Book number ten in this series ticks all the boxes for me once again. Author Sarah Hawkswood continues to give me mental stimulation and pleasure whilBook number ten in this series ticks all the boxes for me once again. Author Sarah Hawkswood continues to give me mental stimulation and pleasure while I catch up with the three characters who investigate wrongdoing in Worster in 1145. I watched Bradecote and Catchpoll continue to guide Walkelin through how to investigate crime and deal with those citizens both above and below him in the class system operating in this historical period. The characters speak in the dialect of the time, but those words and phrases are so well written that I easily followed their meaning without any difficulty.
One of the things I enjoy so much about this series is that the author uses a wide range of methods for the crimes to occur in her series so I never know exactly what I will find. Even though the criminal is revealed before the end of this story, there is still time taken to explain the how and why. The three law enforcers are building an interesting dynamic, giving their investigative strengths a fine range to ensure the mystery is studied from all angles so each person contributes necessary evidence to reveal the whole picture. Reading this novel was a pleasurable experience and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
I always wait impatiently for the latest Gray Man book to be released. This eleventh book in the series will be available February 15, 2022, and the wI always wait impatiently for the latest Gray Man book to be released. This eleventh book in the series will be available February 15, 2022, and the wait is worth it. This book essentially contains two complete plots with one taking place in the present and the other one twelve years ago. I think these would have made two books easily and, speaking only for myself, I would have been just fine with that. One plot gives us great insights into how Court found himself a member of the Sierra Golf group - as Six. We've been learning bits and pieces about Six throughout this series and it was very interesting to see how Mark Greaney handled the emergency integration of Gentry into a battle savvy cohesive unit. The present-day plot shows Gentry that his mission twelve years ago did not end as he thought it had and there is still work to be done to finalize the situation.
I really like the Court Gentry character and enjoyed these two stories. I especially liked the plot line in this book that had Court going back in time so I could watch the development of his character and his skills in his field of expertise. More along those lines would suit me just fine Mr. Greaney.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
Book 7 in the Orphan X series literally finds Evan Smoak in mid-jump, just where we left him at the end of the last book. Yes, I read it twice to see Book 7 in the Orphan X series literally finds Evan Smoak in mid-jump, just where we left him at the end of the last book. Yes, I read it twice to see exactly how it was done and it makes for a fine piece of fiction. I wasn't thrilled to find that this adventure for The Nowhere Man was going to be dealing with drug cartels; novels using that subject matter are definitely more violent and just plain cruel and the cruelty especially bothers me a lot. Lots of cringing on my part and darting in and out of the narrative until I could get through the worst of the torture/punishment segments. Skipping this book altogether wasn't a serious option for me because the author has been making some very large changes in the way Evan Smoak is portrayed and I would have missed too much of his character development if I had just not read this episode. Just be warned, if cruelty simply for the sake of being cruel bothers you, you will come up against those situations often. This book ends with another huge cliffhanger but unlike book six this one is of a totally different nature. Joey has a big part to play in this story and I'm looking forward to seeing how her part of the story arc will be carried out. I don't know if the descriptions of Joey hacking almost every computer in existence are accurate, but it certainly sounds impressive to me!
The Orphan X series is one of the few examples of how jumping into a series at book 7 would not be the best idea. This premise and the characters have so much background that a reader joining the story at this point might not enjoy the book as much and that would be a shame. Maybe at the very least new readers might want to read a good assortment of reviews of the first six books. I'm just glad I'm current and up to the minute....and waiting for book eight already.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an e-galley of this novel.
Alys Clare is one of my favorite historical mystery writers and the GThank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an e-galley of this novel.
Alys Clare is one of my favorite historical mystery writers and the Gabriel Taverner series can be counted on to add stories to the series which allow the characters to continue in development as well as present an intriguing mystery novel. Gabriel is a physician in 1604 in a small town outside Plymouth in England and he is presented in such a way that I can easily believe he has medical knowledge that is useful and helpful to his patients but makes me aware of how small that sphere of working knowledge actually is. He doesn't have all the answers and he doesn't cure every ailment he comes across. That is especially true in this story which is steeped in dark magic. Maybe even a ghost or two?
