Category: book review

The Gullfather: Birdsy Seagull (A Seahawk Situation: Volume 1) by Jeff Sikaitis and Jake Wheeler

Publisher: Books Fluent

Date of publication: June 6th, 2023

Genre: Graphic Novels

Series: The Gullfather: Birdsy Seagull

A Seahawk Situation—Book 1

Purchase Links: Hardcover (Amazon) | B&N | AbeBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Gullfather himself, Birdsy Seagull, rules the roost with a fistful of feathers. And with a little help, but not much, from his ragtag crew: salty-mouthed Joey “One-Wing” Grella, handsome slacker Sammy “Vinny” Gullian, glamorous and dangerous Birdabella, and Birdsy’s well-fed enforcer, “Quack Quack.” They say they’ll stop at nothing to be the top crime birds on the boardwalk, but they pretty much stop at everything — snack time, nap time or any other reason — much to Birdsy’s ire.

In the first book in the series, “A Seahawk Situation,” Birdsy and his crew are at war with the owners of the boardwalk eatery, Zen and Out, after they erect a wooden security seahawk to scare the gulls of Shoretown. Things escalate quickly after One-Wing battles Seymour the Wooden Seahawk and Vinny starts an indoor fireworks display. In retaliation, One-Wing gets birdnapped, and Vinny is almost made into curry, but just when Birdsy has nowhere left to turn, enter Birdabella, the wild card. Will Birdsy remain “king of the boardwalk” or will the humans get the upper hand and start to encroach on the empire he and NonnaBird built?

Piling on the action, silliness and a lot of heart, this oddball family is brought to life in a dynamic, arresting visual graphic novel format. For fans of “Bad Guys,” “Last Kids On Earth” and “Dogman,” the absurd adventures of Birdsy and crew are everything young readers want in a new series.

First Line:

What are you looking at? Never seen a cat this handsome before?

The Gullfather: Bugsy Seagull (A Seahawk Situation: Volume One)

I have never written a review for a graphic novel before. Before this book, I had never read a graphic novel before. I considered this when I accepted the publisher’s request for review.

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from this book. I expected that it would be written towards a target audience (tweens and young teens) and that the storyline would reflect it. I also figured that the artwork would be targeted toward them too. I was pleasantly surprised because older teens and adults could also read this book and enjoy it.

The storyline of The Gullfather (I am shortening it for this review) is pretty simple. Birdsy Seagull is the head of the seagull mob and has a problem. The Indian restaurant on the boardwalk has put up a wooden sea hawk to scare away seagulls. Birdsy is not having it, and he sends his best enforcers, One Wing and Vinnie the Vindaloo, to take care of it. But when One Wing is captured, it is up to Birdsy and the rest of the gang to rescue them and take care of the sea hawk.

The storyline was well-written and crisp. The authors’ kept this book laser-focused on Birdsy, his gang, and the issue with the Indian restaurant. They also introduced what I will assume will be the main characters in books in the future.

The Gullfather was pretty funny, also. I also loved the play on the gulls’ names that the authors gave them New Jersey/New York accents.

The end of The Gullfather was entertaining. I loved how Birdsy resolved the problem and saved his friends. But it ended on a cliffhanger, making me want to pick up book 2 when it is published.

I recommend The Gullfather: Birdsy Seagull: Vol 1: The Seahawk Situation to anyone over 10. There is mild violence.

Many thanks to Jeff Sikaitis and Jake Wheeler for allowing me to read and review The Gullfather: Birdsy Seagull: Vol 1: The Seahawk Situations. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of The Gullfather: Birdy Seagull: Vol 1: The Seahawk Situation, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: August 1st, 2023

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Adult, Contemporary, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it’s been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from happening.

Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother’s past or background. But when Ruth’s desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth’s carefully-constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception.

First Line:

My mother walks from her bedroom through our tiny living room, her eyes sweeping over our old blue couch and coffee table, before she briefly disappears into the galley kitchen.

Gone Tonight by Sarak Pekkanen

Catherine is ready to leave her mother and start on her own. But, when Ruth develops signs of early Alzheimer’s, Catherine stays home to care for her. She also wants to know more about Ruth’s background. So she starts digging into Ruth’s past. Meanwhile, Ruth is desperate to keep Catherine by her side. To do that, she will do anything to keep her there, including lie. But, as Catherine unearths more of her mother’s past and Ruth tries desperately to keep the truth from her, things start to come apart. What is Ruth hiding from Catherine?

When I read the blurb for Gone Tonight, I knew this was a book that I needed to read. I am a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen and love psychological thrillers. I went into this book with high expectations. I ended the book slightly confused. I don’t know if it was the author’s intention, but I didn’t like it.

Gone Tonight is a fast-paced book. For the most part, the pacing of the book suited the storyline. But there were times during the book when I wished it had slowed down. There was also some lag in the middle of the book.

The main storyline in Gone Tonight focuses on Ruth, her lies, her relationship with Catherine, and Catherine’s investigation into her mother’s past. The main storyline was well-written, and the plotline had a few exciting twists.

