Category: book review

Book Review: Checking Out Crime, by Laurie Cass

Image belongs to Berkley.

Title:  Checking Out Crime
Author:  Laurie Cass
Genre:  Cozy mystery
Rating:  4 out of 5

Librarian Minnie Hamilton and her clever cat Eddie solve a purr-fect murder, in the newest installment of the delightful Bookmobile Cat Mystery series.

Minnie and her rescue cat Eddie can often be found out and about in their bookmobile near Chilson, Michigan, delivering great reads to grateful patrons all over the county. But they always brake for trouble, and when Minnie sees a car speeding away down the road, and soon comes upon a dead bicyclist, she assumes she just missed seeing a hit-and-run.

Minnie is determined to discover who was behind the wheel, but it soon turns out that things are far more complicated than they seem and there’s more to this case than meets the eye. Luckily, this librarian is ready to read the killer his rights.

This was a quick, easy read. I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, but that wasn’t a problem. I’d call this a standard cozy mystery, with the MC never in any danger and a quirky setting. Eddie was my favorite character, as his personality is bigger than any of the other characters. If you need an effortless read, this is it.

Laurie Cass is a bestselling author. Checking Out Crime is her newest novel.

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

Book Review: Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley

Image belongs to Macmillan/Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Title:  Firekeeper’s Daughter
Author:  Angeline Boulley
Genre:  YA
Rating:   5 out of 5

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.

This is an incredible book! From the very first page, I was invested in Daunis and her story. The cultural details come to shimmering life on the page, and though I’m unfamiliar with the culture, the details made me feel like part of everything—even the hockey, which is a big part of the storyline. Daunis herself is an extraordinary character: a strong woman surrounded by strong women who frequently have their strength stolen or attacked by men. You should definitely read this!

Angeline Boulley has had a career in Indian education at the tribal, state, and national levels and is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Firekeeper’s Daughter is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan/Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Girl who Stole the Elephant, by Nizrana Farook

Image belongs to Peachtree Publishing Company.

Title:  The Girl who Stole the Elephant
Author:  Nizrana Farook
Genre:  Middle-grade
Rating:  4 out of 5

Chaya, a nobleman’s rebellious, outspoken, no-nonsense daughter, just can’t resist the shiny temptations the king’s palace has to offer. But playing Robin Hood for her impoverished community doesn’t come without risks, and when Chaya steals the queen’s jewels from a bedside table—a messy getaway jeopardizes the life of a close friend. After an equally haphazard prison break, Chaya barely escapes on the king’s prized elephant! With leeches and revolution lurking in the jungle, Chaya leads her companions on a thrilling adventure. After leaving her village as a thief, can she return as a hero? Or will Chaya’s sticky fingers be the beginning—or the end—of everything for the intrepid gang?

This was a cute, fun read. Chaya is a Robin Hood character, stealing from the evil, rich king to help people—until her best friend winds up in jail and sentenced to death for one of her thefts. There’s lots of adventure here and a vibrant setting as Chaya learns a lesson about how to treat others and taking responsibilities for her actions.

Nizrana Farook was born in Sri Lanka. The Girl Who Stole the Elephant is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Peachtree Publishing Company in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Odin’s Child, by Siri Pettersen

Image belongs to Arctis.

Title:  Odin’s Child
Author:  Siri Pettersen
Genre:  Fantasy
Rating:  5 out of 5

15-year-old Hirka has always been an outsider in the world of Ym: she’s the only person without a tail, and the only one unable to access the Might, a current of power that runs through the earth.

Her differences become more and more of a concern as the date approaches for the Rite—the ceremony where everyone is to be blessed by the all-knowing Seer and the Council of powerful families who rule in His name. With only a few weeks until the Rite, Hirka discovers the shocking secret behind why she is tailless and Mightless: she is not from this world. As an infant, she was brought through an ancient stone circle known as a Raven Ring, and as long as she’s in Ym, the passageway between worlds remains open inviting terrifying creatures called the blind to follow.

No one can know the truth of Hirka’s identity, especially not Rime, her childhood friend who just might become something more. But is Rime is hiding secrets of his own?

