The Girls in the Garden

Title: Girls in The Garden
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: mystery/thriller
Source: Library hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws

A young mother moves into a picturesque terrace of houses in London.  In the center of the terrace is a beautiful garden that all the children have the freedom to play in, or whatever they wish to do.  It is the perfect place for secrets, whisperings, and gossip as well.  Grace is found in the garden on her birthday unconscious, which leads to many questions about the residents of this small community.




This is not the first Lisa Jewell book I have read, I've read several so far and each time I enjoy her work even more.  I am always left wanting to read more and be brought into her world deeper each time.  Lisa Jewell has the knack of delivering character driven stories that captivate and engross her readers.  She gets into the mindset of the characters and provides readers with everything they need to have an enjoyable reading experience.

Girls In The Garden is an expertly written novel filled with intrigue, suspense and keeps you guessing at every turn.  There are so many red herrings that you don't know who can be trusted and who to question.  It is a steady pace that keeps the story moving making you want to know what happens next, who's secret will be revealed next.  In the beginning of the book is a map of the garden, so readers get a good idea of where each of the homes are.

There are some things that are eluded to in this novel that might be a trigger for some readers, but Jewell presents it in a way that is tasteful and respectful.  Jewell gives readers a set of characters who are not perfect.  They are flawed in every way and I think that is one thing that makes her writing so wonderful.  It is easy to relate to the characters and picture them as yourself or even someone you know.

I loved this novel and plan on reading a lot more of Lisa's novels.  If you haven't tried her writing yet, this is a good one to begin with.

In Her Bones

Title: In Her Bones
Author: Kate Moretti
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Source: Paperback: Goodreads win
 Rating: 3 out of 5 paws.

Fifteen years ago a serial killer brutally murdered six women.  Now Lilith Wade is sitting on death row, but her murders still fascinate the public with an unauthorized biography and media frenzy.  Her daughter, Edie now thirty, is trying to survive her own life outside of the spotlight, but she finds herself obsessed with the families of the women her mother had killed.  Edie quickly finds herself in the home of one man, Paul whose wife had been murdered.  The morning after Paul is found murdered and Edie becomes the prime suspect.  Now she must elude the police while trying to find out who really killed Paul.  She goes into hiding while she conducts her research that leads are down the path of her past.  Can she figure it all out before it's too late?

 



I was lucky enough to receive this book as a Goodreads giveaway, if you haven't tried goodreads yet, you should.  It is a fantastic site.  Anyway, as I said I won this from the giveaway and I finally was able to read it over the Thanksgiving holiday.  I think I was more excited to read it and seen all great reviews for it, but I felt a little disappointed in this novel.  It was far from what I was expecting.

There were a lot of things, that while they were interesting to read they made no real sense to the story such as excerpts from the biography.  Sure it gave an idea of what had happened with the murders, and investigation etc, but it did nothing to contribute to the overall story.  Most of the book is Edie hiding and questioning people who were in Paul's life which barely takes her anywhere.  I understand the idea and use of "red herrings" in a story, but to have over half the book be one, made it uninteresting.  I will give the author credit in that I was unable to predict who the killer actually was in a weird turn of events, that gave the book a few more points.

The characters felt a little drab, I was  unable to really connect or have any feelings for Edie or the other minor characters.  I would have liked to have seen Brandt in the story more than he was, he seemed like an interesting character who was left to the back-burner a little, the same with her brother Dylan.  There was a lot of potential for depth in the characters but it didn't seem like this novel really scratched the surface of them much.

Mystery fans may like this novel, I don't think there is much thrill or suspense to entertain or interest thriller/suspense fans.  I would be willing to attempt another one of Kate Moretti's novels, but I have a feeling they may be much like this one....fall short of expectations.

Fifth to Die

Title: Fifth To Die

Author: J.D Barker

Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense

Source: Paperback, Publisher

Rating: 5 out of 5 paws

The feds have taken over the 4MK case and Porter and his team are not happy about it, but they hand it over, except Porter can't.  When a young woman is found frozen in a lake new questions arise.  How did she end up in the late when it froze a month or 2 prior to her body being placed there?  Is it 4MK, has he changed his MO? The detectives begin working every angle to try to solve this case, and Porter continues to try and find Bishop.  When he is discovered he is taken off of both cases, but that doesn't stop him.  He follows a lead that takes him into the heart of Bishop's past.  Meanwhile, back in Chicago, girls are disappearing and being murdered it doesn't seem like Bishop's work, but there is something eerily similar.  The detectives race against the clock to find out who is kidnapping these girls.

I read Fourth Monkey Killer and absolutely loved it.  I instantly fell in love with JD Barker's writing, and he's a local author so bonus points.  I would say before you read Fifth to DIe, you need to read the first book.  They reference things that are mentioned in the first book that you need to know about to understand their significance to the story.  I was so excited to get an ARC version of the book to review and couldn't be happier. 

