A Tale of two books, or two halves of a book anyway.

I wanted to love this story Bernie McGill told in The Butterfly Cabinet.  I really did.  It seemed to have all of the required elements of the type of story that can really suck you in and keep you turning pages. A death of a child that is based on true events, the hint of secrets to be revealed, the telling from two viewpoints, that of the accused and that of a former employee of the accused. In the end, though, it just did not deliver. The story is told in two formats. The first being through diary entries written by the Harriet Ormond, mother of the dead child, who is ultimately accused of murdering the child. These entries I really enjoyed. I thought the author did a good job telling a believable story of life for a wife and mother in upper class England in the late 1800s. I especially liked the ruminations that she made regarding her passion for collecting butterflies and the parallels that could be drawn to the life of her and her family. This part of the book is the only reason that I was able to stay with it, and in the end give it a 3 star rating. Unfortunately, the author included the other story. That of Maddie, a maid int he household and her recollections at the age of 90 regarding the events that took place. Maddie tells her story is a one sided conversation with one of Harriet's descendants. This part of the book I found to be disjointed and lacking any real emotion or depth. It is the main reason that I cannot rate the book higher. When Maddie's chapters occurred, I found myself reading quickly so that I could get back to Harriet's story. The other reason that the book cannot be rated higher, in my opinion, is that it certainly did not live up to its promise of secrets revealed. Yes, there were secrets, and yes, they were revealed. Unfortunately, they were in no way stuning, compelling, or story altering. In the end, the secrets revealed where ho hum and as such, a huge let down.

A Romance that is definitely worth reading!!

Let me start by saying, I am not a huge fan of Romance books. In the case ofBeautiful Disaster I am more than willing to make an exception. This book captured my interest from page one and held it throughout the entire book. More than just a romance book, Laura Spinella's debut novel contains an intriguing back story that grabbed the mystery/thriller loving portion of my brain and left me chewing on several theories as the story progressed. While this part of the story was by no means the main event, nor really even entirely fleshed out, it kept me reading through the more formulaic romance aspects of the book. And even that portion of the book was above average. Rather than being one dimensional, Spinella's characters were flawed, which only added to their allure. At some point in the book each character was poised to make choices that left me shaking my head and saying, "What were you thinking????" Did the story contain all the formulaic pieces of a typical romance? Yes, it did. BUT -- this was much more than just a boy and girl meet, fall in love, become estranged, get back together, and live happily ever after story. It was a richly told story about people, they choices they make, and the impact throughout their lives of those choices

Although a good one, not what I was expecting

How does a reader decide whether to read a book? A strange way to start a review, I know, but it is an intregal part of my rating on this book. If an author is new or unknown to me and my reading buddies, often I will choose to read or not read a book based on its published synopsis. Such was the case with The Ninth Step by Barbara Taylor Sissel. I had never given much thought to the title of the book, but it was apparent early in the story that it referred the the ninth step in AA's 12 step program, the one where a person makes amends. 

Let me just state upfront that the rating on this book has more to do with expectations and less to do with the quality of the story. I enjoyed the story of Cotton O'Dell and his quest to make amends in his life to those that were impacted by a single bad choice that he made. I thought the author did a good job with the character of Cotton, detailing his myriad of emotions as his quest for sobriety and redemption progressed. I actually think I would have liked the book a lot more if it had been marketed as such. At least then I would have known what to expect. 

I really wanted to give this book 4 stars, but just could not quite do it. Why? First of all, because the synopsis set up the story in a way that the author did not deliver. I felt that the story was really about Cotton and that Livie was a very minor player in the grand scheme of things. In fact, the best part of the story, Cotton's relationship with his mother, and with the Latimer family, isn't even mentioned in the synopsis, yet these are the relationships that make the meat of the story. I felt that there were many things in the synopsis that the author did not deliver on, while leaving out the things that really made the story fly. It was almost as is, somewhere along the line, a decision was made that the story would get a better following if it was marketed as a romantic redemption story rather than what it actually was. The chronicle of one man's quest to pull himself out of the thralls of alcholism and get his life back on track.

I just found a new Historical Mystery Author that I think you will love.

