A Lady in the Smoke- Karen Odden

A Lady in the Smoke-Karen Odden
Alibi- Random House
Release Date: March 29, 2016

Synopsis: Karen Odden’s enthralling debut historical mystery transports readers to Victorian England, where a terrifying railway disaster plunges a headstrong young noblewoman into a conspiracy that reaches to the highest corridors of power.  Following a humiliating fourth Season in London, Lady Elizabeth Fraser is on her way back to her ancestral country estate when her train careens off the rails and bursts into flames. Though she is injured, she manages to drag herself and her unconscious mother out of the wreckage, and amid the chaos that ensues, a brilliant young railway surgeon saves her mother’s life. Elizabeth feels an immediate connection with Paul Wilcox—though society would never deem a medical man eligible for the daughter of an earl.  After Paul reveals that the train wreck was no accident, and the inspector who tried to prevent it dies under mysterious circumstances, Elizabeth undertakes a dangerous investigation of her own that leads back to her family’s buried secrets. The more she learns, the more she must risk. Not only are her dowry and her reputation at stake; Paul’s very life hangs in the balance when he is arrested for manslaughter. As the trial draws near, and Parliament prepares for a vote that will change the course of the nation, Elizabeth uncovers a conspiracy that has been years in the making. But time is running out for her to see justice done.

A Lady in the Smoke is one of those rare debut books that hits every right note.  Odden's writing is smooth and descriptive, bringing the reader into a world of smoke and light, people and machines in a perfect blend of mystery, romance, and family. Wonderful descriptions of daily life make the reader feel as if they are on the street, or in the train, with the characters.  A Lady in the Smoke brilliantly weaves together what start off seeming like very separate story threads.  Railway accidents, strange land acquisitions, the tragedies of friends, and family secrets come together in ways you wouldn't have expected. 

All of Odden's characters are fully formed, three dimensional people with layered emotions, motives, and relationships.  Elizabeth Fraser is a strong and determined woman, just beginning to discover how to take control of her own life in spite of her family and society.  She becomes drawn into the railway conspiracy because of her compassionate nature and sense of justice- although ironically the only argument that gains her entry into the case is a purely financial one.  Even relatively minor characters like Anne and Phillip Reynolds are alive with emotions that wring your heart as you follow their struggles between doing what is right and what is comfortable.   

Fans of C. S. Harris and Amanda Quick will applaud this talented new author as she joins the ranks of truly excellent historical mystery writers.  A Lady in the Smoke is an absolute must read, and hopefully only the first of many excellent books in debut author Karen Odden's future.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Fighting Dirty- Lori Foster

Fighting Dirty- Lori Foster (Ultimate Fighters series #4)
HQN Books
Release Date: February 23, 2016

Synopsis: With the life he's led and the muscles he's gained, Armie Jacobson isn't afraid of anything. Except maybe Merissa Colter's effect on him. It's not just that she's his best friend's little sister. Fact is, she deserves better. Women pursue him for one night of pleasure, and that's all he wants to offer. Until rescuing Merissa from a robbery leads to the most erotic encounter of his life.  

Good girl meets bad boy. It's a story that rarely ends well. But Merissa is taking matters into her own hands. No matter how he views himself, the Armie she knows is brave, honorable and completely loyal. And as past demons and present-day danger collide, they're both about to learn what's truly worth fighting for…

At long last, the novel Lori Foster Fans have been waiting for: Armie's story.  Readers have watched Armie Jacobsen develop over the last three books and one novella into a character they've wanted badly to get his own book. Not just because it's about time he got his just desserts (in and out of the ring) but to answer the questions that surround him.  Why would such a great fighter not want to move into a professional MMA position? Is the "best friend rule" really the only reason he's stayed clear of Cannon's little sister?  All questions are answered here, and then some.

In my opinion its always more satisfying to start a series with book one and watch characters develop, but those starting the Ultimate Fighters series with Fighting Dirty won't have to worry about missing anything (except three other really good books). Other characters from the Ultimate Fighter, SBC Fighters, and Love Undercover series have cameos but the book is, like most of Foster's series, self-contained if you're crazy enough not to have read her other books yet. 