The characters in Gone Tonight didn’t impress me. Ruth came across as extremely smothering and a pathological liar. She pushed Catherine into investigating her past. Catherine didn’t impress me, either, but I understood why she did the things she did. All she wanted was answers, and she did get them but at a cost.

The mystery angle of the book was interesting. I liked how the author gave out Ruth’s back story. But, at the same time, I didn’t quite believe it (she’s a known liar). There were a few twists in this angle that did surprise me. There is also the mystery of Catherine and how her mother views her. It is at odds with the Catherine shown, and I did think that maybe Ruth was overthinking things until the end of the book and when Catherine did something that surprised me.

The thriller angle of the book was well written. I was kept on edge by everything that Catherine uncovered, even though Ruth had admitted to it earlier in her journal.

The end of Gone Tonight left me confused. I couldn’t quite figure out what Ruth meant by what she said and what that meant for Catherine. The main storyline was wrapped up, but there was that last comment. Did it mean what I think it means? Or does it mean something else?

I recommend Gone Tonight to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and fade to black sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Sarah Pekkanen for allowing me to read and review Gone Tonight. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Gone Tonight, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Sarah Pekkanen:

Ride for Glory (North Oak: Book 8) by Ann Hunter

Publisher: Rebel House Ink

Date of publication: November 2, 2022

Genre: Young Adult, Equestrian

Series: North Oak

Born to Run—Book 1 (review here)

Yearling—Book 2 (review here)

Morning Glory—Book 3 (review here)

To Bottle Lightening—Book 4 (review here)

Far Turn—Book 5 (review here)

Dark Horse—Book 6 (review here)

Against the Odds—Book 7 (review here)

Ride for Glory—Book 8

Hard Boot—Book 9

Inquiry—Book 10

Purchase Links: Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can Alex handle the pressure of stardom?

When Alex scores berths into The Breeders Cup aboard Dreamer’s Song and Venus Nights, she discovers she may have to choose between them. But how can she choose between the filly she brought into the world, and the headstrong colt who is teaching her so much about the sport she loves?

Her kid sister, Gina, isn’t making the choice any easier. The rambunctious 10-year-old is nothing but a distraction, and a danger to the horses themselves. She’s always underfoot and asking too many questions. It’s all Alex can do to keep her wits about her.

Worse yet, Alex is on shaky ground with her feelings for Dejado and Carol. She can’t dare risk being anything less than perfect while the tabloids are blowing up over her skyrocketing career. Every move must be measured. No word can be mistaken.

The world is watching, and the clock is ticking…

First Line:

Sixteen year old Alexandra Showman frowned at the clay grit in her teeth.

Ride for Glory by Anne Hunter

Alex is ecstatic when she scores berths into The Breeder’s Cup on Dreamer’s Song and Venus Nights. But, that happiness is tempered when she finds out that she must choose between her heart horse (Venus Nights) or the horse that could take her places (Dreamer’s Song). On the homefront, Alex isn’t doing too great. She is trying to figure out what to do about Gina, her ten-year-old sister, and feels that Gina is overtaking her life. Also, adding to everything is that Alex is trying to figure out her feelings for Carol and Dejado. Can Alex hold everything together until The Breeder’s Cup? Or will she become tabloid fodder?

Ride for Glory is the 8th book in the North Oak series. While this could be read as a standalone book, I recommend reading the series so that way; you will understand Alex’s backstory better and her relationship with different people in the book.

Ride for Glory is a fast-paced book. The pacing of this book does suit the storyline. Seeing that everything happens over a couple of months (or a month, not sure), it made sense for the book to be fast-paced. There was very little lag in the book, which was enjoyable too.

The main storyline for Ride for Glory is centered around Alex, racing, and Alex’s personal life. The storyline was well-written and emotional (yes, emotional). I liked that even when I thought I figured out certain parts of the storyline; the author was able to surprise me by doing the opposite of what I thought.

The storyline with Gina and Alex was well written. As a mother of 3 and a sister to 8 (9 including me), I can safely say that Gina was written as a typical, obnoxious 10-year-old. Alex’s reaction to her made me laugh. She looked at her like she was another species; if you have ever had a ten-year-old, you know they are. But, I disagreed with how Alex treated Gina throughout the book. But, Alex did turn a corner with their relationship around the middle of the book.

The storyline regarding The Breeder’s Cup, the other jockeys, the horses, and Alex’s choices was interesting. I thought Alex was slightly immature regarding the horses, and I couldn’t believe what she said to North. He, of course, put her right in his place, but still. She had zero rights to go and demand what she did. As for how she handled the other jockeys, I did like her maturation in that sense, and the bully did get what he deserved.

The love triangle involving Carol, Alex, and Dejago had me confused but hopeful. At a point, I thought Alex had lost them both, and you know what? I thought it served her right. She was playing a game with Dejago, and he didn’t deserve that. She also spoke about Carol’s boyfriend (Alex’s cousin), and Carol got pissed and, again, served her right. Now, why was I confused? I thought Alex had made a choice by her actions towards the end of the book and was surprised when it went in the opposite direction. Talk about having my head spin.

