Tag: 3 Stars Page 19 of 55

Parting Shadows by Kate Sherran Swed: Vengeance, A Heartbroken AI and some Bad Parenting Characterize this SF Novella

By HCNewton

On February 8, 2021

In Fiction, Science Fiction

Parting Shadows

by Kate Sheeran Swed
Series: Toccata System, #1

Paperback, 135 pg.
Spells & Spaceships Press, 2019

Read: February 5-6, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Parting Shadows About?

We’ve all read variations on this story before. You’ve got a brilliant scientist who convinces a sentient AI to break her programming by falling in love with him, then her to break his true love out of prison, ends up marrying the person and not the AI. This drives the AI to a decades-long-vendetta where she kidnaps a baby, molds the child into an assassin to exact her revenge for her. Okay, maybe we haven’t read that story before, thankfully we can now.

Based, to some extent, on Dickens’s Miss Havisham, SATIS is a tragic figure. I wavered between feeling sorry for it/her and being angry for the way it manipulated and abused Astra (the kidnapped baby). Okay, I didn’t waver too much.

Astra, it turns out, is pretty well-adjusted for someone that a deranged AI programmed from infancy to be a killer. She definitely has a better moral compass than you’d expect. Better. Not perfect. I grew to really like her.

So, what did I think about Parting Shadows?

There are a few other aspects of the book I’d like to talk about, but I think I’m going to hold my fire until book two or three when I have a better idea of how things go.

On the one hand, I’d like this to get a full novel-length treatment, there are a few things I think really need developed more (well, maybe not need, but it’d make me happier). But, this concise, punchy length is just what this story needs, who cares that I want to see some things expanded.

Now, everything I know about Miss Havisham comes from her appearance in the second Tuesday Next novel, and a vague sense from general cultural references, so I’m not how great a job she does at capturing that essence. But the way she talks about it, I’m betting she did it justice.

What I can say, is that she told a fun story, one that left me guessing and one that left me eager for the sequels. Which is more important than her take on her inspiration (if she’d nailed the Havisham, but told a dull story? That would’ve been crossing the line).

3 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.

Gentle and Lowly by Dane C. Ortlund: An Encouraging Look at the Heart of Christ

By HCNewton

On January 24, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Nothing against this book, but I don’t have a lot to say, but I promised myself I’d do better about posting in this genre, so here we go.

Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers

by Dane C. Ortlund

Kindle Edition, 224 pg.
Crossway, 2020

Read: January 3-10, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Gentle and Lowly About?

We are not focusing centrally on what Christ has done. We are considering who he is. The two matters are bound up together and indeed interdependent. But they are distinct.

…It is one thing to know the doctrines of the incarnation and the atonement and a hundred other vital doctrines. It is another, more searching matter to know his heart for you.

Where most books on Jesus Christ focus on His work or nature, Ortland focuses on who He is—what He’s revealed to His people. As you might guess from the title, he focuses on Matthew 11:29 the phrase, “I am gentle and lowly in heart,” in particular. But he develops the idea through numerous Gospel passages.

Ortland does spend time on the Spirit and Father, showing how they are both revealed to have a similar heart. He follows that up with material from the Epistles, focusing on the Risen and Ascended Christ, still displaying the same care, the same heart for His people.

Standing on the Shoulders

In this study, Ortlund draws on insights from the Puritans Thomas Goodwin, Richard Sibbes, and John Owen (some others, including some relatively modern writers, too). Naturally, I found this material very rewarding. Ortland takes his cues from the best of the English Reformed tradition and it shows in his work.

I do sort of wish that the footnotes pointed to things other than various authors collected works, I think in some cases the material is available in other editions, and it’d be nice if it was easier to find, he makes you want to read more by these men on those topics. But that’s beside the point.

So, what did I think about Gentle and Lowly?

“Gentle and lowly” does not mean “mushy and frothy.”

But for the penitent, his heart of gentle embrace is never outmatched by our sins and foibles and insecurities and doubts and anxieties and failures. For lowly gentleness is not one way Jesus occasionally acts toward others. Gentleness is who he is. It is his heart. He can’t un-gentle himself toward his own any more than you or I can change our eye color. It’s who we are.

