Gone, No Forwarding by Joe Gores

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

It’s all about saving his law practice.  He goes up against rich mob lawyers.  Seven of his witnesses are missing, phones are bugged, and shots are fired in the court room. 

Audio:  7 hrs. 30 min.
Print:  212 pages.

Pets in a Pickle by Malcolm Welshman

Pets in  a Pickle, written by a retired veterinarian, introduces us to Paul Mitchell, a recent veterinary school graduate embarking on his career at Prospect House Veterinary Hospital. The stories are gently told and filled with light humor. (And all the animals live!) This was a fun change of pace. I would definitely read another book by this author. 288 pages.

"Enslaved" by Elisabeth Naughton

This is book five in the Eternal Guardians series and is about Gryphon, the Argonaut who was rescued by his brother, Orpheus, in the previous book.  He was tortured in the Underworld for three months and this story deals with the repercussions.  Gryphon was bound to the evil goddess Atalanta while in the Underworld, and now he hears her voice constantly calling to him and he thinks the only way to stop it is to kill her.  He doesn't know how to escape from the colony where he recovering, but Maelea does.  She's been in the colony hiding from Hades, the evil god of the Underworld who is married to her mother and hates her.  But Maelea is afraid that he will send his hellhounds for her and end up killing many innocents, so she plans her escape.  However, Gryphon intercepts her on the way out and gets them into dangerous situations in the process.

More world building and new creatures kept the story interesting when it seemed like Gryphon was so hopelessly damaged that he would never be likable.  Thankfully, Naughton redeems him and also makes Maelea a character in which the reader can be proud.  Now I have to wait for book six to be published.  374 pages.

(See my previous posts on book 1, "Marked," book 2, "Entwined," book 3, "Tempted," and book 4 "Enraptured.")

"Rise of the Fallen" by Donya Lynne

This is the first book in the All the King's Men series, and I found it hard to put down.  Micah Black is a deadly vampire enforcer who has recently been dumped by his mate and is suicidal.  His coworkers can't find him and don't know if he's still alive, but his life is saved by Samantha Garrett.  She's human and off limits to Micah, but that doesn't stop him from trying to keep her in his life.  However, Sam has deadly secrets of her own that could put them both in danger.  This was a great story with many interesting characters who have their own issues and histories.  It reminded me strongly of J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.  I'm looking forward to reading more about these vampires.  181 pages (Kindle edition).

"Wild Passion" by Lori Brighton

Adelaide's mother is ill and needs to move from their dilapidated apartment into a healthier environment, but they don't have the money.  Adelaide goes to India to find a priceless statute that will more than pay for a better place for her and her mother.  But James, a treasure hunter, also must get the statute for a ruthless patron.  This is a well written story set in the 1800s with a paranormal element, but the title is misleading as it's more of a mystery than romance.  This is story #3 in the Wild series.  159 pages.

"Sweetheart in High Heels" by Gemma Halliday

Shoe designer Maddie's first wedding anniversary is in a few days and happens to also be Valentine's Day.  She's made dinner reservations and other plans but it looks like her husband may be too busy working to attend.  He's an L.A. police detective investigating a murder that Maddie and her best friend discovered first.  So she takes it upon herself to do a little sleuthing so that she and the hubby get to spend their special day together.  This was a cute novella written in the first person with a funny scene with the actress Betty White at an awards ceremony.  61 pages (Kindle edition).

Standing In Another Man's Grave / Ian Rankin

John Rebus is back, this time in a civilian capacity assigned to the cold case unit.  He happens to catch a cold case inquiry from a woman whose daughter went missing years before, and who now feels other missing person cases are related.  Rebus doggedly pursues leads in his usual fashion of using official and unofficial channels, and once again gets results.  It is hard to describe how compelling Rankin makes his protagonist, suffice it to say shouts of delight arose worldwide when Rebus came out of retirement.  Highly recommended - start with earlier work for the best background.  388. p.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

This is an AWESOME book. It goes into detail about the life of the Boleyn girls, Ann and Mary. King Henry VIII first falls for Mary. Mary has 2 of his children. Then he falls for Ann. Ann eventually works her way up. First she kicks the current queen Katherine out. Then she married the king, became queen, and tried to bear sons for the king. Her first child she has is a girl Elizabeth. After that she can not carry to full term. That is all I am going to say because this book is so good you need to read it and see how it ends! GREAT BOOK!! I can't wait to read more books by this author.

