A Couple to Watch For and Three Others

Books that I have really liked, but that won't be published  until 2019.  I will mention them again closer to publication.

Watcher in the Woods (Rockton #4) by Kelley Armstrong.  I wasn't sure how I felt about the first book in this series, but after feeling more at home with the characters, I have thoroughly enjoyed each new addition.   

Description:  The secret town of Rockton has seen some rocky times lately; understandable considering its mix of criminals and victims fleeing society for refuge within its Yukon borders. 

When a US Marshal shows up demanding the release of one of the residents, but won't say who, Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are skeptical. And yet only hours later, the marshal is shot dead and the only possible suspects are the townspeople and Casey's estranged sister, smuggled into town to help with a medical emergency. It's up to Casey to figure out who murdered the marshal, and why someone would kill to keep him quiet—before the killer strikes again.

I enjoyed the introduction of April, Casey's sister and the way Isobel and Kenny make a difference in the way we see her.  The book takes up right after the events in the previous book, but still can be read as a stand-alone.  There are changes taking place in Rockton and in the Council.  No cliffhanger, but a direction that was indicated in earlier books is obviously about to come to a head.  

NetGalley/Penguin Group

Mystery/Police Procedural.  Feb. 5, 2019.  Print length:  368 pages.

The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye.  I more than really liked this one.  The writing is wonderful and the characters are even better.  From description:

The year is 1921, and "Nobody" Alice James is on a cross-country train, carrying a bullet wound and fleeing for her life following an illicit drug and liquor deal gone horribly wrong. Desperate to get as far away as possible from New York City and those who want her dead, she has her sights set on Oregon: a distant frontier that seems the end of the line.

Full of well-drawn characters, I found The Paragon Hotel absolutely riveting.  So many books and characters are entertaining but quickly forgettable, Faye's plot, characters, and prose will remain with you.  One of my favorite books of the year.  I read it in August, and I loved the book and Alice, Max, all of the Paragon Hotel employees, and most especially, Blossom Fontaine!  

NetGalley/Penguin Group
Historical Mystery.  Jan. 8, 2019.  Print length:  432 pages.

I'll mention these again closer to publication date, but if you are a fan of the Armstrong series, I think you'll enjoy her latest.  As for Faye's The Paragon Hotel--highly recommended!

------------Other recent reads
Cold Winter Sun is the second in a series, but I haven't read the first one.  

A missing man. A determined hunter. A deadly case.

When Mike Lynch is contacted by his ex-wife about the missing nephew of her new husband, he offers to help find the young man with the help of his friend Terry Cochran.

Arriving in LA to try and track down the young man, the pair are immediately torn away when the missing man’s car shows up, abandoned on the side of a deserted road in New Mexico.

When two fake police officers cross their path, Terry and Mike know there is more to the case than meets the eye, and soon they find themselves asking exactly who it is they are really looking for…

This is one of those books that I didn't want to put down, but didn't love.  Reasonably likable, if stereotypical characters in Mike and Terry, but the plot didn't work all that well for me.  I notice most reviews are quite positive, so maybe I was expecting something a little different.  

NetGalley/Bloodhound Books

Thriller.  Nov. 1, 2018.

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager 

From description:  Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their tiny cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. The games ended when Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin in the dead of night. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

I love that little excerpt from the description. I did have trouble swallowing some of the circumstances, but The Last Time I Lied certainly had a creepy vibe, plenty of twists, and a boatload of red herrings.  Maybe it was trying a bit too hard, but I was OK until the ending which was implausible.  

According to reviews on Goodreads, most people loved the book, so take my opinion with a couple of grains of salt.  Despite wanting to like it, I mostly felt the author was manipulating too many circumstances.

NetGalley/Penguin Group

Mystery/Suspense.  July, 2018.  Print Length:  384 pages.

While I haven't read all of the books in this series featuring Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewellyn, I've read quite a few and enjoy the historical elements as well as the characters.

Thomas Llewellyn was very young and fresh out of prison  when Cyrus Barker hired him originally.  He is now twenty-six and has gained much experience and confidence during his years working with Barker.  When the current plot begins, Thomas is looking forward to his marriage.

Cyrus Barker is a bit mysterious, but through the books we have learned a little more about his past.  In Blood Is Blood, we meet his brother Caleb, and the brothers may be cut from the same cloth, but the resulting garments are quite different in style.  

When the office of Barker & Llewellyn Private Inquiry Agents is bombed, Cyrus is seriously injured and the brunt of the investigation is shifted to Thomas with the newly arrived Caleb taking an often questionable hand.  As Thomas attempts to interview some of the enemies who may be responsible, it appears that someone is taking his suspects out.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Historical Detectives.  Nov. 13, 2018.  Print length:  320 pages.