A group of players has arrived in Plymouth during their self-proclaimed Plague Tour to get away from the plague in London. Yes, in 2022 we are reading about another plague right when we are all so involved in our own plague/virus. Unfortunately, a story set in this time period in English history is often using the backdrop of plague to add drama and unrest to a plot. This isn't essentially a plague plot, but the subject does come up often. Instead, this plot revolves around a group of men who have dark secrets and an aura of invulnerability for any murder and mayhem they indulge in. Combining a dark secret and a public house going back hundreds of years add up to a real feeling of menace which is wonderfully portrayed by this author. This is a good book to read when you have all (or almost all) the lights on in your favorite reading room. The group of players perform several plays by one of their members, Will Shakespeare, who wasn't able to be on this Plague Tour with them. I really loved all the dissecting of the meanings behind those plays. So, Shakespeare plays and woo-woo shivers too? Yep, some fine reading! ...more
My goodness but I enjoyed reading this book! The plotting reminds me strongly of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (by John Le Carre if you aren't familiarMy goodness but I enjoyed reading this book! The plotting reminds me strongly of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (by John Le Carre if you aren't familiar with that book) except with bits of the Campion lightness added in to keep it less serious. I had *worried* about Campion being in his eighties and still having to go hither and yon to investigate crimes and problems, so it made me very happy to see that Mike Ripley has set this story in 1965 when Albert has just turned 65. This Albert Campion I like quite a lot.
Lady Amanda owns Alandel Aeroplanes (I didn't know that!) and is in Cambridge to receive an honorary doctorate relating to aeronautical engineering. The champagne has just begun to flow after the ceremony when two men from Special Branch inform Lady Amanda that she must come with them, and they march her out of the party. Well, never could Albert resist untangling a web such as this! The great thing is that we get to follow along while he does it.
This Albert Campion series of crime stories as written by Mike Ripley continues to be a favorite of mine and something I look forward to each year. The stories seem to keep getting stronger with each new issue and Ripley comes up with plots that are strong enough to let Campion show how intellectual and talented he really is at solving riddles. This one includes Lady Amanda in a very favorable light but not quite enough Lugg. Maybe in the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
The Peculiar Crimes Unit is still in desperate straits, they've all been given the push and the unit is closing down for sure this time. Naturally theThe Peculiar Crimes Unit is still in desperate straits, they've all been given the push and the unit is closing down for sure this time. Naturally the thing for them to do is to find a death that doesn't look like murder and prove that it was. Easy for Mr. Bryant but everyone else has to be convinced that this is going to work so well that the unit will be brought back to life. Along the way to a resolution we get a full helping of favorite characters from past books as well as the CIA and MI6. Heady and rarified atmosphere for the unit to work in.
This story goes back to a full measure of brain teasers, an abundance of historical and modern London and interactions between the members of the unit. I enjoyed trying to figure this one out and was not even within a sniff of the right solution.
I've seen reviews saying this is the final book of the series. Perhaps those reviewers missed the message from the author in the Acknowledgements section. I prefer to take Christopher Fowler at his word and wait to see what the surprise is he might be concealing up his sleeve.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
Mel Starr has the talent to take me back in time (here it's 1375) and make me feel right at home. Sir Hugh de Singleton is the bailiff to Lord GilbertMel Starr has the talent to take me back in time (here it's 1375) and make me feel right at home. Sir Hugh de Singleton is the bailiff to Lord Gilbert, Third Baron Talbot in Bampton when he receives a request from John Wycliffe of Queen's College, Oxford to come examine the body of one of his students who seems to have died from a lightening strike. Wycliffe doesn't believe that to be the cause of death and he wants his friend to come investigate this death. Master Hugh and his assistant in other cases, Arthur Wagge, leave immediately to try to find out what is making Wycliffe question the cause of death for the student.
