Night Fliers

Night Fliers is another American Girl History Mystery, this time written by Elizabeth McDavid Jones. 

"When Pam's homing pigeons disappear while her father's away fighting in World War I, she uncovers evidence of an enemy spy."

General Thoughts: It was alright. Not a favorite thought, because  I didn't much care for the characters. 

Plot and Themes: The plot wasn't something that I got really excited about. Taking place in the 1910's and worrying about pigeon carriers... maybe it's because my brain was too modern while read this, but I didn't care. Possibly because it's "so old fashioned," maybe to modern old fashioned as opposed to the preferred "old old fashioned." It could also be that the "German spy" that everyone was so worried about wasn't as believable as it maybe should be. And the fact that they were stealing pigeons as the big mystery was kind of lame. I don't care about pigeons and don't recall there ever being a majorly important time in WWI where they saved the day, I could very well be wrong on that though.

Setting: I do remember bits of the setting, but nothing that really struck me as engaging or keeping me engrossed in the story. Which is rather disappointing. 

Characters: Pam and the other's, whom I honestly can't remember, weren't all that memorable. Some of what happened, sure, but not much. I didn't care about them. Pam also didn't grow in any big way I think. Maybe, don't judge a book by it's cover? Maybe that the bad guys can be closer to home instead of in a neighbors backyard? I don't know. I felt like she was stagnant.  

Spice: 0/5 Spicy Chilis. It is a children's book and she seemed more upset throughout the story more than anything. 10 year old's shouldn't have romances yet. 

Writing Style: I remember nothing particularly interesting in the writing style. I felt let down by much of this book in general. 

Overall: I didn't care for the characters, setting, or plot of this book. It was very much a let down especially after reading the other two books in the series previously. I would have liked a story where I cared about the things that were going on. Maybe about a girl who... was able to help out in the war effort in a way that I cared about. Pigeons don't seem that important and I'm sure there was something else that could have worked better. The fact that I didn't care about the characters, even if it was just Pam, is a big red flag in my opinion. If I don't care for the main character, I'm not going to like the book. In the end, I probably won't read it again for a very long time, but it's there as part of the collection. 

Hoofbeats of Danger

 

An American Girl History Mystery, Hoofbeats of Danger by Holly Hughes. 

"In 1860, eleven-year-old Annie asks Pony Express rider Billy Cody to help her find the person responsible for sabotaging her favorite pony Magpie."

General Thoughts: I really liked this book. It is easily one of my favorite History Mystery books.  

Plot: I liked how because Annie pays attention to the job she does and loves, she is able to figure out what is going on to save her families Waystop. And because she is a reliable and honest girl she gets the people around her to listen to her and save the day. I also really liked how they got Billy "Buffalo Bill" Cody to be present while he was a Pony Express Rider. 

Theme: It seemed the theme that I recall was to stand up for yourself even if you are a small girl vs a large angry man. She let her voice be heard and solved the mystery because of it. 

Setting: I really enjoy a good historical or fantasy setting. This story was more into the mystery side of things as opposed to the environment, but when you're surrounded by prairie grass, it's understandable that Holly Hughes didn't spend to much time on describing the barn, hills, or small house in the middle of no where. The setting that was given did it's job and wasn't jarring or cast me out of the story. 

Characters: I particularly liked Annie Dawson and Billy Cody. They were kind and made a good team, her the brains and him the brawn in order to save the day. He was portrayed here as a nice guy who was willing to help a girl out, which seems to be the case Annie (haha) Oakley. They were fun and memorable characters. 

Spice: 0/5 Spicy Chilis. It's a children's book. Why would you be looking for that here?

Writing Style: I recall it being fairly good. Nothing too spectacular for a modern child audience, but good enough that I enjoyed it as an adult realizing it's a children's book. 

Overall: Like many of the other books in this series, I'd read it again. If you're a horse lover, wanting to step into the Wild West, or just wanting a simple but good mystery, give it a try. 

The Smuggler's Treasure

 The Smugglers Treasure is an American Girl: History Mystery written by Sarah Masters Buckley.

"Sent to live with relatives in New Orleans during the War of 1812, eleven-year-old Elisabet determines to find a smuggler's treasure to ransom her imprisoned father."

General Thoughts: I was given a set of History Mystery books when I was a preteen and enjoyed this one. I wasn't much into reading so I didn't read many of the other books in this American Girl Series, but one can always go back and find a good book. I enjoyed the adventure part of this book and the fact that I hadn't read much in the way of historical books before and I've found that it still holds up pretty well. 

Plot: Elisabet's adventure in a new city, with new people, doing a job at her families bakery with busy, noisy customers, and seeing the differences between what she was as a pampered little girl (like some that she serves) and the waitress that she's become was fun to watch. It's amazing what hard labor will do when you have choice. What getting up early to do the job your assigned can do to change people's attitudes. I enjoyed the growth that Elisabet had throughout the course of the story. She does gain a friend who helps her on her adventure with potential ghosts and thieves and pirates. The treasure hunt and figuring out the clues to find the map was fun and, when I was younger, thrilling. 

Setting: When it comes to history and fantasy books, the setting is extremely important. One should easily get lost in the new city where you can "feel" the cobblestones or mud underfoot. I think Smuggler's Treasure does just that. The smells of the bakery, the rain, the darkness, sets the tone for the suspenseful moments and really help pull it through. 

