Made To Be Broken / Kelley Armstrong

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

I had a more difficult time with this second book about Nadia Stafford. Some of that is just me being twitchy right now. I may have over-scheduled myself just a bit.

My biggest issue was with Nadia herself. She can't seem to see why Jack is hanging around. Grab a clue, Nadia, he wants to be more than your mentor! Evelyn tattles on Jack, who has broken a bone and is going stir crazy in a dismal motel room. Nadia talks him into coming to stay at her lodge, where he seems to settle in. Meanwhile, one of Nadia's employees and her baby have gone missing. No one seems to care—not the girl's mother and certainly not the local police. Nadia once swore to serve and protect, so her protective impulses go into overdrive.

How realistic is it to have teenage single mothers being killed to supply a baby black market? I am unsure, which dampened my enjoyment. But since I have no idea about the whole contract killer world, what do I know? I guess it's appropriate for Nadia to get hung up on the young woman's death as it rhymes with the murder of her own cousin when Nadia was just a kid. That's the reasoning that Armstrong presents to us, but then that trauma doesn't really get addressed.

It was interesting to see Nadia struggling to escape from Evelyn's influence, while maintaining her relationship with Jack. Jack is one of the most supportive friends ever. Nadia needs to talk? He'll listen. Need help looking for a body? No problem. Need someone to take lodge guests to the shooting range? He's your guy. Have second thoughts about a contract job? No worries, he'll do it. Just watching him tolerate Quinn courting Nadia would make him qualify for sainthood if he wasn't, you know, a murderer.

Somehow I thought that the Jack or Quinn question would be resolved in this installment, but I was wrong. I see book three in my future.

A Drop of Corruption / Robert Jackson Bennett

 

4.25 out of 5 stars 

Often the second book in a series isn't quite up to the standard of the original volume. This couldn't be farther from the truth with this book. It is better than the first one, at least in my opinion.

Part of this is because we already know Ana and Din. We can enjoy their interactions and partnership, while being amused at how they also irritate each other. Ana knows that Din isn't thrilled with his assignment as her assistant, but she still relies on his investigative efforts. Din has his own problems, but he nevertheless does his best on each task. Although he is familiar with Ana's remarkable insights, he is still chagrined when she sees his motivations so clearly.

Our duo is sent to the edge of the empire, to the kingdom of Yarrow, which has been in negotiations for years to unwillingly join the empire. Here, an imperial functionary has seemingly disappeared from his locked quarters. Soon after, parts of him are recovered in the nearby swampy area. Can Ana makes sense of his death, the smugglers of the area, the local officials, and the imperial negotiation process and makes sense out of chaotic events? To assist them, a local warden is assigned to guide them. Malo is a woman with enhanced senses: exceptional hearing, sight, and especially smell. She is none too fond of imperial persons, but she reluctantly comes to admire Ana's reasoning abilities and Din's grit and determination.

This is a particularly unattractive fantasy world. Everything seems squishy, damp and changeable. Citizens must always be aware of contagion. You know those “where would you like to visit" hypothetical questions? This world is definitely off my list!

A Proposal to Die For / Molly Harper

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I am an unabashed Molly Harper fan. It started for me with Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs, featuring Jane Jameson, a children's librarian who accidentally becomes a vampire and who has a highly amusing inner dialogue. I continued on with more books set in the same town, Half Moon Hollow, then moved on to her Starfall Point series, witchy fantasy combined with romance. So, I was game to try this new offering, having enjoyed those books a lot.

This is a departure from those paranormal romances. It's a murder mystery with a romantic subplot. I found the writing style to be recognizably Harper's. The main character, Jess Bricker, has a very similar voice to the women from previous books, which suits me, as I enjoy Harper's humour. I appreciated that Jess didn't set out to become an investigator—she just kept stumbling across information (and bodies). I also liked that the romance was so low key. Jess has, after all, just met the Osbourne family that runs the resort where she has ended up with the client from hell. She is, in fact, getting to know all of them, not just Dean, a much more realistic situation than many mystery/romance hybrids out there.

Jess spends a fair amount of time convincing herself that she needs the big payday at the end of this gig, orchestrating the proposal for one of the mean girls that she went to school with. She had more determination than I would have in similar circumstances. Her attention to detail while setting up perfect proposals makes her an excellent mystery solver. She notices things.