If you know me, you know that my two favorite genres are historical fiction and mystery/thrillers, so it was with joy that I was able to score a copy of The Book of Lost Fragrances by authorM.J. Rose. Although Ms. Rose is an established author, this is the first book of hers that I have read, and I must say, it combines the best of both genres. In this book M. J. Rose crafts an engaging story of Jac L'Etoile and her brother Bobbie, who are wrapped in the search for the mysterious lost book of fragarances that is so much a part of their family heritage. In the pursuit of this mystery the author takes us on a journey through time and across continents, bringing it all together is a satisfyingly interesting ending. Highlighting the story of the L'Etoile family of perfumers is a wonderful plethora of characters. In fact, there are so many characters in this book that at time I had to refere back to remind myself who was with whom. Normally this would bother me, but in this case, the characters were so interesting, that it was more of a joy than a problem. In fact, the vast number of interesting characters is one of the things that I most liked about this book. Though the characters came from areas that seemed to have no connection, you just knew they would all connect in the end, and the author did not disappoint in this respect. Add that with the fact that each one had an interesting back story that made them jump off the pages, and you have a wonderful ensemble that kept me turning pages to see where they would all end up. Suffice it to say that I thought this book was a very enjoyable historical mystery. M. J. Rose is a new author for me, but I will be eagerly looking up more of her work. In fact, when I started researching her work further, I found that this book is actually the fourth in a series called the Reincarnationist Series, so I will probably start with the first three books of that series. 

One caveat -- Although this book is part of a series, it read perfectly as a stand alone, and I am usually pretty strict about reading a series in order. The fact that I was able to follow the story line and enjoy this book without benefit of the first three books is a testament to how well written this book is. Kudos to MS. Rose.

ARE YOU FASCINATED BY THE HISTORY OF RUSSIA'S FINAL TSAR AND HIS FAMILY?

I first became acquainted with the writing of Robert K. Massie when I readNicholas And Alexandra back in the 70s. I have always been fascinated by history and royal families, and he has been a staple of mine as a writer. I recently finished The Romanovs: The Final Chapter and it was fascinating. About 1/3 of the book was dedicated to a discussion of what transpired after the bones were found in the late 80s, early 90s. It was a very political endeavor, as you can imagine and it was fascinating to read how they determined who the bones belonged to, and how they determined who was going to work with the bones. 
The next part dealt with imposters and after a few pages about some of the celelbrated cases, Massie spent the majority of this section on the Anna Anderson case, how is transpired and what the tried to do to verify who she was. This particular story has always fascinated me, so I liked this part of the book the best. 
The final two sections were pretty small, and Massie spent that time talking about who the remaining Romanovs are that were alive in the 90s and where they lived. This was followed by another small section with some highlights from diaries and journals illustrating what life was like while the Tsar and his family were imprisoned in the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinberg before the massacre. 
As usual, Massie did and excellent job of writing and researching and I found this book easily readable and fascinating. 

I am now primed to read his book on Catherine the Great!(

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS by VANESSA DIFFENBACH

When I bought this book, I was expecting a very victorianesque book with alot of discussion on the meanings of flowers, and maybe even a little of the magical elements that are found in so many of today's books. That was not what this book was at all. What I found was a great modern day story about one girl's journey to be loved, and to believe herself loveable, and therefore able to love others. Although it was not quite what I thought it was going to be, I thoroughly enjoyed what it was. I thought the story of Victoria was compelling and interesting. I think I felt sorry for Victoria, even though I wanted to slap her some of the time. Elizabeth and Grant were easy to love, although at one point I thought that Grant was almost too good to be believed. And I thought that Renata and her family were a kick. What great characters the author peppered this book with.

I thought the story line was great also. It was poignant without being sappy and I liked the way that the author let you guess as to what the big deal between Victoria and Elizabeth was. Although I guessed what caused their break up before it was revealed, there were elements of the situation that the author was able to surprise me with.

Last comment is I have to give Kudos to the author on the ending. It was hopeful while still staying true to the characters and the tone of the story.  A  HEA ending would definitely not have fit this book. 

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A MUST READ: THE OLD MERMAID'S TALE by KATHLEEN VALENTINE

I have read several short stories by Kathleen Valentine, and I have enjoyed all of them. This is the first full length novel of hers that I have read, though. When an author is successful as a short story writer, I always wonder whether they can sustain that level of writing in a full length book. It is with great joy that I found that Kathleen Valentine is a wonderful success at both. In fact, this book will definitely be on my top books read in 2012 list. I was discussing the book with a friend, and we both agreed that this is not your typical romance book. In fact, we both felt that it is not really a romance book at all, but is instead a captivating love story. Being one of the best love stories that I have ever read, I cannot imagine a lot of other books overcoming it. 

