Two by Gretta Mulrooney

NetGalley offered Low Lake (the 5th book in a series featuring PI Ty Swift) by Gretta Mulrooney.  I read and enjoyed it, then checked out the first in the series which was available through Kindle Unlimited.  :)  

The Lady Vanished Tyrone Swift worked for the Met, then for Interpol before deciding to open his own PI agency.  When the unpleasant Florence Davenport hires Swift to find her missing stepmother Carmen Langborn, he realizes that Davenport's interest has more to do with a possible inheritance than with concern for the older woman.

The police have gotten nowhere on the case.  There is no body and the woman has previously taken trips without getting in touch with anyone, but this time Carmen made no arrangements for someone to care for her beloved cats.  

Neither Florence nor her brother have genuine concern for their stepmother, but after months with no word, they believe her to be dead.  And Florence doesn't want to have to wait years for her share of the estate.

The book focuses on the investigation as Swift does the slow work of questioning various people about Carmen and her activities.  This is not an action-packed plot, but one of slow accretion of details.  Secrets emerge that could blow the family apart.

Favorite character--aside from Ty Swift--is Cedric, Ty's elderly upstairs tenant inherited from his Aunt Lily.  Ty also develops a fondness for Carmen Langborn's housekeeper, who has taken it upon herself to continue her basic housekeeping duties and and to care for the cats.  

Having read the most recent release, I already had some knowledge of the characters introduced in this first in the series.

Kindle Unlimited/Joffe Books

Mystery/Detective.  2015.  

Low Lake is the most recent book in the series featuring PI Tyrone Swift.  

Ty is asked to investigate a drowning death from two years earlier.  Did the young woman--who had an overwhelming fear of water--have an epileptic seizure and drown accidentally?  Or was there more to the situation?

Kim was a complicated young woman with a traumatic past.  Few people seem to have truly liked her and  a few actively hated her.  Her recent interest in archaeology had given her long-range goals and an enthusiastic interest in all elements of archaeology--from the digs, to the historical aspects, to conservation and museum exhibits.  

Ty feels some empathy with the dead woman in spite of her many flaws.  As the case proceeds, a young man is murdered, and Ty feels his own responsibility for the young man's involvement in the case.  Other aspects of Ty's life are fraught with grief and complications.  The case takes a few unexpected turns as possible reasons for Kim's death emerge.

NetGalley/Joffe Books

Mystery/Detectiv.  March 22, 2018. 

The Guilty Ones and Imperfect Memories

The Guilty Ones is the 4th in the DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans by Joy Ellis.  Why do I enjoy Ellis' books so much?  It has much to do with the ensemble casts that Ellis creates for both this series and her DI Nikki Galena series.  I am at home now in the Fens and with either DI's team.  The characters are familiar, and I enjoy their sense of commitment to each other.  

That feeling of familiarity with characters in a book is similar to the reason I like certain television series.  I like the folks who inhabit the stories, and although the cases and problems are different each time, there is a sense of comfort when rejoining the characters in each new episode or new book.  

When Jackman's sister-in-law commits suicide, circumstances are too close to home.  Why would a happily married woman who adores her children do such a thing?

This one gets a bit elaborate, but kept me engrossed throughout.  The conclusion leaves an opening for a story-arc to be continued.

NetGalley/Joffe Books

Mystery/Crime.  March 14, 2018.  

Imperfect Memories (The Temporal Shift Series Bk 1) by Jody Wenner is an odd book, but one that kept me steadily reading...and wondering.

A bomb explodes in a local coffee shop.  Nina's husband and daughter are among the dead.  A senseless act of terror, but the perpetrator is caught and sent to prison.  

Nina is unable to come to terms with the incident and the loss of her husband and daughter.  She begins having nightmares, difficulty sleeping, gaps in her memory.  Which is odder that it seems because Nina is one of those rare individuals who remembers everything.  She has hyperthmesia, a neurological disorder that enables to her remember with remarkable detail the events in her life.  

As she feels her self unraveling, she approaches the man responsible to get answers.  Who can Nina trust if she can't trust herself?  

