The Red Queen Dies

This book was recommended by my local library and it sounded interesting with the "Alice in Wonderland" inspired crime. It is essentially a detective novel that takes place in 2019 where the occurring theme of "Big Brother" is watching runs amuck. Bailey has created a very strong female leading detective that is working very hard to catch a serial killer that may have ties to the last victim, a Broadway star know as "the Red Queen".

Even with all of the intrigue, this book took me several days to really get into it. Especially since it started off with a press conference, which was informative, but dull. I didn't have any immediate excitement about reading the book and was concerned that it would not be eventful. However, I will say that Bailey has done a very good job a weaving a relatively okay crime tale that has some good twists and turns that the average reader may not catch on to right away. Her main characters were fairly fleshed out and they seemed like they could be real people, which for me is one of the things I need to become invested in the plot.

Outside of this though, there were several things that got in the way and made it a slower read for me. First off, there was the abbreviation "ORB", which I am not entirely sure what it stands for. It seems like it is a smart tablet/phone-like device that people are able to order/pay for items at coffee shops along with answering calls or viewing e-mail. It was not fully explained, so I envisioned it as a smarter version of the most recent smart phone...confused? In the "Author's Notes" section of the book, Bailey suggests going to her website for further explanations for the technology, history, etc. Although that was very nice of her to offer, I would much rather have been shown this in the novel then going the distance to research it. Kind of takes the fun out of reading the book and being transported somewhere new.

There were also too many twists to the storyline that made it seem a little ridiculous at the end with respect to tying it in to "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Wizard of Oz". I wish perhaps some of that would have been cut out and a little more focus could have been given to the crimes at hand. The idea was sound, but just not well executed which made the overall readability of the book suffer.

Bailey also had a few side stories added in and I am not certain what purpose they were meant to serve. The first had to do with another case that a few detectives were working, but it didn't really tie in to the serial case that was the main story and seemed a little erroneous. Then there were several scenes in which one character was meeting with another or speaking with another on their ORB, but the identity of the other individual was never revealed. If these scenes had had an impact with respect to the story, I would have understood why they were there. But they felt like they were added in only to show that this book would be part of a series and there were still much more to come with regards to the characters in the plot.

The other thing that bothered me was the fact the book had many editing issues. It has become a pet-peeve of mine now that authors do not seem to be proof reading their manuscripts or investing in a good copy editor. There were dialogue sequences that were missing quotations. Many areas had grammatical errors that should have been caught. I was a little disappointed in that.

Overall, the book was okay. It started out slow, but in the end it made for a good story. If you can overlook some of the editing issues and wade through the extra information that was not needed, you would enjoy this book because it does have a good crime story underneath all of that. However, if you are unable to do any of that and need a story that builds from that first sentence on, then you may want to skip this one.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not asked to do a review of this book.

The image was taken from Good Reads.

The Rosie Project

I am part of a reading challenge on Good Reads and this was the book that was chosen for February. This is not the genre I typically choose to read, so I was apprehensive if I would even enjoy this book let alone be able to finish it. However, I did like this book and finished it within 2 days time.

What was interesting about this book was exploring Asperger's Autism, which is something that I know very little about. It was a great deal of fun to take someone who does not understand emotions like love and place them into a situation where love or falling in love was the end result. The need for precise scheduling seemed to surprise me too, especially with the need to calculate every minute of time done to how long it should take to shop for something as simple as a scarf.

The other thing that I enjoyed was Don's need to create "projects" to accomplish goals. At first it was to find a suitable wife, so he initiated "The Wife Project". Then the goal of helping Rosie find the identity of her father, so "The Father Projected" was created. Lastly, there was "The Rosie Project", which was the main plot of the book. Since I have some science background, I felt that Simsion did a great job at showing this logical part of the scientific brain and how it relates to every day life.

I know that others felt that Simsion made his main character Don a little like Sheldon from the "Big Bang Theory", but even with the similarities there were enough differences that made Don incredibly unique. His inability to meet someone without calculating their BMI was truly humorous to me. I enjoyed the situations that he found himself in with respect to "normal" social decorum like the dispute with a student on evolution that involved a flounder well past its eat by date.

For me, there weren't too many things that I did not like about the book. It had a good flow to it and was a very easy, light read. The fact that it is only told through Don's eyes is why the book was successful for me. If there had been more with respect to the thoughts and feelings of Gene, Claudia, and Rosie I don't think the underlying meaning behind writing the book would have been as strong. However, I really wanted more from the Gene and Claudia storyline. I suppose more for my own curiosity than anything else. There was an unexpressed feeling that Claudia was not as excited about the open marriage the same way that Gene made it sound. Especially after the scene where she put chili peppers in his sandwich without telling him!

