Turns out I started this series at the end, so it probably would have helped if I’d read the others first. Grimsby is an interesting character but nonTurns out I started this series at the end, so it probably would have helped if I’d read the others first. Grimsby is an interesting character but none of the others were very appealing. It felt like the middle of a soap opera and you knew nothing was going to get resolved because there had to be another book. Rayne, Wudge, Mayflower all dealing with the same problems at the end as at the beginning. Grimsby’s nemesis, Blackskull, is back. Grimsby kills him again but then he comes back again. To be continued. ...more
Unexpected murder victim is discovered when a tree is removed. As Alex and Milo ferret out information about the site, another tiny body and a dead woUnexpected murder victim is discovered when a tree is removed. As Alex and Milo ferret out information about the site, another tiny body and a dead woman are found nearby. The case leads to a golden couple of Hollywood and some dark secrets of the 1950s. Some interesting trivia sprinkled in but the resolution of the case was fairly ho-hum....more
Joe is investigating a harassment charge against an officer in Bellows Falls, when he discovers threads that lead back to the disappearance of a low lJoe is investigating a harassment charge against an officer in Bellows Falls, when he discovers threads that lead back to the disappearance of a low level drug dealer in his home town. I thought the plot had a lot of promise, but ended up not liking this book as well as some of the others. In the end, Joe makes a series of bad decisions, knowing they are bad, and pursues the villain single handedly to the river where nature takes care of things. ...more
Davenport and Flowers are pulled back together to investigate the cold case murder of a woman whose wealthy sister is offering a $5 million dollar rewDavenport and Flowers are pulled back together to investigate the cold case murder of a woman whose wealthy sister is offering a $5 million dollar reward for information that leads to the killer. As the duo begin their investigation, they are swarmed with true crime podcasters eager to boost their shows with the hottest tips about the crime. I liked the way the author showed Lucas and Virgil using crowd sourcing to help solve the crime. Lucas and Virgil themselves are a bit full of themselves and bend rules to accomplish their goals. The ending leaves me assuming that Amanda Fisk will show up in the next story. ...more
Dr Gul Delani is called to evaluate a rare antiquity-a Persian mummified princess. The cultural settings, history and trivia (mummy brown paint) were Dr Gul Delani is called to evaluate a rare antiquity-a Persian mummified princess. The cultural settings, history and trivia (mummy brown paint) were very interesting. Sometimes the setting descriptions bigger the pace of the story down. A lot of convoluted connections between antiquities smuggling and street crime that had to be explained at the end. The pacing was better in the second half. A few characters got happy endings they probably didn’t deserve. The cultural themes about corruption, misogyny and poverty do not make Pakistan sound like a very nice place to live or visit. ...more
Marcie and David are living a perfect small town life. Then in an act of valor, David rescues a man from a river and the video taken by a bystander goMarcie and David are living a perfect small town life. Then in an act of valor, David rescues a man from a river and the video taken by a bystander goes viral. Suddenly bizarre things start happening in their home and Marcie begins to realize they are both keeping secrets. Good misdirection, a smart female lead character and a bittersweet ending. Very good read. ...more
Joe Gunther is investigating the death of a local hermit who died from an aneurysm on an old gunshot wound. After discovering money and bullets hiddenJoe Gunther is investigating the death of a local hermit who died from an aneurysm on an old gunshot wound. After discovering money and bullets hidden in his home, a search for the gun ends up unearthing a skeleton who had died by gunshot. Now with two odd deaths, Joe uses the skeleton’s artificial knee to track down the identity of the bones. Lots of plot twists and some nice geography. A fair amount of collateral damage as Joe closes in on what happened. Very entertaining read. ...more
Fast-paced action, quirky dialogue, fun characters (although a bit over the top). Terrorists take over a new event space but the organizer has an ulteFast-paced action, quirky dialogue, fun characters (although a bit over the top). Terrorists take over a new event space but the organizer has an ulterior motive and a hidden plan. Dez has a new, talented “Bond girl� helping him in this book and is up against a fellow gate keeper who he claims is better than him. Death and mayhem follow. ...more
Creepy cool beginning, but the author wins you over to kind of liking Dan Kravitz, so when his sticky fingers land him in unexpected double trouble, yCreepy cool beginning, but the author wins you over to kind of liking Dan Kravitz, so when his sticky fingers land him in unexpected double trouble, you’re cheering for him to find a way out unscathed. The plot moves quickly when the hit man arrives and the quirky side characters add color. Joe Gunther begins to recover from the tragedy of a previous book, and there is a puzzle left hanging for a future story. I liked the ending since I was fond of Dan. ...more
**spoiler alert** I liked this premise and thought the book started off pretty well. Unfortunately, it went downhill for me once they got on the ship.**spoiler alert** I liked this premise and thought the book started off pretty well. Unfortunately, it went downhill for me once they got on the ship. I like some science included with fiction, and some education on environmental issues, but there was too much here. Too much explanation of how Tory was using sonar. Too much explanation of how amphibians breathe, too much explanation of the mechanics of webbed hands and how they could still use sign language. Too big a leap from exchanging names to the concept of sharing names to suddenly signing concepts like “thank you� and “you’re welcome� between species. I told myself if the dolphins died I wasn’t going to finish the book, but I did, on high speed skim, skipping the endless technical fluff (even scientific glory stealing and corporate politics for goodness sake) to pick up just moments of plot. A couple of the characters were pretty good: Olivia, Luis and Dr Toth. ...more
I thought the book started out very strong but when Beth arrived on the scene, the story bogged down. For me, Beth was not an appealing character so II thought the book started out very strong but when Beth arrived on the scene, the story bogged down. For me, Beth was not an appealing character so I didn't have much empathy for her. Things started to pick up a little when Wolf showed up, but for me, the story just lost it's way from the point Hailey moved onto the mountain. I did like the final pages when Beth is driving away from Cold Creek. Nice imagery there....more
