Category: Authors Page 26 of 115

In Ten Years by Ian Shane: They’re Perfect For Each Other…But Can They Make It Work? Do They Even Want to Try?

By HCNewton

On August 10, 2021

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Ian Shane

In Ten Years

by Ian Shane

eARC, 261 pg.
2021

Read: July 23-26, 2021

What’s In Ten Years About?

In 2000, two Denver University students meet in such a way that practically guarantees Jack will have one of dullest (and probably worse than just dull) twenty-first birthdays. Liz unintentionally contributed to that but also did everything she could to make up for that. After this, she decides that the two of them are going to be great friends.

After spending a couple of chapters in 2000, we see them again in 2009—and it turns out that Liz’s plan to be great friends worked. They’ve become incredibly close, the Two Musketeers. They’re so close that everyone (including every romantic interest they ever have) assumes they have/are/want to be involved. The idea never really lodges with either of them—and they don’t understand why no one believes them.

We catch up to them in 2018. At some point, they’ve made that pact that you’ve seen in countless sitcoms and movies, if they’re not married by _____ time, they’ll marry each other.* In this case, it’s when Jack turns 40 (he’s a little younger than her, so at that point, they’ll both be 40), and in 2018 that’s a year away.

* The scene where the pact is made is just about perfect, I should add.

Both of them try to treat the pact as a joke—while hoping the other forgot about it. But neither did and despite the preposterous notion—they both kind of take it seriously. They can’t imagine not growing old together, why not?

And then one of them starts to realize that their interest in the pact isn’t because of a drunken promise, pragmatism, or the lack of a better option—but there just might be something right about the whole idea, a reality that’s been before them all along.

Supporting Characters

I’d intended on spending a few paragraphs talking about both Jack and Liz, and after a couple of failed attempts, I realized I couldn’t do either justice without just recapping the whole novel. So, instead, let’s talk about the other characters.

I wasn’t that far into the 2018 part when I made a note about, “Of course they end up together, everyone else they know is horrible.” Which was a little harsh, but essentially true—that’s up to and including their closest friends. Thankfully, that didn’t stay that way—sure, their friends didn’t make a great first impression, but as I got to spend some more time with them, I ended up liking them. They also proved to be good friends to Jack and Liz.

But when it comes to other romantic interests or dalliances? The reader can understand the appeal of (most) of the people they’re interested in—at least initially. But you don’t spend time thinking, “yeah, Person X would really be a good long-term partner for them.” I might have appreciated it more had I actually considered anyone to be a rival for Liz or Jack. But maybe after a few chapters, I’d already ruled out anyone who wasn’t Jack or Liz for the other.

I’m not sure it matters, ultimately. But what Shane did give each character plenty of frogs of various sides and coloring to kiss so that they’d inevitably discover their Prince/Princess.

The supporting characters, from college roommates to overbearing and overly-inquisitive mothers, to Russian hockey players to waitresses in a bar or inappropriate former students are well-written, they all stand out as pretty well-rounded (at least as much as someone who’s only around for a few paragraphs can be).

The Dialogue

I talked about this a little in the Q&A with Shane, and you should read what he said about writing it. My favorite part of this novel was the dialogue. Jack has some great lines when he’s upset or angry with someone, for example.

But what really won me over was the interaction with Jack and Liz—either when they’re being silly about something or when they’re talking about something serious. This is fitting for a contemporary When Harry Met Sally-esque story, Harry and Sally talking to each other is what made viewers fall for the pair, and Shane hits some Ephron-level interchanges with Jack and Liz.

So, what did I think about In Ten Years?

There are a few other highlights that I really don’t have the time or space to get into, I’d recommend checking out the aforementioned Q&A with Shane that I posted yesterday to catch a few other selling points for this book.

The novel is just funny—humor that arises from the situations and the characters’ inherent and reflexive wit and charm. It’s in the way they react to situations, and not because silly and madcap things happen around or to them (well, sure, there’s a little bit of that). Shane’s voice is part of it, too—but mostly it’s because these are smart, funny people who express that.

I can’t get into it without ruining anything, but there’s a chapter in the 2009 portion of the book that is my favorite chapter of 2021—it was so painful, and yet so funny. Shane was careful not to go too far in either direction, which would’ve blunted the impact. Instead, he’s able to portray the emotionally damaging circumstance and let the character’s wit and the ridiculousness of the situation keep it from being maudlin. The rest of the book is just as good, and just as balanced.

In Ten Years ticked just about every box that I can think of as a reader. I both couldn’t wait to find out what happened and didn’t want to get to the end because I was having such a blast. There’s a fresh-feeling take on a tried-and-true story (two, I’d argue), characters I genuinely liked, dialogue that I’d frequently reread a time or to before moving on, and a great mix of emotion and laughs. I wasn’t even 20% through the book when I noticed I was highlighting and making notes too often—had I stopped there, I had more things than I could squeeze into a post. I can only imagine how massive my notes collection would’ve been had I not made a conscious effort to stop. There was just so much that I wanted to remember about this book.

