White Trash Zombie Gone Wild (by Diana Rowland)

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Urban Fantasy 

Angel returns for the 5th instalment in the White Trash Zombie series.  In this book the zombie movie that was filmed in her home town is finally ready for release and the whole town has gone zombie crazy.  Unfortunately one of the films producers has a flash drive which shows footage of actual zombies –– at least he did until he showed up dead minus his head and the flash drive.

With the rest of the zombie tribe busy it’s up to Angel to track down the murderer, find the drive and keep the existence of zombies a secret.

 

First of all let me say that there is a lot of back story to this series and I don’t think White Trash Zombie Gone Wild will work as a stand-alone.  So if you haven’t read My Life as a White Trash Zombie don’t let the covers put you off, the whole series is a complete hoot.

Perhaps an even better idea would be to listen to the audiobooks narrated by Allison McLemore.  She has a voice which drips Southern honey and makes an already entertaining book great.

As far as White Trash Zombie Gone Wild goes, it’s a solid return to form for Diana Rowland.  White Trash Zombie Apocalypse (book 3) honestly felt like a victory lap, and I considered walking away.  Thankfully I didn’t.  How the White Trash Zombie got Her Grrove Back (book 4) was great, and White Trash Zombie Gone Wild is even better.  It’s probably the best since the My Life as a White Trash Zombie (book 1)

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The Jamie Quinn Novellas 1~3 (by Barbara Venkataraman)

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Cozy Mystery

1. Death by Didgeridoo

When Jamie’s cousin who has Asperger’s Syndrome is accused of murder, his mother begs her to represent him.  Divorces and custody battles are a long way from criminal law but Jamie knows her cousin is innocent and is determined to protect him –– and with the police adamant that they have their man it’s up to Jamie (with the help of a womanising PI) to find the real killer.

 

 

 

2. The Case of the Killer Divorce

In the middle of a bitter custody battle the former husband winds up dead and the former wife is the prime suspect.  Jamie enlists the help of her friend and PI Duke to get to the bottom of the mystery.

 

 

 

 

3. Peril in the Park

Vandals have been targeting the public parks and Jamie’s boyfriend Kip is determined to find the culprits.  But when someone is murdered the harmless pranks take on a very sinister edge.  With office politics, property developers and disgruntled former employees there are plenty of suspects.  Jamie and Duke step in to help out and catch the killer.

 

 

 

Novellas by nature are a curse wrapped up in a blessing.  The blessing is that the shorter format doesn’t allow the story to drag.  The writer has to hit the ground running and there isn’t any room for unnecessary details.  The curse is that because of that character and story development are generally quite sparse.

So calling a spade a spade there is all of that, both the blessings and the curses but when taken as a package these three novellas manage to pack in the character development and back story quite well and the author even manages to introduce characters I want to learn more about as the series progresses.

All in all, a very enjoyable mystery series.

Screen Shot 2015-11-01 at 10.26.54 PMMany thanks to Barbara Venkataraman who provided me with review copies.

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The Madness of Mercury (by Connie di Marco)

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Cozy Mystery

When Julia, a newspaper astrologer, implies in her column that a church might be swindling an old woman out of her home she becomes the latest target for their vitriol. As the church’s attacks increase in ferocity, San Francisco’s police turn a blind eye. But Julia isn’t one to go quietly into the night and she decides to fight back.

Then an older woman, the aunt of her closest friend becomes entangled with the church, and Julia discovers just how far the church will go to protect their secrets.

 

I quite like a good cozy mystery, and truthfully I requested this from Netgalley based entirely on the cover. After reading a few pages, I was thinking to myself that perhaps it was going to be a miss for me. I’m a hippie at heart, but I don’t believe in astrology –– I don’t believe the stars guide us, any more than I believe tea leaves or coffee grounds can predict the future.

But you know what? It doesn’t matter. Astrology is a part of the story, but this book is about much more than that. I can’t help but be reminded of the way some from the christian right bully and intimidate health care providers at organisations like Planned Parenthood. So a good cozy mystery that is made great because the author isn’t afraid to toss a few hand grenades at some of the less christian christians.  The ones who have long since forgotten the bits in the bible that say, “judge not or you will be judged” and “love your neighbour as yourself”.

Screen Shot 2015-11-01 at 10.26.54 PMMany thanks to Midnight Ink and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

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The Hunt (by Chuck Wendig)

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Young Adult

A friend from before. A friend who abandoned her when she was at her lowest comes to Atlanta for help. She’s pregnant and it quickly becomes apparent she was drugged and raped. Atlanta agrees to help and finds herself battling an organised prostitution ring run by killers.

