Category: book review

Book Review: Shamus Dust, by Janet Roger

Title: Shamus Dust
Author: Janet Roger
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5

Newman is an American PI living in London just after World War II. The city is still a bombed-out wreck—and the people are worse. Early on Christmas morning, Newman receives a call from City Councilor Drake, who tells him to meet an investigator at the murder scene of Raymond Jarrett. The investigator isn’t there, so Newman stars asking questions. Jarrett was a blackmailer and a pimp, so there are a lot of people who might have wanted him dead—but who went through with it?

With the bodies piling up and his own life in danger, Newman is determined to find the killer. But as the suspects keep turning up dead and more questions keep stacking up, Newman realizes the truth has links all over the financial district—and the wealthy have more money and less scruples than he thought.

I’ll say straight away that detective noir stories are not my usual fair. They don’t normally hold my interest. This one did. The setting is incredibly well-realized and realistic—not to mention depressing—and the characters are…quite the character(s). I prefer more connection with the main characters I read, so the distance from Newman was a problem for me, but I realize that’s personal preference. This was well-written and very gritty, and I didn’t figure out who the killer was.

Janet Roger is an award-winning author. Shamus Dust is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Husband Material, by Emily Belden

Title: Husband Material
Author: Emily Belden
Genre: Women’s fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Charlotte Rosen is 29, has a great job at an up-and-coming company, a data-driven mind, a cute dog, and a secret that not even her roommate for years knows: she’s a widow. Since the day her world crumpled to pieces, Charlotte has done her best to move forward. Now she’s intent on going on enough dates—and gathering enough data—to find her perfect man.

What Charlotte wasn’t expecting was her late husband’s ashes to show up at her doorstep, a twist of fate that leaves her reeling—and reaching out. Now she’s determined to make sense of things, even if it means dealing with her formidable mother-in-law…or her late husband’s best friend. Then she discovers a secret so shocking it turns her memory of her husband on its head—and her search for answers leads her places she never would have imagined just days ago.

I liked Charlotte, with all her insecurities and neurotic tendencies. I can’t even imagine trying to keep something like a marriage and a husband a secret—although the way he died hit a little close to home for me. Charlotte has never really dealt with her loss and her guilt, but when those ashes show up at her door, she has no choice. The only thing that niggled at me during this read was how quickly her mother-in-law did an about-face…although I can kind of see it.

Emily Belden was a guest on The Today Show after she tiled her bedroom floor in over 60,000 pennies. Husband Material is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Graydon House via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Starborn, by Katie MacAlister

Title: Starborn
Author: Katie MacAlister
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5

After all the danger, fighting, and wars, peace now reigns in the seven lands of Alba. But Allegria and Hallow want to rescue their friend Deo, trapped in the shadowlands of Eris. And to do that , they need the three moonstones hidden years before.

As they search for the moonstones, they realize things aren’t quite as peaceful as they seem. Their captain—lifebound for many long years—warns them against heading to Eris by ship, but they are determined to rescue their friend. Even if it means their own deaths.

The banter and snarky humor make this a fun read, but I did feel some of the action was a bit rushed. I enjoyed the read, but it wasn’t as engrossing as the first one was, although if you need a dose of snarky humor and sarcasm, this is a sure bet.

Katie MacAlister is a best-selling author. Starborn is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Kensington Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: All That’s Bright and Gone, by Eliza Nellums

Title: All That’s Bright and Gone
Author: Eliza Nellums
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

There’s a lot that six-year-old Aoife doesn’t know. She doesn’t know why it’s not okay to talk to her friend Teddy around other people—Mama says he’s imaginary, but he’s not. She doesn’t know why Momma stopped the car in the middle of an intersection crying and screaming and talking to Aoife’s brother Theo—he’s dead, even Aoife knows that. She doesn’t know if Momma will be home from the hospital in time for the Fourth of July fireworks. But Aoife does know that if she can figure out who killed Theo, Momma will come home.

Uncle Donny takes Aoife home and says he’ll stay with her until Momma comes home, but she’s not sure she believes him. She has to figure out who killed Theo, but no one will even talk to her about him, so the only help she has is her eight-year-old neighbor. And Teddy—but sometimes he’s more interested in getting Aoife in trouble than anything. Finding out who killed Theo will bring Momma home, so Aoife is determined—even if she has to do it all by herself.

