Tag: mystery

REVIEW: The Princess Plan by Julia London

REVIEW: The Princess Plan by Julia London

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The Crown Prince of Alucia has come to England for two reasons – to forge a trade agreement and to find a wife. And at the masquerade ball, he also finds a few… distractions. A redhead who distracts him for a few hours and another woman who flirts with him in a secret passageway.

Eliza is in the passageway to hide from the matron who wanted to fill up her dance card with what would probably be horrible dance partners. Spinsters like her were hardly the top prospects at these events. Eliza is happy to enjoy the rum punch  in peace while she tries to meet the Crown Prince.

While Sebastian and Eliza meet at the ball, they are thrown together more forcefully when Sebastian’s friend and personal secretary is murdered. Eliza was paying attention to the man at the ball because he’d been kind to her. Prince Sebastian is determined to have all the details she can provide. But Eliza isn’t like the simpering, acquiescing women he’s used to meeting. She won’t be cowed by his title or his attitude. And Sebastian finds he likes that about her.

Review

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a mystery. While there is a murder, and Sebastian and Eliza go looking for clues to the killer, that is secondary to the romance plot. I would have liked this to be both, frankly. It would have been great to see Eliza and Sebastian take down the killer together AND sort out their romantic woes. But while the killer is unmasked, it is revealed in a detached, distanced way, and the reader is clued in later on the details.

Romance fans who are less attached to the mystery likely will not care. Sebastian and Eliza have great friction early on. He’s arrogant and entitled, and she’s old enough and experienced enough not to kowtow to him. I loved how direct and sassy she was with him. The relationship is pretty typical for a romance between royalty and a commoner. Once they connect, how will they go on because of his obligations and her lack of status? The finagling of those issues made for a decent and happily ever after ending. (Sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

REVIEW: Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sawyer is still reeling from the things she discovered about her family when she, Lily, Campbell, and Sadie-Grace worked together to make sure Campbell’s father was held accountable for his crimes (Little White Lies). She finally knows who her biological father is, and it changes everything – her relationship with her mother, her grandmother, and with the rest of the family she lived with for her debutante year.

But now that it’s summer, and the family is spending time at their lake property, there’s a new distraction. The White Gloves is a secret society that takes in a select number of young women from the best families each year. And Sawyer, Lily, Campbell and Sadie-Grace have all received invitations. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Sawyer’s recent discoveries make things awkward at her grandmother’s house. Campbell’s mother is in a downward spiral after the fallout from her husband’s arrest.  Sadie-Grace knows her step-mother is faking her pregnancy, but she doesn’t know if she should confront her or let the charade play out. And Lily has her up-in-the-air relationship with Walker to figure out. The White Gloves are a perfectly timed distraction.

But the Gloves’ competition also gives Sawyer a chance to dig into one more mystery from her debutante year. Whatever happened to her mom’s best friend Ana who also got pregnant when Sawyer’s mom did – and who disappeared almost twenty years ago?

Review

This was absolutely stunning – dizzying! The twist and turns in this left me in knots – and I loved every minute of it. I couldn’t stop thinking about this for 24 hours after I finished the final page – I even had dreams about the book! When I think about where the book starts vs where it ends, it’s almost like two whole books. What a wild ride! Masterful plotting in this one!

I missed some of Sawyer’s sass and spunk from the first book. In Little While Lies, she’s an outsider; she uses her words as armor to protect herself. In this book, that edge isn’t as sharp. She’s found family to a degree, and she has her crew of friends. It’s a necessary evolution to the character, but I missed the snark. I also missed the fellas. Walker and Boone are absent for a lot of this since the White Gloves is only for the ladies. Again, necessary, but I missed them.

I love the core group of girls in this. They have distinct, fascinating personalities and family situations. And I loved seeing them as more of a team than they could be in book one.