I could not put this book down and found myself staying up til 3 am trying to finish it. There is so much going on and the cliffhanger he leaves us on OMG! Seriously!!  I cannot wait to read book three and find out what happens next and how everything relates to one another.  Barker is an expert and making his reader want more. So okay we know about Bishop aka 4MK getting away and Porter basically having to deal with people thinking he let Bishop get away. He is told to leave the case to the feds but he can't something just doesn't add up for him about one of the girls. When more girls are taken things look eerily similar, but he is convinced these new killings are not Bishop. They couldn't be right? We get a first hand look at the obsession Porter has, he simply cannot let it go and knows there is more to Bishop than meets the eye.  He doesn't share anything he knows with anyone else...why?  Why can't he even tell Nash about what he thinks he found?  I think deep down he knows there is something more to Bishop, and to himself and is afraid to admit it.  We also see Bishop's own obsession with Porter which makes one wonder, why.  Why latch on to Porter, what is his significance to Bishop? There were so many things in this book that makes it completely unique down to the use of classic poetry as a clue from Bishop to Porter. I love all the tiny clues the reader is given then once we start putting things together it's fantastic. I liked the small religious elements makes me wonder if the killer is a religious fanatic, we get an idea of why he wants the girls to "see", but then how does he know they are lying (well we know how he knew Katie was lying).  I love the idea/feel that there is a connection somehow to everyone involved in the story, one way or another and most of those we don't find out yet. Can we say frustrating JD! But then again this makes me anxious and CRAVE the next book like I crave chocolate cake.  JD Barker takes his readers on a thrilling ride through multiple character views to give readers the full story instead of just bits and pieces. I like his use of the diary to help give a further backstory to Bishop, almost like flashbacks without really having to do a flashback. I am very interested to see where the story will continue to go.  Barker is a master story teller than drags his readers into the depths of his stories.  You will lose time, you will forget everything around you and wonder what will happen next.  You will be on the edge of your seat waiting.



 

 

The Book of Speculation

Title:  The Book of Speculation
Author: Erika Swyler
Genre: Mystery, Family History
Source: Library Ebook
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws

Simon is a library with a love and appreciation for books. His parents have both passed on, his sister is off traveling the land in a circus, his home is slowly crumbling into the ocean, and he just lost his job due to budget cuts.  Out of nowhere Simon receives a book in the mail from a book seller.  The man who sent it to him, believed it would be of interest to his family history.  The book is a circus diary of sorts, a book written by the circus owner chronicling important events and dates.  Simon begins to notice a pattern.  On the same date, women who perform as mermaids or swimmers die, by drowning.  The same way his mother died, and all the women seem to be tied to his family.  He begins to worry about the safety of his sister as she comes to visit and the date slowly draws closer.  But the more Simon reads, the more he discovers about not only his family's past but also that of his neighbor.  Can Simon stop fate before it's too late?

I have sort of been drawn into circus books or books that relate to a circus, so when I saw this book at the library (or rather on the library list), I decided to give it a shot.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it, but also a little disappointed that more was not done with a certain aspect of the book.  But don't let me get ahead of myself.  The book overall was an interesting one to read.  I liked all the characters.  They each had their own interesting quirk and element to add to the story.  They all helped drive the story forward even if it is in a small way such as that of the book seller.

Simon, I found Simon to be an interesting character in that he got so wrapped up in the family history he didn't see anything else around him.  He began to alienate and hurt the people around them despite him thinking he was helping or protecting them.  He was a warm, lovable character but had so many faults to him, but that is what made me love him even more.  I loved how protective he got when Enola comes with a boyfriend, one covered in tentacle tattoos and can apparently create electricity. Throughout the book, the readers see many different sides to Simon that makes him a well rounded likable character.  Honestly I wanted more of Enola and her boyfriend in the book (I forget his name right now).  They floated around in the background and every so often would pop back up almost like a "hey remember me" kind of thing.  I wanted more of Enola's tarot reading skills and them correlating with the book aside from her tearing some out or hiding them when Simon came into the room.  Maybe a scene without Simon, where Enola is reading the cards and mutters "it's happening again" or something like that.  Something to tie her into the story a little more.

 enjoyed how the book went between the two story-lines but did it in a way that it was easy to follow.  The reader found out more information as Simon found it out, so it was exciting to read.  It left me excited to find out what would happen next and what happened to the circus characters as well as how they all related to Simon. I loved the incorporation of people drawn to water and knowing various techniques to holding their breath underwater for long periods of time.  As a kid I remember trying to see how long I could do that, and had contests with my brother.  How I longed to be a mermaid or Skelkie.  I got really excited when the legend of skelkies were alluded to, I was hoping this would be played up more, but it wasn't.  They are one of my favorite creatures of lore.

There is a lot of descriptions in this book that some may feel takes away from the story, but at times it adds to the story.  I say this because it helps build the picture.  It helps create the world that the author intends the reader to see.  She wants us to see her vision and goes the extra mile to do so.  The pacing is a little slow in the beginning but it does pick up after a while.  There were some things that were never really explained such as how Amos was able to appear like he disappeared (made me think of that part in Avengers Infinity War when Drax thinks he's moving so slow he's invisible).  Or why the women of the family mysteriously drowned when they could hold their breaths or were strong swimmers.  While I did enjoy reading the book and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, being left with a lot of unanswered questions left me feeling unsatisfied.

Dead Fish

Title: Dead Fish
Author: Ruth Carrington
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Source; Ebook via Netgalley
Rating: 2 out of 5 paws




Upon arriving home, Geoffrey Quinn is immediately arrested on the murder of his wife and children  His wife was found burned in the boiler, the children remain missing.  Alison Hope is a young defender assigned to the case, she is skeptical about his innocence as the evidence is compelling.  As she continues to investigate the crime, she discovers a darker world within the wealthy in the community.  Time is running out fast and Alison must unravel the mystery before it is too late and Quinn is convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

I had such high hopes for this novel, and sadly was disappointed.  Not only does the story come off as cliché, it isn't compelling enough to keep me engaged.  I found it difficult to finish the novel and almost didn't on several occasions.  There are some interesting ideas throughout the novel, but they were not portrayed in a good manner.