My first Joe Gunther novel. Stands alone just fine. The cover illustration and the scenes at the Glory Hole (or Morning Glory spillway of the HarrimanMy first Joe Gunther novel. Stands alone just fine. The cover illustration and the scenes at the Glory Hole (or Morning Glory spillway of the Harriman Reservoir) were very dramatic. I enjoy learning bits of local history in novels, and the description was intriguing enough to warrant an internet search (use morning glory spillway not glory hole to avoid the sex results). The author did a good job dealing with the rape issue; showing how the ripple effects impact multiple lives, the reaction of the public (women vs men) and the long lingering impacts. As other reviews noted, it’s unlikely Joe would be allowed to work his girlfriend’s case. I was glad the final scene was not a classic “man saves woman� event. ...more
A fictionalized version of the life of Martha Ballard, real-life midwife who delivered over a thousand babies and never lost a mother. This look back A fictionalized version of the life of Martha Ballard, real-life midwife who delivered over a thousand babies and never lost a mother. This look back into the lives of women in the late 1700s was very interesting. For me, characters are critical to the story, and Ms. Lawhon creates vivid, interesting people. I also appreciated the fact that in this story, marriage is presented in a positive light, and that while there are evil men in the story, there are also sympathetic, good men as well. I especially enjoyed the author's note at the end and the additional insights it gave on the history....more
**spoiler alert** DNF. I liked the premise of using a spreadsheet to evaluate 100 dates with the goal of marrying rich. By date 51, Adam was the obvio**spoiler alert** DNF. I liked the premise of using a spreadsheet to evaluate 100 dates with the goal of marrying rich. By date 51, Adam was the obvious date 100. The narrator spends a lot of time judging her dates, her friend, her parents but not much time checking herself. She didn’t really seem too interested in anyone and I found myself not very interested in her. ...more
A competition based on the nine levels of Hell sounded promising. Ophelia follows her sister into the competition, with a surprising advantage-her magA competition based on the nine levels of Hell sounded promising. Ophelia follows her sister into the competition, with a surprising advantage-her magic. However, she immediately becomes acquainted with Blackwell, a Phantom, who promises to help her pass the levels in exchange for her setting him free, or failing that, 10 years of her life. Once the deal is made, the story degenerates into a series of sex scenes held together by bits of plot where, for the most past, Blackwell saves Ophelia. (Makes you wonder how her non-magical sister could possibly survive). Not my kind of book. I found it particularly irksome that Blackwell is constantly calling Ophelia “good girl� during the sexual interludes as if she’s some kind of pet rather than an equal. ...more
Just an ordinary day until Cam’s husband ends up in a police standoff and kills two hostages before disappearing. A strong start, a pretty solid middlJust an ordinary day until Cam’s husband ends up in a police standoff and kills two hostages before disappearing. A strong start, a pretty solid middle, although it was a bit of a stretch to get to the ending. Very enjoyable ...more
Alex and Milo are a fun pair. Plenty of characters and plenty of murders, almost too many to keep track of. I liked the plot twists with Mr Bitt and PAlex and Milo are a fun pair. Plenty of characters and plenty of murders, almost too many to keep track of. I liked the plot twists with Mr Bitt and Paul Wayland. The pace seemed a little slow, lots of people and locations to deal with, but then there’d be another murder. Overall an ok mystery. Milo and Alex interactions kept it interesting. ...more
Since job of world building with a unique form of heart magic. Foss follows her heart (literally) to the home of the male sorcerer who accidentally haSince job of world building with a unique form of heart magic. Foss follows her heart (literally) to the home of the male sorcerer who accidentally harvested it. A good setup for the problem of how to restore harvested hearts to the people they were taken from. Foss has no magic, but it turns out she is special because of her resistance to the heart magic. I really liked the first half of the book. The second half was less satisfying. Sylvester and Foss travel outside the kingdom and learn some helpful things. They return to challenge the king in a somewhat anti-climatic climax. ...more
Nancy is recovering from a mental breakdown. Her partner Felix has stepped up to take care of her, except it doesn't always feel like care. When they Nancy is recovering from a mental breakdown. Her partner Felix has stepped up to take care of her, except it doesn't always feel like care. When they move to a smaller, more rundown flat, Nancy struggles with the adjustment. When the young woman downstairs is found dead, the police rule it a suicide but Nancy is convinced it's not. The story spends a lot of time displaying the negative sides of men's attitudes towards women, people with mental health issues and in general anyone perceived as weak. I'm not saying those aren't true, but basically there was not a single positive male figure in the story (except Maud's small relationship at the end). Some nice twists to the mystery of what happened to Kira....more
Lillian Pentecost is arrested for the murder of a nemesis, Jessup Quincannon on the night he plans to unveil criminal artifacts from her past. Locked Lillian Pentecost is arrested for the murder of a nemesis, Jessup Quincannon on the night he plans to unveil criminal artifacts from her past. Locked away in the House of D, Lillian must rely on Will to solve the crime, but in the end, solves it herself. This book felt as much like a put down of men as a mystery. It felt like every female character was smarter than the men associated with her, or the victim of their attitudes towards women. The best thing said about any of the male characters was that he was “nice with a little n.� Not a bad mystery, several detailed red herrings, a pretty convoluted solution to the crime. ...more
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