Although I won't reveal the ending, it was more complex than I anticipated. I liked that I was caught flat footed, having no suspicions about who was guilty. If Ms. Harper writes more mysteries, I'll be ready to read them.

Deadline / Mira Grant

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

Book number 534 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

I wondered where this series would head with the loss of Georgia Mason in the first volume. Can the media company she and her brother Shaun founded survive her loss? Part of the appeal of these novels is the clever vision of the role of bloggers and video to attract eyeballs to their product. The reporters who gather facts are the Newsies, but the best job title belongs to the Irwins, christened to reference Steve Irwin, he who grabbed snakes and jumped on crocodiles. The Irwins leave safe bases to go poke zombies with sticks for your viewing pleasure. The Fictionals provide poetry and stories appropriate to life in a zombie-infested world.

Shaun Mason has been driven to the edge of sanity by the loss of his sister. She was the brains of the operation; he was the reckless Irwin. When a CDC employee fakes her own death and ends up on their doorstep, Shaun must assess what is going on and figure out what to do about it. Strategy and analysis are not his strong suits and his emotional intelligence is low. Will he estrange his team, the folks who are better at these skills?

The scientific details of the virus which cause zombification are well thought out. The constant decontamination procedures and blood tests to detect infection made me think of all our early efforts to deal with Covid 19 in 2020, how our routines changed to include infection precautions. Since this novel was published almost 10 years before Covid 19, Grant scored points with me for her research and insight.

This is a very fast paced, tense novel. If you're into first-person shooter games, the constant presence of guns will make you happy. Maybe conspiracy theories are your jam? Welcome, you will love this book. It's more apocalyptic than post apocalyptic, as the zombie rising just continues on and on. Although I am not a big fan of the zombie genre, I found this novel engrossing. But I need a rest to get my nervous system under control before tackling the third volume.

Tales of Space and Time / H.G. Wells

 

3 out of 5 stars 

Ever since I catalogued a big collection of H.G. Wells' work for the library I worked at, I have been meaning to read more of his fiction. He was a prolific writer, interested in many things and thoughtful about their meaning. As I am experiencing some disruption in my ability to concentrate, I opted for a collection of short fiction.

I was struck by his story The Star, about a comet impacting Neptune. It made me think back to 1992, when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 slammed into Jupiter. Just as in this story, both the astronomical and popular press were excited and entranced by the event. Thankfully it had far less effect on Earth than in this fiction. Nevertheless, I noted that many people of Wells' story try to deny expert opinion and seem to think that refusing to believe the science will somehow spare them from danger, much like folk today refuse to believe in climate change despite floods, forest fires, destructive hail storms, stronger hurricanes and tornadoes. Wells understood human nature quite clearly. He also anticipated a worry which the astronomical community has today, the possible impact of Earth by an asteroid or comet.

The tales varied from one about human ancestors (A Story of the Stone Age) to people of the future (A Story of the Days to Come) . The prehistoric people were depicted as well able to deal with the world around them, while the very urban people of the future have highly romantic and unrealistic ideas of rural life. Denton and Elizabeth are clueless about weather, animals, and how to support themselves outside the city. I thought it was interesting that Wells' future included huge corporations and unrecognizable ultra-processed food. He didn't envision a cashless society, as they still worry about money and find it to be a limiting factor in their lives. Wells' socialist leanings are on clear display as he critiques the capitalist system that cuts his future society off from nature, crowds them into cities, feeds them unidentifiable foodstuffs, and still limits their dreams. I also thought I glimpsed some of the thought that later produced The Time Machine.

The final story (The Man Who Could Perform Miracles) explores the plight of a skeptic who suddenly finds himself possessed of miraculous powers. Wells explores the morality of tinkering with other people's lives and the dangers of not fully thinking through the results of certain miracles. It seemed to me to have a similar flavour to Ursula K. Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven, with the “whole miraculous manipulation of the world” aspect.

There are good reasons that we still read H.G. Wells. He was an influential and progressive thinker. Although his writing style is slow and wordy compared to modern science fiction, he is still fairly easy to read. I bet he would love to see where the modern genre has gone and that we are still exploring many of the same issues.

Ocean Light / Nalini Singh

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

I've chomped down three of these books in four days. They're like popcorn, irresistible. Each one focuses on a different character who was peripheral in a previous novel. I keep getting pulled along to explore a new aspect of the Psy-Changeling world.

