enjoy modern retellings of fairy tales with a genderbent twist, this would be a good choice (especially if you have Kindle Unlimited).

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

*Fashionista’s Playbook by Candi Scott

March 22, 2024 By Leave a Comment


*Fashionista’s Playbook by Candi Scott
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

The door to the New York fashion world shut firmly in her face, Moriah Stanhope’s only option seems to be to return to her small-town home as a failure. At least, she would go home in disgrace, but her car was just repossessed. In front of the hottest guy she’s ever seen.

Travis Madera is supposed to hire an assistant. One with qualifications and experience. Someone who won’t be starstruck by the fact he’s a professional football player. But he never could resist a damsel in distress, especially one with all those curves.

Moriah’s been humiliated in front of guys like Travis before. But as his assistant, she has access to every moment of his day-to-day life, so surely she can stay ahead of any potential problems.

Until the past comes rushing into the present.

Candi Scott writes an emotional and entertaining, sports romance. The story is well written, the characters were easy for me to relate to and the story immediately drew me in.

I loved everything about the two main characters. Moriah is curvy, smart and sweet and Travis is a hot football player with a heart of gold. Moriah and Travis have undergone pain and hurt in their pasts, which makes them vulnerable and slow to trust others. However, when these two meet, they meet they have a strong connection and attraction. They feel comfortable with each other and are able to put down their guard.

It was so much fun reading Travis and Moriah’s story as they fall in love. I easily connected with them and enjoyed all of the interactions. They have a strong chemistry and thought they were perfect for each other. You don’t want to miss this captivating story.

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

Angelite by Rebecca Henry

March 21, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Angelite by Rebecca Henry
Ambrosia Hill #5
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When love is broken and fate uncertain only truth can be found in angelite.

Zinnia’ s fifteen birthday is marked by her move to Ambrosia Hill with her mother Lily. After surviving a wicked Halloween with Ursula Geist and banishing the dark witch to the depth of Lake Cauldron, Lily decides Zinnia needs the protection and guidance of the aunts as she continues her journey as a green witch.

Zinnia’ s dream of moving back to Ambrosia Hill becomes a reality as she is reunited with Billie and is welcomed by the charmed volleyball team as their lucky number thirteen. Zinnia has everything she’ s ever wanted including a coven of witches to practice her green magic with. The Aunts as always, have tricks up their sleeves and prepare to host a surprise kale-pulling gala at Fern House to call forth Lily’ s true love.

Things seem perfect in the Fern House living on top of the tallest hill in a sleepy town until Zinnia meets the new girl, Scarlet at the kale-pulling gala. Scarlet is a ward living with the catholic nuns at Ambrosia Hill Episcopal Convent. Her uncanny beauty and charismatic charm soon win the attention of the charm volleyball team and most importantly, Billie. Zinnia is overcome with a fit of searing jealousy as Scarlet’ s presence emerges a darker side of Zinnia. Strange and unsettling happenings are reported in the town. Cows dry up overnight and a mysterious serpent is seen lurking in Ambrosia Hill, hiding within the tall grass, ready to strike. Zinnia fears she has been cursed when her fate line breaks in two on the palm of her right hand and Zinnia is forced to rely on her inner strength when magic fails her. But who can save Zinnia when she soon discovers that the monster in Ambrosia Hill this time is her?

Moving is an adventure.

I know I’ve mentioned the wonderful world building in all of my previous reviews of these books, but the author once again surprised me with new details. As someone who grew up in a few small towns, I smiled and nodded along as Billie introduced Zinnia to some interesting secrets about the community that Zinnia thought she already knew so well. It happens in real life sometimes, too, so of course it could also happen in fiction! Locals don’t always think to share everything right away with newcomers, especially when it comes to information that may be a little controversial or out of the ordinary. Kudos for the author for keeping me guessing.

With that being said, it would have been helpful to have more time spent exploring and developing the latest secrets of Ambrosia Hill. It wasn’t until the last 50 pages or so that I learned much of anything about them at all. While I know the author probably wanted to keep some things under wraps for the future, it was a little disappointing for me as a reader to have to wait until the end for even a few of my questions to be answered. It felt like there was a lot more that could have been done with these developments, and I would have happily gone with a five-star rating if they had either been introduced earlier or if several more chapters had been added on to explore what Zinnia thought of them and how they might change her life.

The character development was often slow in the first four Ambrosia Hills books, so I was glad to see it pick up here. Zinnia was given some great opportunities to deal with her jealousy and practice self-control when other people irrationally – or, in some cases, rationally – irritated her. Did she always make the most gracious life choices? Absolutely not, but that was a good thing. Everyone has bad days, and it was refreshing to observe how she behaved when she wasn’t her usually pretty calm and collected self. You can learn a lot from how someone behaves when they’re in a terrible mood, so I’m excited to see where Ms. Henry takes Zinnia and everyone closest to her from this point forward.