There’s nothing revolutionary to be found here, but there’s good, solid, reassuring material. It’s impossible to read this book and not be encouraged to draw near to Him and taking His yoke. It’s an easy read, very accessible, and one that’s well worth your time and attention.

3 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.

What the World Needs Now – Trees! By Cheryl Rosebush, Zuzana Svobodová: Orangutans and Rainforests for Kids

By HCNewton

On November 22, 2020

In Book Tour, Fiction, Non-Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

What the World Needs Now – Trees!

by Cheryl Rosebush, Zuzana Svobodová (Illustrator)
Series: What the World Needs Now

PDF, 34 pg.
2020

Read: November 21, 2020

What’s What the World Needs Now – Trees! About?

This is a cute little book about an orangutan named Jefri, his home in the Sumatran rainforest, deforestation; and what can and should be done about to prevent it.

Okay, so only some of it is cute—it’s hard to make deforestation (in general) and the elimination of rainforests (in particular) adorable.

In addition to the main information, there are little boxes with additional/supplemental information, ideal for whatever adult is reading to/with the child to give more information or to launch a discussion.

How were the Illustrations?

The art is wonderful. Svobodová balances accuracy with an attractive, cartoonish style. The illustrations are full of small little touches to keep the attention of the youngest readers as they come back again and again.

So, what did I think about What the World Needs Now – Trees!?

I wanted a little more from the text—either something to hook the reader a bit more, or another detail or two. It’s hard to put my finger exactly on it—but I thought something was missing. That aside, I thought it was a good introduction to the issue without being alarmist and suggests common-sense solutions.

It’s good, important information delivered in an attractive package. A great way to kick-off this series for young readers.

3 Stars

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the book) they provided.

The City That Barks and Roars by J. T. Bird: It Takes Four Legs to Walk These Mean Streets

By HCNewton

On November 10, 2020

In Book Tour, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The City That Barks and Roars

by J. T. Bird

Kindle Edition, 200 pg.
2020

Read: October 30-November 6, 2020

What’s The City That Barks and Roars About?

The book opens with an injured police detective hiding from those who injured him, focused on trying to survive long enough to be rescued while replaying the moments that put him in this situation. This is followed by some of his colleagues beginning the search for the detective, finding only plenty of reasons to assume the worst has happened.

Next, we see a young detective freshly transferred from a small, quiet town to the city to be partnered with the missing detective’s old, jaded partner. The newly matched pair lead the investigation into the missing detective. an apparent kidnapping of some local criminal figures, and the tie between the crimes. Along the way, while some camaraderie builds between the partners, the young detective gets exposed to the worst of the city, underground figures on both extremes of the social ladder, true depravity, and maybe (just maybe) a few upstanding citizens.

What makes this variation on the familiar-feeling story is this: all the characters are anthropomorphic animals who’ve evolved to a 1950’s America-like civilization. The missing detective is a Panda Bear, the kidnapped criminals are beavers, the primary detectives on the hunt are a king penguin and a red howler monkey—other characters are a polar bear, vulture, panther, leopard, lioness, and more.

Is this the Correct Medium for the Story?

I couldn’t stop thinking the entire time that a novel might not be the best way to tell this story, time after time, the visual jokes just didn’t seem to land the way they ought because Bird has to spend so much time describing them.

That’s the major problem of the whole novel—the descriptions chew up too much space, slowing down the movement of the story—and taking away from the impact of the jokes, images, or other moments.

You take this story, these characters, and put them in a graphic novel in a Spiegelman-Maus kind of style? It’d be dynamite.

The jokes are still there, the images are still strong and amusing—I just think this medium dilutes things, makes it less effective. With such a well and richly developed world, I’d just like that to come across better.

So, what did I think about The City That Barks and Roars?

The animal nature of the characters is secondary (or at least seems like it ought to be) to the story and who the characters are aside from that. As such, the book could use a little more depth. Enough space is devoted to the animal setting and characteristics that Bird really can’t give the depth of characterization or subtlety of plot that I’d like to see.

