Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Catching up on reviews while it rains

The second in a series, The Wolf's Eye by Luanne G. Smith was slow and confusing initially.  It did get better, but still wasn't completely satisfying for me.

Witches, mages, and a vlkodnak (Czech for werewolf) curse. 

I read The Raven Spell by Smith in 2022 and thought it was good fun, but for some reason this one didn't resonate in the same way.

Thanks to NetGalley and 47 North.  

 



A Welcome Grave by Michael Koryta is the third book in the Lincoln Perry series that I've read recently.  

When Alex Jefferson is found tortured and murdered, the police come to Lincoln Perry.  At first, simply because Lincoln Perry had history with Jefferson.  As things progress, however, the case against Perry grows from curiosity to suspicion to the police wholeheartedly believing in Perry's guilt.

Perry must find a way to clear himself, but the set up against him continues to increase, making him look guiltier by the minute.  Jefferson's death was a revenge killing, but Perry and Joe, his partner, must discover the reason for such a terrible revenge intent on leaving Perry as a scapegoat.

A Welcome Grave kept my interest, and I've enjoyed all three books so far in this series.

305 pages                                                                                                                                             PI Mystery

I've read 6 stand alones by Catriona McPherson and enjoyed each one.  I haven't read any of her series books, but the psychological standalones keep me coming back.  

Deep Beneath Us did not disappoint. From the blurb:

"Tabitha Muir returns to her childhood home in the remote hills of Hiskith in Scotland after twenty years away. She's lost her job, her house, and custody of her son after a divorce, and thinks this must be rock bottom - but worse is to come. An unplanned explosion at the dam on the loch and the suspicious death of her beloved cousin Davey force Tabitha to confront her past demons."

And boy, does the Muir family describe  dysfunction.  I couldn't keep up with the twists, doled out like dominoes ready to fall.

I've scheduled my review for May, as the publication date is June.  Thanks to Netgalley and Severn House.

Psychological mystery                                                                                                                           341 pages

Can't play outside.  This rain hasn't let up for 3 days.



14 comments:

  1. I haven't read anything by Catriona McPherson, but Deep Beneath Us sounds really good. Dysfunctional families are always interesting to read about. I hope you get a break from the rain soon. :)

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    1. McPherson does psychological suspense so well!

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  2. Your garden is gorgeous! I love all the pots and pebble path. Simply lovely.

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    1. Thanks, Les! It gives me a lot of pleasure. :)

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  3. That's a gorgeous backyard garden! And do you have a favorite Catriona McPherson book? Because I do love good psychological suspense. :D

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    1. I really liked House, Tree Person and The Child Garden. Reviewed here and here, but they are all good.

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  4. Wow--I love your garden! I wish it would rain here in Colorado. I like the setting for Deep Beneath Us--may have to check that one out!

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    1. Thanks! We will not get the rain when we need it during the summer if things go as they have been for the last few years. Deep Beneath Us does have a great setting!

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  5. I have read a couple of the Dandy Gilver books by McPherson, but none of her standalone books. I have a couple but seem intense and scary and I have put off reading them. But I should bite the bullet and do that.

    I too am very impressed with your garden. We just have a very small back patio and two narrow beds in the front of our condominium, but we have done a lot of planting in pots outdoors. More haphazard than yours though.

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    1. Did you like the Dandy Gilver books? Thanks for your comment about the garden--it is pretty haphazard, but I love pots that can be corrected quickly when needed, because not all of my experiments work!

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    2. I did not like the first Dandy Gilver book I read, but I read a later book in the series (The Winter Ground, about a circus) and liked it much better. I have another in the series to try.

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    3. I've often found that starting later in a series gets to where the author has fount his or her feet. The first Reginald Hill didn't do anything for me, but I tried a later book and was surprised at how much better it was--then I was hooked. May give The Winter Ground a try!

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  6. The view in those photos is so pretty, even with all the rain. I hope the rain has let up some though. Deep Beneath Us sounds really good. It's been awhile since I read one of McPherson's books.

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    1. Deep Beneath Us gets more interesting and twisty as it progresses!

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