The end of Ride for Glory was, well, glorious. I enjoyed reading about that final race. I got hyped for her and what her future plans involved. I was also stunned by what seemed to be her choice for romance. That alone made me super excited to read book 9.

I recommend Ride for Glory to anyone over 16. There is mild language, mild violence, and no sexual situations.

Many thanks to Ann Hunter for allowing me to read and review Ride for Glory. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Ride for Glory, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Ann Hunter

The Shadow Girls (Natalie Lockhart: Book 4) by Alice Blanchard

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: July 25th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

Series: Natalie Lockhart

Trace of Evil—Book 1

The Wicked Hour—Book 2

The Witching Tree—Book 3

The Shadow Girls—Book 4

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N |AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Someone is playing deadly games. Lieutenant Luke Pittman lies in the hospital in a coma after being attacked by one of their own. Veronica Manes, Burning Lake’s most respected modern-day witch, is dead, her murder left unsolved. Natalie Lockhart has become embroiled in a case with threads that become increasingly difficult to untangle.

Now, a new horror is uncovered, one that shocks the town as never before, and the dark, shadowy path forward for Natalie is paved with challenges that haunt her past―Veronica’s unsolved case. Her sister’s traumatic murder. The long-lost disappearance of her old best friend. Natalie’s obsession with finding the truth leads to a twisted, elemental struggle between good and evil―and nothing will ever be the same again.

/.The woods have secrets.

The trees are carved with curses.

There’s something wicked in Burning Lake.

First Line:

Thirty-seven-year-old Stevie Greenway drove across town to Murray’s Halloween Costumes and parked in the sprawling let behind the sooty brick building.

The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard

If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you know how much I dislike reading books out of order (if they are in a series). If I come across a book that interests me, I usually shelve it and then pick up book one in the series. But, when it comes to reviewing books, that rule becomes obsolete. That was the case with The Shadow Girls. When St. Martin’s Press emailed me with the review request, I immediately accepted. Then kicked myself when I realized it was part of a series.

The Shadow Girls is book four in the Natalie Lockhart series. You must read the first three books to understand what is happening in this one. The author briefly explained what happened in the previous three books, but I needed more. I was confused when everything came together at the end of the book and was left scratching my head.

The Shadow Girls is a fast-paced book. While I enjoyed the book’s pace and felt it complemented the storyline, I was overwhelmed. The main reason was that I had to backtrack and reread paragraphs and sometimes chapters.

The main storyline in The Shadow Girls centers around Natalie and the 2-3 cases she investigates. The storylines were well written, and I loved how the author connected and interconnected them. But, again, it would have been helpful if I read the previous books.

The storyline involving Natalie, the murder at the Halloween shop, and her investigation was interesting. There weren’t that many twists in this storyline. The only two notable twists came mid-storyline when the author connected this murder to another storyline, and then at the end, it was revealed why the guy was killed. I liked seeing how the investigation was handled, as well as how cold cases were handled. Also, the book’s title comes from this storyline (fun fact!!).

The storyline with Natalie and the investigation into Veronica Manes’s death was well written. I liked the twists and turns this storyline took and its interconnectedness with the other two storylines. I was shocked at how this one ended up.

The storyline with Natalie, her missing best friend, and the investigation/personal issues that stemmed from that was sad. This storyline had the most twists out of the three main storylines. I was surprised at every single thing that was uncovered.

The end of The Shadow Girls was a chaotic mess. It seemed like every single storyline was solved, but I am a little skeptical. I hope there will be a book five because I would love to see more of the town.

I would recommend The Shadow Girls to anyone over 21. There are language, violence, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Alice Blanchard for allowing me to read and review The Shadow Girls. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of The Shadow Girls, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Alice Blanchard:

The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: July 11th, 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Mental Health, France, Mental Illness

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A young woman with amnesia falls under the influence of a powerful doctor in Paris’s notorious women’s asylum, where she must fight to reclaim dangerous memories—and even more perilously, her sanity—in this gripping historical novel inspired by true events, from the bestselling author of Wunderland.

“I didn’t see her the day she came to the asylum. Looking back, this sometimes strikes me as unlikely. Impossible, even, given how utterly her arrival would upend the already chaotic order of things at the Salpêtrière—not to mention change the course of my own life there.”

When Josephine arrives at the Salpêtrière she is covered in blood and badly bruised. Suffering from near-complete amnesia, she is diagnosed with what the Paris papers are calling “the epidemic of the age”: hysteria. It is a disease so baffling and widespread that Doctor Jean-Martine Charcot, the asylum’s famous director, devotes many of his popular public lectures to the malady. To Charcot’s delight, Josephine also proves extraordinarily susceptible to hypnosis, the tool he uses to unlock hysteria’s myriad (and often sensational) symptoms. Soon Charcot is regularly featuring Josephine on his stage, entrancing the young woman into fantastical acts and hallucinatory fits before enraptured audiences and eager newsmen—many of whom feature her on their paper’s front pages.