Characters: Elisabet, as I said, has great growth through the story. She learns that she can do hard and at times scary things in order to do what she thinks will help her father. I liked the others in the bakery as well, in front of as well as behind the counter. They were memorable characters that even a year after reading it, I still enjoy thinking about. 

Spicy: 0/5. It's a children's book. No. 

Writing Style: I think it was well done. American Girl is not going to get newbies to write their books and Sarah Masters Buckley did a good job at setting tones, making likable characters, and developing an interesting story that was simple enough for me to read at 10 and enjoyable enough for me to read after age 30. 

Overall: I would read it again. I ended up gifting my niece a copy and hopes she enjoys it as much as I did. 

City of Secrets

Children's graphic novels are sometimes the best. 

Ever Barnes' father was murdered four years ago and now hides out at an old theater turned town switchboard in order to protect his family secret. Hannah is an adventurous young girl, who's curious and seeks Ever out. When members of a secret society realize that Ever is still alive, Ever finds his life and his family secret and the whole city in jeopardy. 

This was a very fun and simple story that I honestly can't wait for the next one at the library. The artwork is well done, though when it comes to the clockwork mechanisms being a little clearer would be nice. 

Both Hannah and Ever were good characters with their own little character developments (as a good story needs). Learning to trust the right people and be your own person is always important. 

The ending with Hannah's parents and Ever was very simplified and odd--but for the "happy ending" was "needed," I guess. I liked the "secret" that was hidden in the safe. It was cool, though not at all what I expected to be this cities big, hidden secret. It helped the city at the end, but most defiantly not what I expected. 

Magic Steps

Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce is the first book in The Circle Opens series, which is also the sequel series to The Circle of Magic. 
 

The four children, now middling teenagers, have now gone their separate ways with their teachers. Tris and Niko, Daja and Frostpine, Briar and Rosethorn have all left Winding Circle temple to go see the world and learn more about their magics leaving Sandry and Lark at home. Sandry goes to look after her uncle who had a heart attack and doesn't know the meaning of rest. After a bit of recovery and a small horse ride, they spy a boy performing magic by dancing. Pasco has a family of Herriers, the city guards, and his family thinks his dancing is a useless waste of time because none of them knew it was magic. Now that Sandry has found this boy who needs to be taught and none of the teachers at Winding Circle know Dance Magic, she has now become Pasco's teacher. To compound her troubles, there has been murder in the city by invisible hands that are using an almost unheard of type of magic-- Unmagic. Magic the devours magic like a whirlpool sinking boats. 

This was well written and had a very good plot to it. It was well plotted out and was easy to follow along without getting to tangled with new evidences and procedures that were given to us. 

Pasco irked me at the beginning for being a lazy teenage boy with all the excuses and trying intentionally to make things hard for Sandry--though this has my own heavy biases and is probably actually okay. Sandry's arch in becoming a teacher though unwanted at the beginning was well done and made for an interesting background alongside the murders in the city. The mystery of the murders and Unmagic was engaging as well and kept me wanting to come back for more. 

The audiobook was also read by Tammy and a whole cast of voice actors who did a pretty good job for the most part. There was one actor, though, who was very obnoxious because he sounded robotic--thankfully he only had a few lines though. 

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me very much of Daja's Book in that the plot and characters were gold. It was, again, very well done. 

I can't wait to get onto the next one. 

Third Girl

The only other Agatha Christie book I've read was And Then There Were None, which was fantastic and I've recently dived into most of the BBC from 1989-2013 tv series and loved it very much. So, here we are at trying the novels. 

 

This novel is about a girl who comes to Hercule Poirot's office and says that she thinks she's killed someone, but then before any real investigation can happen she vanishes. Who is she, who's been murdered, and why did it happen? With the help of a mystery writer friend who is a notorious socialite, he finds out that she is the daughter of a rich man who's just returned from Africa with his new wife and that Nora, the young woman, is living as a "third girl" at a small flat in London to help with boarding expensive. But for as far as Poirot can figure, no murder has occurred that is connected to young Nora. 

This book wasn't particularly my favorite, though I don't have much to compare it too. The mystery was good and I enjoy Poirot as a character, but I do feel there were some problems. 

The reader of this audiobook was awesome, which is why I give it a generous 4 stars, because Hugh Fraser is the Hercule Poirot's friend and sometimes assistant in the BBC Tv series, Captain Hastings. It was a treat to listen to him voice the narrations and Poirot himself. 

I think I struggled with this one because it seemed so redundant. Different characters repeated so  much of the same things about Nora or her father or other situations that it kind of bogged me down. If I was reading it myself I probably would have put it down or had a far harder time getting through it. I don't know if this is the case of other of Hercule Poirot books or others of her books in general--it sure wasn't the case in And Then There Were None. It made it kind of hard to get through all the information, because it kept being repeated, relentlessly. So in trying to find out for myself what was going on and who was actually murdered, was more difficult than it should have been. 

I will listen to another or two, especially if it is by Hugh Fraser, but it might be some time before that actually happens. 

Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds

 Brandon, can I call you Brandon? Brandon has done it again! 

Way to make me cry, dude... 

