Bryant & May and the Secret Santa--Christopher Fowler

Who doesn't love these old guys? This is a short, Christmas-themed stand-alone story and is a nice treat for Peculiar Crimes Unit fans. 

The action centers around the curious death of a boy who had just visited a department store santa. As usual, Bryant and May get their man and have each others' backs in their personal lives as well. I longed to go with them to the Flask for a pint! 

Thanks to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

Library of Souls--Ransom Riggs

Here's another book that I waited on a list for through my library. Again, unusual, but worth it for sure. This is the third and final book in the Miss Peregrine series and all I can say is thank you Ransom Riggs for a satisfying conclusion.

Although this wasn't my favorite of the 3, it is really good and answers all your deepest and darkest questions about the Peculiars. I didn't want it to end, but as a reader I'm happy with how it all wrapped up. This was the only one of the books that I read on an e-reader, which absolutely takes away from the fun and creepiness of the photos, but I loved it anyway.

[Review] A Curious Beginning--Deanna Raybourn

First my rant: Penguin Group denied my request to review this as an ARC. But I love Deanna's books so I got it from my library (after waiting on a list, which I rarely do) and it is absolutely worthy of review here. I still love you Penguin, but you did me wrong!

Now my review: This is the first in a new series set in Victorian England about a young woman named Veronica Speedwell who was orphaned as a child and raised by her two spinster aunts. Despite having to care for her aunts they allowed her significant freedom to travel and pursue her hobby of lepidoptery (studying butterflies). When the last aunt dies, Veronica prepares to start an independent life pursuing her passion, but before she even gets out the door a thug tears apart the aunts’ house and threatens her. Fortunately, a kindly baron shows up just in time, warning her that she is in danger and that he knows things about her past that he will reveal to her in time. He leaves her with his friend Stoker, once a prominent adventurer who is now forced to do taxidermy work for wealthy collectors. When news arrives that the baron has been murdered, Veronica and Stoker set out to solve the mystery of what happened to him and how all of this is tied to her. The revelation of who Veronica truly is and who her father is turns out to be more dangerous than either of them could have ever known.

Veronica is a fresh and interesting character who refuses to conform to societal norms and butts heads with all sorts of people because of her brash nature and independent streak. This is a great start to what I think will be a fun series. I breezed through this book and look forward to reading the next one.

[Review] The New Neighbor--Leah Stewart

This one goes on my list of favorite books I’ve read in 2015. The main characters are elderly Margaret, who lives alone in the Tennessee mountains and Jennifer, a young woman who moves into the house across the lake from Margaret with her young son Milo. Both women have their fair share of secrets, but while Jennifer wants hers left hidden, Margaret will do anything to find out what Jennifer is hiding, even at the risk of exposing the story of her own forbidden love from long ago.

This book has been compared to Zoe Heller's “What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal” and I can see why. Margaret and Jennifer are both liars, but whereas Jennifer appears to be lying to hide her past and keep her son safe, Margaret lies to manipulate and garner sympathy. Both characters are fairly unlikable but the story is engaging and I not only enjoyed it but have been recommending it to people for the last few months. Definitely give this one a try!

Thanks to Touchstone and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

[Review] Forbidden by Eve Bunting

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It was a fast read with quirky, creepy characters and a great setting on the Scottish coast. Young Josie is recently orphaned and sent to live with her aunt and uncle. When she arrives she finds that while they are not thrilled to see her they have something in mind for her to do and it involves their secretive livelihood. Fortunately, she befriends a local boy named Eli and his grandmother, and together they provide the only friendly faces amongst a town full of weird and disturbing people. Even the dog is disturbing!

Poor Josie was so naive that I couldn't help but worry about her and hope that she found a way to get away from her horrible aunt and uncle. Unfortunately, the ending made very little sense. It explained some things about Eli and his odd habits and way of dressing, but beyond that it was just strange and almost silly. The afterward by the author is worth reading though, because I doubt most people are aware that the type of activity that Josie's aunt and uncle were engaged in was real and that there are many accounts in history of this very thing occurring along the rocky coastline of Scotland. I can't say anymore without spoiling the story for anyone who has not read it.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and Clarion in exchange for an honest review.

[Review] These Shallow Graves--Jennifer Donnelly

Historical mystery is a favorite genre of mine, especially those that are set in NYC or London. This one is set in NYC and concerns the mysterious death of Charles Montfort, a partner in a successful, international shipping business. His 17-year old daughter Jo isn’t satisfied with the official conclusion that her father accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun. Searching for answers she encounters Eddie, a handsome news reporter, who not only agrees to help her but also shows her the gritty realities of life from which she has always been sheltered, first by her father and then by her doting uncle Philip. Jo learns things aren’t always as they seem and finds some unlikely friends along the way, all while trying to maintain the façade of a demure society girl engaged to a boy from one of the city’s wealthiest families.

