tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24395421732336505202024-03-05T07:19:27.560-08:00The Pensive ChroniclerThis blog will mostly be reviews of the books I am currently reading and how I feel that they will make me a better writer. Typically I gravitate toward mystery/suspense fiction, but I am trying to read different types of literature in my quest to broaden my interests. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-1429633468646963032015-05-16T07:31:00.002-07:002015-05-16T07:31:31.326-07:00On a Personal NoteAll of you that have followed me, I thank you. With my life the way it is right now, maybe the way it has always been, I am not going to be able to continue on with my book blog the way I had intended. I just haven't been able to carve out enough time to even read one book a week, which was my first goal when starting this. So at the end of the current year, 2015, I will no longer post reviews here. <br />
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For the commitments I have made, I will honor them and post reviews as I am able to.<br />
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Again, I thank all of you and wish you all happy reading. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-43534120545376941832015-05-16T07:24:00.000-07:002015-05-16T07:24:46.242-07:00Looking Glass Killer<div align="center">
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This book was one that was pitched to me through an organization that helps self-published authors with exposure to their books. I thought that it sounded interesting and worked it into my long list of books I wanted to read. This is book II in a series, I believe.</div>
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The main problem that I had with this book is that in some areas it read like a college lecture in mathematics or statistics. Floyd Merrell is a retired professor and this definitely reflects that. I think that in many areas it had a great deal of promise, but outside of the long passages on mathematics, it lacked in a great deal of content in respect to character development and plot.</div>
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Within the book, the main character Detective Lucia and her partner are trying to find a killer who taunts Lucia and seems to have a pattern with where the victims are killed. The problem is that most of the book takes place at the police station. Lucia and her partner Mike do visit the crime scenes, but outside of that there isn't a whole lot of action. Most of the dialogue revolves around them theorizing about sociopathic tendencies. Early in the book, within the first 20 pages, Lucia is already calling the killer "brilliant" and I did not see how that was possible.</div>
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Perhaps if I had read the first book I would have had a better understanding of Lucia's character, but I didn't even know she was from Brazil until almost 70 pages in. Even now as I write this, I am not certain that I could tell anyone who asked me much about any of the characters in the book with any specific detail. I think that I would have liked a little more detail and character development.</div>
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Some of the other issues were the constant references to Lewis Carroll, a tremendous amount of cliché phrases, and a lack of connecting the killer with Lucia. I found myself skipping through passages due to all of the mathematical explanations. I really feel that if some of that was cut out, more character development had been put in, and a few close call scenes between Lucia and the killer were created for more drama or climax that this would have been an amazing book. </div>
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Overall, I think that this book was okay. My main piece of advice for any self-publishing author is to get a good copy editor to help you out with issues in terms of grammar and storyline. If Merrell had done that and gotten some non-academic beta readers, some the issue mentioned above may have been resolved before publishing. It was a really good idea, just poorly executed.</div>
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Rating: 1.5 out of 5</div>
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I was given a copy of the book by the author through Bostick Com.; I was not paid to do this review.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-1702855807068019552015-05-16T07:07:00.001-07:002015-05-16T07:07:44.717-07:00The Detroit Electric Scheme<div align="center">
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This is another author that is going to be speaking at a writer's workshop I was thinking about going to this summer and he is an author from Michigan. I am always looking for authors to read from my home state and was naturally intrigued.</div>
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From the very beginning of the book I was hooked. I thought initially that I was not going to like the main character Will Anderson, but he grew on me as I progressed through the pages. DE Johnson definitely did an amazing job with character development as well as very diverse. It isn't easy to get a reader to connect with or even like a drunk, bitter main character accused of murder, but Johnson does it.</div>
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The historical aspect of the book was almost a character on its own. It was like I was back in the early 1900's Detroit on the verge of the electric automobile explosion. Sadly, I have never quite taken to Detroit and do not go there unless I have to, but this book made me see it in a different light. It would have been fascinating to see this town in its heyday and not the broken down city it is turning into. The description of the horse drawn carriages, night clubs, and train stations were spot on and I am going to look for further books by this author in the hopes to experience this unique view.</div>
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There is a little bit of romance in this book, but it is shrouded in darkness which I am okay with. I have never been one to enjoy a sweet romantic entanglement within the confines of a dark murder mystery and one of those would have been very out of place in this book. I think that Johnson's handling of this helped not only the story but helped with the main character as well. It humanized in a way that made him likeable where without it, Will probably would not have been. </div>
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Overall, I thought that this was a dark, wonderfully written historical fiction on the Detroit automobile race. If everything afore mentioned is intriguing to you, then you will definitely find this book entertaining and will probably want to read more from this author. If you are someone who does not like historical fiction or a rather dark piece, then you might want to skip this, but it would be a shame because of how great a story this is.</div>
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5</div>
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I borrowed this book from my local library and was not asked to write a review of this book.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-2232170244327319332015-05-16T06:50:00.001-07:002015-05-16T06:50:17.066-07:00State of the Onion<div align="center">
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I was contemplating going to a writer's workshop this summer and this author is one of the individuals giving a seminar. Since I have a guilty pleasure of reading mystery books that also contain recipes, I thought that I would love this book finding yet another series to read through. But, unfortunately, I just did not find this book as fun as I was hoping.</div>
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One of the things that really irritates me while reading is if the main character, male or female, is completely ditzy and irresponsible with their crime solving actions. The main character here, Ollie, has both of those traits. I was hoping that my love to cook, and eat, would be enough for me to have a connection with her, but I was not able to find her interesting enough. That lack of connection was one of the main problems I had while reading this book.</div>
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The book itself is a very quick read and I was able to get through it in a few nights. Julie Hyzy does a good job with plotlines and it seems to have enough twists and turns to get you through. In the end though, I found it a little lacking in reality. An assistant chef at the White House takes down an assassin and then thwarts off several other attacks on her life while trying to find out who the murderer is. Something tells me that the White House Security would never have allowed her to muddle in national security issues and at some point she would have ended up in jail. That is just my own assumption and perhaps that would have made an interesting plot point in this story.</div>
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Overall, it was a good read. Not sure it has peaked my interest enough to read the rest of the series, but it was a good read nonetheless. </div>
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If you need a little more action and intrigue in your mysteries, then I would probably skip this one. If however a straight up cozy murder mystery is your cup of tea, then put on the kettle and give this one a try.</div>
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Rating: 2.5 out of 5</div>
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I borrowed this book from my local library and was not asked to do a review of this book.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-1090284118541618282015-03-27T18:35:00.001-07:002015-03-27T18:35:43.140-07:00Thieftaker<div align="center">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11577576-thieftaker"><img alt="Thieftaker (Thieftaker Chronicles, #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1318307370l/11577576.jpg" /></a></div>
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On my quest to read a different type of literature, in this case historical mixed with fantasy, I came across this book. A fantastical murder mystery set during the time of Samuel Adams in Boston 1765 and I enjoyed every page of it.</div>