I know that I’m going to be talking about this book in January when I look back on the best of 2021, and I probably won’t be alone.

5 Stars

A Few (More) Quick Questions with…Ian Shane

By HCNewton

On August 9, 2021

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Ian Shane

I’d fully intended for my post about In Ten Years by Ian Shane to go up this morning along with this Q&A. But as is so often the case with a book that I absolutely loved, I just don’t like what I’ve managed to write about it—and even then, I’m only half-done with my outline.

But I want to start talking about this book and hopefully convince some of my readers to read it—or at the very least, to buy it. It comes out on August 17, but don’t wait until then to order it. So, let’s start with the synopsis from Shane’s website, so you’ll have a general idea what we’re talking about in a couple of the questions. Then I’ll dive in with this great Q&A—well, the Qs are passable, the great stuff comes in the As.

Jock Jack and socially awkward Liz weren’t likely to become best friends, but they’ve had each other’s back since college. On a night both of their romantic lives implode, they make a pact; if they aren’t married in ten years, they will marry each other. With a year left before their deadline, Jack and Liz make a mad dash to find “The One” while navigating a minefield of modern dating complications.

Despite their friends’ efforts to convince them that it’s a terrible idea, Jack and Liz devise an unconventional life partnership plan. However, a face from the past and hidden jealousies and feelings neither one will ever admit threatens their friendship.

Your male protagonist, Jack, is a former college hockey player, and now plays with a bunch of other men in their thirties. I don’t think I’d ever read a hockey scene before—as far as I can tell, you capture both the feel of a game and feel of being on the stakes realistically. Is this first-hand knowledge, or the product of research? How do you decide to let this be Jack’s “thing”?

First off, I’m a huge hockey fan. Skill level be damned; if I find a hockey game on TV, there’s a better than average chance that the next three hours of my life have just been planned. Growing up in southern Indiana, there wasn’t a huge youth hockey movement there, so I never played the game. However, a good friend of mine in college, Turner, did. I had pieced together things he talked about over the years and wrote a draft of the pick-up game scene. I sent it to Turner, and he told me my description was about ninety percent accurate. He gave me some notes on what I needed to change.

I live in Denver now, and it’s a huge hockey town. The University of Denver has a rich tradition of winning championships. It just seemed too perfect to have him be a hockey player.

You’ve called this “a contemporary When Harry Met Sally,” was that the goal, or did that just come out once you started writing? How did you land on doing your take on the “if we’re not married by X…” story?

The idea for the story hit me when I found an article online about marriage pacts and platonic marriages, and I thought it was good fodder for a story. I originally planned for In Ten Years to be a novella, just focusing on the present-day storyline. The more I thought about the story, the more of a background of who these people were and how they became friends. As I was writing their backstories, I knew that there would have to be three eras of their lives, just like When Harry Met Sally, so I decided to run with it. I even name-checked the movie in the first part just for the fun of it.

I also wanted to put in some of the more modern means for dating, which didn’t exist when When Harry Met Sally came out. There’s a chapter devoted to Tinder and one that makes fun of speed dating.

Speaking of When Harry Met Sally, what’s your favorite Nora Ephron work (novel, screenplay, essay, etc)?

Not to sound like an uneducated rube, but I’m not that well versed in her work . . . so I’ll stick with When Harry Met Sally.

It’s hard to beath WHMS anyway, no matter how versed you are.

You used dual perspectives here, for the first time, I believe. What were the specific challenges of telling your story that way? How was it writing from the female Point of View? Are you going to be returning to one/both of those in the future?

Yes, this is my first time. Not too long before I wrote In Ten Years, I read Nick Spalding’s hilarious book, Dry Hard, and I loved the multiple narrations. I really wanted to give it a try. It was challenging to arrange the story so Jack and Liz could alternate chapters. Some chapters could have easily been told from either’s point of view, but others had to be from a specific character. I pantsed this book more than plotting it, so it was challenging to make sure I had the proper balance.

Writing from the female point of view was a bit challenging. My first draft was designed to be as light on Liz as possible, and then I would present it to a female beta and get some feedback. The response was . . . polite. She gave me some pointers on things women would never say.

I also ignored the paradigm that two different characters would not think and talk alike. I figured since Liz and Jack had been a massive part of each other’s lives for almost twenty years, their phraseology would blend.

I absolutely loved this dialogue. How do you approach a scene (especially a Liz/Jack scene)? How many rewrites does it take to get something right? Do you sit around talking to yourself so you can hear it? Or do you just know?

Thank you very much. Dialogue is where I start with a book. I treat the early writings almost like a screenplay. I love witty banter. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of Aaron Sorkin, and I want to bring that kind of level dialogue to my writing. As I’m writing dialogue, I write responses as I wish I would say in real life, but it wouldn’t be the right thing to say for most people I talk to. The case with Jack and Liz is that they have been around each other for so long, they bypass social convention and just say it like it is.

I’ve also been known to talk out dialogue as it’s forming in my mind. Before the pandemic, I took public transportation to work, and I would be inspired to work out dialogue with many people around. I would put on my headphones, record on my phone, and act like I was on a call.

