THE VISCOUNT NEEDS A WIFE by Jo Beverley

May 8, 2016

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Company of Rogues Series, Book 17

Beverley is another new to me author who writes historical romance. As you can see by the heading, there have been many books in this series prior to the one I’m reviewing. But like most romances, it doesn’t matter.

Our heroine is Kitty, a young widow who lives with her in-laws. Her husband was a soldier who was severely injured, but Kitty is the empathetic type and was fairly happy in her marriage – other than the occasional bruises her husband gave her.

The mother-in-law is still in deep mourning, and probably always will be and wants Kitty to be there with her. But Kitty is getting very tired of it all. When an old friend writes and invites her for a visit, she jumps at the chance to get away. Especially when her friend tells her the recently inherited Viscount needs a wife to manage his country estate.

It turns out there is more than just the estate to manage. The Viscount also inherited the 5th Viscounts dowager mother and teenage daughter, both of whom resent him and make their displeasure known. Plus the teen is trying to marry him per her grandmother, to keep things all in the family.

Braydon, the new Viscount, is nobody’s fool. He works for the government in a sort of quasi pre-MI5 type undercover role. There is a mystery afoot when there is an attempt on the lives of three of the princes in near succession to the throne. Another mystery is the whereabouts of the 5th Viscount’s wife – she has disappeared without a trace.

There is a lot of history and a lot of details in this book so it moves rather slowly. There is not a lot of sex, and what there is seems rather perfunctory and more hinted at than explicit, although it does play an important part of the story.

If you are a fan of the arranged marriage trope, which I generally am, you might like this book. I found it slow going which is not why I read these books. I like to rip through them in a few hours and it took me a few days to get through this one.

05/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE VISCOUNT NEEDS A WIFE by Jo Beverley. Signet (April 5, 2016). ISBN 978-0451471901. 432p.

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CITY OF THE LOST by Kelley Armstrong

May 7, 2016

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Casey Duncan Novels, Book 1

Casey and her college boyfriend, a mobster’s son, are mugged and he takes off, leaving her to get beaten within an inch of her life. When she is sufficiently recovered, she kills the boyfriend and is never caught.

In an ironic twist, Casey becomes a cop, quickly moving up the ladder to homicide detective. Her only personal relationships are with a bartender she’s using for sex, and her friend Diana, who she protects from a crazy, abusive ex-husband. +

The mobster finds Casey and Diana’s ex shows up and things get ugly. In desperation, they decide to try and get into Rockton, an invisible town in the Yukon where people go to disappear. They apply and are accepted as there has been a murder in town, and a good detective would be an asset. There are more gruesome murders, and in a town this small, everyone is suspect.

Rockton is completely off the grid – no electricity, running water, or Internet, and is ruled by martial law. I’ve read a couple of books with towns reminiscent of Rockton, most notably The Pines by Blake Crouch and more recently, Make Me by Lee Child, so I was expecting this to go in a much darker, different direction than it took. Not that this was light reading by any means.

At heart this is a blood-soaked locked room mystery on steroids; lots of tension and enough twists make this an all nighter.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

CITY OF THE LOST by Kelley Armstrong. Minotaur Books (May 3, 2016). ISBN 978-1250092144. 416p.

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THE LAST MILE by David Baldacci

May 6, 2016

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Amos Decker series

In his novel Memory Man, David Baldacci created one of the most original detectives in fiction. Due to an accident, Amos Decker cannot forget anything. He can take part in a situation, or read something and can call up the incident anytime with a total remembrance of every detail involved.

In The Last Mile, Decker joins an FBI special task force with the mission of looking into older cases, bringing up the facts and finding additional evidence in order to solve the case. On joining the task force, Decker arrives with an interest in looking at a situation involving Melvin Mars, a convict on death row with his execution pending shortly. Amos is struck by the similarity between Mars’ case and his own personal experience. Both have had their families murdered and both have had someone come forward years after the crimes and confess to the killings.

Another commonality is that both Mars and Decker were talented football players in their youth with both having their careers cut short by the tragedies befalling them. In the case of Melvin Mars, he was charged with and convicted of the murders of his parents and sentenced to death.

Decker and his group pick up the case when another death row inmate comes forward and confesses to the Mars’ family killings. The confession has the potential to get Melvin out of prison and return him to society. Cementing Decker’s belief that there is a lot more than first appears is the disappearance and probable kidnapping of one of the members of his team.

Baldacci’s portrait of Amos Decker is striking in itself. Decker comes into the task force about 100 pounds overweight. One of the other members, who might appear as a love interest in future books, talks Amos into going on a strict diet and his agonies in following it will be familiar to all of us that have gone on one. The medical causes for Decker’s extraordinary memory have been researched and explained for the reader’s information about the man.

There are stops and starts in going forward on the case, and insight into the intricate world of playing football. Descriptions of the characters involved, especially those of Decker and Mars, make them into very real people going through a traumatic situation.

The twists and turns provide a rollercoaster ride for the reader, making this one of the better whodunnits in a long time. Extremely well done novel and providing definite interest in looking for the next book in this series.

5/16 Paul Lane

THE LAST MILE by David Baldacci. Grand Central Publishing (April 19, 2016). ISBN 978-1455586455. 432p.

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WEDDING GIRL by Stacey Ballis

May 5, 2016

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Sophie Bernstein is an up and coming pastry chef in Chicago. Her fiance works at the same restaurant as the sommelier. Sophie is planning her dream wedding, and maxing out every credit card she owns, figuring her wealthy husband-to-be will take care of the debt after they are married.

If that sent up some red flags for you, pat yourself on the back. Theirs may be a match made in a restaurant, but like many restaurants, it is headed for disaster. Sophie is left at the alter when the news of fiance’s elopement hits social media practically during the wedding march.

Humiliated and deep in debt, Sophie moves in with her beloved grandmother, Bubbles. She finds a job at the neighborhood bakery, way beneath her skills but no one she knows will find her there and she can hide out and lick her wounds.

The bakery is barely breaking even. The menu hasn’t been updated in decades, and neither has the decor. So when word that a food TV star (think Martha Stewart) is opening a bakery a few blocks away, Sophie knows her days are numbered there.

Unbeknownst to her, the owner of the bake shop enters them in a city wide bake off, figuring with her skills they can win and that will help his business. But when he can’t compete, his son steps up. Sophie is none too fond of the businessman, but it turns out he has mad baking skills.

Meanwhile, Sophie helps out a bride with some wedding advice and that bride turns into her new best friend. To thank Sophie for all her good advice, she sets up a wedding advice website for her, WeddingGirl.com. Sophie gets emails and charges a few dollars for her advice. It’s a good way to earn some extra money to pay off her debt, but things get even more interesting when a best man planning a bachelor party takes her advice and starts an online flirtation with her.

Sophie is falling for this online romance, but also for her boss’s son and she is torn. If this sounds a bit like You’ve Got Mail, it should, and I enjoyed this book almost as much as that movie. This is a really fun read – just don’t read it while you’re hungry! Recipes included.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

WEDDING GIRL by Stacey Ballis. Berkley (May 3, 2016). ISBN 978-0425276617. 416p.

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FINDING FRASER by kc dyer

May 4, 2016

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I’m going to start off by assuming you don’t know who Jamie Fraser is, that you haven’t read all the Outlander books or watched the series on Starz. But if you have, read on anyway.

In the simplest possible explanation of a series of 8 books (so far) that clock in somewhere in the neighborhood of 6500 pages (not a typo,) Jamie Fraser is a Scottish Highland warrior from the 18th century who is honorable, good looking and madly in love with his 20th century wife.

The Outlander series is superb and probably tops the list of books I would take to a desert island. They encompass action, adventure, time travel, history and one of the greatest romances of all time (see my review of the audio version of Outlander, and my review of the Outlandish Companions.)

Finding Fraser is a contemporary romance based on the premise that Emma Sheridan, a reader and fan of the series, has gotten the idea in her head to go to Scotland and find her own Jamie Fraser. A 21st century edition, if you will. This is not as far fetched as it may sound. You can book yourself on an Outlander tour of Scotland and see all the places from the book. Seriously.

Emma doesn’t know about those tours though. She has lost her barista job, but saved up enough money to go the hostel route for a few months and hopefully find her Fraser. She plans on blogging about her adventure as she goes. Her sister thinks she’s lost her mind altogether but Emma ignores her and her parents and gets herself to Scotland.

Emma meets some interesting people, finds a guy who may her Fraser except for the fact he bleaches his hair and is obsessed with California, falls in love with Scotland, finds work in a coffee house, gets scammed out of almost everything she owns, helps a sheep give birth, has all sorts of adventures and finally finds her Fraser. Hey, it’s a romance, it has to have the happy ending.

This is a must read for Outlander fans, but also for anyone who has ever had an itch to travel and find romance as well. And it’s a fun read – if you’d like to win a copy, read on!

AUTHOR BIO:

kc dyer resides in the wilds of British Columbia in the company of an assortment of mammals, some of them human. She likes to walk in the woods and write books.

To win FINDING FRASER by KC Dyer, please send an email to contest@gmail.com with “FINDING FRASER” as the subject. You must include your U.S. street address in your email.

All entries must be received by May 15, 2016. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States only. Your prize will be sent by Berkley & NAL, Penguin Random House.

One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

FINDING FRASER by KC Dyer. Berkley (May 3, 2016). ISBN: 978-0399584367. 368p.

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THE ASSISTANTS by Camille Perri

May 3, 2016

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Chick lit is back, and in a good way.

Tina Fontana has a great job, at least to those looking in on the outside. She is the executive assistant to Robert Barlow, the head of a multinational media conglomerate. My thought immediately went to Rupert Murdoch, but who knows.

While Tina seems to be in a rather powerful position, and in theory she is, having the ear of the big boss, the truth of the matter is that she doesn’t make much more than a bank teller or a teacher. She loves her job but wishes for more.

After a confusing mix up, Tina ends up having to put several thousand dollars of her boss’s travel expenses on her few credit cards, maxing them out. The charges get reversed, but Tina had already put in the expense seeking reimbursement. When the check arrives, she is torn; she knows she should return it, but it just so happens to be the same amount as the balance of her student loans. In a frazzled moment, she deposits the check and pays off her debt.

Of course she gets caught, but instead of getting fired, she is blackmailed into paying off someone else’s student loans. Then, as it always does with blackmail, it just gets worse. Eventually, things comes to a head, with unexpected and unbelievable results.

It’s always fun to root for the underdog, and Perri did a good job turning a criminal act into a cause célèbre. This is a fast, fun read, sure to appeal to any woman who feels stuck in a job that doesn’t utilize her education, skills and ambition.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE ASSISTANTS by Camille Perri. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (May 3, 2016). ISBN 978-0399172540. 288p.

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REDEMPTION ROAD by John Hart

May 2, 2016

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I’ve often said that I think Michael Connelly is the finest crime fiction writing working today. John Hart is a close second, if not on par with Connelly. Connelly writes series, and Hart writes stand alones, but both write truly excellent books with well plotted stories, tension that keeps the pages turning, and protagonists that we can’t help rooting for. But most importantly, they write antagonists that are never one dimensional but rather fully realized individuals, and despite how depraved or heinous their acts, we are still able to see them as human beings, a most difficult feat.

Hart has written a compelling page turner, yet somehow manages to find the balance between rocketing suspense and creative imagery.

Adrian Wall is a cop superstar – great looking, charismatic and caring. Until he’s convicted of murder. A cop in prison is never a good thing, but Wall’s experience is grimmer than most. Thirteen years later, he is released early for good behavior but as he stops at a bar outside the prison to phone for a cab, the young teenage son of his alleged murder victim appears in the bar, gun in hand. The bartender manages to shoot the kid before he can kill Wall, but that’s just the beginning of Wall’s problems. The next day, a woman is murdered in an eerily similar manner to his convicted crime.

Detective Elizabeth Black is a woman with a lot of baggage. She’s had a major crush on Wall since she was 17 years old and he saved her life. In fact, it was because of Wall that she became a cop, disappointing her minister father. Black is the only one who never thought him guilty of the murder, so when he’s the chief suspect in this new murder, she wants to help.

Meanwhile, Black answers a call about a young woman screaming. She answers the call by herself, and finds Channing tied to the bed. She manages to free her, and kills both of the men who had kidnapped and raped the young woman. This turns into a racially charged killing as the men are both black, and were shot 18 times. Black soon finds herself suspended from the force and under suspicion of torturing and killing these men.

Than another body is found at the same location as Wall’s supposed other victims.

This is a multi-layered novel, and all of the characters have difficult choices to make as they try and find their own redemption.

I stayed up late into the night to finish this truly excellent, profoundly moving book. It is sure to be on my best books of 2016 list. Don’t miss it.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

REDEMPTION ROAD by John Hart. Thomas Dunne Books (May 3, 2016). ISBN 978-0312380366. 432p.

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A LEAF ON THE WIND OF ALL HALLOWS by Diana Gabaldon

April 30, 2016

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An Outlander Novella

This is the second Outlander Novella I’m reviewing. The first was Virgins, so please see that review for some background: VIRGINS

If you are not familiar with the series, I’m not sure how much you would get out of reading this novella. For reviewing purposes, I have to assume you are an Outlander fan and hopefully you will be as excited about this as I was.

Roger lost his parents when he was a young child, believing his father, a pilot for the RAF, was shot down during WWII and his mother died in the London Blitz. I don’t want to give too much away…

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!

Go away and come back and read this after you read WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD!

Roger starts to learn what really happened to his father in that book, and the story he and his mother were told turns out to be much more complicated than they knew. This novella delves into his parent’s relationship, the London bombings, how his father knew Frank Randall, and how he really died.

It was really wonderful getting to know Roger’s parents a bit. I loved this novella.

If you’re an Outlander fan, this is a fun, albeit super short read. Then again, Kindle Singles only cost $1.99! And do check your library’s ebook collection, that’s where I got my copy.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A LEAF ON THE WIND OF ALL HALLOWS by Diana Gabaldon. Dell (December 3, 2012). ASIN: B00A5MREAM. Print Length: 58 pages

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VIRGINS by Diana Gabaldon

April 29, 2016

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An Outlander Novella

I love the Outlander series. I’ve read all the books and watch the Starz TV series. I’ve also listened to all the books.

I’ve always heard that with a truly great reader, listening to an audio book can bring a great deal more to the story. I enjoy a lot of audio books, but never really felt that something was added until I read the Harry Potter books, read by the great Jim Dale. He makes listening to those books an immersive experience, and the same goes for the Outlander books. Davina Porter is the narrator, and she is simply transcendent. She takes me away on these amazing adventures – plus I learned the correct pronunciations for all the characters’ names, the various places and even the Gaelic.

But now that I’ve read all the Outlander books (and yes, some of them several times!) I was bereft. I know, I have more books on my shelves and my Kindle than I’ll probably ever read, but still, I love Claire & Jamie and I’m watching the Starz show and I want more! And we all know how long it takes for a new book to come out. But Gabaldon has been releasing novellas as ebook only, Kindle singles, and my library has them!

This is the first one I’ve read. If you’ve ever visited Gabaldon’s website or seen an interview with her or seen her speak at an event, you know she writes her books in chunks, then pieces them together to form a cohesive story. Some of the chunks end up in other books than the one she started them for, and I suspect these Kindle singles are chunks that just didn’t make it into her already super long books.

If you haven’t read the Outlander books, I’m not sure I would recommend you start here. It’s not a bad way to get a feel for the author, the way she writes and a few of her characters, but it is so much more meaningful when you already know these characters and their history.

Virgins is a prequel of sorts to Outlander. Jamie’s father has just died, his back is a mess thanks to Black Jack Randall, when he meets up with Ian Murray (who still has all his limbs) and a band of French mercenaries. Ian and Jamie end up taking a job to protect a young Jewish woman and transport her, her dowry, and an extremely valuable Torah to meet her husband-to-be. But things go awry almost immediately, and hints of the canny Lord Broch Tuarach emerge. I loved the Jewish history, the way the French and the Scots saw the Jews, something that has not come up in any of the books (at least that I can remember!)

If you’re an Outlander fan, this is a fun, albeit super short read. Then again, Kindle Singles only cost $1.99! And do check your library’s ebook collection.

Virgins is also available in an anthology if you prefer print: Dangerous Women, edited by George R.R. Martin.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

VIRGINS: An Outlander Novella by Diana Gabaldon. Dell (April 8, 2016). ASIN: B01BRFMCWU. Print Length: 86 pages

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THAT DARKNESS by Lisa Black

April 27, 2016

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This is the first book of a new series featuring Cleveland forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner and homicide detective Jack Renner, but this is not your typical detective story.

Gardiner is a complete forensic nerd with no real personal life outside of her job. She has become obsessed with the victims of several murders, all of whom were shot point blank in the back of the head, yet are seemingly unrelated. By using tapings – pieces of tape pressed against victim’s clothing that pick up threads, dust and fibers – she has literally picked up enough clues to find the place where all the murders took place.

And just in case you think that sounds far fetched, Black has worked as a forensic scientist at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office, where she analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now she is a latent print examiner and CSI for the Cape Coral Police Department in Florida, working mostly with fingerprints and crime scenes. In other words, she knows her stuff.

Renner is a vigilante cop turned serial killer, but he only kills people who need killing, somewhat reminiscent of the Dexter books by Jeff Lindsay. But Renner is no sadist; he kills quickly and cleanly in his quest for the justice often denied by the legal system.

While Gardiner is not a cop, she works hand in hand with the police as she narrows in on the killer. The surprising ending is sure to keep readers coming back for more.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THAT DARKNESS by Lisa Black. Kensington (April 26, 2016). ISBN 978-1496701886. 336p.

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