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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2492 KP) rated Murder in the Bowery in Books
Apr 11, 2022 (Updated Apr 11, 2022)
Death of a Newsie
Frank Malloy thinks his latest client has offered him a chance for a case with a happy ending. Will Bert is trying to reconnect with his younger brother, Freddie, after they were separated when both of them were sent west on an orphan train. Almost as soon as Frank starts his investigation, he finds questions about Will’s story. Then he finds Freddie, only to have him run away and then turn up dead hours later. Can Frank figure out what is really happening?
Freddie is a newsie, and this book takes place during the newsies’ strike of 1899, made famous by the Disney musical. This book is more historically accurate than the musical, however. Still, I found that part of the setup fun, and the historical details about what their lives were really like was interesting. It is quickly clear that the motive for Freddie’s murder lies outside of his life as a newsie, however. In fact, this book turns pretty dark with some adult discussions. This series is more serious and does dip into those waters every few books. They are handled delicately, but know that in mind going into the story. Even though I figured out parts of the plot early, I didn’t have the killer pegged until we reached the end. The supporting players are all here and are all fun to spend time with. And yes, Sarah does still play a large part in the story as always. Fans will be glad to catch up with their friends in this book.
Freddie is a newsie, and this book takes place during the newsies’ strike of 1899, made famous by the Disney musical. This book is more historically accurate than the musical, however. Still, I found that part of the setup fun, and the historical details about what their lives were really like was interesting. It is quickly clear that the motive for Freddie’s murder lies outside of his life as a newsie, however. In fact, this book turns pretty dark with some adult discussions. This series is more serious and does dip into those waters every few books. They are handled delicately, but know that in mind going into the story. Even though I figured out parts of the plot early, I didn’t have the killer pegged until we reached the end. The supporting players are all here and are all fun to spend time with. And yes, Sarah does still play a large part in the story as always. Fans will be glad to catch up with their friends in this book.
The Pig Wars
6.0
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Book
After inadvertently causing her father's death with her magic in battle, Lady Rena avoids the...
Medieval Fantasy
The Remembering Tree
8.0
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Book
Only she who holds the key will unearth the secrets of the Remembering Tree. Still trying to...
Supernatural Gothic Suspense
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Jun 5, 2022
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Manumission in Books
Oct 1, 2022
178 of 230
Kindle
Manumission
By R.A. Hatton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A REBELLION IGNITED BY A FORBIDDEN LOVE.
Within an old kingdom, our elven race of warriors keep humans as slaves, and we thrive.
Until the rebellion started, disturbing the peace and hurting the innocent, now I hunt them, and I will find their hidden base.
When my man servant is killed during an ambush, rage for the loss of a slave brings confusion and chaos into my otherwise commanding and structured life.
He was so much more, meant more to me than my society allows.
I have no time to grieve as a new alliance of enemies has emerged from within my city, and they have plans for me.
Forced me to take part in a traditional breeding programme, but I am nobody’s breeder and I will defy their rules.
Yet, when I meet him, the branded human scheduled for death, he awakens a desire from within that I never knew existed.
He makes me question the rules and I begin to discover the truths long buried in blood.
My name is General Truda and now I must choose between obeying the laws of my species or to free the forbidden human, who repairs my heart.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Or had a strong story and very good character and world building. It was an easy straightforward read that kept you really interested in the outcome. I’m hoping this writer does more in the future.
Kindle
Manumission
By R.A. Hatton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A REBELLION IGNITED BY A FORBIDDEN LOVE.
Within an old kingdom, our elven race of warriors keep humans as slaves, and we thrive.
Until the rebellion started, disturbing the peace and hurting the innocent, now I hunt them, and I will find their hidden base.
When my man servant is killed during an ambush, rage for the loss of a slave brings confusion and chaos into my otherwise commanding and structured life.
He was so much more, meant more to me than my society allows.
I have no time to grieve as a new alliance of enemies has emerged from within my city, and they have plans for me.
Forced me to take part in a traditional breeding programme, but I am nobody’s breeder and I will defy their rules.
Yet, when I meet him, the branded human scheduled for death, he awakens a desire from within that I never knew existed.