This is the book where we learn about the marine Changelings and see them build bonds with Bowen Knight, head honcho of the Human Alliance. Bowen has two strikes against him: he has a electronic chip in his brain to protect him from Psy manipulation, but it is rapidly degrading, threatening to kill him. Additionally he has taken a sniper's bullet to save his sister. There's a scientist deep under the sea who can maybe help with both problems. That's where Bowen awakes.

Bowen is pulled in multiple directions, especially when he meets a lovely shifter, Kaia. She starts out hostile and suspicious, but comes to realize that love of family and loyalty to coworkers isn't limited to shifters. Kaia is a bubbly, mischievous caretaking woman. Opposites attract, so they say, and Bowen and Kaia are proof of that adage.

My mini reading binge halts here for a while, as the next book has a looong waiting list at the library. This is just as well, as I have a stack of library books staring at me, wondering when their turns will come.

Allegiance of Honor / Nalini Singh

 

3.7 out of 5 stars 

It's been over a year since I last visited the Psy-Changeling world and I felt the pull this week. Singh has increased the ante in the last few volumes. Of course there's still a strong romantic element--that's her signature, after all, but the global politics between the Changelings, the Humans, the Forgotten, and the Psy have become absorbing for me. This change in focus is noticeable in the cover art for recent books. They no longer feature headless, shirtless male torsos. With the introduction of plotlines focusing on Psy main characters, clothed male figures became more prevalent, followed by this novel with a much more abstract image. I don't mind one little bit!

This story involves a big win for multi-species co-operation. Working together, they recover a kidnapped member of the aquatic shapeshifter community. The wolves and leopards may be leading the way, but other groups are seeing the benefits of the Trinity group too. Now the challenge will be deflecting the malign influences of the Consortium. 

There's a little too much baby kissing in this book for my taste, but I decided at age 11 that children were not on my list of life goals. I realize that I am in the minority on this issue. Babies agree with me, however; they start to fuss soon after some well meaning person insists that I hold them. Inexperienced as they are, infants recognize a rank amateur. 

I had hoped to plunge on into the next book and was ever so disappointed to find that it would be necessary to wait. Humph! But Libby promises that a copy will be available soon. I certainly hope so.

Exit Strategy

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

Kelley Armstrong is going to be attending a conference this summer that I am registered for and it is my practice to read something by the featured guests before the event. I have previously read two books from Armstrong's urban fantasy Otherworld series and, despite being a UF enthusiast, they didn't inspire me. Since then, the author has branched out into other genres and I decided to give this series a try. I'm glad I did, as I quite prefer it.

Contract killers seem to be having a moment. I guess they are exotic and intriguing to us ‘normal’ folk and their inner lives are fun to speculate about. Most of us will never meet such a person, so a novel chock full of them, like this one, multiplies the allure. Maybe it's like the current fascination with true crime—our society trying to figure out its dark side.

At any rate, I rather liked Nadia, the former police officer, who now owns a vacation lodge in the Ontario wilderness and takes hit jobs to pad her budget. Kind of like the farmer who has a job in town so he can keep on farming. Her mentor, Jack, is more enigmatic, taciturn to the point of ridiculousness. It becomes obvious that he would like to be more meaningful in Nadia's life, but has no idea how to accomplish that. He can easily plan someone's death, but can't plan how to advance a relationship. Armstrong introduces the rogue FBI agent Quinn in part to inspire Jack to quit dillydallying. Quinn has no problem relating to Nadia and she is attracted to him in return. Although I'm not usually into love triangles, I find this one interesting and I found myself placing a hold on book two immediately after finishing this one.

I guess I have found a way into Armstrong’s work. I'll be interested to hear her speak in August. 

The Paris Mystery / Kirsty Manning

 

3 out of 5 stars 

I’m trying to find my reading groove again, so I picked up this mystery chosen by my RL book club and hoped for the best. I was in luck, as Manning wrote a decent story. The setting was distinctly outside my experience, so I have no idea how realistic her version of 1938 Paris and the news business of the time is. In order to enjoy the book, one must make several assumptions: that a young Australian woman would slide into Parisian society so seamlessly, that her employer would be as supportive as depicted, and that opportunities for investigation would be achieved so easily. One must avoid looking at these details too directly or risk destroying the pleasure of a convenient plot.

