Rule by Ellen Goodlett

Rule by Ellen Goodlett is the first in a series (trilogy?) that begins with a king having his three illegitimate daughters located and brought to court.  The king of Kolonya decides to acknowledge his three illegitimate daughters only after his son and presumptive heir dies.  

The three young women are very different and quite amazed upon discovering not only their unknown father, but also that they have siblings.

Nothing especially new in this YA fantasy...except that (Spoiler)  the three girls eventually form a bond, supporting each other, instead of the expected cut throat competition for the crown. This was actually the thing I liked most, the siblings uniting.

Each of the daughters carries a dark secret, and each of the secrets could carry a dreadful consequence.  When the blackmail begins, who is to be trusted?

I enjoyed the first installment of this series.

Read in July; blog review scheduled for Aug. 25.


NetGalley/Little Brown Books for Young Readers.

YA Fantasy.  Sept. 11, 2018.  Print length:  384 pages.

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss

I read The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter last year and loved it.  

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman is the sequel that takes the Athena Club (Mary Jekyll, Catherine Moreau, Beatrice Rappaccini, Justine Frankenstein, and Diana Hyde) on another exciting adventure.  

Don't read this one without having read the The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter first; the sequel depends on the characterizations established in the first book.

The Athena Club faces new and old enemies as they attempt a rescue of Lucy Van Helsing.  New and interesting characters include Mina Murray Harker and Irene Adler Norton.

As in the first book, all the characters taken from the original novels and short stories  (by Bram Stoker,  Robert Louis Stevenson, Mary Shelley, Nathaniel Hawthorne, H.G. Wells, Conan Doyle) are turned on their heads.  If you enjoyed any or all of the originals, you will find the Athena Club mash-ups great fun.

All of that said, however, this one is a tad long and could have been improved by judicious editing of at least 100 or so pages.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed European Travel and look forward to the next adventures of the "monstrous women" of the Athena Club.

Purchased.

Victorian/Fantasy.  2018.  Print length:  780 pages.

An Act of Villainy by Ashley Weaver

An Act of Villainy continues the adventures of Amory and Milo Ames.  This one involves a West End theater, threatening letters, a friend whose marriage is disintegrating as her husband has an affair, and of course, a murder.

Set in the 1930's, Ashley Weaver's series echoes some of the techniques of The Golden Age of Detective Fiction with some modern twists.  Clever detection, stylish writing, the avoidance of graphic violence, and in an Act of Villainy, a surprising twist.

If you've been following this series, you will enjoy Weaver's latest offering for the mystery and the characters.   

Read in June; blog review scheduled for August 23.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Detective Fiction.  Sept. 4, 2018.  Print length:  320 pages.

In the Heat of the Moment by Viveca Sten

Midsummer's Eve on Sandhamn annually attracts all kinds of visitors who celebrate the longest day of the year by drinking and carousing.  The event is endured by inhabitants and police.

Nora Linde's life is complicated when her new boyfriend's daughter doesn't come home after a night of celebrating.  In addition to that worry, she is asked to take in two teenage girls who were found lost and confused after a night of drinking.

When the body of the young man is discovered, Thomas Andreasson and his partner Margit are called in to investigate.  

I've enjoyed all of Viveca Sten's previous books, and although this one is not bad, for some reason I wasn't as engaged with the plot.  

Both Nora and Thomas are interesting, intelligent, and compassionate characters, and I was happy to see a little take-down of the mother-in-law and to see ex-husband Henrik behave reasonably.  

Read in July;  blog review scheduled for Aug. 20.

NetGalley/Amazon Crossing

Mystery.  Sept. 4, 2018.   

Iron Flower and Edinburgh Dusk and a few other things...

Iron Flower by Laurie Forest continues The Black Witch Chronicles.  I liked the first book a lot, and I like this one even more.  The Black Witch dramatizes the prejudices in Gardneria and illustrates how those prejudices influence the treatment of others.  