As far as rewriting, it takes time to figure out the right words. Again, going back to my Sorkin devotion, I want the words to play like music. I’ll read it aloud, and I’ll listen to it with Word’s “Read Aloud” tool to get the rhythm right. It’s amazing how you can punch up a line of dialogue just by making a minor adjustment.

You’ve got a memoir coming out shortly, can you tell us a little about that? Do you have anything else in progress?

Being the guy who wrote two novels centered around music, it should come as no surprise that my memoir will be based on songs that have been important to my life with stories from my life. As the pandemic started, I was having a hard time writing fiction. Hearing nothing but COVID was stifling my mojo. In Ten Years had already been written and I was going to release it last June, but the last part of the story was supposed to take place in the spring of 2020. I shelved In Ten Years until I could figure out what I wanted to do with it. I took a lot of time researching elements that happened in the years in the backstory, so it wasn’t as simple as just shifting the dates.

A very close friend suggested that if I can’t write fiction, I should write non-fiction to keep the muscle memory. It started a blog series titled, Sundry Notes of Music. It started off like Songbook by Nick Hornby, which was approached by a music critic, then it evolved into my version of Al Young’s musical memoir, Drowning in the Sea of Love. Sundry Notes of Music will have stories about lost loves, my first trip to Europe, and how I started writing my first book.

I’m also plotting a sequel to my first novel, Radio Radio, but that’s way into the future.

Thanks for your time and for In Ten Years—I loved it, and hope you have a lot of success with it.

Thank you so much for reading it and the kind words.

Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne: Like the Spanish Inquisition, Nobody Expects a Turtle Dragon Spider.

By HCNewton

On August 5, 2021

In Iron Druid Chronicles, Kevin Hearne, Urban Fantasy

Paper & Blood

by Kevin Hearne
Series: Ink & Sigil, #2

eARC, 304 pg.
Del Rey Books, 2021

Read: July 31-August 3, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Paper & Blood About?

Al MacBharrais gets a message from an apprentice Sigil Agent—her teacher went to investigate an oddity in Australia and didn’t return—a nearby Agent went looking for her and hasn’t returned either. She’s (rightly) worried and needs help. She’s close to taking her exams, but she’s not at the point she’d need to be to take on whatever it was that seems to have captured—or killed—two veteran Agents.

Al and the hobgoblin in his service, Buck Foi, hitch a ride with a Fae to deliver them to Melbourne. Al also asks if a message can be delivered to the Iron Druid, Atticus O’Sullivan (now going by the alias Connor Molloy). If whatever this is has proved too much for two Sigil Agents, he knows that he and the apprentice are going to need all the help they can get.

Connor and his two dogs—Oberon (it’s been too long since I got to spend time with him, even if we only get a little bit of his speech) and Starbuck—join Al, Buck, and Ya-ping (Shu-hua’s apprentice) and they head to a hiking trail that was the last known location to find hikers screaming and fleeing from some sort of monster. There are injuries and casualties—and a monster unlike anything they’ve seen and/or read about. It’s not long before they decide that this monster is likely just the first thing they’ll have to deal with to find the Agents—and it’s probably going to get much more dangerous. Eventually, Nadia—the manager of Al’s print shop and battle seer—joins in the search when she starts getting visions of the danger they’re headed toward.

The Iron Druid Chronicles Postscript

This series is a spin-off of the Iron Druid Chronicles and functions very well in that way. But it frequently felt like Connor/Atticus was about to take over the focus of this book—just with Al’s narration rather than Connor’s first-person. That never happened, I just wondered a few times if it would.

At the same time, Paper & Blood served as a sequel to Scourged, or maybe it’d be more accurate to say that it was a belated epilogue to it. The more time that goes by the less satisfied I’ve become with the conclusion of Scourged and where it left Atticus and Oberon. This is the ending they needed, and even if I didn’t think Al, Buck, etc. were fully entertaining on their own, I’d be glad I read this for the Connor material.

I do hope that he can drop into this series from time to time, still—I’m not ready to say goodbye forever. But if I have to, this is the note I want to go out with.

Secondary Characters

In addition to those I mentioned above, there’s a local police officer, a couple of familiar faces from the Iron Druid Chronicles, and the return of someone from Ink & Sigil—it’s tough to describe without ruining the effect Hearne’s going for. But let me just say that something that I thought was a throwaway line in that book comes back and means so, so much more than I could’ve guessed (am pretty sure Al would say the same). Hearne is able to take these characters—new and established—and make you care about what they’re facing in no time flat. I’ve always been impressed in his skill in that and, if anything, he’s getting better at it than he was when Hounded first came out.

And, the monsters, too. I guess I should talk about them—Hearne let his very fertile imagination go crazy with these strange hybrid creatures (like the Turtle Dragon Spider that I mention in the headline)—it was great to see in action, and horrible to imagine.

Paper and Ink

Along the way, Al gives lessons about/tributes to the making and uses of both paper and ink in his narration. These little vignettes are just golden. They cement Al’s calling as a Sigil Agent—one who deals in ink and paper as their stock in magical trade—and capture the romance of these things that readers depend on just as much as the Agents do. Even in our world, these things are used to make magic and I appreciate Hearne reminding us of that.