Overall, the story is good and the characters are enjoyable. The romance between Jo and Eddie is cute if not somewhat predictable. The mystery, however, is obvious from the beginning and Jo remains incredibly naïve nearly until the end. At almost 500 pages, this book is way too long. I skipped around for the last 100 pages or so and was still able to follow what was happening. The conclusion is great though, and absolutely justified sticking with the story, at least for me.

These Shallow Graves will be released in late October by Delacorte Press. Thanks to Delacorte and Netgalley for providing this ARC for review.

[Review] Defending The Dead--Sheila Connolly

I enjoy Sheila Connolly's County Cork mysteries, but this was the first in the Relatively Dead series that I have read. I was intrigued by the Salem witch trials connection and having never been to Salem myself, the descriptions of the town then and now were fun to read. The genealogy research also was interesting and Abby is an easy character to like. The afterward is particularly fascinated where Sheila describes how much of the story and the genealogical connections are true.

I guess because I didn't read the previous books I feel a bit confused about the situation between Ned, Leslie and the children Ned fathered. I should probably go back and read the first two books to understand that relationship and also how Ned and Abby came together. Overall, it was good, just not great. As a mother of a little girl, I found Ned's biological daughter Ellie a bit too mature in her words and actions for a 7-year old, so some scenes with her didn't quite ring true for me. Also, I highly doubt any mother would let the babysitter take her child out all day without asking where they were going. I also kept wondering what the son was doing while Ellie was romping around with Abby and Leslie was at work. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing me with this ARC.

[Review] The Dead Assassin--Vaughn Entwistle

Arthur Conan Doyle and his playwright friend Oscar Wilde team up to discover who is behind a bizarre scheme to reanimate corpses of executed prisoners and instruct them to kill key members of the British government. All the while a menacing fog hangs over London. Wilde is hilarious, and I must admit that despite years of English lit courses I never knew he was married with two children. I didn't love Conan Doyle bringing his soon-to-be mistress into his home with his wife and children, but I know he did carry on an affair with her while Touie was dying.

All in all I think Entwistle does a nice job of bringing Oscar and Arthur to life in a new and unique way. In the course of their adventures they tussle with a strange toymaker and the menacingly flamboyant Marquess Rufus DeVayne, who rides in a yellow carriage pulled by zebras. Despite the light banter between Arthur and Oscar the overall feeling of the book is quite dark, particularly the first half, and the duo barely escape with their lives. The Marquess is truly a disgusting character and unfortunately it seems the sleuths, and Queen Victoria herself, haven't seen the last of him.

Thanks to St. Martin's and Netgalley for this ARC.

[Review] The Book of Speculation--Erika Swyler

This is a fantastic read. Although it started out very slow for me and I was very tempted in the first quarter of the book to give up, I’m honestly glad that I didn’t. The story alternates between a modern day setting and a traveling carnival in post-Revolutionary war America. In present day, emotionally scarred brother and sister Simon and Enola ponder the fate of their crumbling family home 10 years after their mother, a breathholder, drowned herself in the ocean. Laid off from his librarian job and concerned about his sister’s erratic behavior, Simon becomes obsessed by the appearance of a mysterious book kept by the carnival’s owner, which contains a notation about his grandmother. Delving into the story, he is pulled closer to the truth about the women in his family who all drowned on the same date, and their connection to the carnival people in the book: Amos the mute fortune teller, his mentor/pseudo-mother Madame Ryzkhova, and his love Evangaline, the carnival’s mermaid.

Little sketches in the book add a nice touch, especially the one of the horseshoe crab. If you to read this at the beach keep your eyes open for invasions of those guys. Also, I grew up in Burlington, NJ, where a major plot point occurs, so that was fun and unexpected.

My actual rating is 3.5, but since half stars aren’t available and 3 is insufficient, I went with 4. My main issue throughout the book was that I wasn’t able to connect with any of the main characters on an emotional level. They are just not likable. I cared about the story and reached a point where I had to know how it ended, but I found myself not really caring if Enola drowned herself or not. It could have been so much greater if we had known more about Enola and what she thought.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and will look for more from Erika Swyler in the future. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for another great read!

[Review] The Mermaid's Sister--Carrie Anne Noble

It seems that carnivals and circuses are a big theme in fiction lately and I have to say, I like it! The Mermaid's Sister is beautifully written and has a half real, half fairy tale feeling throughout. The story focuses on sisters Clara and Maren, who are delivered to their aunt as babies by stork and seashell. As Maren begins to grow the scales of a mermaid, Clara and the sister's best friend O'Neill set off to take her to the sea and end up on an epic adventure involving evil carnival people, fantasy creatures and a curse.

