Gluten For Punishment (A Bakers Treat Mystery #1) Review

Gluten for Punishment (A Baker’s Treat Mystery #1)

Nancy J Parra

Publisher: Berkley Crime

With her mother’s death, Toni Ryder returns home to OilTop, Kansas bringing her gluten-free bakery business with her. But Toni has never felt at home in her hometown and cooking wheat-free in the middle of wheat country isn’t making her any less a fish out of water. When Toni becomes a suspect in OilTop’s first homicide investigation in twenty years, she must count on her crazy family and follow the clues to solve the mystery and clear her name 

I picked this up while in Canada purely because one of my cousins over there is Gluten-intolerant and been bemoaning the lack of cakes she can eat now. JWhat I discovered was a fun, sweet mystery with a good bite to it and some great characters. Toni opens a Gluten Free bakery right in the middle of Wheat country, but despite some minor protest at her grand opening, she is surprised when her main opponent is found dead just outside her bakery. With the police focusing on her as the only suspect, she and her Grandmother decide they need to solve the case themselves…

There are some interesting characters – both secondary and minor which helps keep interest in the story. Toni’s grandmother, Ruth is an eccentric old lady, riding a scooter and determined to grow old gracefully. She is the driving force behind Toni’s investigation. But she also adds plenty of colour and joy to the scene every time she shows up. I also loved the description of the various gluten-free goodies Toni bakes which made me feel hungry during most of the book! Toni’s best friend is an intriguing character as she is struggling with her business, a new boyfriend and a child who is autistic and I liked their friendship immensely. 

The investigation itself is fairly simple with just a couple of conversations to other locals rather than any big evidence or sleuthing skills. However, consider the police are not particularly good at their job and don’t even bothering to find out who was also on Main Street the morning of the murder, this seems to do the job nicely. It’s not a complicated mystery but the story is well told with enough amusement from the characters to make an entertaining read!

Recommended for fans of Sofie Kelly and Connie Archer. 7 out of 10

The Kingmaker's Daughter (Cousin's War #4)

The Kingmaker’s Daughter (Cousin’s War #4)

Phillippa Gregory

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

 At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child brought up in intimacy and friendship with the family of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Her will is tested when she is left widowed and fatherless, with her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Fortune’s wheel turns again when Richard rescues Anne from her sister’s house, with danger still following Anne, even as she eventually ascends to the throne as queen. Having lost those closest to her, she must protect herself and her precious only child, Prince Edward, from a court full of royal rivals

Having recently watched the BBC adaptation of the Cousin War books, it really encouraged me to pick up this book. Focusing on Warwick ‘the Kingmaker’s youngest daughter, Anne, we follow Anne through her life as she grows up close to the crown and is dragged into her father’s manipulations and plots to control those on the throne. She grew up in the House of York but her first marriage is to the heir of the House of Lancaster which means she is front and centre of some of the most intriguing political and actual battles of the ‘Cousin’s War’.

Anne is young and naive at first but she learns from those around her especially the different way the women around behave from her mother’s self-preservation to Margret of Anjou determination to fight for her son’s throne and even her sisters fear of Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen. This was a period of time when women were used for their family connections and bloodlines, yet managed to carve out their own roles behind the scenes. The events Anne lives through are tense and exciting which make for a fun read especially her possible involvement with the princes in the tower. Anne maybe overlooked in history in favour of the men in her life – her father, the kingmaker, her first husband, Edward, Prince of Wales and her second husband the infamous Richard III but she makes a lively and engaging narrator with her very different view point on events from Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen and Margaret Beaufort, the Red Queen.

That period of history was largely unknown to me previously with most history lessons focusing on the Tudors, but I’ve loved learning more about the era immediately prior to the infamous Henry VIII. There are some great mysteries from this era with whispers of witchcraft, and sibling rivalry over the throne pushed to extremes. I really enjoyed this story which felt fresh and enticing as a summer’s breeze on a warm day.

Recommended for fans of Alison Weir and Anne O’Brien. 8 out of 10  

A Night On The Orient Express Review

A Night On The Orient Express

Veronica Henry 

Publisher: Orion Publishing Group

 The Orient Express. Luxury. Mystery. Romance. For one group of passengers settling in to their seats and taking their first sips of champagne, the journey from London to Venice is more than the trip of a lifetime. A mysterious errand; a promise made to a dying friend; an unexpected proposal; a secret reaching back a lifetime...As the train sweeps on, revelations, confessions and assignations unfold against the most romantic and infamous setting in the world.