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I thought that D. B. Jackson did a really nice job with this tale. It easily transported me to Colonial Boston and the characters were all familiar since some of them were actual people from the time. Because I am sucker for description, I was taken with the setting and could honestly see the taverns, poor parts of town, rick parts of town, the wharfs, and even feel the cobble streets. A great deal of research was done for this book and it never once came off like a history lesson from 8th grade Social Studies.</div>
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The main character Ethan Kaille was pretty well rounded. In fact many of the characters were well developed. My only complaint with Ethan is that he seemed much more older in the way that he emoted than he actually was. I think that he was supposed to be in his thirties, but he came off as much older to me. Maybe even in his late forties. I also thought that he had interesting morals for basically being a thug or thief, which might be one of the reasons I found myself liking him.</div>
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Overall, the story was well paced and had some nice twists and turns. I especially enjoyed the scene in the tavern with Samuel Adams. Although, I had to keep telling my thoughts not to turn to the comedy sketch done by Dave Chappelle did in regards to Samuel Jackson selling beer. But I digress...I do wish that there was a little more action throughout it and that the conjuring side of the plot had been built up a little more. Especially since that is one of the main pieces to finding the murderer in the story. Speaking in Latin and then letting the ghost guide Reg do the casting seemed rather dull. If those scenes had been a little more fleshed out and fantastical, I think it would added another layer of dimension to the storyline.</div>
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The only other thing that needed wither further developing or should have been limited were all the beatings Ethan received from his enemy/rival Sephira Price. There were too many of them and I got a little tired of them as the plot went on. If they were taken out completely, I don't think that the storyline would have been weaker one bit. The only reason to keep them in would be a foreshadowing for a possible sequel, but even then, she could just be introduced in the next book. </div>
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If you enjoy fantasy books with a great deal of Colonial American History, then this book might be for you. If you're not big on spell casting and don't really enjoy American History, then this book might not be for you.</div>
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Rating: 4 out of 5</div>
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I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not asked to review this book.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-4440123155745173622015-03-27T18:09:00.000-07:002015-03-27T18:09:45.058-07:00City of Dark Magic<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15808242-city-of-dark-magic"><img alt="City of Dark Magic (City of Dark Magic, #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348424640l/15808242.jpg" /></a></div>
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*May have a few things that could be considered spoilers*</div>
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When I saw the summary for this book I was instantly intrigued. I LOVE Beethoven and this book was a mystery set in Prague around his music. However, what I thought the book was going to be about and what it actually was when I finally read it, were two completely different things.</div>
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Sadly, there were several things about the book that detracted from how amazing it could have been. The main character Sarah and her sexual escapades was the biggest one for me. There was too much sex in the book for me and unless it serves a purpose to the plot, then it doesn't belong in the story. In this case it did not amplify or make the plot better and could have been left out without causing any issues with the overall feel of the book. </div>
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The other issue was the writing itself. I think at times it was quite brilliant and I loved all the music imagery in it. However, on many other occasions it seemed to detract from the story being told and I began to skip through areas. Flyte's attention to dialogue was quite wonderful though and it was extremely realistic. That I did enjoy, since I am not skilled at writing good dialogue.</div>
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For me, the last big issue was with the overall plot of the story. I was hoping that there would be some sort of time travel and it is shown that the main character Sarah was actually the "Immortal Beloved" the Beethoven wrote the three letters to that were never mailed. Unfortunately, the book really wasn't about the music, but about the Golden Fleece? It went from a murder mystery with political conspiracy to suddenly an alchemy driven search by a secret order. That was a little too much for the writing to handle and it did not work in the final version. I think that it would have been wise to stick with the Beethoven angle and then set it up for a sequel book dealing more with the alchemy and golden fleece plot.</div>
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If you like sexually driven characters that carry a murder mystery based novel, then this book may be for you. However, if you are like me and like your mysteries to have a little more mystery and little less sex, then this book may not be for you.</div>
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Rating: 2 out of 5</div>
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I borrowed this from my local library; I was not asked to write a review of this book.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-75317989152635761702015-03-27T17:53:00.001-07:002015-03-27T17:53:59.731-07:00An English Ghost Story<div align="center">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20890556-an-english-ghost-story"><img alt="An English Ghost Story" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394405158l/20890556.jpg" /></a></div>
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This book was on a local book club's reading list and it sounded pretty interesting, so I checked it out. </div>
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At first I was taken in by the language and style of how the book was written. There was something about it that was different from what I had been reading and it was refreshing. I think that Kim Newman brought some wonderful description writing and in fact, the setting of where the book takes place is as much of character, if not more so, than the actual people characters brought to life among the pages. </div>
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It is interesting to see how a family moving into a home could alter themselves and the ghosts that inhabit the place upon doing so. This family was truly dysfunctional and it set up a wonderful foundation for a traditional ghost story with a few new tricks. Add in some ancient paranormal power, like the Druids for instance, and you have an explosion of supernatural potential.</div>
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However, about a third of the way in when it starts to take on that paranormal/horror persona, it began to get a little out of control and the structure of the piece began to suffer. I wish that Newman would have really thought about pacing and about why parts of the book happened in the places that they did. The biggest problem I had was how the book actually ended. Without giving too much away, it was almost as if the whole book was a family therapy session of sorts and that is not really what I am looking for when reading a scary book.</div>
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There were a few parts in the book that made me say things out loud, which is why I am not completely upset with spending the time I did reading it. The moment when the mother put the son in the magical dresser was one of them. I think I might have even got a little misty eyed as I wondered what would become of the little boy. </div>
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If you are someone who needs their scary books to be so freaky that you can't read them at night without every light on in the house, (or apartment or dorm room or hotel), then this book isn't for you. If you don't mind reading a scary book only to find out that you were in therapy for a few hours, then this book might be for you. Overall, an interesting book that had a few wonderful, nail biting moments.</div>
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Rating: 3 out of 5</div>
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I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not asked to write a review of this book.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-68251061157159717752015-03-27T17:35:00.001-07:002015-03-27T17:35:54.497-07:00What Angels Fear<div align="center">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39149.What_Angels_Fear"><img alt="What Angels Fear (Sebastian St. Cyr, #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312066215l/39149.jpg" /></a></div>
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This book was on my local library recommendation list and because I enjoy historical fiction, I decided to give it a try. However, I did not realize that this is part of a series and I am torn as to if I will read the next one.</div>
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What I really like about C. S. Harris' writing is that it does appear that she tried to research the time period to make the setting very realistic. There was quite a great deal of effort and description of the region and time. Harris also did a pretty decent job with describing the politics of the era and how political decisions were sometimes 'influenced', in a manner of speaking.</div>
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From the beginning I was taken by the viscount Sebastian. Harris developed his character very well. I had no doubt what he looked like and found myself wondering about his unique eye color along with the way his movements were described. There was a part of me that was hoping a little bit of fantasy writing could have been implemented here instead of staying in the real world realm. He would have been even more intriguing with some sort of power. Unfortunately, it the author notes at the end of the boy, the wonderfully romanticized version I had created of Sebastian was shattered as Harris revealed what type of genetic anomaly the viscount may have actually had.</div>