Stephen Leeds is... different. Not schizophrenic, doesn't have multiple personality disorder... He has something else. He knows his Aspects aren't real, many of them know they aren't real, too. But it doesn't mean they aren't there and they aren't helpful. Stephen is a detective of sorts who, with his Aspect's help, solves odd mysteries and tries to stay out of the press. Each of his Aspects are experts in their own fields. Historian, gunslinger, psychologist, photographer, crime scene investigator, computer tech, and 36-ish others who've helped him solve things in one way or another. They are how his brain processes the knowledge he gains. 

Brandon, at the beginning of the set of novellas, says that this was a very personal story for him to write and it hit in a squishy part in my heart for the writer part of me too.  This is a very interesting way to show what it's like to have so many "people" in your head, talking, knowing things you wouldn't know, or doing things you definitely wouldn't do. Brandon has put his own "People" who are in their own "worlds" and "influences" like I had very prominently in high school when I was writing many fiction and fantasy pieces and it was kind of a game with my friends--for me a game, for them (particularly certain people) maybe not so much. But it was fun and Brandon put a type of my world into words and got it published. Which is fantastic. 

For the story...ies, he has to find a guy, find a dead body, and find a girl. This three novellas in one was awesome and I'm glad I was able to listen them all together. The reader was great and he was really good at keeping me sucked into the book. It was well written as Brandon does. 

I am also BEYOND pleased with the ending, although I was crying as I was doing dishes, listening. It  made me sad, tender, and then happy. I love the characters so so so so so much. Well done, Brandon. This is one that I'm definitely going to be reading again.

Where the Crawdads Sing

 Where the Crawdads Sing  is a phinominal book. I could not put it down so much that my ears hurt from listening to it for so long. Cassandra Campbell did such an amazing job with the reading of this audiobook. It is one where I would love to listen to it again. 

Kya is "The Marsh Girl." In the 1950's, after her mother left because of Kya's abusive father, her siblings all left. One by one. Then she was all alone, just a young girl with her abusive, often drunk father in their marsh shack far away from anyone. Eventually her father leaves her too and Kya is left all alone, left to fend for herself or die. With the basics of how to navigate the marsh and a very kind husband and wife who is willing to help her and fill up her gas tank for her boat, Kya lives. The town folk nearby don't want anything to do with her and she is laughed out of school for not knowing how to spell the word "dog." One friend she has, Tate, who teaches her to read and shows her the scientific way of looking at things, but even he leaves for college and she is left alone. As time goes by and she sees other people amongst the marsh--trappers, fishers, and local kids churning up the waves--she meets Chase Andrews, the towns handsome man. He entraps her in her loneliness and has found herself in the same position as her mom. Then one night, his body is found at the bottom of a tower and Kya is suspected of his murder. 

The way this book was written was very well done. Like I would have given this book a 5 star rating simply for it. The prose and little poems in it are fantastic. I even liked all of the biology stuff Kya got into that was in the story. They were pertinent to her character development and how Kya perceived the world around her and how she guessed that people reacted in similar situations. The characters are developed well enough--though some might be seen as bland or stereotypical, mainly the towns folk anyway. 

I loved the story. The fact that there are flashforwards until we can come to the "present" wasn't jarring like I anticipated. It flowed well and we weren't stuck with anyone I didn't want to listen to at all. I was interested in Kya and Tate; I was interested in the Sheriff and his investigation and trying to find out for myself if Kya or one of the other characters we were acquainted with had done it. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the jury's verdict and the evidence that was given. It was a very engaging read that kept me wanting more. 

Like I said, I would have given this a 5 star, easy, except for two things that I don't like in the stories I read: descriptive sex and swearwords. It wasn't horribly descriptive, so I kept reading and finished the story. I'd rate it a PG-18, probably.  But it was defiantly farther than I appreciate with tastes of foreplay. And the swearwords, while applicable to the situation and not horribly over done, were still some $5 swear words there in a few places throughout the book. 

For those who don't care for those parts, like myself: be careful about chapter 18 and after that for a ways. If I were to actually get the book, I'd mark those parts out in my own copy (Don't you dare mark up a library book, y'all hear me!) For those who couldn't care less: go, read, enjoy. 

Storm Front

 

The first of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. 

Harry Dresden is a wizard in Chicago who works as a wizard for hire. You can find his add in the newspaper. Most of the time he finds keys or other lost items. Other times he works as a "psychic" with the Chicago PD when cases have a occult feel to them. He doesn't often take missing person's cases from people who find his add and this case the police are working on is beyond morbid. Bills need to be paid, but he might be over his head on this one. 

I was first told to read this when I was in high school. I would not have been okay to read this one in high school. There was more than a handful of profanity and these murder scenes would not have been one I would want to look at even on TV. Grotesque, bloody, something that even C.S.I. wouldn't have let air. If this was a movie or show, I wouldn't watch it. The fact that I can mentally jump over the profane words and do my best to not remember unwanted scenes vividly is the only reason I actually got through it. If you don't want to handle those things, go ahead and skip it. If you can or don't mind, enjoy the rest of the book. 

It is an interesting mystery with the major twist of our detective being a wizard. There are normal human bad guys, but then also other wizards, demons, and vampires. Typical supernatural creatures and things that go bump in the night. The mystery was interesting and well lead the story along. 