For Laure, a lonely asylum attendant assigned to Josephine’s care, Charcot’s diagnosis seems a godsend. A former hysteric herself, she knows better than most that life in the Salpêtrière’s Hysteria Ward is far easier than in its dreaded Lunacy division, from which few inmates ever return. But as Josephine’s fame as Charcot’s “star hysteric” grows, her memory starts to return—and with it, images of a horrific crime she believes she’s committed. Haunted by these visions, and helplessly trapped in Charcot’s hypnotic web, she starts spiraling into actual insanity. Desperate to save the girl she has grown to love, Laure plots their escape from the Salpêtrière and its doctors. First, though, she must confirm whether Joséphine is actually a madwoman, soon to be consigned to the Salpêtrière’s brutal Lunacy Ward—or a murderer, destined for the guillotine.

Both are dark possibilities—but not nearly as dark as what Laure will unearth when she sets out to discover the truth.

First Line:

I didn’t see her the day she came to the asylum. Looking back, this sometimes strikes me as unlikely.

The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein

As a former hysteria patient, nineteen-year-old Laure has been kept on at the famous Salpetrier hospital as an attendant in the Hysteria ward. Her life is lonely, and the work is endless, as she is the attendant to Rosalie, who Dr. Jean-Marie Charcot displays to explain what hysteria means. But that changes when Josephine arrives at the hospital. Covered in bruises and blood, Josephine is sure she committed a murder, but she can’t remember if she did. With rare beauty and highly susceptible to hypnosis, Josephine soon becomes Dr. Charcot’s star hysteric. But, with her memory returning and becoming more confident that she committed murder, Josephine and Laure start planning their escape. But Laure must find out if what Josephine did is the truth, and she must find a way to keep Josephine from going to the Lunacy ward. Will they escape? Did Josephine kill her former master?

When I was looking through the books on NetGalley, I came across this one. I was immediately drawn to the cover. Then I read the blurb and thought, “I must read this.” Since it was unavailable to request, I decided to wish on it. When I got the email saying that the publisher granted my wish, I was thrilled. Now that I have read it, I can tell everyone that this book was fantastic.

The Madwomen of Paris is a medium-paced book set in 19th-century Paris. The author took her time introducing Laure and explaining her background. She also took her time introducing Salpêtrière and explaining what hysteria was. Then she took time building up Josephine’s backstory. By the middle of the book, she amped up the slowness to a medium pace and kept it that pace until the end. There were some parts where I got frustrated with the pacing (mainly in the beginning), but by the end of the book, my irritation was gone. I understood why the author chose to pace the book as she did.

The main storyline concerns Laure, Josephine, Josephine’s amnesia, and their plans to escape. The storyline was well-written, and I got lost in the book as I was reading it. I loved that the author used real places (the Salpêtrière is a real hospital) and real people (Dr. Charcot was famous in 19th-century Paris). Those details added extra depth to the storyline. I also liked how the author explained hysteria and the different (and awful) ways of treating it.

I liked and pitied Laure. She suffered when she was younger, and I didn’t blame her for losing it. Losing two parents and an unborn sibling back to back would test even the strongest person. In a way, she did luck out when she was sent to Salpêtrière and again when she was hired to be an attendant. But she was lonely, so she got so caught up with Josephine.

I liked Josephine, but at the same time, I was wary of her. I didn’t doubt that her employer viciously attacked her, but I wondered if she had regained her memory of that night sooner than she had told Laure. At various points in the book, I wondered if she was using Laure. She sent Laure to check out the house where she killed her master. Her actions at the end of the book spoke volumes and just cemented my wariness of her.

There is a romance angle in the book that was interesting, and I liked it. But, I felt that it was one-sided, and Josephine used Laure’s feelings to further her ambitions.

An author’s note at the end of the book explains hysteria, how it encompassed many things that ail women (mentally ill—you’re hysterical, like sex—you’re hysterical, like the ladies—you’re hysterical). It was revolting to see how women were treated back then, and the author showed that repeatedly.

The end of The Madwomen of Paris was interesting, and I liked the author’s twist. It was something that I didn’t see coming. I did see what happened between Josephine and Laure coming, though, and it got me a little mad. I did like that Laure got her happy ending.

I would recommend The Madwomen of Paris to anyone over 16. There is violence, mild language, and sexual situations. I will warn that there are graphic scenes of a rape being reenacted through hypnosis, as well as Dr. Charcot showing what a body can do under hypnosis.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Jennifer Cody Epstein for allowing me to read and review The Madwomen of Paris. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed this review of The Madwomen of Paris, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Jennifer Cody Epstein

The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle Two (The Celine Bower Story Series: Book 2)by Carly Brown

Publisher: Mosaic Press

Date of publication: August 31, 2022

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Superhero Science Fiction, Crime Thriller

Series: The Celine Bower Story

The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle One—review here

The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle Two

Purchase Links: Amazon (paperback only) | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mosaic Press published The Celine Bower Chronicle One in 2020 which established Carly Brown as an original voice in this genre. She was awarded the Winner Readers’ Choice Niagara Falls Review , 2020, The reviews were unanimous in their overwhelming critical praise. The highly anticipated Chronicle 2 is schedule to be published in 2022.