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Overall, there were some interesting passages and I thought that the pacing was well done. In the back of my mind, I felt like I was still looking for something and I don't know that I ever got to that "can't put the book down must keep reading at all costs" point. It was interesting, but it wasn't a page turner for me. </div>
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If you like mysteries set in historical England then this book might be for you. However, if you need constant twists, turns, and action then this book may not be for you. Overall, a cozy little mystery book that won't keep you up at night, but was just enough entertaining to finish.</div>
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Rating: 3 out of 5</div>
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I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not asked to give a review of this book.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-8057655407950938632015-01-02T08:18:00.000-08:002015-01-02T08:18:34.101-08:00Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. WatsonI have been taking a small break from reading due to the holidays and such. Hopefully, this year I will be more productive and have several more postings for those that are curious about my adventures throughout the land of Fiction : )<br />
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I have always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes and share the view of millions that he is THE Master Detective. There has always been something about the insolvability of the Ripper Killings that has not set right with me and I have wondered if they had captured/killed the individual without revealing the identity to the press due to a possible relation to Queen and Country. When I came across this book, one that combines them both together, I naturally had to read it. <br />
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Lyndsay Faye did a wonderful job of capturing the spirit and dialogue of Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion Dr. Watson. She must have done a great deal of reading and research to make sure that the language and style were just so in order not to offend the many Sir Arthur Conan Doyle loyal fans out there. (Myself included). I could picture Holmes the way I always have and could almost hear the sounds of his violin as he played.<br />
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Faye's attention to detail and the style of her writing were her strengths. The fact that she must have spent countless hours researching the killings is also to be commended. However, sometimes I felt that the pacing seemed to fall off or slow down considerably and I lost a little focus at times, but those are mere knit picking items. As to the Ripper and his identity, I thought the choice was very wise and seemed incredibly probably in terms of the times. It would have been nice to have had a little more development of that character, since by all accounts, the Ripper was quite playful in terms of trying to bait the media and public. The motive of the Ripper and as to WHY he killed all of those women was lacking as well, which is why I have given this book 4 out of 5.<br />
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If you love detective novels and are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, then you should not pass up reading this book. If you are not into detective novels and do not care about the reasoning behind Jack the Ripper, then you would probably not like this book. However, I think you would be passing by a wonderfully descriptive historical fiction thriller that will have you dreaming of old London streets and its great detectives.<br />
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Rating: 4 out 5<br />
I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not paid to give a review of this book.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-18402548710799805642014-09-29T17:26:00.001-07:002014-09-29T17:26:58.269-07:00Deborah Harkness Series<div align="center">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16054217-the-book-of-life"><img alt="The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389281784l/16054217.jpg" /></a></div>
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I started with the first book in this series due to a recommendation from my local library and I could not wait to read the next two. </div>
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For me, this series has been the best one that I have read and I am a little sad that I do not have another book to read. All the characters in the book are so wonderfully rich and developed that it felt like I knew them all personally. What was unfortunate was that in the last book everyone was brought back, which was a little overwhelming. There were so many characters that if I had not read the books so closely together I don't know if I would have been able to remember or keep them all straight. Even though Diana and Matthew are the main characters, my favorite was Gallowglass. I wish that he was more of a focus in some of the books...or better yet, maybe Harkness gives him his very own series. I truly fell in love with him throughout the series.</div>
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One of my pet-peeves is when the Point of View changes and this last book in particular, has a tremendous amount of it. I am not sure how many, but it must have been upward of three POV shifts. It really should stay in either 1st or 3rd person instead of jumping around. Some of the shifts seemed a little unnecessary and could have been cut down.</div>
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Some of the plot choices seemed a little haphazard and like they were created last minute to try to tie everything up. I thought that the choice to make all the creatures, including humans, related seemed a little bit of a copout. It is so much more fantasy driven if they stayed separate and independent species. One of the things that I loved the most about the series was the wonderful view on magic and that the darker side of vampires were shown. There are not many unique takes on magical creatures these days and it seemed like this book had a slightly new vision. How the "Blood Rage" topic was resolved was a little anti-climatic. I won't say too much on the subject since I do not want to give any spoilers a way, but it seemed like it could have been handled a little differently. The other odd thing was the Book of Life itself. I am still not certain what it is or what it does exactly. Again, I can't say much more on the subject because of spoiling the plot, but it seemed slightly strange.</div>
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Overall though, I loved all the rich history and the research that went into developing these books. The most important thing for me as a reader is to become invested in the book to the point that I feel like I am experiencing everything the main characters are. Harkness did an amazing job of this. I was sad that it ended and I wanted so much to go back in time to meet Christopher Marlowe and maybe even Shakespeare. </div>
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I recommend this to anyone who enjoys magic and the world of creatures in general. If you do not like to be immersed in magical fiction, then I would suggest passing on this series, but it would be a real shame to do so.</div>
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Rating: 4 out of 5</div>
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I borrowed these books from my local library; I was not asked to give a review.</div>
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The images were taken from Good Reads.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-63499838794513501002014-09-29T17:00:00.000-07:002014-09-29T17:00:05.623-07:00The Blackberry Pie Murder<div align="center">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18051941-blackberry-pie-murder"><img alt="Blackberry Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #17)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1378709972l/18051941.jpg" /></a></div>
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I have read a few of these of books in the series and it pains me to say it, but I was a little bored with this one. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I have an addiction to reading and to cooking. The things I love the most about these books are all the wonderful recipes that I sprinkled within their pages. There is one in the book that creates a wonderful little bacon wrapped egg breakfast muffin that sounds absolutely delicious.</div>
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In this particular book, Hannah finds herself in jail for murder and the issue is not resolved by the end of the book. That fact alone will be why I read the next book. I did not get any closure and I need to see how that plays out. I suppose her mother's marriage to Doc has got me curious as well, since she has had trouble letting go of creative control with regard to well....everything. I love how sassy she is and how Hannah is completely the opposite. Reminds me a little of my mother and myself.</div>
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Outside of all of that, I felt that this book was just following a pattern and there weren't any twists or turns. I knew who the killer was rather quickly, which killed the suspense right away. Hannah still has not grown in respect to romance with Norman and I am wondering why he even bothers with chasing her anymore. Something drastic needs to happen in the next book to keep my interest or sadly, I will not be reading any more books in the series. </div>
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For all of those reasons I would only really recommend this book to die hard Hannah Swensen Mystery Fans. Anyone else who is thinking about starting this series should start a few books back and not with this one. </div>
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Rating: 2 out of 5</div>
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I purchased this book at a local bookstore; I was not asked to give a review of this book.</div>
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The image was taken from Good Reads.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-12357328568110016622014-09-29T16:45:00.000-07:002014-09-29T16:45:44.337-07:00Murder at Westminster Abbey<div align="center">
