Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10). By Ilona Andrews.

Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10). By Ilona Andrews. 2019. Ace Books. ISBN-13: 9780425270721 (paperback).

Diane take note, the Kate Daniels series is a damn fine cup of coffee.

439 pages

To Have and to Hoax. By Martha Waters.

To Have and to Hoax. By Martha Waters. 2020. Atria Books (ARC ebook).

One year into their happy marriage, Lady Violet Gray and Lord James Audley had a big fight and have since spent the last four years far from wedded bliss. When an accident occurs, miscommunication escalates to outrage, confusion, feigned illness, actors, mother-in-laws, faux mistresses and facepalming friends. As the obstacles in their relationship build, the renewed sparks flying between husband and wife threaten to burn them down. Violet and James may or may not prove equal in manipulation, but can they prove equal in love?

This was a Regency romance read that managed to merge several different tropes to appreciative affect. If you are looking for a new author, pick this entertaining and romantic book up.

367 pages

Wicked Bite (Night Rebel #2). By Jeaniene Frost.

Wicked Bite (Night Rebel #2). By Jeaniene Frost. 2020. Avon. ISBN-13: 9780062695635 (Paperback).

Wicked Bite picks up where Shades of Wicked left off. Book #1 set a high bar and Frost delivers on the action, suspense, Ian’s one-liners, and of course, the sexy times. But Veritas’s internal monologues about her past and half-demigod nature did make it feel like those parts of the book could have been tightened up.

I had expected this book to wrap up the series, but a new plot line came to visit Veritas at the end and I’m looking forward to next adventure for these two crazy kids.

Page-turner, Witty, Action-packed, Romantic, Unpredictable, Entertaining, Great world building, Steamy, Wonderful characters

371 pages

Open Season (A Joe Pickett Novel #1). By C. J. Box.

Open Season (A Joe Pickett Novel #1). By C. J. Box. 2016. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN-13: 9780399576607 (Paperback).

Joe Pickett is the new game warden in Twelve Sleep, Wyoming, and suffice to say, due to his refusal to take bribes or look the other way, he’s not won over very many of the residents. And when a local hunting outfitter ends up dead, splayed out on the woodpile in the Pickett’s back yard, and two more outfitters are found dead in a hunting camp, Joe is unsatisfied with the explanation provided by the local police. He doesn’t believe the outfitter ended up on his woodpile by coincidence, not when he and Joe had a previously nasty and humiliating altercation when Joe caught him in the act of poaching. There are rumblings of endangered species up in the mountains and deals being sought with a multi-national natural gas company to build a pipeline. The current sheriff is unexpectedly bowing out of the upcoming election and Joe’s Fish & Game colleagues are “misplacing” evidence. Joe dives deep into the investigation and it’s a long time before he comes up for air.

Box doesn't pull his punches. In Open Season, bad things happen to good people and the villains will send chills down your spine. But what makes this a great start for the series is Pickett and his family. Like all the best mystery protagonists, Pickett is a loner who holds tight to his personal code of honor. What masterfully sets him apart is that he isn’t immune from making significant blunders and his isolation isn’t of his own choosing. He’s still a rookie and his naivety, mixed with the complexities and ambiguities inherent in upholding the law, make for a fresh perspective in western mysteries.

352 pages

Wild Wild Rake (The Cavensham Heiresses #6). Janna MacGregor.

Wild Wild Rake (The Cavensham Heiresses #6). Janna MacGregor. 2020. St. Martin’s Paperbacks. (ARC paperback).

Lady Avalon, the widowed Marchioness of Warwyk, has spent the last nine years raising her son and younger sister by herself, as well as establishing a well-respected standing in the community of Thistledown; all with little interference from her son’s guardian, the Duke of Larkton. But now, as the young lord Warwyk is of age to attend Eton and Avalon is attempting to expand her charity work, she finds that the Duke has sent his brother to spy on her under the ruse of tutoring her son in Latin. Avalon has no use for Devan Farris but it proves harder than expected to send him on his way as he quickly ingratiates himself in the parish as the charming new vicar.