That said, this is some of the best worldbuilding I’ve seen—ever—in a police novel. Bird went well above and beyond on that front, to deliver a unique and entertaining novel. From the original premise to the jaw-dropping final reveals, you won’t find Crime Fiction like this anywhere.

This would serve well as the beginning of a series, and if that’s the case, I’m in for a few more. If it’s strictly a stand-alone? Readers are in for a treat.

3 Stars

My thanks to damppebbles blog tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including a copy of the novel) they provided.

My Life as a Dog by L. A. Davenport: Man’s Best Friend, Indeed

By HCNewton

On November 5, 2020

In (Auto)Biography, Book Tour, Dogs, Non-Fiction

My Life as a Dog

by L. A. Davenport

Kindle Edition, 140 pg.
P-Wave Press, 2019

Read: October 28-29, 2020

He grasps that I’m not going to give him any, although he evidently has no idea why.

“If only you’d remember what makes you ill, you’d be a much happier dog.”

He returns to his forlorn expression and I wonder whether it was less perturbing when he was simply begging.

What’s My Life as a Dog About?

This is a short little book about the relationship between the author and his dog, Kevin, a black and tan, pure-bred dachshund. It focuses on what the two of them did over two days and then a weekend selected from the years they spent together. Through this we get a little bit of an idea about Davenport himself and a really good idea about the kind of dog that Kevin is.

The first day involves the two walking around London, just spending the day together. The second chapter focuses on Davenport at work and going for drinks with friends, with Kevin tagging along (which changes the dynamic for both activities). The final selection follows the pair taking the train to a seaside B&B for the weekend on a whim. Nothing flashy, nothing dramatic, just a few slices of life.

What about that Title?

Okay, so I didn’t read the blurb I shared in the Spotlight post, so this is on me, but I spent most of the book with one thought lingering in the back of my mind—”What was up with that title?” Near the end of the book, Davenport starts musing on the way Kevin sees the world, and the title is explained. Instead of a vaguely and mildly irksome point, the title transformed into a nice little idea, a very pleasant musing.

I’m not going say more because Davenport will do a better job, but I just wanted to say you should roll with the title.

(Just this Once) Everybody Lives

Is there an opposite of a trigger warning? This is whatever that would be. So often, especially when it comes to memoirs, in books about a dog, it ends with the dog dying. And I know more than a few people who refuse to read books like that. This is a safe one, though. Kevin makes it through to the end.

Yes, Kevin would probably be considered a “senior dog” and Davenport’s narration makes it clear he realizes that he doesn’t have much time left with the dog. But there’s a good chance he has a few more years from when the book ends, and that’s reassuring enough to spare sensitive readers.*

* There’s no judgment there, my fourteen-year-old Pug/Beagle mix is snoring a few feet from me as I type this (and will be again in a few hours when this posts) and I’d probably qualify as a sensitive reader if Kevin didn’t fare too well at the end of the book.

So, what did I think about My Life as a Dog?

I gave the ‘I’m over here’ whistle and he bolted towards me at full pelt. I crouched down and he leapt into my arms, licking my face and ears and wriggling with delight.

I do not know a purer love than that, and never will.

As I said earlier, these are just slices of life—with none of the inherent intensity or drama that you might see in other books. These episodes are steeped in ordinary-ness, which adds to the beauty of various moments that Davenport can make clear to the reader. It’s easy to impress a reader when the situation demands it, but to impress while the focus is on everyday kind of activities takes some skill.

The flip side of that is that the book is a quiet book, there’s not a lot of flash, slapstick comedy, or anything. It’s about the small moments, the looks that Kevin gives him, the reaction Kevin has to various stimuli, and the relationship between the two. Davenport writes in such a way that you can see Kevin in the moments he’s described.

And the book is sweet. He’s a doting dog owner and the way he cares about Kevin is the clearest impression you will walk away from the book with. It’s a quick read, it’s a sweet read, it’s exactly the kind of thing to buoy your spirits after a long week (or 2020). I do recommend this for you or the dog lover in your life.

3 Stars

My thanks to Overview Media for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including a copy of the novel) they provided.

May Day by Josie Jaffrey: Even Vampires Need Law Enforcement

By HCNewton

On September 21, 2020

In Fiction, Urban Fantasy

May Day

by Josie Jaffrey
Series: Seekers, Book 1

eARC, 388 pg.
Silver Sun Books, 2020

Read: September 14, 2020

What’s May Day About?