<img alt="18492467" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1379900777l/18492467.jpg" /></div>
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This was recommended by my local library and because I am quite fond of Queen Elizabeth, this piece of historical fiction seemed like an interesting read. I found out while reading it that it is the second book in the series, but I do not think you needed to read the first one in order to enjoy it.</div>
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In this book, Amanda Carmack has made the mystery sleuth a musician within Elizabeth's court. The relationship between Kate, the musician, and Queen Elizabeth seemed rather unlikely and I had a hard time fully buying into it. Toward the end, it was hinted at that the relationship that Kate has with the royal family may be more than what it appears, but will not say more on the matter to keep from giving away a potential spoiler for future books in the series. Carmack's characterization of Kate and even the Queen, was rather disappointing to me. I do enjoy a strong female lead, but there just wasn't anything interesting or unique about Kate. She could have been any musician from any court at the time. </div>
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Overall, I think that the pacing might have been off a little and it seemed to drag in places. Since it is historically based, it was very interesting to me on that front. But outside of all the research that was put into the book, the story seemed rather, well, boring. It was a nice twist that individuals with red hair like Queen Elizabeth were being killed, but outside of that there was nothing unique. Even the murderer was someone I had suspected a little ways into the book and I was not really surprised when it was revealed. The other issue that I had was the language that was used. There seemed to be certain words and phrases that were repeated over and over, which made the dialogue rather dull after a third through. It would have also been nice if the romance between Anthony and Kate, which was eluded to starting in the first book, would have progressed a little. That might have helped with the story as a whole.</div>
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I think that this was a nice cozy mystery in which there is some wonderfully rich history woven into the fiction. However, I am not certain that I will go out of my way to read the next book in the series or even go back for the first. I needed a little something more within the pages of this book to keep me interested and sadly it was not there. Maybe in the next book Carmack can try to insert some of Queen Elizabeth's wit and humor. That would definitely make it feel less dry. </div>
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Rating: 3 out of 5</div>
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Recommended to anyone who enjoys historical fictions with a mystery twist. If you do not enjoy the Elizabethan Age, then I would suggest skipping this book.</div>
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The image was taken from Good Reads. I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not asked to do a review of this book.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-12047710879610899432014-09-29T16:20:00.000-07:002014-09-29T16:20:08.446-07:00Death on Eat Street<div align="center">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18492486-death-on-eat-street"><img alt="Death on Eat Street" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1390353803l/18492486.jpg" /></a></div>
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I was given this book as a gift for my birthday this summer. My mother-in-law knows how much I love to cook and this book does have some recipes strewn in with all the fictional murder mayhem going on. The title didn't really stoke my curiosity, so the book sat on my shelf for a few months before I finally cracked the cover.</div>
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Some of the things that I enjoyed about the book was the strong leading lady that J.J. Cook created. I am a sucker for a book with a strong female character and Zoe certainly is that. She is determined to make it on her own without the help of her wealthy family in the food truck and restaurant business. The fact that she had a cat named Crème Brulee and that he was an incredibly fat opinioned cat, was hilarious. Although I have to say I am more of a dog lover. Sometimes the character did seem a little cliché, but I did enjoy her growth over the course of the book none the less. It probably had something to do with the fact that I connected with her on some level. If I wasn't in the position that I was at right now and had a little more courage, I would definitely be in the food business. </div>
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In fact, I thought that most of the characters were well written. My only complaint is that sometimes the actions of some of the characters were a little hard to believe. I am a parent and I know that at some point I am going to want my kids to do what I want with their lives and not what they are attempting to do. However, I would never resort to kidnapping my own child, which is what Zoe's parents did. I also would not suggest that they need to marry someone that they do not love just for appearances sake. </div>
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Other than that, they only other thing I can say is that the book on the whole felt a little too cozy I guess. There wasn't a certain 'je ne sais quoi' and it felt a little flat at times. I wish that there was just a little more spice within the pages to help the story along. With all the wonderful in the South and with all the amazing techniques on how to cook, I felt that the authors of the book missed a few wonderful opportunities to be creative. It could have been something simple like how the victim is killed that would have given it a little more flare than it ended up having.</div>
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I think that anyone who likes cozy mysteries and loves food, then they would enjoy this book. If you are someone who doesn't like to cook and only likes take out, then I would probably skip this book.</div>
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Rating: 3 out of 5</div>
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I was given this book as a gift and was not asked to give this review.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-76568329717859355552014-07-26T15:12:00.000-07:002014-07-26T15:12:05.731-07:00January Thaw<img alt="18271988" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375241186l/18271988.jpg" /><br />
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Recently I participated in the 41st Midwest Writer's Workshop and had an intensive session with the author of this series. In preparation, I decided to read one of her books in the series and this is the first one that was available at my local library. I believe that this is book 9 of the Murder a Month series that Jess Lourey is writing, but I did not realize that at the time that I read this.<br />
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With regards to the novel, I was a little disappointed in it. Maybe if I had started with the first one I would have seen the character growing, etc. For me, I thought that the main character was a little static. She was far less interesting to me than her cohort in crime Mrs. Berns. That old broad was fun and I couldn't help but laugh whenever to came onto the page. Definitely a scene stealer, at least for me. Also, her main character Mira and her boyfriend seemed almost like stock characters in a way. They were way too familiar and were felt type-casted. I would have liked to have had the characters have an idiosyncrasy of some kind that would have made them more interesting.<br />
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What I thought that Lourey did well was setting development. You knew that it was Minnesota and that it was in the winter. Sometimes while I was reading the skin on my arm would break out in goose bumps in empathy for the characters in the book. Battle Lake, since it is a real place, helped ground the book a little as well and made it easier to imagine what the little town looked like and how the people there behaved.<br />
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Some things that I had issue with was that the murderer wasn't really a secret and there were quite a few clichés strung throughout. For me, I need to be challenged when trying to figure out who the villain or murderer is. In this book, it seemed like Lourey didn't try to give any red herrings. I knew who it was rather quickly. The other thing is that even if you change a single word in a clichéd phrase, it is still a clichéd phrase. There was too much of that throughout. <br />
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In terms of the Midwest Writer's Workshop, I thought the intensive session with her was wonderful. She is extremely nice with a great sense of humor. In those few hours I learned more about the writing process than most of the writing classes I have taken. What I took away from it was not matter what, stay focused and don't give up on getting published. Even if you get 400 rejections, it may be accepted on the 401st, query.<br />
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If you like a cozy type mystery set in the Midwest, then this one is for you. If you need a mystery with a little more mystery and lot more action, then this probably isn't the one for you.<br />
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Rating 3 out 5<br />
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I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not paid to do a review of this book. The image is taken from Good Reads.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-89629880361541519752014-07-26T14:54:00.000-07:002014-07-26T14:54:09.489-07:00Longbourn<img alt="17380041" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364853806l/17380041.jpg" /><br />
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I seem to punish myself with reading books that are either sequels or extensions of Jane Austen's <em>Pride & Prejudice</em>, but when I read the synopsis for this one, I was instantly curious. What would the story have been like through the eyes of the servants of the Bennett household?<br />
