Tag: mystery

REVIEW: Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz

REVIEW: Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Bruce Wayne gets kicked out of his exclusive prep school for defending another student from bullies. So he ends up at Gotham High.

There he reconnects with the literal “girl next door,” Selina Kyle. Since Bruce has been away, Selina’s mom has died leaving her alone to care for her father with Alzheimer’s who needs full time care. Bruce also meets Jack Napier, Selina’s friend and sometimes hook up.

Bruce runs into Harvey Dent – right before Harvey gets kidnapped. The attack happened at school. In fact, Harvey had been trying on Bruce’s long leather coat, making Bruce wonder if he was the actual target. That would make more sense, considering his family’s money, than Harvey. The security footage has been erased, and Bruce was drugged. He can’t remember anything that happened.

While Bruce tries to figure out what happened to Harvey, Selina continues to string both Bruce and Jack along for fun. A distraction from the weight of her life outside of school. When Harvey is returned, but Selina is kidnapped from Bruce’s house during a party, Bruce won’t stop until he finds her and the people responsible.

Review

There are some fascinating twists to the well-known Batman/Bruce Wayne stories here. Alfred is Bruce’s uncle rather than the family butler. He lives in Hong Kong with his husband, but comes to Gotham when Bruce gets kicked out of school. The details of Bruce’s parents’ deaths have been changed up as well. Then there’s the fact that all of these future foes go to high school together.

The usual all-white cast is shaken up as well. Jack Napier (future Joker) is white as is Ivy. Bruce is Asian as his mom was from Hong Kong. Selina presents as Lantix. And Barbara Gordon is Black, and her mom is the principal of the school. I loved this diversity. In fact, Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) is my favorite DC character – I would love to see a story set around this African American version of the character. Maybe there will be future stories from Gotham High. For the story in this particular book, I didn’t love the characters like I did with some of the other DC graphic novels recently. I was most intrigued by Ivy, frankly, and she doesn’t get a lot of page time.

The mystery of what is going on is puzzled out over the course of the book. The reader has more information than the characters in the story, so the final wrap up isn’t a big surprise to the reader.

There’s plenty left at the end with the relationships between the characters for additional stories in the future. Fans of Bruce Wayne story lines as well as fans of the new DC Entertainment graphic novels for teens (Shadow of the Batgirl, Oracle Code, Raven, Mera: Tidebreaker, etc.) should check this one out.

DC Entertainment has graciously shared some pictures of the interior art of the book so readers can see what they will get to enjoy.

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter

REVIEW: Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

April has lived in foster care since her mother left her with a note and a key April’s always worn around her neck but never understood. That key was the launching point for April’s adventure.

While on a museum visit, April recognizes that her key matches a Winterborne family heirloom – a jewel-covered box. She sneaks into the museum only to discover the key won’t turn. Then, she accidentally sets the museum on fire.

When April wakes up in the hospital, she finds her life has changed. Ms. Nelson represents the Winterborne Family Foundation, and they offer to take April in. She and four other kids are cared for at the huge and mysterious Winterborne mansion.

April is eager to see if her key will lead her to any answers about her mother, so she explores the mansion. As she slowly gets to know the other kids, she also discovers some mysterious goings on at the mansion. How far will a mysterious figure go to make sure no one believes what April says she has seen and to keep their own secrets?

Review

This was fantastic!! I only planned to get a few chapters in when I stared this. Next thing I knew, I was at the end. I could not put this down! The kids, the mysteries – all of it was perfect!

I am a sucker for a book with a great ensemble, and this has one. Each one of the kids has a story I would eagerly read. And even though I fell in love with each one just on the little I discovered in this book, it’s clear there is so much more to learn about each of them.

The mysteries are exceptional. Tons of twists and turns, including some at the very end. And even more unanswered questions to be addressed in future books.

And I hope there will be TONS of future books! This is the sort of book I would hand to every kid I know. This is for older middle grade readers (10+) and teens, I imagine due to the action and some violence involved in the mystery. I have yet to read an Ally Carter novel I didn’t love. But this is now one of my all time favorites. Fans of her previous books should run right out and get this one. You will not be disappointed.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

REVIEW: The K Team by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: The K Team by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Corey Douglas is a former-cop-turned-private-investigator. His business partners are Laurie Collins (wife of much-loathed defense attorney Andy Carpenter), Marcus Clark, and Simon Garfunkel, Corey’s German shepherd. Corey and Simon worked together at the police department before retiring.