So, what did I think about Paper & Blood?

There’s just so much to like about this book that it’s hard to know where to start. There’s the Glaswegian dialect that, like Ink & Sigil, the narration is written in (or at least a flavor of it)—Hearne gives us a nice Author’s Note describing it, too.

Next, I’d talk about the perspective that an elderly protagonist is able to approach things in—he has wisdom and experience that your typical UF narrator doesn’t. Something in the way that MacBharrais and the rest are able to use to defeat the final monster that gives him an idea about how to combat his curse—I’m assuming we’ll get to see it in action soon (I’m not sure how long Hearne plans this series, but I’m pretty sure it’s about over as soon as Al takes care of the curse). I don’t know if it’ll work or not, but I like that Hearne seems to be finding a way to resolve things that doesn’t fit the typical UF mold. Just the fact that Al is able to start making this plan says a lot about him. I should really spend a couple of paragraphs talking about what makes Al unique, but I don’t have the time.

There’s also all the fun of the supporting characters and what they bring to the story—again, something I should spend more time on, but I’d end up spoiling something—but while there’s nothing wrong with the main plot (killing monsters and trying to find the Agents), it’s these secondary characters and plots that make this so much fun.

There’s really just so much to commend about this book that I can’t list it, so I’ll just say that this is a must-read for anyone who enjoyed Ink & Sigil to any degree—this shows what Hearne can do in this world now that it’s established—and/or IDC. I don’t know that this is the best jumping on point—but if you do, you’re not going to regret it (your life would just be easier if you read the first book before this, though).

Hearne’s one of the best around, and this just cements this—go pick up Paper & Blood now.

4 Stars

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The Heathens by Ace Atkins: Colson and Virgil Try to Stop a Modern Bonnie and Clyde

By HCNewton

On August 4, 2021

In Ace Atkins, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Quinn Colson

The Heathens

by Ace Atkins
Series: Quinn Colson, #11

Hardcover, 400 pg.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2021

Read: July 20-23, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

Tanya Jane Byrd, known to her friends as TJ, never gave a damn about being famous. But here she was, four days on the run from Tibbehah County, Mississippi, with that girl Chastity passing along the burner phone to show they now had more than a hundred thousand followers on Instagram. They only had six posts, the newest one from just two hours ago after TJ cut her hair boy short, dyed it black as a raven’s wing, and made her ultimatum to that cowardly son of 2 bitch Chester Pratt. She called him out for not only her mother’s murder but the money she and her little brother John Wesley were owed.

On the forty-five-second clip shot outside the Tri-State Motel in Texarkana, she held up her fist on the diving board to an empty pool and said, “Fair is fair,” remembering the line from one of her mothers old VHS tapes in the trailer.

“What do you think?” Chastity asked.

“I think I better drop that phone into the nearest creek.”

What’s The Heathens About?

Seventeen-year-old TJ Byrd has spent her life convinced that her father was killed by Tibbehah County’s Sherriff, the uncle of the current Sherriff. This has left her with a pretty jaded view of law enforcement. So when she’s suspected in the disappearance—and then the murder of her mother, it’s understandable that she doesn’t assume she’s going to get a fair shake from those that suspect her. So, she grabs her little brother and with her best friend and her boyfriend, they hit the road and run. They’re not sure where they’re driving to, but it’s far away from Tibbehah.

That’s maybe not the brightest move, but she’s desperate.

Former Deputy/now US Marshall, Lilly Virgil assumes that TJ killed her mother. Lilly has seen what happens when the two of them fight and assumes that TJ has gone one step too far. Lilly pulls some strings and gets herself assigned to the fugitive hunt for TJ and the rest.

Sheriff Quinn Colson isn’t that convinced of TJ’s guilt but would like to talk to her about what happened. With her on the run, he does some legwork on the case on his own—looking into her mother’s boyfriend, finances, and history. The more he finds, the less he’s convinced that TJ had anything to do with her death, he just needs to find enough evidence to convince Lilly.

Meanwhile, Johnny Stagg is at work greasing palms and making plans for the future—and what he has in mind will look entirely different than anything we’ve already seen from him. He’s also trying to get a father and son to join his team—they have a penchant for violence, and Stagg is pretty sure he’ll have some work for them.

TJ Byrd

…I’m real sorry, TJ. You’re too young to got through a mess like this.”

“My life’s been a mess since I was born,” TJ said. “Don’t shed a tear for me, Sheriff.”

TJ Byrd is one of those characters that you can sense that an author really enjoys writing, and it carries over to the reader—she’s just a blast to read about. I felt like I got a better sense of her than I have a couple of protagonists this year. I want to write a lot about her, but I won’t because I just don’t want to take away the joy of discovery from a reader. So let me just say that if you can see the joy in reading about a rebellious, stubborn, delinquent teenager on the run from the law because she’s suspected of the gruesome murder of her mother, you’re really going to have fun with her. If that kind of character doesn’t really seem like something you’d enjoy—give Atkins a chance to prove you wrong.

