Tag: mystery

Tracing the Bones, by Elise A. Miller

tracing-the-bones
I do not own this image. Image belongs to SparkPress.

Elise A. Miller is a fitness instructor and a writer of both fiction and essays. Her first novel, Star Craving Mad, was first published in 2004. Tracing the Bones is her second novel.

Eve Myers is a housewife haunted by her husband’s long-ago affair. She has two kids, chronic back pain, and scribbles story ideas on scraps of paper as she drifts numbly through her monotonous life. Until a new family moves into the house next door.

Now Eve is obsessed with beautiful life coach Anna and sexy alternative healer Billy. Anna has abilities Eve never imagined, and Billy is haunted by a dark, troubled past. While Eve starts healing sessions with Billy, tragedy strikes, drawing Eve into a tangled web of suspicion and sending her marriage careening towards a precipice of mistrust and betrayal.

Tracing the Bones is a compelling, intriguing story about flawed characters and their struggles. I understood—and sympathized—with Eve’s pain as well as her curiosity. The aftermath of tragedy, and Eve’s ever-deepening involvement in the darkness offered her a chance at resolution and redemption. I enjoyed this book very much.

(Galley provided by SparkPress via NetGalley.)

What I Read in July

Seems like I didn’t do a whole lot of reading in July.

Lady Midnight, by Cassandra Clare. (Loved it!)

chronicles

Chronicles of a Last Summer, by Yasmine El Rashidi. (Read to review.)

and I darken

And I Darken, by Kiersten White. (Read to review.)

The Dragon Round

The Dragon Round, by Stephen S. Power. (Read to review.)

an elegant facace

An Elegant Facade, by Kristi Ann Hunter. (Read to review.)

Far from the Madding Crowd, by Thomas Hardy. (My classic for the month. This one was so-so to me.)

Daring Greatly, by Brune Brown. (My spiritual book for the month.)

Trixie Belden and the Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road, by Kathryn Kenny. (This one was from my TBR pile. I loved this series when I was younger, and it’s interesting to re-read them now. So…innocent.)

 

What I Read (in May)

Yeah, it’s been a while since I posted anything but a book review. I’ll work on that this week. Promise. Right now, here’s what I read in May. (Quite a few books as a reward for living through the semester.)

  • The Cresswell Plot, by Eliza Wass (for review.)
  • Fried Chicken and Gravy, by Sherri Schoenborn Murray. (This was actually a really cute, sweet book. I enjoyed it.)
  • The Scarlett Pimpernel, by Emmuska Orczy. (No idea why I’d never read this, but it was great.)
  • Close Enough to Hear God Breathe, by Greg Paul.
  • Smoke, by Dan Vyletea (for review.)
  • A Trail of Fire, by Diana Gabaldon. (Love these books.)
  • The Raven King, by Maggie Stiefvater. (Fantastic author. Fantastic series. Sad it’s over.)
  • Blue Lily, Lily Blue, by Maggie Stiefvater
  • My Best Friend’s Exorcism, by Grady Hendrix (for review).
  • Someone Else’s Love Story, by Joshilyn Jackson
  • Mug Shot, by Caroline Fardig (for review).
  • Anything You Want, by Geoff Harbach (for review).
  • Echoes of Silence, by Elana Johnson (for review on Amazon).
  • A Drop in the Ocean, by Jenni Ogden (for review, plus author interview).
  • The Never-Open Desert Diner, by James Anderson (for review).
  • Jackson’s Trust, by Violet Duke (for review).
  • Gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson (Re-read and remembered how fantastic this book is.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Disney Book Group.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Doubleday.)
(This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to Quirk Books.)
Jenni Ogden, author of A Drop in the Ocean
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Loveswept.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Crown Publishing.)
(I do no own this image. Image belongs to Random House/Alibi.)
(This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to She Writes Press.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)

 

 

Mug Shot, by Caroline Fardig

Mug Shot cover
(I do no own this image. Image belongs to Random House/Alibi.)

 

Caroline Fardig is the bestselling author of the Java Jive Mysteries series, as well as the Lizzie Hart series. Her newest novel, Mug Shot, is the second book in the Java Jive Mysteries.

Life has been super busy for Juliet Langley since taking over the management of her best friend Pete’s coffeehouse. Working every day doesn’t leave much time for romance, and Juliet throws herself into getting ready for the Holiday 5k fundraiser organized by Pete’s rich, snobby girlfriend. Since Cecilia is in charge, Juliet knows everything has to be perfect, and she makes sure it is. Until she stumbles over Cecilia’s body the morning of the event.