In Iron Flower, Elloren and her friends work for the Resistance, but the sinister Marcus Vogel has gained absolute power in Gardneria and is determined to eradicate any opposition.

In fact, Vogel doesn't even want submission, his goal is more ominous.

Elloren continues to gain confidence as the bonds of loyalty grow among her friends, and she commits herself to do all she can to protect those threatened with slavery, imprisonment, and death. 

A lot of action and a little romance kept me turning the pages, but mainly I loved the way these young people are risking everything to stand up for their friends.  Although Rafe and Diana are secondary characters, they are among my very favorites.

An epic YA fantasy, and I can't wait for the next installment!

NetGalley/Harlequin Teen

YA Fantasy.  Sept. 18, 2018.  



Edinburgh Dusk is also a second in a series by Carole Lawrence.  After a perfectly ugh prologue, the book improved.  It is better than the first book in the series, although I didn't review the first book here.

I love Edinburgh so I couldn't help giving the series another try.  While I did like this one better (aside from the yucky prologue), I still couldn't quite get a feel for Ian Hamilton.  

The Hamlet trope was way overdone.

Favorite character:  Conan Doyle is a secondary character that will probably be in the next book as well.  We even get a cameo appearance of Dr. Bell, Doyle's mentor.  

Reviews of Edinburgh Twilight ran the gamut from one to five stars on Goodreads (I gave it a generous 3), but so far the reviews of Edinburgh Dusk are positive.  Since twilight and dusk are synonyms, maybe one should have had a different title.  I don't know that I'd try another in this series.

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer

Historical Mystery.  Sept. 18, 2018.  

And just for fun:

Imaginary Foods

Atlas Obscura asked readers to tell them what fictional foods they wished were real and to describe what they think they would taste like.  

One example:  

Cauldron Cakes from the Harry Potter series

What might it taste like?“A small sponge cake with a ganache, a smooth interior that tastes like chocolate and pepper. So, a spicy chocolate taste. I love sweets and I adore the world of Harry Potter. I immediately envisioned chocolate, and the ‘cauldron’ makes me think spicy. I imagine a delectable treat.” — Cherie, Jacksonville, Florida 

 P.S.  This one had me at ganache (a whipped filling of chocolate and creme), but I have a friend who adds a little pepper to her chocolate cookies--and they are delicious.  I think Cherie has imagined a great description for Cauldron Cakes.

Letters

I'm a fan of snail mail (although I mostly keep that to my other blog), but this might appeal to readers of comics and graphic novels!  I found this at Letter Writers Alliance--
Comics and Correspondence Club for August.

Thursday, August 16th, 2018 - Join Donovan Challenger for an evening of corresponding postally with your favorite comics via letter. Every month, we'll focus on sending mail (real, physical mail) to a specific comic. Need to talk about your feelings on WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT THING? Or WHY DID THEY DO THE OTHER THING? Or HOW DARE THEY? Or even HEY, I LIKE YOU A LOT! We know you have opinions. Time to share them with the people who are actually responsible. No more excuses! We'll have stationery and stamps, envelopes and everything else you need to take the conversation out of the store and into the mail.

They will be writing to Marjory Liu and Sana Takeda, creators of the Monstress fantasy series.  

in care of:

Image Comics, Inc.
2701 NW Vaughn Street, Suite 780
Portland, Oregon 97210

If you live in Chicago, you might want to attend, but if you don't, it is an interesting idea that you could do on your own.  Write to the writers, illustrators, or to one of your favorite characters.

If you read graphic novels, what character or series would you want to write to?  Have any of you read any of the Monstress series?  I love the covers.

Little Comfort by Edwin Hill

  Readers always have a soft spot for librarians, and Edwin Hill has a librarian as the protagonist in his debut novel Little Comfort.

Hester Thursby, Harvard librarian, has taken a leave of absence to help her partner care for his young niece.  Hester has a side job, however; she implements her research skills to locate people.  The prom date in 1974, adopted children, or birth parents--Hester uses her skills to find those who may be missing from someone's life.