Characters were interesting and the big ones will do well, I think, in the sixteen other books. The way they interact is great and will have many adventures to come. I really liked Harry Dresdens' sly, sarcastic personality. It was fun to see through his eyes. 

I listened to this book. The reader is James Marsters, Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I great reader even if he didn't keep his British accent. He did the voices well and gave a good depth to Dresden and his emotions. 

Good book, but, wow, the profanity and scenes where he lost his bath towel... they could have done without. I'm going to be wary of the next book, which I plan to read. If it continues to be ridiculous in those aspects or if there are actually steamy scenes, I will not pick up another one. 

The Tower Treasure

Nancy Drew is awesome. Female sleuth, solving mysteries, simple reads that can help people get into the genre. Always good times. What goes right alongside Nancy Drew? The Hardy Boys, of course!

I hadn't ever read any of the Hardy Boys books, but had grown to love the characters in Her Interactive's Nancy Drew PC Games. They are great mystery (point and click, for the most part) games starring Nancy with help from her friends with the Hardy Boys as occasional guest stars. They were so fun to play with/as and I found that I loved them as characters. I needed to read these books! So I picked it up for my son and I to read, though HB books for a six year old is maybe too young. *shrugs * I enjoyed it anyway.

The Tower Treasure is the HB's first mystery. It begins with them almost being run off the road when a crazy driver wizzes by a few times. They come to find out that robberies have been happening all over their little town and it seems to be done by the same man. When their friend's car is stolen they start their investigation off seriously to find the missing vehicle. They receive threats, find a few dead ends, get their "gang" to help as well as the police and their detective father. But it isn't only grand theft auto they are worrying about, the Applegate's--a very rich family in town--have also been burgled with jewels and other things missing from the family safe. Mr. Applegate suspects one of his employee's but the HB's are convinced the man is innocent. Can they find the crook? This is a real caper.

It was a nice mystery that I finished in two days. Clean, cut, ironed and pressed all with a sandwich for the road. Done in the late 1920's, it is simple and proper as expected and delivered.

There isn't really anything wrong with the books, especially because they are meant for a younger audience. There is the definite slang of the time: "swell," "rap" (as in knocking on the door which I guess is still technically okay, but who uses "rap" now a days?), "bucks" instead of dollars was considered rude ("not in this house"), and a few other ones I can't think of off the top of my head. It was funny and kind of shocking, though obviously not in a proverse or scared way. Just unexpected, though it was stupid of me not to.

The thing that I didn't like was the portrayal of girls and women here. The friends who are girls  or who are presented here are always shocked and don't do anything. When their father gets arrested and they find out the girls dramatically clutch their throats and their mother faints needing her smelling salts and medicine. Even Mrs. Hardy is depicted as only cooking, constantly making sandwiches, and either worried or proud and the situation calls for it. Part of me, though, was surprised that Mrs. Hardy was around and mentioned. Even in Nancy Drew, Nancy's mom is dead. Though a lot of Mrs. Hardy's time was making sure her boys were fed. I guess that's what mom's do, feed the family, but I know that's not all I do. I wish she was given more of a personality than cook. Very much playing on stereotypes all around. Mom's, fainting girls, hobos, and other stereotypes. Those were very prominent.

Though, many of the characters were very simple, almost flat. There was very little difference between Frank and Joe where they could have been the same person, which was rather disappointing because in the PC games they were very different. This could be that this is the first story and it is a simple mystery focused on the mystery instead of the characters. The same thing could be said for the setting. There was very little description actually given as the story developed.

I'd be interested to read some of the other books, though I might not read then in the publication order. Just to see how far the boys develop.

Good book for younger kids, though maybe not a six year old. Lol.

See How They Run

The second book in the Embassy Row series by Ally Carter starts up exactly where the first one left off.

Grace, who has just learned something even more tragic about her dead mother, still suffers from PTSD from the incident. But now more is on her and she's gotten to the point that she wishes she didn't know the truth. At times she tries to run away from it all, force it behind her and in the past but the past keeps catching up with her. Now her brother Jamie is back on Embassy Row and brought an army buddy along with him. Not even a few nights on Embassy Row and Jamie's friend is found dead on the beach. Who would want to kill Spence? And now Alexie is somehow to blame merely because he is "the Russian." Politics and conspiracy and secret societies are everywhere. Grace cannot catch a break.

There will be some who are still very upset that Grace sticks to this PTSD thing and the death of her mother weighs very heavily on her character. If you are upset by that, I hope you don't meet a vet or go through anything traumatic because you won't cope well. Her PTSD, which it's never actually called that in the story, is part of who she is. So much of it, because it is so fresh, still claws at her mind and it's nails haven't been dulled yet. In the book, because her brother also has to deal with some things, she's able to start to cope and begins to mend. I think that seeing her brother going through the same thing lets her drop her walls more than anything else has it seems. Knowing the truth has also helped as well, I think. It appears she begins to mend and isn't as angry and willing to jump off a cliff as she was before. Steps forward. Good job Grace. It hasn't stopped completely, obviously, and there are still flashes especially around fire, but she seems less dark and hidden than in the first book. Grace is true to her character. She doesn't flip flop on being the pretty princess then suddenly go tom-boy. She's freaked out and while there are moments of pause, she's still broken and it's not an easy fix. Ally Carter gives us that; she lets us see that this is hard. None of us want to be in her shoes and we feel sorry for her and reading on in hopes that she gets better and finds her own peace. Well done, Ally. Well done.