The structure of this is similar to Little White Lies. In that book, the story starts with the girls in jail and then goes back in time around a year to fill in the story. Periodically there’s a paragraph, or a few sentences, from the jail timeline so you don’t forget where everything is headed. This time there are three timelines. This book starts again with Sawyer and a friend in some danger. Then it goes back a few months to the start of the story. The third piece is from 25 years ago, and that is also threaded into the larger story. The author does a great job of cuing where the timing changes so just watch the headings and you’ll be fine. I loved trying to figure out how the three pieces would come together in the end.

As I said, the plot of this is dizzying. I can think of six major twists/revelations without even trying hard, and I’m sure there are more. I had to write them all out when I finished the book just to help my mind take it all in. WOW! I loved it. So many great surprises. I’m not sure there are unanswered questions to prompt a third book, but if Jennifer Lynn Barnes writes one, I am here for it! She is still one of my favorite YA authors.

These books definitely need to be read in order. If you love suspense and mysteries, or if you love books with some unexpected twists, be sure to check out the Debutantes series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Titans by Kate O'Hearn

REVIEW: Titans by Kate O’Hearn

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

After the destruction of Olympus, the Titans and the Olympians are sharing the world of Titan. It’s tricky – plenty of the Titans remember their imprisonment in Tartarus. But they are working at getting along.

A big part of the cooperative effort is the school – Arcadia. The hope is that the young Titans and Olympians will learn to get along and lead the way for everyone else. It’s the only way for their world to survive.

Astraea, a Titan, and her best friend Zephyr, a flying horse, are supposed to be at Arcadia for the first day of school. But nothing goes right. Astraea has heard rumors of humans on Titan – something dangerous and forbidden. So she sneaks away from the first day festivities in order to spy and then gets caught. And then she ends up in a fight with some bullying centaurs and gets detention. Her parents are going to be SO ticked!

But they aren’t. Her parents don’t seem to care about all the trouble at school – or that she stayed out way past her curfew. And her mom’s weird behavior is only one of several signs that something is really wrong on Titan. Astraea is determined to hide and protect the human boy she finds on Titan, but as more weird things happen, she’s not sure who she can even trust on her planet any more.

Review

This is the first book in a long time to get me excited about mythology again! I didn’t read the whole Pegasus series by this author, but what I did read I enjoyed. There are references to that series here, but I was able to follow the action even though I haven’t read it all. (Since that series is complete, and contains some big, meaty books, it would be great for readers to go back to while waiting for the sequel to this one.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Astraea and her friends are great heroes. They are smart, and they learn to use their combined strengths to deal with the issues they discover on Titan. And these are no small problems!

The story is terrific – tons of action, interesting creatures, and a great mystery to dig into. Riordan fans and fans of this author’s other series will not be disappointed with this one.

A major cliffhanger at the end will leave readers shouting, “NO!” And the book 2 teaser in the back promises a lot more peril for our heroes. The problems discovered in this book will not be solved quickly or easily. Book 2, The Missing, will release in the summer of 2020.

If you are a fan of mythology tales and/or action novels, don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Mistaken Reality by Traci Hunter Abramson

BONUS REVIEW: Mistaken Reality by Traci Hunter Abramson

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Hadley had been looking forward to dinner out with her boyfriend, Spencer. But the evening didn’t go at all how she planned.

First it was dinner with Spencer’s boss and a couple work associates. Not very romantic. Then Spencer had gotten all weird. One minute he’s going on about how he wants to spend the rest of his life with Hadley. The next he says he never wants kids and if she disagrees, they should just break up right now. Hadley keeps asking herself, “What just happened?!”

As Hadley stands in the ladies room wiping off her dripping mascara, trying to figure out what to do next, the fire alarm goes off in the restaurant. Then a man barges into the bathroom and says they are evacuating the building. Before his statement really even registers for Hadley, he scoops her up and hustles her out of the building.

Just before it explodes.

FBI agent JD Byers has no idea who planted the bomb, why it was there, or how Hadley fits into his case, but he’s determined to keep her safe while they find answers to all of their questions.

Review

I didn’t realize the Mormon Church had their own publishing group until I stumbled across this book. This came up in my regular research, and I was so intrigued by the premise, I had to track it down to read.  I am so glad I did! This was highly suspenseful and engaging.