Facing one dead end after another, Atlanta does what she does best. Burn it all down and see who crawls out.

 

 

atlantaI’m so addicted to Atlanta Burns. She’s a pill popping, shotgun wielding anti-hero who delivers her very own brand of justice. If Dirty Harry was a High School senior and female, he’d be Atlanta Burns.

There is a fair bit of violence and drug use and I guess I should, reluctantly give that warning, but honestly I’d recommend this book to any young adult and most definitely to reluctant readers.  5 Stars.

 

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Marked in Flesh (by Anne Bishop)

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Urban Fantasy

When Meg first arrived in Lakeside, on the run from the Controller (Book 1, Written in Red), she changed things forever. She found a place for herself within the Others –– the werewolves, vampires and other terra indigent who live there –– as their human liaison and through her prophecies has saved them more than once.

Now things are coming to a head. The HFL (Humans First & Last) movement have moved from small acts of prejudice to open hostility and violence towards the Others. As foment spreads across Thaisia, a small group of the Cassandra Sangue (blood prophets) are the only warning of the impending violence. And as war approaches, even Meg can’t predict where the pieces will fall and whether any of those she loves will survive.

I loved Marked in Flesh, I just couldn’t put it down. It’s a toss up between this book and Murder of Crows as to which is my favorite in the series. I’ll probably go with Murder of Crows just for the simple reason that the conclusion of this book was a little unwieldy, it was probably around 50 pages when 10 pages would have served the book better. That’s my opinion and I should note that I’m very much in the minority. Most people I know think it’s perfect. Honestly I think it’s perfect in everything except the ending.

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Worth the Trouble (by Jamie Beck)

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Contemporary Romance

Two years earlier Cat chose another man over Hank, a man who turned out to be violent and abusive. Now she has kicked him to the kerb but fate once again throws her a curve-ball. In quick succession she learns that for a model 28 is over the hill, and adding to her problems she is diagnosed with early onset menopause and will not be able to have children.

Despite that she is determined to forge a new path, to land on her feet. When Hank delivers a hand-made end table to her best friend, Cat sees her chance. She sets out to convince him to partner with her in a business making exclusive hand-made furniture. But with an ailing mother and a younger sister he is putting through college, money is tight and he can’t afford to risk what he has to follow his dreams.

Hank never did get over Cat, he is perhaps the only man who can see past her façade and into the vulnerable woman desperate not be a failure. He knows she is attracted to him but every time they seem to be getting closer she pulls away and she won’t tell him why.

If they are to have any chance, Cat will need to open up to Hank and risk her heart. Something she has never done before.

 

 
Jamie Beck writes fairly typical contemporary romance. She follows the rules of the genre and honestly I can name a few books that share the same basic plot as Worth the Trouble. I would also say they don’t do it as well as Jamie Beck.

The big names in Contemporary Romance, names like Jill Shalvis and Susan Elizabeth Phillips need to watch their backs. There is a new generation of writers who are making the genre their own, and Jamie Beck is one of them.

Screen Shot 2015-11-09 at 4.24.20 PMMany thanks to Montlake Romance and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

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Fire Touched (by Patricia Briggs)

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Urban Fantasy

Aidan, the Fire Touched was taken by Underhill many hundreds of years ago and has spent those centuries at her capricious whim. With the help of Zee and Tad he has managed to escape and run straight to the Tri-Cities –– to Adam, Mercy and the pack.

But the Fae don’t give up what they consider to be theirs’ easily and the Grey Lords send a troll to reclaim him. Adam and Mercy manage to defeat the troll but in doing so Adam is injured, leaving Mercy as the pack’s leader. With little thought for the ramifications she offers Aidan sanctuary, declares the Tri-Cities to be their territory, and threatens war with the pack to anyone who violates their borders.

For their part, the Grey Lords are divided, some would welcome a war, while others know that a war with the werewolves would have no winners. It is up to Adam and Mercy with the help of Zee to avoid a war while strengthening their claim to the Tri-Cities.

 
Fire Touched is one of the better of the more recent Mercy Thompson books. Mercy who has been shunned by some of the pack very much comes into her own in this book and finally gets the acceptance of those pack members who have avoided her, and for her part she fully embraces her place in the pack.

The book feels very much like the setting of a scene and ties in quite neatly with Dead Heat (Alpha & Omega Book 4). I’m not sure where the series is going from here, but I’m guessing something big is coming. Honestly, I’m champing at the bit to get the next in the series and I haven’t felt like that since Bone Crossed.  