The characters in this book are superbly developed. Each one has a uniqueness that draws you into their lives and sweeps you along the story line. In fact, I cannot even pick out a favorite character from the book as I loved each and every one of them. The book is set in the 1960's along Lake Erie and focuses on one city where the majority of the residents are connected to the Great Lakes maritime trade. With the combination of her wonderful characters and the beautifully written prose in the book, Ms. Valentine not only makes her love story compelling, but makes the world of these people come alive for the reader. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

"You can write down your dreams, make pictures of stars but that does not preserve the magic. Nothing captures those gorgeous glimmers of eternity. Yet love, like dreams and starlight, returns again and again in defiance of fears and foolishness" 

"Perhaps, I think, it is our longing, and our willingness to see beauty in the most humble of places, that makes us so irresistible to God. " 

I am now a steadfast fan of Ms. Valentine and look forward to reading more from her. If they are all as good as this one, I am certainly in for a treat.

A LITTLE MAGIC by VALERIE GILLEN

I was directed to this book a month or so ago by my reading group that interacts with various authors.  Valerie Gillen is a new author to me, so I was not sure what to expect from the book.  The premise of the story sounded interesting, so I thought I would give it a try.  I found this to be  a delightful read that I would target more for the middle school/YA crowd than adult reader.  The story line, characters and writing seemed perfect for that group, however, as an adult I still found the story engaging.  I liked the typical good vs. evil approach and felt interested in the characters, especially Siobhan and Alicia. It was a bit predictable in spots as I could definitely see where the story was headed, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of it. I think that this story could be fleshed out into a full fledged novel, and if handled correctly, even a good YA series. 

WISP by KEVIN R. MAZE

The subtitle of this book is "A Small Town Nightmare" and while the premise of the book would certainly be hard for any small town to deal with, I actually expected more of a nightmare quality.  If you are thinking that this book was a "Nightmare on Elm" street type of thrill ride, it is not.  What it is, though, is a captivating mystery thriller with a paranormal twist.  Things have been so quiet in Ellerton, Alabama for so long, that a spate of murders takes the small town Sheriff by surprise.  In his attempt to get to the bottom of things he is aided by his nephew, who just happens to be a reporter for a paranormal newspaper and in town for an interview.  In fact, the characters were the thing that I liked best about this book.  Maze fills his book with a number of characters that reek of small town personalities.  I was fascinated by the ease with which he gave these characters life and a presence.  The story line, though, left me a little disappointed.  Don't get me wrong.  It was a good story, and I will most likely read other books and stories by this author.  I did not dislike it.  I just expected something more.  There were mainly two things that didn't live up to my expectations in the story.  First, I felt Maze did not do an adequate job of describing the death scenes to really give this a horror bent.  Secondly, I kept waiting for certain elements of the story to tie together, but they never did.

All in all, I feel this is a good first effort by a new author, and will willingly read more by him.  In fact, I may like future books more as my expectations may be more realistic.

HEARTLESS by ALLAN LEVERONE

After reading a few of Allan Leverone's short stories and one of his books, I can say that he is a great new voice in suspense thrillers for me. In fact, I have mentioned to several of my friends that he can definitely hold his own with the likes of Stephen King or Edgar Allen Poe. I love the way that he develops both his characters and the story itself and things unfold. In both Heartlessand Darkness Falls, which I reviewed earlier, we think we know the characters and which way the story is going to develop, only to have the end remind us that things are never what they seem, at least not in suspense thrillers. In this story, the stunning twist at the end will make you sit up and say "WHAT!?"

Great job, Allan. Yet another success.

THE FIRST RULE OF TEN by GAY HENDRICKS AND TINKER LINDSAY

Tenzing Norbu, or Ten, is a dectective for the LAPD. Although he is commonly believed to be the rising star of the squad, Ten is tired of the LAPD. Then he is grazed by a bullet while answering a call. As he says, that is a wake up call. Ten quits and decided to become a PI and go out on his own. He quickly finds out that going it alone is no safer than being a detective for the LAPD. What follows is a classic mystery in the vein of those by such as Earl Stanley Gardner, Sue Grafton, or Micheal Connelly. Interestingly, Mr. Hendricks credits the same authors for inspiring him. If he was trying to emulate them, he was a success. As a pleasant surprise, Hendricks and Lindsay have given their main character a little twist to set him apart from the myriad of PIs out there in fiction land. Ten spent his formative years in a Tibetan monastery being raised by the monks, one of which is his father. This experience gives Ten a different way of looking at things, which he uses in his everyday life in various ways. In addition, though, Ten is not just a spiritual person, but very human and imperfect in addition. Following his thought patterns and actions was a thouroughly enjoyable experience as I read through this book. Add to Ten a cast of characters ranging from an ex-con techie sidekick to Tank the persian blue cat that shares Ten's life and you have a story that will draw you in and keep you turning the pages wanting to know how it all turns out. A wonderful first book by both Hendricks and Lindsay. I understand that it is the first in what is to be a series of books with Ten as the protagonist. I certainly hope so. I am looking forward to reading more about Ten and his cohorts.