I was enthralled in this from the very first page! Hirka is a fantastic character, and I couldn’t wait to see what she’d do next. The mythology and culture in this book is so well-done it all felt natural, like I was watching familiar scenes play out before my eyes, yet it’s quite unique and not like anything I’ve seen before. Vivid characters and setting bring this story to life, and I cannot read to read the rest of the trilogy!

Siri Pettersen lives in Norway. Odin’s Child is the first of the Ravneringene/The Raven Rings Series.

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

Book Review and Blog Tour: Tell No Lies, by Allison Brennan

Image belongs to Harlequin/MIRA.

Title:  Tell No Lies
Author:  Allison Brennan
Genre:  Thriller, mystery
Rating:  4 out of 5

Something mysterious is killing the wildlife in the desert hills just south of Tucson, Arizona. When Emma Perez, a college-intern-turned activist, sets out to collect her own evidence, she too ends up dead. Local law enforcement seems slow to get involved. That’s when the mobile FBI unit goes undercover to infiltrate the town and the copper refinery located there in search of possible leads. Costa and Quinn find themselves scouring the desolate landscape that keeps on giving up clues to something much darker—greed, child trafficking, other killings. As the body count continues to add up, it’s clear they have stumbled on more than they bargained for. Now they must figure out who is at the heart of this mayhem and stop them before more innocent lives are lost.

I don’t think I’ve read the first book in this series—yet—but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The desert setting is vividly drawn and almost becomes a character in the story, both its beauty and the darkness hidden within it. I liked the whole undercover team, but the two MC and their interactions were the best. I can’t imagine pretending to be someone you’re not like that, but their viewpoints made it make sense, and I was totally invested in their investigation.

Allison Brennan is a bestselling author. Tell No Lies is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: Danger in Numbers, by Heather Graham

Image belongs to Harlequin/MIRA.

Title:  Danger in Numbers
Author:  Heather Graham
Genre:  Mystery/thriller
Rating:  4 out of 5

On the edge of the Everglades, a brutal murder and an eerie crime scene set off an investigation that sends two agents deep into a world of corrupted faith, greed and deadly secrets.

A ritualistic murder on the side of a remote road brings in the Florida state police. Special Agent Amy Larson has never seen worse, and there are indications that this killing could be just the beginning. The crime draws the attention of the FBI in the form of Special Agent Hunter Forrest, a man with insider knowledge of how violent cults operate, and a man who might never be able to escape his own past.

The rural community is devastated by the death in their midst, but people know more than they are saying. As Amy and Hunter join forces, every lead takes them further into the twisted beliefs of a dangerous group that will stop at nothing to see their will done.

This was a solid thriller read, as Graham’s novels usually are. The setting was vivid enough to give me the creeps—no thank you to living in a small town on the edge of the Everglades—with or without the creepy cult nearby. I like both of the main characters, and I’d definitely read the next book in the series.

Heather Graham is a bestselling author. Danger in Numbers is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Namesake, by Adrienne Young

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  Namesake
Author:  Adrienne Young
Genre:  YA
Rating:   5 out of 5

Trader. Fighter. Survivor.

With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and its crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when she becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order to get to her intended destination she must help him to secure a partnership with Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems.

As Fable descends deeper into a world of betrayal and deception she learns that her mother was keeping secrets, and those secrets are now putting the people Fable cares about in danger. If Fable is going to save them then she must risk everything, including the boy she loves and the home she has finally found.

I have read—and loved—everything Adrienne Young has published, and I was so excited to read this. And it did not disappoint! I read it straight through in one siting, and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next! Lots of action, intrigue, betrayal, adventure, and a bit of romance makes this unputdownable!

Adrienne Young is a bestselling author. Namesake is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Memory Collectors, by Kim Neville

Image belongs to Atria Books.

Title:  The Memory Collectors
Author:  Kim Neville
Genre:  Fiction, magical realism
Rating:  4.0 out of 5

Ev has a mysterious ability, one that she feels is more a curse than a gift. She can feel the emotions people leave behind on objects and believes that most of them need to be handled extremely carefully, and—if at all possible—destroyed. The harmless ones she sells at Vancouver’s Chinatown Night Market to scrape together a living, but even that fills her with trepidation. Meanwhile, in another part of town, Harriet hoards thousands of these treasures and is starting to make her neighbors sick as the overabundance of heightened emotions start seeping through her apartment walls.