The only thing I do feel safe in saying is that Atkins made a great Spotify playlist based on the character, and it tells you a lot about her (and makes pretty good reading/writing music if you’re dragging a bit).

A New Side of Colson?

The little girl wide awake now, as Maggie wiped her face with a napkin and handed her over to Quinn. He held his daughter tight, the child’s eyes wide and unfocused. Halley so small, light in his lap, while she checked out all the smells and sounds of the Fillin’ Station diner.

“She sure is curious,” Maggie said.

“Skeptical,” Quinn said.

“I guess she comes by it naturally.”

Quinn’s been a great step-dad to Brandon—and was a good uncle to Jason. But it feels different now with Halley in the picture. It seems like Quinn’s going to be a good, involved dad (as much as his job allows). I got a real Joe Pickett-vibe off of a couple of passages with Quinn at home in this one. Which is good—Joe at home is the most appealing part of the character, so seeing Quinn in this light makes me look forward to seeing how he develops along these lines.

Mythology vs. “Monster of the Week”

It’s a little off-genre here, but when I was thinking about this novel and its relation to the rest of the series, I thought about The X-Files and Fringe. There were essentially two types of episodes for those series—”Mythology” episodes that advanced or at least explored the overarching story about the series, and “monster of the week” episodes that were pretty much about some freakish thing that was taken care of within one episode—and while nods might have been made towards the mythology, overall it was independent of that story.

The Heathens follows a major mythology novel, The Revelators that tied up storylines that went back to the beginning as well as some new ones. The Heathens takes a break from it, telling a largely stand-alone story. This is good, it gives readers a chance to catch their breath, it gives Atkins a chance to tell a different kind of story while beginning to set the stage for the next big mythology chapter.

That said, it’s not “mythology”-free. The “new, improved” Johnny Stagg (who will remind you a lot of the “old, corrupt” Johnny Stagg) starts making plans, giving readers a hint about the kind of misery that’s heading to Tibbehah County and Quinn’s life. And there are references to and advances on some of the ongoing subplots, but they’re not the focus of the novel.

Edging Toward a Spoiler In This Paragraph

I don’t like to think this—even about fictional characters—but there’s a character death that brought me just so much pleasure. I’m not going to ruin it, as much as I want to. Murdered Character is someone I find nothing redeemable about—Stagg, at least, is entertaining to read about/detest. But this one? Didn’t enjoy reading about them, was hoping never to see them again—but if Atkins is going to bring them back just so he can kill them off? That’s more than okay by me.

So, what did I think about The Heathens?

This is a great way to start phase 2 of the Quinn Colson series, taking a little breather from major arcs to focus on this story—one that Quinn and Lilly really play supporting roles in—is a nice break from the intensity of the last couple of novels.

It’s also a great place to come on board the series if you haven’t read any of it before.

Lilly and Quinn being on opposite sides of the case—not really working against each other but sure not helping each other too obviously—is another nice touch. There’s an honest difference of opinion, and on the whole, they treat each other like adults set out to get to the bottom of something, no matter their divergent positions when it comes to how to deal with TJ.

Especially in the Quinn Colson series, Atkins has a history of giving us solid plots, great characters, and something extra. That’s the same here, but it feels a little fresher, a little rejuvenated after The Heathens. Choosing to focus on a few kids from Tibbehah County, while Lilly and Quinn are closing in on the truth (and the teens) is a nice change of pace, too.

As much as I enjoy his Spenser novels, it’s these Quinn Colson books where Atkins can show the world what he’s capable of. This is no exception to the rule—do yourself a favor and pick this up.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: Nowhere To Run; Sworn to Silence; Three Mages and a Margarita

By HCNewton

On August 2, 2021

In Audiobook, C. J. Box, Joe Pickett, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Urban Fantasy

The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. This time we’re looking at some recent Aduiobooks I got from the Library.

Nowhere To Run

C. J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator)
Series: Joe Pickett,, #10
Unabridged Audiobook, 10 hrs., 13 min.
Recorded Books, 2010
Read: June 4-7, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Joe vs. a couple of hard-core survivalists and possibly breaking a missing-persons case that’s been dormant for years. It’s a great set-up—Joe stumbles onto these survivalists poaching and in the end, becomes hunted by them. He escapes, barely, but no one else can find them. So Joe and Nate gear up to go hunting for them on their own—if for no other reason, than to prove that Joe isn’t making the whole thing up.

At a certain point, don’t Wyoming Law Enforcement Officers need to start giving Joe the benefit of the doubt? Maybe believe his hunches, theories—at the very least give credence to the things he says he’s actually seen and done? Sure, there’s the petty rivalries, and I get where the local sheriff can’t give Pickett any credit. But surely everyone else can—he’s got a pretty solid track record.