Armie is a complicated and far from perfect man who manages to be endearing and lovable even when he's a jerk.  He's fought stubbornly against becoming an SBC fighter through the whole series and readers finally find out why.  Learning about his tough childhood helps us understand why he chooses to keep himself at a distance from even his friends, and why he's so good helping protect his friends, family, and neighborhood.  Fortunately, Marissa "Rissy" Colter is almost as stubborn as her big brother Cannon and is finally ready to fight for what she wants- a relationship with Armie.  And she's not above fighting dirty to show him she's the one for him.  Even when he pulls the ultimate dumb protective male routine of trying to stay away in order to protect her from his past, Rissy is strong enough and confident enough that she doesn't let him get away with it.

Fighting Dirty is a fast paced story where Lori Foster continues to prove that blending friends, family, love, mystery, and mixed martial arts works much better than you might imagine.  While the threats and mystery are real and the men react the way you would expect protective alpha males to react, readers new to Foster shouldn't worry about an abundance of violence or glorifying violence.  The distinction between the sport of mixed martial arts and domestic violence is clear without being preachy. Armie and the other men may be fighters but they work hard with teens and younger kids to teach that fighting is for discipline and exercise, not for random violence. The fact that they become role models to the kids was never the intention, but is certainly good for the kids.

Fighting Dirty is a great addition to Foster's works, and a fun must-read for both regular fans and those just being introduced to her, or to contemporary romance in general. It's great to check in with old friends, meet a few newer ones, and discover the mystery that is Armie Jacobsen.  Best of all, at the end Foster promises that Leese (my new personal favorite) and some of the others will get their own series soon. The only down side? Now we have to wait for her to write them!   

       

Highland Awakening- Jennifer Haymore

Highland Awakening- Jennifer Haymore (The Highland Knights series, Book 2)
Random House
Release Date: March 29, 2016

Synopsis: As the secret author of racy romances, Lady Esme Hawkins goes to great lengths to protect her family’s honor. Which is why she carefully disguises herself before entering a notorious bordello to do research. But when Esme comes face-to-face with a brooding Highland bodyguard, she can’t easily refuse a harmless kiss . . . a kiss that inflames desires ripped from the pages of her novels. Acting on them, however, would risk revealing Esme’s identity—and the fact that she’s engaged to another man.
As a Highland Knight sworn to protect the crown, Camden McLeod never expected to follow his client into a bordello—nor could he anticipate meeting a bright, innocent lass with lush lips and eyes the color of the sea. Instantly, Cam knows he must possess her. But to do so, he’ll need to give up his rakish ways, embrace his role as heir to his despised father, and snuff out a deadly threat to his brothers in arms. By comparison, winning Esme away from her insipid fiancé will be pure pleasure.

Highlander Awakening is a book with lots of promise: Highland warriors in London, Waterloo veterans haunted by what they've seen and done in war.  A shy duke's daughter who also writes romance novels and does research at night in bordellos and gambling dens.  A mysterious  and nebulous threat and the surprising and very real murderer stalking the Highland Knights.  The main hero, Cam McLeod's, conflict with his father and everything he stands for.  All of these could lead to deep and layered plots and character development and a very good book.  Sadly they are all touched on, but not explored to the depths that would make a truly memorable book or characters.  

The heroine, Lady Esme, is the best written character, with interesting and conflicting layers to her. A shy woman who is painfully self-conscious around strangers and suffers from awkwardness and anxiety attacks, she is different from the average society woman.  Esme focuses on researching and writing romance novels that often take her to rather unusual places- like bordellos. How the shy and anxious woman even knows where to do her research, let alone has the courage to go to such places alone is never really explained, but the importance to her of having this secret life, where she is in control, is clear.  As is her desire to protect her family from the scandal that would come from anyone finding out.  The idea that she is willing to walk up to a man's door at night, give her real name, and ignore the scandal that would cause to hunt down Cam after he betrays her (the first time of many) goes rather against the grain.  Is this Esme becoming confident and standing up for herself or being stupid? The reader can decide.  Cam McLeod is a man who hates society, and has seen his father take advantage of his position to harm his family in every way possible.  He doesn't want to marry or fall in love for fear of turning out like his father.  And then pretty much from the minute he sees Esme he is right to worry about that.  He ignores what might be best for her and instead of being patient goes about betraying her secrets in order to get what he wants in the fastest way he can.  Unlike Connie Brockway's hero in Highlander Undone, Cam excuses all his actions, sure that he knows best and everything is forgivable.  There are things about him that are what you look for in a hero- his unswerving loyalty to his sister and fellow Knights, his being able to see Esme and admire her for who she is, instead of what society thinks she should be.  But there are often times the reader forgets these positive traits as Cam continually manipulates Esme and events to his advantage.  By the end it is not only Esme he has to convince of his love and ability to change, but the reader as well.  Is love strong enough to overlook faults and change people for the better?  