He makes me question the rules and I begin to discover the truths long buried in blood.
My name is General Truda and now I must choose between obeying the laws of my species or to free the forbidden human, who repairs my heart.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Or had a strong story and very good character and world building. It was an easy straightforward read that kept you really interested in the outcome. I’m hoping this writer does more in the future.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2492 KP) rated Gated Prey in Books
Jan 2, 2022 (Updated Jan 2, 2022)
Who is Preying on Those in Gated Communities?
LA Sherriff’s detective Eve Ronin and her partner, Duncan Pavone, are undercover in a gated community hoping to set a trap for the people behind a string of home invasion robberies. However, when the trap is sprung, Eve is left with more questions. Under pressure from their superiors to wrap up the case, Eve and Duncan find themselves called to a stillborn death. Only, it doesn’t turn out to be as simple as they thought at first. Can Eve wrap up either case to her satisfaction?
I wasn’t surprised to find two cases in the pages of this book, but I was surprised at how the book was divided, with Eve focusing on one case at a time instead of them weaving in and out of each other. They might have needed another twist or two, but overall, they were highly entertaining and I had to keep reading to find out if my theories were right. Eve is an interesting main character. I think her rigidness is beginning to soften, which I like. There are many references to the events of the last book, which makes sense given how it will impact her life going forward, so know that before you pick up the book. Since this isn’t a cozy, it has more language and violence than the books I typically read, so keep that in mind. It’s always a pleasure to visit Eve, and I’m looking forward to visiting her again soon.
I wasn’t surprised to find two cases in the pages of this book, but I was surprised at how the book was divided, with Eve focusing on one case at a time instead of them weaving in and out of each other. They might have needed another twist or two, but overall, they were highly entertaining and I had to keep reading to find out if my theories were right. Eve is an interesting main character. I think her rigidness is beginning to soften, which I like. There are many references to the events of the last book, which makes sense given how it will impact her life going forward, so know that before you pick up the book. Since this isn’t a cozy, it has more language and violence than the books I typically read, so keep that in mind. It’s always a pleasure to visit Eve, and I’m looking forward to visiting her again soon.
Calvin (Almstead Island: Newcomer's Club #2)
10.0
Rate It
Book
What could go right with a Daddy who doesn’t know how to be one, and a boy who’s scared to let...
Contemporary MM Romance Daddy kink Content Warnings: Daddy/boy parental death
Murder at the Moulin Rouge (The Blackwell & Watson Time-Travel Mysteries #5)
Book
Paris, 1895. When a cancan dancer at the Moulin Rouge falls to her death from the top of one of...
Crime Mystery Time Travel
Kaysee Hood (83 KP) rated Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead: Magnus Chase Series Book 3 in Books
Nov 30, 2017
Magnus & Alex (5 more)
Friendship
Big Banana
Chase Space
Percabeth
Pottery Barn
Dragon Dad (3 more)
Ragnarok
A Ship Made Out of Zombie Nails (Gross)
Abusive Dads
World Ending? Not again...
Stop the end of the world. Sounds easy enough, right?
How many times are children of the Gods going to have to do this before one of them has the foretold quest to alter it where life as we know it is not in peril?
Magnus Chase and his friends have to stop Loki, ensure Naglfar doesn't sail, and prevent Ragnarok. Oh, also all while fighting giants with pottery, getting Godly blood and spit mead from giants in the hopes it'll help Magnus in an insult contest with Loki, seeing if Granddad Njord's ex-wife will help them out or let them freeze like a pre-made dinner meal supermom prepared for someone else to pop in the oven. Did I mention Floor 19 Crew has to do all these tasks without dying because not being in Hotel Valhalla equals no responding to life in their rooms. No do overs. No second chances. Simply dead. Easy as pie.
To not spoil this for those of you who have yet to read book three I'll end my sum of The Ship of the Dead and continue on with my praise.