I admit that I groaned a bit when I picked up the book and realized it featured a journalist. I did not expect to be converted to liking Charlie and it took me about 60 pages to find myself okay with her.

In short, it was better than I anticipated and not a hardship to read (unlike some other book club selections). Some of this is due to me, not the book, as I have a concentration problem currently.

At Bertram's Hotel / Agatha Christie

 

4.25 out of 5 stars 

Book 10 of the 2025 Read Your Hoard Challenge

I've been having difficulty settling on a book recently. I pick up one, then another, but can't seem to concentrate on any of them. What cures that? Agatha Christie, of course! Especially if it's a Miss Marple. I admired the structure of the mystery as I read, watching Christie weave together a train robbery, an underhanded young heiress, an absentminded clergyman, and the anachronistic hotel that Miss M has chosen as her get away.

Despite the presence of my favourite old bird, Miss Marple doesn't actually solve this one. She is merely the sharp eared and observant bystander. Chief Inspector Davy, to his credit, quickly realizes that she is a valuable resource and treats her accordingly, but it is he who does the heavy lifting, figuring out the whole web of crime.

I must confess that I enjoyed the delightfully vague Canon Pennyfather. The fact that he would wander the world continually unsure where he was going was amusing. The people who know him wait quite a while before starting to worry about him. I've gone through the same chain of emotion: starting with wondering, moving on to mild annoyance, followed by exasperation, and culminating in being acutely worried. I thought Christie managed that emotional arc very skillfully.

One other observation—when the jeweler comments on Elvira Burke, that young heiresses are more strictly separated from their cash than other inheritors, it made me think of Brittany Spears and how hard her family worked to keep her under a conservatorship so they could avail themselves of its advantages. There's really nothing new under the sun, is there?

Jack the Bodiless / Julian May

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

2025 Re-Read

Book 9 of the 2025 Read Your Hoard Challenge

I am bumping my rating of this novel up to 3.5 stars. I came to it with fewer expectations this time, ten years after my first reading. I am appalled by my lack of memory—this was like reading the book for the first time.

I paid more attention to the Lylmik this time around, wondering about their guardianship of the Remillard family. Does it make sense that entities who only wear bodies occasionally would be interested in Jack Remillard, who essentially becomes a brain in a simulated body. I have to question how the Lylmik came to dominate the Galactic Milieu? Why do they get to manipulate and veto everybody else?

Most of the Remillards are pretty difficult to feel much affection for, except maybe for Rogi. But he's one of the untalented members of the family, an alcoholic who self medicates perhaps to deal with all the arrogant relatives who expect him to do their bidding. Little do they know that Rogi only co-operates because he has been coerced by the Lylmik that he calls the Family Ghost.

At any rate, this is background for the Marc Remillard that I met in May's Saga of Pliocene Exile. He is well on the trail towards his self imposed exile back in time, even as a youngster here. I note that the human race is represented as troublesome in this future, similar to David Brin's Uplift series where they are considered feral upstarts. A pretty cocky self-assessment, truly. I wonder if this species self-confidence is warranted?

May Day / Jess Lourey

 

R

3.5 out of 5 stars 

In 2020 I jumped into this series at book 7 (November Hunt). I was charmed and read on to the series’ end. I always thought that I would return to the earlier volumes and enjoy getting to know Mira, Mrs. Berns, and the whole cast of Battle Lake characters. Finally, I've got around to it.

I'm glad that I didn't begin here actually, as Lourey hadn't really found her groove yet. Mira is fairly well defined—I recognize her despite her potential alcohol problems and her non-vegetarian menus. I was thrilled when Mrs. Berns showed up in the first pages (more stewing hen than spring chicken), but she and Mira haven't connected yet. I'll be interested to see which book sees them becoming friends and co-conspirators.

I may be mistaken, but this is the earliest book I could find by Lourey, but I can already see a lot of the things that make me like her work. Her female characters are realistic, not a Mary Sue among them. They've got problems, they've got secrets, they've got questionable judgment, plus they are curious as cats. I also love the Minnesota setting, a place I've never visited but feel like I know because of Lourey's novels. Battle Lake seems like the Minnesotan version of Agatha Christie's St. Mary Mead, a small community where it's possible to recognize everyone and to have an opinion about them. Plus, Lourey is really good at thinking up really creepy situations for her characters, even in this cozy mystery.

