I'm not even sure when I read some of these books--they are a mix of November, December, and January.
My first experience with McPherson was The Child Garden, which I really enjoyed and reviewed here. I was excited about this new one and snapped up the NetGalley offer (maybe in November?). I planned to schedule a review closer to the publication date, but Quiet Neighbors is available for pre-order so I'm going to go ahead knock it off my list. Jude is running from something and finds herself in the small village of Wigtown, Scotland. (Wigtown was officially designated as Scotland's National Book Town in 1998 and is now home to over 20 book-related businesses. A book lovers haven – and with over quarter of a million books to choose from, old and new … it is impossible to escape empty-handed. Source.)
That was enough to insure my interest. A book town, an absent-minded owner of a chaotic book shop, a job offer as an assistant to help organize books, a cottage in a graveyard, mysterious notes in books, a village secret.... Yep. I was all in. And I enjoyed my foray into the little Scottish town and the curious characters who live there.
NetGalley/Midnight Ink
Mystery. April 8, 2016. Print length: 360 pages.
Snyder doesn't make much concession to new readers, so it would be much better to start this series at the beginning. I had the same problem trying to puzzle out characters and past events with Shadow Study, but once involved, I couldn't put it down.
If you are interested in a new fantasy series, this might be one you can really savor by starting with Poison Study and reading the available books in order.
Night Study was a guilty pleasure--magic and mayhem and and suspense!
NetGalley/Harlequin/Mira
Fantasy. Jan. 26, 2016. Print length: 448 pages.
Creepy anonymous phone calls to the police, a morbid fascination with death, a funeral home full of suspects, a professor specializing in death rituals, plenty of detail about what happens to the body following death, more than enough about preparing a body for viewing at a funeral home. I'm glad, my husband and I have chosen cremation. (Although, I despise the term "cremains.")
Favorite parts: nods to Cold Comfort Farm, Inspector Morse, and Midsommer Murders; Gavin Murfin's character.
Overall, the book didn't work as well for me as did Black Dog and Dancing with the Virgins. Fortunately, Booth let Cooper take the lead in this one, because Fry comes off so flat and snarky. She isn't a likable character to begin with (and deliberately so), but at least in the first two books she was interesting. Booth does seem to be preparing for some changes in Fry, but she remains an annoying cipher in this book.
The first two books in this series were quite good, and I have missed books 3, 4, and 5--so I am not going to let my disappointment in this one deter me from reading more Cooper & Fry.
Harper/Collins (purchased ebook)
Mystery, police procedural. 2014. Print length: 608 pages.
brief description: A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappeared in the most sensational missing-person case in the nation’s history. Still unsolved, the mystery remains a national obsession.
Gibson Vaughn, former legendary hacker, was like an older brother to Suzanne and when approached to try to discover what really happened to Suzanne, he devotes himself to the task. But someone doesn't want the mystery unraveled and Gibson and his fellow investigators find themselves in danger.
Fast-paced and compelling, the novel kept me up late, unable to find a place to stop. This was Fitzsimmons' first novel, but there is to be another novel featuring Gibson Vaughn, and I want it!
Suspense. 2015. Print length: 398 pages.
Quiet Neighbors looks so good and I'd never heard of it, so thanks for mentioning it.
ReplyDeleteI've seen some buzz about this Snyder book and I never read any of hers yet, so I'm going to pick up Poison Study this month and start from the very beginning.
I liked The Child Garden even better. McPherson has an interesting approach, and of course, I loved that Quiet Neighbors was set in Scotland. Snyder has created an interesting world in her Study series--and several well-defined characters. I haven't read them all, just the ones I've caught thru NetGalley.
DeleteI've wondered where you got to, but I'm glad to see you pop up. I'm interested in Catriona McPherson book and think the whole 'town of books' sounds really cool. I am excited to get to see and hear McPherson later this month in Phoenix when I go to the Left Coast Crime mystery conference. She is the Toastmaster, whatever that means. My first mystery conference and I am so excited.
ReplyDeleteIt is never intentional when I drop off the map, just a gradual failure to post, then feeling to far behind to catch up. Oh, Kay, what fun to attend the mystery conference--can't wait to hear about it. I hope McPherson is an excellent Toastmaster, and I don't know what it is either.
DeleteI'm glad to see your post, Jenclair. I've been wondering about you. :-)
ReplyDeleteQuiet Neighbours and The Short Drop sound like an intriguing read. The cover of Quiet Neighbours is enough to attract my attention.
I wasn't posting on my other blog either, but I'm back in on that one as well. :)
DeleteI was most surprised by The Short Drop; I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.
I am glad to see you posting, Jenclair. I was thinking of e-mailing you to make sure you were doing okay. I am glad you enjoyed Quiet Neighbors. I am looking forward to that one. I really liked her Child Garden. The Short Drop sounds really good! I will have to add that one to my wish list. Take care, Jenclair! Don't worry to much about the need to catch up. Jump in wherever you can--whenever you can. :-)
ReplyDelete:) Thanks, Wendy! Once or twice a year, with no discernible cause, my blogs go quiet. I'm glad to be back!
DeleteGood to see your post, Jenclair! Like you, I tend to get quiet on my blog and fall so far behind, I start to wonder if I should continue. But then, I miss it too much and start catching up with my reviews. I think I'm up to July 2015. :) I doubt I'll ever quit, and I hope you don't either, but a break now and then can't be all bad, right?
ReplyDeleteFunny, isn't it--how at a certain point you miss it. No, I can't really imagine quitting, either. :)
DeleteI read a memoir about an American filmmaker who moved to Wigtown and met a bookstore owner and fell in love; it was awesome and totally made me want to go there someday. Looks like I'll be curling up with Quiet Neighbors instead. :) Glad you found a moment to post about this book.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'd like to read that memoir! And Lark, I've read and need to review Laurain's The Red Notebook which I remember you enjoyed. I iked it almost as much as The President's Hat. :)
DeleteThe memoir is Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets by Jessica Fox. (Though there are not rockets in the book.) And I'm really glad you liked The Red Notebook. :)
DeleteThanks, Lark!
DeleteTime just gets away from all of us and it is hard to keep up isn't it? I'm always behind too so I understand.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, I've taken notes here to check out some of these titles. I do have the McPherson on my Kindle so I'm excited about that one.
The Quiet Neighbor is a bit strange, but I did like it!
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