“I couldn’t put this book down! It kept me on the edge of my seat…Can’t wait for Part 2.” —Kara Foster

“I devoured this book! If you love a badass female protagonist overcoming all odds, this book is for you! From start to finish, this book keeps you riveted on Celine, her palatable need to over come her trauma, and on what will happen next. Can’t wait to see more from this author.” —Nicolle McKinnon

First Line:

The wake was shorter than he anticipated, and darker. There were even fewer people there than he thought as he walked in the assigned room.

The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle Two by Carly Brown

Celine left her hometown thinking that the police knew that she was the vigilante that maimed the four men who were her rapists. Telling no one where she is going, Celine arrives in the South Pacific and starts healing. Meanwhile, back home, a serial killer targets young college and high school students. With the body count rising, the police detectives (who know what Celine did) have no choice but to reach out and ask for help. But the question is, will Celine accept their request? And if she does, can she track down and take out the serial killer?

I was excited when the author contacted me and asked if I wanted to read/review The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle 2. With the way the first book ended, I had a few questions about everything. Plus, I wanted to see if Celine could heal from her rape. I also was curious about where she went. So, I said yes, and I am glad that I did. This book answered all my questions and tied up a couple of storylines from book 1.

The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle Two was a fast-paced book. It took me a little under a day to read. The book’s pacing fits the storyline, and there was little to no lag.

The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle Two had two main and multiple secondary storylines. Each of the storylines was well-written and well-fleshed out. The author did swap between the serial killer and Celine’s storyline often. But I didn’t have an issue telling them apart. I also liked the sense of completion with a couple of secondary storylines. I won’t say what storylines, but I did cheer for two of them. Talk about getting what they deserve.

The storyline following Celine and her healing was well written. She needed that time to come to terms with what happened to her. But there was a change in her character that I didn’t like. She had an edge and so much rage, which was understandable. The author also did something interesting with Celine’s storyline; she chose to highlight the sex trade in the South Pacific. Along with Celine, I was angry about those young girls sold to brothels, and I was sickened that men would go there for that reason.

The storyline following the serial killer was interesting and a little sad. I will not say much about this storyline except that his mother’s death drove him over the edge.

The end of Celine Bower was interesting. I liked how the author wrapped up the serial killer storyline. It was believable. I also liked how Celine seemed to be getting her life back on track. That scene in the coffee shop made me wonder what would happen in the future. I am still determining if there will be a book 3, but I hope the author does write one!!

I recommend The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle Two to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and a nongraphic sexual situation.

Many thanks to Carly Brown for allowing me to read and review The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle Two. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed this review of The Celine Bower Story: Chronicle Two, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Carly Brown:

The Lady from Burma (Sparks & Bainbridge: Book 5) by Allison Montclair

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: July 25th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, British Literature

Series: Sparks & Bainbridge

The Right Sort of Man—Book 1

A Royal Affair—Book 2

The Haunting of the Desks: A Sparks and Bainbridge Short Story—Book 2.5

A Rogue’s Company—Book 3

The Unkept Woman—Book 4

The Lady from Burma—Book 5

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In Allison Montclair’s The Lady from Burma, murder once again stalks the proprietors of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau in the surprisingly dangerous landscape of post-World War II London…

In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture – The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous – and never discussed – past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Mostly their clients are people trying to start (or restart) their lives in this much-changed world, but their new client is something different. A happily married woman has come to them to find a new wife for her husband. Dying of cancer, she wants the two to make sure her entomologist, academic husband finds someone new once she passes.

Shortly thereafter, she’s found dead in Epping Forest, in what appears to be a suicide. But that doesn’t make sense to either Sparks or Bainbridge. At the same time, Bainbridge is attempting to regain legal control of her life, opposed by the conservator who has been managing her assets – perhaps not always in her best interest. When that conservator is found dead, Bainbridge herself is one of the prime suspects. Attempting to make sense of two deaths at once, to protect themselves and their clients, the redoubtable owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau are once again on the case.

First Line:

He sat on the edge of the narrow bed, reaching for the black wool socks he had stuffed into his shoes.

The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair

Miss Sparks and Mrs. Bainbridge are two years into running The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. So, when a woman dying from lung cancer hires them to find a wife for her husband, they can’t say no. Shortly after, that woman is found dead of an apparent suicide in Epping Forest. While Miss Sparks is helping the local police with that case, Mrs. Bainbridge is trying to regain legal control of her life. When the conservator managing her assets is found dead, Mrs. Bainbridge is the main suspect. With the police breathing down her neck, Mrs. Bainbridge must solve his murder. Can she? And how are the two cases connected?

I was super excited when I got the widget for The Lady from Burma. I read the first book in this series way back in 2019. Because of Covid and my year-old hiatus, I couldn’t read books 2, 3, and 4. So when that email popped up in my inbox, I jumped on it.

The Lady from Burma is book 5 in the Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery series. You can read this as a stand-alone book. But, I always suggest reading the previous books to get backgrounds on the characters (major and minor).

The Lady from Burma is a medium to fast-paced book. It stayed at a steady medium pace until almost the end of the book. Then it picked up at the end of the book. There was no lag, either, which was nice.