A strange book that left me wondering what is really going on.  The conclusion is sort of a "to be continued," as one thing is wrapped up, more questions arise.  A fast read.  I'm in for the next one.

NetGalley

Mystery/Suspense.  Feb. 16, 2018.

Murder at Half Moon Gate by Andrea Penrose:  A wealthy lord who happens to be a brilliant scientist . . . an enigmatic young widow who secretly pens satirical cartoons . . . a violent killing disguised as a robbery . . . Nothing is as it seems in Regency London, especially when the Earl of Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane join forces to solve a shocking murder.

I read the first in this series last year, but I think this latest novel shows definite improvement in developing plot and characters.  

NetGalley/Kensington Books

Historical Mystery.  March 27, 2018.  Print length:  304 pages

Dead Fish started off very well.  Dr. Geoffrey Quinn is arrested for the murder of his wife.  Authorities suspect his children are dead as well, but no bodies have been found.
Allison hope takes Quinn's case, but she isn't sure if she believes him and is certain that he is holding something back.

Unfortunately, as the book became a bit convoluted with red herrings and shocking crimes, the original promise did not hold up for me.

NetGalley/Thistle Publishing

Crime/Legal.  March 29, 2018.  (First published in 1999) Print length:  376 pages.

Lock 13 by Peter Helton and Mind of a Killer by Simon Beaufort

Lock 13 by Peter Helton:  Bath, England. When his life drawing model disappears without trace, painter-sleuth Chris Honeysett uncovers evidence of a dangerous conspiracy. 

Hmmm.  If you are interested in narrow boats and the canal system in England, you will enjoy this rather unusual mystery.  I did enjoy it and was interested in the narrow boats, which I've always found a romantic part of England's past and present. Sometimes amusing and often unexpected, especially Honeysett's narrow boat new found friend on the canals.

Read in Dec.; blog review scheduled for March 12.

NetGalley/Severn House

PI.  April 1, 2018.  Print length:  224 pages.

Mind of a Killer by Simon Beaufort.

Alec Lonsdale writes for the Pall Mall Gazette in London, 1882.  After once again having an interview canceled about the London Zoo, Alec happens on a tragic house fire.  He joins the crowd and asks a few questions.  Patrick Donovan's body is eventually recovered from the fire.  A young whore approaches Londsale and tells him that this isn't the first death and that they are not accidents.

Curious, but cautious, they arrange a meeting for the following night. Lonsdale attends the post-mortem and both he and the doctor are shocked that Donovan was not only murdered, but that his cerebrum has been excised.  Now, Lonsdale is definitely intrigued and plans to meet the woman that night.  He arrives too late;  the woman and her companion are dead and Lonsdale himself is attacked.

The police are reluctant for Londale and his colleague Hulda Friederichs to print anything about the story and discourage any further investigation.  

A tale of Victorian crime and mystery populated by many real characters of the era and with reference to many cases pulled from the headlines.  The plot of the narrative is fiction, but suspenseful and engrossing with intriguing characters, both real and fictional.

Of interest to me were the episodes with Sir Francis Galton, "Sir Francis Galton, FRS was an English Victorian statistician, progressive, polymath, sociologist, psychologist, anthropologist, eugenicist, tropical explorer, geographer, inventor, meteorologist, proto-geneticist, and psychometrician. "  (Wikipedia)

His presentation in the novel was a combination of hubris, unintended comedy, and general unpleasantness.  Although familiar with his name and with several of his accomplishments, I'd never read anything about the personal life of the man.  I've ordered a biography that promises to explain his remarkable accomplishments and hopefully, how the man himself (aside from his work) was viewed by his contemporaries.  

A compelling historical mystery, Mind of a Killer introduces an appealing protagonist in Alec Lonsdale set in a Victorian world of scientific advancements.

Who is Simon Beaufort?  Simon Beaufort is the pseudonym adopted by Susanna Gregory and  Beau Riffenburgh.

NetGalley/Severn House

Historical Mystery.  April 1, 2018.  Print length:  256 pages.  

Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh

Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh was a bit of a disappointment.  I really liked her first novel and enjoyed the second one as well, but although I was engaged at the beginning of Let Me Lie subsequent events were too contrived and my interest waned.

There is definitely a twist that has been hidden throughout most of the first half of the book, but....perhaps attempting to be too clever the novel's conclusion left me flat.  

Read in November; blog review scheduled for 3/10/18.

NetGalley/Berkley Publishing Group

Mystery/Suspense.  March 13, 2018.  Print length:  400 pages.

The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty

I love Savannah, but Christi Daugherty's The Echo Killing is not the Savannah of the cobblestone streets, lovely architecture, and many parks.  Daughtery's Harper McClain is a crime reporter and her job takes her to places other than the tourist mecca of Old Savannah.

Harper's mother was murdered when she was twelve, and when another murder takes place that echos the murder of her mother in surprising detail, Harper is compelled to investigate further.  Despite some discouragement from her mentor who doesn't believe the killer is the same one that murdered her mother, Harper continues digging.

And while the murder itself is eerily similar to that of her mother, the victim is an entirely different breed.  Is the killer the same one becoming active again after fifteen years...or is it a copy cat?  

Suspenseful.

Read in December; blog review scheduled for 3/5/18.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Mystery/Suspense.  March 13, 2018.  Print length:  368 pages.  

Oscars for Books, Korean Writers, Translators

I'm not terribly interested in the Oscars as I haven't seen most of the films nominated, but what if they gave Oscars to books?

If They Gave Oscars to Books, Our 2017 Nominees

I still enjoy Scandi Noir, but looks like Scandinavian authors may have some competition soon:

The New Scandi Noir?  Korean Writers Reinventing the Thriller

And an interesting connection,  a well-deserved prize for the translators who make so many of the books we enjoy available in our language.  Although I frequently read books that have been translated, I haven't read any of the books on the list.  Have you?

Quick guide

The 2018 TA first translation prize shortlist

Eve Out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi

A novel, translated from the French by Jeffrey Zuckerman, and edited by Cécile Menon and Angeline Rothermundt at Les Fugitives.

Notes on a Thesis by Tiphaine Rivière

A graphic novel, translated from the French by Francesca Barrie, and edited by Clare Bullock at Jonathan Cape.

Second-Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich

An oral history, translated from the Russian by Bela Shayevich and edited by Jacques Testard at Fitzcarraldo Editions.

Swallowing Mercury by Wioletta Greg

A novel, translated from the Polish by Eliza Marciniak, and edited by Max Porter and Ka Bradley at Portobello Books.

The Sad Part Was by Prabda Yoon

A short story collection, translated from the Thai by Mui Poopoksakul, and edited by Deborah Smith at Tilted Axis Press.

The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz

A novel, translated from the Arabic by Elisabeth Jaquette, and edited by Sal Robinson, Taylor Sperry and Željka Marošević at Melville House.

Murder in Belgravia

Murder in Belgravia by Lynn Brittney is set in London during WWI, a time period of great interest for many reasons.  

The Great War was in progress and the social landscape was changing:  drugs like cocaine and heroin were available at the local pharmacy; the male population was depleted as men enlisted or were conscripted; the zeppelin raids in 1915; women were needed in areas other than domestic service and were working in factories, wearing trousers, cutting their hair, and learning to drive;  suffragettes were still hoping for the vote, but suspended many of their political activities and offered their services to the government; only a small number of women were able to receive higher education, but the war increased the need for more women in fields that required more disciplined learning.

The book is a murder mystery that touches on all of the above, as well as examining the difficulty for many in accepting these rapid changes.  Today, approximately 100 years later, traditional society struggles to accept the many changes that result from technology.

Briefly, Chief Inspector Peter Beech finds himself investigating the murder of Lord Murcheson.  Murcheson's grievously injured wife has confessed to killing her husband, but questions arise as to whether or not her life-threatening injuries would have made it possible. 

Beech is given permission to assemble an unusual and off-the-record team that includes two women to pursue the Murcheson case.  