Both Avalon and Devan think they know who each other are; Devan is a reputed rake, untrustworthy of Avalon’s confidences, and Avalon is cold and haughty, having jilted Devan’s best friend in the past. But they will find that they could not be more wrong.

This regency romance is set in a unique countryside parish and is full of heart and intelligently-written characters. A definite read for those looking for a determined heroine, a swoon-worthy hero, and delightful banter.

352 pages

Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4). By Jill Shalvis.

Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4). By Jill Shalvis. 2020. William Morrow Paperbacks (ARC paperback).

Dedicated EMT and control freak sister of two, Piper Manning is ready to leave Wildstone behind for a new home and profession. She’s got this. It’s all in her journal and the first step is already checked off.

1. Get Gavin and Winnie raised, out of the house and settled on their own √

2. Apply to a Physician’s Assistant program far away from Wildstone--Colorado will work

3. Get the lake house and cottages in good enough order to land a buyer so that there is money to pay for said program and relocation

4. Don’t fall for the new hunk staying at the marina

She so doesn’t have this.

5. So Gavin and Winnie are back, surely this is temporary

6. Gavin has a secret

7. What’s this about turning the property into a B&B???

8. Winnie has a secret

9. Missed the deadline for classes, can apply again

10. Can totally handle a fling with the marina/Coast Guard/DEA hunk named Camden Hayes

Family, fun, forgiveness and finding someone to put down roots for. Shalvis hits all the right notes. The only confusion for me was the amount of the story spent on a secondary romance between Piper’s brother Gavin and Wildstone police officer CJ. It is easily a third of the book and not a setup for the next installment. My preference would have been to have Gavin and CJ’s story as a novella despite the overlapping events. This would have given some pages to see Cam on a mission and some shenanigans of the Mannings running the B&B before the epilogue. Final verdict though is that Shalvis writes such wonderful characters and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

358 pages

The One You Fight For (The Ones Who Got Away #3). By Roni Loren.

The One You Fight For (The Ones Who Got Away #3). By Roni Loren. 2019. Sourcebooks Casablanca. ISBN-13: 9781492651468 (Paperback).

When the world and everyone you know defines you by one catastrophic tragedy...
How do you find your happy ending?

Fourteen years ago, Long Acre High School Senior Taryn Landry was labeled one of the “The Ones Who Got Away.” Having survived but losing her younger sister that night, Taryn has devoted her life to researching and developing interventions to prevent violent school events. As a psychology professor, she is smart, driven and a complete workaholic drowning in her and her parent’s obsession to get her proposed programs implemented into schools.

Shaw Miller’s life was also irrevocably changed that night. He became a shadow of himself—having lost his chance at Olympic Gold, being ostracized from his imploded family, and almost losing his sanity under the constant media scrutiny labeling him as the “Brother of a Monster.” He’s come to Austin to help the only friend who has stuck with him start a new business. It’s a little too close to home, but he has no plans of stepping foot in Long Acre and as long as he stays under the radar, his identity will remain a secret.

When Taryn and Shaw meet, the connection is there, but once they realize who the other is, they know there is no hope for them. But the unexpected attraction is too hard to ignore. In each other they find a haven where they can drop their shields and just be themselves—to confide their long held secrets about that dreadful night. But will others absolve them of their heartbreaking guilt?

All along, Loren has offered a variety of perspectives about the shooting and the immediate actions leading up to and following it. But now we get Taryn’s story, whom among the rest of this series’ group of survivors, was the only one to lose a family member. And Shaw’s story explores yet another side; what happens to the sibling who was left behind in the ashes of the other’s infamy? It’s a hard and unique premise for any author to pull off, but Loren makes it look easy and her signature style for this series will easily pull you in. If you devoured the first two books, you’ll do the same with this one.

