Turns of Fate / Anne Bishop

 

4.25 out of 5 stars 

This book was absolutely addictive! I read it in one sitting, breaking only to eat once. I haven't stayed up until 2 am for a very, very long time, but I just couldn't set it down.

If you have read and enjoyed Bishop's The Others series, I think you will also be impressed with this book. In some ways, I felt like The Others was a dress rehearsal for Turns of Fate. Both books have mysterious, self-contained societies of powerful non-humans. These folk have very little desire to associate with humans and they hold themselves apart. In The Others, an prophetic human, Meg, seeks safety among the shape-shifters. In this novel, a newbie detective is assigned to go talk to the Arcana on their island, the Wyrd.

Detective Beth Fahey is wary on her first meeting with Mr. Frost, the Arcana liaison. When she returns to her police department, she learns that she has been favoured with far more information than any of the other officers and has met many more of the Arcana. Mr. Frost encourages Beth's boss to send her to the island when contact is necessary. Naturally, this causes her fellow detectives to give her the side eye.

In both series, humans are offended that they are excluded from access to shape-shifter/Arcana lands. (Apparently the concept of private property only applies to humans in their worldview?) The lack of familiarity with these exotic peoples inspires xenophobic hostility in the neighbouring human populations. Bishop writes this kind of racism extremely vividly.

As I finished the book, I was hoping that it was the beginning of a series and when I checked the Goodreads record, my wish came true. I can hardly wait to spend more time in this world.

The Princess Knight / Cait Jacobs

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

Basic premise: Princess Clia is shocked when her intended, Prince Domhnall, jilts her, telling her he needs a warrior woman, not a fashion plate. She is humiliated and decides to apply to the same warrior academy that Domhnall will be attending with the intention of winning him back.

At first, I had no idea what to think of Clia. She is motivated by her desire for perfection, but never measures up to her parents' expectations. She is also devoted to sewing, a skill which interests me not at all. She is obsessed with fashion. I came to appreciate her because she doesn't give up on warrior training and she works hard. She is not immediately an sword wielding badass, but becomes one through perseverance. Of course it is Domhnall's guard/friend Ronan who helps Clia gain her skills and who may also help her with her heartache.

I know this is fantasy and therefore there will be unfamiliar names. Many of them in this novel have accents on some vowels. I almost always find this distracting as I get jolted a little bit when I run into a name that I have to think consciously about how to pronounce it. It takes me out of the story and irritates me. I get the feeling that these names are based on Irish Gaelic (surnames like O Connor point in this direction).

The story wraps up enough at the end that this may be a standalone, but there are sufficient remaining questions that Jacobs may be planning a sequel. I wouldn't be opposed to it, but I won't wait with bated breath either.

Enshittification / Cory Doctorow

 

3.25 out of 5 stars 

I've heard Doctorow interviewed on radio and I could hear his voice and intonations while reading this. (Incidentally, he did read the audiobook version, so you can hear his voice too.) If the title offends you, I would recommend that you pass on the book, as the author adjusts a LOT of words in similar fashion. He admits that it was a complaint of his which got a lot of attention that solidified his use of “enshittification” since it seemed to amuse people and attract attention. I feel that he overuses the conceit, but it serves its purpose. Doctorow uses the metaphor of a disease to structure the book. We read about the Natural History, the Pathology, the Epidemiology, and finally the Cure. It divides up his arguments neatly.

I couldn't help but think about Goodreads in relation to Doctorow's observations. He talks about members of Facebook feeling unable to abandon the platform because they don't want to lose the friend group that they have established there. There are other options, but it's impossible to get all your friends to change with you to the same new service because they also feel connected to their friends. I have witnessed this firsthand as I belong to a GR group debating the options to GR. Many members of this group would move, except they mourn the loss of reading friends. I'm in that camp.

Also as described by the author, Goodreads has become big enough to be able to ignore its members. Its algorithm is unfathomable, serving up less of what I want to see, indeed what I have asked to see (my Top Friends), and flaunting more obscure members of my friend list. We all know that GR is owned by Am@zon, which Doctorow does discuss. If we are having to spend more time on GR to find the people we prefer to interact with, we are exposed to more advertising and increase the likelihood of our spending money on their service. (If only they knew that I work diligently to avoid using it! I am willing to pay more and wait longer to order through my local independent bookstore. This book only reinforces my determination.) If it is any comfort to reviewers, GR is almost certainly abusing advertisers too.

I was grateful for the final section (the Cure) which offered a bit of hope. Ironically, the current administration in the US may estrange their trading partners enough that they will no longer even attempt to get along with the Americans and will pursue tech companies with legislation and punishing fines. It's already beginning and I wish them Godspeed.

Monster in the Moonlight / Annelise Ryan

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

Another entry in Ryan's monster hunter series, much in the same line as the first three. The books are very even in tone and each one provides a good mystery based on a possible cryptid (werewolves this time). There is continuity and development of relationships from one volume to another, but somehow those relationships feel a bit bloodless to me. Make no mistake, I still enjoy the series, just not as much as books by Richard Osman, Elly Griffiths, or Thomas King. Their mysteries feature a cast of characters that I've come to care about a great deal.

