DEADLY CURIOSITIES by Gail Z. Martin

July 5, 2014

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Charleston’s Trifles & Follies may look like your average antique shop, but in reality it’s so much more. Cassidy Kincaide is just the latest descendant to inherit the shop. They cater to the many antique hounds and interior decorators of the area but their prime focus is handling magical and supernatural items.

Cassidy has the ability to experience an item’s past, something that frequently opens her up to strange and even dangerous visions. But it seems Charleston has lately had an influx of items causing even the most psychically challenged locals to see and experience things that are beyond ordinary.

It soon becomes clear that there’s something strange at work in the historic city. It also seems the strange happenings may be connected to a recent spate of murders and could possibly trace back to the deaths of an underwater salvage team just six months ago. Cassidy and her partners, Sorren (a centuries-old vampire who helped start Trifles & Follies) and Teag (a man gifted with spell weaving) know they’re up against something big but just how big – and how dangerous – is the real question at hand.

Gail Z. Martin has made a name for herself with her epic fantasy series but now she turns an eye to urban fantasy as well. In actuality, the Deadly Curiosities series began with a number of short stories penned by the author. There are a few references to those adventures in the novel but no need to have read the shorts prior to Deadly Curiosities.

Charleston makes for the perfect setting here. The author plays off the city’s history and landmarks but has also cleverly invented people, places, and events unique to the story.

The premise of the series is quite fun but there are a few rocky moments in this first installment. Nonetheless, this is a series that I will be looking forward to more of in the future.

7/14 Becky Lejeune

DEADLY CURIOSITIES by Gail Z. Martin. Solaris (June 24, 2014). ISBN 978-1781082331. 464p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

SEKRET by Lindsay Smith

May 25, 2014

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An empty mind is a safe mind.

Yulia has a gift: with just a touch she can see the history of an object or a person. It’s this gift that a secret branch of the KGB hopes to use to their advantage in 1963 USSR.

The country is in the midst of the Space Race and convinced that the Americans have spies within the Russian program. Yulia and her fellow comrades – other teens who share similar abilities – are tasked with various tests and ops to advance the country’s efforts. But Yulia has no desire to help the KGB, especially considering she’s basically a hostage with her mother and brother being used as bait to keep her in the program. The temptation to escape is overwhelming but the punishment linked to such an attempt may not be worth it.

Sekret is a fabulous debut. Smith incorporates real history into the tale, including the Space Race, the Kennedy assassination, and bits about Russia’s move into Communism (and the results). And of course there’s the psychic spy aspect as well. (I especially appreciated the author’s note in the end outlining much of the factual basis for the book.)

The characters and setting are built wonderfully and the paranormal aspects aren’t too overwhelming for readers who may not normally gravitate to that kind of subject.

Sekret is an intense and quick read with great cross over appeal for adults.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

SEKRET by Lindsay Smith. Roaring Brook Press (April 1, 2014). ISBN 978-1596438927. 352p.

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THE SILENT WIFE by A.S.A. Harrison

May 24, 2014

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For years Jodi has endured her husband’s philandering in silence. She knows, after all, that he’ll always come home to her. Which is not to say that Jodi doesn’t get her revenge – she punishes Todd in little, almost insignificant ways. It makes her feel better. But when Todd’s latest affair leads to their separation, Jodi begins to lose it.

Given the comparisons to Gone Girl and all the hype around A.S.A. Harrison’s first and only release (she sadly passed away last year), I had high expectations in going into The Silent Wife. But not far into it, I was set to write this one off as something that just wasn’t my cup of tea. Fortunately for me I did stick it out to the end – and oh, what an end it was.

Todd and Jodi are both pretty equally unlikable. I found it hard to sympathize with either of them given their natures. A.S.A. Harrison actually does a pretty phenomenal job in that regard, as I’m certain the reader isn’t really supposed to like either of them. To say much more would be to give too much away and I wouldn’t want to spoil this one for anyone. I will say that fans of Gillian Flynn will likely enjoy The Silent Wife and I would also add that if you’re like me and waffling at the start, do stick it out to the end.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

THE SILENT WIFE by A.S.A. Harrison. Penguin Books (June 25, 2013). ISBN 978-0143123231. 326p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

STARTER HOUSE by Sonja Condit

February 27, 2014


For Lacey and Eric, the hunt for the perfect first home is starting to feel impossible. Nothing lives up to their expectations or list of requirements. Nothing, that is, until Lacey sets eyes on 571 Forrester Lane.

This house has it all—it’s in a perfect neighborhood, the drive into work wouldn’t be too bad for Eric, and amazingly it’s in their price range. It’s a house in which Lacey can easily imagine herself raising their growing family.

But 571 Forrester Lane has a history of death and violence. The real estate agent alludes to some of this, simply stating that a previous owner died, but to Lacey this is unavoidable with any house of significant age. Then Lacey meets Drew, a strange little boy who always seems to be around. The longer she and Eric reside in the home, the more attuned Lacey becomes to its strange sense of malevolence. As she begins to learn more about the house’s history and Drew, Lacey starts to realize her dream home is anything but.

Sonja Condit’s debut is not your typical haunted house tale. The narrative does rely on many of the traditional tropes associated with ghost stories but Condit adds an unexpected and unique twist in her tale. Starter House is a chilling and wonderful read.

2/14 Becky Lejeune

STARTER HOUSE by Sonja Condit. William Morrow Paperbacks (December 31, 2013). ISBN 978-0062283054. 400p.

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FIRE by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg

February 22, 2014


THE ENGELSFORS TRILOGY BOOK II

This follow-up to The Circle begins with the start of eleventh grade and the remaining Chosen Ones who survived the previous year. Their showdown with the last demon blessed enemy was only the beginning of their fight to save the world and this time they have an additional enemy in the notorious Council.