Their first case as a team is for local judge Henry “Hatchet” Henderson. He’s a tough, by-the-book judge who is being blackmailed for something he didn’t do. He’s been set up thoroughly. And if he doesn’t do what the black mailers want – something that is still a mystery – they’ll expose him with their fake evidence.

The “evidence” against the judge wasn’t thrown together on a whim. The planning goes back at least 18 months. And there’s a ton of money behind it, too. Who could have been targeting him for all this time? And why? What’s their endgame?

That’s what the K-Team has to figure out.

Review

I’ve been looking forward to this since I read Dachshund Through the Snow last year when readers first met Corey and Simon. And I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the new point of view character and seeing all of my favorites from the Andy Carpenter series.

The mystery here is fantastic! Tons of twists – some I saw coming and others that caught me completely by surprise. One even made me exclaim out loud. There were a lot of things to unwind in this case. It goes to the very last page, too. In fact, for awhile I thought the case might carry over to the next book, but it all gets settled in the end.

I would have loved more with Simon the German shepherd in this one. He doesn’t have a very big role in this case due to the nature of what was being investigated, but I still wanted more. I also wanted more development of Corey’s character. There were a few spots that felt either repetitive or over-explained. We got a lot of Corey waffling over his dating relationship and his concerns about some of the less-than-legal aspects of the investigation. Each of those pieces was a great part of showing us who Corey is, but they were covered often throughout the story.

If you enjoy top notch mysteries with law enforcement/legal system characters (and some great dogs), don’t miss this spin off – or the source material in the Andy Carpenter series. The author has two Andy Carpenter books releasing later this year – Muzzled (currently scheduled for a July release) and Silent Bite, a Christmas story (scheduled to release in October), and I will absolutely be reading both of them!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Chirp by Kate Messner

REVIEW: Chirp by Kate Messner

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Mia and her family are moving back to Vermont after two years in Boston. Two years Mia would love to forget. But now they’ll be close to her grandmother again and get to do all the things she remembers from when she was younger.

Mia’s parents are requiring her to choose two summer activities to keep her busy. They are quick to point out the gymnastics spot near her grandmother’s cricket farm. But Mia wants nothing to do with gymnastics these days. But she does sign up for a Warrior Camp nearby as well as a Launch Camp for Young Entrepreneurs. Mia thinks Launch Camp might help her come up with ideas to help the cricket farm.

Because the farm is in trouble. Gram is convinced someone is sabotaging her business – letting seagulls in, turning of the breakers to the freezers, etc. Mia’s parents think it’s more a run of bad luck – and a sign Gram should get out of the business. But Mia’s noticing weird things at the farm, too. And she’s determined to do whatever she can to help her grandmother.

Review

This was so good! There’s a TON of great stuff going on in this story. The cricket farm and the pieces on insects as a protein source for humans is fascinating (and creepy, in my opinion). Then there are the two camps Mia attends, the friends she makes there, and the things she learns at both. It’s obvious something happened at Mia’s gym back in Boston, and it feels bigger than just her broken arm. But it takes awhile for Mia to get to a place where she’s ready to address it, even in her own mind, much less tell an adult about it. And finally there’s the sabotage mystery. All of those pieces are woven together beautifully and seamlessly. Everything fits like an intricate jigsaw puzzle.

There are so many ways I could see teachers (and homeschooling parents) use this book in the classroom. It would be a great read-aloud and would also work for book clubs and reading groups. Kids could learn more about insects as food or about real cricket farms. They could learn about maker spaces or visit some. Students could learn about Warrior camps or business plans or a whole host of things that come up in the course of the novel.

In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with a novel by Kate Messner. I believe she does a masterful job of addressing serious and important topics (in this case harassment and boundary issues) in age-appropriate ways. Her books give kids an opening to talk about real life issues and give them language for difficult topics. Be sure to check this one out – for older middle grade readers (10+).