Hester adores Kate, but the little one is causing some disruption in Hester's life.  As much as she loves Kate, suddenly thrust in the role of caregiver to a small child was never in Hester's life plan, and she occasionally finds herself bored.  

When a call from Lila Blaine requesting help in locating her brother that she hasn't seen in twelve years, Hester agrees to meet her and find out more.  Intrigued by the sporadic postcards Lila has received over the years, Hester agrees to see if she can locate Sam Blaine and the best friend he ran away with at fourteen.

Why did Sam and Gabe run away in the first place?  Why are the postcards so cryptic?  

Hester follows the clues and finds herself in a situation she never bargained for.

Read in June; blog review scheduled for August 13.

NetGalley/Kensington Books

Mystery/Suspense.  August 28, 2018.  Print length:  324 pages. 

Keep Her Silent by Theresa Talbot

Keep Her Silent is less interesting for its plot than for the premise involving the tainted blood scandal in the UK.  This horrific situation involved America, a Canadian drug company, and corpses from Russia.  You really can't make this stuff up.  

I wasn't as engaged with the murder plot or the characters (Oonagh was annoying), but truth is stranger than fiction in this situation--and that part of the story kept me engaged.  

When a police investigation into the Raphael Murders is reopened, investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil discovers more questions than answers, but her interviews and research cause her to examine the original investigation with a different perspective.  She's often wrong-footed and her discoveries are almost stumbled on, but she eventually knows the murders were not what they seemed.

Britain's Contaminated Blood Scandal

Scandal Not Confined to Britain

Can you imagine if your child was one of the Pups?  "The acronym used was Pups – previously untreated patients. They were in effect being experimented on."
----
There are numerous articles online about the tainted blood scandal, but the corruption, greed, arrogance, and cover-up  involved is sickening.  Theresa May has ordered a new inquiry which may bring some semblance of justice.

Read in July; blog review scheduled for Aug. 9.

NetGalley/Aria

Crime/Suspense.  Aug. 21, 2018.  Print length:  301 pages.

Not the Booker Shortlist & Other Tidbits

Not the Booker Shortlist, with one more to be selected. 

The only one of these I've read is Dark Pines, which I enjoyed,
especially its deaf protagonist Tuva Moodyson.
I'm also interested in The Ruin, a new crime series set in Ireland.

---

Writers opinions of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.
Despite many disparaging remarks about the classic,
writers like Virginia Woolfe, Joan Didion, Alice Hoffman,
and Joyce Carol Oates all admired it.
Interesting to read their views!
---

There is a word for everything,

even it is from another language.

Source

The Black Witch by Laurie Forest

The Black Witch by Laurie Forest will unsettle some.  It is both fantasy and allegory.   As a fantasy, The Black Witch provides intriguing characters, excellent world-building, and a suspenseful plot.  As an allegory, it is an examination of a xenophobic world that ascribes to a superior race doctrine and of the young people who, despite their differences and long-held prejudices, learn to accept others and commit to a resistance of the regime.

Most of Gardneria still reveres the Black Witch who saved them during the Realm War, but Elloren has been sheltered from that sycophantic admiration.  She has also had the advantage of her uncle's care which has shielded her from the worst of a society that degrades minorities.  

When Elloren finally gets her wish to attend university to study to be an apothecary, she meets the kind of prejudices her country has instilled.  She must acknowledge that those prejudices are reciprocal:  those that vilify other cultures are vilified in turn.  Being the granddaughter of the Black Witch is admired by Gardnerians, but other cultures despise the connection.  It isn't an easy lesson, but Elloren does learn, slowly and painfully, that preconceived ideas about other races works both ways.

Allegories can be preachy, but The Black Witch provides interesting characters and a suspenseful plot that we know will reach beyond discrimination of different races/cultures (Elves, Fae, Lupines,  Kelts, and "mixed breeds") to something far worse.  

