Tuesday Book Review

 

Five-star Review of The Night Raven (Moonwind Mysteries #1) by Johan Rundberg

 Mika, a twelve-year-old living at a public orphanage in 1880’s Stockholm and working as a bartender at night to earn money, is the least likely detective. But then rumors of the Night Raven returning to the streets of the city after a body is found and besides that a baby is left at the door of the orphanage by a lad who refers to a dark angel. Mika teams up with a police inspector, who seems to be on probation following a previous case. Mika and Valdemar don’t always confide in each other, but they make a good team. Throughout the story we see Mika’s resourcefulness and observational skills. This is the first in a series, translated very well from the original Swedish, and I’m looking forward to more from this unlikely team.

Tuesday Book Review on Thursday

Five-star review of Spy Coast: A Thriller (The Martini Club Book 1) by Tess Gerritsen 

This is a great start for a series. Gerritsen’s descriptions let you join the action in all of her books. In this one, told from the perspective of two former spies and a young police officer they drew me right in. Although it starts from the viewpoint of the least followed woman, it’s mainly about another spy, Maggie Bird, who’s retired to Maine to raise chickens. A few former colleagues from her CIA days also live in the small town. The bucolic calm is disturbed by the arrival of another agent looking for someone from Maggie's past. Gradually, the story of Maggie’s last mission and the death of her husband is revealed. Her neighborhood retired spies join her in determining who’s behind the death of the agent and attempts on Maggie’s life as they form the Martini Club. Action and surprises keep the story moving forward. 

Tuesday Book Review

 

Four-star review of Off the Grid: a Joe Pickett Novel Book 16  by C. J. Box

In this novel, 16th in the series, most of the action involves Nate Romanowski, Joe’s sometimes friend and unofficial partner.  Nate’s been asked by men in a shadow government agency to look into the activity of Mohammed Ibraaheem in the red dessert area of Wyoming, since Ibby is a falconer like Nate. Meanwhile, Joe’s asked by the governor to find Nate.  Adding to the tension is the involvement of Joe’s oldest daughter, Sheridan. The technology, falconry, and landscape add another layer to the story. It’s the kind of thing that could happen.

Tuesday Book Review on Wednesday

 

Five-star review of Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg

This novel is somewhat of a departure from Holmberg’s other books, although it’s still a fantasy. Lark escaped her father who used her power to create fear in others to control the people of the town he ruled. Over the next seven years she wandered the land. Each settlement she thought could be her new home expelled her when they learned of her ability. She finally found a place with the huge trollis in their city under a bridge, much better organized than other places she’d been although there was a very distinct caste system and humans were at the bottom of it. The story built, sometimes in predictable ways and other times with surprises. The fast-moving action and great visuals added to my enjoyment of this beauty and the beast-like story.

Tuesday Book Review on Wednesday

 

Four-star review of Deadlands by Victoria Miluch

 This is an uneven story about a girl who grew to a woman in a mostly underground settlement in the desert with her father and brother. At times, the lyrical writing is terrific. The story is riveting to me and anyone who enjoys postapocalyptic stories, but many events seem inevitable with the arrival of a couple from Phoenix. The biggest issue I had was that it ended abruptly, without any clear indication that there’ll be a sequence. The short bit of sex also disturbed me but led inevitably to a major event late in the book. The few characters were well-defined and the setting too,  especially the terrain and environmental aspects.