I wouldn't do the amount of lock picking that Mira does, which is the one thing that I didn't care for here, but this is a common feature of cozy mysteries, much to my chagrin. I hate it but I can't avoid it. And it makes me wonder how many people would feel justified doing a bit of B&E to find out a bit of information? Despite this bugbear of mine, I enjoy Mira and this series and I plan to continue on reading them.

The Masquerades of Spring / Ben Aaronovitch

 

3.75 out of 5 stars 

I'm glad that my library's only option for this novella was in the form of an audiobook, for otherwise I would have missed a wonderful performance by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Aaronovitch, I have heard, likes to test Kobna's mettle with as many regional accents as possible. Kobna does the British voices with authority and to my Canadian tin-ear seemed to do a creditable Southern voice, as well as several flavours of New York.

Augustus Berrycloth-Young, our narrator, seems to me to owe a great deal to P.G. Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster. His name (and his nickname Gussie) would fit into one of B. Wooster's tales quite smoothly. As would much of Gussie's vocabulary and his tendency to discount his own intelligence. He admits to wanting merely to live quietly and comfortably with his lover, Lucian, while enjoying the jazz of New York. His valet, Beauregard, isn't the absolute fount of wisdom that Jeeves was, but he is a very able assistant.

The spoke in the wheel of Gussie's routine is the appearance of Thomas Nightingale, seeking a place to stay and magical assistance. As happens when we deal with a person from our past, Gussie falls into his former role as the follower, despite needing a low profile both as magical practitioner and as a gay man when his orientation is considered illegal.

Although starting quite gradually, the author picks up speed until the reader/listener is pulled compulsively along, needing to know if Nightingale and Gussie can achieve their mutual goal without ruining Gussie's existence in the Big Apple. Much of the tension in the story results from dealing with prejudice against Lucian as a black man and against both Lucian and Augustus as gay men.

An interesting peek into the life of Nightingale well before Peter appeared on the scene and when practitioners were more numerous.

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern / Lynda Cohen Loigman

 

3.5  out of 5 stars

This is a very sentimental novel, framed around Augusta Stern's retirement and the lost love of her youth. The author manages to incorporate many ideas to frame this dual timeline story. We get a peek into the pharmacy business and the gangster culture of the 1920s, Jewish history and heritage, herbalism, the treatment of women by the medical profession, and the importance of family in any era.

When Augusta moves into the seniors complex that her niece helped her select, the last thing she expects is to run into Irving Rivkin. He was the delivery boy for her father the pharmacist and the boy who she fell in love with in high school. He was also the guy who suddenly disappeared out of her life, married one of her classmates, and moved away without saying goodbye. Augusta worked hard her whole life to fill her time and her thoughts with anything but Irving's perfidy. How could this happen?

Although the plot is rather predictable, there were a few small surprises along the way. The love story delayed was well thought out, and Augusta and Irving's misunderstandings and antics were entertaining. Although it won't be one of my favourite books this year, I do not regret reading it.

Fan Service / Rosie Danan

 

3.75 out of 5 stars

This book is better than the cover art would lead you to believe. It should appeal to people who have participated in an obsessive fandom or to fans of all things werewolf.

Alex Lawson had a rough childhood—her mother abandoned the family when she was very young and she didn't fit in to the small town community where she and her father lived. She found solace in the TV drama The Arcane Files. She moderated a comprehensive fan website where she finally belonged and was internet famous as the Mod. But at a con, Alex meets the star of the show, who says unkind things about her when he thinks she's gone. Alex's feelings morph from adoration to wrath in that moment.

Meanwhile, Devin Ashwood is rapidly discovering that his Hollywood career is over and he is hanging onto his werewolf character by his fingernails. It's making him crazy and he wonders why he feels like he's becoming a real life werewolf. After shifting twice, he is looking for help when he discovers the fan website and emails an old address.

Alex can't believe that Devin Ashwood wants her assistance, but he's willing to pay and her dad has medical bills. She'd be a fool to say no, but what help can a vet tech be in this situation? However the arrangement puts them in close proximity and they gradually get to know each other. You can see which direction this is headed.

Mild warning: there's a bit of bondage.

