book review

Review – The Occasional Diamond Thief

~ Erika K ~ 4 Comments

The Occasional Diamond Thief by J.A. McLachlan
The Occasional Diamond Thief

Genre: YA / SciFi
Rating: **** (4 of 5 stars)

Kia is a 16 year old girl with a troubled family life and a penchant for languages. When her father dies, leaving her with a mother who seems to despise her and a sister who won’t give her the time of day, she leaves home and starts school to become a translator. After being caught stealing to finance her new life, she is sent to Malem to act as a translator for a Select (a religious title, something akin to a nun or priest) named Agatha. This is the same world where her father contracted the illness that eventually killed him. It’s also the world where her father acquired the gem he gave her right before he died – a Malem diamond that it is illegal for anyone who is not Malemese to posses.

I really enjoyed this story. Kia didn’t seem to be able to get a break at all, and even thought being sent to Malem kept her out of prison, it still seemed like punishment for her. Once she and Agatha arrived on Malem, the story kept moving at a pace that kept me reading, wanting to know what was going to happen next. Both Kia and Agatha were well developed, likable characters who learned and grew throughout the story. Sometimes I wanted to shout at Kia for her behavior, but considering her age it was perfectly appropriate.

There was no cliffhanger ending, and it may turn out to be a standalone novel, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see more adventures for Kia in the future.

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Disclaimer – I received a free digital copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy Review – Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates

~ Erika K ~ 5 Comments

Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates
Booked for Trouble (Lighthouse Library Mystery #2)
Lighthouse Library Mystery #2

Available 9/1/15 from NAL

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating **** (4 of 5 stars)

Lucy Richardson lives in and works at a lighthouse that has been converted into the Bodie Island local library. When her mother comes for a visit and tries to get Lucy to move back home to Boston, she has her hands full trying to convince her mother that she is not going to go back and marry her old sweetheart. Then one of her mother’s old high school classmates is murdered after a book club meeting at the library, and Mom becomes suspect number one. Lucy takes it upon herself to investigate in order to clear her mother’s name, and to make sure her mother will be allowed to leave town soon!

This is the second book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, but you can jump right in without feeling like you have missed anything. I loved the lighthouse / library setting – it feels cozy and calm, at least until a murder takes place right outside. I also liked the cast of characters in this one. Lucy has believable problems, and the supporting cast are a likable bunch. The mystery itself was fast paced and not too obvious. I will definitely go back and read number one in the series.

With a home perched above a library full of books, a lighthouse, a murder, and a library cat – this was a perfect cozy read!

***NOTE: I received an advanced review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review***

Review – House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure

~ Erika K ~ 1 Comment

House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure
House of Thieves: A Novel
Available September 15th 2015 by Sourcebooks Landmark

***Don’t miss a chance to win a copy in the giveaway hosted by Sourcebooks – ends September 30!***

Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating **** (4 of 5 stars)

How far would you go to save the life of a loved one? That’s the question that architect John Cross is forced to ask himself after being confronted with evidence of his son’s gambling problem and subsequent debt. The amount is more than his son, or he himself, could ever hope to repay. To keep his son from being killed by the gang holding the debt, John uses his specialized knowledge of local buildings to help the gang plan burglaries, with the understanding that with each job, some of the debt will be forgiven.

I admit that I was expecting a little more of a mystery element after reading the blurb, but even without the mystery this book takes you on an enjoyable trip to the past. The story takes place in New York, 1886, and is rich with descriptions of society life, rat baiting, etiquette, gambling dens, and almost anything else you might want to know about the time period. I did like the way that almost every member of John’s family, without his knowledge, flaunted tradition and expectations to pursue happiness in their own way, even though to be found out would have meant their ruin and social outcast. It was hard not to root for them even when you knew they were doing wrong.

If you are a fan of historical fiction (or if you enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York 🙂 ), then I highly recommend this one.