382 pages

Hidden Things: A Novel. By Doyce Testerman.

Hidden Things: A Novel. By Doyce Testerman. 2012. Harper Voyager. ISBN-13: 9780062108111 (Paperback).

“Watch out for the hidden things,” are the last words private investigator, Josh White, speaks to his business partner, best friend and ex-girlfriend, Calliope Jenkins, while still alive. But cryptic messages from Josh on their business’s answering machine and couriered by a stranger known as the Fat Man send Calliope on a bizarre road trip halfway across the country. With her is an appointed guide, Vikous, who for all appearances is a trench coat-wearing clown. But as Calliope is about to learn, not all things are as they seem and not all shadows that have been forgotten and relegated to myths and nightmares prefer to remain hidden.

Hidden Things is a character-driven story, but the fantasy and suspense elements fit well into the plot and how the Hidden beings are portrayed is wonderfully unique. Interspersed with Calliope’s bittersweet memories of Josh and snarky camaraderie with Vikous, this is a great debut novel by Testerman.

323 pages

MOBIUS

Pale Fallen Angel (Vampire Hunter D Vol. 11, Parts One and Two). By Hideo Kikuchi, English translation by Kevin Leahy, Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano.

Pale Fallen Angel (Vampire Hunter D Vol. 11, Parts One and Two). By Hideo Kikuchi, English translation by Kevin Leahy, Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano. 2008. Dark Horse Press/Digital Manga Publishing. ISBN 1595821309 (paperback).

In a world where vampire hunters are the only ones the Nobles fear, it is singularly remarkable that a Nobleman possesses enough mettle to request the services of a hunter as a bodyguard. Baron Byron Balarge seeks to end Lord Vlad’s life and must make a treacherous journey to do so. Vowing to D that he will not drink blood from the living while the hunter is in the Baron’s services, the duo set off on the mission, thwarting assassins and accumulating traveling partners along the way.

The merry band of travelers are fresh and entertaining, the powers of the villains unique, and a very interesting reveal regarding D’s suspected parentage. Pale Fallen Angel, Parts One and Two promises a satisfying conclusion to this four-part tale. Initially published in Japan in 1994, this translated work contains the original illustrations by Amano, a 2008 postscript by the author.

324 pages

Primary Suspect (Callahan Confidential #5). By Laura Scott

Primary Suspect (Callahan Confidential #5). By Laura Scott. 2018. Love Inspired Suspense. ISBN-13: 9781355081209 (paperback).

When Mitch Callahan, a firefighter turned arson investigator, turns up at the site of a recent fire at the request of his boss, he is broadsided by the dead body he finds, followed quickly by the 2x4 to the side of his face. Realizing he is being set up, Mitch flees the scene, but needs medical attention for the gash in his neck. Showing up at the ER he unwittingly involves the young widowed nurse Dana Petrie and the two quickly find themselves running for their lives from armed pursuit. Can Dana trust Mitch, the man who tried, but failed to save the life of her rookie firefighting husband three years ago? Or will the evidence building up against him prove that she has teamed-up with the bad guy?

Primary Suspect by Laura Scott is a quick read with a satisfying combination of action, suspense and second chances as Dana experiences a rekindling in her heart for her faith, purpose and chance at love. Both Scott’s Callihan Confidential series and Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense stories are new to me and while this is book five, the story is easy enough to follow without having started at the beginning of the series. But I am curious about the rest of the Callahan clan.

224 pages

MOBIUS

Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates #1). By Felicity Heaton.

Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates #1). By Felicity Heaton. 2013. Felicity Heaton. ASIN: B00GSQJNJO (Kindle).

Injured and left disoriented in the human realm by his enemy, Loren unknowingly initiates a bond between himself and the beautiful woman he bites in an attempt to heal himself. The existence of such a bond reveals Olivia as Loren’s eternal mate, but with his kingdom under threat, the dark elf prince decides that he has found her at a most inopportune time.