The flow of the story was rather choppy, it would be fast paced and exciting one minute then sluggish and slow the next.  I struggled to stay interested in the characters as they seem too ordinary, there was nothing that made me relate to them or feel any emotion towards them.  I think if Carrington went back through and added more depth to the characters this would be a different story.  It honestly does start off well, but then slowly drops off and declines.  There was a lot of different vices used throughout such as alcohol, drugs, sex etc, I understand that was the point, but it came to feel like it was a bit too much, too difficult to keep track and interested.  There were WAAY to many red herrings, and I began to wonder when we were going to get to the point of the tale.


Overall it was an interesting idea, granted one done before but I had hoped Carrington would do it differently, add a unique twist to it that made me go "WOW" unfortunately that did not happen.  While I think there are people who would enjoy this novel and would recommend other readers to give it a shot and see it fairs with them.  It just was not my cup of tea.




** I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review**

Beautiful Storm

Alicia has always been drawn to the beauty of lightening, more so after the mysterious death of her father.  During a storm one night Alicia witnesses a fight in between the flashes of lightening.  When she gets to the scene, she finds military tags with the name Liliana Valdez on it.  After some research, she discovered this woman has been missing for two months, and takes the tags to the police.  This is a piece to a the puzzle that allows the police to begin further investigations, but Alicia decides to try and see what she can find.  She meets Michael along the way, a man who is the prime suspect in the investigation simply because he spoke to the Liliana. They work together to piece together the puzzle of Liliana's disappearance, a quest that takes them half-way across the country and into something far dangerous and sinister.  Their search begins to spark more disappearances and murders, will Alicia and Michael find out the truth before it's too late?

This is another book I came across on BookBub (if you are an avid reader and don't use this, you should).  The story is very suspenseful and you don't know what is going to happen next.  You try to figure out who took Liliana, but when the truth is revealed you will be taken away.  I definitely was.  There was a little bit of romantic tension between the two, but it doesn't take over the story.  Freethy does a fantastic job including this into the foreground of the story, but maintains the true mystery of a missing woman.  I actually don't like when it feels like authors are pushing characters together just for the same of a romantic sub story, Freethy doesn't do this.  She develops a friendship with romantic tension mixed in. 

The characters had depth to them, both Alicia and Michael had their own demons to tame while performing their search.  I think this gave them the feel of being...well human.  I loved the idea of lightening having paranormal attributes, and almost wanted something more from this, something more to tie it into the story other than an explanation as to why Alicia and her father were obsessed with this act of nature.  It is not a "typical" mystery with blood, gore or anything like that.  It is relatively clean, it does have a few sex scenes.  Nothing too "steamy" but sex scenes nonetheless.

Overall this was a good enough book to read, I wouldn't say it was phenomenal or out of this world.  But it is one of those books that will draw you in and keep you interested until the very end.  I do recommend other mystery lovers to pick up a copy.  Also if you normally aren't a fan of mystery, I would say give this book a chance, you might be surprised.  I give this a 4 out of 5 star rating. 

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

Jim Qwilleran has his string of bad luck since leaving his job with a big city paper, not he has taken a position with the Daily Fluxion, and small town paper, doing a column he has no knowledge on...the art column.  Many of the artists in the town are hopeful that this means the replacement of the ever too critical art critic, many try to convince Qwill of how horrible of a man the art critic is while he attends art functions and does human interest articles on local artists.  Qwill decides to met this critic and ends up living in the same house on a lower level.  While the critic is away, Qwill takes care of his Siamese cat whom Qwill nick-named Koko.  This cat has extra ordinary talents of being able to read backwards and know when something is amiss.  Soon artists and others in the art community become victims of murder.  Qwill's old investigative journalist talents kick in and he begins o try and solve this murder, with the help of Koko of course.  The question is will Qwill be able to find the correct murderer and save the reputation of many artists as well as the critic? Or will he soon become the murderer's next target?

This is a series of books that I read when I was younger and starting to really get into mysteries and longer chapter books aside from the typical baby sitters club (that's like a rite of passage for little girls).  I loved that a cat helped solve mysteries by leading Qwill to different clues and seem to pick up on subtle things the humans in the books don't pick up one.  The cat in this book, Koko reminds me of my friend's cat Artemis (pictured on the left) with his perchance of running around the room, wanting specific food and making his discontent known.  Braun gives the cat as much personality as she does her human characters, which is something you don't see in many books with animal.  Normally the animal is just that an animal whereas in these books, Koko is another personality rather than a prop so to speak. 

I love this series even 20 some years after beginning to read the series and returning to it time and time again.  This is the perfect novel to begin with since I believe it is the beginning of the series as it introduces Qwill and Koko and how they became a dynamic duo. The writing isn't too complex and easy to understand which is one reason why it was great for a youngster as I once was.  There also isn't blood, gore, or sex in it.  Sure Swill has attractions to ladies and flirts a little, but it's all innocent and clean, another reason why it is a great starter series for young readers (and a nice break from stuff included in some books today). This is a short, cozy mystery that is easy to read within a day.  Perfect for a rainy afternoon curled up with your favorite feline. 