When Pete is arrested for the murder, Julia sets out to find out who the real killer is, defying her ex-boyfriend, a local Lothario, and her friend Savannah’s good-intentioned “help” to do so. But the real conflict is with Nashville’s high society upper class, who all seem to think Pete is guilty. Juliet is not above upsetting a few grande dames to clear Pete’s name. She just has to solve the puzzle before she becomes the next target.

Mug Shot lets the reader get to know Juliet just a bit better, and the high spirits continue as the mystery deepens. The characters are entertaining and lively, with lots of antics and bad luck to keep the reader hooked.

(Galley provided by Random House/Alibi via NetGalley.)

 

The Never-Open Desert Diner, by James Anderson

desert diner
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Crown Publishing.)

 

James Anderson was born in Seattle and raised in the Pacific Northwest. He has worked in publishing, logging, and commercial fishing. The Never-Open Desert Diner is his debut novel.

Ben jones lives a simple life. He’s a truck driver, working Route 117 in a remote area of Utah, where most of the residents want to live off-grid and disappear from the world. Ben is barely scraping by, on the verge of losing his truck and his business, as well as the service he provides for the reclusive inhabitants of 117.

Then one day, Ben sees a woman named Claire playing the cello in an abandoned house off 117, and his entire world changes. Strangers appear on 117:  a woman who’s a little too polished for his neck of the woods, a reality television producer who wants to ride along with Ben. A friend of his turns up missing. Something is going on around Route 117, and Ben needs to find out what it is before someone gets hurt. Then there’s Walt Butterfield, owner of the Well-Known Desert Diner, which hasn’t opened in years. Walt knows more about what’s going on than he’s letting on, and Ben is determined to find out what it is, no matter what.

The Never-Open Desert Diner is a mystery novel, but the real focus is the quirky, unforgettable characters that live on the pages. Ben’s “boring” life merely serves as a foil for the vivid people that inhabit this desolate patch of desert.

(Galley provided by Crown Publishing via NetGalley.)

The Winter Girl, by Matt Marinovich

the winter girl
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Doubleday Books.)

 

Matt Marinovich lives in Brooklyn and has written for numerous publications. His first novel was Strange Skies. His new novel, The Winter Girl, hit shelves on January 19th.

Scott and Elise have come to the Hamptons because her father is dying of cancer. While she spends every day at the hospital, Scott stays home, growing more down with every passing day, as he focuses on his failing marriage, his lost job, and his ailing father-in-law, who hates him. Scott becomes fascinated by the empty house next door, where lights turn on with timers in a semblance of life. Soon Scott dares to go inside, hoping for a sort of escape.

What he finds is an empty house that speaks of secrets. Secrets that excite Scott, lifting his depression. Soon he enlists Elise in his explorations, as they seek to rekindle their marriage. But things in the house next door are not what they seem, and soon Scott and Elise are seeking a different kind of escape: from the darkness that surrounds them, hiding secrets they never imagined.

The Winter Girl is dark and twisted, full of shocking revelations, insidious secrets, and a history of violence only hinted at on the surface. This book is not for the faint of heart, nor is for the reader looking for characters that are likeable and uplifting.

(Galley provided by Doubleday via NetGalley.)

The Poison Artist, by Jonathan Moore

poisonartist
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.)

http://www.amazon.com/The-Poison-Artist-Jonathan-Moore/dp/0544520564

http://www.amazon.com/The-Poison-Artist-Jonathan-Moore/dp/0544520564

Jonathan Moore finished law school in New Orleans, which probably gave his fiction that creepy twist. Now he works for a firm in Honolulu, after an eccentric career past. He was short-listed for the Bram Stoker award. His new novel, The Poison Artist, hits shelves January 26th.

Caleb Maddox is a toxicologist who studies the effects of pain. His work is demanding and all-consuming, leading to a fight with his girlfriend that leaves him wounded and emotional. He goes to a speakeasy to brood, and over absinthe, sees an alluring woman who whispers in his ear after getting his blood on her fingertips before leaving. Caleb is fascinated and must find her.

But a rash of dead bodies in San Francisco delays his search for Emmeline. One of the men vanished from the speakeasy the same night Caleb was there, so he feels obligated to help his medical examiner friend solve the case. Caleb remembers nothing that will help the detectives, but continues to help his friend in secret while also continuing his search for the tempting Emmeline. Soon the hunt for the killer entwines with Caleb’s obsession with Emmeline, linking with his past in ways he never imagined.

The Poison Artist is a haunting, creepy tale full of twists and turns. Caleb is a conflicted man driven by the horrors in his past. His obsession with Emmeline drives him to places he never believed possible as he seeks to unravel her mysteries.

(Galley courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via NetGalley.)