This is the fifth instalment in a series that I’d recommend reading in order due to all of the character and plot development that has already occurred in this universe, some of which the narrator assumes the reader already knows.

Angelite made me grin and wish for another adventure with Zinnia.

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

Ice Cold Malice by Rhys Dylan

March 20, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Ice Cold Malice by Rhys Dylan
Publisher: Wyrmwood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Revenge is a dish best served… ice cold.

While beach combing on MOD property, two young boys stumble across a reeking mound of tangled kelp. But it isn’t the seaweed that stinks. It’s the decomposing corpse beneath it.

Called in to investigate, DCI Evan Warlow’s team are faced with finding out how and why the body of a struck-off doctor ended up on a lonely beach within sight of Laugharne’s famous Boathouse.

But this is no innocent victim. This is a man with more enemies than friends. A fact that muddies the waters no end as Warlow unearths more and more of the dead man’s sordid history. Not to mention a long line of suspects.

With a killer in their midst hell bent on achieving a deadly goal and determined to let nothing and no one stand in their way, the team need to be on their guard.

Unless they want to end up as victims, too.

Returned DCI Evan Warlow and his team are once again called in when the body of a disgraced ex-surgeon washes up on the shore and is found by two young boys. With no shortage of angry ex-clients and ex-colleagues the disbarred surgeon will not be missed by many. But Warlow still knows his duty and is determined to find the culprit.

I’ve been enjoying the slightly darker and grittier aspect to this series set in the Brecon Beacons in Wales. This addition is just as good as the previous two. While I don’t feel readers will need to read the other installments for fully enjoy this I would still highly recommend reading all the series. The plot and characters are very well captured and maintained within this story so I don’t feel readers might get a bit lost with the various histories and previous plotlines.

I was also very pleased that one dangling plotline around DCI Warlow was answered for the readers – a medical mystery that has been alluded to but not resolved in the previous books. I was pleased that it was one of the options I had guessed already to myself but it was nice to have that small thread resolved. There are also still a few more over-arching plots still running around that I expect will be continued in the next few books.

Readers who enjoy police procedural styles of stories – especially British, or in this case Welsh – should find this an enjoyable and well-paced mystery with interesting and varied characters and a strong, complicated plot that I personally found satisfying. I am eager for the next installment.

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

Amour In Avignon by Jennifer Ivy Walker

March 19, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Amour In Avignon by Jennifer Ivy Walker
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Adrift and lonely, Lily Greene travels to Provence to spend the summer with her aunt in the sunny south of France. In the vibrant city of Avignon, she meets Ludo and Auguste, two expert fencers who are also local actors performing in the upcoming Festival of Theater where they will present the classical tragedy, Cyrano de Bergerac.

When Lily joins their thespian troupe, portraying the lead female role, she discovers that real life mirrors the play they are rehearsing, for–just as Cyrano and Christian vie for Roxane– Ludo and Auguste become intense rivals for Lily.
Handsome as a Hollywood movie star, Auguste is used to women falling into his bed. But when Lily spurns his amorous advances, drawn instead to the enigmatic Ludo, jealousy drives Auguste to seek revenge.

Will tragedy strike with a cruel twist of fate? Or will love triumph with Amour in Avignon?

Lily has come to Avignon to spend a few months with her bohemian spirited Aunt Agnes. Agnes rents the small apartment above her shop to her paramour’s nephew, Ludo. A young, strong carpenter. Ludo shares the room with his blond friend, Auguste. Lily feels an instant attraction to Ludo, but Auguste is equally smitten with Lily. Can the three of them find what they really want?

I really enjoyed this short story. I felt the pace of both the plot and the romance was really well balanced – fast enough it didn’t feel like it dragged, but slow enough I loved getting to know a bit about Lily, Ludo and Auguste before their relationships tangled together. I strongly felt all three characters were both realistic and relatable and I definitely think most readers will find the appeal of them a good draw into the book. Aunt Aggie was also a delightful free spirit and a great addition to the small cast of characters giving light and vibrancy to the book as a whole.

I thought the author added a lot of wonderful charm and realism into the story that really gave the vibe of sun-drenched Avignon. There were a number of small French customs – the food, the greetings and such – and this really had me feeling like I could immerse myself in the feel of the town and setting. While I did feel the book lacked freshness with the plotline of the theatrical trope’s play mirroring the complicated relationship between Lily, Auguste and Ludo, I also did enjoy that Lily’s actions were quite modern and she stuck to her guns. While there are plenty of stories out there where plays and real life cross over, I was glad Lily made her own decisions and showed a good backbone without being bitchy or overbearing. I feel Lily’s character really should appeal to a wide range of romance readers.

With some delightfully sensual love scenes and the mirroring of a play within the book there was plenty of things going on in this story and I strongly feel it should hold readers attention from start to finish.

Readers who enjoy a sizzling romance with plenty of action, jealousy and an exotic location as the setting should find this quick read a wonderful story to greatly enjoy.

