It's time for another monthly reading summary. Here's what I read in March. You'll also find that
the index has been updated.
All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).
Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz (Orphan X #3) – 5
The phone call that Evan Smoak receives on his special phone
comes from a voice he knows – Jack Johns, the main who trained him and the
closest thing Evan has ever had to a father.
The phone call changes Evan’s world, and Evan find himself setting out
to pick up a package for Jack in addition to working on a very personal
mission. Will Evan succeed?
This third book featuring Evan is fantastic. The pace is fast with plenty of twists and
setbacks, yet I love how things came together at the end. You really have to read this series in order,
not only to appreciate the background on the story told here but also to
appreciate the character growth in Evan.
He’s a complex character, and I love watching him change. The rest of the cast is fantastic, too, and
the writing paints his world without slowing down the story. Truly a wonderful book.
The Dark Talent by Brandon Sanderson (Alcatraz Vs. the Evil
Librarians #5) – 4
The Librarian army has just devastated Mokia, and Alcatraz,
having recently given up the throne, is looking for a way to save his friend
Bastille and keep his father from unleashing Smedry talents on the entire
world, thereby destroying it. He hits
upon the idea of infiltrating the biggest Librarian stronghold – the Highbrary,
better known to the rest of us as the Library of Congress. Can he and his family do it without their
Smedry talents?
If you are confused by the above, this is the fifth in a
middle grade fantasy series. It had been
several years since I read the last one, and enough background is given to
remind me about this world, but if you are new, I recommend you start from the
beginning. As I was expecting, there are
lots of laughs and some twists. What I
wasn’t expecting was a rather dark climax that felt abrupt. At the very, very end of the book there is a
clue that this might not be the end of the story. I hope that’s the case because otherwise, for
a book that was supposed to be the final book in the series, it is very
disappointing.
Charlie’s grandson has been born, and he’s delighted to be
spending time with this addition to the family.
But he soon begins to get drawn into another mystery. First a true crime writer wants to write
about some of Charlie’s past cases. Then
there’s the mysterious man in the library asking questions.
This is definitely a slower book in the series as it took a
while for us to figure out exactly where the mystery might be. There is one in the book, and I enjoyed it
once Charlie started investigating. As
always, the characters, both new and old, shine. I loved getting to spend more time with the
usual gang, and most of them get at least an appearance. We also get to see some characters from the
author’s other series, which was a lot of fun.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Cry Fowl by Sandy Dengler (Valley of the Sun #5) – 4
Joe and Tommy are going to visit family in the UK, but they
can’t leave behind their lives as homicide cops. Joe, visiting his in-laws in England,
discovers that his father-in-law’s business partner has been murdered. Meanwhile, Tommy’s visit to family in Ireland
is complicated by the fact that someone is out to kill his uncle.
It would have been nice if these two stories connected, but
instead we get two novellas. That’s a
minor complaint, however, since it is wonderful to get more adventures with
these two great characters. Both stories
are solid with plenty of complications before they are resolved. We also get some interesting developments for
Joe and some good background on Tommy.
Fans will be glad they read this one.
Sally and her friend Eric are taking an outdoor painting
class around Santa Cruz. During class
one Saturday, Sally’s dog finds a dead body in the kelp. The man was a regular at Sally’s family’s
restaurant, and his last few days seem to be connected to his time there. Can Sally figure out what happened before the
restaurant’s reputation is ruined?
This book has a good mystery with viable suspects and a
couple of good twists to it. It also has
some strong sub-plot, which are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they take the focus off the
mystery a bit too much at times. On the
other hand, they are the perfect showcases for some of the recurring
characters, and I enjoyed seeing them again and how they are growing. Overall, I found this a satisfying read.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
In order to help her family deal with their grief, Flavia,
her two older sisters, and the family’s servant Dogger have been shipped off on
holiday. They are supposed to be
enjoying several peaceful days of boating, and Dogger has just happened to pick
a location where a vicar poisoned three ladies in his congregation with the
communion wine. While Flavia is thinking
about this crime, she is letting her hand drift in the water and suddenly grabs
something. Instead of the fish she
thinks it might be, she discovers it’s a body.
Was there foul play? Can Flavia
figure out what happened to the corpse?
Series fans, like myself, will be anxious to get this book
to find out what is happening to Flavia and her family. We get those updates quite early and then
settle in for the latest mystery. The
characters are in top form; I loved the develop on Dogger especially. The new characters are sharp, and Flavia charms
as always. However, the mystery was
poor. We get a strange portion of the
book where Flavia is imaging something that happened a few years before. The ending is very weak with guesses instead
of facts and deductions. And if Flavia
is right on the motive, it is extremely poor.