There were two storylines in The Lady from Burma. They are:

  1. Bainbridge’s struggle to regain legal control over her life.
  2. Sparks and Bainbridge’s investigation into their client’s apparent suicide

Each storyline was well written. I enjoyed that the author portrayed how marriage and mental health were viewed. When the author brought the two storylines together, she did it almost seamlessly.

Bainbridge’s frustration, anger, and terror (yes, terror) over her conservatorship were palpable. All she wanted was her life back, and to do that, she needed to go to Lunacy Court and hope a judge agreed. I felt for her. It was horrible how women and mental health issues were treated back then. It both horrified and saddened me.

Spark’s investigation into their client’s murder was fascinating. I felt that the constable was very forward-thinking for the time. Spark’s observations helped. She was also such a good friend to Bainbridge. She spent the night to make sure Bainbridge didn’t do anything to threaten her case (like try suicide). She also was vital in making a significant connection between Bainbridge and the dead woman.

The romance angle of The Lady from Burma was interesting. I liked that Sparks seemed to be settling down. I vaguely remember Archie from the first book and feel he would fit her well. As for Bainbridge, I don’t know who I want her to end up with. I was hoping for Sally, but there were two other men introduced that made me go, “Hmmm.”

The mystery angle of the book was interesting. I liked how the mysteries were investigated separately until they were brought together. I also was shocked at how Bainbridge was connected to the dead woman. There was a slight twist at the end, which I didn’t see coming.

The end of The Lady from Burma was interesting. I liked how the author wrapped up all of the storylines. I was very excited for Bainbridge. That scene in court, with the new lawyer, was perfect.

The wrap-up of the murder was directly tied to what was going on with Bainbridge. What was revealed was surprising, and I didn’t see it coming. The author left enough open for me to look forward to book 6.

I would recommend The Lady from Burma to anyone over 16. There are nongraphic sexual situations, mild language, and mild violence.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Allison Montclair for allowing me to read and review The Lady from Burma. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of The Lady from Burma, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Allison Montclair:

Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review by Tehlor Kay Meija

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell

Date of publication: July 18th, 2023

Genre: Romance, LGBT, Queer, Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Gay, Music, Contemporary Romance, Lesbian

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A music critic stuck in a spiral of epic proportions targets her teenage crush for a career comeback and a chance at revenge. What could possibly go wrong?

Sammy Espinoza’s life is a raging dumpster fire. Her desperate attempt to win back her singer ex-girlfriend has landed her in hot water at work, and she has one last chance before her editor cuts her column. Luckily, Sammy has a plan to redeem herself, but it won’t be easy.

Rumor has it that Max Ryan, the former rock god, is secretly recording his first-ever solo album years after he dramatically quit performing. And it just so happens that he and Sammy have Right before Max got his big break, he and Sammy spent an unforgettable night together.

Exclusive access to Max’s new music would guarantee Sammy’s professional comeback and, even better, give her the opportunity to serve some long-awaited revenge for his traumatic ghosting.

But Max lives in Ridley Falls, Washington, and Sammy has history there as a family that never wanted her and a million unanswered questions. Going back would mean confronting it all—but what else does she have to lose?

First Line:

People like to say you can’t go home again, but for me that’s more than a literal statement than a figurative one.

Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review by Tehlor Kay Meija

Sammy Espinoza’s life is a mess. An attempt to win back her singer ex-girlfriend exploded in her face. The fallout resulted in her being on probation with the threat of her editor pulling her column unless she could redeem herself. And Sammy does plan on redeeming herself. She had just discovered that Max Ryan, a former rockstar and former one-night stand who ghosted her, might be recording his first solo album. If she can get an interview and an inside scoop about his music, she will be redeemed and forgiven. But Max lives in Ridley Falls, Washington, and Sammy doesn’t want to go back. That would mean facing her estranged family and getting answers to questions that she has had for a long time.

When I read the blurb for Sammy Espinoza (I am shortening the title for this review), I knew I wanted to read it. I have a soft spot for damaged heroines, and I love to read about what caused the damage. I decided to wish on it since it wasn’t available on Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine’s NetGalley page. When I got the email that the publisher granted my wish, I was pretty pleased. This book has stuck around in my mind since I had wished for it. And guess what? I am glad that I read this book.

Sammy Espinoza is a fast-paced book set in the fictional town of Ridley Falls, Washington. The pacing for this book was perfect for it. I had no issue following the storyline, and there were zero times I had to backtrack. There was a tiny bit of lag in the middle of the book when Sammy was floating around Ridley Falls, but that didn’t disrupt my reading experience.

I will warn you; you will need Kleenex while reading this book. You will cry because the storyline will have you in emotional knots. Sammy’s issues constitute a significant part of the storyline. It was painful to read in portions (her mother had me seeing red) and, in other parts, joyful and hopeful.

I didn’t like Sammy at the beginning of the book. She was a hot mess. Her character was selfish, childish, and had a massive chip on her shoulder. After cementing that in my head, the author then went on to show the Sammy behind all of that. The real Sammy was insecure, scarred by her childhood, and desperately wanted to be loved. Then that Sammy slowly (it was painful to read at times) morphed into the Sammy I loved. She was a self-confident woman who was happy and surrounded herself with a family she chose.

I wasn’t too sure what to think about Max. He seemed like such a nice guy, but something was also tortured about him. I figured it was part of his act until he saw Sammy after he ghosted her. Then, a side of Max that I didn’t even think existed emerged. I sympathized with him and didn’t blame him for doing what he did after Sammy told him about what she wanted to do.

The secondary characters were the backbone of this book. Sammy had a fantastic friends with Willa and Brooke. Brooke made me laugh. She was blunt and didn’t deal with Sammy’s (or Willa’s) BS. Willa’s parents were characters. And Sammy’s grandmother was just fantastic.

The storyline involving Sammy, her mother, and her father’s side of the family was heartbreaking and infuriating. I got so mad for Sammy as the storyline went on, and it slowly revealed what a jerk and how self-centered her mother was. There was a scene with Willa’s mother and one with Sammy’s grandmother that broke my heart. Sammy’s issues (well, a good part of them) could have been resolved if her mother had done the right thing. I won’t get into that storyline anymore because there will be spoilers.

The storyline involving Sammy, Max, and the article made me irritated. Sammy should have been upfront with Max about why she came to Ridley Falls. But, at the same time, Max should have been upfront with Sammy about his issues and past. But it doesn’t excuse him for just jetting on her. Especially when something very significant happened, and she was left alone.

The end of Sammy Espinonza was perfect. It also gave me one of my favorite quotes, “Three Queers and a Baby.” I did get a giggle out of that. I also liked how hopeful the last chapter was. It made me happy for Sammy and her crew.

I would recommend Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review to anyone over 21. There is language, mild violence, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell, NetGalley, and Tehlor Kay Mejia for allowing me to read and review Sammy Espinozia’s Last Review. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Tehlor Kay Meija

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: July 18th, 2023

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Adult, Mystery Thriller, Fantasy, Historical, Magical Realism

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic comes a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film–and awakens one woman’s hidden powers.

Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood.

Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.

Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend.

As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán may find that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies.

First Line:

An engorged, yellow moon painted the sky a sickly amber hue, illuminating a solitary figure.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Montserrat is a sound editor trying to make it in a highly competitive but male-only market in Mexico City. Her best friend, Tristan, is a former telenovela star trying to break into the business after being blackballed by his ex-girlfriend’s father, who blames him for her death. Tristan is thrilled when he discovers that his new neighbor is cult horror director Abel Urueta. Montserrat is slightly more reserved, but her interest is piqued when Abel tells a tale about a former Nazi occultist, Ewers, using silver nitrate film reels to imbue them with magic. But Ewers died before the film was finished, and Abel believes that caused him to be cursed. But, after agreeing to do so, Tristan starts seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend, and a dark presence haunts Monserrat. With cultists on their heels, Tristan and Monserrat must unravel the movie’s mystery and why it is so important to those people.

I am not a modern-day horror movie fan. I am not a fan of gore and blood. I am a fan of the type of horror movie that was made in the ’50s and ’60s. That is why I decided to wish on this book on Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine’s NetGalley page. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting the wish to be granted and was very surprised when it was. While it took me a while to get to read the book (thank you, backlog), once I did read it, I was immersed and very glad that I did. Silver Nitrate was a great book.

Silver Nitrate is a medium-paced book that starts slowly. At first, I was a little irritated with how slow the book was. But, as I got into the book and everything started unraveling, I appreciated the slow start. Without that slow start, I wouldn’t have known how Tristan’s background would affect him later in the book and how Momo girl bossed everything.

The main storyline of Silver Nitrate is centered around Momo, Tristan, the film, and the Nazi occultist. It was a meandering and sometimes infuriating storyline that was well-written. This storyline is like good wine; it must be read slowly and savored. If you read too fast, you will run into the problem of missing some essential information. Trust me; this book is worth reading slowly.

I like Momo. She was a great friend (well, almost too good, Tristan did walk all over her at the beginning of the book), a good sister, and she was a good employee. I felt terrible that she was in such a challenging profession. I never considered a sound editor a male-dominated profession in the ’90s. It didn’t cross my mind, and by the middle of the book, I was very mad for her. My other favorite thing about Momo is that once she committed to something, she committed. She started reading Ewer’s book to see if there were any clues about what was happening. I won’t get much more into it, but I was surprised at what she learned.

I hate to admit this, but Tristan annoyed me at first. He was childlike in his actions and mannerisms. I couldn’t understand why Momo even kept him around as a friend. But, as the book went on and the author peeled back Tristan’s layers (and there were many), my annoyance gave way to understanding and pity. His character growth during this book was immense, and I loved his epiphany towards the end of the book. I wanted to smack him and say, “Duh, you idiot.“

Even though he was dead, Ewers was a considerable presence in this book. I had read about Nazi occultists in the past, so I did understand what the author was writing about. But, she got into depth with his character. I was fascinated by everything that the author had written about him in the book. In the author’s note, she did explain that this character was a mishmash of a multitude of occultists, but the namesake was from a Nazi sympathizer who traveled to Mexico.