All That’s Bright and Gone was an interesting read. I’m not sure I’ve read anything from a six-year-old’s point-of-view, so that was novel. And Aoife is definitely special. The way she sees the world is both charming and terrifying, but her determination to save her family is inspiring. I actually saw things as Aoife saw them—not an adult looking through a child’s eyes—and the writing brought her world to life.

Eliza Nellums Lives in Washington D.C. All That’s Bright and Gone is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Dating Charade, by Melissa Ferguson

Title: The Dating Charade
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Cassie Everson has figured out the perfect way to escape from a bad date, and she’s not afraid to use it. After the latest in a string of horrible first dates, Cassie swears off dating and gives up on the idea of having a family of her own. Although an accident years ago left her unable to have biological children, as director of Girls Haven, she’s surrounded by girls every day and that will just have to be enough. That and admiring the cute firefighter across the street.

Jett Bentley is a firefighter recently back in his hometown when he catches a glimpse of Cassie Everson on a dating app. The Cassie Everson, whom he had a crush on back in high school when he was an awkward freshman and she was a popular senior. After a great first date where they both claim they don’t want children, they each return home to find themselves with three kids dropped on their doorstep.

Becoming an overnight parent to three kids was never in Jett’s plans, and while Cassie wanted kids, parenting is tougher than it looks. Add in their fledgling attraction to each other—not to mention their separate decisions to keep their three kids—each—a secret from each other—and things just got a whole lot more complicated.

The Dating Charade is a sweet, funny book. I loved both Cassie and Jett and watching their parenting fails was definitely full of laughs—especially Jett’s bathroom fiasco. I enjoyed this book from the start and read it straight through in one sitting. It’s nice to read something so positive and clean, with characters that you can relate to and that make you laugh.

Melissa Ferguson lives in Tennessee. The Dating Charade is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Weight of a Soul, by Elizabeth Tammi

Title: The Weight of a Soul
Author: Elizabeth Tammi
Genre: New Adult, YA
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Lena’s father is the chief of their Viking clan, but he’s always gone raiding, leaving Lena, her sister Fressa, and their mother behind to lead the clan. When Fressa dies suddenly and mysteriously, Lena is devasted, but after the clan mourns, it seems like she’s the only one still missing Fressa.

Determined to find out what happened to her sister and bring her back, Lena takes a dangerous journey to make a deal with Hela, the goddess of death. There’s a chance to save Fressa but fulfilling her end of the bargain will take Lena deeper into darkness than she can even imagine. For Fressa’s death is the start of a plan to cause Ragnarök—events leading to the destruction of the world. And Hela isn’t the only god involved.

The Weight of a Soul is vividly realized, with the setting coming to life and breathing on the page. The culture is fascinating and utterly believable. I loved the writing itself. I did not love Lena, though. I didn’t find her likable at all, and, while I sympathized with her grief over Fressa, her descent into darkness and willingness to ignore the grief and destruction she was causing made the book hard to read. Obviously, this is my own personal opinion, and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a read based in Norse mythology, Vikings, and…Loki.

Elizabeth Tammi was born in California, raised in Florida, and now attends journalism school in Georgia. The Weight of a Soul is her new novel.

(Galley courtesy of Flux via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Trace of Evil, by Alice Blanchard

Title: Trace of Evil
Author: Alice Blanchard
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5

Natalie Lockhart is a rookie detective in the town she grew up in. Burning Lake, New York has a dark past, full of covens, mysteries, and murder. Now Natalie’s been tasked with finding a link between the Missing Nine—nine homeless people who have gone missing over the years. And Natalie sees a connection she doesn’t like—a connection to a decades’ old death.

Then Daisy Buckner, a local schoolteacher turns ups dead, and the one suspect collapses into a coma only hours later. Everyone loved Daisy—or so Natalie thinks—but Daisy was hiding secrets, secrets that just might have gotten her killed. But the darkness in Burning Lake hides secrets that Natalie cannot even fathom.

Trace of Evil is well-written, compelling, and I didn’t have a clue who the killer was. (Either of them, actually.) But, two things caught my attention: 1) I never felt like I was truly experiencing Natalie’s thoughts and feelings. The point-of-view felt quite distant to me. And 2)…No one in this town—adult, teenager, police officer, no one—gave a second thought to the prevalence of covens. They were everywhere, as if it were a normal, expected part of the teenage experience. Which seemed weird to me, honestly. I have zero experience with a place where teenage covens are the norm, so this seemed just past far-fetched to me. But that’s just my own experience.