The mystery in the story is disappointingly thin.  It starts off as possible threats against a lord, bringing the Knights in to guard him 24/7.  Nothing actually happens in the book that would suggest the threats are credible and anything other than a waste of time.  The epilogue suggests that the next book might change that.  Wether anyone would care about the man being threatened is highly doubtful, but if, as hinted, the threat extends to his daughter, it might be worth figuring out.  The other threat, of someone hunting down and murdering (or trying to) the Knights is more of the catalyst for this book.  There are well written moments where we see the effects of loss on Cam and his fellow Knights.  But then almost no clues about the villain until the end when Esme figures out who it is.  And then no clue about the why until the villain himself explains it. In some ways it works very well, in others its a bit of a letdown.

That is probably my thought on the book as a whole: it works well some of the time, then lets us down.  More depth of character or more mystery would have probably made this a more interesting read and made it stand out more in my mind.  Overall, not terrible, but sadly not the best I've read in awhile.  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Runaway Vampire- Lynsay Sands

Runaway Vampire- Lynsay Sands (Argeneau series #23)
AvonBooks
Release Date: February 23, 2016

Synopsis: Dante Notte has heard it said that love hurts. He just wasn’t expecting it to run him over in an RV. Still, a punctured lung and broken ribs are nothing compared to the full-body shock he feels whenever he’s near the vehicle’s driver, Mary Winslow. He needs to keep her safe from their pursuers while he rescues his brother. Most challenging of all, he needs to claim this smart, stubborn woman as his life mate.

The naked, injured, insanely gorgeous younger man who clambered into her RV insists they belong together. If Mary wasn’t feeling their incredible connection in every inch of her being, she wouldn’t believe it. But now that the men who took Dante’s twin are after her too, trusting her gut means risking her life for an immortal who’s the very definition of a perfect stranger.

The newest Argeneau novel is a fast paced and fun story, a little lighter than some of the recent Rogue Hunter books but with hints of a new and dark threat on the Immortal horizon.  In Runaway Vampire, Dante Notte gets his own book and meets his life mate when she accidentally runs him over in an RV.  Mary (and the reader) are thrown into a race against unknown enemies who apparently know enough about immortals to have caught Dante and his twin Tomasso unawares and kidnapped them.  Now they are trying to recapture the escaped Dante, as well as anyone helping him, and plan to ship them off to Venezuela for experiments.  Are they a group being controlled by a vicious rogue or one who accidentally learned about immortals and want to learn how vampires can be real?  It looks like we'll have to wait until at least September, when Tomasso's book, Immortal Nights, is released to find out.   

Mary is a great heroine, and takes the idea of vampires a lot better than she takes the idea of dating someone who looks about half her age.  Scenes between Dante, Mary, and friends of Mary's towards the beginning of the book reminder us of some of the downsides to being immortal, and Dante's explanation of why Mary can't turn her children or interact with them anymore are tough to hear, even though long-time series readers aren't learning anything they didn't already know.  

Those who've read other books in the series will be happy to have old friends drop for cameo appearances, and new readers will hopefully be intrigued enough to go out and read the rest of the series. There are some (as always) great scenes with Lucian Argeneau where you start off thinking he's just a complete jerk and by the end are reminded why you still like him so much.  Two new characters are introduced, the first gay life mate couple I can remember meeting.  Russell and Francis are a lot of fun, and I definitely hope we see more of them in future books!  Russell has an especially great line about cell phone ring tones and salmon colored shirts that sum up perfectly what love is all about.

You don't have to have read the rest of the series to enjoy Runaway Vampire, although as a long time Lynsay Sands fan and Argeneau devotee I have to ask: why haven't you read them yet? You are missing out on a great new approach to vampires and paranormal romance, and a fun and exciting world awaits you.  You have 22 more books in the series to read before September gets here and you'll enjoy every page!

Brotherhood in Death- J.D. Robb

Brotherhood in Death- J.D. Robb (In Death series #42)
Berkley- Penguin Random House
Release Date: February 2, 2016

Synopsis: Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head.  Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze.   As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed—and locked—doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate . . . and a new case that no one saw coming.


Warning: Spoilers!

Unlike so many, the In Death series manages to get better and more vividly alive with every addition.  Wonderfully written, with twists and turns to each case, the reader sees new aspects of the futuristic New York City and new layers to familiar characters in each book.

Brotherhood gives us more layers to one of every reader's favorite people: Dennis Mira. The husband of Dr. Charlotte Mira, readers have fallen in love with the sweet, slightly absentminded professor right along with Eve.  Here we get more scenes with Dennis, and meet his cousin Edward- Dennis' polar opposite.  A former senator, heavy into appearances and society, Edward and his wife Mandy are as far from Charlotte and Dennis as it's possible to get.  When Edward's case goes from a disappearance to multiple homicides, Brotherhood is one of those books where you have a hard time feeling sympathy for the murdered men.  First because they (and almost everyone they associate with) are horrible human beings, and then as motives become clear, because of the men themselves.  

One of the things that gave Brotherhood additional layers was that throughout the book, almost every character finds themselves asking: what is justice? "Justice is served" is a sign hung with each of the murdered men.  The more Eve and her team look into the case, the more it becomes obvious that the murder victims are being killed by women they made victims over the years- rape victims.  Do the women have the right to administer their own justice? Eve, Roarke, Peabody, McNab, even APA Cher Reo ask themselves this. Do multiple wrongs make a right? Brotherhood bring up moral gray areas (and areas that don't usually seem gray) and the reader finds themselves questioning their own philosophy right along with the characters.  

Along  with the darkness, Robb mixes in enough light to help break up the tension in all the right spots.  There are some wonderful scenes between Dennis and Eve that make you love Dennis Mira even more than you thought possible.  And there is an unexpected, prefect friendship scene between Eve and Peabody that I loved.  Of course there is also some great humor- a room full of dolls, Eve gets to threaten a computer system in creative ways we haven't seen in awhile.  And there's a graphic, not to be missed description of the only reason Eve would learn to sew that will make you grin every time you think of it.

A wonderful, thought-provoking addition to the In Death canon, and an absolute must read!  

Highlander Undone- Connie Brockway

Highlander Undone- Connie Brockway
Mountlake Romance
September 15, 2015

Synopsis: While recovering at his uncle's estate from life-threatening wounds sustained in the Sudan, Jack Cameron- a loyal Scottish captain in the British army- is haunted by the words of a dying officer: one of Her Majesty's Black Dragoons is aiding the slavers they were sent to suppress in order to get rich. How will he find the traitor without alerting him to an investigation? Cameron finds a way while listening to the voices beneath his open window- particularly those of Addie Hoodless and her brother Ted, a famed artist commissioned to paint portraits of the Black Dragoons' senior officers.  Jack decides to pose as an artist to infiltrate the close circle of friends at Ted's studio to listen in on unguarded conversations of the officers. But this also means tricking Addie. And if his real identity is exposed, Addie's life will be in terrible danger.

With so many interesting books out there to read, it sometimes takes me a little while to get to even some of my preferred authors. Such was the case with Highlander Undone, which came out September 2015.  I always enjoy Brockway's books, and this was no exception.  She can always be counted on for wonderful, intricate characters and Jack and Addie now join those ranks.  Both have layers they try to keep anyone from seeing, past troubles and traumas as well as present conflicts.

Addie is finishing her year of mourning for her late, unlamented husband. I loved how she chose to go through the mourning not because it was "expected" or "the thing to do" for Society in general, but out of respect to her in-laws.  Sadly, we never meet the in-laws in this book, but based on Addie's memories they must have been good, kind people who had no part in forming the abusive monster that was their son. They actually warned a young, infatuated Addie not to marry him! But she does marry him, and regrets it. She believes ever soldier must be like her abusive husband- and considering that the soldier friends he always had around him were certainly like him, that's not as irrational as it could have seemed.

But it's also very inconvenient for the soldier who falls in love with her! Jack's sense of duty to both his men and his country pushes him to discover the Dragoon changing orders and profiting from the slave trade- both because he despises the stain to the military and equally because he despises the slave trade and was genuinely fighting to help people.  What I liked best in Jack was that there was never a moment in the book where he rationalized his undercover work and assumed that when everyone he was tricking found out, they would forgive him.  From the beginning he was sure everyone, especially Addie, would despise him for lying, but he still felt it was the only way to unmask the traitor.  I would have thought much less of him if he ever just shrugged and said everyone would understand, that he'd had no choice.

Brockway handles the subject of domestic abuse in a sensitive and careful manner, never describing specific memories that might be upsetting to readers who have been in similar circumstances while also never downplaying the seriousness of the subject. We see Addie develop from an abused woman who is sure she deserved everything her husband did to her into the confident and brave woman she must have been before her marriage.  She learns her own strength, and to trust her judgement and her heart.

A must read for Brockway fans and a great introduction to the author for newcomers!

A Cast of Falcons- Steve Burrows

A Cast of Falcons- Steve Burrows
Dundurn
Advanced Reader Copy: Release Date: May 7, 2016

Synopsis: A man falls to his death from a cliff face in western Scotland. From a distance, another man watches. He approaches the body, tucks a book into the dead man’s pocket, and leaves.  When the Scottish police show visiting Detective Chief Inspector Domenic Jejeune the book, he recognizes it as a call for help. But he also knows that answering that call could destroy the life he and his girlfriend Lindy have built for themselves in the village of Saltmarsh, in north Norfolk.  Back in Saltmarsh, the brutal murder of a researcher involved in a local climate change project has everyone looking at the man’s controversial studies as a motive. But Sergeant Danny Maik, heading the investigation in Jejeune’s absence, believes a huge cash incentive being offered for the research may play a crucial role.  With their beleaguered Chief Superintendent blocking every attempt to interview the project’s uber-wealthy owners, Jejeune and Maik must work together to find their answers. But will the men’s partnership survive when the danger from above begins to cast its dark shadow?

This is the third book in the "Birder Murder Mystery" series that began with A Siege of Bitterns, but was the first in the series that I read.  Probably this is a series where you would get more out of the characters if you read the books in order.  Coming late to the series, I think I missed some of the back stories and development of the main characters.  There are many references to events that probably happened in the other two books, and the dark times and troubles the characters have had.  None of these problems are really recapped in this book however, leaving a first time reader without much sympathy or empathy for anyone.  I found the characters mostly one dimensional, with attempts to make them unique lying in things like a love of Motown, or birding.  Some instances, like DCI Jejuene's conflicts with his brother or Sergeant Maik's loyalty to Jejeune, suggest that they may be more deeply written in the earlier books and you are already supposed to know everything important about them by the time you read this.

Like the other books in the series, the title refers to the collective noun of birds- the always popular "what do you call a group of . . ." question.  Like the author, the main character, Detective Chief Inspector Jejeune is a bird-watcher, and there are lovely descriptions of the countrysides of Scotland and north Norfolk where the story takes place that give the reader a wonderful image of the area, while seeming completely natural to the story.  The mystery is an excellent blend of what starts out as two seemingly unrelated deaths- one accidental and one most definitely murder.  The murdered scientist is connected to a research institute owned by a Middle Eastern prince.  Does the motive surround his research on carbon capture and climate change, the prize money for successful research, or his desertion of the institute for a university?  And what does it have to do with an accidental death of a stranger is Scotland or the Prince's cast of gyrfalcons?  

Although there was a slightly slow start to the book, with plenty of red herrings and an excellent twist at the end A Cast of Falcons was a good murder mystery- made better (for me) by the fact that I couldn't solve the mystery before the characters did.  I have to admit that despite enjoying the ending, I probably didn't enjoy the book enough to go back and read the others in the series.   

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.