My overwhelming thought when I finished this book was that I need to go on the Orient Express. An overnight journey from London to Venice via Paris in all the luxury and decadence that this famous train journey continues to offer sounds wonderfully sumptuous and plush. If nothing else this book is a wonderful travel brochure for the journey with the surroundings, the history and food on offer. I really hope Veronica Henry gets a percentage of future holidays booked after people read this!

The story itself actually follows several characters on the same train journey – a modern family with two late teens rebellious children with big secrets, a strict father and nervous new step-mother, an art dealer who is heading to Venice to pick up a birthday present from her grandmother, but struggling to decide between an unsuitable romance and a new job offer, an aging photographer and his muse making their annual trip to Venice, but he has a surprise in store for this year and finally a young couple on a blind date but each with a  broken heart. While they are all on the same train, their stories don’t overlap much, if at all so at times it feels like a collection of short stories. Especially as there are flashbacks to the Grandmothers past and how she ended up on a similar journey years ago.

However, I will confess this story had me in tears before the first 50 pages were over due to a character’s early demise – and it is an emotional story. I had initially picked it up thinking it was a light read – a little chick-lit but the setting of the Orient Express and Venice is just rich background for big emotional upheavals in many characters life’s at different points. By the end they have all made big choices and while we are left unaware of how these choices will affect each person, there is some satisfaction in knowing things do change.   

While the beginning and middle was stronger for me, this is a wonderful holiday read with a pleasing balance between romance, family relations and the impact the past can have on the future. Like a champagne breakfast, this should be savoured and enjoyed until the last crumb.

Recommended for fans of Erica James and Kate Mosse. 8 out of 10

XO (Kathryn Dance #3) Review

XO (Kathryn Dance #3)

Jeffery Deaver

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Kayleigh Towne is a beautiful and successful singer-songwriter, and Edwin Sharp is her biggest fan. When she replies to one of his fan letters with 'XO', Edwin is convinced she loves him, and that her latest hit song 'Your Shadow' was written for him. Nothing Kayleigh or her lawyers can say persuades him otherwise. Then the singer gets an anonymous phone call; it's the first verse of 'Your Shadow' playing. Soon after, one of the crew is horribly murdered. Kayleigh's friend Kathryn Dance, a special agent with the California Bureau of Investigation, knows that stalking crimes are not one-off occurrences, and, sure enough, more verses of the song are played as warnings of death to follow. With a little help from forensic criminalist Lincolyn Rhyme, Dance must use her kinesic and investigative skills in an attempt to find the killer before more people die. 

This month I’ve really been bouncing around between genres with chick-lit, teen, fantasy and literature all taking some time alongside my usually UF reads. This is my crime novel for the month and I have to confess I like Jeffery Deaver’s books a lot. To my mind he invented CSI with Lincoln Rhyme years before Grissom entered the room. This is the third book with Kathryn Dance as the main investigator and Kathryn rather than a forensic expert is a kinesics expert – she can read body language and what people say to see if they are lying or telling the truth.

This time Kathryn is taking a few days off from work and meeting up an old friend, famous country singer, Kayleigh Sharp. However, Kayleigh has problems in the form of a stalker and when one of her road crew and an ex is killed, it looks like Kathryn’s vacation may turn into a bit of a working holiday...

Kathryn ends up working with the local police force in order to figure out what her stalker will do next. I really enjoyed the initial confrontations between the local cops and Kathryn – there are some amusing power plays and the differences in the type of investigation each would run. Kathryn’s interrogations are intriguing to read and you don’t know until after what she got out of the Q&A session which adds extra tension. There are plenty of twists and turns here as red herrings and suspicious character abound.

There are a couple of deceptive endings – where it seems as if the case has been wrapped up but the number of pages left to go suggest otherwise – and made the twist seem less of a surprise. However, this was a fun read with plenty to get you thinking and attempting to work it out yourself. I would love to see these in a film – it feels quite cinematic at times with the local area and locations well described and given character of their own. Added to which are some ongoing issues of Kathryn’s personal life and there is a nice balance between character and plot which many books miss. I really enjoyed the whole journey and still think Jeffery Deaver is one step ahead of many in this genre!

Recommended for fans of Patricia Cornwall and James Patterson. 8 out of 10 

Seraphina Review

Seraphina

Rachel Hartman

Publisher: Corgi

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high. Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Seraphina is a talented musician at the royal court, but she has a secret that should never be told – her mother was a dragon. Growing tensions between humans and dragons mean she gets caught up in political issues, especially when the royal prince is murdered and all suspicions point to dragons as the culprit. Did dragons kill him? Will the peace last? And what if it doesn’t...?