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, even as I felt it to be a bit didactic, because it so clearly fits our own era of divisiveness and fear of others.  As a YA novel, it has both good lessons and an exciting story.

Read in July 

NetGalley/Harlequin Teen

YA/Fantasy.  May 2, 2017.   

Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper

 Devastated by the loss of the fishing industry, the folks of the small Newfoundland village of Big Running gradually abandoned their homes to find work elsewhere.  The Connors, however, have hung on, trying to wait for the cod to return to their waters.  Our Homesick Songs is a beautiful tale of  tradition, the power of songs, and mythic family stories.  Loved it.

The above paragraph is from a short mention I made of this book on my other blog, and I intended to write a longer review here, but really, that paragraph encapsulates my feelings.

The writing style is a little unusual, but it doesn't take long to adjust and become part of the story.  Hooper's style works beautifully, almost melodically.  The characters are wonderful--all of them, but Finn and Cora are especially inspiring for their faith in a future they go about working for in different ways.

I savored the experience of reading this magical and ultimately hopeful tale of a vanishing way of life and the struggles to hold on.  It is one of my favorite books this year.

Highly Recommended.

Read in May; blog review scheduled for July 31.

NetGalley/Simon & Schuster

Literary Fiction.  August 14, 2018.  Print length:  336 pages.

Mazes and Labyrinths

Mazes and labyrinths have such mystery attached to them--from the fear of being lost and confused in a maze...

 Source

 to the meditative process of walking a labyrinth as a spiritual exercise.  

Source

I found this article that examines the way writers use the concept:  Myths, Monsters, and the Maze: How Writers Fell in Love with the Labyrinth.  You have to scroll way down to get to the parts that interested me, but it begins with a gift from a guide in Knossos (Mrs. Grammatiki) to a little girl (the author, Charlotte Higgins) and how years later, the guide and the grown woman began a fascinating correspondence about mazes and authors.  

I didn't realize the etymology of the word clue.

"The Minotaur’s lair in Chaucer’s The Legend of Good Women is “crinkled to and fro”, and “shapen as the mase is wroght”. To find his way through it, Theseus must use the “clewe of twyne” that Ariadne gives him. The word “clewe” derives from Old English cliwen or cleowen, meaning a rounded mass, or a ball of thread. Eventually it became our word “clue”. It lost its material significance, and retained only its metaphorical meaning. But still, there it is, hidden but present: the clewe is in the clue (and the clue is in the clewe). Every step towards solving a mystery, or a crime, or a puzzle, or the riddle of the self, is a length of yarn tossed us by the helping hand of Ariadne."


There is an interesting discussion of Stanley Kubric's The Shining and the three mazes:  the hedge, the model, and the hotel itself...and young Danny as a Labyrinth walker.  

The correspondence between Charlotte Higgins and Mrs. Grammatiki began with letters and then became emails:

In her last email to me, Mrs Grammatiki wrote this: “I sometimes imagine that Daedalus, when he designed his labyrinth, must have re-created the ridges and convoluted folds of his own brain in the form of a building, as if it were a self-portrait. Do you not find that an image of the human brain resembles a labyrinth? And if Daedalus’s labyrinth is a diagram of the brain, it is therefore also a symbol of the imagination. It represents the manner in which humans make associations, one thought following another in a long procession, from the edge to the centre to the end. Stories have this comfort to them: they have a beginning and an end. They find a way out of the labyrinth.”

 How I love the idea of the brain as a labyrinth!

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson (and some interesting links)

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson is set in the same world as The Remnant Chronicles.  I've now caught up with all the books in The Remnant Chronicles.  Although Dance of Thieves started a little slow, when it kicked in, I couldn't put it down.

A YA fantasy with romance and adventure, likable characters, and secret missions.  The relationship between Kazi and Jase begins with anger and suspicion and quickly proceeds to secret attraction and respect, but there are suspicions even as they learn to trust each other.  Dance of Thieves is a YA novel with a certain innocent charm.