In spite of the tawdry elements of the case, the novel has an almost Pollyana-ish group of characters who are more open-minded than would have been typical of the time.  Beech's assembled team includes a retired policeman summoned back because of the loss of man power during the war, a young policeman who was wounded during the war, a female doctor, and a woman who studied law.  All of the characters are dedicated to solving the murder and are interested in making positive changes.

In the midst of a sordid case that includes murder, prostitution (both male and female), and drugs, the assembled team represent the best of humanity.  So...the novel deals with some of the most degraded offenses, but lightens up because of the respectable and decent members of the team.  It is a contrast between the terrible reality of the social ills faced and the virtual goodness of the team.  This contrast between reality and wishful thinking keeps the novel a step below what it could have been.

The plot is intriguing and held my interest, and the characters are likable, if a bit perfect.  

Although the research is obvious, there is no bibliography or list of sources.  This may simply be that my copy is an ARC.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed Murder in Belgravia and look forward to the next in the series.
-----
Cocaine and heroin were available in pharmacies for almost every possible problem from helping babies to sleep, hay fever treatments, pain relief, etc. 

drug use during WWI

DORA 

some of the drugs advertised during the period

Read in December; review scheduled for March 2018.

NetGalley/Mirror Books

Historical Mystery/WWI.  March 15, 2018.  Print length:  211 pages.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James is one of those rare spooky ghost stories that caused me to take reading breaks because of the tension.   I know I've been mentioning this one since August, but I had to wait until closer to publication to post this review.  :)

A story told in two time frames; a boarding school story; a ghost story; a murder mystery--The Broken Girls truly gave me chills.  

In 1950 Vermont, a boarding school for recalcitrant girls (dumped there because they are unwanted or hard to manage) has been haunted since its inception.   The legends, true and/or exaggerated, have been passed down through the decades both orally and through messages in the school's textbooks.  Mary Hand knows--and the generations of girls who have attended Idlewild Hall are all affected by the truths she reveals. 

In 2014, a journalist haunted by the murder of her sister is shocked and disturbed that someone wants to restore Idlewild Hall.  She decides to write a story about the school, and that story leads to more mystery and danger.

Although I am often drawn to ghost stories, most books fail to satisfy or frighten me.  While reading The Broken Girls, I was able to  suspend disbelief and follow the story in past and present with bated breath.

Read in August; blog review scheduled for February, 2018.

NetGalley/Berkley Publishing Group

Mystery/Suspense/Supernatural.  March 20, 2018.  Print length:  336 pages.

I really wish this book had been scheduled for publication in October or November, months that seem particularly suitable for ghost stories.  

What are some of your favorite ghost stories?

On Books and Reading

The Right Book Will Always Keep You Company  

https://ebookfriendly.com/ads-for-books-bookstores-libraries/

I love the quote, of course.

Interesting articles about books and reading:

Lionel Shriver says, "politically correct censorship is damaging fiction"

Why Books and Reading Are More Important than Ever by Will Schwalbe

I use all of the reasons to read that Schwalbe mentions. 

 To relieve stress, general avoidance, anxiety, etc.

Stop Reading Books that You Don't Actually Enjoy  by Nick Douglas

Sometimes I keep reading because I don't have a back up, but usually, 

I add books I'm not enjoying to the DNF  list.

Your Favorite Book Characters Are as Real as You Feel They Are by Claire Fallon
 "A new study performed by The Guardian and researchers from Durham University suggests that they are, in a way. The study found that, for 19 percent of readers surveyed, “the voices of fictional characters stayed with them even when they weren’t reading.” This included readers having thoughts in the voice of specific characters, experiencing narration of their life by a character, or simply having their own thoughts influenced by the tone or perspective of a character. " (from above link)

And, of course, because books are so influential, there is the idea of book banning or censorship.  Blume's quote follows on the ideas that Shriver puts forth in the first link.

It’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read.