Salvage Right / Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

 

4.25 out of 5 stars 

Book 8 of the 2025 Read Your Hoard Challenge

How I adore this series! I never tire of adventure in the Liaden Universe. I've been considering why this is and I have found two reasons. First and foremost, this is an optimistic universe. Yes, there are bad actors who are persistent (the Department of the Interior and the Lyre Institute), but there are far more decent persons (biological and artificial) who give me hope. Secondly, it is an excellent mix of science fiction and fantasy. There are artificial intelligences, space ships and space stations, but there are also Healers, wizards (the Dramliz), and sentient, manipulative Trees. In addition, many of my absolute favourite books are written by man-woman teams. I think this provides a balance that I find very attractive.

In this volume, we return to the out-of-the-way space station, Tinsori Light, a relic of the old universe, possessed by the Enemy, held in check only by two devoted Light Keepers, Jen Sin yos'Phelium and Lorith of the Sanderat. They have been murdered and reconstituted by the Light so many times over the last two centuries that they teeter on the abyss, having difficulty trusting that the old intelligence that ran the station is wiped out and that they can be safe again.

Korval, having Jen Sin on site, has salvage right to this damaged station and have declared their intention to return it to its position as a thriving space port. The Cousins start pouring in to assist, overwhelming Jen Sin, who has relied only on Lorith and himself for centuries. Can he adapt to this new reality? And of course, with this many members of Korval together, the luck will ensure no lack of other challenges.

I appreciated the afterword by Steve Miller describing some of their process, for instance that they alternated which one took the lead on each book. I was especially entertained by their inspiration for Tinsori Light. While vacationing at the seaside, they developed a habit of listening to the maritime weather radio. Every day, they heard, “Matinicus Rock is not reporting.” First it became a catch phrase, but it morphed into a distant space station in the far flung ocean of the universe, cut off by malfunction. It is selfish of me, but I hope that Sharon will continue to write without her life-mate Steve.

Direct Descendant / Tanya Huff

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Several words come to mind: creepy, snarky, charming, cozy. Cozy eldritch horrors, anyone? But you get that in a small town that has an Agreement with the Dark. The Four, direct descendants of the original pact-makers, do the Dark's bidding when needed and the Dark keeps Lake Argen prosperous and untroubled. Cassie is the current Mouth, who can give orders that can't be resisted, and she is the last to see a stranger stab himself in the foot and disappear into the Dead Grounds.

When a private investigator comes to town to look into the man's fate, Cassie is instantly attracted to her. But she knows that at some point, she will have to explain her town's odd circumstances if she wants a real relationship. There may be some problems with that! Especially since the vanished man seems to be unsettling the Dark and changing the balance.

This book shows off Tanya Huff's sharp sense of humour and her vivid imagination. I loved the assortment of characters in Lake Argen, the wild, funny ravens, and the matter-of-fact dealing with the Dark. As if deals with the supernatural were an everyday thing. I love urban fantasy (even when it takes place in non-urban environments) and I really enjoy Huff's versions of it.

Under Loch and Key / Lana Ferguson

 

3 out of 5 stars 

I'm not exactly sure why I found this shape shifter romance as silly as I did. You may feel quite differently about it. I mean I guess the whole idea of being able to transform from human to animal form is a fantastical thing. Why does it matter to me what form the animal is? Not sure, but this felt a bit goofier to me.

I did like the Scottish setting, the estranged family angle, the ancient curse, and the family feud that Keyanna encounters. It's a matter of taste, but I found that the progression of enemies to lovers happened a little too quickly and easily for my enjoyment. I prefer to enjoy the anticipation but I realize that others want to get to “the good stuff“ right away. Even as a kid, I liked the lead up to Christmas better than the gift opening event. Then, right as I felt that nagging disappointment, there was the author wrote in the inevitable setback, and I was appeased.

So, gothic romance complete with monster. Much preferable to a plain, vanilla human romance, am I right?

Story of a Murder / Hallie Rubenhold

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

I have been in awe of Ms. Rubenhold's research skills since reading her wonderful book The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper. I was slower to engage with this book simply because I was less familiar with the crimes or the criminal in question. However, as the facts piled up, I felt my interest quickening. It's an extremely effective method of eliminating any romantic notions about the people involved. Additionally, Rubenhold treats the women involved as worthy of our attention and care. They are not just props to tell the male criminal's story.

We get to examine all the sordid details of Crippen's underhanded and swindling ways of business. I knew generally about patent medicines—their inefficacy, their possible harmful side effects, and the dashed hopes of those who paid money that they couldn't afford to use them. Being privy to all the wheeling, dealing, and scheming to defraud gave me a new appreciation of the sliminess of the process.