As a research scientist at the demon-hunting organization Archangel, Olivia would rather study the dark elf than risk her heart. Not willing to pull Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud in the fae realm, Loren agrees to work with her in order to find a way to break the bond. Too bad fate has other plans for them.

Heaton’s first installment in the Eternal Mates series has the promising beginnings of intricate world building and mythology. The secondary characters are also woven into the story well, with set ups for their own stories that do not feel tacked on. I look forward to the rest of the series.

283 pages

Moon Knight Vol. 1: Lunatic (Moon Knight Vol. 8 #1-5). By Jeff Lemire, Artist: Greg Smallwood, Colorist: Jordie Bellaire.

Moon Knight Vol. 1: Lunatic (Moon Knight Vol. 8 #1-5). By Jeff Lemire, Artist: Greg Smallwood, Colorist: Jordie Bellaire. 2016. Marvel. ISBN: 9780785199533 (paperback).

Marc Spector has been bringing vengeance down upon the scum of NYC for years…or has he? When Spector finds himself locked up in an insane asylum, with none of his enhanced abilities, he begins to doubt he was ever Moon Knight to begin with. And for that matter, was he ever Jake Lockley, Steven Grant or Mr. Knight? The average superhero juggles two identities. Spector’s special, he juggles five…maybe. Woe to those who see vengeance coming…for he wants you to…hence the white suit.

Lemire begins this run with a lot of set up for what is to come. The trade off is that Lunatic is light on action. However, fans know that when Spector is at his most unhinged is when Moon Knight is at his most spectacular. Lemire’s scenarios will be best appreciated by those knowing the groundwork of Spector’s origins, his cohorts and enemies, and the ambiguity of whether he is mentally ill or possessed by the moon god Khonshu. 

Moon Knight Vol. 8 consists of 19 issues collected into 3 volumes. The artwork is solid, but sparse, which is fitting for the setting of the story. Variant covers are included and a parental advisory issued. 

#1-5 = 120 pages

MOBIUS

The Essential Haiku: Versions of Bashō, Buson, & Issa. Edited and with Verse Translations by Robert Hass.

The Essential Haiku: Versions of Bashō, Buson, & Issa. Edited and with Verse Translations by Robert Hass. 1994. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN-13 9780880013512 (Paperback).

    A cicada shell;
it sang itself
    utterly away.
- Matsuo Bashō

The Essential Haiku: Versions of Bashō, Buson & Issa presents the essential poems of three masters of the haiku form: Bashō (1644-1694), Buson (1716-1783) and Issa (1763-1827). In addition to haikus (numbering roughly 100 per poet); long poems, diary entries, and Issa’s artwork are also included. American poet and translator, Robert Hass, helps to set the stage for each poet by providing biographical introductions and useful annotated notes to the poems. Whether you are a seasoned reader of haikus or just discovering the form, this book will surely satisfy with its range of inspiring, humorous and somber offerings.

352 pages

MOBIUS

An Event in Autumn (A Kurt Wallander Mystery). By Henning Mankell, English translation by Laurie Thompson.

An Event in Autumn (A Kurt Wallander Mystery). By Henning Mankell, English translation by Laurie Thompson. 2014. Vintage Crime/Black Lizard. ISBN 9780804170642 (paperback).

Yearning for a dog and a place by the sea, the story begins with Ystad police detective Kurt Wallander prospecting a farmhouse in late October, only to stumble upon a skeletal hand protruding from the garden. The discovery turns into a case of two bodies, decades old, and Kurt teams with his colleagues, Lindman and Martinson, to doggedly investigate the property’s history in order to identify the dead.

An Event in Autumn is not a complex mystery plot. Rather, it showcases Kurt’s thoughts on retirement, his relationship with his daughter Linda (now a rookie police officer at the Ystad station), and the societal changes that Kurt has seen over time in southern Sweden.