This is a lovely book with special treats enjoyed by readers of historical mysteries: a Glossary for those of us who can't always remember what a word or phrase means during this time period and a drawing of the streets and locations spoken of in the city of Oxford. Both helpful to readers who are reading the 14th volume or those just embarking on this series. There are three distinct lines of substance, each with major historical significance, to keep the story moving forward which kept me interested from first page to last. Both Wycliffe and Master Hugh have prominent roles in the solving of these mysteries so if you favor one character over the other you will still be satisfied at how well they work together. Definitely recommended for readers contemplating trying a mystery set in this time period and for readers already familiar with the series. A satisfactory way to spend your reading time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lion Hudson Ltd. for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
I liked this book but not as wholeheartedly as all the other Chet and Bernie books. This one feels different to me and I can't exactly put my finger oI liked this book but not as wholeheartedly as all the other Chet and Bernie books. This one feels different to me and I can't exactly put my finger on why. It's as if the author and I can't connect in this book. Lots of little things are different that will not even be noticed unless you are like me and find this series a *must read*. Bernie is the lead Little, as in the Little Detective Agency; in fact he is the only Little. Chet is a wonderful 100 pound dog who flunked out of K-9 school on the last part of the obstacle course; there was a cat involved but that doesn't matter because it meant that Chet was up for adoption. This story has Bernie turning down a case but recommending another private detective who needs a hand getting started in the business. Then the PI disappears and his Mom asks Bernie for help. Setting the story in the days leading up to Christmas feels like more of a marketing strategy than any real necessity to help the story.
The ending for this book can only be described by me as strange. Strange in how Bernie acted and strange in how the ending made me wonder if something unexpected had or is going to happen with the series. I've always been perfectly happy to accept the conclusion for all the books that have come before but this one leaves me unsettled. Partly I'm unsettled because what happened was so much the opposite from any kind of action Bernie portrayed in all the previous books. And also, please Spencer Quinn, why did you make something happen that could never, ever have happened in real life?
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
My appreciation of the writings of Alys Clare began when I found this Aelf Fen series and I've looked forward to each of the other nine books as they My appreciation of the writings of Alys Clare began when I found this Aelf Fen series and I've looked forward to each of the other nine books as they were published. I was surprised to see this is the final book in this series but must confess that I have come to look forward to the Gabriel Taverner series more impatiently. Ms Clare certainly gave me everything I could want as she tied up every thread for Lassair and her friends in Cambridge and her family in Aelf Fen. All of the books have been filled with magical elements but this one seems to have been even more mystical than any of the previous stories. In the summer of 1100 there are momentous political happenings in England and Lassair becomes involved in those only because of dreams and heading right to the place where some of the elements of those dreams will be played out in reality. The author was clever in the way she brought back instances from previous novels (as indicated in Footnotes so if you are curious you will know where to satisfy your curiosity) and looking back on the long history of these books it was impressive to see how all the stories hold together so easily and naturally. I have enjoyed this series but am now content to leave it as it is with Lassair's life all ready to be lived. Thank you, Ms Clare, I've enjoyed my time with these characters and this world you created.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books, Severn House for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
I am so glad I finally read this book. It's been on my Paperwhite for ages and every time I scrolled by it I reminded myself to read it although, honeI am so glad I finally read this book. It's been on my Paperwhite for ages and every time I scrolled by it I reminded myself to read it although, honestly, I had totally forgotten what the story was about. What I found is a story that explored questions of faith and belief in a future world where those two subjects were adhered to only by a small number of people who were reviled and even despised. They were only tolerated because they were protected by the law. An even odder factor was that Gilead Raca Benedar was a man who followed his beliefs but he was also so skilled in reading the emotions of other people that it gave him a skill much sought by corporate leaders. Oh, they didn't want Gilead as a friend but as a method of analyzing those they were involved with in business transactions. Gilead may be considered a religious fanatic, but he is still a Watcher.
