The Bughouse Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini

by Carol4 Comments
I expected to really enjoy this one. I'm a sucker for historical mysteries and pair a couple of sleuths with a maybe Sherlock Holmes- ti should have been right up my alley. Turned out it was just kind of meh. Sabina and Quincannon were a little bland. To be honest, it's a few days after i read the book and I can't really think of anything particularly interesting about either. She's a widow. He's a bit full of himself. They're both clever enough, but I guess I don't feel like we really got to know them, or maybe there's nothing much to know. Then there's the Sherlock, who may actually be him but may not. i don't understand shy he was there, if this is a series focussed on the otehr two, the authors should have just left him out. He didn't add much to the story, besides being annoying. I assume he'll show up in later books in the series,...
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City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett

by Carol3 Comments
First a bit of advice, read City of Stairs first. Yes, City of Blades may be almost able to stand on its own, but Stairs is so good and will give you such a better feeling for the main characters in this book and the world they live in. Although City of Blades is the second in the trilogy, it feels different from Stairs. Stairs was action and magic and politics. Blades is a little darker, sadder, tougher, but just as good, if not better. Our main character this time around is retired General Turyin Mulagesh. she may be one of my favorite heroines. She's over-50, an alcoholic, one-armed (due to an incident in Stairs), a bit lonely, and full of regrets. But, man, she is tough and smart and caring and tenacious and totally capable of killing you in multiple ways. She is awesome, period. I may still have a bit of a crush on Sigrud, but Turyin even outshines him. She...
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Dead & Buried by Leighann Dobbs

by Carol3 Comments
Pirates and treasure hunts and cute guys with guns - an enjoyable read. It's light and short, a perfect in-between book for me. The Blackmoore sisters are a good group. They have close relationships with each other, but all have their own personalities, interests, and gifts. There's a touch of paranormal - a cat with way more than nine lives, healing crystals, visits with a dead grandma, but it doesn't take over the book. You could have the same story without the fantasy elements, but it wouldn't be as fun. I like the story, but a couple of things struck me as a bit odd. First of all, who exactly does Luke, Morgan's ex, work for. It was never explained quite well enough for me. Yes, he's on the Blackmoores' side, but I wish I could have been a little clearer on his motives. Second, I don't get the Sheriff's grudge against the sisters and why he is so outrageous in some...
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“A” Is for Asshat by Rebecca Cantrell and Sean Black

by Carol5 Comments
I have to admit this one surprised me. It was a blast - funny with great characters and a good mystery. It's light, not a cozy, but not too violent. I think part of it is that even though they're dealing with dangerous situations or shady folks, Sofia and Aiden, the owner's son and her partner, keep their sense of humor. The banter is perfect and the chemistry is clear between them, even if they ten to get on each other's nerves, it's all part of the fun. Sofia used to be an actor, but she decided she wanted a job that could make a difference, so she's now working at a detective agency. In her new position, her fame can be both a hindrance and a help. The opening scene is hilarious, when the paparazzi catch a video of her in rather an awkward situation, which leads to some running jokes. The story doesn't solely rely on the characters though. The mystery's actually...
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Spotlight on The Last Dinner Party by Carly M. Duncan

by CarolNo Comments
Book Excerpt: She opened her eyes only once she heard the apartment’s front door close. She couldn’t even bring herself to turn over in the bed despite her discomfort, for she didn’t want a single mattress coil’s shift to alert him to the fact that she was awake. She waited a moment, lying in her bed, pausing in case he had forgotten anything, but the sound of footsteps faded into the distance. Meryl Brunetti had been awake for twenty minutes, but she wasn’t prepared to begin the day. Not until he was gone. She didn’t want to see him, she didn’t want to talk, and she certainly wasn’t prepared to deal with anything they’d discussed the night before. She needed more time, and she needed to figure out how she felt. Instead of waking up at seven o’clock to make him breakfast as usual, to start his day on a pleasant note, and see him out the door, she slept. Or, rather, she...
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Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

by Carol3 Comments
Isn't that cover great? I don't read many middle school books, but I have to thank whoever wrote the review that made me put Serafina and the Black Cloak on my to-read list. I really enjoyed it. Serafina herself is a charming twelve-year old. She has an odd life, hiding in the basement of the Biltmore Estate where her pa works, but she's adorable and brave and smart. And not quite human, but part of this first story is her discovery of who she is. The narrator does an excellent job, giving Serafina a perfect accent and a very expressive voice, showing her pride, curiosity and fears well. I love Serafina's pa, too. He's not a huge part of the actual plot, but he's a strong, caring man, doing the best he can in an unusual situation. There aren't really any surprises in the story, we see most things coming well before they're revealed, but it's a middle school book, so I'm...
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