Category: READING CHALLENGES 2013

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, E-Book, Fiction, NetGalley, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, Review Book

2013.5 REVIEW – A Murder at Rosamund’s Gate by Susanna Calkins

Tara

A Murder at Rosamund’s Gate
by Susanna Calkins

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 349
Rating: 5/5
Read: Jan. 18 – 22, 2013
Challenge: 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge
Yearly count: 5
Format: E-Book
Source: NetGalley

A Murder at Rosamund's GateBlurb:  For Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid serving in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and Lucy’s brother is wrongly arrested for the crime. In a time where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, lawyers aren’t permitted to defend their clients, and—if the plague doesn’t kill them first—public executions draw a large crowd of spectators, Lucy knows she may never see her brother alive again. Unless, that is, she can identify the true murderer.

Determined to do just that, Lucy finds herself venturing out of her expected station and into raucous printers’ shops, secretive gypsy camps, the foul streets of London, and even the bowels of Newgate prison on a trail that might lead her straight into the arms of the killer.

Review: I received this book via NetGalley. It was an impulse request, but I knew that it was a book that I really wanted to read.

I actually finished this book a few days ago, but for some reason I couldn’t immediately put my thoughts together on how to approach the review. But I’ve now gathered my thoughts and I hope that I am able to convey to my readers just how much I really did enjoy this book.

However, that’s not to say that it wasn’t without its faults. First of all, this is most definitely a historical mystery. But I was a little frustrated that it took 100 pages until we really got to the “mystery” part of it. The only reason I kept reading the book through all that was because Ms. Calkins really set the stage beautifully in my opinion. There was just something about the writing and the introduction to all the characters that really drew me farther into the story.

I really enjoyed Lucy’s character. She seemed so real to me. And I liked how Ms. Calkins made her more than just a servant – she was a young woman with thoughts and opinions of her own. It also helped that her household master was quite receptive to hearing the chambermaid’s opinions. I’m absolutely positive that this would have been almost unheard of during the time this book was set (London during the plague years).

The mystery part of the book was quite interesting to me. I will admit that I had no idea who the killer really was until he was revealed. That’s always something that I really appreciate out of a good book.

When the book reaches its conclusion the reader is left wondering where Lucy will go from there. I will admit that I was a little frustrated that it seemed to end so abruptly. I was left with a lot of questions that I wanted answers to immediately. Hopefully I will be able to meet Lucy again in another book in the future.

Either way, this is definitely a historical mystery not to be missed. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, but when I do this is exactly the type of book that I’m looking for. I know this book will make a big splash in the book world – and it definitely deserves to. Highly recommended.

AUTHOR, Book Review, E, Fiction, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES, Taylor Jackson

2013.15 REVIEW – So Close the Hand of Death by J.T. Ellison

Tara

So Close the Hand of Death
by J.T. Ellison

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 406
Read: March 15-24, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 15
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

So Close the Hand of DeathBlurb: It’s a hideous echo of a violent past. Across America, murders are being committed with all the twisted hallmarks of the Boston Strangler, the Zodiac Killer and Son of Sam. The media frenzy explodes and Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson knows instantly that The Predator is back … and he’s got helpers.

As The Pretender’s disciples perpetrate their sick homages – stretching police and the FBI dangerously thin – Taylor tries desperately to prepare for their inevitable showdown. And she must do it alone. To be close to her is to be in mortal danger, and she won’t risk losing anyone she loves. But the isolation, the self-doubt and the rising body count are taking their toll – she’s beside herself and ready to snap.

The brilliant psychopath who both adores and despises her is drawing close. Close enough to touch…

Review: I love, love, love the Taylor Jackson series. It’s one that I found a few years back and have read almost all of them – I only lack the latest one (is it the last? I just might cry if it is … but at the same time, I’ll be relieved because I kind of prefer to have some closure to series, not the huge 40+ book long-running ones).

Anyways, I must start this review with stating that if you have never read a book in the Taylor Jackson series, do not start with this one. You will be so confused. You probably won’t like Taylor’s character. You have to start from the beginning to really understand this book and who she is in this installment.

That being said, I think that this is the best book in the series that I have read. It’s so raw. It’s so eye-opening. It’s just a perfect blend of everything I love in  my mystery/thriller books.

The storyline is so fast paced in this book. It really starts off and never lets up. I was constantly turning the pages trying to figure out what was going to happen. And the end-game between Taylor and The Pretender is not at all how I expected things to happen.