It was a decent read, with some good tension, some good character moments. I’m not blown away by any of it, but I enjoyed it and am eager to see what’s next. I’m not sure I like how the Picketts are dealing with April, but there’s time to turn it around.
3 Stars

Sworn to Silence

by Linda Castillo, Kathleen McInerney (Narrator)
Series: Kate Burkholder, #1
Unabridged Audiobook, 11 hrs., 45 min.
Macmillan Audio, 2009
Read: April 20-23, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
When she was a teenager, Kate Burkholder left her Amish family and faith. Not long after that, she began a career in the Columbus, Ohio Police Department. Now she’s been brought back to her hometown as Police Chief—she brings the ability to understand the language and culture of the Amish as well as the background in law enforcement among “the English.”

Then a victim of a grisly murder is found. And then another. There are similarities between these and murders that occurred in the area before Kate left home. Public pressure is mounting for a quick solution and city leaders bring in a State Investigator to “help” Kate out.

This was a solid read—with maybe a touch of melodrama here and there. I enjoyed this and see a lot of potential in the setting as this series continues.
3 Stars

Three Mages and a Margarita

by Annette Marie, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)
Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound, #1
Unabridged Audiobook, 7 hrs. 14 min.
Tantor Audio, 2018
Read: May 21-22, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
This was a lighter Urban Fantasy, like the Ella Grey books. Tori’s a waitress who can’t keep a job—she has this annoying tendency to stick up for herself when a customer gets out of line. Desperate for work, she finds a Help Wanted ad in the street. They’re looking for a bartender at a social club in a less-than-nice part of town. She shows up, gets a try out and does well.

But there’s one little thing—the social club is actually a guild of magic users. Yeah, that’s right, magic is a thing, and the guild is made up of a variety of specialists. Some of them have taken a liking to her and she’s hired on as the regular bartender. Tori strikes up a friendship with three mages in particular—and the four of them stumble into something big and dangerous.

This was fun, the dialogue moved well, the interplay between Tori and the three was great, and I can see this lasting quite a while. Looking forward to coming back for more.

3 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

PUB DAY REPOST: Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt: Man Defends Dog, Andy Carpenter Defends Man

By HCNewton

On July 6, 2021

In Andy Carpenter, David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Dog Eat Dog

by David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter, #23

eARC, 304 pg.
Minotaur Books, 2021

Read: June 24, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Dog Eat Dog About?

Coming home from a walk, Andy and Laurie see a man abusing his dog across the street. Before they can intervene someone else jumps in to defend the dog (and it’s probably good for the abuser that it happens before Laurie can get her hands on him). Both the man who protected the dog and the man who attacked it are arrested—but the way the defender reacts, Andy’s sure it’s about more than just the assault.

It turns out that this man, Matthew Jantzen, had used one of those online genetic tracing sites to try to find out if his father had left other kids when he died (Jantzen is pretty sure he did). This allows him to track down a half-sister and to put his DNA in a place where law enforcement can see it and compare that DNA to what was found at the scene of a murder. Jantzen knew it was coming (the police had visited his sister about the time of the murder a few years ago), but had hoped to avoid having to deal with it.

Andy just can’t figure out why someone who was wanted by the police would expose himself the way Jantzen did when he protected the pug. So he has to learn more about Jantzen. Then he finds himself going to the town in Maine where the killing took place to help secure legal counsel on Jantzen’s behalf. One thing leads to another, and Andy ends up in court defending Jantzen.

Little by little, Andy’s team comes to join him in Maine, investigating the things the police were supposed to take care of. They find themselves looking into a mess of drugs, racist militias, and hard-to-explain DNA evidence.

How Did Rosenfelt Make It This Long?

Given the number of Dog-themed and Dog-Pun-Filled titles in this series, how has he not used Dog Eat Dog until book 23? Even if you subtract the holiday-themed titles, it’s still nineteen novels without using it. You have to admire the restraint he’s shown up to now.

Stranger in a Strange Land

Unless I’m forgetting something, this is the second time that Andy’s taken on an out-of-state client (the last time was in 2007’s Dead Center, the fifth book in the series). When he arrives in Maine he learns three things quickly: the people are friends and welcoming, the lobster rolls in Maine are a wonderful thing; just about everyone is convinced Jantzen did it, no matter what the big-shot New York lawyer says (he seems incapable of convincing anyone he’s from New Jersey).

Andy has to employ a local lawyer for the purposes of the trial and hires a criminal defense attorney Charlie Tilton. Tilton has no desire whatsoever to take on Jantzen’s case himself—but is perfectly content to take Andy’s money to help out. He ends up taking on the role of Eddie Dowd, Kevin Randall, or Hike Lynch—he does the paperwork, legal research, and so on while Andy investigates, annoys the judge, and needles the prosecution. Charlie’s pretty normal compared to the rest, maybe a little more mercenary than the others, but that’s about it. It was a refreshing change (but I’m ready to see Eddie Dowd again).

It’s nice seeing Andy in a new setting, unable to rely on his media and police contacts, etc.

So, what did I think about Dog Eat Dog?

This is the second David Rosenfelt book I’ve read in 2021—there’s one more to go (The holiday-themed novel). How he’s able to write three solidly entertaining, frequently humourous, complex mystery novels in a year is mind-boggling. Once again, I thought I knew where Rosenfelt was going with the case and was ready for it—and then Rosenfelt pulled a rabbit out of his hat and I was caught unprepared a couple of times to see where he went.