Seraphina is a fantastic character – self-contained by necessity, but brave and smart. She understands both sides of the conflict but is hidden from both. Her growing friendship with the second heir, Princess Glisselda is fun and yet very serious as Seraphina almost incidentally starts to show her how to be more open to other ideas. Prince Lucien is a intriguing character and the relationship between the two of them is realistic and filled with difficulties. And then there are the dragons...  

Typically shapeshifting dragons are portrayed as humans with temper issues (okay – I’m grossly generalising but you get the idea). What I loved about Seraphina was the portrayal of the dragons as a truly alien species – with emotions thought to be common and unworthy of them. However, when in human form they struggle with understanding heir new bodies and the thoughts and feelings this brings. It asks some interesting questions about how much our bodies shape our thoughts and actions verses how much is our minds and spirits.

In total this is a complex and layered story with a history and (hopefully!) a future that will entertain and amuse. There is a murder mystery, complicated political tensions, dragon fights, music, family secrets and dysfunction with just a slight scent of romance. I was pulled in from the beginning and the story never goes for easy or simple making this one of the best YA fantasy offerings out there! Highly recommended!

Recommended for fans of Sarah J Maas & Rae Carson. 9 out of 10 

I've Got Your Number Review

I’ve Got Your Number

Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Black Swan

I've lost it. :( The only thing in the world I wasn't supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It's been in Magnus's family for three generations. And now, the very same day his parents are coming, I've lost it. The very same day. Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive!! :)

A couple of glasses of bubbly with the girls at a charity do and Poppy's life has gone into meltdown. Not only has she lost her engagement ring, but in the panic that followed, she's lost her phone too. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number with the hotel staff. It was meant to be! Except the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn't agree. He wants his phone back, and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, phone messages and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents, can things get any more tangled?

The sun is shining, I’m in short sleeves and I really don’t feel like reading a dark story about the end of the world or creatures who only come out at night, so what do I reach for...? Sophie Kinsella for some bright light reading, with plenty of humour, fun characters and some unique situations. On every level this book delivers warmth, entertainment and some sweet relationships.

Poppy is in the final weeks before her wedding and while she feels a little intimidated by her fiancés family she is looking forward to the big day. However, losing her engagement ring – a family inheritance and her phone on the same day is not what she had planned. Then she finds a phone in a bin and becomes involved in owners life. From the opening conversation between Poppy and Sam on the found phone there is a real chemistry and connection between them – after all how likely are you to stop a Japanese businessman leave a hotel by singing his name in the style of Beyonce for a stranger?

I loved that the phone complete with emails and texts is the main connection between them – these days a lot of friendships and romance rely heavily on this type of communication and so many modern romances overlook this everyday method of communicating. Poppy’s relationships with her soon to be in-laws, her work friends and now with Sam are all believable – and if some of the situations lean heavily towards extreme they still amuse. There were several occasions when I laughed out loud (receiving some bemused looks on the train!) and I was urging Poppy on throughout. Occasionally in Chick-Lit I find the main heroine a little wet or annoyingly stupid but Poppy was actually quite capable and emotionally confused. She was someone you wanted to do well.

This is the perfect summer read – easy, fun and with a fabulous leading lady and a commanding guy. This helped me pass a couple of days journey to work quickly and with much amusement!

Recommended for fans of Jenny Colgan and Jane Green. 8.5 out of 10 

Agave Kiss (Corine Solomon #5) Review

Agave Kiss (Corrine Solomon #5)

Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Roc Fantasy

Chance was gone; he’d sacrificed himself so Shannon and I could escape Sheol. We’d raised him on Shan’s spirit radio, which meant his soul wasn’t wholly destroyed by the demon gate….Once Corine Solomon only had the touch—the ability to read an object’s past by handling it. Then she inherited her mother’s magick, and that ended up being a hell of a burden. But if Corine can wrestle a demon queen and win, she can bring back her lover Chance after he’s made the ultimate sacrifice. Can’t she? All Corine knows is that she can’t leave Chance behind if there’s anything she can do about it. But the clock is ticking—and she still has to deal with debt-collecting demons and a maniacal archangel who’s running a recruitment drive. The stakes have never been so high…and this time it’s truly Corine’s last chance to save the love of her life

Corine Solomon has returned from the demon world with her best friend Shannon, but without Chance, the man she loves. Instead of mourning she resolves to get him back, but others are also asking for her help, including Book, the occult specialist who has helped her out in the past.