I do recommend this book as well as the series to any young reader who wants to grow in their reading library.  I also would recommend this to anyone who loves a cozy mystery, easy to read book or who feels a little nostalgic.  I give the book a 4 out of 5 for a rating, it needed more Koko!

Tale of Two Kitties

Owen and Hercules are two special kitties, they have a keen scene of intuition and seem to have super powers.  Kathleen has learn to trust their instincts when something feels amiss.  When Owen leads her to the door of Leo Janes father, she discovers a murder.  The town of Mayville whisper about the rivalry and scandal between the Janes brothers as well as their arrival in town at the same time.  While it seems the brothers are trying to reconcile, Leo's death may prove otherwise.  While police sights are on Simon, Leo's son, Kathleen knows something is missing and there is more to the story than everyone knows.

** I received a copy of this book from Netgally in exchange for an honest review**

My love for reading started at a young age with cozy mysteries like the Cat Who series, and lately I have been getting back into the habit of reading them.  This book is adorably cozy and reflects everything I loved when I was young reader.  Owen and Hercules remind me so much of my own literary cats Falcor and Orion (sometimes I think Orion has super powers to magically appear).  One thing I love about this book is while there is romance in the novel, there is no sexual content other than a kiss here and there, we see couples being just that couples sharing daily life together.  It was a nice refreshing change.  Perfect book for young readers.

The book does start out a little slow and has ALOT of description throughout, sometimes it felt a little overwhelming, but it does not take away from the book.  Sofie does a great job writing the story and making it interesting and have the readers get involved with not just the main characters but the whole town.  It starts off with a dead body and I had to chuckle as I realized what was being described.  What cat owner hasn't stepped on a freshly chewed cat toy?

This may be the 9th book in the series, but it really is a stand alone novel, you don't need to read the other books in the series to understand the characters or what is going on.  Sofie's writing is clear, concise.  Readers will not be confused when reading this book and may try to figure out the mystery themselves.  I highly enjoyed reading this novel and recommend it for anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery.  4 out of 5 stars.

The Cat Who Saw Red

Hello internet literature type people.  This is Harley today, the human is sound asleep so I decided to help her out with this book.  The Cat Who Saw Red a book about not one but TWO crime fighting cats how awesome is that!  I wish I could solve crimes...anywho.  Koko and Yumyum are Siamese kitties who move into a new home with their human., Qwill who writes for a newspaper (I don't know what that is, I think it's something to play with).  Some people in the house are weird but this nice lady, Joy goes missing so does the young kid that plays with the kitties.  Qwill tries to figure out who did it, he thinks he knows but can't just accuse people.  So Koko helps Qwill out and shows him some interesting stuff to help is investigation until he discovers something very important about the color red and the pottery Joy's husband puts on display at a showing.


This is some interesting stuff.  I see why the human is always reading.  She said she used to read these as a kid (like 10 I fink she said), and wanted to fall in love with Koko and Yumyum all over again.  Why would she need two more cats to love she has me, and my brodders.  Anyway this was an easy book for youngster like me to read.  It was perfect because it wasn't scary or had bloody scenes in it like some of the other stuff she reads.  It is great to begin someone on reading and mysteries.


This is a series that could easily be a classic book for people to read, a great transition from chap books to longer chapter books.  This series is known as cozy mystery and it definitely lives up to that.  What I love about this book is that it could be read within a few hours on a lazy weekend afternoon and a cup of coffee.  If you are looking for something suspenseful, this is not it.  It is very easy-going, but that doesn't mean it is slow.  I love how Koko does little things like typing letters on a typewriter or knocking books of the shelf to help Qwill think of things.  I also love when readers get to see them be cats like being afraid of a bearskin rug or dragging yarn across the apartment (I love playing with the human's yarn but she gets mad when I do).


Such a fun book and it brought back a lot of childhood memories.  I highly recommend this series for anyone who has fledgling readers and seasoned readers a like.  It is a great book to just relax to and clear your mind.  I give it a 5 out of 5 and look forward to rekindling a love for the Cat Who Series.

After the Bloom

In the mid-1980's Lily goes missing, something she has done before, but never for long periods of time.  Her daughter knows her mother wanders off and suffers from dissociation and memory lapses.  The police reluctantly take the case and Rita feels they are not taking things seriously, so she takes matters into her own hands and begins her own investigation. Rita quickly discovers various family secrets including her family's  internment at a camp in the California desert during the Second World War, and the father she has never known.  Through her search Rita learns more about her family, her mother, and herself than she imagined. 




** I will start this review off by saying I received this book for net galley for an honest review. If you review books and haven't signed up for Netgalley, then you are missing out on some great opportunities.**




I have gotten more and more into books like this and I am loving the things that I am learning and they way it is changing my views as a reader and woman.  There are aspect of our history that we don't know about because we don't do much research anymore.  In this novel a woman begins a search for her  mother and gains so much more understanding of her mom, family, and begins to understand herself in the process.  I love how these books make me look at myself, even sometimes look at my mom and wonder what are some things she experienced that I don't know about, how has her life shaped her into the woman she is.


This is a book that touches your hear and makes you long for something more.  It does have suspenseful moments, but not in the edge of your seat kind of suspense, but the anticipation that builds and grows until you cannot hold it in any longer. It is very well written and easy to get lost within.  While this isn't my normal genre I go to, I did enjoy reading Leslie Shimotakahara's novel.  I will be looking for more from her and give this a 5 out of 5.