I really like Embassy Row and the idea of so many countries sharing fences. Being able to hide in a dilapidated Iran Embassy while walking past Israel, Russia, Brazil, and other countries on your way back to the U.S. of A. is a fun little concept. Ally Carter worked this one well and had fun with it.

This one is more focused on Grace's relationships with her brother and Alexie. There is a skuffle when the new Alpha-Boy comes into town, which is kind of fun to have your brother defend you, willing to knock the guys out. I do wish there was more of Rosie and Noah and the rest, but there just wasn't. While the first book had a taste of the Heist Society where the kids were the masterminds behind gathering information and being all sneaky and spy-like, that wasn't here, which was good because then it didn't feel like a copy of the first book.

I think that this series could have worked will as a combination of them all. Obviously I haven't read the last book yet, but it feels like they could have been presented in the same novel. Grace didn't make a whole lot of internal progress in the first book and made major steps forward in this one and I predict that there will be even more leaps in the next book. The first book had a good climax and this one felt lacking that intense feel. I felt the build up to it but then it didn't quiet come or more like the climax hasn't had the opportunity to resolve itself. They get away and are getting help, but not much more than that. The resolve will probably be in the beginning of the third book, but I want it at the end here. It's missing.

Tell No One

Tell No One by Harlan Coben is a mystery novel I had recommended to me by a friend when I was in search of an audiobook. Steven Weber did a great job reading and getting different voices in. There was a large bunch of segments that gangers from the harder parts of New York and I believe he did them justice. They seemed the most visual and realistic of the characters, from listening to them.

This mystery starts out with a husband and wife off on their anniversary down by the lake where no one is around. But as Beck goes to a raft in the middle of the lake, Elizabeth, still on the beach, screams. Beck is knocked unconscious and when he comes to Elizabeth is gone. Her body is found a few days later dumped on the side of a road and the serial killer that has been rampant torturing and killing young girls is caught. Eight heartbreaking years pass and Dr. Beck, Pediatrician, is going through life though "life" is a big word for what he is living. Suddenly, he receives a strange email with odd clues that only Elizabeth would know. A hyperlink sends him to a website and there she is. Elizabeth. Could she really be alive!

Poor Dr. Beck. He goes through hell once he opens that email. More bodies are found near the lake where Elizabeth was kidnapped, he does in for questioning, people are tapping his computer and phone, suddenly he is on the run and the only people that can help him crack dealers from the wrong part of town. He is beaten up, dressed up, and wanted for murder. All on the same day. Yay! *sarcasm*

It was a very interesting novel, though probably not one of my favorites. If I, personally, was reading it I would have had a hard time, but listening to it I was able to get through it. Not that it is a bad book. Probably just not my cup of tea. It had a good premise and solid enough characters. But I found the ending to be rather predictable. The foreshadowing was good and let me make my predictions.

I do wish the other characters had been more developed. We had a very telling description of one character and but very little to describe the personality of the others. I get that Dr. Beck loved Elizabeth, but I felt no reason to love her, no longing for her to be alive. her father had more of a personality as being a gruff cop who was in the service for a long time. I even feel like Beck was just a cookie cutter person. He had no interests. He went to work and that was it. We get nothing really before Elizabeth's abduction of what he was like, nothing of what he stopped doing. Stopped going to games or playing poker or anything. I think it mentioned he drank when he was feeling really down. And I guess he had a dog for about two seconds in the book. But there was very little about him that actually made me like him or any of the other characters. Tyrese was the most likable but in the end he seemed like and means to an end.  :/ I want some good bad guys that I like and full, deep main characters. I don't feel like I got that here. Instead we got some cookie cutters.

Setting lacked a lot and we seemed to jump from one place to another rather quickly. There were parts where the scenery was very well described, but they weren't ever in the action. There would be long blocks of passive description. A few of my friends would probably skip them while reading because they were so blocky.

The big that it has going for it was the story. I really liked the plot and how things flowed. There were some parts though that didn't make sense. The ending was too easily wrapped up except for some loose threads that didn't make it into the bow. Like Coben had an idea and how he wanted it to end, but when the tell all at the end happened it didn't quite match the ending he had in mind. The rest of it though, the weaves and curves were pretty cool.

Would I suggest this book, not so much. Might I give Coben another chance? Maybe. Though not in the near future.

Jackaby

Jackaby by William Ritter is a crossroads between Supernatural, Sherlock Homes, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Jackaby is a supernatural detective, in 1892, with as many things in his home as Newt Scamander has in his suitcase. Odd ball, scatterbrained man that he is, he has a good heart and is willing to help people.

But the story is written through the eyes Abigail Rook, a newly arrived girl to the Americas who ran away from home to start her own adventures--though they have gone awry. Eager to not starve in the America's Abigail looks for a new job and finds an advertisement for an assistant of some sort. When she goes there she is instantly dragged into a murder mystery with crazy things happening. Abigail is introduced to Banshees, ghosts, and a duck who used to be human, amongst others.

Over all it is a small book, that would have been a quick read if I wasn't distracted by other things at home, and when I got to actually sit down and read it I found I really enjoyed it. I am already going to give my copy to a friend who was very excited about the mixture of three different types of stories put together.