This is the final book in the Corine Solomon series and from the start there is a feeling that a lot needs to be resolved and wrapped up. It almost reads like multiply short stories visiting various characters to have their stories wound up as every character Corine has met in the last four books are seen or referenced. Some of the most interesting ideas seem to be changed suddenly such as Corine’s ‘destiny’ and the idea of angels fighting demons. However, at the same time it all feels very realistic and part of Corine’s world which has always included Mexican drug cartels as well as demons.

Corine is determined and knows what she wants now. This is the first time in the whole series that Corine has been sure of what she wants and she doesn’t let anything get in her way. She has friends who help her including the feisty Shannon (please can we have a series with her and Jesse as the main couple!), occult specialist Book, Chuch and Eva and the Nephilim, Kel. It was a nice ending for a high quality UF series, but it felt like a happy ending given rather than earned. But that’s like saying someone gave you a free chocolate bar rather than having to go to the shops for one. Still tasty but without the sacrifice of going out!

Overall, this is a great series with some truly memorable characters. I don’t think this series gets enough coverage so I’m saying now if you would like to try some Urban Fantasy without vampires, werewolves but with plenty of human characters, tricky situations and shades of grey then pick up book one, Blue Diablo and enjoy!

Recommended for fans of Kelley Armstrong and Jaye Wells. 8 out of 10

Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) Review

Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6)

Ilona Andrews

Publisher: Ace Fantasy

Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.
Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap...

Who says after a couple gets together life gets boring...? For Kate and Curran life together is just as challenging and exciting as before but the stakes are higher than ever before. Kate is now the Beast Lord’s Consort and this means as well as being Currans other half she has responsibility for the Pack. So she and Curran find themselves heading to Europe in order to obtain some vitally needed medicine that will help save the Pack’s children from going loup.

Wow. Just wow. 

This series set such a high standard and it sends a little of thrill of excitement down my spine that the quality is maintained, the world is expanded and the characters grow and change. No-one is safe and even surviving doesn’t mean that life will be the same. Kate has let Curran into her heart completely and the vulnerability that gives her is a different side of the character. Especially when she is surrounded by shapeshifters who make assumptions she is weak as she isn’t one. The wider plot with Kate’s father is expanded as well in some very intriguing ways.

When I picked up this book I was immediately sucked back into Atlanta and world ravaged by magic, I didn’t want to leave and just wanted to continue stalking Kate,Curran, Andrea, Doolittle and the others as long as possible. There is plenty of action, soul searching and intrigue in equal measures. My one niggle was Curran’s behaviour was while ultimately noble, was still not giving Kate enough credit. However, any book which gets my adrenaline pumping, my heart thumping and where anything can happen is always a good time.

There are some big changes by the end of the story and I have no idea what is in store for Kate and the Pack next...and I have a long wait until the next book is out!

Recommended for fans of Jim Butcher and Karen Chance. 9.5 out of 10.

Early Review: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Sarah J Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury - To Be Release 15th August 2013

E-Arc Courtesy of Netgalley and Bloomsbury

Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful – the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King’s contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.

This is what all YA series should be! An independent but passionate heroine caught between her vows and her secrets – check. Two heroes who accept her for who she is but still care – check. Love triangle that makes sense and isn’t frustrating or overwrought – check. Action – check. Soul searching – check, big revelations – check, an increasingly tense wider arc – check, great secondary characters – check. What more can I say, other than this book ticks all the check boxes and creates a few new ones!

As the King’s Champion Celaena has been ordered to kill those the King deems his enemies or traitors, but she finds herself less than enthused to kill for the man who is responsible for the death of her family and continues to dominate and enslave the whole continent. However, if she doesn’t obey him not only her own life is forfeit but also that of her friends, Chaol, Captain of the guard and Princess Nehemia. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other people in the realm unwilling to oppose the king and soon Celaena has to decide how far she will go for those she loves and what she will fight for.

Celaena for young age has been through a lot and is intent on surviving, but at the same time she is starting to open up for the first time. I love that her character has grown so much and yet she is still making selfish choices at times and mistakes. It makes her feel real and the dilemmas she is struggling with even more difficult. That’s not to say Celaena along makes this book work. Both Prince Dorian and Captain Chaol are more than usual romanic interests and both struggling with dilemmas of their own. The balance between personal and  loyalties to the kingdom are strong – at times I just want to shake them both to be more aware of who they are serving as King! There are so many wonderful moments and twists that usually come at the end of a book just sneak up on you in the middle and make you wonder what will happen next. My heart was in my throat on multiply occasions and I never wanted to stop reading.