Fans will want to read this one, but definitely start with a stronger
book if you are new to the series.
When Hugo Langley dies, his daughter Joanna finds a letter
in his possession addressed to someone named Sofia in Italy. It references “our beautiful boy.” Joanna knows her father was shot down in the
Tuscany region during World War II, but does this letter mean she has a
half-brother? Intrigued, Joanna sets out
to learn about that time in her father’s life.
What will she learn?
This book switches back and forth from Hugo’s story in 1944
and Joanna’s journey in 1973. The
chapters are clearly labeled, so it is never hard to follow which time period
we are in. While this is not a traditional
mystery by any means, we do learn what happened back then and how it plays out
in the more “modern” setting. This book
is just as much about Joanna’s growth, and she lead a cast of very strong
characters I quickly fell in love with as I read.
Hannah is trying to deal with her new husband, Ross, having
vanished while still getting her cookie shop ready for Thanksgiving. Then P.K., Ross’s assistant at the station,
dies in a car accident. The police
quickly determine that P.K. crashed because of poisoned candies he ate that
were sent to the station. Was he the
intended target? Or was Ross? Who sent the poisoned candies? Is this why Ross disappeared?
As you can see, there is plenty here for a good
mystery. Instead, we get an average
mystery. Much of the book is taken up
with talking about food and baking, used to introduce the almost 30 recipes spread
out over the story. There are some good
twists in the mystery and the story of Hannah’s life, but the mystery
especially is short changed and the ending feels rushed. The characters are fun as always. Longtime fans will still want to visit
Hannah, but this is not going to draw new readers to the series.
When Milano, Florida, cardiologist Dr. Anthony Amoretto, aka
Dr. A, dies in his office one morning, it brings Summer Smythe and Dorothy
Westin together. Summer is a
twenty-something working her first day for Dr. A, and she becomes the prime
suspect since she handed him his morning shake.
Meanwhile, Dorothy is a woman of a certain age who was Dr. A’s first
appointment. The unlikely friends set
out to find out what happened to Dr. A to clear Summer’s name. What will they uncover?
This book was a delight from start to finish. Dorothy and Summer are true partners, even
acting as our third person point of view characters at various times, and both
uncovering key pieces of the puzzle. Dr.
A had plenty of secrets, and I had no clue where things were going until we
reached the logical end. A few of the
characters are a bit over the top, but they work for the comedic tone of the
book. Summer would annoy me at times,
but then she’s show a hidden depth that would make me rethink her. I hope she matures as the series
progresses. Dorothy, on the other hand,
was a pure delight. I can’t wait to
visit this duo again.
Food and lifestyle blogger Hope Early is settling back into
her home town of Jefferson, Connecticut, and she is enjoying reconnecting with
family and friends. One chance to do
that is at her friend’s garden party to celebrate that friend’s new gardening
book. However, Peaches McCoy, an
ambitious real estate agent, crashes the party.
Peaches isn’t well liked in town, but Hope is surprised to find Peaches’
body before the event is over. With the
police zeroing in on Hope’s sister, Hope sets out to find the real killer. Can she do it?
This book doesn’t waste much time before jumping into the
garden party. That’s both good and bad
since it means it isn’t long before Peaches dies, but it also means we meet the
suspects and series regulars in a hurry.
It took me a little time to keep them all straight, but as their
personalities came through, I was able to remember who they all were. The plot does slow down in the second half,
but everything comes together for a great climax. This looks like the start of a fun series.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
When midwife Sarah Brandt gets a note form Nelson Ellsworth,
her neighbor’s son, she is intrigued.
She agrees to their meeting only to learn that Nelson has gotten a woman
pregnant, a woman who doesn’t seem to want to marry him. Nelson asks Sarah to examine the woman, but
something about their encounter seems off.
Sarah doesn’t give it much thought until the woman is murdered and
Nelson is arrested for the crime. With
the help of NYC detective Frank Malloy, she begins to investigate. What is happening?
I hadn’t realized how much I’ve come to enjoy this series
until I picked up the book. I was
immediately lost in the world of 1890’s New York City, and Sarah and Frank are
outstanding guides. They lead a cast of
strong characters, and I love watching them interact and their slow burn
romance. I did figure some things out
early, but I was still glued to the page as there were twists and complications
I didn’t see coming.
Stars: 5 out of 5