Screen Shot 2015-11-28 at 6.44.49 PMMany thanks to Berkley Publishing Group & Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

Orange, Red, Yellow. What it means: YOR-Guide

From Russia with Fangs (by Jacey Conrad)

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Urban Fantasy 

After her husband is murdered in front of her, Irina the adopted daughter of a Russian gangster finds herself at the centre of plots and intrigue. The only problem is, she isn’t at the centre.

Let me explain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Russia with Claws (the first lines)

“Galina Sudenko scanned the sea of vaguely familiar faces. The cream of the crop had turned out in full force at Katya Bulgakov’s Sweet Sixteen party.”

From Russia with Fangs (the first lines)

“If the DJ played one more Russian bubble gum pop song, Irina Sudenko Volkov was going to stab him with a swizzle stick. Well, she would pay someone to stab him with a swizzle stick. Her father had people who did that sort of thing. Irina knew it was wrong to be in such a foul mood at a Sweet Sixteen party.”
So these two books are basically the same story being told from two different perspectives. Book one was Galina, and that was a story. I might have even rated it 5 Stars, I don’t really remember. Book two is Irina, she was a minor character in book one and honestly she’s not really a major player in this book either.

It’s weird reading the perspective of someone who isn’t even a witness to the major events of the story as laid out in book one.

From Russia with Fangs is OK in the same way a Chevrolet Malibu is an OK car. Nobody stops to watch one drive by. Nobody dreams of one day owning a Malibu. Honestly you could park one in a crime hot-spot with the keys in the ignition, the windows down and five bennys fanned out on the front seat…come back in an hour and it will still be there.

And that’s this book. The author is great. One of the best. There just isn’t enough of a story to make it worthwhile.

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Bitter Bite (by Jennifer Estep)

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Urban Fantasy

When Finn’s mother, Deirdre shows up out of the blue, Gin knows something is up. But there is a part of Finn deep down and well hidden that wants to be loved and he’s determined to believe his mother despite Gin’s misgivings.

With Finn spending more and more time with Deirdre, it’s left to Gin and Bria to get to the bottom of what she’s doing in Ashland and stop her.

 

I’m in two minds about this book.  Yes it’s entertaining as are most of the books in the Elemental Assassin series. It’s a page turner. It’s gritty. And yes, it’s good fun.  It’s all of that and I enjoyed the book. Not for a single moment was I bored.

But I have a problem and maybe (probably) it won’t be a problem for anyone else. With each book, the villains get more villainous, the challenges get more challenging.  For a short series, a trilogy or even a five book series that can work but this is book fourteen and while it’s still working at the moment it’s hard to see it working for much longer.  God forbid it ends up being the train wreck that Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series has become.

So here is me wondering if it isn’t time to think about taking the story in a different direction. Perhaps breath some new life into the series.  Sophia has always been a favorite character and under-utilised in my opinion.  I would love to see the series shift focus and put her at the centre.

Screen Shot 2015-11-28 at 6.44.49 PMMany thanks to Pocket Books and Edelweiss for providing me with this ARC

Orange, Red, Yellow. What it means:  YOR-Guide

Summer Harvest (by Georgina Penney)

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Women’s Fiction / Contemporary Romance

In the space of a few months, Beth’s sister dies of breast cancer, she herself is diagnosed, and after a double mastectomy her husband leaves her. She returns to live with her grandmother and withdraws into herself, only venturing out for her job as a dog trainer.

When her grandmother gives her a trip to Australia for her birthday she is reluctant to leave the austere life she has built for herself after the divorce. But despite her misgivings a week later she finds herself driving along a dry dusty road in the Margaret River wine making region of Western Australia, her destination a small cabin on a working farm.

As she settles in, she makes new friends, among them Clayton who runs a vineyard in the area. Their attraction is immediate but her scars run deeper than the surgeons knife, and for his part Clayton’s mother died of cancer and he is terrified of starting a relationship with Beth only to have her taken from him.

Summer Harvest is something of a hybrid. It combines the best elements of Contemporary Romance with what is essentially Women’s Fiction and it manages to effortlessly avoid the pitfalls of both. I wouldn’t call it a fun read, it’s serious and occasionally emotionally fraught but ultimately it’s emotionally satisfying and I loved it.

Screen Shot 2015-11-09 at 4.24.20 PMMany thanks to Penguin Books Australia and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

Orange, Red, Yellow. What it means:  YOR-Guide