Suspended

Suspended tells the tale of the Vagabond Circus, a place where dream travelers could be safe and be able to utilize their powers without fear of what the outside world would think.  Things begin to change when a stranger joins the ranks and Dave changes the story of the circus to accommodate a new act.  There is someone else creeping around the circus, attempting to take the life of the circus's ringmaster Dr. Dave. .  Dr. Dave has two rules for the circus, only two, 1. Respect one another, 2. No relationships.   Finley keeps himself a mystery which causes the others in the circus including his partner to have a hard time respecting rule number 1, and question his motives  and why Dr. Dave allowed him to join the circus.  Secrets become revealed and members of the circus begin to risk their lives to save the only home that they know.




I  have really been in a circus theme lately (and am finding it hard to find more books with this theme).  I was pleased with this book because I was not sure what to expect from it.  I picked it up as part of a kindle daily deal and fell in love with it, I need more both from this series as well as Sarah Noffke.  The cover is beautifully done and draws the reader into finding out more about the novel. The book starts off a little slow, but still pulls you in with someone lurking in the shadows.  The book does end with a cliffhanger which left me almost screaming at the kindle screen. 


I liked the dream traveler aspect of the story and wished this was utilized more, but I hope that it is in future novels.  The characters themselves were interesting.  I had a love/hate relationship with Findley, I wanted to like him so much but he was so mysterious even with his partner, Zuma whom I absolutely loved but could tell there is something more to her character that we haven't been introduced to yet.  I am interested to see where Noffke takes Zuma's character.  The phrases within this novel are what dreams are made of really, they are beautifully written and gives readers an insight to what's to come for example:


"Finley was a tornado, changing every second, beautiful and dangerous and unpredictable.  But Zuma loved storms.  Always had."


Does this tells us more about their relationship than we know?  I get goosebumps re-reading lines I wrote down.  It didn't seem like there was a dull moment, everything in the story lead up the suspenseful ending and revelations throughout the novel.  Somethings can be predictable while other things are not like you know someone is out to get the circus but you don't know who (or what).


My hats off to Sarah for writing an excellent novel and leaving her audience craving more from her.  I highly suggest this book to anyone who loves a good novel regardless of their normal genre.  For a rating I would give this a 4 out 5 because I think more of the dream travel scenes could have been used such as during practice.  Otherwise fantastic.

Secret Keeper

As a young woman, Laurel witnesses a shocking crime, even more shocking is that it is her mother who commits it.  She keeps what she seen to herself and escapes her home and becomes a well-known actress.  During a birthday party for her mother, Laurel begins investigating her mother's  past and soon discovers a dark secret her mother kept all these years. The story shifts to Dorothy's life as she lives through World War II as she meets Vivian and James by chance.  Their stories become one, and intertwine with Laurel's until the secret is revealed, one that would change how Laurel views her mother.

I had read another novel by Kate Morton The Forgotten Garden and i fell in love with it, but this one I had a hard time getting into.  It took me a little longer to read this one because i kept putting it down every so often after getting bored.  The concept I found to be interesting, but for some reason I couldn't get into it.  Morton has a beautiful way of writing and masterfully crafts her words into an exquisite story, this is way I fell in love with The Forgotten Garden.  This book had a different quality of mystery to it.  It was another story about heritage and learning who one is, but I think Morton might have taken too long to reveal the truth behind who Dorothy's past.

The order that everything happens is interesting as is that the story keeps switching from Dorothy to Laurel.  It gives us more insight into Laurel as she discovers more about her mother or rather tries to figure out her mother's past.  It is hard for the reader to be able to pinpoint how this story will end, and that might be one of the things that redeemed this book for me.  I know there are people who have enjoyed Morton's work and love this book, but i admit that it did not engage me as much as other books have done nor as much as Forgotten Garden did.

Will I recommend this novel to others? Yes, because I know there are people who would enjoy reading it.  As for a rating, I give it a 3.5 out of 5.  Pick it up and see what you think about it.

Prayers For The Dead

Hidden deep within underground caves, caves that should have been closed off, archeology students find a dead body.  Detective McLean begins his investigation only to realize it is the body of a missing journalist.  The murder appears to be a part of a ritual, but of what kind.  McLean has the uncanny feeling that there is something more hidden within this murder than what it appears to be.  As he follows his instincts and with the help of a remarkable and unlikely allies, the detective begins to track down this killer.  One who believes he answers to a higher power, one who believes he is doing good rather than evil.




This is a book that I had the honor of receiving from the publisher through NetGallery (if you haven't checked out NetGallery do so it's pretty great).




The story starts out very strong with the murder which readers see happen when they read the prologue.  Then the strength of the novel continues until the end.  There are moments when it feels like the story wavers a little bit and has elements that feel like they don't make sense to the story, but that doesn't take away from the story itself.  The story itself is an easy read, there isn't much that goes deeper than what the author is telling us which is a good thing.  Oswald takes time to get readers familiar with his characters especially if they hadn't read one of the previous novels before.  I like that I was able to pick up this book and read it without prior knowledge of these characters.


The characters are strong and interesting, it is easy to relate to them and hope things work out the way you want them to as the reader (some stories it doesn't which makes for a great novel).  There is a nice blend of both science and paranormal throughout this book that really keeps you guessing and entertained. Some things were a little humorous that you don't see in other mystery books such as the use of poop as evidence, but it makes you wonder how often everyday cops have to analyze poop in order to solve a crime?  Gross right, but funny nonetheless.


I simply loved reading this book and hope to go back and read the previous novels and eagerly anticipate the next one.  I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good book to read regardless of genre preference.  I would give this a rating of 4 out of 5 simply because there were moments when it seemed like the story lulled.

Where The Lost Girls Go

Laura is a rookie cop trying to show she is capable of doing her job despite her small stature and meek manner.  She obtains her first investigation when a car crashes into a tree and goes up in flames.  Clues point to a homicide, possibly involving the daughter of a famous local author.  As Laura digs for clues and interviews the family she is convinced she knows who the killer is.  But then the identity of the Jane Doe is revealed to be a missing girl, the investigation takes a different path.  How did the missing girl find her way into the Jameson estate and eventually one of their cars?  How did she meet her end and why?  Admist this investigation is another bigger one into the corruption of the police force and how deep does it go.  Why are some officers given special duty, while others are hung out to dry?  Get ready for an action packed novel that will keep you guessing until the very end.


I had the honor of receiving this book from the publisher/author via NetGallery.  I could not have been more excited for the opportunity to read this book.


It starts out with excitement with the fiery car accident and the mysterious driver, but as the story goes on it deeper into a homicide and keeps you guessing at what will happen next.  There seemed to be a lot of premature theories and jumping to conclusions, but I guess that would come from the main character being new to the force, just off her training.  There was another sub-plot about corruption in the force that I think was unnecessary, the story stood well on its own without that added tidbit.  It almost feels a little too overdone - corruption in the force, but the main character and a few secondary ones are working to expose it as they are the only good ones.  I hope there is a bigger story that come from that, but at this point it is still a mystery why that was included. 




There are still a few questions within this story as I got to the end that leaves the book feeling almost unfinished. The moments of Laura expressing feelings for her neighbor felt more like fluff than anything else especially after he "sort of is seeing someone,"  that left me with a let down as there was a build up of possibly them getting together or a huge surprise twist him being the mastermind behind it all, but no.  Again something else that could have been left completely out of the story and it would not have made much of a difference.  I highly enjoyed the story and liked the added touch of "squatters" in the woods that was something different added to the story. 


It was a mixture of predictable and unpredictable, if that makes any sense.  There were parts I was able to figure out while others were a complete surprise.  It held my attention throughout the story, I couldn't wait to find out who was the mastermind behind the murders.  There were a few things that I was surprised wasn't revealed earlier such as the gravesite, I think having someone find it earlier and finding the girls already in it would have added to the story and suspense of who was killing these girls.  I could almost see this plot reflected in a crime drama or movie.


I would highly recommend this book to mystery lovers of all sorts, as well as general fiction, suspense fans.  I think there is a little of something everyone can enjoy in this book.  I give this a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Heart of Evil

I have read a few of Heather Graham's novels in the past and have enjoyed a great deal of her books.  When I picked up this novel, I had such high hopes for it, but those hopes feel real short.  The story focuses on Ashley Donegal, who's family plantation is known for dining, atmosphere and legends.  They play host to re-enactments from the Civil War.  After one of these enactments a corpse shows up in the same situation.  She turns to a team of paranormal investigators which includes a previous love interest.  As the continue to investigate they find secrets buried deep within the plantation.  Will they be able to unravel these mysterious secrets. 

I found that this book seemed to fall short of the other books that I have read by Heather.  In this book the ghosts interact with the characters which is something that I have seen in the other books, but in this one it seemed everyone could see the ghosts not just a select few which seemed to take away from the feel of the book.  There are to many of them and the are too prominent in this book.  It is better when there is only one or two ghosts in the book but not a whole bunch.  It almost felt like being spoon fed everything rather than learning and developing as the story developed.  I almost didn't finish the book I felt so cheated. 

I have a huge fan of Heather Graham and have enjoyed many of her books in the past, I am dumbfounded at how much I disliked this book.  The writing almost did not feel like it was Heather writing it.  It felt completely different from the other book which had so much mystery and thrills in it where this one was almost predictable.  The romance in the book was incredibly cheesy and unrealistic.  The novel completely drags on and feels like it goes no where,  it so relentlessly slow that it took me months to read it rather than the day it normally takes me to read a novel.  I kept walking away from it, not feeling compelled to read it.  I kept with it because I had hoped it would get better, but it didn't.

While I would recommend Heather Graham's novels to other mystery lovers and those who like a paranormal aspect to their stories, I don't think I would recommend this one.  Sadly I give this novel a 1.5 out of 5.  This was far from one of Heather's better novels, and I do know they get better because I've read other books in the series.

Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham

David Bennet's fiance was brutually murdered and positioned to resemble a thousand year old murder.  After the murder case was closed, David leaves town trying to leave all the rumors behind.  Katie O'Hara hopes to reopen the Bennet family museum after the death of the patriarch.  But there is a wrench in her plans, David Bennet who returns home to settle his grandfather's estates.  But he is not the only person with his sites on Katie.  Someone else is following Katie, and killing throughout the city.  While Katie takes on the cold case on her own, she has help from a spiritual friend only she may see.  All of these things mixed together make for a great story.

I have recently discovered Heather Graham's writing.  This book was the second of her's that I have read and I highly enjoyed it.  I like the idea of a ghost helping someone find a killer or try to protect the person who see him.  In this book Bartholomew, was highly concerned about Katie's safety, not just her physical safety but the safety of her heart.  He warned her against falling for David for various reasons, almost like a big brother would.  Bartholomew quickly became one of my favorite characters in the book for this reason and because he was a prankster and one who enjoys having fun.

Overall the story was interesting and I enjoyed the historical aspect included into the story, but there were some points that didn't seem to flow right or seemed to drag on rather than keep pace with the rest of the novel.  Katie and David's characters were well developed, and somewhat complex, but all the other characters fell into the background.  Some characters are introduced in the very end that would have made sense to introduce earlier on including the killer.  We didn't see much of the killer character in the book aside from when the story told from his viewpoint (when readers didn't know who it was).  If there was a little more interaction happened with the killer and Katie/David the ending may have made a little bit more sense. 

Graham does a good job setting up the story and building suspense throughout it, but some points seemed to have fallen short of expectation. It almost felt like there was more that Graham could have done with the story.  But even with dull moments the book still held my attention and pulled me into the story line.  I would recommend this novel to mystery fans who don't want something gory and over the top.  There is some romance, but I don't think there is enough for the novel to be considered a romance novel.  I would give this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5.  I have three more Heather Graham novels on my to read list (I am sure I will end up buying more) and I cannot wait to begin one of them.

In A Dark Dark Wood By Ruth Ware

In A Dark Dark Wood is a mystery thriller story that takes place in you guessed it some woods.  Nora gets an invitation to the bachelorette (hen) party for a woman she hasn't spoken with in 10 years or so.  When she arrives she meets with a mixmatch group of people.  The maid of honor has a creepy "Single White Female" vibe going and Nora notices small things that concern her throughout the novel.  The first night there, Nora finds out Clara is marrying her former boyfriend, one Nora is still in love with.  In a crazy series of events, the party ends with murder and Nora is considered a suspect.  How will she be able to prove her innocence when she is in a hospital room and cannot remember any of the events leading up and including the murder?  Will she be able to remember what happened and convinced the authorities she had nothing to be with the murder?



Ruth Ware creates a story that simply clings to the minds of her readers.  She builds the tensions and suspense throughout the novel that readers can hardly contain themselves as they anticipate what will happen next.  She builds a lot of back-story making readers think they know what will happen or who the killer really is, but then Ware throws in a twist that no one expects.  She develops the characters in a way that makes them come off in a certain light, but then reveals them as something completely different.  Through this she shows that things are a matter of perspective, how we perceive people and things. 

This was another book that I finished within the day/night, simply could not put it down.  When I finally finished it, it was about 2 in the morning.  Crazy I know, but this book is that good.  I could see this being made into a really great movie that has people on the edge of their seats.  I admit I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, and I was blown away.  The cover of the book suggests something eerie and dark, but the tone and atmosphere of the novel are anything but eerie.  The setting of the novel, a cabin isolated in the woods amplifies the story as there is limited cell phone service, limited lighting, landline phone is shortly cut down, and so much more adds to the mysterious tension of the novel . 

 In A Dark Dark Wood is an exciting debut novel for Ruth Ware, and I cannot wait for more books from her in the future.  She has compelling, deep characters with loads of reliability, the plot is so captivating it has readers on the edge of their seats. I found the novel highly entertaining, even if some things seemed a little out there like the issue over tea and how Flo was acting.  But overall I will give this novel a 4 out of 5 rating.

The Curse of Crow Hollow

Title: Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey
Media Source: Nook
Rating: 4 out of 5

Recommendation:  I would recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a mystery, thriller or supernatural stories.

"People think they are free in life.  Maybe they are for a while.  But sooner or later all the choices you make narrow down to a single end, and that's the only end you can meet."

 A group of teenagers decide to have a small party in the mines that are closed off, considering how dangerous they are as well as the stories about a witch living among the woods.  The teens discover a set of footprints seared into the ground.  They decide to follow these tracks which lead to Alvaretta Grave's cabin, the fabled witch.  The witch curses the girls that occurs the very next day.  It slowly begins to effect not only Cordelia, Scarlett and Naomi, but takes hold of every teenage girl in the town.  The town becomes a frenzy as fear strikes the hearts of every resident.  Neighbors turn on neighbor, family on family.  Every small town has a secret and Crow Holler is no different, but could that secret be what is causing the ailments of the town's daughters?

This novel was one of those books that really told a story.  It was as if I was sitting beside the narrator listening to the story of someone who witnessed all the events.  I loved the theory Hays came up about the curse being the girls' worst fears, that added a new level to the story.  I would have liked to see other theories from people in the town.  The story revolved around the town trying to figure out how to stop the curse and who's fault it was and how to erase the sins that caused the curse.  There is little back story to Alvaretta, which I would have liked a little more.  To know why she was considered a witch other than the fact that she lives alone up in the woods.