The "beasts" we are introduced to are ones that are fairly well known, banshees, ghosts, fairies,  etc. but Jackaby gives us explanations as to why they are the way they are. Like he'd talked to a bunch of them and got their stories, which he probably had.

I like the characters because they were fun.  I could almost put every single person as a movie personality though. Such as Officer Cane reminded me of Officer Buzz McNab from Psych, so much so that McNab was who I was picturing in my mind when Officer Cane was in a scene. This could be good or bad depending on the reader's preferences.  I was able to pick a personality to most of the major characters except Abigail. While she had her likes and virtues, she didn't really have any vices or things that rounded her out as a character. She took everything in stride and believed it all so quickly, a tad unbelievable.  That was a bit disappointing. Though I was engaged enough to want to read the next few in the series which I will be doing at a future date.

City of a Thousand Dolls

City of a Thousand Dolls got kind of boring for me. I couldn't stand reading it for too long even after 100 pages.

Nisha is a girl who is part of no caste, from unknown ancestry, and was left at the doors of the City of a Thousand Dolls--a place where women go to prepare for their husbands or future careers (I think careers, I know they want to get married off though). She is the eyes and ears of the Matron of the City so she sees and hears everything that happens. But then, on the week leading to the Redeeming (where the girls get selected by their prospective spouses), girls start dying. First an accident then poisoning.

Even though people are dying, I didn't care. I'm sure there are girls who would really enjoy this, but I didn't. There seemed to be little for me to want to grasp and care about.

There is a romance that has kindled, but I don't think it'll pan out like Nisha wants it too--boy thinking of family name more than her (though I could be wrong). It didn't seem to be going anywhere, or if it does it shouldn't have. The romance is very paper thin with lots of makeout sessions hidden from sight. Something you would expect a newly junior high school student to be fantasizing over. Almost 1D, not even 2D.

There were talking cats too, which I know can be a turn off for some people. Like she has no friends, except maybe one, and the cats that follow her around. And the only reason they talk is because she needs to have dialog with someone. But she isn't trusted by anyone or she doesn't trust anyone enough to have meaningful conversations except the cats who can't talk to anyone else. Why can she do this? ... Reasons. That's why.

I will give Ms. Foster points on an interesting setting. The City and surrounding culture was interesting. All the different factions that exist in the City where girls worked to become an expert in specific things. That was cool, but not exactly interesting enough to keep me engaged. I started it well over a week ago, and barely got 75 pages in, still didn't care, and started skimming.

I'd probably disregard this book and find something else.

Her Royal Spyness

I was in the mood for a good mystery novel, so because GoodReads recommended it I gave it a shot.

Set in 1930's Great Britain after the start of the Great Depression and after a father who was really bad at keeping a hold of his money, Georgie finds herself at 21 years old rather penniless. She is unmarried and can't get a job because she is still considered nobility at 34th in line for the thrown. She leaves her Duke of a brother up in Scotland, where their duchy is, and adventures by herself to their townhouse in London. Seriously by herself. Previously she had always had maids and cooks and butlers, but now she is alone in the house with no servants to help her and she has no idea what she's doing. Doesn't know how to make a fire, cook many things, and has no income because she is still a Lady and should be married off by now, but she's not. She gets a friend that she knew from a French Boarding school she went to, to help her out, but times are hard all around. She gets a job under a fake name, meets an Irish boy who crashes weddings for free food, and yet still gets invited to Buckingham Palace for tea with the Queen. Ah, the life.

Not much of a mystery (not until 130 pages into the book...I'm not very happy about that one) until her brother shows up in London telling stories of how a Frenchman wants to take their family home in Scotland because of their deceased father's gambling debts. "Binky" (oh the names in this book) and Georgie are the only ones townhouse and then suddenly this Frenchmen turning up dead in their bathroom, Binky is suspected for the murder and Georgie has to find out who did it before her brother gets hanged.

*dramatic theme music*

I was not so pleased with this one. I almost expected it to be her first mystery novel, but after a quick look, it's not. It took a long time for the mystery to actually start and spent a lot of unneeded time setting things up. It seemed as though "for reasons" or "for the plot" were the only reasons some of the things happened. Did she really need to go and actually talk to the Queen except to the big reveal at the end? Her non-royal grandfather was a detective in his younger years and so he has the "in" with a few people that she couldn't get to. She actually acted rather dumb at times, not just because she's naive and doesn't know how to build a fire, but with people too. The "I think it is this person" moment at the ended changed very quickly with some people who had barely been introduced.

I did finish it because I wanted to see who had done it, but I called that it was who it was from a while before and his motive. I'm not much of a mystery reader and I prefer to not make too many conclusions and see how the book plays out, but it seemed very "no duh" toward the end. Also the reason why everyone is at the party at the end whom she suspects is rather odd, weird, and probably shouldn't have happened. It felt like a "hot potato" moment where the author said "I guess I'll do this." But the potato ended up smashing into the concrete. Why the bad guy did it and how he did it was good, I'll give her that. Though there are so many mystery shows and books out there, it's been done before. Nothing new, nothing "Wow! What!?" But it was alright.