To me this story is a good example of why fantasy YA fiction is so popular right now, not just with teens, but with middle aged moms like myself. This book will lift you out of the everyday and transport you to someplace safe yet "other," at least for a little while. Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Children's for this ARC.

[Review] The Golem and The Jinni--Helene Wecker

This was recommended to me by several people and I’m glad I finally found time to fit it into my burgeoning book queue. It's truly one of those novels that sweeps you away and before you know it you have forgotten to pick your child up from school (oops!). The story centers on a clay woman known as a golem, who is created in Europe to be a bride to a creepy little guy who packs her into a wooden box and takes her to New York as steerage on a ship. During the voyage the man becomes ill but can’t resist “awakening” his golem since the old man has provided instructions for both how to awaken and how to destroy her if necessary. The golem's husband does not survive the trip and the newly awake and nameless clay woman is left to fend for herself with no idea of where to go or what to do. To escape the ship she jumps into the Hudson River as it pulls into NY and walks along the bottom of the river to the shore. Eventually she meets a kind Rabbi who is one of the few people able to sense her true nature. The rabbi becomes her mentor, her first friend, and her protector, eventually bestowing on her a name, Chava, meaning life. Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, a metalsmith named Arbeely accidentally uncorks a jinni who has been trapped for a 1,000 years by a wizard who imprisoned him. 

This long but glorious read tells the story of how Chava and the jinni Ahmad meet and form an uneasy relationship that changes both of them and the people they come into contact with forever. I can’t say enough about how this story and these characters captivated me. Every time I put the book down I found myself thinking about them and wondering what would happen next. The potential exists for a sequel, but I think in this case maybe it’s best to leave well enough alone.

[Review] Forsaken--J.D. Barker

I'm not typically a big fan of the 'book within a book' concept and usually try to avoid them, but this one works. The pacing is fast, the characters are well crafted and the story is good, although not totally original. What I am a fan of is Stephen King, and clearly so is J.D. Barker. This is a creepy roller coaster ride that Stephen King fans will love. Apparently this is book 1 in a planned series so I'm look forward to whatever the author has up his sleeve next. Thanks to Hampton Creek Press and Netgalley for pulling me out of my recent slump of not-so-great ARCs. This is a good one for sure.

[Review] Girl at Midnight--Melissa Grey

I was initially drawn in by the gorgeous cover of this book but wasn't so sure I would like a story about 'bird people.' Fortunately though, the world building here is top notch. It reminded me very much of "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," which I loved. Echo is somewhat of a difficult main character to connect with for the reader, at least in my opinion. However, the overall story about the Avicen race and their history and magic ultimately won me over.

[Review] The Witch of Napoli--Michael Schmicker

This was one of those books that drew me in slowly and would not let me go. The plot centers on Alessandra Povarelli, an Italian medium, and the people who believe in her, those who are out to expose her as a fraud and the young reporter Tomaso Labella who creates a sensation with a photograph he takes during one of her seances. But at its heart, this is a love story told by Tomaso about the woman he is first attracted to as a young man and ultimately comes to care for like a son would his mother. Alessandra's abilities are tested, she is broken, her skeletons are exposed, and the threat of her violent ex-husband is ever present.

Michael Schmicker is an excellent writer an this is much more than a story about seances and the supernatural. There is heart and beauty here amid the unknown. Ultimately it is the reader who decides what and who Alessandra was and that is the real gift.

Thank you Palladino and NetGalley for giving me my favorite book thus far of 2015. Magnifico!

[Review] Medium Dead--Paula Paul

Although this book is part of a series about a female doctor in the British countryside during the reign of Queen Victoria, I had no trouble jumping right in and following along. Alexandra Gladstone has inherited her small-town medical practice from her father and lives with her maid/nurse Nancy, and her loyal old dog Zack, who accompanies her on many of her housecalls. When a local woman who conducted seances is found dead in the cemetary, Alexandra and her love interest Sir Nicholas hunt for clues to the murder among the oddball residents of their community, including Sir Nicholas' own mother.

Although I figured out the identity of the killer fairly early on, there was enough suspense and weird stuff going on in the graveyard--not to mention suspicions surrounding Queen Victoria's not-so-secret presence in the town--to keep me happily reading to the end. Thanks to Random House Alibi and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

[Review] Things Half in Shadow by Alan Finn

I loved everything about this book from the post-Civil War America setting, to the characters, to the supernatural elements. Finn also includes some fun cameos by famous people of the day like PT Barnum and Matthew Brady. The chemistry between newspaperman Edward Clark and con artist Lucy Collins as they attempt to unmask the killer of a well-known Philadelphia medium adds warmth and humor that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages to see what sort of trouble they get themselves into next. 