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Newspaper Club by Beth Vrabel

REVIEW: The Newspaper Club by Beth Vrabel

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Running Press Kids in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Nellie’s dad is out of town for a long term work assignment and her mom loses her newspaper job, her mom’s college friend, Mrs. Kim-Franklin comes to the rescue. She invites them to move to Bear Creek and helps them get set up in the house next door. By default that means Nellie and Mrs. Kim-Franklin’s daughter Min are now “best friends,” at least according to Min.

Nell’s not really had friends before. She’s brilliant and can be off-putting to her peers. But living in a new town, and stumbling onto some mysterious events at the park piques her journalistic curiosity. To get the answers she is looking for, Nell needs to get to know the locals. Nell’s neighbor Thom offers to walk her to the local newspaper office so she can give them the information on the park. Min tags along, and the three discover yet another mystery in this small town that Nell would like to dig into.

But the newspaper office is not what Nell was expecting. Many of the reporters are packing up their desks because they were laid off. When Nell asks the editor how the town is supposed to know what is going on at the park, or when it is safe to return, if there’s no newspaper to tell them, he tells her she might have to write the story herself.

With Thom and Min’s help, that’s exactly what Nell plans to do!

Review

I LOVED this! The six kids at the core of this book are delightful! Nellie is bright and brings the newspaper experience. Thom is loyal and thoughtful. Min is enthusiastic. Gordon is talented. Gloria is passionate, and Charlotte is brave. I loved them. I hope there will be shelves full of books starring these kids.

The mysteries here are kid-friendly – pranks or vandalism at the park and a sad business owner. There are a few serious moments which were especially endearing because I was already so attached to the characters from the rest of the story.

I loved the adults in this – the exasperated police chief who still answers Nell’s questions, Thom’s moms who make Nell feel welcome, Gloria’s dad who gives Gloria space to put her own “flavor” on their restaurant, etc.

The newspaper pieces are well written and informative. Readers could put together their own newspaper with the ideas and examples in this book. But it’s never overly technical.

Do not miss this delightful story! This would be so great as a read-aloud or for book groups. I loved this like I loved Beth Vrabel’s 2018 release, The Reckless Club. I can’t wait to see what happens for these characters next!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Death with a Dark Red Rose by Julia Buckley

REVIEW: Death with a Dark Red Rose by Julia Buckley

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lena and her friends are settling into a quieter pace of life after their recent adventures. Fall has arrived, and everyone is enjoying the colors of the season. Camilla and Adam have a getaway planned. Lena and Sam are making wedding plans. And Doug and Belinda are also going on a trip. But when Doug goes to pick her up, he finds her gone. Her car, purse, phone and keys are still at the house. Doug, Sam and Lena start looking for her.

Belinda’s parents inform them that Belinda’s brother, Carl, is living nearby. Belinda adores her brother and might have met up with him. And if Carl hasn’t been taking his medication, he might have met up with Belinda unexpectedly.

While Belinda is found safe, Carl reached out to her because he thinks someone else isn’t. Carl’s friend, Luis, has been missing for 5 days. Luis’ wife seems unconcerned, and the management at work is dismissive. But Carl is certain something is wrong. And because Luis and Carl work for the mysterious Plasti-Source, the disappearance will give the police an inroad into the company so they can check it out.

Review

This was fantastic! I’ve been a fan of the Writer’s Apprentice Mystery series since book 1, A Dark and Stormy Murder. I’m two books behind, but I was able to drop into this one because I understood the primary characters, and the story didn’t require me to know all of the back story. (The larger over-arching mystery from the start of the series was wrapped up in the books I haven’t gotten to yet.)

I always feel like I get my money’s worth (so to speak) from this series because the books are dense with material. Yet none of it feels like fluff or filler. I love the ensemble and the ways they work together on the mysteries. The addition of Belinda’s brother Carl was great. What an endearing character! There are tidbits of character and relationship development here and there, but they are always well-balanced with the meaty mystery central to the book.