The governing body amongst witches previously let Adriana serve as their representative but now they’ve arrived to take on the task of investigating and prosecuting Anna-Karin’s unauthorized use of magic from the year before. But the rest of the girls aren’t going to stand by and let it go down without a fight; their strength lies together and even Ida grudgingly comes to her fellow Chosen One’s defense.

Barred from developing their skills further and under the watchful eye of the Council, the Chosen Ones are limited in their ability to fight off yet another coming evil. Meanwhile, Engelsfors is getting a healthy dose of positive energy thanks to Elias Malmgren’s mother and her Positive Engelsfors movement. But this happy revolution soon turns sour as its detractors find themselves under fire.

Fire loses none of the energy set forth by its predecessor. The second installment of the Engelsfors trilogy not only moves the plot as a whole along but also holds its own as a worthy follow-up to The Circle.

As before the story switches between each of the characters’ viewpoints but this time even Ida gets a say. And not only do we get to finally see Ida’s POV, scary as that is in the beginning, we also get to learn more of Nicolaus’s background as well as Matilda’s story.

Of course the other big inclusion in this second installment is the introduction of the Council. There are a few new characters that come along with this and more revelations about the prophecy of the Chosen Ones.

The Engelsfors trilogy is really exceptional. I highly recommend both The Circle and Fire and can’t wait to get my hands on the final book, The Key. I’m also incredibly excited to hear that there’s a movie in development in Sweden with shooting set to begin in the coming months.

2/14 Becky Lejeune

FIRE by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg. Overlook Juvenile (January 30, 2014). ISBN 978-1468306729. 704p.

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THE CIRCLE by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg

February 21, 2014


THE ENGELSFORS TRILOGY BOOK I

High school is tough on everyone but for Minoo, Linnéa, Rebecka, Vanessa, Ida, and Anna-Karin it’s about to get downright dangerous. Tenth grade begins under an ominous cloud when a fellow classmate is found dead on school grounds. Elias Malmgren was bullied and picked on most of his life. Given that and the circumstances of his death everyone is ready to believe it is suicide, but his best friend Linnéa isn’t convinced. And she’s right. Under a blood red moon Linnéa and five of her classmates come together to discover that they are the Chosen Ones—six girls tasked to fight an evil that has been lying in wait for centuries. Elias’s death is just the beginning.

The Circle kicks off Elfgren and Strandberg’s Engelsfors trilogy. Already a hit in Sweden, the teen paranormal series debuted in the States just last year.

In the series there are witches, magic, and a prophecy as well as a mythology behind the witchcraft that’s quite fascinating. In addition to the paranormal aspects, however, Elfgren and Strandberg bring a realism to this series debut that’s often missing from teen fiction: each of the characters gets almost equal face time and a good amount of development throughout the story. Their problems range from regular high school issues —grades and concerns about what comes after school— to bullying, relationship issues, and family problems. They are average teens with average issues on top of being told they have to save the world.

The Circle is the kind of book that gets under your skin and leaves you wanting more.

2/14 Becky Lejeune

THE CIRCLE by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg. Overlook Juvenile; Reprint edition (May 2, 2013). ISBN 978-1468306583. 608p.

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EX-PURGATORY by Peter Clines

February 8, 2014


The fourth novel in Peter Clines’ bestselling Ex series.

Every day is the same for George Bailey. He gets up and goes to work at the local college where he works as a maintenance person. At night he might go out with his best friend, Nic. The next day it starts all over again, the only difference is whether or not his old car wants to cooperate. But when George sleeps, everything is different. In his dreams he’s strong and he’s constantly fighting masses of the walking dead. Weird as the dreams are, they’re still just dreams. But then George begins to see that same glazed and dead look in the eyes of people around him.

A second glance proves it’s just his imagination until Madelyn Sorenson arrives. Maddie claims that what George sees in his dreams is reality and in that world George is a superhero who can fly and spit fire. As more and more pieces of George’s dream world appear in his daily life, he starts to wonder if Maddie might be on to something after all. But if she’s right, then how did they end up here?

This fourth in Peter Clines’s awesome and action packed zombies versus superheroes series is fabulous. It’s got everything I’ve come to expect from one of Clines’s books plus a plot that will make your head spin.

2/14 Becky Lejeune

EX-PURGATORY by Peter Clines. Broadway Books (January 14, 2014). ISBN 978-0804136617. 352p.

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WICKED AS THEY COME by Delilah S. Dawson

February 5, 2014


Tish didn’t mean to steal the locket. It was an accident. She’d gone to the estate sale in hopes of finding some nice curio or knick knack and get a peek around old Mrs. Stein’s house.

As her hospice nurse, Tish only ever saw the bedroom where Mrs. Stein had planned to live out her final days. She’d found the necklace between the pages of an old book but an emergency call sent her running for the door, only later realizing she’d still had the necklace in hand.

It was a curious piece of jewelry, old and tarnished, and given that it had been hidden away Tish was sure no one would really miss it. But the locket is so much more than a simple necklace: when Tish sleeps the locket allows her to travel to another world, one where vampires are real and even the animals crave blood.

Criminy Stain, a bludman and magician who runs a traveling circus, had the locket created to seek out his true love and while Tish isn’t sure that’s her, she is intrigued by his world. Before she can decide if this is a life she wants, the necklace is stolen. Stain vows to help her recover it, but it will mean risking their lives to travel across a perilous land.

Dawson’s series debut is a perfect blend of steamy romance and paranormal. The world building is phenomenal and the story is wickedly enchanting.

2/14 Becky Lejeune

WICKED AS THEY COME by Delilah S. Dawson. Pocket Books (March 27, 2012) . ISBN 978-1451657883. 416p.

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