The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel - a dead woman is found in a forest in Denmark. When she is identified, the police find that a death certificate was issued for her 30 years ago. This is the 7th in a series but only the 3rd to be translated into English. Very frustrating as there's lots of talk about the female detective's back story. I felt no connection to her at all. Too much sex, some of it violent. Can't recommend it and don't know why I finished it.
1 stars
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Words with Fiends by Ali Brandon - the third in a series about a bookstore owner and her black cat Hamlet. The sensei of the dojo where Darla is taking self defense is found dead. Darla starts snooping, aided by Hamlet who gives her clues by knocking books off shelves. (A rather blatant steal from the Cat Who series.) A typical cozy that needs some editing - several repetitious phrases. I was given this book and won't continue the series.
2 stars
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Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well by Billy Graham - Mr. Graham says he never expected to be old so he never thought about how to be old. He talks about living a full life in the senior years and how to prepare if you're still young. I found this quite timely for where I am right now. Written in 2011, when he was approaching 93. He's 96 now!
4 stars
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Dry Bones by Craig Johnson - the FBI, Indian Conservatory, and a museum are fighting over dinosaur bones found on private property. Walt is trying to keep everyone happy and investigate a suspicious death at the same time. The plot wasn't that convoluted but there was lots of following people in the rain, getting rescued, and then doing the same again. Also a subplot featuring Walt's daughter that I'm assuming will be continued in the next book.
3 stars
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Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George - a retelling of the fairytale The Twelve Princesses. It's told mainly from the viewpoint of Galen, a soldier recently returned from war and now working in the royal garden. A YA book that's a nice light read.
3 stars
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sunday, May 24, 2015
May 16 - 23, 2015
Falling in Love by Donna Leon - Opera soprano Flavia Petrelli is getting hundreds of yellow roses from an unknown admirer and it's making her nervous. When she renews her acquaintance with Commissario Brunetti, she tells him about it. The story slowly builds until an exciting conclusion. I don't read these for the mystery part but for Brunetti's interactions with his family and co-workers.
4 stars
4 stars
Friday, May 15, 2015
May 10 - 16, 2015
A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear - the 11th Maisie Dobbs book. The last four years of Maisie's life are quickly dealt with in the first few pages. Let's just say things didn't go well. Now she's in Gibraltar, delaying her return to England. The Spanish Civil War is raging just across the border and Maisie finds herself involved in the murder of a photographer.
3.5 stars
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Fiercombe Manor by Kate Riordan - unmarried, naive Alice finds herself pregnant after falling in love with a married man. Since it's 1933, her mother packs her off to a house deep in the English countryside. The story alternates between Alice and Elizabeth, a woman whose tragic story Alice gradually learns. Not quite a gothic but very atmospheric.
3.5 stars
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I Bring the Fire: Part I Wolves by C. Gockel - Norse mythology is turned on it's head when Loki finds himself on earth and becomes involved with veterinary student Amy. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I knew Norse mythology. Told in the present tense, not my favorite method. This was a free Kindle book and part of a series. The rest would need to be free before I would read them.
2 stars
3.5 stars
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Fiercombe Manor by Kate Riordan - unmarried, naive Alice finds herself pregnant after falling in love with a married man. Since it's 1933, her mother packs her off to a house deep in the English countryside. The story alternates between Alice and Elizabeth, a woman whose tragic story Alice gradually learns. Not quite a gothic but very atmospheric.
3.5 stars
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I Bring the Fire: Part I Wolves by C. Gockel - Norse mythology is turned on it's head when Loki finds himself on earth and becomes involved with veterinary student Amy. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I knew Norse mythology. Told in the present tense, not my favorite method. This was a free Kindle book and part of a series. The rest would need to be free before I would read them.
2 stars
Saturday, May 9, 2015
May 3 - 9, 2015
The Marcel Network: How One French Couple Saved 527 Children From the Holocaust by Fred Coleman - this couple decided on their own that something must be done to save as many Jewish children as possible. They hid the children in convents, Catholic schools, and private Protestant homes with the help of some priests and pastors. The writing didn't really click with me.
3 stars
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The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson - a man and woman meet in an airport. Encouraged by anonymity, he confesses to wishing to kill his wife and she says she'll help him plan it because his wife sounds like the kind worth killing. Told in three parts and from various viewpoints, this had lots of twists and turns. No one is especially likeable but I found the story compelling and finished this in one go. Would have given it 5 stars if not for the too descriptive sex.
4.5 stars
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A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson - Teddy is the brother Ursula Todd lives her many lives trying to save in Life After Life. The story goes back and forth in time as Teddy goes through WWII and then lives an ordinary life he didn't expect to have. The writing is lovely but the story itself sometimes had me going huh?