The book’s main secondary characters (Abel, Clarimonde, Ava, and Jose) were prevalent. They played critical roles in the film (both past and present). I won’t get into how they were involved with Ewers, but it was surprising when everything was revealed. And honestly, the only one I felt bad for out of the four was Abel. He had zero clue what was going on behind the scenes.

The horror angle of the book was very well written. This book wasn’t a gory, blood-everywhere horror. Instead, it was more of a psychological horror. It started with the uneasiness that Momo and Tristan felt when Abel explained what he wanted to do, and it just expanded throughout the book. I loved it.

The paranormal angle of the book was just as well written. I liked that it started gradually (Tristan seeing his dead ex, Abel having a premonition) and then started snowballing. The pinnacle was the scene toward the end of the book, where Momo did what she did.

I also was thrilled to learn about silver nitrate. I had never heard about it before this book, and I did read up on it. In a weird coincidence, my husband listened to a podcast detailing silver nitrate and films (like the book). Learning about silver nitrate was fascinating, frightening, and creepy (the occult angle).

The end of Silver Nitrate was exciting but not what I was expecting. While the author wrapped up the film/Ewer storyline, I wondered what would happen to Momo and Tristan. I wasn’t expecting the turn it took. But looking back, I did see that storyline turning in that direction.

I would recommend Silver Nitrate to anyone over 16. There is language, violence, and no sexual situations.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Silver Nitrate, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Block Party by Jamie Day

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: July 18th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary, Adult, Psychological Thriller, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

This summer, meet your neighbors.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.

But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.

First Line:

Alexandra Fox meant to have only a couple of drinks at the block party.

The Block Party by Jamie Day

Every summer, the residents of Alton Road throw a block party exclusive to their cul-de-sac. Usually, it runs smoothly. But this year, something tragic happened. Someone was murdered. Who was murdered? Why was that person murdered? Those questions would be tough to answer because Alton Road’s perfect facade has been marred by cheating, drug use, and domestic violence since the last block party. When the killer is revealed, it will change the lives of the remaining residents.

I was hyped to read The Block Party. Growing up in northeastern coastal Massachusetts and an upper-middle-class neighborhood, I know how close those neighborhoods can be. And how cliquey they are. But that isn’t what attracted me to the book. That was just a bonus content that I enjoyed reading. No, I initially accepted the invite because this book was getting great reviews and was in one of my favorite genres. I am glad that I did read this book because, oh man, it took me for a ride and a half. Put it this way, I couldn’t figure out who the killer was and was shocked when it was revealed.

The Block Party is a fast-paced book set in the fictional city of Meadowbrook, Massachusetts. I was pleasantly surprised that the author could keep the fast pace up. Why? The plotline was split between past and present with dual POVs of Alex and Lettie (also in 3rd person for Alex and 1st for Lettie). Having all that going on usually results in one or both storylines going on track. But, the author kept the storylines on track and the momentum going. I loved it!! I also liked the online forum that the author included when switching before past and present. Usually, it foreshadowed what was going to happen. I also love that she got the different types of people on those boards down pat.

The main storyline of The Block Party is the murder that happened during the present-day block party. The author then backs it up to last year’s block party and shows the events that led up to the murder. The author did a fantastic job of casting doubt on everyone involved in the storyline. I was astonished when everything came together at the end of the book. The murderer was the last person I thought it would be.

The secondary storylines added extra depth and intrigue to the main one. The author didn’t hold back on how dysfunctional these people are. Everything from adult/minor relationships to stalking to drug/alcohol abuse to mental illness is featured. These secondary storylines fed into the main one and gave me a list of suspects.

I didn’t exactly like Alex. Growing up around people like her made it difficult for me to form an attachment to her. But I did feel bad. She was under a lot of stress and had a lot of things on her plate. But, the book primarily focused on her and how she was directly connected to everything happening. Her issues were more of her own making than what Lettie was dealing with, which was more profound.

I liked Lettie, and I was rooting for her the entire book. She was passionate about different causes. She was passionate to the point where she vandalized a school and was turned in by her ex-best friend. The author formed Lettie’s storyline around that incident and the revenge she wanted. Once she took her revenge, Lettie was eaten up by guilt. There was a point in the book where I wanted to hug her and tell her to talk to her parents. I am going to stop right here because of spoilers.

The mystery angle of The Block Party was wild. I had zero clue who the killer was or who was killed. I did try to guess, but I wasn’t even close. The author did a great job throwing out red herrings and keeping that angle so twisty that I couldn’t figure it out.

The end of The Block Party was interesting. I liked how the murderer (and who was murdered) was revealed and the reason why that person did it. I also liked that the community page deleted the thread and had a warning aimed at one of the members (just like in real life). The epilogue was just as interesting as the rest of the book. The author gave updates on where the main characters were with their lives and how they dealt with the aftermath of everything.

I would recommend The Block Party to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and nongraphic sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Block Party. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of The Block Party, then you will enjoy reading these books: