An Untimely Frost

An Untimely Frost (Lily Long Mysteries #1)- Penny Richards

Kensington Books

Release Date: July 26, 2016

Rating (out of 5):

📚📚📚

Synopsis: In 1881 Chicago, the idea of a female detective is virtually unheard of. But when famed crime buster Allan Pinkerton opens his agency's doors to a handful of women, one intrepid actress with her own troubled past is driven to defy convention and take on a new and dangerous role. . . Since the age of eleven, when her mother was murdered, the life of the theater is all Lilly Long has known. But after her innocence--and her savings--are taken from her by a seductive scoundrel, Lilly vows to leave the stage, enter the real world, and save others from a similar fate. Following in the footsteps of the country's first female detective, Lilly persuades Allan Pinkerton to take her on.  Lilly's acting skills are a perfect fit for her real-life role as a Pinkerton operative. But her first case is a baptism by fire as she is sent to the small town of Vandalia to solve the mystery of a pastor who disappeared with his family--and the church's funds. When Lilly arrives, she finds the mere mention of the reverend's name provokes enmity or suspicious silence. Lilly begins to uncover Vandalia's sordid secrets. But she'll have to deliver the performance of a lifetime to survive the final act of this drama.

Warning: Potential Spoilers

The first book in a new mystery series, An Untimely Frost introduces us to actress Lily Long.  Tricked by a seductive con artist, Lily decides to leave her adopted family and the world of the theater to make a difference in the "real" world.  A newspaper ad inspires her to apply for a position as a female detective at the famed Pinkerton Detective Agency.  In spite of the hostility of one of her employers and the skepticism of the other, Lily convinces the Pinkertons to hire her.  She is determined to use this opportunity to help other women find justice, and stand up for their rights in a world where men rule and women's voices are rarely heard.  Author Penny Richards does a wonderful job of bringing the reader into this world and making it come alive around us through her descriptions of the cities, trains, and surrounding settings.

I have to admit to as much skepticism as the Pinkertons at the idea that sheltered Lily could become a detective so easily. She receives no training from her employers but gets tossed into her first assignment- whether that was the normal practice or a way to convince her to quit I don't know.  Her first case seems relatively simple: find out where a former pastor and his family have gone and see if they want to sell their abandoned house.  Not surprisingly, no one in town is happy to remember the pastor after he took off in the dead of night with all the church funds.  But Lily encounters far more hostility than she expects and after receiving threats she starts to wonder what else there is to this story.  Lily possesses the two qualities that any amateur detective needs: sheer stubborn will and a suspicious nature.  Even when the case appears to be closed, Lily can't help but feel that there's more to the story- a suspicion that nearly costs her her life.

This is a series that I think will improve over time.  The only character that gets any attempt at depth is Lily, but there is potential for a few minor characters to become more flesh and blood in future books.  The mystery was not too complex (perfect for a first case) but I was left wishing that we'd gotten to see more about the villains.  They were, much like the book as a whole, a little too stereotypical to be truly satisfying.  But Richards' obvious talent for writing, research, and world development will hopefully expand into creating multiple, three dimensional characters and mysteries with more depth to them in future books.  

A decent, though slightly disappointing, start to a new mystery series with definite potential.     

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

When A Scot Ties The Knot

When A Scot Ties The Knot (Castles Ever After Series #3)- Tessa Dare
AvonBooks Publisher
Release Date: August 25, 2015

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shy, pretty, and talented with a drawing pencil, but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: she invented a sweetheart.   A Scottish sweetheart. One who was handsome and honorable and devoted to her, but conveniently never around. Maddie poured her heart into writing the imaginary Captain MacKenzie letter after letter . . . and by pretending to be devastated when he was (not really) killed in battle, she managed to avoid the pressures of London society entirely.   Until years later, when this kilted Highland lover of her imaginings shows up in the flesh. The real Captain Logan MacKenzie arrives on her doorstep—handsome as anything, but not entirely honorable. He's wounded, jaded, in possession of her letters . . . and ready to make good on every promise Maddie never expected to keep.

I've only recently discovered the joy that is reading books by Tessa Dare, and all I can say to anyone who hasn't tried her books yet is: start now! 

When A Scot Ties The Knot is the third book in Dare's Castles Ever After series- a series that doesn't have to be read in order for you to fully enjoy each book.  It's the story of Madeline Gracechurch, a shy woman more at home drawing or reading than dancing and visiting.  At age 16 she invents a mythical Scottish soldier to explain to her family and friends why she doesn't want to go to London and meet potential suitors.  Why look for Mr. Right when Captain McRight has already stolen her heart? She strengthens this fiction by writing him letters, assuming they will end up in some dead letter box somewhere and that will be the end of it.  Her family believes her story, no one bothers her about London Seasons, and she falls in love with her imaginary Captain Logan MacKenzie over years of letter writing.  Eventually she realizes that the only way to end the lies is to kill off her Scot.  So she's beyond surprised when the real Captain Logan MacKenzie shows up, having read all of her letters, at the castle she's inherited, ready to marry her.

Of course the real Logan is not quite what she'd imagined.  He refuses to believe he has dreams, hopes, or emotions.  He's naturally a little peeved that she killed him off.  He wants to marry her because he and the remaining Scottish soldiers under his command have returned from fighting Napoleon to find their sweethearts have married others, families have died or moved away, and their homes have been destroyed by the Highland Clearances.  Logan needs the castle and land Maddie promised in her letters as a new home for his men, and he's ready to blackmail Maddie to get his way.  After all, what would her family and friends think of the fact that she's been lying to them for years?  They agree to a marriage of convenience, and things promptly get, well, not convenient.

Maddie is a strong and independent woman who thinks she's a shy and weak wallflower.  She has a paralyzing terror of crowds and has let that dictate her entire life.  She's a wonderfully written character full of depth, intelligence, and humor.  She doesn't let Logan blackmail her because she cares about Society, but because she cares about what her friends and family will think, and because it would most likely damage her burgeoning career as an illustrator.  But she's also a romantic and has a hard time hating Logan, especially when she watches him with his men, or when he's talking to her, or when he's . . . anything.

Logan is a far more complex, and it's easy to make the mistake of thinking he's a shallow and underdeveloped character acting more as a prop for Maddie than as his own person.  But by the time you get to the end of the book you realize Logan is, if anything, an even more layered character and more affected by his past than Maddie.  

When A Scot Ties The Knot explores not only a wonderful romance between two people who believe they are very different, but also explores how we can trap ourselves into thinking we are one thing when we've secretly grown into something different, and how the dreams that we once had can change into something different (and maybe better) without our noticing.  How do you choose between new love and old dreams? It's a book of brilliant wit and humor, a beautifully described Highland setting, and more kilted soldiers than you can shake a sporran at.  And of course, a lobster named Fluffy who manages to steal the show without saying a word.

Ink and Bone

Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1)- Rachel Caine
Penguin Group Berkely, NAL
Release Date: July 7, 2016

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚

Synopsis: Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden. 
Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service. 
When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.…

Warning: Potential Spoilers

Inevitably, Ink and Bone will be compared to Harry Potter, perhaps Hunger Games, and it's an apt comparison in many ways.  It's world is an alternate world with what we would call steampunk elements like automata figures, where alchemy is real and the great Library of Alexandria survived and flourished, and now controls all access to books and knowledge.  It's a world where we want to imagine the Library as a wonderful place but absolute power corrupts absolutely and those who run the Library are now corrupted and fanatical enough to go to any means to remain in control.

Jess Brightwell is the main character, a young man who has no interest in taking over his father's book smuggling business.  His father helps him get a place in the Library with the idea that he'll become the family spy, and Jess believes he'll be spending all his time surrounded by rare and precious books.  But it's hard work becoming a Librarian and Jess and his classmates are thrown into the deep end from Day One.  Their instructor, Scholar Wolfe, reminded me of Harry Potter's Snape (not a bad thing!). The students fill the rather stereotypical roles: smartest girl, best friend, love interest.  Most of the characters never become more than two dimensional, although the ones who rise above the rest, like Wolfe and Santi, are well worth waiting for them to develop.  The story picks up the pace and comes into its own when the students are sent to war torn Oxford to retrieve a cache of rare books before the city is destroyed.  The descriptions of the war zone and the devastation of Oxford are brilliantly done, and the story becomes more engaging and edge-of-your-seat as you wait to see what will happen next.  

I enjoyed Caine's descriptions of this alternate world- a place where it is illegal to own actual books, where there is no such thing as a printed book. The worlds of London and Alexandria are beautifully written and it was interesting to see the imagined changes in history that would have occurred because of the Library.  As flat as most of the characters felt for much of the book, I still found myself drawn to them, waiting to discover what would happen to them next, who's secret would be unearthed, and how that would effect the others.  It was touching to watch a group of very different students come together to form a close knit bond by the end.  

I had very mixed feelings about this book- sometimes I really enjoyed it, sometimes not. I hadn't thought I liked many of the characters, but then the emotional last few chapters made it clear that I was far more attached than I expected.  When I would get frustrated that the story wasn't exploring the Library in depth something would happen to show me how wrong I was.  There is depth and darkness that in many places sneaks up on the reader and it was only on thinking about the book for this review that I realized some of it.  Probably that means the longer I think about it, the more I'll find that I liked this book.  Definitely the sign of a well written beginning to a series!

The world of the Great Library is gritty, dark and full of secrets.  The question is always who can you trust, are first impressions the right ones, and how can secrets be kept from the all-seeing Library.  The ending is both heart-breaking and hopeful, and makes you wish the next book was published so you could get back to the characters and make sure they will succeed in their accidental mission- bringing down the Great Library and changing the world.

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

Shadow Rider

Shadow Rider- Christine Feehan
Berkley Publishing Group
Release Date: June 28, 2016

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Whether it’s fast cars or fast women, Stefano Ferraro gets what he wants. When he’s not fodder for the paparazzi, he commands Ferraro family businesses—both legitimate and illegitimate.
While their criminal activity is simply a rumor yet to be proven, no one knows the real truth. The Ferraros are a family of shadow riders capable of manipulating light and dark, an ability Stefano thought ran in his family alone—until now… With little left to her name, Francesca Cappello has come to Chicago in hopes of a new life. She wasn’t expecting to attract the attention of a man with primal hunger in his eyes, driven to claim her as his to protect and to please. And if he discovers her secret, it could ruin her...

Warning: Potential Spoilers!

Shadow Rider begins a new series by Christine Feehan focused on the Ferraro family- a mega rich family  whose hidden work includes traveling through shadows to invisibly serve justice to those who, for whatever reason, have made themselves untouchable by the justice system.  It's a close-knit, very Italian family, full of alpha males and enough cousins to keep the series going for at least as long as Feehan's Carpathian series.

Stefano Ferraro is as alpha as they come, the head of his family and an experienced shadow rider.  He takes care of his family, his neighborhood, and his clients without letting any of them get too close.  Then he sees Francesca Cappello and finds someone he not only wants to protect, but allow closer than anyone ever has before. Stefano is the kind of male perhaps best enjoyed from afar: gorgeous, rich, extremely intense, possessive, dominating, and stubborn. It would take a very special woman to handle him in a relationship.

 Unknown to her, Francesca has the ability to be a shadow rider, which draws Stefano to her.  She's just trying to get on her feet, get a job that pays enough for a meal and a warm coat, and evade the very rich and powerful psychopath who murdered her sister is intent on destroying her life.  She doesn't see herself as strong or brave, but almost from the beginning she tries to stand up to Stefano when he pushes her.  Instant lust for a gorgeous man turns to deeper feelings as she learns more about him.  She wants to protect him from the killer coming after her, and he and his family are determined to protect her.  

Shadow Rider was a good book, the story and characters drew me in from page one and kept me needing to know what would happen next.  I especially liked Francesca and admired her determination to keep fighting back against overwhelming odds, and try to do what she thought was best for the people around her.  A naturally caring person, she puts everyone above herself and I liked how she soon saw into Stefano and tried to help him, even before she knew all the details.   Stefano was a mix of appealing and obnoxious (typical, I think, of uber alpha males no matter the genre), never apologizing for who he was and what he did while at least acknowledging that he would be a hard man to live with. He was hard to like for most of the book, but also hard not to like.  I was annoyed at how every time Francesca tried to argue with him about something she would end up thinking about how hot he was and, well, Stefano had it easy winning arguments and then not coming back to the idea that maybe there was stuff they should actually talk about to improve their relationship.  Especially in the beginning when he's trying to "go slowly" and let her adjust to things. Off the charts chemistry only gets a relationship so far.

 Shadow Rider is full of chemistry between Francesca and Stefano, the closeness of the Ferraro family, and as I went along I found myself fully accepting the gray world of morals the Ferraros live in. As with all of Feehan's books, there was enough repetition to make me wish the editor had worked a little more, but it wasn't as prevalent as in some of her other books.   

An excellent introduction for new readers to Christine Feehan's books, and a wonderful new series for dedicated fans.  Shadow Rider is an intense thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. Can't wait for more in this series! 

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

Once a Soldier

Once A Soldier (Rogues Redeemed Book 1)- Mary Jo Putney
Kensington Books
Release Date: June 28, 2016

Synopsis: As heir to a title and great wealth, Will Masterson should have stayed home and tended his responsibilities. Instead he went to war. Now, after perilous years fighting the French, he intends his current mission to be his last. But all his plans are forgotten when he arrives in the small mountain stronghold of San Gabriel and meets her.   Knowing herself to be too tall, strong, and unconventional to appeal to a man, Athena Markham has always gloried in her independence. But for the first time in her life, she finds a man who might be her match.   Two of a kind, too brave for their own good, Athena and Will vow to do whatever it takes to vanquish San Gabriel's enemies. For neither will back down from death, and only together can they find happiness and a love deeper than any they'd dared imagine. . .

Warning: Potential Spoilers!

Once a Soldier starts off Mary Jo Putney's new Rogues Redeemed series with a bang.  The hero is Will Masterson, who also played a minor role in several of Putney's Lost Lords series.  Will is the sort of hero you love to read about: quiet, quick thinking, strong, loyal, and focused.  The kind of bedrock man you know can be relied on when things get tough.  Which is good, since things are tough through most of the book!  We first meet Will and several other men who will become the Rogues Redeemed Brotherhood in a basement, captives of the French and about to get shot as English spies.  The intensity of their escape sets the tone for the rest of the book.  When Napoleon abdicates and the war ends Will is ready to head home until a fellow Rogue asks him to do one more small mission.  It seems simple: help a small band of soldiers from the tiny country of San Gabriel get home, make sure the country hasn't fallen apart during the war, report back and then he's free to go back to England.

Entering San Gabriel the soldiers are shocked at the damage a marauding French general caused over a year ago and Will meets Athena Markham- an Englishwoman acting as companion and advisor to the temporary ruler of San Gabriel.  From the moment they meet- and she points a gun at him- he's smitten.  Athena is equally attracted to Will, but values her independence and has enough ghosts in her past that she sees no way their relationship can have a happy ending.  Athena is Will's equal in every way, and it was great watching Will accept that fact from the beginning and Athena struggle with realizing that he's genuine- both in his acceptance of her abilities and his love. 

Will suddenly finds himself with multiple missions: help San Gabriel rebuild after the war, defend it against a French general who plans to take over the country, and convince Athena that she should marry him.  As the book progresses and we learn more about each of their pasts, the reader is completely convinced that these two people are fated to be together.  But of his three challenges, Athena is going to be the hardest one to win!

It was also a new and enjoyable angle to see the aftermath of the Napoleonic War in such a close up fashion.  What the tiny (fictional) country of San Gabriel and its people go through would have been similar to rebuilding troubles across Europe.  Although there are some great books dealing with the different troubles soldier returning to England dealt with after the war, I don't think I've read any other in this genre that using the devastation and rebuilding in the Peninsula as the background for the story.  It helped give the book a new, fresh angle and challenges for the characters.

I loved the characters in this book- even minor characters jumped off the pages and San Gabriel itself becomes a vividly portrayed character in Putney's characteristically lovely writing style.  The pace stays fast throughout the book and keeps you on the edge of your seat from first to last.    I was only sorry when the book ended!  However, I am sure we will see Will and Athena cameo in future books in the series, just like a few Lost Lords cameoed here.

Putney manages the difficult task of raising the bar set by her Lost Lords series, and now the only question will be how she will continue to improve as this series progresses.  I look forward to the next book to find out!  Readers familiar with Putney's work or those discovering her for the first time will love Once a Soldier.

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

Lost Dog

Lost Dog- Alan Russell (Gideon & Sirius Book 3)
Thomas & Mercer
Release Date: June 14, 2016

Synopsis: Detective Michael Gideon is used to being handed L.A.’s oddest cases, but his newest one assigned itself. When Gideon’s K-9 partner, Sirius, rescues a lost dog from a pack of coyotes, the duo tries to return her home—only to discover her owner is missing.  Heather Moreland has clearly disappeared under suspicious circumstances, and the more Gideon digs into her past, the more he’s convinced of her abduction.  As Gideon strives to help the missing woman, he is also troubled by the suspicious death of Detective Langston Walker, the leader of a support group for families of murder victims. The last time they’d met, Walker told Gideon about a cold case he had reopened, making Gideon wonder if the detective’s demise is the accident everyone believes.

Warning: Potential Spoilers!

Lost Dog is the first Alan Russell mystery I've read.  It's hard for me to pass up anything involving a mystery and dogs - and this had not one but two dogs trying to help solve the crimes.  Even better was that the second dog, Angie, was a bloodhound mix and bloodhounds are not only underrepresented in literature (compared to German Shepherds like Sirius) but are one of my family's favorite breeds.  

Angie is a rescue dog, so difficult that she's been returned to the shelter twice before being adopted by Heather Moreland, who also knows something about the importance of second chances.  She and Angie bond and when someone breaks into her house Heather saves Angie by shoving her out of a window.  Angie is found by Sirius, Detective Gideon's K-9 German Shepherd partner, and the pair set out to return Angie to her home.  Except the home has obviously been broken into and Angie's person missing.  The lost dog search becomes a lost human search, and Gideon knows its a race against time to try and find Heather still alive.

I had mixed feelings about this book by the end.  It seemed to drag out, and alternate between very slow going and fast paced action.  There end up being three different crimes Gideon & Sirius have to solve (two of them related), and while they are good mysteries, there seemed to be little to go on until the end, when the speed picks up, and two of the crimes are solved with one case of attempted arson. Gideon also has a penchant for absolutely groan worthy puns that can be humorous in small doses, but are so constant that I could only read a few chapters at a time before having to give myself a break from them and put the book down for awhile.  This may be one of the reasons the book seemed to drag so long.

On the other hand, Sirius and Angie are great characters and Heather Moreland is a truly strong and inspirational woman.  The chapters alternate between Gideon and Heather, and Russell does an excellent job of making us feel Heather's emotions during her ordeals.  By the end when we all figure out who the bad guy is it's a truly terrifying and creepy experience, happily saved by the devotion of a bloodhound to her person.  

A good read for dog lovers.

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

Invisible Library- Genevieve Cogman

The Invisible Library- Genevieve Cogman
Roc Press (Penguin Random House)
Release Date: June 14, 2016

Synopsis: Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, a shadowy organization that collects important works of fiction from all of the different realities. Most recently, she and her enigmatic assistant Kai have been sent to an alternative London. Their mission: Retrieve a particularly dangerous book. The problem: By the time they arrive, it's already been stolen.  London's underground factions are prepared to fight to the death to find the tome before Irene and Kai do, a problem compounded by the fact that this world is chaos-infested—the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic to run rampant. To make matters worse, Kai is hiding something—secrets that could be just as volatile as the chaos-filled world itself. Now Irene is caught in a puzzling web of deadly danger, conflicting clues, and sinister secret societies. And failure is not an option—because it isn’t just Irene’s reputation at stake, it’s the nature of reality itself...

The Invisible Library is a mix of mystery, magic, science, humor, and books. An incredibly rich world of alternate universes and the Librarians who gather important works of fiction from all of them.

The main character, Irene, is a wonderfully complex character- a true bibliophile who wants nothing more than to protect books and read them.  Clever and quick-witted, she returns from one mission only to be sent out instantly on another- this time with an apprentice.  Things go from complicated to seriously complicated in the alternate world they've landed in when murder, book thieves, Fae, rogue Librarians, werewolves, centipedes, and alligators become involved.  This alternate reality is a delightful blend of steampunk and fantasy, vampires and zeppelins, science and magic. Irene is sure there's more to this story than what she's been told, but she'll have to stay alive before she can worry about what she isn't being told!  Her apprentice, Kai, is hiding some big secrets of his own, a competing Librarian keeps getting in the way, and their only ally is this world's version of Sherlock Holmes, who may have his own agenda.

This was a brilliant debut novel by Genevieve Cogman.  The worlds are detailed, all her characters are rich and three-dimensional, the plots and intrigues keep you guessing without overly complicating the storyline, and the humor is snarky and dry.  I couldn't bear to put this book down once I'd started, but as much as I wanted to reach the end to see how everything was solved I didn't want to reach the end and have to leave the world of the mysterious Invisible Library.  Fortunately, there are at least two more books scheduled for release, and I hope this series lasts for many more books to come.

Fans of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, Deborah Harkness' Discovery of Witches trilogy, TNT's The Librarians tv series, and book lovers in general will fall in love with the world of The Invisible Library.

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