It took me a little while to catch on to the different characters in the side stories – the ones aside from Hadley, JD, JD’s partner Noah, and Noah’s wife, Kelsey. I was also distracted by the undercover mission in Abolstan. I had a hard time focusing on the early chapters that focused on that mission, but as the connections between the various threads became more clear, I became more and more engaged.

The mystery and suspense in this is excellent. Once the story was really clipping along, I didn’t put it down until the end.

While this is published by the Mormon Church, there aren’t a ton of faith references in the story – several references to prayer, a special blessing is performed in a scene, and there are references to missions work. I had an awareness of the faith pieces, but they were not a major factor to the story. If you are a fan of suspense stories, check out this author. Her books routinely receive strong reviews.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Skyjacked by Paul Griffin

REVIEW: Skyjacked by Paul Griffin

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Michelle Okolo was completing an internship at the National Air Traffic Investigation Center (NATIC). She was a rising high school senior hoping to attend the US Air Force Academy after high school. The NATIC tracked air travel around the country to be sure planes stayed on course. Michelle’s first big test – a preparedness drill – didn’t end well for her, or for the passengers on the pretend plane. She had to wonder if she’d ever be good enough for the Academy.

Cassie, Brandon, Tim and Emily were best friends. And they were in Idaho on a camping trip. Jay was new to their school, but Emily adopted him like a stray and insisted he join them. The flight from New York to Idaho was Jay’s first trip on a plane. The return trip would be his second. They were chaperoned by someone from Cassie’s dad’s company. They were travelling on his private plane, too. And other than some risky choices on Cassie’s part during the camping trip, it was mostly an uneventful vacation.

When the kids get to the airport, they discover their co-pilot is out with food poisoning, so they are getting a sub. Frankly, Cassie has been on enough of these flights, she could probably co-pilot the plane herself!

After take off, the kids notice they are flying west instead of east. Then the plane climbs much higher that it’s supposed to, supposedly because of weather. At NATIC, Michelle and her co-workers watch the plane disappear from the radar. It’s been skyjacked.

Review

This was terrific. The short chapters and the tension and danger of the story made this a fast read. It played out like a TV movie with the folks on the plane speculating about what’s going on and trying to make a game plan while the authorities on the ground dig into the background of everyone on board to see who could be involved.

Plenty of twists and perilous moments drive the reader to keep turning the pages – I finished this in one sitting. There’s not a ton of depth to the characters due to the speed and intensity of the story, although there is some character development in the beginning before they get on the plane. It all comes together in a satisfying way. Don’t miss this exciting, action-packed story! (Violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: Wishful Thinking by Helen Harper

BONUS REVIEW: Wishful Thinking by Helen Harper

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The full title of this book is Wishful Thinking (How to Be the Best Da** Faery Godmother in the World – or Die Trying).

Saffron Sawyer is a “dope fairy, ” one of the fairies responsible for the hallucinations seen by people who are on drugs. On a good day, those hallucinations can help people muster the courage to face the difficulties they are fleeing with drugs. They have even convinced some people to go into rehab. But now Saffron is headed to “the show” – she’s gotten an interview to join the fairy godmothers!

While Saffron gets the job, it’s nothing like she expects. The other fairy godpersons can be petty and abrasive. No one seems to want to help her settle into her new role. Maybe it’s the audit going on in the department. The Devil’s Advocate is onsite, and everyone seems skittish.

Then Saffron discovers the agency’s big secret. Five fairy godpersons have gone missing. Suddenly it’s all clear – Saffron isn’t there to fill an open position. She’s there as expendable bait for a kidnapper. But Saffron didn’t snooze through her years as a dope fairy. She’s scrappy and determined to solve the mystery and secure her spot as a fairy godmother for good!

Review

A fun addition to the urban fantasy genre. I loved Saffron – she’s smart, sassy and scrappy. She puts up with a lot of flack in this book, but she dishes plenty back as well.

I enjoyed the world building for this. The different fairy types were interesting. The “dope fairy” piece was jarring when I first started the book, but in the larger context it worked. And the Devil’s Advocate was a fascinating character.

The mystery with the kidnappings is solid. And the over-arching story with the villains doesn’t end with the end of this book. There will be more to work through in the rest of the series.

This felt a little like the Enchanted, Inc. series, which I love, thanks to the different fantasy characters, the world building, and the fight between good and evil. I will be watching for book 2, Wish List, which might be out later this year. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Bark of Night by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: Bark of Night by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

It all starts with a trip to the vet.

Tara, Andy Carpenter’s beloved golden retriever, is getting something checked out, and her vet, Dr. Dowling, tells Andy about a weird situation in which he finds himself.

A man brought in a French Bulldog named Buster and asked to have the dog euthanized. He doesn’t give a reason, but he filled out the forms and paid almost $200 in cash and left a sweet, perfectly healthy dog behind to die.

When the vet tries to follow up with the man to see if he can rehome the dog instead, he discovers the contact information is false. When he checks the dog, he finds a chip that says the dog’s name is Truman. His real owner is a man named James Haley. And James Haley was just found dead.

A local kid is arrested for the crime, and Andy gets drawn into his defense as he starts to dig into the guy who tried to have Truman killed and his possible connection to the death of James Haley.

Review

This is a pretty standard Andy Carpenter mystery. Andy’s usual team works on the case. They get help from local and federal law enforcement. There’s a possible organized crime component. And the threads Andy keeps pulling are hard to connect and even harder to get admitted into his court case.

Everything I enjoy about this series is present here – Andy’s sass and sarcasm, his quirky yet efficient team, great dogs and a twisty court case. The resolution to the mystery was as satisfying as always. And I especially loved how things were resolved for Andy’s client.

If you’ve read a couple of these, you can read the rest in any order in my opinion. I recommend starting with some of the early books just to establish Andy’s team, but the books stand well on their own. (Personally, I started with book 15 and it was never an issue.) If you like mysteries, mysteries with animals, or legal/lawyer-centered mysteries, don’t miss this series! It’s a must-read for me. This is book 19, and book 20 comes out in a few months – Dachshund Through the Snow. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett

REVIEW: The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Having Burton St. Claire in Fethering was a big deal for the small town. While it was a bitterly cold January evening outside the Fethering Library, it was cozy inside with the crowd of readers eager to hear about St. Claire’s bestselling book.

While the crowd was mostly mature female fans, there were others who were less impressed by the writer. There were questions about his skill as an author, hints at some self-published works St. Claire seemed reluctant to acknowledge, and of course whispers about his ex-wife and current wife. Not to mention rumors of his aggressive behavior with women and his indiscretions.

Still, it’s a shock when he’s found dead the next day in his car outside the library. Jude was the last person to see him. He had offered her a ride home, but had something… more in mind. She slapped him and walked home in the rain. Now, she’s a murder suspect.

Review

I was surprised to discover that this review copy was for a book that was originally released over a year ago. The paperback edition is releasing this month – and the cover absolutely caught my eye! While this is not a series I had ever read before, I love stories about books and book stores and libraries, so I picked this one up.

This is book 18 in the Fethering Mystery series. Coming in mid-series can be tricky with character relationships and history. In this case, the friendship and previously sleuthing by Jude and her neighbor Carole didn’t come across in this book well. Carole seems self-absorbed, cranky and pouty instead of acting like a real friend to Jude, especially early in the story.

The mystery is good, if infuriating. I don’t mind when the protagonist is a suspect, but when evidence is stacked against her, it makes me anxious. And Jude has quite a bit of hearsay and conjecture stacked against her. I was able to figure out the culprit but not the motive on my own. There were some nice twists thrown in.

On the mystery alone, I’d have rated this higher. But the writing style was a little wordy for my personal preferences. I was able to skim past several chunks of material that didn’t impact my understanding of the mystery. And I didn’t care for Jude or Carole. Characters are a big part of why I read, so when I don’t care for the main ones, it makes it harder to enjoy a book.

I think fans of the series will enjoy this one. As I said, the paperback cover is gorgeous. It will definitely catch your eye on a shelf. And the mystery is well constructed. If this series is new to you, I’d say try to start with an earlier book to get a better feel for the characters. Based on just this book, I won’t likely read more books from this series.

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: If You're Out There by Katy Loutzenhiser

REVIEW: If You’re Out There by Katy Loutzenhiser

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Zan (Alexandra) and Priya are crushed about the move. California is a long way from Chicago. But Priya’s step-dad has a new job. These things happen. Sometimes they even happen the summer before senior year.

But when Pria goes completely silent, Zan is devastated. Priya won’t answer her calls, reply to texts, or respond to emails. Zan’s only connection is through Priya’s social media posts. She seems thrilled with her new life in California. Apparently she wants nothing from her old life in Chicago.

Logan is a new guy at school. Zan doesn’t know much about him. They were kind of thrown together in Spanish class. He’s the one who first notices that Priya’s online behavior seems weird. Up to that point, Zan’s been focused on her angry and hurt feelings. But Logan’s questions help Zan re-examine things. And she starts to think maybe something more is going on with Priya. Maybe Priya is trying to send a call for help.

Review

Amazing!! I had no business starting a book at 10:30 on a weeknight. But I was intrigued by this premise. And I adored Zan and Logan. Next thing I knew, I had finished the whole book. It was fantastic! If you like teen mystery/suspense stories, check this one out.

I loved the characters in this. Zan’s family is warm and caring – and complicated (divorced parents, mom’s girlfriend has just moved in) – like most families. Logan’s situation is even more complicated, and it’s slowly revealed as the novel unfolds. I don’t want to give anything away. I’ll just say I LOVED Logan!

Zan has a lovely community around her – friends, her family, the cop who taught her to box to deal with her anger after the divorce. And they all share Zan’s disappointment that Priya is blowing her off. But no one believes her that more is going on.

The story of Zan’s search for the truth was so satisfying! Her emotions felt spot on – hurt and anger at Priya, desperation for an explanation, her attempts at resignation and acceptance of her “new normal” without her best friend. The author did an amazing job in weaving the story together. It was absolutely fantastic!! Highly recommend – you don’t want to miss this one! (language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Murder at the Palace by Margaret Dumas

REVIEW: Murder at the Palace by Margaret Dumas

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

After discovering her husband’s infidelity in all its publicized Hollywood glory, Nora Paige flees to San Francisco. Her best friend Robbie puts her up in her guest house and asks her to step in as manager of The Palace, a theater that shows movies as classic as the building is.

On her first day, Nora meets her core staff – Marty, the grumpy projectionist; Albert, who’s been seeing movies at the Palace for over 80 years; Callie, the film student; and Brandon, the teen concessions worker. All of them were quite fond of the last manager, Kate, who had died only a couple weeks earlier from a fall. When Nora discovers a dead body at The Palace, though, Kate’s death starts to look less and less like an accident.

With the help of her staff, her friend Robbie, Kate’s best friend Monica, and Trixie the ghost of an usherette who died at The Palace, Nora is looking into what really happened to Kate. What she finds will have a long-lasting impact on The Palace.

Review

I loved this! Nora was GREAT! I loved how she is processing the changes in her life while dealing with all the things going on at The Palace.

The setting of this is so fresh. I loved the classic movies angle, both for the theater and also throughout the story. I’m excited to track down some of the movies that are part of the book.

The cast of characters is quirky and eclectic. And there’s enough of them to be interesting without there being too many to track. Nora’s relationship with her grumpy projectionist is my favorite. I so want her to put him in his place when he questions her movie “cred,” but I figure that will come eventually. The author throws in an interesting wrinkle right at the end which will carry readers into book 2. I can’t wait!

The mystery is great. Not too drawn out, but with interesting suspects and motives. Lots of questions for Nora to work through and for readers to puzzle out, too.

I’m a huge fan of this series launch. I’m eager to see where things go in the future with this must-read Movie Palace Mystery series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½