Overall, this book was enjoyable and quite different from what I would typically read. If you like romantic comedies then I think that you would enjoy this book. However, if you are not into that type of thing and would not be able to get past the similarities between Sheldon and Don, then you probably should skip this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not asked to do a review of this book.

The image was taken from Good Reads.

The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel

Because I love a good caper and have been a fan of Sherlock Holmes for quite some time, I could not resist reading this novel. It is the first Sherlock Holmes book allowed to be written by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Estate in about 125 years! Even with all the expectation that this novel would indeed disappoint to live up to Doyle's beloved character, I had to give it a try and pleasantly, I found myself unable to put it down.

Horowitz does an incredible job of capturing Holmes the way that Doyle had created him to be. I love how everything is there; the violin, the exasperation that Watson feels over the course of the investigation, and the subtle clues that reveal the killer in a way that only Holmes is privy to. It was if Horowitz had created Sherlock Holmes himself for you can feel the love that he has for this timeless character.

But beyond this, the language of the novel was exactly the way that Doyle would have written. It was as if it had been published 125 years ago with that classic literature feel. Gregarious and dripping with description that I so desperately want in the newer fiction that I have been reading these days. The plot was weaved so that the killer was not completely obvious, but you had your suspicions that could encompass several of the characters being followed by Holmes. Even I was surprised with some of the revelations of what crimes were committed by whom and why. (And that is saying something!).

There isn't much that I would have changed about this novel except a few revision/editing issues that I had. Some of the dialect seemed off and there were a few words used multiple times toward the first half that wore out there use after the second time written. However, these did not deter from the story overall and I found it no less enjoyable to read.

If you are an individual that is expecting this character to be one that mirrors the likes of Robert Downey Jr, then do not pick up this book. Sherlock Holmes in this novel is exactly the same as the one Doyle had written long ago. If you are able to disassociate yourself from the new age romantic view of Holmes then you will enjoy this book. However, if you are not able to detach yourself from the 21st century version of the most famous detective in literature, then you will probably not enjoy this book, but it would be a shame not to read it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I borrowed this book from a local library; I was not asked to do a review of this book.

The image was taken from Good Reads.

Real Murders

This book was also recommended by my local library and even though it was written some time ago, I thought that I would give it a try. The premise was interesting with a club called "Real Murders" in which people gathered monthly to look at true crimes and discuss the details of a particular case, but there is a murder at the VFW hall where their meeting is and everyone becomes a suspect. Several more murders take place and it is clear that the killer or killers are copying old crimes.

This is the first book that I have read by Charlaine Harris and I thought that it was fairly well written. It kind of reminded me of "Murder She Wrote" even though the main character, Aurora, is a great deal younger than the Jessica Fletcher character of the former. Harris does a fairly decent job at developing her main character Aurora, but almost borderlines with stereotyping her as a librarian that eventually lets her hair down to be adventurous. The story also moved along quite steadily and did not seem to have too many awkward pauses, but there were some editing issues that should have been resolved before print. I also felt that with it being in first person point of view, the story did not suffer from lack of information either with regards to the crimes. In that respect, it was very developed.

Sadly, the overall feel of the book was rather dull. There were quite a few characters introduced in the book and not all of them were needed. Harris develops some that should be left in the shadows and then skips over others that should be more fleshed out. There is also the unnecessary love triangle between Aurora, Arthur the detective, and Robin the writer. I wish that Harris would have chosen one of them to be the main love interest and then explore that a little more in the book. There just seemed to be several sub plots that were not important and made the whole book drag on as it was being read.

However, I did find the overall theme of the book intriguing and therefore would recommend it to individuals that enjoy mysteries of the 1990's. However, if you like more streamline mystery novels where you are constantly asking why the main character doesn't just use their cell phone to call the police, then this novel would not be for you.

Rating: 2 out 5

I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not asked to do a review of this book.

The image was taken from Good Reads.

The Fate of Mercy Alban

This book was on the recommended list at my local library. Since I found it quite intriguing, I checked it out and was able to finish it within a night. It was a simple read that had wonderful potential to be an amazing mystery, but sadly fell short with respect to structure and plot.

What I liked about the book was that Wendy Webb was able to create several characters that I truly wanted to like and learn more about. The main character Grace struggled with wanting to be free of her family's history, but at the same needs that family's pull in the small town where she grew up when a series of deaths and unfortunate events start happening. Webb introduces a sweet minister from the church about a mile from her family's home that is instantly likeable, almost reads like the boy next door. The house itself is also a character rich in the history of how it was built with the backstory of a curse passed on from the harvested wood it was created from.