–Judy Blume

The Crooked Staircase by Dean Koontz and Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd

Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd.  Maud Drennan is a caretaker given the task of helping Cathal Flood, a cantankerous old hoarder, get his life in order so he can stay in his home.  But if you think Cathal's hoarding habits are strange, Maud has frequent conversations with various Saints and appears to be getting messages from...ghosts or the house itself?  

I liked:  Kidd's beautiful prose and her imagination; Maud Drennan, Renata, and Cathal Flood are all great characters; the dialogue; the Saints.  

Not so much:  I think Kidd tends to veer off course; the plot is a bit convoluted and slows down at points.

Kidd has such a gift for creating characters and settings, but the characters are much better done than the plot in this one.  The book showcases her facility with language and characterization, but the storyline needs tightening up. 

NetGalley/Atria Books

Literary Fiction?  Mystery?  May 1, 2018.  Print length: 352 pages.


The Crooked Staircase (Jane Hawk #3) is action-filled suspense from beginning to end.  Jane continues her battle against the conspiracy that plans to "adjust" individuals to eliminate free will and dispose of those who may cause the cabal trouble.

Jane Hawk is one of those kick-ass protagonists that fights the good fight against the evil Techno Arcadians.  You can't help but cheer her on.  

I like:  that Jane Hawk is such a clever and relentless protagonist; that Koontz makes secondary characters interesting and well-rounded.

Wasn't crazy about:  losing characters I like; the weirdness of the crooked staircase toward the end.

Fast-paced and difficult to put down.  You will be up late with this one.

Read in January; review scheduled for February 22.

NetGalley/Random House

Thriller/Suspense.  May 8, 2018.  Print length:  512 pages.  

Penric's Fox by Lois McMaster Bujold and Lake Silence by Anne Bishop

Penric's Fox by Lois McMaster Bujold is the fifth (?) in the series, but the first one I've read..  It was a little confusing in the beginning because I didn't have any background for the world Bujold has created.

But once I got a grasp (incomplete, but enough to allow me to feel comfortable) of the world in which the story takes place, I quite enjoyed this novella that combines fantasy and a murder mystery.  Who murdered the temple sorceress, why, and what happened to her demon?

Penric's Fox is set in an interesting world with some intriguing characters. 

read in Dec; review scheduled for Feb. 19

NetGalley/Subterranean Press

Fantasy.  Feb. 28, 2018. Print length:  113 pages.

Lake Silence by Anne Bishop is the 6th in the Others series.  Different location, different characters, but with connections to the characters in earlier books and set in the same world.  I was thrilled to find that the world of the Others was not finished with the Lakeside Courtyard.

However, Lake Silence is only vaguely attached to the characters I loved in the previous books.  New story, new characters, same world with many of the same problems.  If you haven't read the other books, I wouldn't begin with this one as Bishop makes little background of the world available.  

Nevertheless, as a committed fan of the series, I was delighted to immerse myself in the little village in terra indigine controlled territory.   Lake Silence is not as dark (although there is a great deal of violence) and has more humorous incidents than in the previous books.  

From the description:  Set in the country of Thaisia, a present-day alternate North America, the strange and beautiful world of The Others is one where humans live alongside shapeshifters, vampires and a host of beings even more deadly known as the terra indigene. The first five books of The Others have focused on the inhabitants of the Lakeside Courtyard — a private terra indigene communitywhose residents are tasked with keeping watch over the humans in the city.

Bishop’s new novel takes readers to a human village nestled in the terra indigene-controlled Finger Lakes region of Northeast Thaisia. It stars divorcee Victoria “Vicki” DeVine, owner of The Jumble — a small, self-sufficient community located on the shore of Lake Silence. Vicki and the town’s residents soon find themselves caught up in a chilling mystery, after a series of vicious murders rock the small community.

I loved Vicky and her supporters, including Officer Wayne Grimshaw, the highway patrol officer sent to investigate the first murder; Julian Farrow, the owner of the local bookstore, whose back story is briefly covered; Ineke Xavier, who runs the local boardinghouse; and various Others, including Ilya Sanguinati and Agatha Crowgard.  There are many new characters introduced, and I expect they will all continue to have their characters deepen and expand in succeeding books.  