Translated in 2014, it is the last Wallander mystery to be published in English. Its placement in the series’ timeline however, is as the penultimate, leaving the novel, The Troubled Man, as the bookend for the Swedish police detective. Readers of the series will find this novella a relaxed lead-in for Kurt’s final story.

176 pages.

MOBIUS

The Rose Princess (Vampire Hunter D Vol. 9). By Hideo Kikuchi, English translation by Kevin Leahy, Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano.

The Rose Princess (Vampire Hunter D Vol. 9). By Hideo Kikuchi, English translation by Kevin Leahy, Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano. 2007. Dark Horse Press/Digital Manga Publishing. ISBN 1595821090 (paperback).

Generations ago, the world ended; ravaged by man’s madness. But from the ashes, the surviving humans were privileged to witness the dawn of a new race...a Noble race...Vampires. Very few heroes remain to protect mortals from the Nobility. Hideo Kikuchi’s series chronicles the adventures of possibly the greatest of these heroes; a vampire hunter named D.

Not everything is coming up roses for D as his latest hunt takes him to a village on the far reaches of the Northern Frontier. D’s intent is to rid the village of a vampiric Noblewoman who resides in the nearby ruins and calls herself a princess. The problem is, he’ll first have to defeat her four bodyguards known as the Knights of the Diane Rose, and...the villagers don’t seem too keen on being free from the princess’s ‘protection.’

 
While the approach of D taking on one opponent at a time is becoming lackluster, Kikuchi’s signature blend of horror and apocalyptic science fiction still delivers another enjoyable addition to the series. Initially published in Japan in 1994, this translated work contains the original illustrations by Amano, a 2007 postscript by the author, and a preview of the next translated book.

224 pages

Edgedancer (The Stormlight Archive #2.5). By Brandon Sanderson.

Edgedancer (The Stormlight Archive #2.5). By Brandon Sanderson. 2017. TOR.

ISBN-13: 9781250166548 (Mini-hardcover)

Edgedancer follows a burgeoning Knight Radiant named Lift as she and her spren Wyndle leave the protection of a boy emperor to travel to the trenched city of Yeddaw--where people are being hunted by the man called Darkness. With the Everstorm and the Assassin in White looming over Yeddaw, will Lift survive Darkness? Well, she is awesome, although poor beleaguered Wyndle might disagree.

Sanderson remains one of my top favorite fantasy writers and his irreverent Lift is not one to let a story linger.

Lift and Wyndle are first introduced in Words of Radiance, but this edition includes Lift’s interlude as a prologue, so you can read all of her story in one place. However, it is suggested to begin with Book One, The Way of Kings, to fully grasp the concepts of surgebinders, spren and stormlight.
 

272 pages

MOBIUS 

Missouri’s Mad Doctor McDowell: Confederates, Cadavers and Macabre Medicine. By Victoria Cosner & Lorelei Shannon.

Missouri’s Mad Doctor McDowell: Confederates, Cadavers and Macabre Medicine. By Victoria Cosner & Lorelei Shannon. 2015. The History Press. ISBN-13: 9781467118880 (paperback).

Meet St. Louis’ eccentric surgeon, Dr. Joseph Nash McDowell (1805-1868): A man who held undying grudges and took his medical oath seriously. Warm and kind to his students, the doctor inspired such loyalty among them that they gladly accompanied him in his grave robbing escapades; such activities that would generate angry mobs outside of McDowell Medical College. He once sicced his pet bear on one such mob; the bear yawned and the mob fled.

Enhanced with photographs, illustrations and appendices, readers won’t be able to set down this engaging 144-page narrative about a doctor who sought to preserve his dead loved ones by encasing them in copper-lined cylinders filled with alcohol, and who took to wearing body armor in the streets of St. Louis. This was a great find in Barnes & Noble's regional section and can also be found in our Missouriana collection.

144 pages

 MOBIUS