Our protagonist and narrator is a Silver, Jack Valentine. Silver’s the term that vampires in this reality use to describe themselves. But she’s no ordinary Silver, she’s a Seeker—essentially a vampire police detective. She and her colleagues in Oxford witness a Silver throwing a mortal to their death from a tower but are unable to immediately apprehend them.

Jack is forced to team up with a local baron—with whom she has a long-standing grudge–to gain the necessary social access to properly investigate the killing. Along the way, she finds a vampire who is molesting mortals (who, thankfully, won’t remember anything) and stumbles onto a conspiracy that may be too much for Jack and the other Seekers to adequately deal with.

A Great Idea

A group of vampires tasked with keeping the existence of vampires secret, erasing evidence of their existence whenever possible, and bringing reckless and criminal (by vampire, not mortal, standards) vampires to heel is a great idea. In retrospect, I’m surprised no one has thought of this before*.

* I realize I’m leaving myself open to correction on this point, if others have done this—let me know, I’d like to see other takes on this idea.

Jaffrey goes even a step further and gives us political intrigue and possible corruption in the upper echelons of both the Seekers and other bodies. The sort of thing that Harry Bosch would call “high jingo.” Establishing the Seekers and introducing some high jingo in a way that feels both realistic and mysterious is a nice accomplishment.

A Question of Emphasis

It’s entirely possible (perhaps probable) that word/page count would put the lie to this section. But I’m emphasizing on how it seemed to this reader—what my experience was. But I’d say that the crime/investigation story (the part that the Book Blurb talks about) is about 40% of the book. The other 60% focuses on Jack’s personal life (and a little about the personal lives of her colleagues).

Jack’s a relatively young vampire and is regarded as pretty immature. Which is fitting, because she is. She drinks to excess, regularly, and to an extent that threatens her job. She gets involved in a love triangle (or at least a lust triangle) that the text spends an awful lot of time on. The side of the triangle that Jaffrey spends the most time on—and gives the most details about—is the one that Jack tells everyone who asks (and the reader) repeatedly that she’s not interested in, and is dead-set against.

The idea of a cop (or cop-like character) who is a mess, both in their professional and personal life, is nothing new—and at times seems de rigueur. It’s just those sub-plots (however integral to the overall story they may prove) should serve as a support to the main plot—it’s right there in the “sub.” They should illustrate who the protagonist is, show them in a different light than the main plot (perhaps help explain who they seem to be). Here, it’s almost as if the May Day murder is the subplot.

So, what did I think about May Day?

I liked the concept of the Seekers, I thought the entire case was well-conceived and well-executed. The two (maybe three, it depends how you want to count them) other ongoing problems that Jack and the others uncover were both exactly the kinds of thing that “Vampire cops” should get into and both leave plenty of fodder for follow-up volumes. This part of the novel is strong, inventive, and is why I recommend May Day.

What tempers my enthusiasm is the balance of the book, Jack Valentine is an interesting character, but her love life and her personal dysfunctions and self-destructive tendencies are overemphasized. I’m very likely in the minority here, I realize, but spending as much time with the mess that is Jack’s personal life—especially when you throw in the triangle—it leaves me cold and sucks out some of my appreciation of the novel as a whole. I do recommend this original slant on Urban Fantasy, and think that UF reader will find a lot to enjoy in its pages.

3 Stars

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

The Secret of Rosalia Flats by Tim W. Jackson: A Trip Home to a Tropical non-Paradise Brings Nothing But Trouble

By HCNewton

On September 14, 2020

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Secret of Rosalita Flats

by Tim W. Jackson
Series: Blacktip Island, #2

eARC, 290 pg.
2020

Read: August 31-September 1, 2020

What’s The Secret of Rosalita Flats About?

Once upon a time, Cal Batten and his family lived on Blacktip Island (a Caribbean Resort island) in a strangely shaped house. At some point, his mother moves back to the mainland, taking Cal with her. Years later, following a divorce and struggling to keep his business alive, Cal’s back on the island. His father, Rhodes, has died and Cal’s come to get things in order and sell the house. Hopefully, he can make enough money to bail out his clock repair business.