Though there is the question of the voices, if this is the last of Magnus Chase then I have to say I'm pleased with our trilogy of the Norse Gods. In Sword of Summer, Hammer of Thor, and now The Ship of the Dead we've had the characters fleshed out. We've seen them grown. We've witness them overcome personal trails and fight through fears (can we say good job Magnus for fighting wolves even though it is clearly a phobia?). This has proved even those waiting for their day of judgement for centuries can change who they are and accept things even if they are not okay with them.
Somehow in 400 pages that pasts of Halfborn, Mallory, and T.J. were laid out to be part of the main plot, but also show development of the characters and how their own lessons would help on the quest. We were actually able to learn how far they have come from who they were before they died, after death, and who they are now. It was even written how to show they are still learning their lessons and have things to overcome now, which is perfectly okay as long as they stay strong and levelheaded.
The daughters/son of Loki had to overcome their own fears of being good enough despite what poison their fathers have caused them to believe. Even Hearthstone has to return to face the curse over his family one more time. Even Magnus has a realization he has wroth and even if some may not see it, he does and so do his friends.
The Ship of the Dead seems to be about looking at your fears and flaws, realizing they are there, and having to make the choice what you will do about them. Will you allow them to take over your life? Or will you work to be a better person? Are you going to let one moment in the past ruin your future? Or will you take the lesson and forgive yourself, forgive someone else, and live the best life you can? Will you let a parents shortcomings decide how you live? Or will you choose to look beyond their views and become a better person than they are?
How many times are children of the Gods going to have to do this before one of them has the foretold quest to alter it where life as we know it is not in peril?
Magnus Chase and his friends have to stop Loki, ensure Naglfar doesn't sail, and prevent Ragnarok. Oh, also all while fighting giants with pottery, getting Godly blood and spit mead from giants in the hopes it'll help Magnus in an insult contest with Loki, seeing if Granddad Njord's ex-wife will help them out or let them freeze like a pre-made dinner meal supermom prepared for someone else to pop in the oven. Did I mention Floor 19 Crew has to do all these tasks without dying because not being in Hotel Valhalla equals no responding to life in their rooms. No do overs. No second chances. Simply dead. Easy as pie.
To not spoil this for those of you who have yet to read book three I'll end my sum of The Ship of the Dead and continue on with my praise.
Though there is the question of the voices, if this is the last of Magnus Chase then I have to say I'm pleased with our trilogy of the Norse Gods. In Sword of Summer, Hammer of Thor, and now The Ship of the Dead we've had the characters fleshed out. We've seen them grown. We've witness them overcome personal trails and fight through fears (can we say good job Magnus for fighting wolves even though it is clearly a phobia?). This has proved even those waiting for their day of judgement for centuries can change who they are and accept things even if they are not okay with them.
Somehow in 400 pages that pasts of Halfborn, Mallory, and T.J. were laid out to be part of the main plot, but also show development of the characters and how their own lessons would help on the quest. We were actually able to learn how far they have come from who they were before they died, after death, and who they are now. It was even written how to show they are still learning their lessons and have things to overcome now, which is perfectly okay as long as they stay strong and levelheaded.
The daughters/son of Loki had to overcome their own fears of being good enough despite what poison their fathers have caused them to believe. Even Hearthstone has to return to face the curse over his family one more time. Even Magnus has a realization he has wroth and even if some may not see it, he does and so do his friends.
The Ship of the Dead seems to be about looking at your fears and flaws, realizing they are there, and having to make the choice what you will do about them. Will you allow them to take over your life? Or will you work to be a better person? Are you going to let one moment in the past ruin your future? Or will you take the lesson and forgive yourself, forgive someone else, and live the best life you can? Will you let a parents shortcomings decide how you live? Or will you choose to look beyond their views and become a better person than they are?
Sloane Jacobsen is the most famous and sought after trends forecaster in the world. Companies across the globe seek Sloane's knowledge about the "next big thing." Sloane may be confident in her work life, but her personal life is a mess. She's not happy with her boyfriend, Roman, and she's basically estranged from her family--all since she fled to Paris shortly after her father's death. But now Sloane is working for six months in New York: she's back near her family, and Roman is accompanying her on the trip.