20 hrs. 13 mins.
672 pages.

Mudbound by Hilary Jordan

The day after her 30^th birthday, Laura Chappell awoke with a sense of relief; she was no longer just unmarried, she was officially unmarriageable. Now everyone could find something other than finding her a husband to occupy their time. But, in that funny way life has of turning us upside down, a year later she met Henry McAllan, a 41-year-old bachelor.  After a suitable courtship, they married and settled down in Memphis, where she had lived her entire life, and where all her family lived.  They had two little girls, and built a nice, happy life.

One day, Henry came home and casually announced he  bought a farm in Mississippi, where he grew up, and they will be moving there in two weeks. When they got there, Laura discovered that the farm has no indoor plumbing, no running water, no electricity and no telephone. Moreover, when there are heavy rains, which there frequently are, the low land floods, and they are cut off from town, and the rest of the world. It is a bleak existence; one exacerbated by the racism and misogyny of post-World War II Mississippi, and her father-in-law, who moves in with them.

On one bleak night, the rains, the racism, and happenstance combine to create a tragedy that changes the lives of everyone involved.

This isn’t a ‘feel good’ book, but it is very well written, the characters are thoroughly developed, and the story is compelling.

 

354 pages

A Good American by Alex George

An immigrant saga, telling the family history of the Meisenheimers of Hanover, Germany who fled to America in 1904 when Jette fell in love with Frederick and became pregnant. They end up settling in Beatrice Missouri, a small town near Rocheport. The story continues through the decades, as told by their grandson, James, who is trying to make sense of his life and the colorful characters in his family.  At times contrived, unbelievable, melodramatic, funny and still very true to small town life and its mores.  The book has been popular with book clubs in Missouri.   381 pages.   

You Can Buy Happiness (and It's Cheap) by Tammy Strobel

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Simple life living blogger shares tips on how to simplify your life with less material possessions and more effective use of your time. Love life not stuff, a life lived simpler. 

Audio:  6 hrs.

Print:   224 pages.

Damnation Road by Max McCoy

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

One Texas outlaw, called the Fiddler, is a train robber.  There's also a woman who knows where the confederate gold is hidden in Canyon Diablo. 

Audio:  6 hrs. 25 min.

Print:  272 pages.

Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

American history around the 19^th-century. A book that focuses on mountain Kit Carson who ended the Navajo and Comanche wars. He was in the army when there was a war with Mexico over the New Mexico, Arizona territory. 

Audio:  20 hours 52 min.

Print:  624 pages.

The Ragtime Kid by Larry Karp

Fifteen-year-old Brun Campbell has a passion for piano - especially ragtime. Running away from the family farm, he decides to head to Sedalia, Missouri, where he hopes to take lessons from Scott Joplin. Brun has amazingly good luck. He quickly finds a place to live and work and does indeed get to take lessons from Joplin. But all is not smooth sailing. Prejudice and violence plague this small community and Brun finds himself right in the middle of it. I found the historical elements of the storyline quite compelling, but the plot moved very, very sloooowly. This is the first book in the ragtime trilogy. 353 p.

"Escorted" by Claire Kent

Lori is a successful romance author who has very little experience with men.  Then she falls for one who is cool, mysterious, and completely unavailable.  Can she control her emotions enough to only be friends or will it be too painful to see him with other women?  A surprising story with a particularly unusual leading man.  321 e-book pages.