I didn't so much like Georgie as a character. She's the airheaded, naive, clumsy girl that is okay for those cheeky high school girl books, but it seemed like a cop out here. She had very little personality besides that and loving her family. She felt flat though.

There was also a lot of talk about sex. Anytime her friend Belinda or her mother was in the scene is almost always was illuded to or mentioned outright. Good on her for keeping her virtue intact but her only reasons were for keeping with tradition; if that's her only reason for keeping it though, it'll be taken in later books. Everything else that people did when they weren't working was only going to a club/gambling den or sleeping around after that party. I was getting ready to skim a steamy scene , but then nothing happened and she walked home.

Also the way that the book was portrayed was odd. First person, okay. But then it had all these dates and places at the beginning of each chapter almost like it was a journal entry, but nothing ever illuded to that it was an actual journal or diary. Some of the chapters happened in the same place or on the same day, and the only difference between chapters was for a "pause for dramatic effect" which didn't fit. Not a journal, but like a journal, not still not one. It was weird. She could have introduced  April 1930's Great Britain at the beginning and left it at that, but then to abruptly tell us again where and when we were was weird. The readers are following along, we should know where we are at without it being telegraphed at the front of 30 chapters.

Over all, it was weird. I might read another in the series to see if it is any good and let this one be an "introduction into Georgie's world" but it'll be a while.

And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None is one of the most well known books to date. It is probably Agatha Christie's crowning jewel of her career and for very good reason.

For those who didn't have to read it in your eighth grade class, it is about ten people who get coerced onto an island. They believe it is for a simple party for the weekend, a little vacation. But then they hear a strange voice condemning them all for murders they've committed in the past. At first they are all astounded, flabbergasted, and shocked, but that is just the beginning. People start dying. At the beginning, a simple poisoning, but as the night closes and a new day begins, it becomes more and more gruesome. Who is killing them? Someone else on this small, remote island? One of the guests? They all begin killed off. Paranoia sets in. Everyone is on edge. Who is the murderer?!

I read this in eighth grade in my English class. I was engulfed in the novel so much that when I saw the computer game in the store (with the novel attached) I bought it up so fast. The game and the book have different murderers, but the story is remarkably the same. They have made many movies and mini series about this books and I can't wait to see more than just the 1945 version.

Even if you don't care for mysteries, much like myself, you'll enjoy this one. It isn't the "Detective Novel" that consists of a fair amount (if not most) of the mystery novels out there. It is different and a good intro to Christie and mysteries in general. Everyone should read this book.

Shadows of Self

Can I just say "Poor Wax, can't the guy get a break?" The things writers put their characters through--I'm guilty as well in this.

Shadows of Self is the sequel to Alloy of Law. In the Mistborn: Era II series by Brandon Sanderson, we follow Wax and Wayne, constables in the large city of Elendal as they hunt down a mysterious figure who killed many more than a handful of corrupt Lords and Ladies. But as they continue on in this investigation then kandra make their debut and change things dramatically in their hunt, though Wax feels more like the prey because their villain is always three steps ahead of them.

I loved this book. The characters are so well developed and Sanderson takes us back, in reference, to other characters that have long since died but were part of the first Mistborn series. Harmony is funny and I'm glad he's been able to stick around from the first series because I always enjoyed seeming him progress. If he can progress as Harmony too, I'd be really interested to see that. They are all so human. They have their quirks; they have their ticks; they have their faults. And I love them all. Well maybe not Steris at this point, but I've been told that I will love her. So we will happily go to book three as soon as I can get my hands on one. :D

It is so hard to go from reading a Brandon Sanderson novel to anything else. It all seems to so childish and unfinished, not quite as polished--even those authors who have written many books and have the experience.

Uncommon Criminals

Uncommon Criminals was a well written heist story in the Heist Society by Ally Carter. I've come to enjoy them and the "what's going to happen next" alongside the "I'm not going to tell you the plan" atmosphere that makes it fun.

Kat, Katarina, Bishop is walking a fine line. Previously she tried to step away from her life as a thief but after being pulled back into it and that job finally being done, she doesn't know where to go. She's still running, or everyone is telling her. She does jobs but they are return jobs--stealing a KGB painting and giving it back to their rightful owners and the like.

But what has been driving her friends up the walls is that Kat does all of these heists alone. She takes risks and is always by herself.

When mention of the famed Cleopatra Emerald needs to go back to its rightful owner, she jumps at the idea and actually manages to steal it. It would be a short book if that was it. But there is more to this "rightful owner" than Kat origionally thought.

I did put this down for a while (because I accidently left it at my parents house) so the progression seemed slow. She is constantly running around the same thoughts in her head. That she didn't want anyone hurt, that she has to do it alone, that.... blah, blah, blah. That kind of angst stayed throughout most of the book. I that got a little too much for my liking. But by the end Kat learns things by seeing herself in the con-artist they are trying to find.

I really like Maggie. A very deep character that could have a lot of promise. I also like the fact that Nick was there too. I'm team-Hale, but Nick is pretty cool too.

While the main focus of the book was Kat and her internal progression, I wish there had been more of the other characters and their story arcs. They have a lot of potential, but they seem fairly stagnant.

Overall, it was good. I wish there had been more development for the others, but setting was good as was the plot--of course. I am excited for the next one.

Alloy of Law

Another Brandon Sanderson because his writing calls to me. Seriously!!