Death Before Decaf, by Caroline Fardig

((Death Before Decaf cover 2.6M

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Random House Alibi.)

Caroline Fardig is the author of the Lizzie Hart Mystery series. Her new book, Death Before Decaf, is the first book in the Java Jive series

Juliet Langley had a fiancé she loved and a café she gave her heart to. Unfortunately, her fiancé ran off with a waitress and stole everything she owned, she lost the café, and had to move back to Nashville to take a job running a coffee shop for her best friend. Things couldn’t get much worse.

Until Juliet finds the dead body of the cook in the dumpster before the end of the first day. The other employees, in open revolt, are more than happy to point fingers at Juliet’s famed temper, and soon she finds herself a suspect in the murder. Juliet decides that she will find the killer, since no one else seems interested in the truth. Not even the handsome stranger hanging around the coffee shop asking questions. This may be too much for even caffeine to handle.

Death Before Decaf is a fun mystery reminiscent of the Stephanie Plum series. Juliet is a great character, full of spunk and attitude, determined to do the right thing. She won’t give up, no matter what other people think, and no matter the danger she puts herself in. Death Before Decaf will have the reader laughing at Juliet’s antics as the pages fly by.

(Galley provided by Random House Alibi via NetGalley.)

Pale Highway, by Nicholas Conley

(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Red Adept Publishing.)
(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Red Adept Publishing.)

Nicholas Conley loves to tell stories, especially when fueled by travel or good coffee. His newest novel, Pale Highway, combines his love of storytelling, science fiction, and his experiences working with Alzheimer’s patients. The novel is available October 20th.

Gabriel Schist was once the Nobel Prize winner for creating a vaccine for AIDS. Back then, Gabriel was younger, rebellious, and had one of the finest minds in science. Now he’s stuck in a nursing home, suffering from Alzheimer’s. And he’s aware of it, making life in the nursing home that much worse.

When a fellow resident is struck with a horrible new virus, Gabriel’s world is turned upside down. One by one, the other residents fall prey to the virus, and Gabriel realizes he’s the only one who can stop its spread. But Gabriel’s brain isn’t cooperating this time. He’s losing bits of himself, having debilitating hallucinations, and fighting every step of the way as he tries desperately to find a cure. This time, his enemies aren’t just a horrible disease and a disbelieving public. Now he must struggle with his very mind if he’s to win the race to save the human race.

Pale Highway is a fast-paced ride into the mind of a man struggling against one of the most horrible diseases on the planet. Gabriel’s past is told in flashbacks to his youthful brilliance that contrast sharply with his Alzheimer’s symptoms. The enclosed world of the nursing home is his reality, and the other residents are vibrant characters who don’t understand Gabriel, or his struggles to save them. Even Gabriel doesn’t fully understand himself, but he wants to. Pale Highway brings his struggles for survival along with his fierce desire to hold off his symptoms long enough to save everyone around him to brilliant, beautiful life.

On a personal note, I have a family history of Alzheimer’s, so Gabriel’s struggles with the disease were both heart wrenching and familiar. I’ve never read a story like this, where the protagonist struggles so profoundly with the disease, and the narrative brought it vividly to life. There’s also magic in this story, in the little things, and the big ones, that Gabriel discovers along the way. It’s well worth the read!

The Vile Desire to Scream, by Oisín McGann

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Oisín McGann.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Oisín McGann.)

Oisín McGann is an Irish author and illustrator. After some exploratory employment, he decided that working as a security guard or in advertising wasn’t for him, so he returned to his first love (and Ireland). His newest offering, The Vile Desire to Scream, is a novella in his series of books in the Wildenstern Saga.

The Wildenstern family is all about power, money, and family loyalty. Unless, of course, another family member is in the way of climbing the ladder of success. Then it’s okay to kill that person and take their place. It’s just business, and as long as the Wildenstern men follow the rules, the family supports them. But removing a woman is against the rules. Even a woman that the rest of the family doesn’t like.

Daisy Wildenstern doesn’t have many friends in the family, and her open defiance of family tradition doesn’t help. When adventurer Peter Barnum arrives at the family mansion with a shape-shifting engimal for sale, Daisy is entranced. She’s not sure what the living machine does, but she wants it, despite her mother-in-law forbidding its purchase. The next morning, Daisy and the engimal are both missing, and it’s up to her brother-in-law Nate to find her, without the aid of the family that dislikes Daisy so much…and may be responsible for her disappearance in the first place.

The Vile Desire to Scream is set in the world of the Wildenstern Saga, and intriguing blend of family intrigue, living machines, and adventure. The family itself is larger than life, and this is a great introduction to the saga.

(Galley courtesy of Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley.)