However, the story itself suffered from several issues. In terms of story editing, it ended and began with third person point of view, but the main part of the story is told in first person point of view. This is one of my biggest pet-peeves. The point of view cannot change several times within the story. It is either all third person or all first person. I suppose I am a little old-fashioned in that respect, but that is how it should be. Secondly, the reality of the storyline seemed a little off. A minister jumping into bed with the main character so quickly in the book seemed rather unlikely, especially since the religious views of Grace were not well established. Thirdly, the reading of the unpublished novel within the novel did not work for me. It was very dull in spots with this addition and seemed to make the story slow down greatly. Lastly, it seemed like the actual "ghost story" was kind of lost or skipped over because of the found unpublished novel. It would have be far more interesting to give a little more background on Grace's grandmother and her Irish or Celtic magical roots. I wanted more of that part of Grace's history and of the backstory of her aunts.

Overall, it was a good attempt at a campy ghost story. It reminded me of something that one might tell around a campfire with friends about a cursed house and how those that lived there once had never been heard from again. I really wanted to like this story and parts of it I did. If you are looking for a new take on a ghost story that gives you all the thrill rides of a murder mystery, then you will probably want to skip this one. But if you are someone who enjoys a campy ghost story that gets its point across without explaining everything in detail, then you may want to pick this book up some dark and stormy night.

Rating: 2 out of 5

I borrowed this book from my local library; I was not asked to do a review of this book.

The image was taken from Good Reads.

Willful Behavior

I have never read a novel by Donna Leon and so was unfamiliar with the length series that this book was a part of. However, I don't think that you would be lost if you were to pick up this book like I did and start reading in the middle of the series about this Detective Brunetti.

For me this was an VERY slow read. I am not certain if it was intentional by Leon because that is what the Italian lifestyle is like or if it was an unfortunate outcome of the plot itself. It was really hard to keep my focus and I found myself putting the book down for several days and then picking it back up only to repeat this process.

In terms of the characters and Italy, it was exquisitely written. The description was wonderful and it felt like I was really walking the streets of Italy, embracing their culture, and experiencing a place that I am not familiar with. Leon gives great descriptions of the characters as well and it feels as if the Detective and the reader are old friends.

Unfortunately, the plot didn't really work for me. I found myself not really invested in the murder of Detective Brunetti' wife's student. The only thing that kept me reading was to find out why she was murdered for my own personal interest. It seemed like even Leon was tired of writing it about halfway through and perhaps that is why it dragged. There were still a few twists while trying to solve the murder, but it read more like a travel book documenting the Italian lifestyle than as a murder mystery.

Overall, this novel had great descriptions, but it was a very slow read and dragged on. I think that many individuals who have already read the previous books in the series will love this book. However, if you are a newcomer like myself, I recommend starting with the first book in the series before taking this one on.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

I borrowed this book from a local library; I was not paid or asked to do a review of this book.

The image was taken from Good Reads.

Daughters of Twilight

It is rare that I come across a book that I just cannot put down and read well into the night, but this book was one of them. The premise is what interested me from the beginning; a possible war with angels here in Iowa. However, even though I was interested enough to read this almost all in one night, it did not deliver everything that I had imagined it would.

What I really thought that Collette Jackson-Fink did well was with regards to description of the surroundings and of the characters. The angels were incredibly detailed with their beauty and the way that they were able to move/fight. I found myself transfixed, wondering exactly what it would have been like to be in their presence. The men that were fighting against them, some under false pretense, were your garden variety military personnel. Jackson-Fink does try to give each of them a unique quirk or characteristic to set them apart from one another, but sometimes they still seemed a little type-casted. What I really loved were the descriptions of the black pyramid, especially the secret place the angels take the main character Dane to.

Most of the issues I had were simple editing or revision errors. There were many sentences that started with "He, his, they" and that made the paragraphs seem to read a little awkward at times. Some of the dialogue was a little confusing at times with missing quotations and some strange spacing issues. I think that there were two areas within the storyline that I felt if the author had fleshed out a little more, the story would have been a little more complete feeling. One was when an angle "tasted the truth" in the blood of the wounded Dane. I didn't quite understand how that worked. How did the angel taste truth? Seemed relatively abstract and wasn't very concrete. The other issue I had dealt with how the angels "remake" or "transform" their life mates. It seemed to be something that was talked about more than once, but when it came time for it to happen in the book, it was only a paragraph long. It didn't really explain how it happened, which is what I really wanted to know. The last issue I had was that the novel seemed to wrap every loose end up when it was finished. I think that I like to have a little bit of the storyline end not so neat to keep me thinking. Sometimes that "what ifs?" are sometimes more important to me than tying everything up in the end completely.

Overall, I thought that this was a very good novel. The religious undertone was what really drew me to it and it kept me interested all the way to the end. I would recommend this book to just about anyone who likes religious suspense fiction. However, if you are not a fan of having everything tied up neatly in the end and know that will bother you, I would suggest skipping this book for the moment, but it would be shame to miss out on this one.

Rating: 3 out of 5

I was given a copy of the book by the author; I was not paid to do this review.

The image was taken from Good Reads.