In order to move from one portion of space to another this civilization uses criminals convicted of capital crimes to man the deadman switch. The execution of the criminal turns that person into a zombi, someone to be controlled by the Cloud to pilot the spaceship through unfriendly space using an ever-changing route to keep it secret. So when or is this type of punishment murder, just of a different type? When is it justifiable to supply the zombies for the convenience of others? This is not a preaching novel but it really does show how far humans can go to make allowances in order to get what we want. Written in 1988, this book does not suffer at all because of its age....more
Once again author Spencer Quinn has delivered a funny, warm, entertaining story wrapped around solving very serious crimes. Bernie Little is the privaOnce again author Spencer Quinn has delivered a funny, warm, entertaining story wrapped around solving very serious crimes. Bernie Little is the private investigator who solves crimes and puzzles with his big, slightly-odd looking, slightly-scary acting dog Chet. Just to be sure you know, the story is told from Chet's point of view as narrator so if you don't think that is for you now is your time to peel off and go down another track. If you are still reading, that's great. I am always amazed as I read one of these stories (and I've read them all) and I realize how easily I can accept Chet's pov. Bernie talks to his dog so lots of the more complex questions regarding plot are worked out in this fashion plus, of course, conversations with the humans involved with the case. In this story a prospective client gets spooked during the initial meeting and Bernie and Chet can't let the situation end there, so the first problem is to identify the client and then to find her. During this investigation Bernie is so confused that he even turns on the swan fountain on his patio and "wastes" water - something you would never expect from a man who is so concerned about the aquafer in that part of Arizona. Before this one is over Bernie and Chet will play body-body-who's-got-the-body and come up against powerful men in high places.
Book number 11 in this series is every bit as good as the others and readers new to the series don't have to be concerned with where they start reading, just start right here if you want. I was very interested in a new dog introduced into this story and have hopes of seeing more of Trixie. Even the ferret was an interesting distraction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge Forge Books for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
I've stayed away from the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd for the last several books for various reasons but the title of this one intrigued me sI've stayed away from the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd for the last several books for various reasons but the title of this one intrigued me so I decided I wanted to read it. This plot has Bess staying in one place for the entire story and I liked that much better. If you have been a fan of this series you will likely remember the sinking of the Britannic as it was taking wounded soldiers from the battlefield to England and the other nurses who were on board. This story takes us to the wedding of one of those nurses who has asked Bess to be her wedding attendant in the tiny village of Killeighbeg in Ireland. Bess is on leave from her nursing duties since the end of the war and at a loose end but her parents are concerned about her traveling all that way alone in the political unrest evident in Ireland. It is 1919 but the unease from the Easter Rising in 1916 is making travel to Ireland by any British subjects a dangerous undertaking. Then Bess comes up with a solution for how she can travel to Ireland and back safely so it is agreed that she can go.
This is my favorite Bess Crawford book in the series thus far. The dangerous political atmosphere is very well written and it brought home how insecure the lives of the Irish were during this time of unrest. Bess had to trust her instincts when it came to who she could trust and those relationships played out in a very convincing way. The question I've had throughout these books comes very close to being answered but right at the end it skittered off the page with no resolution. Maybe in the next book? I hope so.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for an e-galley of this novel....more
This entry in The Murderbot Diaries comes directly after book five and is, once again, much too short for my liking. However, I can't come up with a pThis entry in The Murderbot Diaries comes directly after book five and is, once again, much too short for my liking. However, I can't come up with a page number that would satisfy my longing for more wit and charm (yes, a bot can be charming if you overlook some elements of their personality) from this SecUnit. Hmm, 500 pages of Murderbot? Give it to me Ms Wells and let me test it out. Anyway, just so you will not be surprised, this offering is approximately 176 pages long and it fairly flies by.
SecUnit is on the spot when a dead human is found on Preservation Station. Our main characters are all still here (from story #5) keeping Dr. Mensah safe from GrayCris. The question now is whether this dead human could have any connection to GrayCris agents trying to kill Mensah. Preservation Station Security doesn't want to work with a SecUnit because, well, who does, but they have no choice in the matter so Murderbot begins his own semi-private investigation while working with security and promising he won't do anything to hinder either the Station or their security department. All of this and no chance for him to download media; a SecUnit could become very cranky from all these distractions.