We also meet a Doctor Crippen who likes the company of women but intensely dislikes dependents (like children). He is responsible for abortions, one wife's ovaries being removed, moving suddenly to avoid consequences, and the elimination of women that he no longer wished to deal with. He has few compunctions about his treatment of other people and he is a compulsive liar. But like so many of this kind of person, his superficial charm and glib tongue seem to have smoothed his way through society, since most of us expect decency and empathy in those we deal with.

Crippen's big mistake, it seems, was not noticing that normal people have friends and family who care about them. He thought that his second wife's friends would just carry on with their lives after her disappearance, because that was exactly what he planned to do. He failed to recognize the determination of those friends to find out what happened to Belle.

I was left pondering his mistress, Ethel. I can't imagine being willing to put up with being a (not so) secret mistress or a henchman in illegal and immoral business dealings, but she must have had her reasons. I have to also wonder why she was willing to don boy's clothing and go on the run with Crippen. I can see why Crippen wanted her along—she literally knew where the body was buried, as she had worked hard cleaning up the murder scene. She also knew far too much about his shady business. It must have been jarring for her when Crippen proposed splitting up when they arrived in Quebec. Nevertheless, she stayed true to him until the end of her life.

It is the last chapter which chronicles the changing narrative of Belle Elmore from murder victim to awful, repulsive woman who deserved to be killed. Belle was self confident, hard working, caring, and well connected. Crippen had arranged for her ovaries to be removed early in their marriage, so she pursued careers in opera and music hall, ending up very involved in charitable pursuits. Instead of divorcing this wife, Crippen likely tried to poison her and the situation went wrong, leaving her body with unmistakable signs of foul play. Notably, it was in the early days of the 20th century that an independent woman would be interpreted as cruel and uncaring to her husband, when women were seeking wider roles for themselves and men were resentful. Male writers switched up the story until Belle was the wicked witch and Ethel the innocent young thing. Ms. Rubenhold sets the record straight.

Installment Immortality / Seanan McGuire

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Book 7 of the 2025 Read Your Hoard Challenge

The previous book in this series ended on a very sad note and I felt a bit of trepidation about this one. Sure enough, the Price-Healy family are still mourning their losses, but they are heartened when the family's caretaker ghost, Mary Dunlevy, returns to the fold. Mary was blown to smithereens during the Price family's bombing of the Covenant’s HQ and has just recently been reconstituted by the Anima mundi. At first, Mary thinks that she may be free to care for her family without restrictions, but the Anima mundi has other ideas.

Somehow, the Covenant figured out that a ghost was part of the bombing destruction and they can carry grudges like nobody's business. They have arrived in New England, where they are capturing unsuspecting ghosts and tormenting them. Mary is instructed to stop them. Being a caretaker ghost, Mary is leaning in that direction already, but it seems like larger matters may be involved.

McGuire teaches us more about the ghostly existence that she has invented and throws in a couple of new cryptids as a bonus. Elsie and Arthur accompany Mary on this mission, perhaps finding some comfort in the process.

A short story about Verity Price-de Luca at the end of the volume is a poignant reminder of her losses. Will she be able to contain her grief enough to care for the immanent new baby? Will her older child, Olivia, be able to rejoin her mother? There's nothing like a deadly critter crisis to put life into perspective!

I get the impression that McGuire is winding this series down. Although there will always be work for the family, it seems that the Covenant isn't the big threat that it used to be. If an ending is in the offing, I will greatly miss the Aeslin mice. HAIL!

Beast of the North Woods / Annelise Ryan

 

4 out of 5 stars 

No offense to Wisconsinites, but I had never heard of their beloved monster, the Hodag, until 2021 when I read Ilona Andrews' book Blood Heir. And I thought the Andrews just made it up, so I was stunned when the Hodag became a factor in this mystery’s early pages.

Once I got over that little revelation, I was ready to proceed. Morgan, the cryptozoologist main character, gets dragged into a murder investigation by a valued employee. Rita's nephew is accused of brutally murdering a rival and then claiming that a Hodag did it. Rita and her brother hope that Morgan can find out if there's any truth in the tale. It quickly becomes apparent that there's more going on than just one man's death and Morgan finds herself in the crosshairs of several dangerous people.