Cal hasn’t been on the island in years, doesn’t want to be there now, and honestly hasn’t been in touch with his father enough to care about his death. But maybe, just maybe, some good can come out of things. But before he can get to that, he needs to: find the will and make sure he actually owns anything; make sense of his father’s financial situation (step 1: find out how he made any money); find someone to buy the house/land. None of these things prove easy.

There are plenty of people on the island who remember Cal (some of whom he has vague memories of), but most just know him as the stranger who’s come to sell the house—and either mistrust him as an outsider, or see him as a mark to take advantage of.* There’s a couple of childhood friends—Marina, who doesn’t seem to care that he’s back, and Rafe seems to be jealous of the romantic interest between Marina and Cal. There’s his father’s neighbors, who seem to be the most normal people on the island, there’s the fixit man who has premonitions (and a strange sense of humor) about Cal’s future, an eccentric man who will attack sinners with hammers for God, and a whole lot of people who seem more interested in bilking tourists and anyone else they can out of whatever money they have. Oh, and the world’s most loyal cleaning lady—who refuses to let Cal fire her (she’s been paid in advance for the whole year), and insists on helping him sort through papers and impose order on the house (which she has to break into at least once to do her job).

* Both are probably right to an extent.

Someone doesn’t want Cal to get the answers he’s looking for—and are acting as if Rhodes has some sort of treasure buried/hidden that they want to find first. The house is broken into and searched repeatedly, Cal’s stalked, things are stolen from the house, So now it becomes a race—who will find the will and/or whatever other riches might be left by Rhodes first?

Blacktip Island

Years ago, I read some/most of the books by Tom Bodett about a town in Alaska called The End of the Road. Each book was a collection of short stories about an eccentrics living in a small town.* Blacktip Island seems to be the same kind of place, if you look at Jackson’s website about it, The Blacktip Times, you kind of get the same feel. An entirely fictional place where any number of odd characters live simply to be used for off-kilter little stories.

* Lake Wobegon, Minnesota would also fit this, but I like Bodett and his town more than Keillor and his.

So, what did I think about The Secret of Rosalita Flats?

Essentially what you have here is a humorous Fish Out of Water story mixed with a Light Thriller, Cal keeps trying to get his answers (and some money) and is stymied by either a well-intentioned (generally) resident or his own ignorance of the Island (its history, culture, residents).

The cast of characters is large enough that you have a hard time getting a real sense for any of them other than Cal for most of the book (the cleaning lady and Marina are exceptions—but it takes most of the book before you really start to get a sense of them). Which is okay, because you don’t need to understand these characters to find them amusing.

And that’s the key to this book—it’s amusing. The Cal’s quest is interesting enough to keep you turning pages, but what makes it worthwhile is to see him run into various obstacles along the way and to interact with the residents. That’s what gives this book its distinctive flavor and will bring a grin to your face.

This is just the thing to read sitting in the shade (on a beach if you can find it) for an afternoon with a drink or two, enjoying a summer day.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author in exchange for my honest opinion and this post.

3 Stars

Bad Turn by Zoë Sharp: Charlie Fox is On Her Own and in Treacherous Waters

By HCNewton

On September 4, 2020

In Uncategorized

Bad Turn

by Zoë Sharp
Series: Charlie Fox, #13

Kindle Edition, 340 pg.
ZACE Ltd, 2019

Read: August 22, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“OK, let’s talk weapons. You got any preference?”

I shrugged. “I like the SIG P226, if you have one, but as long as it goes bang when I press the trigger, I’m not too fussy.”

What’s Bad Turn About?

Charlie’s left her job—which costs her her home, he guns, and leaves her working security on the sort of drinking establishment that she’d never have walked into. She’s about 6 minutes away from making Jack Reacher look financially stable.

She stumbles into a house-sitting gig out in the country at a really nice place. It’s the answer to a whole lot of problems. Until she’s driving nearby and comes across a gunfight in the middle of a country road. As you do. She intervenes and comes to the aid of the group that’s apparently under attack, and ends up saving the life of a woman and one of her bodyguards.