This story is a good mystery puzzle and I think it would work well as a full length book if it had a little more meat on its bones. Murderbot is back to making astringent comments about humans and their abilities but always speaking to himself so nobody gets their feelings hurt. He also doesn't have to kill too many humans when things do go into action mode so the Security Department head for Preservation Station begins to accept his abilities and rely on him. I loved it and sincerely advise you to read all the stories in order so you will understand why so many other readers love him just as much as I do.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge Tordotcom for an e-galley of this story....more
One of my favorite author teams takes their police detective all the way to Wales for this 23rd story in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series. I was so pOne of my favorite author teams takes their police detective all the way to Wales for this 23rd story in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series. I was so pleased to find myself in Wales because Charles Todd has the gift of making me feel completely comfortable with any settings for their stories which I'm not personally familiar with. I found myself able to visualize the surroundings quite vividly which adding dimension to the stories. I was also unfamiliar with the Bantam Division of soldiers from World War I and a lot of information was given without any feeling that it was only an information dump.
This story takes place in 1921 with Rutledge practically chained to his desk at Scotland Yard doing paperwork because Chief Superintendent Markham doesn't want to be reminded of how much his own reputation is enhanced by Rutledge solving the previous case. When a Chief Constable in a northern Welsh county asks for help from Scotland Yard Markham is delighted to send Rutledge about as far away as possible. A body has been found in the River Dee under the Aqueduct and there is a question of whether it was an accident or suicide. So Inspector Rutledge drives from London to Wales to begin picking up the smallest of clues to help him solve this riddle. Accident, suicide or murder, it takes patience for Rutledge to add up all the tiny clues to solve the death. Investigating among the men who served in the Bantam Division takes Rutledge back into the memories he has tried so hard to suppress of his own actions. The PTSD Rutledge suffers from makes a vivid return especially with Corporal Hamish MacLeod so aggressively triggering those memories from the safety of Rutledge's mind.
It's all here, in this story, the ingredients put together to make a reading experience that I enjoyed from beginning to end. A great addition to the series. ...more
Five stars for an absolutely stunningly beautiful work of fiction. There is no letdown following the end of A Memory Called Empire, in fact this one wFive stars for an absolutely stunningly beautiful work of fiction. There is no letdown following the end of A Memory Called Empire, in fact this one was even better for me because there was more action and more contact with the alien being on the edge of the known galaxy. How can you use your conventional weapons against an enemy who has means of destroying your own ships that you cannot understand? Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus finds herself having to do things she hoped never to even contemplate just to survive the initial contact. And it just keeps getting worse.
It was March 2019 when I read the first book in this series, and I enjoyed that book very much, but I still had some trouble being able to immerse myself into this story as it began. I would definitely suggest that you read A Memory Called Empire before you begin this one because the author has not given the reader an easy style access into this new novel; the Prelude might not make complete sense to readers until they have gotten someway into the story. I went back and read it again when I had read the first two chapters and it was much more enjoyable then. I found it fascinating that a novel written with such beautiful language should present readers with an alien being so different from that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge Tor Books for an e-galley of this novel....more
After enjoying this cozy mystery I'm ready to go back and read the first in this series (The Stranger Diaries) by Elly Griffiths. I don't usually likeAfter enjoying this cozy mystery I'm ready to go back and read the first in this series (The Stranger Diaries) by Elly Griffiths. I don't usually like to read cozy mysteries but this one has such a good mix of characters, some of whom seem to have their own personal mysteries that need solving, so there wasn't a time when I began to glance down to the corner of the page to see if I was getting close to the 100% mark. The plot is well presented, the descriptions of the landscape during a road trip to Scotland were very interesting and helped me visualize what was passing by outside the car windows. DS Harbinder Kaur has her hands full retaining control of the investigation of the death of Peggy Smith when Peggy's friends band together to try to find out if her death was really from natural causes. Before the criminal is caught there are Ukrainian mobsters, authors, publishers, an ex-monk and other interesting characters who have a part in this story. I found it quite entertaining. I have read other novels written by Elly Griffiths and am always impressed with how different she can make each of her series books feel. She has a real talent for establishing specific characters and atmospheres within each series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an e-galley of this novel....more