Note: I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review – An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

~ Erika K ~ 9 Comments

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (audio CD edition)
An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)
Narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Steve West

Genre: YA / Fantasy
My Rating: ***** (5 of 5 stars)

I had been listening to this audiobook for about a week during my commute to and from work, and when it ended on my way home, I couldn’t believe it. It couldn’t end there. It just couldn’t. I wasn’t ready. I wanted to know, no, needed to know what happened next! While not a cliff-hanger, there are so many things left unresolved at the end of this story, so many things left to be done, that I really hope Ms. Tahir has at least another 2 or 3 books up her sleeve. (NOTE: Since writing this review I have scoured her Goodreads page and found that yes, book #2 is in the works. I can breathe a little easier now…)

An Ember in the Ashes is the story of Laia, a Scholar girl, and Elias, a soldier in training for the Empire’s army. The Scholars are the lowest class citizens in the Empire, and many of Laia’s people have been killed or enslaved. Her own parents and older sister were killed for being rebels. Elias is just finishing his training as a Mask, one of the Empire’s elite soldiers. When Laia’s remaining family is raided one night, she goes undercover as a slave at the military academy to try to gain information she can trade to the Scholar resistance, so that they will help her find and free her brother who was captured during the raid.

There was a bit of a love triangle, which I usually hate, but each individual seemed so real, each with his own flaws and redeeming qualities, that it was easy to understand Laia’s feelings. And I loved Laia herself. She was no super-woman, just a frightened girl determined to do whatever she had to in order to save the only family she had left. She was scared, she second guessed herself, but she never gave up. I admired her determination, and it’s been a long time since I read a book that made me care so much about what happened to its characters.

I have to mention the narrators as well. I thought both of them did a great job, and having both a male and female narrator helped distinguish the point of view for each chapter. I hope they  will be available to read again when the next book in this series is ready!

If you enjoy Young Adult Fantasy, then I can’t recommend this book enough. I will be buying a copy of book number two just as soon as it is available!

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Review – The Precipice: A Novel by Paul Doiron

~ Erika K ~ 1 Comment

The Precipice: A Novel by Paul Doiron (audio edition)
23280818
Read by Henry Leyva
Mike Bowditch #6

Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Rating: **** (4 of 5 stars)

***NOTE: I won my copy in a Goodreads First to Read Giveaway***

Mike Bowditch is a Maine game warden along the Appalachian Trail. When two young female hikers go missing, Mike and his girlfriend, wildlife biologist Stacey Stevens, join in the search. Once the bodies are found with teeth marks on the bones, the locals fear they may have been killed by coyotes. Stacey is sure that they weren’t, and both she and Mike continue investigating, determined to find the truth of what happened to the two young women.

This was a well-written thriller, with believable characters and an interesting locale. The narrator did a nice job keeping his Maine accent where needed, without being over the top or distracting.

I didn’t realize when I first started listening that this was book #6, but it was easy enough to figure out from the frequent references to Mike’s past that it wasn’t the beginning of a series. The book worked fine as a standalone novel, but I think I would have liked it even more had I read some of the earlier novels first. I will probably read more in this series, but I will start back at the beginning so I can watch Mike grow up into the man he is in this novel.

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Review – Wishing Cross Station by February Grace

~ Erika K ~ 2 Comments

Wishing Cross Station by February Grace
Wishing Cross Station

Genre: Fantasy / Romance
My Rating: *** (3 of 5 stars)

***NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

Library page Keigan Wainwright is sent to pick up a donation of books for his school’s collection, and gets a little more than he bargained for. Among the books is a hand-bound leather volume that the donor asks him to hold onto until he can learn more about it. What he discovers about the book is hard to believe, but with it tucked safely in his backpack, Keigan finds himself at Wishing Cross Station in the middle of the night waiting for a train to take him back in time.

What follows is a story of star-crossed lovers, Keigan from 2015, and Marigold from 1880. By reading the book that turns out to be a station master’s journal, Keigan learns that if he tries to return to his time with Marigold in tow, she will die on the train. If he stays, he may just disappear.

At only 153 pages, it is a quick read, but I found myself completely drawn into the past as I read it. The book is described as a bittersweet love story, and that’s exactly what you will get. If that’s something you would enjoy, then definitely give Wishing Cross Station a try.

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Review – Somebody I Used to Know

~ Erika K ~ 10 Comments

Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell
Somebody I Used to Know

Genre: Mystery / Thriller
My Rating **** (4 of 5 stars)

***NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

Nick Hansen is a recently divorced social worker living alone with his dog Riley. His ex-wife is sure that he never stopped loving his college girlfriend Marissa, who was killed in a college campus house fire 20 years earlier, and that’s one of the reasons that they are no longer together. On his way home from work one evening, he sees a girl in the supermarket who looks so much like Marissa that he is compelled to speak to her. As soon as he asks about her family, she turns and runs from the store. The following day, police arrive on his doorstep to ask him if he knew a girl who has been found murdered at a local hotel. They show him a photo, and it is none other than the girl from he market. Even worse, she had his name and address on a slip of paper in her pocket when they found her.

Wanting both to clear his name and to lay to rest his suspicion that this could somehow be Marissa’s daughter, even though she would have been born after Marissa died in the fire, he enlists the help of an old college friend to investigate the girl’s death.

This was a great thriller! I had suspicions about some things (which I can’t mention because I don’t want to spoil anything!) early on, but only suspicions. The author keeps things moving at a good pace, and I felt as invested in Nick’s investigation as he was.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery or thriller. And you don’t just have to take my word for it – check out these reviews from The Hidden Staircase and Jewel’s Eclectic Books!

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Review / Giveaway (ENDED) – Woman Without Fear by J.P. Touzeau

~ Erika K ~ 1 Comment

I would normally post my Top Ten Tuesday list today, but I’m on vacation this week and haven’t had time to write it! Instead, I’m posting a review I wrote a while ago that I never got around to sharing….

Woman Without Fear by J.P. Touzeau
Translated from French by Sarah Christine Varney
Woman Without Fear
Le Femme #1

Genre: Fiction / Sci-fi / Snail?
Rating ** (2 of 5 stars)

***I won a copy of this book in a First to Read giveaway on Goodreads***

The story is about a shy woman named Trinity Silverman who, for reasons that are never fully explained, suffers from constant fear and anxiety. Despite this, her job is to go to trading conferences, and give presentations trying to sell her firm’s financial software. Her companion when she travels is a snail named Speedy that she keeps in a small Plexiglas box. On one such business trip to Las Vegas, she meets a man in the hotel bar who works for a pharmaceutical company. He offers her some pills that he has developed, promising that they will take away all of her fears.

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Audiobook Review – The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston

~ Erika K ~ 4 Comments

The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston
The Silver Witch
Macmillan Audio CD Audiobook
Narrated by Marisa Calin

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy
My Rating: ***** (5 of 5 stars)

I have had several Paula Brackston novels on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf for a while now, but this is the first one I got around to reading / listening to. I loved it, and I can’t wait to start another one! This is also a book I’m glad I picked up the audio version of instead of trying to read it. The narrator has a beautiful Welsh accent, and thankfully knows how to pronounce the Welsh names and place-names that I would have butchered inside of my head had I read it in print.

The novel is told in both the present and in ancient Celtic times, both storylines taking place in the same locale.  In present day Wales, following the death of her husband, Tilda moves into the house that she and Matt had purchased to start their new life in together. After spending some time alone in her cottage, Tilda starts to experience strange things, and finds a new sort of power developing inside her. In ancient times, we hear the story of Seren, a shaman and seer to a Celtic Prince who lived on a man-made island in the middle of the lake near Tilda’s cottage.

Each story on its own is intriguing. We know early on that there is a connection between the two women, but it takes longer for Tilda to realize why she feels such an affinity for the lake and the area around her new home. By the time she does, her life and the life of her new love may be in more danger than she can handle.

This book has a little bit of everything. Historical fiction, fantasy, suspense, and a touch of romance. I highly recommend this one if you are a fan of any of those genres.

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Review – Death by Coffee

~ Erika K ~ 5 Comments

Death by Coffee by Alex Erickson
Death by Coffee
Book 1 of the Bookstore Cafe Mysteries Series

My Rating: *** (3 of 5 stars)
Genre: Cozy Mystery

***NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Krissy Hancock has moved to Pine Hills with her best friend to open a coffee and book shop, Death by Coffee. When business doesn’t pick up right away, Krissy is concerned that it could be due to the death of a man who works in the building across the street – a man who had come in for a cup of coffee just minutes before his death. Determined to find the killer in order to squelch rumors that Death by Coffee may actually be serving tainted coffee, Krissy conducts her own investigation.

This was a well plotted and well written mystery, but I did have trouble believing people would tell Krissy as much as they did, with her confrontational way of interrogating her suspects.

The story was entertaining though, and cozy mystery fans should enjoy it. I’ll be watching for the next installment, Death by Tea, to come out this December!

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