Crime and Science Fiction

Thieves on the Fens by Joy Ellis.

Someone is targeting thieves and calling DI Nikki Galena giving details that might help her prevent a murder.  Not that Mad Tom always plays the rules; he certainly cheats on the first play in his game.  Nikki and her team scramble to interpret the messages and protect the intended victims.

In the meantime, a dear friend of Nikki's mother Eve dies of a sudden heart attack.  Eve, who has a background with the RAF and the MOD is devastated, but also uneasy.  This is the second death among a circle of close friends, and Eve fears an unseen and powerful hand at work.  

If Eve is right, both she and her remaining friends are in danger.  And Eve is right--but the reason the women have been targeted is the question.  What did Ann and Jenny know that led to their deaths?  

Joy Ellis' Nikki Galena/Joseph Easter books are always a pleasure, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of genuinely knowing the characters she has created.  The Lincolnshire Fens add a sense of remoteness to many of the locations and frequently add to the suspense.

 Joy Ellis is one of my favorite authors of crime/detective fiction, and I highly recommend the series--but start at the beginning and enjoy the way the characters develop.

(Her DI Jackman/DS Evans series is equally good.)

NetGalley/Joffe Books

Detective/Crime.  Nov. 28, 2017.  Print length:  309 pages.

The Silent Children by Carol Wyer is the fourth in a series featuring DI Robyn Carter.  I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, but The Silent Children functions perfectly well as a stand-alone, even though there is an arc carried over from previous books.

Another book interspersed with sections on a back story, The Silent Children keeps the narrative bouncing between past and present.  

Overall, I wasn't that impressed with this one, but Wyer has a number of fans who really loved the book.  I never wanted to abandon it, but when I finished, the only character who truly engaged me was Robyn's cousin Ross, and he had a minimal role.

NetGalley/Bookoutre

Mystery/Crime.  Dec. 7, 2017.  Print length: 426 pages.

Evan Currie's Odysseus Awakening is the latest installment of this series featuring Confederation captain Eric Weston and the crew of the starship Odysseus.

I like science fiction and space operas and have enjoyed all the books in this series.  Lots of action and suspense, but since some of the intelligence concerning the starships falls into enemy hands, another book will have to detail just how much information the enemy gained.  Does it include the location of earth?

This is not my favorite in the series, but things in the Black are not over yet, and I'm eager to know what happens next.

This isn't a series that works well without having started with the first book, Odyssey One:  Into the Black.

My reviews of the earlier books in the series are here.

NetGalley/47 North

Science Fiction/Space Opera.  Dec. 12, 2017.  Print length:  318 pages.