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The first thing I had to tell myself before reading this is that I could not in any way shape or form be expecting the beautiful writing style of Austen. What I was hoping for was something a little more raw and even rough in style. Jo Baker did not disappoint! The servants were so deliciously bitter that I found myself amused and did not miss the characters of one of my favorite books.<br />
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Baker did an exceptional job of developing the characters and capturing the hard life that they had back then. It read a little bit like a historical fiction and had some interesting twists in turns, especially with the storyline of James, the new footman. I found myself wondering more about his back story more than any of the others and almost wish that it been told more through his eyes instead of Sarah's. Her writing style was beautiful as well and everything flowed from one page to the next smoothly.<br />
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My one main criticism is that Mr. Darcy was not really in the book. Alas, it would not have made much sense to make him a main character here, but how I do love that literary man! <br />
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If you are expecting a novel that is full of P&P then this book will be very disappointing. If you like a piece of fiction that has familiarity to another piece, but maintains its own storyline with love and loss then this book is for you. I should think that some other diehard Austen fans would be able to appreciate this book for what it is and not for what they wish it was.<br />
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Rating: 4 out 5<br />
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I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not paid to give this review. The image was take from Good Reads.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-55516507842187191592014-07-26T14:39:00.000-07:002014-07-26T14:39:25.169-07:00The Witches Revenge<img alt="20711498" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398803896l/20711498.jpg" /><br />
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I was given a copy of this book by the author and thought that the premise for it was interesting. It is written like a folk tail of sorts and I was hoping that if I thought about it in the format I would begin to like it as I read it. However, after about 50 pages into it, I had a very hard time going forward to finish the book. <br />
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I think that Danny Odato's idea for the book was a great horror story. A small village is terrorized by some sort of evil force that is taking the lives of the children and pregnant woman. However, there was a great deal of telling where some showing needed to happen throughout. I wasn't really given the ability to imagine anything for myself since everything was handed to me. <br />
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Even though I knew that it was a horror story going into it, the fact that there were some very graphic scenes regarding children either dying or injuring themselves, really bothered me and I had a hard time connecting to the characters. Some of the dialogue and scenes felt choppy or shortened like they needed a little more fleshing out to be interesting to the reader. There seemed to be maybe a little too much tension and climax happening and I never really got to build with the sensation of fear. Instead, it felt overwhelming and I did not want to continue turning pages. The only other thing is that there were some general editing issues, which seem to be standard with novels that are self published by the author.<br />
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Overall, I thought that the story had really good promise to be scary if it had maybe been written a little more like a folk story being told to warn naughty little children. If you like short horror novels than you might like this. If you are like me and the detailed deaths of children bother you, then you may want to skip this book.<br />
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Rating: 2.5 out of 5<br />
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I was given a copy of this book by the author for my honest review; I was not paid to give my review. The image was taken from Good Reads.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-89889812411077343662014-07-26T14:20:00.001-07:002014-07-26T14:20:43.127-07:00A Discovery of Witches<img alt="8667848" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322168805l/8667848.jpg" /><br />
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This book was once again on my library's staff recommendation list and I decided to check it out. Even though this book is quite long, 579 pages, it only took me a couple of nights to read. I could not put this book down, almost like I was under a spell to complete it. Now, I am going to have to read the other books in the series to find out what will happen to the main characters!<br />
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What I really loved about Deborah Harkness was her writing style. This book was extremely well written and you could tell that the author is a very accomplished academic. It had a very nice flow to it and its contents were very easy to follow. There was also a great deal of history woven into its contents, which made it read a little like a historical fiction piece. With all of the sensory details that Harkness put into the novel, you get transported to another world and it envelops you. It may even haunt you a little as well.<br />
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Normally, a love story would be off putting to me and are things that I do not gravitate to. However, I was drawn in and wanted to see how the love between Diana and Matthew would pay out. This is also why I now need to read the next two books in the series! A union between a vampire and witch seems interesting and one that is rarely done. It brought forth a great deal of questions, which is something that I like while reading. If everything is given to me without allowing me to fill in some of the blanks, I tend to lose interest fairly quickly.<br />
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The only complaint that I have is that the point of view shifts between first person for Diana's passages and third person with all of Matthew's passages. I tend to be a little old fashion and would like the point of view to stay the same throughout the piece. For this novel, that had to happen for everything to be explained and worked for it, but I still would have liked it to be consistent throughout.<br />
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If you like supernatural romance fiction, then you will enjoy this book immensely. If you do not like romance and feel that it should not have any place in supernatural fiction, then you might want to pass this one up.<br />
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5<br />
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I checked this book out of the local library; I was not asked to do a review of this book. The image was borrowed from Good Reads.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-60245549500008086092014-06-28T09:50:00.000-07:002014-06-28T09:50:09.907-07:00Ruby Silver<div align="center">
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When I was first pitched this book, I thought that it sounded interesting and would give it a try even though it was a little outside what I tend to read. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into this book and it took me longer to finish than I had expected.<br />
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What I thought Randall Reneau did well was the main character development with respect to their professional background. All of the geological terms and mining situations seemed very realistic, which helped me with the overall plot. However, with this being possibly the third in the series, I did get much general character development, which made them all seem very flat. I was able to get an outline of what each character should be like, and I really like the old snake farmer a great deal, but I found myself wanting specific quirks or details about each one explained more or exposed.<br />
One issue that I had with dialogue in this novel was all of the Texan colloquialisms that were used. It seemed rather heavy handed and about a third of the way through the book I began to get annoyed by them all. The main reason for this is that they were all cliques as well. For example, "like a side of beef" or "pardner", and again, overused multiple times throughout the book. I think that if half of them were taken out and something else put in their place that still helps to give a "cowboy" or "cowpoke" kind of feel it would have helped us "city folk" get into the book more.<br />
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I also think that there were some added storylines in it that were unnecessary, like the kidnapping and show down at the Forth of July mine entrance. Those types of things could have been cut out and the story would not have suffered from it. That particular example didn't really have anything to do with the main plot of the novel and sometimes you will need "to kill your Darlings" in order to make a stronger tale. <br />
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The other thing that I was a little disappointed with was the overall editing of the novel. There were dialogue quotations missing in places along with some general editing oversights. But the big problem, and this is a huge pet-peeve of mine, is the changing of point of view from first person to third person. You either need to have the courage to keep all in first person or just put it in the more common third person. In this book, all of the chapters or sections in the eyes of the main character Trace are in first person, which is a challenge because you are only able to write what he feels, sees, etc. Everything not in Trace's POV is written in third person, which is needed to understand what is going on. Unfortunately, I am an old-fashioned stickler with respect to this issue and was disappointed to see that it was a mixture of POVs.<br />
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Overall thought, I did enjoy the storyline with respect to the mob ties, etc. I thought that could have been developed more and that more action could have taken place from the get go. The start moved quite slowly, which also made it hard for me to get to the end quickly. Usually it is a better idea to start your story in the middle of something that grabs the reader and I did not really find that with this book.<br />