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

A Perfect Death by Kate Ellis

March 18, 2024 By Leave a Comment


A Perfect Death by Kate Ellis
Publisher: Piatkus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When a woman is burned to death in Grandal Field in Devon, it looks like it could be a case of mistaken identity. Until DI Wesley Peterson learns of a legend involving a woman who died in similar circumstances in the thirteenth century.

It seems clear that there is a link between the mysterious legend and the recent murder when Wesley discovers that records of a previous site excavation have vanished, and two archaeologists involved in the dig died tragically.

The case echoes a story of twisted love and obsession from many centuries ago, and Wesley realises that edging closer to the truth brings unexpected danger . . .

DI Wesley Peterson and his wife are enjoying a short holiday in France, with nothing more important to do other than decide which restaurant to enjoy their next meal in. But while out on one of their walks Wesley bumps into Ian Rowe, a former fellow student from his archaeology days, and Ian seeks Wesley’s help with a missing friend. When Wesley returns to Devon he discovers there’s a far bigger mystery surrounding this situation. Can Wesley and his team discover what’s really going on?

I enjoyed this addition to the series and found the usual blending of current police procedural crime linked with the archaeological history as gripping as ever. The main thing that stood out for me personally, however, was that the author slid into the main storyline a very good way to finally bring Pam – Wesley’s wife – around and somewhat redeem her character. I feel with the author having Pam invested and interested in the mystery Ian brings Welsey on their vacation, as well as her continuing enthusiasm and curiosity bodes well for her being more invested in Wesley’s police career. Pam’s impatience with Wesley’s divided attention – even though he clearly makes a concentrated effort to spend as much time as possible with his family and children – has rankled me for a while now. I am very hopeful this might be Pam finally turning a corner here.

Outside of this rather large character arc change, the mystery itself was very well handled I felt. I was pleased that it took the police quite some time to identify the woman who was murdered and burned, and there were a number of different events surrounding the death that muddied the waters to a good degree. I feel readers who enjoy a complicated mystery and a lot of police procedural detective work should enjoy this plot and pacing. While there is a good element of archaeology in this story – as there usually is within this series – I did feel this took somewhat more of a back seat and so readers who prefer the archaeological side to these books might feel that this is lacking somewhat in this particular book.

With a strong and interesting plot and a cast of well known and long-standing characters this is a good read and a strong mystery book.

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

Deep Freeze by John Sandford

March 15, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Deep Freeze by John Sandford
Publisher: G.P Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Virgil knows the town of Trippton, Minnesota, a little too well. A few years back, he investigated the corrupt—and as it turned out, homicidal—local school board, and now the town’s back in view with more alarming news: A woman’s been found dead, frozen in a block of ice. There’s a possibility that it might be connected to a high school class of twenty years ago that has a mid-winter reunion coming up, and so, wrapping his coat a little tighter, Virgil begins to dig into twenty years’ worth of traumas, feuds, and bad blood. In the process, one thing becomes increasingly clear to him. It’s true what they say: High school is murder.

Virgil Flowers is back in the town of Trippton, Minnesota after a woman is found dead in the river – frozen into a block of ice. Many of the locals remember Virgil from a previous investigation he concluded in their town, but this time everything initially seems linked to a twenty-five-year high school reunion planning meeting. But as usual, Virgil’s case is complicate when the new governor also wants him to help a Private Investigator run down the source of some bootleg Barbie dolls – ones that have rather X-rated additions added on for adults only. As usual, can Virgil piece together exactly what’s going on while keeping himself out of some serious trouble?

I’ve been a big fan of John Sandford for many years now – enjoying all three of his main series, Kidd, Lucas Davenport as well as Virgil Flowers. This book can absolutely be read by itself, but I feel fans who know a number of the main characters will get a deeper level of enjoyment out of the antics and crossovers between the series.

One thing I always enjoy about the Virgil Flowers stories is there is usually an element of the absurd to them, whether it’s dog-napping rings, stealing animals from the zoo or – in this case – grown up amendments to bootleg Barbie and Ken dolls. I think it would be near impossible for anyone to read this book and not crack a smile, if not a few downright chuckles. Just the situations that seem to spiral out of control and the amusement Virgil and many of the other characters seem to use to embrace the crazy and just take it all in stride. I find it endearing and endlessly fun to read – and reread again later on.

I found the two main plots were very well woven and executed, Sandford really is a star when it comes to writing these and weaving things together without actually making any huge leaps or annoying “just happens to overlap”. Indeed, I enjoyed the fact the two cases remained distinct cases and they didn’t dovetail together towards the end of the story. Each case finished up on its own merit and I really enjoyed that.

I feel readers who pick this up fresh might enjoy a funny and well plotted murder mystery style novel set in the freezing cold, wintery Minnesota, but readers who have read at least a few of Sandford’s previous books will definitely enjoy reconnecting with Virgil and enjoy his latest antics. An excellent book and well worth having a look at.

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