Is the book as good as the first five in the series?  It diverges from the the Lakeside Courtyard and does not have the personal "histories" that the first books have established.  The Lake Silence community is just getting started, but I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of the new folks and getting a feel for the area (humans, terra indigine, Elementals) that develop a different branch of the world of the Others.  

read in January; review scheduled for Feb. 19

NetGalley/Berkley Publishing

Fantasy/Alternate Reality.  March 6, 2018.  Print length:  416 pages.

A Whisper of Bones by Ellen Hart

Whew, this is the 25th book in the Jane Lawless series, but the first one I've read.

A Whisper of Bones involves PI and restaurateur Jane Lawless--an interesting combination of careers.  

From description:  Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.

Britt is disbelieving and angry about her aunts response and hires Jane to find out more about the boy she remembers.  Britt's aunts rent rooms in their large old home to help make ends meet, and Jane decides renting a room might help her get to the bottom of the mystery.  

A fire destroys the old detached garage and during the investigation, bones are discovered in the root cellar.  Do they belong to Timmy?  The secrets are many and of long-standing.

An interesting assortment of well-developed characters.

Read in December, 2017; blog review scheduled for Feb. 16, 2018.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

PI Mystery.  Feb. 27, 2018.  Print length:  320 pages.

Letters in the Mail and in Books

Two letter writing challenges take place in February--A Month of Letters and InCoWriMo.  I've done A Month of Letters before, but not this year.  I have been busy with catching up with mail I owed, some postcards to the grand's, a birthday postcard.  I love getting letters in the mail, and I love decorating envelopes and homemade postcards--it brings out the child in me--to cut and paste, paint, collage, etc.  

Finding a letter in mailbox is a treat I never tire of, and while it is exciting to get a decorated envelope, it is the message inside that means the most.  Some of my favorite letters have nothing on the envelope but a canceled stamp and my address, but inside is a handwritten message that catches me up with what is going on in a friend's life.


I'm interested in this book by Nina Sankovitch after reading Leslie Stahl's comment:

“How sad to think our children may never get a letter from a friend or a lover, the art of both—the sentiment and penmanship—fading away like an old Polaroid. Nina Sankovitch’s lovely, elegant book about the intimacy of letters is rich with treasures from politicians, soldiers, mothers, prisoners, husbands, and wooers. It is a joy to read, savor, and remember.” – Lesley Stahl







I try to write my grands pretty regularly, mostly with postcards, so they will have had the experience of receiving personal mail addressed to them.  Only one of my grands has ever written back, but I treasure those few letters.  It is difficult to compete with technology, which is why I find the InCoWriMo term "vintage social media" especially appealing.

A postcard to my granddaughter.  

This is an excellent article:  9 Reasons Not to Abandon the Art of the Handwritten Letter

Some of  my favorite  books are written in epistolary style:  Dracula,  84, Charing Cross Road, Griffin & Sabine, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Historian, Sorcery & Cecelia....  And I enjoy letters written by famous people, and fan letters to authors and the replies, and The Graceful Envelope, and hand illustrated letters on Pinterest, and more mail art on Pinterest.

The next letter writing challenge is in April--The National Card and Letter Writing Month sponsored by the United States Postal Service.  Not that you have to wait to write letters or send cards through the mail.  I like the idea of setting my own challenges--a letter a week or two a month or whenever I feel like it!  :)

Do you write letters or send cards?

Is letter writing really too old-fashioned in the world of email and text messaging?

What are your favorite books about letters or written in the form of letters?

Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley and Force of Nature by Jane Harper

Death Below Stairs was recommended by Wendy, and when I realized that Jennifer Ashley also writes as Ashley Gardner (the author of the  Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries, which I've enjoyed), I was in.  Death Below Stairs is the first in a new series and is a bit cozier than the Captain Lacey series, but it was fun.  The first book sets up characters and situations, and I expect the next installment to be even better.