Alloy of Law is the first book in the Mistborn Era 2 (AKA Wax and Wayne novels). After the happenings of Hero of Ages, three hundred years of progress and change has happened. The metropolis Elendel is thriving, the original religion that Kelsier started has has fragmented into multiple religions with a plethora of believers, lords and ladies still reign (though who really "rules" is still unclear to me, I may have missed it though), and the Steel Inquisitors don't exist so there are official lawmen who patrol the city to keep the peace.

Enter Waxillium (Wax). Not liking the city scene, he stays in the Roughs for 20 years leaving his House to be run by his uncle. His uncle dies in an accident, but he just can't bring himself back to the city. When his girlfriend dies in front of him *cough cough*, the grief is too much and he returns. But the city isn't as easy going as it he remembered. Parties and appearances need to happen, the family name and reputation needs to be mended and he's finding the lawman in him isn't appreciated in the company of the elite of society around him.

Bad guys are still out there it seems  when he gets word of phantom railcars, hostages, and allomancy metals disappearing. He can't help but let the lawman in him out, but then he finds he's gotten himself into more trouble than he though--nearly getting killed 3+ times in one day is a lot for any man.

His deputy (equivalent) out in the Roughs, Wayne--a wiz with accents and can get anything from anyone--joins him in this hunt to save the hostages and figure out what is going on. Only by the end do they realize how much over their heads they are in.

It's been a great read. With a hint of seasonal depression on my hands, reading this was much needed. I smiled every time they mentioned Vin, Elend, Spook, Marsh, and especially Sazed. Oh, Sazed. The references made me happy because I knew those people! But the atmosphere was bright and , even though they almost died a bunch of times.

Wax was a good main character. We saw most of the novel through his eyes, but his little quirks were fun. Wayne is a riot. I almost expected him to be bouncier, though he was composed. The banter between Wax and Wayne game them a brotherly feel that was a lot of fun. Marasi (very similar to Mare--Kelsier's wife--to me; so I'm making believed she's named after Mare, though it's probably not) is the cousin of Wax's "fiance"--who gets herself kidnapped--and assists Wax and Wayne in their search for the badden's. The makeup of this little troupe brings me joy because they work so well with each other.

Allomancy is still a big thing in this book (series of books) and plays a vital role in the fights that happen. I love the way the Allomancy has progressed through time. Coinshots (which Wax is) and non-Steelburners can use rifles and guns. Now that more people have Allomancy and can marry most anyone they want, Feruchamy (like what Sazed had) abounds too. And the chance of having a child that does both is much more common too. There are so many different types of people that make this world rich.

It was a great read, short--comparatively--but the next two novels are out; we are simply waiting until next year (probably) for the last one. I'm very much excited to read Shadows of Self.

Edit for a Second Read through!!:

I love Ironeyes. I miss Breeze, I miss Kelsier and Dox and Vin and Elend!! I'll be reading Mistborn again soon. This world is amazing.

Lock and Mori

Lock and Mori is a modern-day retelling of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyal. However there are many twists, the biggest one being that it is told first person through the eyes of James Moriarty. Oh, and James Moriarty is a girl. WHAT!? Yeah, weird right.

In modern London, Mori runs into Sherlock Holmes in all his analogical personality. Mori, much like Prof Moriarty in the original stories is a mastermind as well. She has all of her assignments done months in advance and corrects her teachers. She runs into Sherlock (Lock as a nickname later) and finds him very much annoying. After she goes home and stops her abusive father from hitting her brothers again, she runs out to the park to get some air. Here she meets Lock and their game begins. A murder has happened and they can easily see how the police are messing it up. The game is afoot.

But soon this murder, and others they find are connected,  hit to close to home. Mori must figure it out.

Then, as any good young adult novel would, love is in the air. This was really odd for me. Moriarty and Holmes kissing and whatnot? WHAT?! yeah, weird right? But the way Heather W. Petty has created the characters works well and is believable enough for a YA book.

I spotted whodunnit fairly straight off, but it's not so much finding out whodunnit but how she deals with it. The bigger mystery for me was her mother. There were so many illusions to who she was but not enough to have a conviction. That is what kept me reading for the last half of this small, 200 page book. The surprise was an interesting one. There are also a few ways that you can take some of the happenings in the story, how a certain piece of evidence presents itself in the story for example, in which Mori asks herself--therefore us, the reader--questions that she doesn't give us clear answers too. So we, as good readers, can make our own conclusions.

There were a few things I need to warn younger readers/parents of young readers. There is a scene with F bombs dropped and other scenes (not graphic in the least bit) where it is implied they slept together, more than just falling asleep which happens too.

The only other complaints I have are the lack of Watson (though he makes a few brief appearances) and Sherlock only appears to be in there to kiss and be annoying. There is also an Alice that comes into the picture, but she doesn't stay long. There is build up for her, but I feel the climax for this character was lacking.

Oh, I also don't really care for the front cover. Not to be rude to the guy who is supposed to be Sherlock, but he doesn't look like a young Sherlock too me. Too much Benedict Cumberbatch, I guess. :D

But there is another book out called Mind Games, and I am interested in reading it to find out what happens next. Don't read the back/jacket cover of Mind Games before you read Lock and Mori, because it has spoilers for this book.