The mystery here was top notch as usual. Lots of twists that kept me guessing to the end. I also enjoy the writing pieces in the series with Camilla and Lena. Each chapter starts with either writing notes from Camilla or lines from the fictional story they are working on in the book. I appreciated the fact that they often throw out several ways for the fictional story to go, acknowledging that the details get sorted out in the writing process. Terrific!

I loved this book, and I highly recommend the whole series to mystery and cozy fans!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Microphones and Murder by Erin Huss

BONUS REVIEW: Microphones and Murder by Erin Huss

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Henery Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

After several years as an engineer on a successful podcast, Liv pitches the idea of her own true crime show, Missing or Murdered. But the “talent” says she doesn’t have the experience or the gumption to do it well. So Liv quits her job.

She gives up her life to move to Santa Maria where Amelia Clark lived before she disappeared in 2008. Liv is accompanied by her enthusiastic younger biracial step-sister, Camry. Camry’s great aunt, Hazel, lives in Santa Maria and is letting them stay with her while they launch the podcast and learn everything they can about Amelia.

Liv’s early investigation goes poorly. Witnesses are hard to find or reluctant to share. Her primary source is only able to give them some files on the case before he’s no longer able to help. The area where Amelia’s car was found has changed a lot in 10 years making it hard to get clues in that space. There’s a reason this case has gone unsolved for so long. Liv starts to wonder if she’s made a BIG mistake.

But when an apple comes crashing through the bedroom window at Hazel’s, the sisters have to wonder if they have more information than they realize, and if they have gotten too close to a killer desperate to protect their secrets.

Review

This was OUTSTANDING!! I was pulled into the story form the first page. I loved the characters! By the end, there’s a little group of 5 working on the podcast and the case, and they are delightful. Liv and Camry are sisters, but by marriage, which makes for an interesting dynamic. Hazel, Camry’s great aunt, looks like Mrs. Claus, but sounds younger and sexier when she’s recorded for the podcast. Oliver is a Deaf YouTube star with millions of followers. He speaks as well as signs. As his grandmother, Hazel signs as does Liv who studied ASL in high school and college. This dynamic made for some fun moments in the story. And Austin is a reporter with a stutter, a crush on Camry, and some contacts around Santa Maria that the sisters really need. I loved how they all came together as a group and how they worked together.

The case was top notch! They got breakthroughs at reasonable moments where just the right question or contact opened a new avenue for the investigation. The pacing was terrific. There were early roadblocks to test Liv’s commitment to this path. And future discoveries came in a way that never pointed to police incompetence – they just didn’t find the right information in the right combinations to put all the pieces together. There were reluctant witnesses and others who never knew they had relevant information before. And the overall resolution was very satisfying!

I can’t tell you how often I laughed while I was reading. Between the humor and the great characters and the fantastic plot, I was in mystery-lover bliss with this book. I cannot recommend this highly enough! I noticed a couple details that were inconsistent, but I trust those were worked out in final edits. I’ll definitely be picking up my own copy of this now that it has released. Mystery fans and podcasting fans should not miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Tell Me Lies by Ed James

BONUS REVIEW: Tell Me Lies by Ed James

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Megan Holliday is shopping at the mall with her two kids. Avery is four. Brandon is three. They can both be a handful. The family has  no idea the guy in the elevator with them has been waiting for them. Watching them.

Megan wakes up on her porch with a note in her lap telling her not to call the police. Her children and her van are gone.

Senator Chris Holliday is in a congressional hearing when his phone buzzes. It’s in bad taste to check it, but it’s his private cell. Megan might need him. He sees a picture of Avery and Brandon with the morning paper, asleep in their van. The message that accompanies it sends him into a panic.

Special Agent Max Carter heads up the Seattle Field Office for the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team. He interviews Megan. She can’t reach the Senator. Carter promises he’ll do all he can to find the kids. But inside he’s wondering where the Senator has disappeared to.

Review

This was a great, suspenseful thriller. The twists and turns in this were like trying to get through a complicated maze. Every time a character made progress toward finding the truth, it opened an alley to another cover up, another lie, another suspect.

I liked the multiple perspectives in this. It allowed the reader to get into the heads of several characters including the kidnappers. There are so many secrets and lies in this, it added to the suspense to read the story from different perspectives. The reader keeps having to ask, “Is this character even trustworthy?”