The pacing varies, and there are a few sections that could have been more concisely rendered, but truthfully, I didn't mind much as it was a world I became committed to and didn't want to end.

The plot is completed in one sense, but the last chapter is a kind of brief "preview" of what will provide the complication in the next book.  

Read in June;  blog review scheduled for July 26.

NetGalley/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

YA Fantasy/Adventure.  August 7, 2018.  Print length:  384 pages.
-------------
Interesting Links:

How Minecraft Is Helping Kids Fall in Love with Books    
Read the book, then play the game.

The Great Thai Cave Escape?  Please Hollywood Don't Do This to Us

Nebraska Tribe Becomes a Solar Power Leader on the Plains

The Deepest Grave and The Last Hours: Historical Mysteries

The Deepest Grave by Jeri Westerson continues the adventures of the Tracker Crispin Guest, a degraded knight whose loyalty to John of Gaunt cost him everything.

From the book description:  "London, 1392. Strange mischief is afoot at St Modwen's Church. Are corpses stalking the graveyard at night, disturbing graves, and dragging coffins?"

I've enjoyed this series and watching Crispin's character become less surly and resentful as he has adapted to the changes in his life.  Of course, with the above teaser about walking corpses, I wasn't about to miss this one.

When Crispin is asked to investigate the revenants, he is a bit torn between skepticism and fear, but skepticism and curiosity win.  Jack, on the other hand, wants no part of the graveyard at night. 

Philippa Walcote (! from Crispin's past) also requires the Tracker's help, and a reluctant Crispin discovers a secret he never expected.  How can the two cases be related?

Despite Crispin's cynical attitude toward holy relics, relics continue to return to him. :)

Read in April; blog review scheduled for July 24.

NetGalley/Severn House

Historical Mystery.  August 1, 2018.  Print length:  224 pages.

From book description:  "June, 1348: the Black Death enters England through the port of Melcombe in the county of Dorsetshire. Unprepared for the virulence of the disease, and the speed with which it spreads, the people of the county start to die in their thousands. "

I love historical fiction, but have to admit to being surprised that one of my favorite authors of dark psychological fiction has returned with a novel set during the first outbreak of the the plague. The Black Death was, really, the first dystopian situation.  

In The Last Hours, Lady Ann of Develish cuts her estate off from the rest of the world in time to prevent the disease from laying waste to her people.  Lady Ann is a strong character with a better understanding of disease and contagion than most from her years in an abbey before her marriage.  The enforced quarantine gives the people in the Manor a chance to survive.

Safety from the contagion is only part of the problem, however.  As time passes, there is also the threat of starvation.  Eventually, Thaddeus Thurkill and a few adolescents leave the safety of the Manor seeking supplies.

The novel has several stories going on and plenty of well-rounded characters, both good and bad.  This is a story of personalities united in survival mode.  Carrying on the dystopian idea, those infected by the plague are reminiscent of  zombies.  The infected carry death and no one understands how or why.  

I'm always in for survivor stories.

Well-researched, but modern enough in thought and language to create a fascinating tale of the endurance of humanity against the odds. 

The incident in which Thaddeus is frightened by a cat made me curious. From a brief mention I made on my other blog when I finished reading:  An interesting side-note:  The plague has devastated the countryside, entire villages dead or fled.  The Dorset countryside is largely bereft of the living when a character investigates an abandoned building that, unaccountably, has no evidence of rats.  Thaddeus is initially terrified when a strange creature jumps out at him. A demon with strange eyes?  The young man had heard of cats, but never seen one because the Church considered them familiars of witches. 

When I read the section about the Church associating cats with evil, I was surprised.  I'd never heard that before--which is when I did a little research and found plenty of authentication.   The Church at the time preached against cats, which were associated with witches and the devil and were often killed.  In some areas, cats were essentially unknown.  Some authorities believe that the prejudice against cats was one of the reasons the plague was so devastating in certain areas--the rat population had no predators.(from Bayouquilts)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and there is a sequel in the works--but then I love history and historical novels.