"Bait" by Annie Nicholas

This was a free e-book that started off well but became long and convoluted before its resolution.  Human Connie Bence is sent to Budapest as vampire bait to lure Rurik, the vampire overlord of that city, into a deadly trap as punishment for killing innocent humans.  However, the first time they meet, he turns the tables by drugging her and taking her to a dangerous Nosferatu as a gift.  But is he really a cold killer or is he being set up by someone even more deadly?  Lots of action and the first person narration really pulled me in but it kept going and going and going.  A shorter, tighter story would've been better.  305 e-book pages.

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

I decided to listen to this book because I absolutely love the movie. The movie however, is a lot different than the book. Holly learns to live, laugh, and love again. She learns that even after Jerry is gone she can still love. I loved the book but I have to admit the movie was much better which is normally not the case.

 Listening time: 12 hours 30 mins.

394 pages

The Black House by Peter May

A very dark murder mystery focuses more on the detective than the crimes.  Fin Macleod, an Edinburgh detective, is sent to an island in Scotland's Outer Hebrides to determine whether a local grisly murder, similar to one he investigated in Edinburgh, was committee by the same killer or a copycat.  On the desolate but beautiful island Fin reconnects with the group he grew up with, now adults, many of them affected in some way by their connection with him.  Living in this harsh environment with few job opportunities has shaped their lives, and there is some resentment of Fin, who had managed to escape the island.  The murders are eventually connected, but in an unexpected way.  The story is very evocative of the place and characters, but rather slow-paced.  357 pages.

Skeleton Hill / Peter Lovesey

Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond is back, this time piecing together the murders of two people, decades apart.  A human bone is unearthed by reenactors of a Civil War on a large public green outside of Bath, England.  They rebury the bone, but one goes back later to investigate the find and ultimately pays with his life for his actions.  Are the two deaths linked somehow? A varied, and very British, cast of characters leads DS Diamond down a couple of different paths before the clues click in to place.  Very satisfying mystery, and for once, DS Diamond gets his reward. 326 p.

"Enraptured" by Elisabeth Naughton

This is book four in the Eternal Guardians series and focuses on Orpheus, the brother of Argonaut Gryphon, and Skyla, a Siren who works for Zeus.  Gryphon's body has been taken over by a warlock and his soul sent to the Underworld to be tortured for eternity.  Orpheus plans to steal a precious element and trade it for Gryphon's soul, and Skyla has been sent to kill him before he can.  However, when they meet, she recognizes him as the reincarnation of someone from her very distant past.  Will she be able to go through with her mission now that she recognizes him as the man she used to love?

The story is much more complicated than my description, and Naughton builds a world full of dangerous creatures based on Greek mythology.  Her description of the Underworld is especially well done and full of suspense, and Orpheus and Skyla are another well matched couple.  Still, I would like to have known more about her past.  I highly recommend this series!  402 pages.

(See my previous posts on book 1, "Marked," book 2, "Entwined,"and book 3, "Tempted.")

"A Dark Kiss of Rapture" by Silvia Day

This e-book novella is a prequel to Day's Renegade Angels series and introduces Raze, one of the Fallen, a former angel stripped of his wings and soul and turned vampire.  He hunts rogue creatures and lives a transient life, never making deep emotional connections until he meets Kim McAdams, a human who captures his attention and shows him what he's been missing.  But Raze has many enemies, and being with Kim puts her in danger . . . and she knows nothing of his world.

All the different types of creatures left me a bit confused as to who has what powers and which enemies, but the writing was well done and kept me interested in Raze and Kim's fledgling relationship.  I'd like to read the rest of the series.  60 pages (Kindle edition).

Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins

This week I decided to try a lighthearted romance. Just One of the Guys has journalist Chastity O'Neill returning to her hometown even though it means she will once again be in the shadow of her brothers and nearer to Trevor, her first love who only sees her as a "little" sister. (At just shy of six feet, there is nothing little about her!) A typical Harlequin romance, but with plenty of self-deprecating humor. It got a little bogged in the middle, but for the most part it was an enjoyable, quick read. 384 pages.