Alice Blanchard is an award-winning author. Trace of Evil is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Southern Harm, by Caroline Fardig

Title: Southern Harm
Author: Caroline Fardig
Genre: Mystery/thriller, women’s fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Quinn Bellandini just wants to enjoy her quiet life with her new boyfriend, Tucker, running her family’s B&B—and staying away from murder investigations. But when Quinn finds bones in Tucker’s Aunt Lela’s yard and Lela is accused of the 33-year-old murder of a homecoming queen, she and her sister Delilah end up on the case again.

Tucker is devastated by his aunt’s arrest, so Quinn wants to help. Soon she and Delilah are asking questions, talking to everyone from busybody neighbors to old high school teachers to society matrons. The case is cold, and people don’t want to talk, but Quinn keeps asking questions, and turns up answers that seem to lead to the least likely of suspects—including her own parents!

I enjoyed the second novel in the Southern B&B Mystery series. Fardig’s novels are always so enjoyable: light, funny, and charming, with quirky, likable characters. There’s a lot of family drama in this one—we are talking about the South, after all—and even the secondary characters are excellent. Lela is especially memorable, but so are the rest of this delightful cast.

Caroline Fardig is a bestselling author. Southern Harm is her newest novel, the second book in the Southern B&B Mystery series.

(Galley courtesy of Alibi via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Synapse, by Steven James

Title: Synapse
Author: Steven James
Genre: Suspense, thriller
Rating: 5 out of 5

Thirty years in the future, when AI is so advanced that humans live side by side with cognizant robots called Artificials, Kestrel Hathaway must come to terms not just with what machines know, but what they believe. Is hope real for them, or merely an illusion?

Kestrel Hathaway is a minister reeling from unthinkable tragedy when she witnesses a terrorist attack and steps in to render aid. When she’s questioned by the officials, she realizes the possibility of another attack—a devastating one—is looming, and she and her Artificial, Jordan, work together to untangle the lies and secrets wrapped around the attack.

Federal counterterrorism agent Nick Vernon is determined to stop the attack he knows is coming. He doesn’t want Kestrel in danger—but her insight might be just the thing he needs to break the case.

And Jordan is asking questions an Artificial should never ask; questions about life, God, and the afterlife. Where does the line between humanity and Artificial blur?

This book was a wild ride from the very first page. I read it straight through because I had to know what happened! I was very intrigued with Kestrel, who is a minister asking tough questions in the wake of tragedy. I’ve never read a suspense/thriller book with a minister as the main character, and I think every novel of this type set in the future that I’ve read has done away with the idea of faith and religion, so this was fascinating to read. I highly recommend this novel—but don’t start it unless you have a few free hours to kill right then!

Steven James is a bestselling author with a master’s degree in Storytelling. Synapse is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Lake Season, by Denise Hunter

Title: Lake Season
Author: Denise Hunter
Genre: Romance, Christian
Rating: 5 out of 5

After their parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her brother and sister decide to make their parents’ dream a reality: turning their historic home back into an inn. Molly will have to give up her dreams of Italy, but she knows it’s worth it to see her youngest sister finish high school at home in tiny Bluebell, North Carolina. Then Molly finds an unsent letter in the wall of the inn—a letter that tells of a love lost years ago in Bluebell. She wants to return the letter to its rightful owners but has no idea how to find them.

Adam Bradford, secretly bestselling novelist Nathaniel Quinn, is in Bluebell to research his next novel. Quiet and reclusive, he takes no chance on people finding out who he really is. But Molly and Adam become instant friends and soon he is just as fascinated with finding the lost letter’s recipient as she is. But Molly doesn’t know Adam is keeping secrets—and trust is one thing she holds sacred.

I loved this book! Sweet and simple, mixing the past and present together seamlessly as it explores Adam and Molly’s fears and issues as well as secrets from the past. I was invested from the first page, and I loved the characters—and the small town of Bluebell—as well as the family bond between Molly and her siblings.

Denise Hunter is a bestselling author who lives in Indiana. Lake Season is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

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