This book immediately got off on the wrong foot with me as the main character ranted against how society has changed--using peanut allergies and the horror of having to avoid her favorite peanut-filled treats on a plane as proof. As someone with a kid with a peanut allergy (who has met these lovely people on planes in real life), I was already turned off by Sloane. <i>It never really got any better. </i>
Sloane is supposedly a trend forecaster. Her entire life she's been able to "see" things and predict where society is going with certain trends. She is credited with foreseeing the famous "swipe" action. The problem Sloane faces now is that she thinks society is going to turn against the technology it has come to hold so dear: something that doesn't sit well with the technology-focused firm, Mammoth, who has hired her. After all, Mammoth uses a driverless car to transport Sloane while she works for them. They want her to present at a convention that aims to showcase technology for the childless set.
On the surface, this doesn't sound so bad. Consider parts of it satire and a critique on our tech-obsessed society, and it has real promise. Unfortunately, for me, <i>the premise fell flat.</i> My favorite character wound up being Anastasia, the driverless car. Sloane's boyfriend, Roman, wears a Zentai suit (imagine a full-length wet-suit that covers his entire body) and preaches an anti-touch, pro-cybersex agenda. He's strange. That whole part of the plot is weird, albeit one that offers the occasional comic moment. Maybe my sense of humor is not finely developed enough?
The book nails a lot of the corporate world (you can certainly picture Dax, the head of Mammoth, and many of his worker bees). Other parts of the plot are harder to swallow. Sloane waffles. Roman irritates. The dialogue is oddly written at times. Large pieces of the plot didn't really seem necessary. Other pieces were interesting, but felt like reading a research paper (and I found myself skimming).
So while there were certainly funny moments (and it picked up a bit as it neared the end), overall I just found myself cringing. I didn't like the plot, I never warmed up to Sloane, and I wanted to hit Roman and Dax. Maybe I missed a higher meaning to this novel, as it seems to be getting a lot of better reviews, so take mine with a grain of salt. For me, I just didn't enjoy reading it, and that's why (and I debated this a while), I'm going with 2.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review. It is available everywhere as of 05/30/2017.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
This book immediately got off on the wrong foot with me as the main character ranted against how society has changed--using peanut allergies and the horror of having to avoid her favorite peanut-filled treats on a plane as proof. As someone with a kid with a peanut allergy (who has met these lovely people on planes in real life), I was already turned off by Sloane. <i>It never really got any better. </i>
Sloane is supposedly a trend forecaster. Her entire life she's been able to "see" things and predict where society is going with certain trends. She is credited with foreseeing the famous "swipe" action. The problem Sloane faces now is that she thinks society is going to turn against the technology it has come to hold so dear: something that doesn't sit well with the technology-focused firm, Mammoth, who has hired her. After all, Mammoth uses a driverless car to transport Sloane while she works for them. They want her to present at a convention that aims to showcase technology for the childless set.
On the surface, this doesn't sound so bad. Consider parts of it satire and a critique on our tech-obsessed society, and it has real promise. Unfortunately, for me, <i>the premise fell flat.</i> My favorite character wound up being Anastasia, the driverless car. Sloane's boyfriend, Roman, wears a Zentai suit (imagine a full-length wet-suit that covers his entire body) and preaches an anti-touch, pro-cybersex agenda. He's strange. That whole part of the plot is weird, albeit one that offers the occasional comic moment. Maybe my sense of humor is not finely developed enough?
The book nails a lot of the corporate world (you can certainly picture Dax, the head of Mammoth, and many of his worker bees). Other parts of the plot are harder to swallow. Sloane waffles. Roman irritates. The dialogue is oddly written at times. Large pieces of the plot didn't really seem necessary. Other pieces were interesting, but felt like reading a research paper (and I found myself skimming).
So while there were certainly funny moments (and it picked up a bit as it neared the end), overall I just found myself cringing. I didn't like the plot, I never warmed up to Sloane, and I wanted to hit Roman and Dax. Maybe I missed a higher meaning to this novel, as it seems to be getting a lot of better reviews, so take mine with a grain of salt. For me, I just didn't enjoy reading it, and that's why (and I debated this a while), I'm going with 2.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review. It is available everywhere as of 05/30/2017.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;