Read in March; blog review scheduled for July 24.

NetGalley/Harlequin-Mira

Historical Fiction.  August 7, 2018.  Print length:  547 pages.  

OOPS--didn't realize I'd scheduled two posts for the same day! 

The Beauty of Darkness, The Hawthorne Season, and Postcards from a Stranger

The Beauty of Darkness concludes The Remnant Chronicles trilogy.  Of course, as expected, Lia escapes Venda, but things don't necessarily go right after the escape.

Spoilers:  The Komizar is not dead.  It takes Lia a while to admit that the nemesis of her country (and the rest of this imaginary world) didn't die.  

There is relationship drama in this one as politics, duty, and personal feelings conflict.  There are some expected and unexpected situations that hold promise for more in this world.

Sometimes a little slow, I think there were areas that diluted the action; then the conclusion wraps things up in fairly short order, maybe too quickly.  

I'm glad I went back and finished the trilogy as it gave some background to Dance of Thieves, the new series set in the same world.  

Read The Beauty of Darkness in June; blog review scheduled for July 24.

Purchased.

YA/Fantasy.  2016.  Print length: 679 pages.  

The Hawthorne Season by Riccardo Bruni provided an imaginary relief from the heat.  Set in a small Italian town at a time when people are beginning to anticipate the end of winter, there is plenty of snow, numerous secrets, and hidden agendas.

Giulio Rodari has been placed under house arrest at his mother's hotel in the mountains.  Accused of murdering his former girlfriend, Giulio admits to stalking her, but has no memory at all of her murder.  The problem lies in his reaction to alcohol.  Giulio has only drunk alcohol twice in his life, and both times have resulted in loss of memory.

Giulio, an author/illustrator of children's books, doesn't want to believe himself guilty of the crime, and the only way to know for sure is to try to recover the blanks in the hours after he confronted Patrizia in a drunken rage.

Could some of the secrets in his small hometown have any connection? Although Guilio is an important character, there are other characters who are equally important.  The Marshall, Viola, his mother and her friends and frenemies have differing opinions about the possible construction of a waste plant in the middle of their venerated "old woods."  

An odd assortment of characters, small town secrets and rivalries, and a winter setting kept me intrigued from beginning to end.

NetGalley/Amazon Crossing.

Mystery.  Aug. 14, 2018.  Print length:  288 pages.

Cara has been caring for her father who suffers from Alzheimer's.  Her father was a strict and controlling influence in her life, but is now a sad shell of the man he had been.  Cara finally hires help in caring for him, and Mrs. P becomes an important addition to the household.

On discovering a box of postcards in the attic, Cara realizes that her mother did not die when she was two years old as she has always been told.  Stunned, Cara can no longer get any information from her father, but is determined to find out the truth.  Her brother is reluctant to get involved, and Cara realizes that he knows more about the situation than he is willing to reveal.

Determined to discover what led to her mother's absence, Cara pursues the few clues she has.  In the process, she learns some things about herself as well as family secrets.

Well-written and interesting, Postcards from a Stranger covers several absorbing dynamics:  family relationships, caring for a dementia patient, friendships new and old, loneliness and longing.  

Read in June.  Review scheduled for July 24.

NetGalley/Lake Union Publishing

Contemporary Fiction.  August 7, 2018.  Print length:  398 pages.

What Happened that Night by Sandra Block

Sandra Block's What Happened That Night is an intense examination of a brutal crime.  Justice or revenge?

After Harvard senior Dahlia is the victim of a callous rape, she drops out of school suffering from loss of memory and PTSD.  Eventually, she becomes a paralegal, and although the events of that night continue to haunt her, she remains unable to recall who was responsible.

Fortunately, Dahlia does have a good support system with her friends and makes an effort to endure the anger she continues to feel toward her unknown attackers.