I loved some of the recurring jokes in this-both those exclusive to this novel and some that are ongoing over the years.

There are series out there that ebb and flow in terms of quality—I don’t think these books have done that—truly impressive at the 23rd book. You know what you’re going to get when you crack open a David Rosenfelt book—and I’m so glad he continues to deliver.

Solid courtroom action, some good out-of-court detection, plenty of fun with characters old and new—particularly with Andy’s narration. These can be read as stand-alones or as part of a series. Either way you go—you’ll be happy you tried this.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Tender is the Bite by Spencer Quinn: Will Chet Share Bernie with a Ferret?

By HCNewton

On July 5, 2021

In Chet and Bernie, Dogs, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Spencer Quinn

Tender is the Bite

by Spencer Quinn
Series: Chet and Bernie, #11

eARC, 272 pg.
Forge Books, 2021

Read: June 25-28, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Tender is the Bite About?

A young woman—a frightened young woman—approaches Bernie, she needs help. But before she explains herself, something spooks her and she leaves.

Curious, Bernie starts looking for her—and stumbles into the middle of a situation involving stalking, murder, dog-napping, and all sorts of other things. There’s an international aspect of this—but it’s a very local story. There’s a lot to chew on, a lot to talk about—but all of it is in spoiler territory, so I’m going to leave it at that.

Approaching the Political

This is the second time in a week that I’ve said something along those lines, and it’s a bit strange. Chet and Bernie keep finding themselves in the neighborhood of a senate election. The case brings the two of them across the path of both candidates (one of them repeatedly). But it’s closer to home than that—Bernie’s neighbors on either side are very invested in this campaign and their enthusiasm spills over onto the a-political P. I. (or so he tries to be)—at least at one point, one neighbor’s has a considerable blow-back on Bernie’s investigation. This is a new thing for Quinn to dabble in and he does it well.

If you don’t catch the parallel between this campaign and the way people are behaving during it and…well, all of American politics right now. Quinn gives us some pretty good commentary to chew on.

Non-Chet Animal Characters

Sure, we’ve got Chet’s friend, Iggy doing his thing. But we have more animal guest stars. There’s a dog—who could be Chet’s sister (or niece), and I really hope we get to see more of her.

But the big guest star is a ferret. A ferret named Griffie—without Griffie it’s hard to say if Bernie’d been able to very far with things. Chet can’t stand ferrets, or so he repeatedly says…I’m not sure about Griffie, though.

Chet talking about adults, criminals or otherwise, is a lot of fun. Chet talking about kids is simply fantastic. But Chet talking about other animals is a different kind of fun.

A Little Light Gets Shed on Certain Events

For ages now—possibly since the first book, definitely since the second or third—Chet’s been alluding to a case that didn’t end well. He’s given us a little more information here and there about it, but never much. That ends now. Chet tells us some about it. Bernie tells someone else about it. We even get some hints from other characters about it.

I don’t know why Quinn’s decided now is the time to start clueing us in, but I’m so glad he did. We didn’t get the whole story—I don’t know if we will (and I’m not sure I care)—but we got a lot of it, and that’s enough for now.

The Trick to These Books

This is tied to the above point. The trickiest part about reading Chet as a narrator is that he doesn’t understand what he’s telling you, and because of that he leaves a lot out. He’s the best kind of unreliable narrator—he’s well-intentioned and honest, he believes what he’s telling us and he thinks he’s giving us all the information.

What that means for the reader is that we have to think a little more about what he’s saying, we have to do almost as much detective work as Bernie to understand what’s really going on. Which is just so much fun, really. Sure, you might spend a couple of chapters with the wrong idea, but Quinn doesn’t let you keep the wrong idea for long.

I need to spend time writing about this every time I talk about a Chet and Bernie book—I need to do better at this, but it’s hard. If I could describe it better, I’d probably get paid to do this stuff.

So, what did I think about Tender is the Bite?

Yes, Quinn gave us a great pair of characters that we love in Chet and Bernie. He gives us a good story. He plays with the unreliable narrator to reveal what he really wants to say. Put it all together and he gives us another great read in one of the most reliably satisfying series in print.

Read this one. If this is your first time with Chet and Bernie, go back and read the rest after it. You’ll be glad you did.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

20 Books of Summer 2021: June Check-in

By HCNewton

On July 1, 2021

In Books, Currently Reading, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Ian Rankin, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Urban Fantasy

One summer.

Three months.

93 Days.

20 books.

Are you in?

Once again I’m taking part in the 20 Books of Summer Challenge fro 746 Books. Annnnnd my June was pretty, um, dead. Between book tours, review copies and catching up on NetGalley ARCs, I’ve read absolutely nothing from my Summer Roster. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I’m posting this update mostly to push myself to get on it—a little public shaming. Because my lack of progress in June means it’s going to be a little more of a challenge to finish this than I’d anticipated. Absolutely do-able, but it’ll take a bit of effort.