Kat Holloway is a cook, and with the help of Mrs. Beeton (kind of like the Victorian Martha Stewart), Kat manages delicious meals and a tight kitchen.  It was funny to see her recipes and kitchen techniques taken straight from Mrs. Beeton's Everyday Cookery and Housekeeping Book, while dealing with a murder and a plot against the Crown.

 A Soupcon of Poison is a prequel novella that gives some background on the main characters.  I may get around to it later, but simply for curiosity because Death Below Stairs doesn't actually depend on it and works well enough on its own.  The beginning was a little slow, but once I felt comfortable with the characters and the action picked up, I enjoyed the ride.  I look forward to seeing Kat, Daniel, Lady Cynthia, and Elgin Thanos.

NetGalley/Berkley Publishing Group

Historical Mystery.  Jan. 2, 2018.  Print length:  313 pages.

Force of Nature by Jane Harper is the second book in the Aaron Falk series.  I still haven't read The Dry and now am even more eager to.  

From the book description:  When five colleagues are forced to go on a corporate retreat in the wilderness, they reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking down the muddy path.

But one of the women doesn’t come out of the woods. And each of her companions tells a slightly different story about what happened.

The missing woman is Alice Russell, who has been helping Falk and Carmen Cooper with their financial investigation of BaileyTennants accountancy firm.  Falk has been pressured to get some contracts from Alice, and in turn, has pressured Alice.  He is worried and feeling that he may be responsible if her disappearance has anything to do with the investigation.

The setting in the bush land of the Giralang Ranges has to be considered a character for its inhospitable terrain and connection with a serial killer from twenty years ago.  But all of the characters come to life, especially the five women who get off lost in the bush, suffer accidents and loss of equipment, and whose personalities and histories begin to clash.

The story separates into two strands, the hikers in a day by day account, and the investigators whose search becomes more and more despairing.  The team-building purpose of the corporate retreat falls apart; secrets and hidden grudges surface as the women struggle through the hostile setting.  Even when four of the women manage to reach help, the question of what happened to Alice remains.  The force of nature is two-fold--that of the natural environment and of the personal natures of the five women.  Compelling reading. 

NetGalley/Flatiron Books

Mystery/Suspense.  Feb. 6, 2016.  Print length:  320 pages. 

Mister Tender's Girl by Carter Wilson

Mister Tender's Girl by Carter Wilson was inspired by the Slenderman meme and the resulting real-life case. Mister Tinder, however, is perhaps a more interesting character, charismatic and handsome, but just as deadly.

This is a creepy thriller that held me fast throughout the majority of the book.  Mister Tender, a popular graphic novel created by Alice Hill's father, fascinates a large audience.  Mister Tender, a handsome bartender, listens carefully to the complaints of his customers, then asks what they would be willing to sacrifice to attain what they want.

When Alice was fourteen, she is brutally stabbed by two of her classmates who have not only been influenced by the graphic novels, but have received letters from Mister Tender.  Yet...Mister Tender is a fiction.  Right?

Her father quits writing the novels, her parents eventually separate, and her mother takes Alice and her brother to the U.S.  

In the last two years, Alice has been able to establish herself in better circumstances.  She owns a popular coffee shop and a home, but still suffers from PTSD and severe, disabling panic attacks that can last for hours.

As the yearly anniversary of the attack approaches, Alice discovers that someone is watching her, invading her privacy, and has even established an online site that focuses on Alice and the attack.  The invasion into her life is chilling--the publication of her new name and address and prurient interest in her life terrifies her.

Moving to the U.S., changing her name, and developing her self-defense skills are not protecting Alice from the disturbing sense that things are going from bad to worse.  Very soon, the bad begins to happen and the worse is yet to come.

Even as Alice tries to fight her harrowing circumstances, the knowledge of her watcher is usually a step ahead of her.  

Sinister, full of menace throughout most of the book, Mister Tender's Girl took a few turns at the end that lowered my opinion.  Nevertheless, if you want a book that will keep you glued to the pages, this one will do it.

Read in Jan.:  blog review scheduled for Feb. 7, 2018.

NetGalley/Sourcebooks Landmark

Thriller.  February 13, 2018.  Print length:  400 pages.