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I do hope that Reneau continues writing books in the series because there is a good foundation for it. For me though, I just needed a little more description and depth to become completely invested in it.<br />
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If you like trying new readers and don't mind a slower moving plot, then this book would be for you. If you need a little more action, faster plotline, and great character development then you may want to skip this book.<br />
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Rating: 2.5 out of 5<br />
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I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Bostick Communitcations; I was not paid to give a review of this book. The image was borrowed from Good Reads.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-76096364724738213282014-06-28T08:41:00.000-07:002014-06-28T08:41:35.148-07:00Brush With Death: A Gray Whale Inn Mystery #5<img alt="16159639" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354879727l/16159639.jpg" /><br />
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This is the fifth book in the series and the first one that I have read, which is unfortunate because I will probably not read any of the others in the series. It had some problems right from the start that made it difficult for me to want to finish it. The only thing that drove me toward the end was the need to know that I was right about the villain.<br />
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I did think that Karen MacInerney did a good job with setting and I felt like I was really experiencing the harsh winters of Maine. Since the main portion of this tale is set on an island off of the mainland, I also thought she did a good job of showing what island life was like. For example, you could only travel to and from the island by a ferry and it would depend on the weather whether or not you could even travel that day. The other thing that she set up nicely was the artist community feel. I can imagine how cutthroat it is in the business and that would be enhanced further on a small island.<br />
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Aside from the setting, where the problems began were with the characters themselves. They all seemed quite flat and this could be partly because I have not read the other books in the series. I didn't really get a good sense of backstory for anyone except the future mother-in-law. Even then, I found it hard to believe that she would be as brazen as to just barge into people's homes unannounced, especially with how her heritage was set up. Natalie, the inn owner and main character, seemed to be a little too eager to get involved with the crimes on the island and I had a hard time believing that she would be that clueless about putting herself in danger with all of the previous sleuthing experiences she has had. The other glaring issue was with the sexuality of some of the characters. It seemed a little unnecessary to be such a main issue, especially when it did not have anything really to do with the overall storyline.<br />
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Another issue was the plot. I think that I knew who the killer was the moment they were introduced and why. That was really disappointing. Some of the little side stories seemed a little uninteresting too like the engagement ring being fake. Unless, MacInerney is setting some of these stories up for future books in the series.<br />
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Add to all of that, the numerous editing errors, this book was very difficult to follow through with. It was a recommendation at my local library and since I am trying to find new authors to read, I gave it a chance.<br />
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If you like mysteries that are easy to figure out then you will like the book. However, if you are like me and need a little more of a challenge, then you might want to skip this one.<br />
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Rating: 1.5 out of 5<br />
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I borrowed this from my local library; I was not asked to do a review of this book. The image was borrowed from Good Reads.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-52786379418406685422014-05-24T17:06:00.000-07:002014-05-24T17:06:01.979-07:00Homicide in Hardcover<div align="center">
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Review: This book was on the recommended list of mystery books at my local library. I am always looking for new authors to read and add to my "Guilty Pleasures" list, cue Joanne Fluke, but this book was not as exciting as I thought it would be.<br />
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First off I need to commend Kate Carlisle for writing this entire novel in the first person. That is extremely hard to do successfully, so bravo to her for that. Having said that, I did find that at times it was hard to read. Carlisle has her main character Brooklyn almost addressing the reader at points which reminds me that I am reading this book and not actually part of it. For a book to keep my attention, I really need to be sucked in and made into an omniscient, but quiet character in the plot. If that doesn't happen, it becomes really hard for me to finish the book. <br />
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I did think that Carlisle knew all of her characters well and I loved how there was a diverse cast involved. They ranged from wealthy and conservative to eclectic and free loving. At times, there did seem to be too many characters to keep track of, but they were still all interesting. Also, there were moments when several truths came to light that I wasn't entirely sure if I was sold on the character reacting they way they did. It took away some of the realism for me.<br />
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The overall murder mystery is where I had a small amount of trouble with. At the end, I didn't really see the murderer coming, which is good, but it seemed like there wasn't a whole lot of set up for it. There was so much energy involved in developing a relationship of hate between Brooklyn and another character, that I think any subtle clues given were overlooked. Sometimes there can be too much of a red herring and that makes the story suffer a little.<br />
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Since the topic of bookbinding was foreign to me, I found that part of the story kept my interest in the plot going. I never would have thought that it would be so cutthroat a business! <br />
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However, at the end, I think that my overall feel of the book was average. I was surprised by who the killer and why that individual was the killer, but there were several other instances where I was pulled out of the story or when I had to stop and ask myself if that character would really do that. <br />
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If you like cozy little murder mysteries that end fairly neatly, then you will most likely want to check out this book. If you are looking for books that are a little more action-packed with nonstop murder, then you may want to skip this one.<br />
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Rating: 3 out of 5<br />
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I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not paid to give this review.<br />
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Image taken from Good Reads.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-30551640675583297442014-05-24T16:33:00.000-07:002014-05-24T16:33:14.289-07:00Carol P Roman BooksReviews: I was sent 7 children books from this author and have decided to place all the reviews for them here. I normally do not review children books, so hopefully what I have written reviews worthy of the books.<br />
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1) "I Want To Do Yoga Too" <br />
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I thought that this book was cute, especially since I have done (or tried to do) yoga in the past. It would definitely help show kids how to do simple little moves like tree and cobra. The best part would be that they kids would be using their imaginations as well as toning their muscles. My two little guys didn't really get into this book, but I found it fun. I think that this would be appropriate for toddlers on up.<br />
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Rating: 3 out of 5<br />
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2) "Strangers on the High Seas"<br />
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This is one of two books I received that is part of the "Captain No Beard Stories". I really loved the artwork in this book. Everything was colorful and full of pirate whimsy. There were a few moments within the pages where I thought that the author, Roman, was trying to get a little "after school special" and that didn't work for me. With some of the vocabulary in this book, it may be more suited for older toddlers as well. The main thing that threw me at the end was that I didn't catch on from the start that it was a brother and cousin watching his little sister playing make-believe. <br />
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However, my two little guys loved this book and pointed out all of the animals on both of the pirate ships. It was very entertaining and I would recommend this to anyone with older toddlers and up.<br />
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5<br />
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3) "The Treasure of Snake Island" <br />
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This is the other "Captain No Beard Story" that I received and it was just as fun as the first one. I thought that the artwork in this book was just as wonderful as in the first one. Everything is so colorful and I love how the story ends with books being the treasure they were all seeking. (I secretly believe books to be treasures too!).<br />
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Again, my little guys really enjoyed this one as well and I am sure we will read it more than once. <br />
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I would recommend this to anyone with older toddlers and up.<br />
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Rating: 4 out of 5<br />
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4) "If You Were Me and Lived in Turkey"<br />
5) "If You Were Me and Lived in India"<br />
6) "If You Were Me and Lived in Norway"<br />
7) "If You Were Me and Lived in Kenya"<br />
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I am lumping my review for each of these books in this series together because I found that my reaction was the same for each one. Overall, I thought that they were all very informative and had nice artwork. Sometimes the art was rather dark and details were not there like in Roman's "Captain No Beard Stories". Also, since she wanted to get SO much information into each book, some artwork was covered up by lines and lines of content. Most of the time, the books covered their countries very well, but it seemed like Norway was centered mostly on the "Ice Hotel" and little else.<br />
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My two little guys lost interest about halfway through the first one that I tried to read to them, so I don't recommend these books to younger kids. I think that kids in first or second grade may find these books rather interesting.<br />
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Rating: 3 out of 5<br />
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I was given copies of these books by the author; I was not paid to give these reviews.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-82692003437803878402014-05-24T15:55:00.000-07:002014-05-24T15:55:20.490-07:00The Hanging Tree<div align="center">
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Review: This will be the third piece I have read and reviewed for Michael Phillip Cash and I thought that it was a very interesting little novella. It took only a few hours to read and it had a few twists that made it seem a little more of an original take on the classic ghost story.<br />
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What I really liked about this piece were all the different characters that were part of the history on "The Hanging Tree". I think that the old woman was probably my favorite and seemed to be the most fleshed out of all of them. She had a great deal of black humor, which drove the story forward for me. Without Goody Bennett I don't really know if I would have enjoyed the novella as much. <br />
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The weakest part of the piece was really the overly done beautiful but virginal girl not willing to give into carnal desires with her handsome, popular boyfriend. All this, of course, takes place on lover's lane with evil lurking within the branches of the big tree above them. For this storyline to be successful in any way, it needs to stray away from that and not come across as a warning to all young girls about premarital sex. <br />
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I think that Cash had a new take on part of that storyline by having the ghosts within the tree become active players. He brings each of their storylines through their eyes instead of having some other main character retell them like a history of the area. Sometimes, however, there are places in the novella where the point of view of these ghosts get blurred and does create a small amount of confusion while reading.<br />
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Outside of some editing issues with respect to typos and chapter cut-offs/beginnings, I thought it was a rather easy read. Anyone that enjoys a simple ghost story during a rainy night would enjoy this book. But if you prefer to be scared out of your mind while reading ghost stories, you may want to skip this one. I didn't find it all that scary.<br />
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Rating: 3 out of 5<br />
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I was given a copy by the author for an honest review via Bostick Communications; I was not paid to do this review.<br />
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Image was taken from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">www.goodreads.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-72335902675867512572014-05-20T10:24:00.000-07:002014-05-20T10:24:26.870-07:00Lawgivers<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: orange;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Lawgivers - A fast-paced, dystopian techno-thriller novel exploring the fight for freedom in a complex near-future</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">SEATTLE
-- Author Chris Kohout combines high technology, swordplay, and social
commentary to create a rich story of a biotech firm out of control and
the rogue attorney seeking to bring them down in <strong style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Lawgivers</strong>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">Published
by Unbound Reality, the novel opens in our near future. Law enforcement
has evolved. Attorneys are judge, jury and executioner in one. Police
officers are free to investigate, interrogate and apprehend at will.
Working together in pairs, they are called Lawgivers.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">Like
all attorneys, Sarah Jordan delivers justice with a katana blade.
Moderate offenses result in the telltale scar of a Lawgiver sword
through the palm. More serious crimes end with a blade through the
heart.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">When
a young girl stumbles into their office after witnessing her father’s
murder, Sarah and her cop partner Robert seek the murderer but soon find
they’re on the trail of a vast conspiracy revolving around a new drug
that vaccinates against all genetic diseases. Going up against its
creator, Integrated Life Sciences, would be the case of a lifetime.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">But against ILS and its shadowy backers, even the law offers little protection.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><b>Review</b>: I thought that this book had a really interesting premise with the Attorneys deciding the ultimate fate of the clients they take on. However, at times I had a hard time believing the scenario that they would even be allowed to be given all of that power. In the very beginning of the novel, Sarah kills a man that is being sent to an alternate universe, but does not really suffer any consequences for her actions. Even in a world such as this one, it would seem that she would still need to be held accountable for the murder after sentencing had been given. There also seems to be a lack of overall law in the novel, which makes it hard for me to see it as real. The "evil" in the storyline seems to have a very easy time getting away with things like murder, corruption, and other situations that are related to the pharmaceutical approval processes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">What I thought that the author Chris Kohout did very well was his characterization. Most of the main characters were very well fleshed out and I instantly connected with Sarah. I also thought the back story was well developed for Sarah as well. There is spot in my heart for individuals that take the hard road, not because they want to be different, but because it is the right road to take. Even if they know that it will cause them to lose that what matters most to them. There were a few of the "evil" characters that could have been fleshed out a little more, only because they have quite a few scenes in which they are a part of.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">Looking at the novel from a editing point of view, there were a few areas that could have used a little help. There were a few areas where some typos happened. I think that every time that the word "God" was used, it should be capitalized. All the times it was mentioned herein the novel it was left lowercase, but the connotation that I got from its usage made me feel like it should have been treated like a proper name. Point of View of each section seemed to be difficult at times to follow, which is the place that I had the most trouble with. Sometimes it would jump to a different person for maybe two paragraphs and then go back to the character that started the scene. I'm old school in my thinking about this issue compared to most. The novel would have been a smoother read if it had stayed with third person limited for each section. All the information given was needed, but a story can be made stronger at times with the "show don't tell" homage. Lastly, the other pet-peeve that I have is when every sentence is started with "she", "he", "they", etc. It makes the flow choppy and repetitive in nature. </span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">Overall, I thought that this was a nice novel with a little bit of everything in it: mystery, murder, corruption, family, and a little of science fiction. At times the POV seems a little confusing making to story feel like it is not complete. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys futuristic mystery fiction. Those who like a tighter storyline that doesn't seem rushed at the end may not enjoy this book.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">Rating: 3.5 out of 5</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">I was given a copy of this novel by the author for an honest review, I was not paid to give my review. (Pitched by Bostik Communications)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-54655661316973306582014-04-09T08:28:00.001-07:002014-04-09T08:28:20.182-07:00The Boleyn King<br />
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For some reason I have always been fascinated with King Henry XIII and the whole Anne Boleyn story, so when I saw the library recommendation for this book, I knew that I had to read it. What was intriguing about this piece is the "What If?" scenario presented. What if Anne Boleyn's son had survived at birth and she was never executed for her adulterous crimes? Would the outcome still be the same with Elizabeth being crowned Queen in her lifetime?<br />