Thanks to Simon & Schuster, Gallery, and NetGalley for providing me with another fabulous ARC. I look forward to more from Alan Finn in the future.

[Review] Suspicion--Alexandra Monir

[Originally published October 21, 2014 on Goodreads]


Monir starts off strong with a good story that pulled me in. I read it in two days, so that tells you something. Unfortunately, part two left me much less satisfied. 

At 197 pages, this book would have benefited from the author taking more time with the last half of the story and fleshing out many of the characters, including Imogen, who we first meet when she is 10 years old. I didn't connect with her as a child or an adult and found her overall to be a very flat character. The ending clearly leaves open room for a sequel though, and I would give it a chance since there were many good gothic parts of this novel that I enjoyed.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchanged for an honest review.

[Review] The Kingdom Lights--Steven VS

As an adult who likes YA, I give this book two thumbs up for world-building, good pacing and some cool steampunk elements. Fans of Harry Potter should really enjoy this. The concept of the floating cities is a nice twist and the story clearly left open potential for more adventures for Celes and friends.

[Review] Dreaming Spies--Laurie R. King

[Originally posted Nov. 3, 2014 on NetGalley and Goodreads]

For fans of Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes this 13th book in the series will not disappoint. The central story goes back in time a bit to the months prior to Russell and Holmes arriving in San Francisco, the setting of 2005's "Locked Rooms." During those months we learn that they were aboard a ship headed for Japan. Onboard they encounter the mysterious Haruki, a young woman who readily agrees to tutor them and their shipmates in the ways of Japanese culture and language. She tells them she is from a family of well-known acrobats, but there is clearly more to her story. Once in Japan, they learn her true motives, which involve the young Prince Hirohito, who has yet to become Emperor, and a book of poems given away by mistake that holds a secret that many will kill to protect. 

In "Dreaming Spies," King continues what she does best, adding layers to the unconventional relationship between Russell and her much older husband Holmes. We learn that Russell in fact has her own home in Oxford, where she goes apparently to study and spend time alone. These revelations are part of the 20-year process by which King has transformed the character of Mary Russell from an orphaned and spunky young girl to the independent and feminist mate of one of the greatest literary detectives of all time. 

As a long-time fan of the series I was thrilled to receive this ARC from Netgalley and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Review] As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust--Alan Bradley

[Originally posted November 2014 on NetGalley and Goodreads]

In this latest installment, our Flavia has been in her own words "flung without ceremony" from her ancestral home of Buckshaw to the ominous-sounding Ms. Bodycote's Female Academy in Canada. Fortunately a decapitated corpse falls out of the chimney in her room soon after arriving and Flavia wastes no time in throwing herself into the middle of this mystery. Since the school is her deceased mother Harriet's alma mater, she also has the chance to learn more about the mysterious organization known as the Nide and how Harriet's legacy continues to guide her. Although I thought I would miss the drafty halls of Buckshaw and the eccentric De Luce household, I was pleased with this new setting and new set of characters, including Mrs. Bannerman, the chemistry teacher who was acquitted of murdering her husband with a poisoned turkey. Bradley is allowing Flavia--who as difficult as it is to believe sometimes is still only 12 years old--to spread her wings in new and different ways and for those of us who love spending time with her, that is a good thing. Bravo Mr. Bradley!

[Review] The Witch of Painted Sorrows--M.J. Rose

I first discovered M.J. Rose through her wonderful Reincarnationist series. Her new novel is another great read combining elements of the supernatural with romance and obsession. Set in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, the story centers on Sandrine, who has fled an abusive husband in New York to be with her grandmother, an elegant courtesan who she hopes will help her start her life over. When Sandrine arrives in Paris, however, she finds her grandmother’s warm and magical Maison La Lune closed up for “repairs” and her grandmother strangely unwilling to discuss her true reasons for vacating the house. Curious, Sandrine shows up there unannounced and meets Julien, the handsome architect her grandmother has hired. Though she is still married and Julien is engaged, they begin a clandestine relationship that involves a shared passion for art. But as Sandrine spends more and more time in the vacant house with her lover, she encounters the spirit of her ancestor La Lune, a witch who was betrayed by the man she loved and now seeks to possess Sandrine in the same way she has possessed other women in her family over the years. 

Although I thought it started out a bit slow, once the story picked up I could not put it down. Another winner from M.J. Rose! Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with this ARC for review.