3 stars
3 stars
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The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson - a man and woman meet in an airport. Encouraged by anonymity, he confesses to wishing to kill his wife and she says she'll help him plan it because his wife sounds like the kind worth killing. Told in three parts and from various viewpoints, this had lots of twists and turns. No one is especially likeable but I found the story compelling and finished this in one go. Would have given it 5 stars if not for the too descriptive sex.
4.5 stars
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A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson - Teddy is the brother Ursula Todd lives her many lives trying to save in Life After Life. The story goes back and forth in time as Teddy goes through WWII and then lives an ordinary life he didn't expect to have. The writing is lovely but the story itself sometimes had me going huh?
3 stars
Sunday, May 3, 2015
April 26 - May 2, 2015
The Hellfire Conspiracy by Will Thomas - Barker and Llewelyn are hired to find a missing girl in the East End of London, 1885. This turned into a rather boring tale of lots of walking about, mixed with non-fictional characters of the time. Halfway through the book I started skimming to the end. There is none of the subtle humor of the previous three books in the series. The fourth in a series and after reading other reviews, I've taken the rest off my to read list.
2 stars
2 stars
Sunday, April 26, 2015
April 19 - 25, 2015
The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah - a Hercule Poirot mystery by an imitation Agatha Christie. The author had the permission of the Christie estate to use Poirot but I felt she was unsuccessful in her attempt. Told in first person narrative and third person observer which sometimes switched abruptly. The murders were convoluted and the policeman squeamish.
2 stars
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The Marriage Hearse by Kate Ellis - a bride is murdered on her wedding day and there are many possible suspects. The 10th Wesley Peterson book and this one is pretty convoluted. The parallel ancient mystery wasn't as interesting and there are too many side trails.Wesley's wife does something stupid that made me as angry as I can get at a fictional character.
2 stars
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Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbo - this is really more of a novella. Olav is a fixer (killer) for his crime lord boss and finds himself in trouble when he falls in love with the boss's wife. I found it wistufl and haunting story. An anti-hero story with graphic violence.
4 stars
2 stars
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The Marriage Hearse by Kate Ellis - a bride is murdered on her wedding day and there are many possible suspects. The 10th Wesley Peterson book and this one is pretty convoluted. The parallel ancient mystery wasn't as interesting and there are too many side trails.Wesley's wife does something stupid that made me as angry as I can get at a fictional character.
2 stars
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Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbo - this is really more of a novella. Olav is a fixer (killer) for his crime lord boss and finds himself in trouble when he falls in love with the boss's wife. I found it wistufl and haunting story. An anti-hero story with graphic violence.
4 stars
Sunday, April 19, 2015
April 12 - 18, 2015
Fifty Mice: A Novel by Daniel Pyne - a man is kidnapped from the subway and finds himself an unwilling participant in the witness protection program. He doesn't know what he's seen or what he's being protected from. A rather confusing story that had me wondering if any of it was real. Quite a bit of strong language.
2 stars
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Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb - the 40th Eve Dallas book and I've read them all so who has the obsession? Someone has decided they have a relationship with Eve and is killing people who have crossed swords with her in the past. It seems to me the bad language has escalated in this book and there are the obligatory sex scenes with Eve and her incredibly handsome, rich husband that I skip over. I like these books for the slight futuristic element (this story is in 2060) and the relationships Eve has developed over time.
3 stars
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Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason - this is an Inspector Erlendur novel but he's not investigating a current crime. Instead, he's returned to his family's old home and is still wondering what exactly happened to his little brother when he was lost in a blizzard. He then becomes interested in the disappearance of a woman who vanished many years ago in similar circumstances. In previous novels Erlendur is always haunted by thoughts of his brother and this book seems to bring some closure. This is a series that needs to be read in order which is a little difficult since the first two have not been published in English.
4 stars
2 stars
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Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb - the 40th Eve Dallas book and I've read them all so who has the obsession? Someone has decided they have a relationship with Eve and is killing people who have crossed swords with her in the past. It seems to me the bad language has escalated in this book and there are the obligatory sex scenes with Eve and her incredibly handsome, rich husband that I skip over. I like these books for the slight futuristic element (this story is in 2060) and the relationships Eve has developed over time.
3 stars
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Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason - this is an Inspector Erlendur novel but he's not investigating a current crime. Instead, he's returned to his family's old home and is still wondering what exactly happened to his little brother when he was lost in a blizzard. He then becomes interested in the disappearance of a woman who vanished many years ago in similar circumstances. In previous novels Erlendur is always haunted by thoughts of his brother and this book seems to bring some closure. This is a series that needs to be read in order which is a little difficult since the first two have not been published in English.
4 stars
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