Overcome with gratitude and impressed with her abilities, the woman’s husband offers her a job. His business has some pretty important things happening and he’s worried for her safety during that. You see, he’s an arms dealer (one who sells to both sides of legality) and there’s reason to believe that his wife is being targeted by a competitor/angry ex-customer.

The whole shootout on a public road would be an indicator that, yeah, she’s in danger.

Charlie signs on for the protection duty and finds herself in the middle of a scheme featuring international gun runners/dealers, organized crime (in multiple countries), and some messy family drama in multiple countries. There are multiple gunfights, a little bit of hand-to-hand combat, a lot of treachery and a little betrayal.

Bad Turn and the Charlie Fox series

This felt like a transition from Charlie’s typical work for Parker’s firm to self-employment. And as such, it feels a little different to me. She’s used to having Parker or his staff ready for logistical, research, or equipment help. Now she’s on her own—and Bad Turn shows how ill=prepared she is to be independent of all of Parker’s resources. Sure, she spent a lot of time without the possibility of checking in with Parker/the company, and it caused problems. But her assumption in the past was that there was a team ready to help. That’s gone now.

Assuming there are more Charlie Fox books coming down the line, I trust that Sharp will get us through these waters and put Charlie back in a situation she can more easily predict, and one not so infested by rats.

So, what did I think about Bad Turn?

I really don’t know. I liked the story, and enjoyed watching Charlie navigate these treacherous waters—but the whole time I felt like something was off. I think it’s just whatever made me start thinking of this as a transition novel, good action, but it just didn’t feel right.

Still, even an “off” Charlie Fox adventure is pretty fun. I’m glad I read this and think that new or established readers will enjoy it, but I’m hoping for something more next time.

3 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.

Curse the Day by Judith O’Reilly: A Technothriller/Conspiracy Novel filled with Action (and some low tech solutions)

By HCNewton

On September 4, 2020

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Curse the Day

by Judith O’Reilly
Series: Michael North, #2

Kindle Edition, 331 pg.
Head of Zeus, 2020

Read: August 24-25, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

He wanted to meet whoever had hacked that car. Then he wanted to punch them in the face. Because someone had tried to kill him and the innocent woman alongside him. And call him old- fashioned, but that made him mad. And an angry Michael North was someone who might just kill someone right back.

What’s Curse the Day About?

Killing State‘s ending pretty much broke Michael North*. When the book opens, he’s trying to drink and gamble himself into oblivious rather than dealing with the emotional fallout.

* which is ironic, because the rest of the book was pretty much about him coming back to life.

And then an old acquaintance from MI-6 shows up with a job. His niece is an ethicist married to one of the most innovative computer scientists around, who is on the verge of a major announcement in the development of AI. But someone is trying to interfere with that announcement, and have tried to kill his niece. He wants North to sober up and protect her. To guarantee his cooperation, he’s arranged for Fang’s mother to be arrested and is threatening to deport her and send her back to China. It’s this, and only this, that compels North to action.

Fang’s waiting for him—and is full of less than supportive things to say about his recent activity, but she’s more than ready to help him. Not just for her mother’s sake. Also, not just because this kind of AI is the stuff she dreams of. Despite their brief acquaintance, she really likes North and wants to help.

Narrowing down the source of the threat is difficult—there’s some industrial espionage afoot, some not very covert efforts by Chinese representatives to gain control of the technology, and some British military types heavily invested, too. One of the adversaries North faces off with is straight out of a Bond movie, while the others are more…down to Earth (at least by the standards contemporary thrillers). I’m not sure which I prefer—I just like to know that against North, both types of adversary have their work cut out for them.

It’s clear what North will do to whoever’s behind the attacks, the question is, what will it take for him to figure out the responsible parties.

So, what did I think about Curse the Day?

Life wasn’t grey– it was black and white, there was good and there was evil, and he knew how far he was prepared to go for the sake of the good.

I have a hard time not recommending a book with such moral clarity (even if the protagonist who holds that clarity needs some work on how to live out that morality).

I’ve read entire books that managed to have less tension than the prologue to this novel, and it was enough to instantly get me engaged and invested in the outcome.