I am really hoping this is a longer series than just a trilogy as I can see so much possibility and adventures ahead for our assassin and her friends! This is where all other YA books need to look for inspiration.

Recommended for fans of Robin Lafevers and Maria V Synder. 10 out of 10

Mr Lynch's Holiday Review

Mr Lynch’s Holiday

Catherine O’Flynn

Publisher: Viking

Welcome to Lomaverde - a new Spanish utopia for those seeking their place in the sun. Now a ghost town where feral cats outnumber the handful of anxious residents. A place of empty pools, long afternoons and unrelenting sunshine. Here, widowed Midlands bus driver Dermot Lynch turns up one bright morning. He's come to visit his son Eammon and his girlfriend, Laura. Except Eammon never opened Dermot's letter announcing his trip. Just like he can't quite get out of bed, or fix anything, or admit Laura has left him.Though neither father nor son knows quite what to make of the other, Lomaverde's Brits - Roger and Cheryl, Becca and Iain - see in Dermot a shot of fresh blood. Someone to enliven their goat-hunting trips, their paranoid speculations, the endless barbecuing and bickering. As Dermot and Eammon gradually reveal to one another the truth about why each left home, both get drawn further into the bizarre rituals of ex-pat life, where they uncover a shocking secret at the community's heart.

Eamonn Lynch is stuck in Spain, in a village that was never completed due to financial difficulties and the global recession. He’s lost his job and his wife has just left him when his father Dermot visits unexpectedly. There are many differences between Eamonn and his father – not just generational, but aspirational as well. Eamonn works with computers, an area than befuddles his father, a retired bus driver. Dermot arrived in the UK from Ireland and considers himself Irish while Eamonn thinks of himself as English. Dermot can’t understand his son’s inability to do little jobs round the house. For the two weeks Dermot and Eamonn struggle to reconnect as father and son and as two people with very different lives.

This is a very different read from my normal fantasy and paranormal stories. It just covers the two weeks of Dermot’s holiday, his first visit abroad and the extraordinary people who have also been left behind in this incomplete village. There are some amusing characters that will bring a wry smile or two, but this is less a comedy novel than a view into the difficulties and expectations of moving abroad, of your own children, of your parents and of the changes life throws at you. Does a change of scenery improve your life? Because no matter where you go, you’re there.

I read this in a day and found the writing involving. The scene of this deserted ex-pat new community is quite haunting and stays with you. However, I found the ambling pace a little slow for my tastes and the soul searching a little tiring. I enjoyed the book but I didn’t feel excited by it. This is a good contemporary story asking questions and exploring how life doesn’t always meet expectations.

Recommended for fans of Emily Barr and Jojo Moyles. 7 out of 10

Love In Revolution Review

Love In Revolution

B.R. Collins

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Esteya is fifteen. As war rumbles closer, Esteya's brother - an important figure in the Revolutionary Communist Party - is able to protect their family from the worst of the privations of war. Then Esteya meets an extraordinary girl, Skizi, an outcast, shunned by all. But Esteya and Skizi are drawn to each other. Slowly and wonderfully love blossoms ... And then Esteya's family are betrayed and forcibly taken away. Skizi disappears. Esteya is left deserted, heartbroken and in terrible danger. But she must find a way to escape - and to find Skizi

Many YA books concentrate on first love by our leading lady – usually with a few obstacles thrown in such as the guy of their choice is a ‘bad boy’ from the wrong side of tracks (or occasionally a vampire or werewolf). Love In Revolution follows the same type of route only Esteya, our heroine falls for Skizi, a gypsy girl. What I loved most about this story is that while Esteya has fallen for a girl, the issue dividing them is mostly the class difference between them rather than any gender issues. Set against a background of the Russian Revolution class is an extraordinarily divisive issue – especially when the haves and have-nots are still there post-Revolution – just some of the names change.

I remember studying the Russian Revolution(s)  in history and this book is incredibly well researched and reflected of what did happen at that time. However, all events are seen through Esteya’s eyes where her focus is always on her life and her feelings (as most teens are!) so it also feels incredibly personal and perhaps a little naive at times. She thinks about Skizi in a purely selfish way, but through lack of wider awareness of the world rather than an mean spiritedness.  

The writing is evocative and almost musical in prose making reading Love In Revolution a pure pleasure. It was a quick read – I was finished in a day but it really made a refreshing change from any other book I’ve read recently - a palate cleansing glass of cold water on a hot day.