I did actually read about 30% (so far) of the first book today…so, you know, it’s practically in the the bag.

And here’s the fairly untouched list (subject to change, but I’m going to resist the impulse to tweak as much as I can).

1. A Beginner’s Guide to Free Fall by Andy Abramowitz
2. The Dead House by Harry Bingham
3. The Run-Out Groove by Andrew Cartmel
4. Love by Roddy Doyle
5. The Ninja’s Blade by Tori Eldridge
6. Small Bytes by Robert Germaux
7. A Reason to Live by Matthew Iden
8. Twiced Cursed by J. C. Jackson
9. The Dime by Kathleen Kent
10. Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster

11. The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove
12. The Mermaid’s Pool by David Nolan
13. All Together Now by Matthew Norman
14. The Good Byline by Jill Orr
15. Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin
16. Fools Gold by Ian Patrick
17. Know Your Rites by Andy Redsmith
18. The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott
19. August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones
20. In Plain Sight by Dan Willis

20 Books of Summer '21 Chart

Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt: Man Defends Dog, Andy Carpenter Defends Man

By HCNewton

On June 29, 2021

In Andy Carpenter, David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Dog Eat Dog

by David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter, #23

eARC, 304 pg.
Minotaur Books, 2021

Read: June 24, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Dog Eat Dog About?

How Did Rosenfelt Make It This Long?

Stranger in a Strange Land

It’s nice seeing Andy in a new setting, unable to rely on his media and police contacts, etc.

So, what did I think about Dog Eat Dog?

I loved some of the recurring jokes in this-both those exclusive to this novel and some that are ongoing over the years.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The Bounty by Janet Evanovich with Steve Hamilton: Fox and O’Hare are on the Hunt for Nazi Gold

By HCNewton

On June 24, 2021

In Fiction, Fox and O'Hare, Janet Evanovich, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Bounty

by Janet Evanovich with Steve Hamilton
Fox and O’Hare, #7

Hardcover, 305 pg.
Atria Books, 2021

Read: May 26-28, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“Yeah, it’s a pickle, all right,” Jake said. “We used to call missions like this one-percenters.”

“Meaning one percent chance of success?” Quentin asked. “I’ve been on a few of those myself.”

Jake smiled. “I’m not being trying to be pessimistic. As a matter of fact, one-percenters are usually the most fun. There’s no pressure when you’re trying to do the impossible.”

What’s The Bounty About?

The day has gotten away from me, so I’m not going to come up with my own synopsis for this one, but I’ll borrow the description from Evanovich’s site so I can get a little shut-eye:

Straight as an arrow special agent Kate O’Hare and international con man Nick Fox have brought down some of the biggest criminals out there. But now they face their most dangerous foe yet—a vast, shadowy international organization known only as the Brotherhood.
Directly descended from the Vatican Bank priests who served Hitler during World War II, the Brotherhood is on a frantic search for a lost train loaded with $30 billion in Nazi gold, untouched for over seventy-five years somewhere in the mountains of Eastern Europe.
Kate and Nick know that there is only one man who can find the fortune and bring down the Brotherhood—the same man who taught Nick everything he knows—his father, Quentin. As the stakes get higher, they must also rely on Kate’s own father, Jake, who shares his daughter’s grit and stubbornness. Too bad they can never agree on anything.
From a remote monastery in the Swiss Alps to the lawless desert of the Western Sahara, Kate, Nick, and the two men who made them who they are today must crisscross the world in a desperate scramble to stop their deadliest foe in the biggest adventure of their lives.

The State of the Series

Books 1-5 (co-written by Lee Goldberg) were comedic heist/con adventures, with a goofy (slightly over-the-top) supporting cast—that were just so fun to read. The sixth book (co-written by Peter Evanovich) tried to match that and just failed.

Now, Steve Hamilton has stepped into the co-writer spot and the series has shifted a bit. The Bounty is more of a straightforward thriller—sure, it’s lighter than most thrillers, but it’s not a comedy. Almost all of the supporting cast is absent, we only get Kate’s father, Jake (frequently the best part of the early books) with Nick’s father, Quentin, being introduced. Quentin isn’t goofy at all, he’s not over-the-top, but he’s a fun character. Nick’s sleight-of-hand antics and thievery are on display—but we don’t get any hint of a con job. I missed that.

I don’t know if Book 8 will get back to the early roots (my preference) or if it’ll keep going in this path. But at the very least, I can look forward to the next book again, something I feared wouldn’t happen again.

There’s a parallel to this and my mini-rant about the cover designs from a couple of weeks ago. Which you might want to give a read if you didn’t see that.

So, what did I think about The Bounty?

This was a make-or-break entry in the series for me, if I didn’t enjoy this one, I was going to walk away from these. But Evanovich and Hamilton have reassured me. This is just so much better than the disaster that was The Big Kahuna that I’m willing to embrace (at least temporarily) this new style. I hope it continues.

If you like light thrillers with a semi-Indiana Jones feel, with a dash of flirtation between the leads thrown in, you should give this a try. The first five books in the series are better, but this is a good entry point.

3.5 Stars