THE HOLLOW HOUSE by JANIS PATTERSON

This book was a delightful mystery with a historical backdrop.  It reminded me quite a bit of a cross between a classic Gothic mystery and a game of Clue.  Like the game of clue the setting of the book is almost entirely restricted to the house.  Like the classic Gothic mystery there is a heroine who just happens to be hired to be a companion to an ailing lady, there are numerous family members who enter and exit the story, and there are the servants.  Plus a mysterious gentleman.  All of this adds up to a wonderful romp from Janis Patterson, who is a new author to me.  I found this story to be a wonderful escape with enough twists and innuendos to keep me interested in the outcome and enough classic heroes, heroines and villians to make the story enjoyable.  I am certainly looking forward to reading more from this author.

ISLAND OF WINGS by KARIN ALTENBERG

I have been a history buff since the dawn of time, or at least since I first read the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I fell in love with being able to live life as others did, even if it was vicariously.  I picked this book because the New Hebrides Islands were an area that I had never explored before, which intrigued me.  I had read many books about and taking place in Scotland, but never anything in this particular area.   The first thing that amazed me about this book was the author's portarayal of the lives of the Islanders and how bleak it was.  The next amazing thing was that the Reverend McNeil and his wife were actaul historical characters, and not just fictional characters that the author used to describe the story.  The story of the lives of the Reverend and his wife was fascinating, as was the underlying history.  There were many characters that engendered both interest and sympathy.  In short, I was not disappointed in Karin Altenbergs portrayal of the lives of The Reverend McNeil and his wife, their time on the Island of St. Kilda, and the lives of the Islanders. As with a lot of the good historical fiction that I have read, this book has enticed me to read and learn more about the Reverend McNeil, the Island of St. Kilda, and the changes in the Church of Scotland that were occurring at this time.  In my mind there is no higher praise than that.  

THE TAKER by ALMA KATSU

When Lanny McIlvrae is admitted to the ER in the small town of St. Andrew, Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is intrigued. As she tells her story he becomes more and more involved. 

This is the debut novel by author Alma Katsu, and the beginning of the series or trilogy, I believe. I certainly hope so, as I think that Lanny still has a lot of story to tell, and Katsu has a lot of questions still to answer. There are so many things that I liked about this story, that I'm not sure what I liked the most. There were a number of fascinating characters throughout the book whose stories really drew me in. I found that as the book progressed, I was eagerly anticipating where the author was going to take me next. 

The synopsis for this books calls it "part historical novel, part supernatural page turer". While that is an apt description, I would say that it is part The Gargoyle, part The Historian, and part a story all it's own. All of which I would love to visit again and again.

FIVE DANCES WITH DEATH by AUSTIN BRIGGS

This book is the debut novel of a new series by author Austin Briggs, and if the title is any indication, I am expecting five books. I certainly hope that this is the case. Briggs crafts a beautifully written story centering around Wasp, the war lord of the Tlaxcalteca, a tribe of the Aztecs. This first book takes place as the various tribes of the Aztecs are warring with each other in the perennial fight for land and mastery within the Aztec nation. At the same time, the Spanish Conquistadors have just landed, which of course will complicate matters. 

I have had an ongoing love affair with the Native American cultures since I was in high school, including the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans of Mexico and South America. For my part, I think that Mr. Briggs captured both the mysticism and brutality inherent in the Aztec culture perfectly. He highlighted their belief in mysticism and use of hallucinogenic substances to further out of body experiences without making it seem too modern or 20th century. At the same time, he gave his characters personalities that allowed them to seem "modern" and not at all archaic. The perfect balance, in my opinion. 

Being the first book of the series, we were introduced to a lot of characters and ideas in this book that I am excited to see develop as the series progresses. In fact, my only complaint regarding this book was that the ending was rather sudden, definitely leaving me wanting more. I hope the second book comes out soon. 

PULLED by AMY LICHTENHAM

Although not my usual fare, this book grabbed me from page one and kept me going. Amy Lichtenhantells a poignant story that tugs at your heart strings. I was immediately engrossed in the lives of the main characters and their story of love and loss. Some might say that the story was too formulaic and the ending was predictable, and to some degree it was both of those things, but there was something about the story and the characters that made it easy to overlook what might otherwise be seen as shortcomings. I literally fell in love with Melanie and Daniel and actually think that they deserved the ending they were given. All throughout the book I found myself rooting for them. I think one of my friends who read it said that she thought it was aptly named as she felt "pulled" to read it. I heartily agree as there were times when I could not put it down. In fact, I finished it in two days. In one sitting I actually read 200 pages straight, it was that hard to put down. I will definitely be reading more by this author, for even though this is not my usual fare, I feel that Amy's contribution to this genre is a cut above the normal. 

KATHLEEN VALENTINE SHORTS

I just finished two short stories by Kathleen Valentine, who is fast becoming one of my favorite new authors.  These two particular short stories were bundled together on Smashwords and were perfect reads for the month of October.  The first story, Home Made Pie and Sausage, was a macabre tale that reminded me of the likes of Edgar Allen Poe at his quirky best.  It was deliciously horrible and the perfect Halloween read.  The second tale, Killing Julie Morris, was more of a classic mystery with a bit of a thriller bent.  I am glad that Kathleen bound these two stories together and offered them for the month of October as they were thoroughly enjoyable.

THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION by MICHAEL CHABON

Although this is my first book by Michael Chabon, I have a couple of others to read and had heard a lot about him. Although I found this a pleasant read, I have to admit this book was not at all what I expected. I think that I expected somthing a little more cohesive, a little funnier, and full of some great wit and sarcasm. Instead I found a book that started very slowly and veered off course many times. For example, although the book began with the discovery of a murder, the author did not get to the meat of that story until about 200 pages into the book. In addition, that story was hidden among a lot of rambling, and sometimes confusing, discussion about the characters in the book. In my opinion, most of this discussion detracted from the actual story. Once the author actually got to the story of the murder investigation and the conspiracy surrounding it, I began to enjoy the story. It seemed though, that just as I was getting settled in, the authour would ramble off down another side track. In defense of the book, though, the characters were complex and unpredicatable, and the information on Jewish mysticism and culture was interesting. Overall, I felt the author's descriptions were colorful and engaging, and in that respect enjoyed his writing. There were a few gems in the book like when he referred to the Jewish in Alaska as "the Frozen Chosen", or his description of what it was like to sleep in a bed with a two and a four year old, or how a huge person could hurdle a tall fence. All in all, I felt it was an enjoyable read, but it just didn't quite live up to my expectations.

HER SISTER'S SHADOW by KATHARINE BRITTON

I recently finished this aptly named debut novel by new author Katharine Britton. The main premise of the book is a story of sibling rivalry between two sisters. The younger one, Lilli, has always felt that she was living int he shadow of her eldest sister, Bea, who she viewed as perfect, a goal she herself could never attain. As in many books of this type, though, Bea is not as perfect as she seems, and she certainly doesn't see herself this way. As the story unfolds, you find a wonderful story about families and the complex relationships between sisters. What sets this story apart from the usual "sister" stories are the wonderfully complex characters that Britton brings to life and the wonderful surprises that she encompasses in her story line. From the beginning I wondered exactly what the deal was betweeen Lilli and Bea, and how the other sisters fit in. I loved the way that the author let these relationships unfold, and let you get to know the characters, from the sisters to the quirky mother, to Russell, the boy next door. From the beginning of the story I was entertained, engrossed, and in the end, surprised with the story that Britton has crafted in this book.

DARKNESS FALLS by ALLEN LEVERONE

I have found a new favorite author for the thriller/horror genre.    Seriously, if you are a fan of mystery/thrillers, or horror, you have to read this author.  


Allan Leverone is a master storyteller in the tradition of many of the greats. I'm not sure if you would class Darkness Falls as a short story or a novella, as it is just over 50 pages long (e-book format). What I do know is that all 50+ of those pages tell an unforgettably creepy story. What starts out as a simple trip home to spend some time getting his life back on track, turns into a nightmare for Tyler Beckman. Once again, Allan Leverone scores with his combination of twisted story line and truly interesting characters. As in The Lonely Mile, he splits his characters between those that are normal and safe, and those that will haunt your dreams. And, as good as the entire story is, in my opinion the best part of Darkness Falls is the ending. All I will say, is that it looks like we have a new voice in the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King on our hands. I can't wait for his next endeavor.