The Poison Apple group of Court, Zoya and Zach are back working together whether Matthew Hanley of the CIA wanted it that way or not. Berlin is the maThe Poison Apple group of Court, Zoya and Zach are back working together whether Matthew Hanley of the CIA wanted it that way or not. Berlin is the main location where so much could go wrong and eventually it does. This book #10 in the Gray Man series is a thriller where almost everybody has two very different agendas they are running simultaneously. It's just one crisis, one assassins job, one political agenda and one international incident after another. By the end of this story it's hard to tell who the winners and who the losers are. Another page turning thriller of a thriller from author Mark Greaney.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
Christopher Fowler left readers of this series hanging over the cliff by our fingernails when the previous book ended. Whew, that was a close call. LuChristopher Fowler left readers of this series hanging over the cliff by our fingernails when the previous book ended. Whew, that was a close call. Luckily he had this one ready to write and all we had to do was be patient. The PCU (Peculiar Crimes Unit) was closed down and John May had been shot. Where was Arthur Bryant? I'm not giving anything away when I say the PCU has been put back on oxygen long enough for the politicians working in the background to have a scapegoat if all heck breaks loose regarding this hot potato investigation.
Arthur Bryant with a soft side? Don't think that is going to last very long and, if I'm honest, I don't think I want him to be different from the character I've been following all these years. This murder investigation is a real doozy that will have even hard core fans wondering how Fowler can get his PCU team through to the solution side. I always enjoy the little extra bits Fowler uses to keep the flow of the book swirling along and this time it was done by manuscript excerpts from the murderer (even though we had to wait to find out who that is) and parts of Bryant's script for one of his walking tours of London. You just can't help but learn about certain aspects of London's history, this time focusing on churches mentioned in the verses of the Oranges and Lemons poem. I was totally off base with my solution of the murders because that is one wicked twist. This book has a notice that Bryant & May will return.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine for an e-galley of this novel. ...more
Number 9 in the series deals with a woman who was killed while trying to escape from France to England during WWII. Three and a half years later she aNumber 9 in the series deals with a woman who was killed while trying to escape from France to England during WWII. Three and a half years later she appears in England, very much alive. Anne Jocelyn is met with varying degrees of welcome. Certainly her husband has the most to lose by her sudden reappearance.
This isn't one of my favorites in the series but it certainly was good enough to keep me totally focused on the book while the wind and rain turned the day into a definite shelter-at-home requirement. Even after almost four years have passed it seems the reader is being asked to swallow a pretty big plot device to believe everyone would easily accept this person is Anne Jocelyn and not Annie Joyce. The romantic interest is one of those where the man and woman only have to look at each other to perfectly understand all the words that are not spoken. So, a lot for a reader to swallow and yet I still read this one again and enjoyed it. Not the best of the series but good enough which just goes to show how much I love Miss Maude Silver.
A "tell all" short story about Simon Brandon. I'm a fan of the Charles Todd books, especially the Ian Rutledge series but I've read most of the Bess CA "tell all" short story about Simon Brandon. I'm a fan of the Charles Todd books, especially the Ian Rutledge series but I've read most of the Bess Crawford books so I knew exactly who Simon was and what a major role he has played in some of the series offerings. And Simon has always been a favorite character whose history was hard to get hold of. This short story gave me all I could want regarding Simon as a young boy and during his service in the military.
The major incident happening in this story is very well written and well plotted just as I have come to expect from one of my favorite writing teams. Simon is serving in India during the time Bess and her family are there so the strong commitment to that family is fully explained for the role Simon will play in the adventures Bess finds herself in later. This is the perfect way to get to know the details about Simon which aren't usually disclosed in the Bess Crawford books. Quite enjoyable and recommended whether you are already a fan or not....more
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