I wish I felt the same about Morgan Carter and Jon Flanders. They fill their roles in the plot, but I'll admit it's the cryptid investigations that keep me coming back to these books. I wish I felt more of something about that relationship, but it just seems inevitable. Their breakup caused no angst and their reunion gives only mild pleasure. I long for stronger emotions! Morgan's employees, Rita and Devon, have potential but Ryan doesn't give them much depth. Morgan repeatedly says how important they are, but in this book they were merely voices on the phone, providing information relevant to the mystery. They have yet to become interesting personalities in their own right.

So if you, like me, really value an endearing cast of characters, you may find this series a bit lacklustre. But if you're all about plot, this could be just your thing. My verdict? I’ll be reading the next volume, even if I'm not waiting on tenterhooks for its publication.

Hid From Our Eyes / Julia Spencer-Fleming

 

4 out of 5 stars 

This series is 50% mysteries to be solved and 50% the personal dynamics of the characters. I like the mysteries fine, but it's the characters who keep me coming back for each installment. In the beginning, it was the chemistry between Russ and Clare, despite his wife and her religious vocation. Often in these kind of books once the couple gets together the tension just goes out of the plot and the series limps to a close. Not so with this series—there are always new obstacles to be overcome. 

There are multiple problems in this book. The town council is threatening to disband the Millers Kill Police Department and go with the State Police service to save money. Russ feels frustrated by the lack of support and their lackluster funding. He realizes that his officers will have difficulties if they lose their jobs and he feels responsible for them.

Meanwhile, Clare is trying to find her footing as a new mother, fitting childcare around her erratic priest's duties. Worse, the pills and booze that she used to deal with her post-military issues are very much on her mind. The craving has its hooks in her and won't let go.

If these matters of personal turmoil weren't enough, there's a mysterious dead woman deposited on a lonely road. She is remarkably like another young woman found in the same spot by Russ when he was newly returned from Vietnam. He was a suspect at the time and never cleared, which makes him determined to solve this case.

Hadley Knox is gradually living down the scandal of her police colleagues discovering her past as a porn actress. She has become a good cop. She is still angry that her past seemed to matter so much to Kevin Flynn that he transferred to another police department to get away from her. He ends up undercover in the area and Hadley has to inform him that her vindictive ex-husband has named them both in a law suit that accuses them of planting drugs in his luggage. 

Spencer-Fleming has crafted a solid mystery that begs for a solution with very little evidence to help with that endeavor. As usual, it is a joint effort between Russ and Clare that puts the pieces together. There are two uncertain futures at the end of this novel. Russ and Clare are still a solid couple, but their employment may be changing drastically. Hadley still has a job, but Kevin seems to be strangely missing. Is it voluntary or has something bad happened? Thankfully there is another book published that will likely address these situations. 

The acknowledgements at the end of the book reveal the reason for the long delay between the previous book and this one. The author lost her husband, a close friend and her mother all in a matter of months. I think it's amazing that she can pick up so well from where she left off and produce such a gripping story after having the rug pulled out from under her that way.

Love at First Sighting / Mallory Marlowe

 

4 out of 5 stars 

This book is every bit as charming and cute as the author's Love and Other Conspiracies. In fact, on page 87, there's a reference to Hallie and Hayden from that novel. What a fun little Easter egg! Ms. Marlowe obviously enjoys all things paranormal. LaOC dealt with conspiracy theories and Love at First Sighting sends us into UFO territory.

Carter is one of the infamous Men in Black, although he is not excelling in his government career. El is a very popular influencer who has a scary UFO encounter after a photo shoot out in the mountains. Carter sees her video and recognizes her sighting as the same as he saw just before he and his father were in the car accident that left him an orphan. El is very suspicious until she learns that Carter believes her—everyone else either calls her crazy or wants to exploit her. They team up to figure out what it's all about, all the while dying to get their hands on each other.

No love triangle, very little angst in the relationship. The romance features prominently but figuring out what happened to Carter's father is just as important. It's a sweet romance and a tense plot. I truly hope that my library purchases Ms. Marlowe's next book.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles / Agatha Christie

 

4 out of 5 stars 

2026 Re-Read

It has been a long time since I last read this novel, but not so long since I last visited Styles. Having recently finished the very last Poirot novel, Curtain, which also took place at Styles, I couldn't resist the temptation to revisit the first Christie novel. 

I was amazed at how much I have learned about Poirot and Hastings through the years of reading Christie's fiction. I mean Poirot is very much himself, but Hastings is already being distracted by women, especially if they have auburn hair. It becomes a matter of amusement as the books progress. Poirot tries valiantly to get Arthur to think about things rather than jump to conclusions. Already, Poirot is telling him that he is startlingly honest and has no idea of the capabilities of other people to do wrong. His thoughts show plainly on his face, forcing Poirot to bamboozle him a bit to prevent him from alerting the murderer!

Every time I read a Christie novel, I notice new things. It makes her mysteries a joy to revisit.