But after that, I think the novel didn’t grab me as much as I wanted it to. Killing State was, in many ways, about North casting off the restraints that held him back (professionally, emotionally, mentally), and Curse the Day didn’t have much of that. At least a couple of times, North compares Esme and Honor (the woman he was protecting in Killing State)—even seems to realize that he’s trying to make Esme into a version of Honor, to react to her the same way. And it just doesn’t work for him—or me—she’s not Honor, as much as he might want her to be. Possibly in Book 3 he won’t be looking for another Honor and will be able to focus on the tasks at hand, or come up with a new way to emotionally invest.

This didn’t work for me the way that Killing State did, but I’m still coming back for more, and fully expect O’Reilly to knock my socks off again, even if she didn’t this time out. But it was a clever story, and I particularly liked spending time with Fang (and look forward to seeing what trouble she gets into with her new toy).

Curse the Day‘s biggest problem was that it wasn’t Killing State and if I read this one first, I probably would’ve enjoyed it more. It was tense, well-paced, with just the right number of twists and unexpected developments. Everything a thriller needs, and because of that, I have no problem encouraging you to read it. You’ll probably like it more than I did. And even if you don’t, you’ll still have a pretty fun time.

3 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 Library Murders by M.R. Mackenzie: An Unlikely Duo on the Hunt for a Killer @LifeBookish

By HCNewton

On August 20, 2020

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Library Murders

by M.R. Mackenzie

Kindle Edition, 335 pg.
Mad House, 220

Read: August 18-19, 2020

What’s The Library Murders About?

The book opens with a pleasant first chapter, almost enough to make you forget something horrible is promised by the title. I stress the almost because it reminds you something’s coming. You could easily take that first chapter and put it into a General Fiction/Women’s Commercial Fiction kind of thing.

And then the title happens. As murders go, they’re pretty shocking, particularly when you put they happen in a small library.

Alyssa, fifteen minutes into her first shift when they occur, is one of two survivors. And while she survived, she definitely didn’t come through unscathed. Neither did Davy, the outgoing man who had been trying to make her feel comfortable on her first day. While their recovery is never the focus of the the novel, it’s present throughout, and I think the impact of their trauma is depicted realistically and sensitively.

Davy, from Day 1, thinks that the police aren’t looking in the right direction for the culprit. Alyssa has no such concern—honestly, she does all she can to not think about, or care about, the investigation, or its result. But after some goading from Davy, she agrees to help him a little while he looks into things.

It’s not long before she begins to share his doubts, and soon she’s pursuing things on her own. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, and the dangerous situation they survived is just the beginning.

I was surprised at how little time we ended up spending with the detectives on the case, because early on it seems like they were going to be a real focus for the narrative. They do get some good moments, but they are mostly off-screen. On the one hand, the book didn’t need them—it was compelling enough as is. But after the introduction we’re given to them, I’d have welcomed a little more time with them throughout, getting their perspective on the investigation.

Poor Canada?

(that works best if you sing it to the opening of the Canadian Anthem)

Poor Alyssa…time after time after time she’s called an American. She’s from a small town in Saskatchewan—and many of the people who make references to her being from the States are aware of that. But that doesn’t stop them—and it, understandably, starts to get to her. It’s a great running gag with a good pay off in a book that needs the occasional light touch to relieve the tension.

What One Thing was the Biggest Surprise of the Novel?

Don’t worry, I’m not going to give any plot spoilers. Give me a little credit. But the thing that came absolutely out of nowhere—and from a completely unexpected source—was a lengthy tribute to Library workers and the value of their service. It was unexpected, sincere, and heartfelt. I can just imagine if I worked in a library and came across this passage that I’d have an extra spring in my step the next time that I went to work.

So, what did I think about The Library Murders?

I was riveted. I found myself invested almost from page one into what happened to Alyssa, Davy and the lead detective—not just as it regards the Library Murders, but beyond that.

Mackenzie keeps things well-paced and times the reveals along the way deftly.

I was thoroughly satisfied with this and definitely recommend The Library Murders as a compelling way to spend a few hours.

3 Stars

My thanks to Overview Media for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including a copy of the novel) they provided.