When the two women meet, Harriet knows that Ev is the only person who can help her make something truly spectacular of her collection. A museum of memory that not only feels warm and inviting but can heal the emotional wounds many people unknowingly carry around. They only know of one other person like them, and they fear the dark effects these objects had on him. Together, they help each other to develop and control their gift, so that what happened to him never happens again. But unbeknownst to them, the same darkness is wrapping itself around another, dragging them down a path that already destroyed Ev’s family once, and threatens to annihilate what little she has left.

This was an odd book. Maybe quirky would be a better word, but either way, it’s unusual. It’s different, but the way Ev and Harriet see the world, the way their minds work, made for fascinating reading. No matter what Harriet tries to tell herself, she’s a hoarder. And reading about the hoarder house was moderately terrifying. Marie Kondo she is not. This book is also not light reading—there are heavy, sad topics and dark emotions all throughout, but it is also very intriguing.

Kim Neville lives in Canada. The Memory Collectors is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Sweet Taste of Muscadines, by Pamela Terry

Image belongs to Random House/Ballantine.

Title:  The Sweet Taste of Muscadines

Author:  Pamela Terry

Genre:  Southern fiction

Rating:  5 out of 5

Lila Bruce Breedlove never quite felt at home in Wesleyan, Georgia, especially after her father’s untimely demise when she was a child. Both Lila and her brother, Henry, fled north after high school, establishing fulfilling lives of their own. In contrast, their younger sister, Abigail, opted to remain behind to dote on their domineering, larger-than-life mother, Geneva. Yet despite their independence, Lila and Henry know deep down that they’ve never quite reckoned with their upbringing.

When their elderly mother dies suddenly and suspiciously in the muscadine arbor behind the family estate, Lila and Henry return to the town that essentially raised them. But as they uncover more about Geneva’s death, shocking truths are revealed that overturn the family’s history as they know it, sending the pair on an extraordinary journey to chase a truth that will dramatically alter the course of their lives.

I love the voice in this! Granted, Southern fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres, but the voice is phenomenal. The author does a wonderful job of portraying life in a southern town—with all its vivid, memorable characters—as well as the beauty of Scotland and its people. Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about this. Just go read it!

Pamela Terry is a lifelong Southerner. The Sweet Taste of Muscadines is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Bounty, by Janet Evanovich; Steve Hamilton

Image belongs to Atria Books.

Title:  The Bounty
Author:  Janet Evanovich; Steve Hamilton
Genre:  Mystery/thriller
Rating:  3.5 out of 5

Straight as an arrow special agent Kate O’Hare and international con man Nick Fox have brought down some of the biggest criminals out there. But now they face their most dangerous foe yet—a vast, shadowy international organization known only as the Brotherhood.

Directly descended from the Vatican Bank priests who served Hitler during World War II, the Brotherhood is on a frantic search for a lost train loaded with $30 billion in Nazi gold, untouched for over seventy-five years somewhere in the mountains of Eastern Europe.

Kate and Nick know that there is only one man who can find the fortune and bring down the Brotherhood—the same man who taught Nick everything he knows—his father, Quentin. As the stakes get higher, they must also rely on Kate’s own father, Jake, who shares his daughter’s grit and stubbornness. Too bad they can never agree on anything.

From a remote monastery in the Swiss Alps to the lawless desert of the Western Sahara, Kate, Nick, and the two men who made them who they are today must crisscross the world in a desperate scramble to stop their deadliest foe in the biggest adventure of their lives.

I’m a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum series (well, a huge fan of the first 10 books, then a slightly lesser fan of the rest of them—and I haven’t read the last two.) and I think I read the first book in this series as well.

I enjoyed this read, but it seemed pretty cliched and predictable, like an over-the-top action movie that ends just as you expect it to. I never felt any of the characters were truly in danger, and no matter how seemingly impossible whatever obstacle the characters faced was, it always seemed to have a simple solution—one based more on luck and chance with a bit of deus ex machina thrown in for good measure (I’m looking at you, big guy).

Janet Evanovich is a bestselling author. Steve Hamilton is an award-winning author. Their newest book is The Bounty.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)