Then a video of her rape appears online.  Dahlia is again humiliated, but her rage is fierce.  Now she knows where to begin to make payback for what she has suffered.  James, a co-worker, comes up with a plan....

If not entirely believable, you can't help but sympathize with Dahlia's determination to expose the young men who have gone on to live their lives without any repercussions. And Dahlia was not the only victim.  Of course, when the perpetrators realize that she knows who they are and is intent on unmasking them, they are not going to take it lying down.

Short chapters told from both Dahlia's and Jame's pov keep this novel moving rapidly.

NetGalley/Source Books

Crime/Suspense.  June 5, 2018.  Print length:  352 pages.

Expose by Danielle Girard

Expose is the third book in this series featuring Anna Swartzman, but the first I've read.

What I liked:  Hal.  The forensics.

Not so much:  Women tortured and killed by evil psychopath.  One psychopath isn't enough, so add Anna's ex-lover to the mix.  Oh, and a cliff-hanger.

Although I received this one from NetGalley, all three books in the series are available at KindleUnlimited.  

Read in June.  Blog review scheduled for July 17.

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer

Mystery/Crime.  July 24, 2018.  Print length:  378 pages.



Just for fun...

A Measure of Darkness, Spring Shadow, and Summer Storm

A Measure of Darkness (Clay Edison #2)

Last year I read Crime Scene, the first in this series in which father and son collaborate and liked it very much.  (reviewed here)  

Long a fan of the Alex Delaware novels by Jonathan Kellerman and having enjoyed the first in the Clay Edison series, I genuinely looked forward to A Measure of Darkness.  

I'm sorry to say that this one didn't do much for me-- in characterization, plot, or writing.   In some places it seemed to try too hard, in others, not hard enough.  There were a couple of spots that I had to reread because I thought I'd missed something.  

Maybe it was just me because the ratings on Goodreads so far are three 5* and one 4*.  

Read in May; blog review scheduled for July 13.

NetGalley/Random House/Ballentine

Crime/Mystery.  July 31, 2018.  Print Length: 352 pages. 

I reviewed Winter Song, the first in this series a while back.  Spring Shadow is the second stand-alone mystery in the Seasons Pass series featuring Houston Homicide Detective Noah Daugherty.  

Noah, who trained as a classical musician, is assigned as  bodyguard/band member for a singer who has been threatened.  Paige is an up-and-comer in the country music business and the mayor doesn't want any bad publicity associated with scheduled outdoor concert--so a reluctant Noah becomes a babysitter for Paige. 

An entertaining mystery that keeps you a little off-balance about Paige's past and the identity and purpose of the stalker. 

Noah and his partner Connor are engaging characters, and we get more personal background about each in this book.  Watching characters gradually develop from book to book keeps a freshness to a series, and the plot is interesting.  While I didn't like it as much as the first book, Spring Shadow kept me involved throughout.

Kindle Unlimited

Crime/Mystery.  2016.  326 pages.

There have been a number of baby food scandals over the years (check Clean Label for some studies that list some of the toxins and heavy metals in various infant products).  Susan C. Muller's Summer Storm bases her mystery on the murder of a CEO of a company whose products target those vulnerable children requiring special diets.

Noah and Connor investigate the original murder, but find themselves bereft of suspects as each person who may have wanted CEO Madlyn Gwinn dead--ends up dead in turn.   

Powerful people attempt to avoid exposure and a hurricane threatens the city as Noah and Connor struggle to unravel this mystery.  Connor, whose wife is expecting their first child, has a personal concern, and Noah, having set himself a deadline associated with his past, is fighting his own demons.

Another good addition to Susan C. Muller's series.

(Stories that bring to light sometimes overlooked news reports intrigue me.  I was shocked at the content of some respected baby foods and infant formulas reviewed by Clean Label.)

Kindle Unlimited.

Crime/Suspense.  2017.  Print length:  288 pages.