Recommended for fans of John Green and Ruta Sepetys. 8.5 out of 10

Stung Review

Stung

Bethany Wiggins

Publisher: Bloomsbury

In a world in crisis, children are the future. Part of the cure. Not now. Children are deadly. Marked one to ten. Fiona is a TEN. She just doesn't know it yet . . . She doesn't know her true strength.
Fiona doesn't remember going to sleep. But she has woken to find her entire world has changed - her house is abandoned and broken, and her neighbourhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right wrist that she doesn't remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. And she's right. When the honeybee population collapsed, a worldwide pandemic occurred and the government tried to bio-engineer a cure. But instead the vaccination turned people into ferocious, deadly beasts. They have been branded as a warning to unvaccinated survivors. Key people needed to rebuild society are protected inside a fortress-like wall. Fiona has awakened branded, alone and on the wrong side of the wall 

What happens when the bees die out? The answer is the end of the world as we know it and the start of a dystopian nightmare for those who survive. When Fiona wakes up in her bed, she has no memory of the last four years but the world has changed rapidly with some people living in the sewers, beasts who were once people roaming the land and a select few living in relative safety behind the Wall. Fiona is lost, confused and doesn’t know what is going on...

Fiona may not know what is going on but she trusts people to easily and even manages to give her heart to a guy who has done nothing but assault her and keep her captive. I found myself getting very frustrated with her as she never really seems to fight for herself or even others. Added to which I found it difficult to imagine the whole country had changes so rapidly in just four years with people so quickly divided into levels and organised behind a wall. The character I was most intrigued by was Arrin/Arris and felt like they could have been explored more. There is much left unexplored and for once I feel that this story would have worked with a little more background – perhaps some other characters point of view to answer questions Fiona doesn’t even think to ask!

Stung is fast paced though and it was only once I put the book down and started to think about the world and the characters that I really had any problems. The plot is pacy and there are enough action scenes to keep most thrill readers happy. The romance was far too quick for my liking and not based on much substance but it wasn’t a focus of the plot so it wasn’t too distracting. This was an easy enough read but with choice of dystopian YA overwhelming there wasn’t anything that gripped me. Nice idea but I want a little more.

Recommended for fans of Veronica Rossi and Sarah Crossan. 7 out of 10   

Deep Fathom Review

Deep Fathom

James Rollins

Publisher: Harper

Ex-Navy SEAL Jack Kirkland surfaces from an aborted underwater salvage mission to find the Earth burning. Solar flares have triggered a series of gargantuan natural disasters. Earthquakes and hellfire rock the globe. Air Force One has vanished from the skies with America's president on board. Now, with the U.S. on the narrow brink of a nuclear apocalypse, Kirkland must pilot his oceangoing exploration ship, Deep Fathom, on a desperate mission miles below the ocean's surface. There devastating secrets await him—and a power an ancient civilization could not contain has been cast out into modern day. And it will forever alter a world that's already racing toward its own destruction

Ever had one of those reading periods where every book you pick up is exactly what you need at that time? I’m right in the middle of that period when I picked up Deep Fathom, a book that has been on my TBR pile for a long time and found a book that combined ancient mysteries, exotic physics, world-in-peril, tortured hero, smart heroine, sadistic villain with a vendetta and Pacific trotting locations – in short exactly what I needed for humid train journeys in London!

Jack is one of those too good to be true heroes – and ex-SAS officer, former NASA astronaut and current deep sea treasure diver who finds himself and his crew pulled into a global emergency when tidal waves and earthquakes hit all the countries around the Pacific. From there it is a hop, skip and jump to being the only person in the world aware that those quakes could only be the start and worse could follow if he and anthropologist, Karen can’t work out the secret behind a lost race and their writing. They race around Pacific Islands, being shot at by bad guys, figuring out mysteries that had been kept secret for hundreds of year and surviving by the skin of their neck! It is a thoroughly entertaining ride which happily passes a few hours. If you try to think too much about the history or physics, you miss the joy in just following the good guys around.

I loved the joy and simplicity of the story but the final ending was a slight overstep for me. Apart from that it was a great summer read and perfect for the beach.

Recommended for fans of David Gibbins and Steve Berry. 8 out of 10

Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School #1)

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1)

Gail Carriger

Publisher: Atom

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

This was your choice of books for me to read this month and it was so much fun!! I just dived straight in and found myself enchanted with the idea of a finishing school where young ladies learn manners and subterfuge in a world where werewolves and vampires are the height of fashion and steampunk rules.

Sophronia is a troublesome fourteen year old who keeps getting into scraps at home, so ends up being shipped off to Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. What her parents don’t realise is that Mademoiselle Geraldine’s trains young girls in the art of espionage, assassination and defence of the realm, while using the correct cutlery and curtseying fashionably. Sophronia is sharp witted and quick and not afraid to take risks, while the rest of her friends she meets at school area variety of young ladies – including one or two who might be familiar to those you have read Gail Carriger’s other series, the Parasol Protectorate. It reminded me so much of the boarding school books I read a young child (Enid Blyton and Trebizon) or Hogwarts. Where the teens manage to solve more mysteries than the adults – and take more risks!

The machinery in the world are amazing – from the mechianimals to the robotic ‘staff’ there is no end of the imagination used to create a truly unique world. There is so much happening and the characters are just fantastic fun. I actually feel the world suits a YA story better than a regular story – and I can’t tell you how much fun discussions of proper manners and correct protocol are! If you want a great summer read than pick this book up – and I promise you will have a blast!

Recommended for fans of Kelley Armstrong and Richelle Mead. 9 out of 10 

Kitty Rocks The House (Kitty Norville #11) Review

Kitty Rock The House (Kitty Noville #11)

Carrie Vaughn

Publisher: Tor Books

On the heels of Kitty's return from London, a new werewolf shows up in Denver, one who threatens to split the pack by challenging Kitty's authority at every turn. The timing could not be worse; Kitty needs all the allies she can muster to go against the ancient vampire, Roman, if she's to have any hope of defeating his Long Game. But there's more to this intruder than there seems, and Kitty must uncover the truth, fast. Meanwhile, Cormac pursues an unknown entity wreaking havoc across Denver; and a vampire from the Order of St. Lazaurus tempts Rick with the means to transform his life forever

The Kitty series is much bigger than I thought it was – eleven book already! I have to admit the series has had its up and downs – some books are better than others but what keeps me interested is Kitty herself. She’s not your typical alpha heroine – ready to kick butt with leather outfits and a dozen men at her beck and call. Kitty prefers to avoid fights and talk her way out of them - if possible, she’s happily married and would rather be in comfy jeans and a tank top. Yet, she is alpha material and is balancing her responsibilities as a sister and daughter, wife, alpha of the local werewolf pack, her secret war against Roman and the Long Game as well as her job as DJ of The Midnight Hour. In this book those responsibilities start getting too much for Kitty...

This is very much a home-ly story with Kitty going about her routine and people disrupting her life. As a result there are many separate parts to the story with new werewolf joining Kitty’s pack, the Catholic Vampire visiting Rick and the loss of her grandmother all making life tough for Kitty and Ben – not to mention Cormac teaming up with Detective Hardin.

The writing is as easy to slip into as fresh cotton sheets and it’s always nice to catch up with one of my favourite werewolves. The story is a little piece-meal and isn’t one of the strongest entries in this series as Kitty mostly keeps secrets and runs around reacting rather than being proactive. But it is a quick read and perfect for a summer commute to work.

Recommended for fans of Nancy Holzner and Kayalna Price. 7.5 out of 10

Nowhere Review

Nowhere

Jon Robinson 

Publisher: Puffin

 'No one's coming for us.No t our families, not the police. No one.'

Alyn, Jes, Ryan and Elsa are Nowhere.A concrete cube in the middle of a dense forest.
Imprisoned inside are one hundred teenagers from all over the country.
They're all criminals. But none of them remember committing any crimes.
Who has put them there. What do their captors want?
And how will they ever break free...?

Set in the near future, this is about a country that is slower dissolving into one of those dystopian worlds we keep reading about. But for these teenagers it is just their world. They find themselves arrested and taken to a prison somewhere having been found guilty of crimes they don’t remember committing. This is an intrigue premise and while the adult clearly know what they are doing, the teens – and us – are kept in dark. Unsure about who is right and who is wrong and why they are hidden away from the world and forced to admit to their crimes. There are a lot of different characters with most of the focus on the children but occasional flashes of the Prime Minister and how he agreed to set up this prison. 

I loved the way some of the teens become institionalized and believe what the adult tell them, while cling desperately to what they know as the truth and plot escape and some telling on others to the guards in exchange for an easy life. The depiction of the inside of a prison feels very real and increases the tension with the kids being their own enemies at times. There is plenty of action with some frantic escapes attempted, while the differences in the teens characters show are pleasing to see. 

The writing is competent and engaging. The brisk pace means you will not stop reading until the end where there are some shocking events that will make you gasp and cry out. This is definitely not a book to read if you hate cliffhangers as this is a doozy! I can hardly wait to see what happens next and really hope that some answers are given to us. I have to admit to being a little bored of YA stories but this one really pulls you and manages to challenge as well as entertain. I certainly feel like I’m ready to read some more YA books now!

Recommended for fans of Veronica Rossi and Richelle Mead. 9 out of 10

Mistress of the Sea Review

Mistress of the Seas

Jenny Barden

Publisher: Ebury

Mistress Cooksley may be a wealthy merchant's daughter, but she blushes at my words and meets my eyes look for look. Yet I cannot hope to court her without fortune, and a dalliance with a pretty maid will not hinder me from my path. Captain Drake's endeavour might bring me gold, but I, Will Doonan, will have my revenge. 
The Spaniards captured my brother and have likely tortured and killed him. For God and St George, we'll strike at the dogs and see justice done. I thought I'd left Mistress Cooksley behind to gamble everything and follow Drake, and here she is playing the boy at the ends of the world. She's a fool with a heart as brave as any man's. Yet her presence here could be the ruin of us all...

Ellyn Cooksley is fed up of everyone expecting her to choose between two very boring and dull suitors and get married. Especially when the only man who makes her heart flutter is the frustrating Will Doonan, who has just signed up with Sir Francis Drake to find Spanish gold in the New World. So she sneaks aboard Drake’s ship dressed as a boy, not expecting to find herself so far from all she knows amongst pirates, escaped slaves, and the Spanish...

It’s a pleasure to find a historical fiction novel set in Tudor times that doesn’t focus on royalty and the English court. Not that the court hi-jinks aren’t fascinating but variety is the spice of life! Ellyn is the daughter of a merchant trader so has a slight advantage in that she has options in who she can marry but the limits of class at the time still means she can’t follow her heart. So instead she follows her father to sea and finds herself in the Spanish Caribbean.

I have mixed thoughts about this story...I liked Ellyn as a leading lady – she had quick wit and an independence that was unusual in that day and age. However, after a spirited start she spends a lot of time waiting for Will to come and rescue her. Will I had plenty of issues with as he never really put Ellyn first – he was not much of a hero to her really. It’s difficult to fully enjoy a historical romance if you don’t like one of the leading characters.

The story of Drake’s adventures in the Caribbean is fascinating and I really liked the battles and adventures they have - in fact I wish a lot more time had been spent on that rather descriptions of Ellyn’s days on various islands. There was a lot of waiting especially as the story takes place over three years and that slowed down the pace. However, the atmosphere and historical detail is vibrant and exhilarating and I would interesting in the next book Jenny Barden writes!

Recommended for fans of Philippa Gregory and Anne O’Brien. 7 out of 10

Odd Interlude (Odd Thomas #4.5) Review

Odd Interlude (Odd Thomas #4.5)

Dean Koontz

Publisher: Harper

Nestled on a lonely stretch along the Pacific coast, quaint roadside outpost Harmony Corner offers everything a weary traveler needs--a cozy diner, a handy service station, a cluster of cottages . . . and the Harmony family homestead presiding over it all. But when Odd Thomas and company stop to spend the night, they discover that there's more to this secluded haven than meets the eye--and that between life and death, there is something more frightening than either. 

Originally published as some e-book shorts, all three parts of Odd Interlude have been collected together and published in traditional form here. Set immediately after Odd Hours, this sees Odd and Annamaria stop at a motel which has harboured refugees before...and worse.

I love Dean Koontz book – they are warm and familiar and I always know that no matter perils and tribulations are thrown at our hero, he will overcome and survive. They are like an ice cream sundae on a warm day – delicious and to be eaten quickly before it melts. This is no exception and I loved catching up with Odd again. I admit to being a little behind with Odd’s adventures but this short book caught be up quickly and re-introduced me to Odds humble bravery and quirky sense of humour. That’s another element I love about Koontz’s books – despite the fast pace, there is plenty of joy. Sometimes it’s wry observations on the ridiculousness of humanity and sometimes there is some physical humour.

Odd encounters a variety of people who have been living under a curse for a long time, something related to a refugee from Moonlight Bay. Those who read Dean books might recognise Moonlight Bay as the home town of Christopher Snow, another character of Dean’s that we haven’t visited for a while. However, you really don’t need to read any other books before picking this up – this a pure standalone adventure that will whet your appetite if you’ve not read Dean Koontz before and a happy catch-up if you have. A great adventure which covers horror, science-fiction, gentle humour, ghosts and thriller. Highly recommended!

Recommended for fans of James Rollins and Kelley Armstrong. 9 out of 10