The tension is good, the pacing works well, and the ending, while it felt a little unrealistic, was supported by information the author provides in an afterword. So far, I have enjoyed each book in this series and I really hope that Ms. Ryan continues to write them.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye / John Scalzi

 

4 out of 5 stars 

John Scalzi is fond of writing an absurd situation and then examining how the people around it act and react. Whether it Kaiju monsters, talking cats, or rejuvenating senior citizens to create an army with life experience, he likes to write how he thinks we would react, with a bonus of how he would prefer us to react. So, in this outing, the Moon is suddenly transmogrified from rock to cheese.

Scalzi is completely uninterested in the reasons for or process of this change. What he wants to talk about is the dialogue between scientists, politicians, and the public about the situation. In these days of massive amounts of information, disinformation, and misinformation, I am not surprised that someone like Mr. Scalzi would want to write this. And he makes it as ridiculous and therefore fun for himself as possible. This is his commentary on the current relationship between North Americans and the field of Science, complete with reputable scientists, skeptics and conspiracists.

The character of Jody Bannon is a rather transparent version of Elon Musk (despite the character thumbing his nose at Elon and Jeff) . He is both incredibly smart and remarkably stupid. He is an obnoxious, empathy free, smart phone hurling, tantrum throwing man-child. But there are a lot of other characters to compare him to. Among them a pastor experiencing a crisis of faith. An academic whose popular science book is unexpectedly on point. A musician with a terminal illness. Two brothers who have been feuding over something that no longer matters. Three retired men who meet everyday at a local diner. And many more. It reminded me a bit of books like World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, where we get to look at a world issue from a plethora of viewpoints.

The big question is what would you do if you knew you had a limited time to live? What would you do? What would you quit doing? Who would you spend your remaining time with? [The little question: is Scalzi okay? No terminal conditions, I hope. He just sounds like he's put a lot of thought into the matter.] I have to say that I would try to speed up my reading! I might even eat a few more chips and drink all the coffee that I wanted. I'd likely quit doing housework too. Why not?

My Roommate is a Vampire / Jenna Levine

 

G

2.7 out of 5 stars 

Apparently adding a supernatural aspect to a romance is what is required to make it palatable to me. Had this been a roommate romance between two regular humans, I am pretty sure I would never have finished it. Mind you, it was just barely into my interesting range. It could have used a bit of mystery, some higher stakes, or something to make it more engaging.

Cassie and Frederick make up their minds about their relationship very fast and face very few obstacles. Sure, Freddie has been in a coma for a century and has no idea how to behave in 21st century society, but that is what he has originally recruited Cassie for—roommate as life coach. They have to build a bit of trust, which isn't helped when Frederick’s frenemy Reginald decides it's time for Cassie to know what her roomie really is. She is scared and panics, but that doesn't last long.

Their misunderstandings are pretty mild. Even the final showdown is over far too easily and quickly. It seems to me that the main characters should have to work a little harder for their HEA. On the other hand, I was glad to see Cassie getting on with a job interview and taking care of herself while navigating Frederick's disappearance. I hate when female characters just abandon their own dreams and goals because they have acquired a romantic partner. We need to have lives and ambitions of our own, am I right?

Originally, I decided to read this as a prelude to the second book of the series, but I am now waffling about whether I'll read any further. Never say never, but I think there may be plenty of other novels that would be more fun.

Lethal Bayou Beauty / Jana DeLeon

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Just as much fun as the first book. I am always delighted to discover a funny series where I get the humour. It's hit or miss for me. But I am going to delay a good while before tackling book 3, as I think it would be awfully easy to overdose on it.

Fortune, our CIA agent in hiding, just can't stay out of trouble. Part of the problem is her choice of friends. Ida Belle and Gertie are very bad influences as well as fabulous accomplices. Fortune, who previously had been happy with guns, explosives, and testing both of those with her co-workers, is discovering there is more to life.

DeLeon plays Fortune's ignorance of regular life for all it's worth. It leads her to make hilarious mistakes which are then amplified as Ida Belle and Gertie attempt to “help" her. Everything those two are involved in gets turned to slapstick, which tickles my funny bone. Honestly, where has this version of me come from? How is it that I'm actually enjoying something this silly?

So, I'm taking a break from the series to hopefully keep it fresh for me as a reader, but I'll be revisiting Sinful, Louisiana again. Soon, I hope.