There’s some darkness in this – violence, a good bit of foul language, and the dark subject matter. Kidnapping, murder, cover ups. It didn’t feel excessive for the story, but sensitive readers might run into issues with some story elements/moments.

If you love suspense, thrillers, conspiracy stories and twisty mysteries, be sure to check this one out. It’s a wild ride! It looks like this is the first in a series starring Special Agent Max Carter. There are a couple threads of this left open, so future books might pick up pieces from this one, but the case is mostly resolved by the end. (Language, sexual references, violence, TW: suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Thief Knot by Kate Milford

REVIEW: The Thief Knot by Kate Milford

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Clarion Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

A girl has been kidnapped and the police have come to the Liberty of Gammerbund, and Marzana’s parents, for help. Marzanna’s parents have had “adventurous” lives, and they have contacts in the Liberty who might not respond to police questions, but would answer theirs. So her parents start working their contacts, investigating the crime.

Marzana and her best friend Nialla have been looking for an adventure of their own, so they decide to follow their own leads to try to find the missing girl. Teaming up with a ghost named Meddy, a girl from school named Emilia, and two boys, Ciro and JJ, they form the Thief Knot. And together they start looking for the kidnappers.

Review

I know that’s a pretty short summary, and it doesn’t say a whole lot, but this is a hard book to explain. It’s really best read for itself. This was terrific! I didn’t realize it was part of a larger story until I started digging into the book. It’s not a series, necessarily, but maybe more of a spinoff of the Greenglass books. And I loved it. Some of the history of the characters and the magic of the world was missing for me because I haven’t read any of the other stories. But I was able to follow this without those details with no issue (other than wondering about the stories I have missed).

I love ensemble stories like this. The Thief Knot crew is terrific – with interesting connections and skills they bring to the adventure. The mystery was top notch. Lots of great twists – one big one I only half predicted and another big one I didn’t see coming at all. It was so fun to read! I don’t know that I’ll go back to read the other books in this world – I can only read so many things – but I will absolutely read more books with these characters if this becomes a series of its own. I loved these kids!

This would be a fascinating read aloud for a classroom or a family. Terrific for mystery fans. There’s a slight “heist novel” feel to this that I loved, too. This might also appeal to fans of books like The Great Greene Heist (♥♥♥♥), and other heist stories. This book is targeted to older middle grade readers (ages 10-12+).

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs

REVIEW: Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

In 1955, as Albert Einstein lay dying and under the influence of morphine, the great genius spoke of a secret work. One he never trusted to humanity. And ever since then, the CIA has been trying to find it.

They aren’t the only ones. Over the years different governments – and spies – of the world have tried to track it down with no luck. The latest group calls themselves the Furies. They are disgruntled white supremacists, angry at the world and bitter about all they feel has been “stolen” from them. They would be among the worst of those hunting for Einstein’s final equation. And they are close to finding it.

The CIA has become desperate. That’s the only reason they would bring in a reckless, impulsive 12-year-old genius named Charlie Thorne. Agent Dante Garcia knows Charlie’s story and believes her brilliance could be just what they need to solve the mystery and find the equation before the Furies. But Charlie may be more trouble than the CIA is prepared for. And Charlie might not be prepared for what could happen to her once the CIA has what they want from her.

Review

This was great! I enjoyed the combination of mystery and action/adventure. Charlie is an interesting character – so smart but at times immature and naive. For much of the book, she was the only one I trusted. And that was a factor in the story, too. There was no super-surprising twist. The puzzles are pretty straightforward once Charlie figures them out. I loved the things I learned about Einstein and other scientists from the story. The ending was great.

There were parts that seemed too easy or too perfect. It was easy to suspend disbelief, though, because I was having so much fun with the story.

This has a lot more violence and death in it than you’ll find in most middle grade books, even if this one is for Older Middle Grade readers (ages 10 and up). It felt more like a YA novel in that way, although the 12-year-old protagonist would be young for a straight up YA novel.

Readers who can handle the violence (gun battles, fighting, death threats, death, etc.) will find a smart, fun adventure story here! I can’t wait for book 2.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½