And I must say that I really like the sound of the next book in this series. I don’t have a copy of it, but I’m definitely on the hunt. I think it’s going to be a very good installment. I’m interested in seeing what happens between Taylor and Baldwin … there’s a definite disconnect after the events of this book, and it will be interesting to see what happens between them.

Final Thoughts: I can’t say enough good things about this book. Or the entire series, really. So –  read this series. End of story.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Fiction, Mitch Rapp, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.12 REVIEW – Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn

Tara

Transfer of Power
by Vince Flynn

Copyright: 1999
Pages: 549
Read: Feb. 24 – March 2, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf Challenge 2013
Yearly count: 12
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: On a busy Washington morning, the stately calm of the White House is shattered by a hail of gunfire. A group of terrorists has descended on the executive mansion and gained access by means of a violent slaughter of dozens of people. Through the quick actions of the Secret Service, the president is evacuated to his underground bunker, but not before nearly one hundred hostages are taken.

While politicians and military leaders argue over how to negotiate with the terrorists, one man is sent in to take control of the crisis. Mitch Rapp, the CIA’s top counterterrorism operative, determines that the president is not as safe was Washington’s power elite had thought. Moving stealthily among the corridors and secret passageways of the White House, Rapp makes a chilling discovery that could rock Washington to its core: someone within his own government is maneuvering to make his rescue attempt fail.

Review: This is the first in the Mitch Rapp series and over the years I have accumulated most of the series. For one reason or another I had never started this series. Well, now I can safely say that I definitely regret not starting this series sooner.

This book starts off with a bang and never really lets up until the ending. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, they were very well-developed. And there’s even a love interest for Mitch – something that I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

It’s hard for me to review this book without giving away the ending. But overall I think that this is a solid first installment in a series that I hope only continues to get better.

Highly recommended.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Harry Bosch, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.11 REVIEW – The Black Ice by Michael Connelly

Tara

The Black Ice
by Michael Connelly

Copyright: 1993
Pages: 427
Read: Feb. 16-22, 2013
Challenge: 2013 Sequel Challenge; Off the Shelf Challenge 2013
Yearly count: 11
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: Narcotics officer Cal Moore’s orders were to look into the city’s latest drug killing. Instead, he ends up in a motel room with a fatal bullet wound to the head and a suicide note stuffed in his back pocket. Working the case, LAPD detective Harry Bosch is reminded of the primal police rule he learned long ago: Don’t look for the facts, but the glue that holds them together. Soon Harry’s making some very dangerous connections, starting with a dead cop and leading to a bloody string of murders that wind from Hollywood Boulevard to the back alleys south of the border. Now this battle-scared veteran will find himself in the center of a complex and deadly game – one in which he may be the next and likeliest victim.

Review: This is the second in the Harry Bosch series. I read the first, The Black Echo back in 2008 and hadn’t ever gotten around to reading this one. I think my problem is that I wasn’t all too impressed with the first in the series – I remember it being just okay. That probably affected my choice in to continuously pass this book up. Plus is also doesn’t help that there’s a gazillion more books in this series – I tend to get really overwhelmed when there’s a lot of books ahead of me (I must read all the books, in order).

Regardless of the reason as to why I had waited so long to read this one – I finally picked it up. And I have to say that while it had a somewhat slow beginning, it got really good really quickly. However, I didn’t think it was all perfect. There were some things that I just didn’t care for – first of all was the Mexican connection. Obviously, having read the blurb, I knew that it was a part of the book. However, I wasn’t expecting more than half of the book to be set in Mexico. And for some reason I had a problem with it – I felt like Harry was much better when he was in LA, on his own turf. But this is just a personal preference.

There was a pretty big twist that I found to be very interesting. It definitely made the book so much more enjoyable. It was quite shocking to me, and I really liked how Harry brought everything together in the end. Bosch also did something that for sure made it obvious that he’s not a cookie-cutter police officer. I liked that.

All in all, as I was reading this book I realized that I was wanting to know more about Harry – who is he, where did he come from? We get snippets here and there of the boy he was and the man he is; and I can only look forward to learning more about Harry Bosch in the future!

Bottom line: Want a good hard-boiled story with a flawed detective? Pick up this book. And although this book can be read as a standalone, as with any series I read, I recommend starting at the beginning.

AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Dirk Pitt, Fiction, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.8 REVIEW – Iceberg by Clive Cussler

Tara

Iceberg
by Clive Cussler

Copyright: 1975
Pages: 340
Read: Jan. 30-Feb. 10, 2013
Challenge: 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge, Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 8
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: The luxury yacht had disappeared long ago, on its way to a secret meeting at the White House. Now, it has been discovered – within a million-ton mass of ice …

The only clue to the ship’s demise – and its missing cargo – are the corpses of its crew, and a set of ornately carved rings. The only man who can find the answer is Dirk Pitt…

Review: This is the 3rd book in the Dirk Pitt series. Overall I enjoyed this book. But it definitely wasn’t perfect. First of all I didn’t really like the technical details about the underwater probe that went missing. And while that wasn’t a huge portion of the book, it was definitely a central theme. Luckily, there was enough action in the book to keep me going. I find it amazing just how much trouble Dirk Pitt finds himself in time after time. You’d think that the man would have died 50 times by the third book – but he always manages to find his way out of the trouble he’s in. The ending really surprised me, there was a twist to it that I really never saw coming. And I’m not sure how Dirk made the connection, either, to be completely honest.

It’s really hard for me to review this book without giving away a large portion of the plot. So I’m just going to leave it at this … I liked it.

While these books aren’t for everyone, I thoroughly enjoy them. But what I like about this series is that (so far) they stand well on their own – you don’t necessarily have to read them in order to have a complete understanding of what is going on. I look forward to continuing on with this series in the future.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Jack Daniels, K, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.3 REVIEW – Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath

Tara

Bloody Mary
by J.A. Konrath

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 338
Read: Jan. 5 – 11, 2013
Rating: 4/5
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013, 2013 Sequel Challenge, What’s in a Name 6 Challenge
Yearly count: 3Bloody Mary
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb:  When Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels receives a report of an excess of body parts appearing at the Cook County Morgue, she hopes it’s only a miscount. It’s not. Even worse, these extra limbs seem to be accessorized with Jack’s handcuffs. Jack must put her train wreck of a personal life on hold to catch a terrifying and brilliant maniac – a maniac for whom getting caught is only the beginning…

 

Review: This is the second in the Jack Daniels series. I read the first (Whiskey Sour) back in 2011 and am wondering why I waited so long to get to this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I have to just start by saying that Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is one of the funniest characters I’ve enjoyed in a long time. And the trouble she always seems to find herself in – you can’t help but laugh about it.

While this book was primarily set in Chicago, IL, Jack has to make a flying trip down the state to Carbondale after a connection is made to Southern Illinois University. I still smile when I think about it – I graduated from SIU in 2007, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where SIU was mentioned! I thought that Konrath really gave SIU a great shout-out when the school and Mortuary Science program was included in the book (and, FYI, the mortuary science program at SIU is actually a very good program).

I thought that the characters really got some good development. Jack’s partner, Herb, is going through a mid-life crisis, Jack is dealing with her stubborn mother, an ex-husband that makes an unexpected (unwanted?) appearance in her life and a boyfriend who wants her to move in with him. All this is going on while she is trying to hunt down a killer in her district. It definitely makes for some interesting dialogue at times.

If you want a good laugh, a good mystery and just an overall fun time, I highly recommend this book (and series).

READING CHALLENGES 2013

Signing Up For 2013 Challenges

Tara

Okay, so usually I post individually for the challenges I’m signing up for. This year, I’m just going to do one post.

I have found four challenges for 2013.

2013eclecticreader So I participated in the 2012 version of the Eclectic Reader Challenge – I failed at it, too. I decided to give it another go in 2013. The categories are different, so this ought to be fun.

Translated Fiction               Urban Fantasy               Humor
Historical Mystery               Dystopian                       Published in 2013
Romantic Suspense             Memoir
Made Into a Movie              LGBT
New Adult                             Action Adventure

So I’ll be honest here – there are a few I know I’m going to struggle with (Urban Fantasy/Dystopian/LGBT) but who knows – maybe I’ll make it.

Off the Shelf  Once again, this is another challenge that I participated in for 2012. And another one that I failed. The idea is to read books that have been on your shelves prior to 2013.

I’m choosing to sign up for Making a Dint – 30 books.

I have plenty of choices on my shelves, lol.

Sequel Challenge Okay – so how many times have I read the first book in a series, only to have not (for whatever reason) moved on to book #2? Too many to count. That’s why this challenge is so perfect for me 🙂

The goal – read as many books after the first in a series that you choose.

I think I want to read at least 5-7 sequels.

What's in a Name6 And the final one that I’m signing up for – What’s in a Name 6. I participated in this challenge when Annie was still hosting it but haven’t signed up the last couple of years. I decided to take the plunge again this year. Here’s the categories:

Up or Down (or equivalent)               Fire (or equivalent)
Something found in a kitchen           An Emotion
Party or Celebration                            Lost or Found (or equivalent)