The other characters were well developed.  I especially enjoyed John David and Bucky.  Bucky starts out as a weak, fearful character, but by the end he becomes probably the strongest character.  John David contains an air of mystery about him, something unknown and eerie, almost making you think he is working with the witch.  Out of the three girls originally cursed, I say I enjoyed Scarlett the most.  While she felt invisible and not worthy, she was the strongest of the three.  She acted when others didn't, she began to stand up for herself to others even to the point of pushing past her curse. She made herself be seen, therefore in my eyes started to break through her curse.  Angela was probably my least favorite.  Even through the curses and trials of the town, all she cared about was herself.  I almost wasnted a curse to hit her. I could sit here forever talking about what I liked or disliked about a character, but I won't do that.  I'll let you find characters you enjoyed the most, and tell me about it.

Overall, the novel was well written and interesting.  It held my attention throughout the story.  There were elements that I wish were used more such as The Circle and even Alvaretta herself.  Again, it was a well rounded book with a lot of information building up the suspense until you find out what Alvaretta is hiding and who has been aiding her.  When I read the part of who helped her I honestly uttered "no way," the same with what was hidden within her cabin.  Check it out, it is worth the read.

**Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program.  **

One Little Lie

Title: One Little Lie by Steven Tyler

Media Source: Paperback

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

 

Recommendations:  I would recommend this novel for those who like light mystery.  This isn't a murder mystery or one where people get threatened if they keep looking for something.  It is light hearted good novel.

 

One Little Lie is a mystery novel featuring Luna Susan George.  What a name!  Luna is working for her brother's private investigating firm when he goes on his honeymoon.  During that time a woman comes in asking for a pet detective. This is where the one little lie begins and becomes more lies after another.  Luna states she will take the case and begins to search for a rare cat worth roughly $2,000, what she finds is there is more going on in this household than the matriarch believes.  Someone is stealing the artwork.  Luna (who goes by Susan) spends the rest of the book trying to solve the mystery of the fake artwork almost forgetting about the cat.

 

 I admit I was not sure what to expect with this one once "pet detective" was mentioned, but it was a surprisingly good novel.  There was a lot of information on the art work mentioned showing the author did his homework on these pieces which is important when writing about such things.  He created an interesting character in Luna Susan.  While she seemed to be easily distracted she tried to remain on point.  How many of us have a hard time accomplishing that?  She struggles with keeping track of the little lies and manages to figure out both mysteries before time runs out.  Tyler wraps everything up nicely at the end and doesn't leave readers wondering what happened.

 

One Little Lie is a light airy mystery novel, almost reminiscent of The Cat Who novels I read when I was younger.  There isn't a mysterious murder or threats being made, but a genuine mystery of missing art work and a missing cat.  I did enjoy all the film noir mentions, it was a nice touch, almost as if Susan (or Luna) wished to be in one.  The novel isn't over the top or paced slowly.  Everything progressed naturally.  Steven did a good job with it and I am honored he allowed me to read and review his book.  If you enjoy mystery novels that don't rely on murder or threats being made, check out this novel.  It is was a pleasant read for a Saturday afternoon.

 

** Disclosure:  My Tyler provided me with a copy of the book for an honest review.  **

Initiated to Kill

Title: Initiated to Kill by Sharlene Almond
Media Source: Ebook

Rating: 3 out of 5

Recommendation: I would recommend this novel to someone who enjoys a good mystery novel.

Initiated to Kill is a historical fiction which takes place in two different time periods following two different men.  One who causes trouble in Whitechapel district of London in the 19th century.  The other reeking havoc in Seville, Spain in the 21st century.  The latter is trying to get into the mind and motive behind the actions of one of history's most noted serial killer:  Jack The Ripper.

Young women are turning up missing, the only connection between them are their fondness for the party lifestyle and the habit of leaving with men they just met.  Not many think much of their disappearances as they have done this before.  Detectives Rivera and Valero are investigating these disappearances and have numerous suspects in mind.  When two hearts are mysteriously delivered to the police department, things begin to get messy.  The detectives now must race against time to discover who the killer is and how to stop him.

This novel jumps a little bit between different flashback so to speak.    The flashbacks are with different characters of the story, and sometimes it is hard to figure out who the past memories are for. Then there are Jack The Ripper chapters describing his murders and aspects of it.  Even well into the book (at least halfway through) the reader still doesn't know the purpose behind the Jack the Ripper references, they don't seem to fit with the storyline.  It isn't until the 77th chapter that a connection is made, and the connection doesn't make sense.  AS the detectives are talking with the medical examiner, he mentions seeing a case such as their a few years back.  When asked which case he says Jack The Ripper, now unless the ME was a live in the 1880's which is highly unlikely, he would not have seen or worked the case.  It would be different if it was stated that he STUDIED a case like theirs.  That creates a huge flaw already. 

As the story progresses the Jack the Ripper references aren't even needed.  They aren't used as much as I had suspected them to be.  I expected a lot of similarities not just a copy cat or relating the two killers to the Freemasons.  The story stands on it's own without Jack the Ripper being involved in the story at all. That aspect of the story was a little disappointing.  The idea of Freemason involvement was a little different and added a certain quality to the novel.  We tend to see the masons as trying to hide things, being secretive not so much killing and preforming rituals within the killings.  That element of the story helped elevate the disappointment in the Jack the Ripper aspect.

The main story was very interesting and well written.  The flashback of the different characters are not needed especially when it is hard to tell which character the flashback is for.  I found myself wanting to read the main story more than the flashbacks, and actually wanting to skip over them (which I didn't).  Would I suggest this book?  Yes.  I would recommend it to others with the disclaimer that  there are things that don't make sense.

**I was provided a copy of this book for an honest review**