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This novel is seen through the eyes of several different individuals, but one seemed to stand out above the rest. Elizabeth, as written by Laura Andersen, was very well done. She had the independence and hardness that I have come to love about her. Also, her wit is still in tact within this piece, which is equally important. However, I also enjoyed the way that William seemed to be a polar opposite of Elizabeth with his love of grandeur and free spirit. Andersen tried to encompass Henry XIII lust for life within William, but I would have like to see just a little more wit and little less anger for him. Andersen does create a character that seems to be the peace keeper of the bunch. Dominic is the son of a prior traitor, but was brought into the Tudor household and trust by Henry XIII. William considers him to be more than a friend, giving a title for his service as a soldier in the king's army. I enjoyed the parts of the story through his eyes, but they read like a young man's diary in which he was writing daily about the young woman he was pining for but could not have. <br />
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The only character I don't know that I was entirely sold on was that of Minuette and unfortunately, the majority of the story is told through her eyes. She is the daughter of Anne Boleyn's servant that was born on the same night that William was and is brought up within the Tudor household. Looked upon as family, she ends up as Elizabeth's head servant and ends up in a love triangle with William and Dominic. Andersen, however, does not really do a good job of explaining why she is so sexually sought after. Some of the situations and decisions that Minuette made throughout the plot seemed a little unbelievable and that hurt the plot for me. <br />
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Andersen also added in a murder mystery to the story, which is the primary focus of her piece. Minuette's roommate appears to have committed suicide, but it turns out she was actually murdered. It is centered on a secret that could possibly take away William's birthright to be king. Without this part of the plot, I am not certain that the piece would have help my interest. It helped with establishing a genuine conflict and climax for her novel, but parts of it seemed a little farfetched with respect to Minuette's role. I don't want to put any spoilers in her, so I am going to leave this intentionally a little vague. However, I will say that apart from that there were some nice, unexpected twists that I did enjoy as evidence was brought to light.<br />
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Overall, I thought that this was a very quick and rather interesting read, especially with the added murder mystery. If it had been just another retelling of the time period, it would have been extremely boring, but Andersen did a rather good job of keeping me an active reader. There are a few historical inaccuracies along with some small editing errors, but they don't seem to deter from the story telling that Andersen is able to accomplish. It may have roused my curiosity just enough, that I may need to eventually read the other books in the series.<br />
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If you enjoy historical fiction that does not keep to the exact confines of the period and incorporates some things that may be historically inaccurate, then this book would be a good choice. However, if you are a stickler for details and those inaccuracies would keep you from enjoying the book, then I would suggest skipping this one.<br />
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Rating: 3.5 out of 4<br />
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This book was borrowed from my local library; I was not asked to do a review of this book.<br />
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Image was taken from Good Reads.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10556522877948661329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2439542173233650520.post-13578142546471367132014-03-20T05:17:00.000-07:002014-03-20T05:17:22.121-07:00Death By the Book - Prism Book Tour<img alt="Death by the Book (Drew Farthering Mystery #2)" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1371695386l/18008076.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; color: #616161; font-family: Open Sans; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;" /><br />
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1371694751l/18059811.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"></span></a><span style="color: white;"><b style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Death </i></span></b><b style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>by the Book</i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 22px;">by Julianna Deering</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Christian Mystery</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Paperback, 320 pages</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">March 4th 2014 by Bethany House Publishers</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement. Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl's tearful confession point to the victim's double life, but what does the solicitor's murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course? Nothing, it would seem--except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn't at all certain they have the right suspect in custody. And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/death-by-the-book/343350" rel="nofollow">Bethany House</a> * <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Death-Book-Drew-Farthering-Mystery/dp/0764210963/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390936879&sr=1-1&keywords=death+by+the+book+julianna+deering" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a> * </b><b style="line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-by-the-book-julianna-deering/1115500330?ean=9780764210969" rel="nofollow">Barnes & Noble</a> * <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Death-by-Julianna-Deering/9780764210969" rel="nofollow">Book Depository</a></b></span></div>
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<b>Other Books in the Series:</b></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16110412-rules-of-murder" rel="nofollow"><img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgiK716JMhm-HSOBObWZIidSHLdaaRAJp2vm4cElIKGVcJZWRehLzhrwS5RnHNg9o_HBlgWmetN5FRkOaalfgk7LpVhNOXMqw3bWwGHKDNhgJMOby7V6f8ZmkHEfk0ENx5-Ggr6zFsvQAXfj81TLrSNpQ=" width="130" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18652050-murder-at-the-mikado" rel="nofollow"><img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjLzt5xur-1xuhXdaNjK8mJTVn9kLHk1D1m_ytEPROSbvqiO7J2C6u5AtUElfXdGIrdcLBEux5B3NJ-2-je9lUr4yEsUW3wDZcQvhKVlepVpz2IxzG7ba_2q6mO7w1fYTw4pPtA-PFCjv8Pwy8T5BXqQiE=" width="129" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="background-color: white;">Review:</span></strong> </span></div>
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Normally, I do not read kindle books. Mostly it is because I love the feel and smell of an actual book, which understandably sounds a little creepy or weird, but the electronic versions of them tend not to have the same personal connection for me. Having said that, I thought that this book was quite a charming mystery novel which I rather quite enjoyed.</div>
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Julianna Derring did a remarkable job of weaving a wondrous murder mystery set in England around the late 1920's. It kept me reading into the wee small hours of morning to find out if my suspicions of who the killer could be were right or not. For me, the killer was not readily revealed which I rather like. Novels that don't keep you guessing are not very good sport for an avid mystery reader such as myself. This one did not disappoint and I felt that Derring was able to stay true to the period and means of detection that were available at that time.</div>
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I also felt that the characters were exquisitely crafted. It was clear from the beginning that Derring felt comfortable writing about them and seemed to know them better than themselves. Usually an added romance would be something that would not work for me in a mystery novel, especially if it is one of the main story plots, but in this case it added to intrigue of the plot itself. It had kind of an Austen feel that I very much appreciated. </div>
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There were two main things that I had a little difficulty with overlooking, however, and they both have to deal with the editing of the Kindle version sent to me. It was strange, but for some reason all of the words that had a double 'f' in them were missing them! Words like off would be spelled "o" instead of it. If it had been intentional there should have been an apostrophe after the 'o'. The other thing that bothered me was how the book was formatted. In the version I was sent, there were not many, if any, distinctions between paragraphs. Not many indentations to signify a new paragraph and in some instances there was a space right in the middle of a sentence where the line was severed and then indented on the next line. Other than that, there were some minor editing issues with respect to missing quotations around some dialogue and some odd transitions. The main character would be chatting with someone about going to the chief inspector to relay information and in the very next sequence of sentences, the inspector was suddenly there as if no time had past.</div>
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Overall, I thought that this was a great mystery that keeps the reader invested in solving. If you enjoy mysteries that have a more classical feel to them, then you will thoroughly enjoy this book. However, if you will not be able to look past the formatting issues making it impossible to finish the book, than I would not recommend this one. However, it would be a great shame to pass it up since it was a delightful and light read.</div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">Rating:</span> </strong>3.5 out of 5</div>
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I was given a copy by Net Gallery at the request of the Prism Book Tours for my honest review; I was not paid to give this review.</div>
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1373496795p5/6565151.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Julianna Deering" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1373496795p5/6565151.jpg" /></a><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Julianna Derring</span></b> has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her new series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuts with Rules of Murder (Bethany House, Summer 2013) and will be followed by Death by the Book (Bethany House, Spring 2014) and Murder at the Mikado (Bethany House, Summer 2014).</span></div>
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