Book Reviews | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

THE BIG REWIND by Libby Cudmore

March 4, 2016

Click to purchase

One misdelivered piece of mail lands Jett smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation.

It’s a mix tape, on cassette no less. And when it arrives, Jett, being the nice neighbor she is, heads over to KitKat’s apartment to hand deliver it. After her knocking brings no answer but the desperate cries of KitKat’s cat, Jett starts to worry and lets herself in, discovering that someone has very recently (based on the burning pot brownies) bludgeoned the party planner and baker with her own rolling pin.

KitKat’s boyfriend is the prime suspect in the case, especially when a neighbor claims to have seen him at the apartment just hours before the crime took place. But KitKat’s friends aren’t so sure. And Jett, a temp at a PI agency (proofreading, not investigating) can’t say no when KitKat’s own sister begs for her help. Jett is sure the mix tape itself is a big clue, and intends to start there. But how do you track down an anonymous mix tape creator in a city as big as the Big Apple?

Libby Cudmore’s debut is a fantastic. A mystery set around a mix tape? I grew up in the days of mix tapes and was seriously craving an amateur sleuth read as well. The Big Rewind not only hit the spot mystery wise but proved to be a nostalgic trip through music and mix tape history, too.

Mix tapes are so deep. Or they can be. Some are just samplings of music meant to widen your horizons (most of the ones I received were) but a tape like the one here represents the creator’s deepest feelings. So it makes sense that when Jett finally tracks down a cassette player to listen to said tape, she realizes this is someone who could very well have killed KitKat.

The investigation and the tape prompt Jett to go on a journey through her own mix tapes and ex boyfriends, even going to far as to track some of them down, forcing her to reevaluate her own past as she digs deeper into KitKat’s.

The Big Rewind is funky and fun. A mystery filled with music and the sights and sounds of Brooklyn.

(There’s even a Spotify playlist to listen to as you read.)

3/16 Becky LeJeune

THE BIG REWIND by Libby Cudmore. William Morrow Paperbacks (February 2, 2016). ISBN 978-0062403537. 256p.

Comments Off on THE BIG REWIND by Libby Cudmore | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Mystery | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

GONE AGAIN by James Grippando

March 3, 2016

Click to purchase

In an afterward, Grippando, the creator of Jack Swyteck, an attorney practicing in Florida, indicates that he is sending Jack back into his literary roots. This is exactly what is done as Swyteck becomes involved with defending a prisoner on death row as he did in the first novel introducing him, The Pardon.

A young girl named Sashi Burgette disappeared on her way to school three previously. While a body was never found, an ex-con named Dylan Kyle was stopped for drunken driving shortly after the disappearance was reported. An article of Sashi’s clothing was found in his vehicle and a police video of Kyle’s drunken explanation of events provided enough circumstantial evidence for a jury to convict him of murder.

A few days prior to Kyle’s execution, Sashi’s mother visits Swyteck, who is doing pro bono work at the Freedom Institute and blurts out that she received a phone call from her daughter,indicating that she is still alive. Jack, in the interest of justice being served, jumps into the case in spite of the police indicating the call is a hoax, the death warrant already signed by the governor of Florida, and the state attorney declaring that the case is closed.

Grippando proceeds to grab the reader with twists and turns of the story that seemingly complicate events beyond any readily visible solution. And, at the same time Jack’s wife, Andie Henning, is about to have a baby. Andie works for the FBI normally doing undercover work. While still able to handle work prior to going on maternity leave, Andie discovers some details related to the crime Jack is working on. She is not able to pass the information onto Jack due to constraints placed on what she can divulge, but does manage to provide some help to her husband.

The book is by any definition an all nighter as are the previous novels in the Swyteck series and certainly motivates readers to seek out the next in this series.

3/16 Paul Lane

GONE AGAIN by James Grippando. Harper (March 1, 2016). ISBN 978-0062368706. 400p.

Comments Off on GONE AGAIN by James Grippando | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Legal thriller | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

BEHOLD THE BONES by Natalie C. Parker

March 2, 2016

Click to purchase

Beware the Wild (Book 2)

Ever since Sterling saved her brother from the swamp, things in Sticks have been just a little bit stranger, the Shine has been just a little stronger, and the ghost sightings just a little more frequent. But for Candy, nothing has changed. She still can’t see the things her friends Sterling and Abigail see.

Candy knows she has the power to repel the Shine – they learned that when the swamp took Phin – but she doesn’t understand why she’s the only one who can’t see it. After a desperate attempt to change that, though, the ghosts in Sticks start coming out in droves. And folks soon learn that Candy has the ability to send them away.

Then the King family arrives. Their father is a producer on a ghost hunting show that wants Sticks – and Candy – to be the subject of their latest venture. Candy wants no part in it, but the Kings are pretty insistent. Plus, they seem to know an awful lot about the Shine. Candy strikes up a hesitant friendship with new classmate Nova King in the hopes that she can answer some of Candy’s questions about the magic surrounding Sticks. But Nova isn’t willing to share information freely. She wants something in return. Something only Candy can offer.

This follow up to Beware the Wild takes readers back to Sticks and the characters of that previous tale. This time, however, readers are given a story from Candy’s perspective.

Like its predecessor, I liked Behold the Bones but, again like its predecessor, there was something missing in the development of the story. The narrative felt thin as a whole, like there were pieces missing from the story, and Candy herself came across as flighty and confusing. The creepiness factor did save this one a bit, but I wanted to love it and just couldn’t.

3/16 Becky LeJeune

BEHOLD THE BONES by Natalie C. Parker. HarperTeen (February 23, 2016). ISBN 978-0062241559. 368p.

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Young Adult | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

FINDING WINNIE by Lindsay Mattick

February 26, 2016

Click to purchase

The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Winner of the 2016 Caldecott Medal

I don’t review children’s books as a rule, but every now and then something comes to my attention and I am compelled to share it. I absolutely fell in love with this book. A short explanation first…

Every year I like to look at the Newbery Award and Caldecott Medal winners. They are always excellent children’s books and this year was particularly exciting. According to CNN, Matt de la Peña is the first Latino author to win the Newbery Medal for outstanding contribution to children’s literature for his book “Last Stop on Market Street,” illustrated by Christian Robinson. It’s a lovely book.

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Finding Winnie is beautifully illustrated, but it was the story that moved me to write about it here.

The author, Lindsay Mattick, is the great-granddaughter of Captain Harry Colebourn, and as the back flap of the book tells us, she “grew up thinking of Winnie-the-Pooh as her own great-grandbear.” Captain Colebourn was a veterinarian in Winnipeg, Canada, and went into the army during WWI to take care of the horses. On a train ride, he saw a trapper with a bear cub sitting at the station. He offered the trapper $20 for the cub, and named her Winnipeg, Winnie for short. She became the camp mascot. Eventually Harry was being shipped out overseas and took the cub with him, but he knew he couldn’t take her into a war zone.

Harry gave the bear to the London Zoo, where a little boy befriended the bear. That boy’s name was Christopher Robin and the rest, as they say, is history.

The book’s last pages are like a scrapbook, with photos of Harry, Winnie, the page from his diary when he bought the cub, and more.

If you’re a fan of Winnie-the-Pooh, (and who isn’t,) you will enjoy this amazing, engaging book.

I want my own copy – hear that, Little Brown?

2/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

FINDING WINNIE by Lindsay Mattick. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (October 20, 2015). ISBN 978-0316324908. 56p.

2 Comments | Book Reviews, Nonfiction | Tagged: Children's | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

GRETEL AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING FROG PRINTS by P. J. Brackston

February 25, 2016

Click to purchase

A Brothers Grimm Mystery

Gretel of Gesternstadt (of Hansel and Gretel fame) has made quite a name for herself throughout Bavaria as a private investigator of some note. And so, when Albrecht Durer the Much Much Younger has two of his ancestor’s famous paintings stolen from right under his very nose, Gretel is the one he seeks out.

The case starts on a sour note, however, when Durer’s messenger dies in Gretel’s front hall. Fearing a delay due to questioning in the matter, Gretel absconds to Nuremberg to get started on the case. With the lure of a payday and a chance to shop in Nuremberg’s fine establishments bolstering her on, she immediately gets started. But when the Kingsman from Gesternstadt arrives in Nuremberg intent on arresting Gretel, things become somewhat complicated. Eluding the officials while attempting to catch a thief is a bit above and beyond, but Gretel is determined to solve this one and reap the rewards.

Readers may already know P. J. Brackston and her work as Paula Brackston, but this first in her new Brothers Grimm Mysteries is a bit of a change from her Witch books.

Set in eighteenth-century Bavaria, the series, helmed by a thirty-year-old Gretel, features Grimm characters galore. In fact, this first outing finds Gretel and Hans calling on an old friend who has a penchant for crying wolf for a place to stay.

At times, the actual mystery of the missing frog prints does take a backseat to the overall setting of the story. Brackston’s unique premise and Gretel’s hilarious antics are quite fun reading, though, making this a very promising start to a fun and quirky new series.

2/16 Becky LeJeune

GRETEL AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING FROG PRINTS by P. J. Brackston. Pegasus (January 15, 2015). ISBN 978-1605986722. 352p.

Comments Off on GRETEL AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING FROG PRINTS by P. J. Brackston | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Mystery | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

SARABETH’S GOOD MORNING COOKBOOK by Sarabeth Levine

February 24, 2016

Click to purchase

Breakfast, Brunch and Baking

with Genevieve Ko, Photographs by Quentin Bacon

Sarabeth Levine, James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Pastry Chef, sells her jams in more than 1,500 stores worldwide and has three successful restaurants in New York City, and one in Key West, Florida, which, sadly, I have not been to. I’m not sure Genevieve Ko is, or what her contribution is, although I have my suspicions, but it would have been nice to include a line or two about her.

I love cookbooks that are so specific, like this one just for breakfast. When I am looking for inspiration, I know I can pick this up and find something I want to make for brunch.

There is a lot to choose from here, and the recipes are clearly written, with easy to follow directions, although not enough pictures for me. I want to see every dish, and that is lacking here. Let’s face it, it is easier to find inspiration visually than by reading through every recipe. That said, the pictures that are included are stunning – almost too perfect, bordering on intimidating. So maybe the choice to use fewer pictures was wise?

The book opens with a brief introduction, followed by “Sarabeth’s Pantry,” a page including such basics as flour, sugar, butter and vanilla, followed by “Sarabeth’s Go To Tools” with a scale, whisks, and electric appliances featured. The thing is with a cookbook this specific, to me it says this is not for beginners. This is for people who have gone through the Joy of Cooking’s or Good Housekeeping’s breakfasts and want something out of the ordinary. So why I need to be told I should have butter and eggs and a mixer on hand for a breakfast and baking cookbook is a conundrum.

Moving on to the recipes – the table of contents:

Fruity Beginnings

Whole Grains

Pancakes, Flaps, and Blintzes

Waffles and French Toast

Muffins, Scones, and Cakes

Breads and Yeasted Treats

Sauces, Spreads, Preserves, and Pickles

Eggs Every Way

Frittatas and Stratas

Quiches and Savory Pastries

Potatoes, Meat, and Fish

Soups and Salads

So breakfast and brunch are definitely covered. “Fruity Beginnings” include the de rigueur yogurt parfait, a smoothie, and even a Virgin Bloody Mary, but also a wonderful recipe for “Poached ‘Baked’ Apples in Ginger Ale and Maple Syrup.” I haven’t had a baked apple in years and this was truly spectacular, great for brunch and even as a dessert, perhaps with a little ice cream.

I liked the idea of Creamy Polenta with Peaches and Chestnut Honey, and the Hot Cereal Soufflés, but haven’t tried them yet. The Whole Wheat Pancakes were terrific, which may be explained by the fact they are only half whole wheat flour, and half all purpose flour. That ratio works really well for whole wheat pizza dough, too. And when corn is in season again, I am dying to try the Fresh Corn Waffles.

The Whole Grain French Toast with Sautéed Bananas is yummy, but a lot of work – it starts off with Sarabeth’s House Bread, so plan ahead. But it’s worth it if you can save enough bread for the French toast – the recipe makes two delicious loaves, so I suggest hiding one.

The Farmer’s Omelet with Leeks, Speck, and Potato was a hit, I will definitely be making that again. And my family enjoyed the Margherita Frittata with Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil, sort of like a pizza but for the gluten free. Sarabeth recommends smoked mozzarella, which I didn’t have on hand but would like to try.

Next up for me are the Earl Grey Scones, I am definitely intrigued and there is even a picture. There is a recipe for Three-Herb Gravlax, a cured salmon, which is also tempting when I can get my hands on some really good wild salmon, probably in the summer.

This is a lovely cookbook, and if you are a breakfast person, or like to entertain at brunch, this is the cookbook for you.

2/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SARABETH’S GOOD MORNING COOKBOOK by Sarabeth Levine. Rizzoli (October 13, 2015). ISBN 978-0847846382. 282p.

Kindle

Comments Off on SARABETH’S GOOD MORNING COOKBOOK by Sarabeth Levine | Book Reviews, Cookbook, Nonfiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

IN WANT OF A WIFE by Jo Goodman

February 23, 2016

Click to purchase

Bitter Springs Series, Book 3

So yet again I have started a series from the middle. But even with the new genre, Western Romance, it doesn’t seem to matter. The series is set in the Old West, this book in 1891, and I’m really not sure how they differ from more traditional westerns. More research ahead.

This has what I imagine to be a typical Western Romance trope, the mail order bride. The bride in question is Jane Middlebourne.

Jane has lost her parents and was reluctantly taken in by some cousins. She is more servant than family member, so when the opportunity arises to escape her situation, she leaps on it.

But when she arrives in Bitter Springs, Wyoming, she find that her husband-to-be was expecting someone else – her cousin, who had somehow swapped out their pictures before mailing the letter for Jane. They decide to wait 24 hours to see if they still want to get married, and they do – but they don’t consummate the marriage for quite a while due to a series of misunderstandings and miscommunication.

Morgan Longstreet is the husband and is a rancher, fairly new to the community. He bought an existing ranch, hired some local ranch hands, but has been plagued by cattle rustlers. Longstreet is very closemouthed – to the town, and to his wife.

Eventually they find a way to communicate, and his past starts catching up with him. A bit of a mystery and some exciting action help propel this story right along. I stayed up late into the night to finish it. Now I’m looking for the first book in the series, Last Renegade.

2/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

IN WANT OF A WIFE by Jo Goodman. Berkley (May 6, 2014). ISBN 978-0425264164. 384p.

Kindle

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical, Western | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

TRUE TO THE LAW by Jo Goodman

February 22, 2016

Click to purchase

Bitter Springs Series, Book 2

This was my first foray into the Western Romance subgenre. These are historicals, set in the Old West around 1889, and I’m really not sure how they differ from more traditional westerns. Guess I’ll have to read a few of those to find out.

Cobb Bridger was a detective with the famed Pinkerton private detective agency who has gone out on his own. He is hired by the wealthy Mackey family in Chicago to find a former employee who has stolen something. Mackey won’t say what was stolen, but rather only hires Cobb to find the woman.

He tracks her down to Bitter Springs, Wyoming, a small town that is at the crossroads of the burgeoning train system. Tru Morrow is the new school teacher, recently hired by way of Chicago. Bridger forms a relationship with her, ostensibly to determine if she is the woman he is seeking, but he finds her most attractive and honest, and cannot imagine that she has stolen anything.

The more he gets to know her, and she him, the more their relationship deepens. When the Mackeys arrive in town, Bridger’s protective instincts are out in full force.

There are several interesting characters, all of whom are well developed, and I really enjoyed this story. There is the setting of the Old West, which is interesting for sure, and a mystery as well as the romance. Lots to keep the pages turning.

2/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

TRUE TO THE LAW by Jo Goodman. Berkley (May 7, 2013). ISBN 978-0425264164. 384p.

Kindle

Comments Off on TRUE TO THE LAW by Jo Goodman | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical, Western | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE ANTHRAX PROTOCOL by James Thompson

February 21, 2016

Click to purchase

The Black Death occurring in Europe around the years 1346-1356 is undoubtedly the worst pandemic recorded. It is estimated that moving from China through Europe it was the cause of about 75-200 million people being killed before it faded. Theories of what caused it tend towards rats carrying it from ships and to land as well as filthy conditions prevalent in a world without the knowledge of sanitation present today. Due to advances in medicine and preventive methods fears of a plague such as the Black Death have diminished. The conditions causing it have come under control.

The Anthrax Protocol is a very well constructed novel outlining the possibility of a cause not currently investigated that could release another pandemic on mankind. An archaeological dig in Mexico comes upon the discovery of the tomb of Montezuma, ancient emperor of the Aztecs. The tomb has been sealed during the centuries since it became the burial site for Montezuma. Once opened, an ancient strain of Anthrax kills most of the members of the archaeological team before they understand what has happened.

One by one the team suffers from bleeding from the eyes and ears before falling to a painful death. They advise their home office in Austin Texas as well as the CDC in Atlanta of what has happened. A young archaeologist is sent from Austin, meeting with a team from Atlanta, led by Dr. Mason Williams, to close up the tomb and limit the spread of the disease before it becomes widespread.

At the same time, an army officer from Fort Detrick sends a team to secure samples of the anthrax for use as a biological military weapon. The three teams converge, with Williams and the archaeologist attempting to bottle up the plague and the military team ordered to exert every effort to get hold of the Anthrax. With them is a Mayan boy who seemingly is immune to the disease and comes from a village which includes others with demonstrated immunity.

Thompson, in a very ordered manner, quite logically describes how the disease escapes from the site in spite of extreme precautions, moves into Mexico City, than to the U.S. and other cities in the world. The methods utilized in developing a cure and a vaccine to prevent it are described, allowing the reader to follow what, if actually happening, would be a major medical accomplishment.

Thompson’s style is to keep the reader completely involved with the introduction and spread of the disease, showing the possibility of a later day black plague overwhelming mankind. And to set the stage for a possible sequel, there is a love affair developing between Williams and the archaeologist who just happens to be quite attractive. Very well done.

2/16 Paul Lane

THE ANTHRAX PROTOCOL by James Thompson. Pinnacle (February 23, 2016). ISBN 978-0786037308. 4169p.

2 Comments | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: eco-thriller | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

SATURN RUN by John Sandford & Ctein

February 13, 2016

Click to purchase

From the publisher:

In 2066, A Caltech intern inadvertently notices an anomaly from a space telescope—something is approaching Saturn, and decelerating. Space objects don’t decelerate. Spaceships do.

A flurry of top-level government meetings produces the inescapable conclusion: whatever built that ship is at least one hundred years ahead in hard and soft technology, and whoever can get their hands on it exclusively and bring it back will have an advantage so large, no other nation can compete. A conclusion the Chinese definitely agree with when they find out.

The race is on, and an remarkable adventure begins—an epic tale of courage, treachery, resourcefulness, secrets, surprises, and astonishing human and technological discovery, as the members of a hastily thrown-together crew find their strength and wits tested against adversaries both of this earth and beyond. What happens is nothing like you expect—and everything you could want from one of the world’s greatest masters of suspense.

Jack says: Not Sandford’s first attempt outside the traditional mystery genre and shows why he is a master story teller. If you enjoyed the Jason Kidd series, you will love this one.

02/16 Jack Quick

SATURN RUN by John Sandford & Ctein. G.P. Putnam’s Sons; First Edition / First Printing edition (October 6, 2015). ISBN: 978-0399176951. 496p.

Comments Off on SATURN RUN by John Sandford & Ctein | Book Reviews, Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Tagged: Mystery | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi