Three New Paranormals and a Paranormal Cozy

• Title: Grave Dance
  
• Author:  Kalayna Price
• Type:  Paranormal UF/alternate reality
• Genre:  A witch who is more than a witch and those who want her – or just want her dead
• Sub-genre:  Serial killers, witchcraft and Fay queens make for a heady mix
• My Grade: A(4.8*)
  
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Novel – about 100,000+ $7.99
• Where Available:  Available at most bookstores
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased from online bookstore

Book 2 of the Alex Craft series was even better than Grave Witch, a real surprise.  All too often, the second book is a bit weak, but here the complex plot and world building just got better.

It’s been a month since the events in Grave Witch where Alex Craft discovered her father was fae and her a faykin (part Fae).  Shehas pretty much recovered from her adventures, and reconciled with the fact that Falin, the ‘man’ she took for a lover, is, in fact, the lover of the winter queen – and Queen’s Knight sworn to her service.  Learning she was more than half Fey, was a shock.  Finding out she can rip holes in the fabric between the planes is a lot scarier.  Death, or the soul collector she thinks of as Death, saves her life yet again, and this strange relationship that started years ago draws her to this man.

The problem with 15 minutes of fame is, it brings out the nuts – including a human who wants Alex to open a portal to the aether so his witches can feed off the energy to make charms – and make him even richer than he already is.   And then there’s the feet.  A lot of them.  And the Fey who lives in the swaps who wants them to be left alone because of the evil associated with them.   And who the hell keeps sending these constructs to attack her – constructs that have the souls of the dead?

Four Short Reviews: Assorted Genres – Paranormals, Mystery, Thrillers

Some new, or at least recent releases, in various genres.

• Title: Tangled Threads
  
• Author:  Jennifer Estep
• Type:  Paranormal UF/alternate reality
• Genre:  Female assassin helps others while she gets ready to avenge her family
• Sub-genre:  Magic is alive and well in Ashland
• My Grade: C+ to B-  (3.5*)
  
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Novel – about 90,000+ $7.99
• Where Available:  Available at most bookstores
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased from online bookstore

Short Reviews: New Release Paranormals, Romantic Suspense, Erotic Romance, Cozy Mystery

Talk about a disappointing group of books.  YEESH!  Not one really good one in the whole lot!

• Title: Accidentally Catty
  
• Author:  Dakota Cassidy
• Type:  Humorous paranormal romance series
• Genre:  A vet gets infected my a mountain lion that’s really a shifter and must deal with the paranormal reality
• Sub-genre:  Normal human gets involved with vamps and shifters and an insane scientist
• My Grade: C  (3.0*)
  
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Full novel – about 100,000+ $8.50-10 with list of $15.00
• Where Available:  Available at most bookstores
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased from online bookstore

Book Reviews: New Release Paranormal and Mystery

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!!  The first reviews of 2011!  Needless to say, a paranormal and a mystery!  I can be so damn predictable, can’t I?

• Title: Arcane Circle
  
• Author:  Linda Robertson
• Type:  Paranormal UF
• Genre:  Series – Persephone Alcmedi #4;
• Sub-genre:  Unraveling secrets
• My Grade: B- (3.7*)
  
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Full novel 90,000 words for $7.99
• Where Available:  Available online or at most book stores
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased from online bookstore

Book Review: Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich – A Book to Skip

My fall trip up to New England was lots of fun and pretty colorful, though not as nice good as many years.  The lack of rain this summer caused a lot of trees to just drop their leaves early with little or no color and there were fewer bright reds and oranges than usual, but who can complain about a prime few days in New England?  Took a trip over to Fort Ticonderoga at the foot of Lake Champlain in the Adirondacks, and then a drive along the western shore of Lake George on down through the Green Mountains and back into the Berkshires.  Beautiful day and warmer than usual.  Fort Ti closes for the season the third week of October, so we were surprised by the number of visitors for a mid-week stop.  If you find yourself in the area, take the time to go to the top of Fort Defiance for the view just a bit from the entrance of Fort Ti accessed by local roads in the small town of Ticonderoga.  If the hike from the parking area is a bit much, stop at the pull out on the way down.  Amazing views from Lake Champlain in the north, to the Green Mountains in the east, on down Hudson River Valley south to Lake George.

Of course I was busy reading too.  I’ll review those books later with some other paranormals, but I did read a book I knew would require very little in the way of active braincells - Sizzling Sixteen.  The book is part of that reading challenge swap I’m participating in on Paperback Swap.  Janet Evanovich must have slept thru writing this one.

• Title: Sizzling Sixteen
  
• Author:  Janet Evanovich
• Type:  Mystery series
• Genre:  Stephanie Plum #16; hapless bounty hunter creates chaos
• Sub-genre:  Where’s the mystery?
• My Grade: D (2*)
  
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Full novel barely 80,000 words for $27.99 with 40%+ discounts available
• Where Available:  book available at any bookstore
• FTC Disclosure:  rec’d book through online book swapping site

New Paranormal Release and a Good Mystery

Somehow, and for reasons known only to my subconscious, I joined a combination swap and reading challenge on PBS.  As if I don’t have enough to do.  I’m already reading for other swaps and sometimes I do need to work for a living.  It’s amazing how humorless American Express and my mortgage bank are about things like paying bills on time.  The two books below are part of the reading challenge.  I selected titles in different genres to humor my taste – which has been described by my family as ‘that weird crap you read’.  Of course, that’s the category reserved for all paranormal, si-fi, fantasy, UF, romance, and erotic romance.  In short, anything but mysteries, thrillers, historical adventure, and non-fiction = crap.  Well, only one of these isn’t dismissed out of hand by the family and that is a mystery that borders on a cozy, so no one would read it but me.  Hence, into the swap it went with a cheery one fingered salute to my beloved, but taste limited, family.

• Title: Eat, Prey, Love
  
• Author:  Kerrylyn Sparks
• Type:  Paranormal romance
• Genre:  Shapeshifter finds human mate
• Sub-genre:  A were-panther that’s part of the vampire household finds a human mate when he needs a panther
• My Grade: C- (3*)
  
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Full novel about 90,000+ words for $7.99
• Where Available:  book available at any book store
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased book from online bookseller

Book Reviews: Two Paranormal Mysteries

Paranormal mysteries are all the rage these days.  Like any other genre, things go in and out of fashion.  Now before you noir snobs snipe at paranormal mysteries, I’d suggest you remember that urban fantasy is part of that mix and the UF has been a male author domain for decades.  Award winning mystery author Charlie Huston has his Joe Pitt series, best selling fantasy author Jim Butcher has Harry Dresden, Mario Acevedo writes the Felix Gomez series – and the list goes on.  Many women writers are getting in on the craze with everything from cozies to UF.  Some of my favorite new series are by women authors.  The two reviews below examples of the variety that you’ll find these days.

• Title: Murder in Vein
  
• Author:  Sue Ann Jaffarian
• Type:  Paranormal mystery/UF
• Genre: An ordinary waitress gets involved with vampires and witches in LA
• Sub-genre:  First in series; A near murder victim becomes involved with a Vampire Council
• My Grade: B (4*)
  
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Full novel about 90,000+ words ebook for $14.95; 30% discounts available
• Where Available:  book available at any book store
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased book from online bookseller

Two Mystery Reviews: Paranormal Mystery and Cozy from a New Author

• Showdown in Mudbug
  
• Author:  Jana Deleon
• Type:  Paranormal romantic mystery
• Genre:  Cozy style paranormal set in Louisiana; final in Ghost-in-law series
• Sub-genre: Former under cover FBI agent living as a psychic tries to get cops on right trail of a child abductions
• My Grade: C (3.0*)
  
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Full novel; 80,000+ words for $7.99; some discounts available
• Where Available:  book available wherever books are sold
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased book from online bookseller website

And Still MORE Super Short Reviews – Assorted Genres

Yes, there are still MORE reviews of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, mystery, and erotic romance to get through.  So here we go again!

• Title: Quick Study
  
• Author:  Maggie Barbieri
• Type:  Mystery
• Genre: Amateur sleuth college professor
• Sub-genre:  Professor with cop boyfriend steps on law enforcement toes
• My Grade: B-  (3.8*)
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Full length novel; about 80,000+ words for $6.99
• Where Available:  book available at at any book store; 4-for-3 program on Amazon
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased hardcover book from online bookstore

This third installment in the Alison Bergeron series is an entertaining read.  Alison is late thirties, divorced from a ‘serial philanderer’, and college literature professor with an indomitable curiosity and a talent for finding trouble.  Written in the first person, Alison is a likable character who realizes that age is no barrier to her acting like an idiot.  Her ‘boyfriend’, divorced police detective Bobby Crawford, could decide she’s more trouble than she’s worth.  Her childhood friend, now a priest, keeps hoping she’ll get interested in his too handsome brother, and best friend Max is a drop dead gorgeous TV personality married to Bobby’s caveman like partner.

Alison is working her community service hours at a soup kitchen where an extended Latino comes once a week for a family dinner.  She hires the father and his nephew to do some painting in her house in Dobbs Ferry.  When the nephew turns up dead on a piece of land in Brooklyn that’s being developed by a former boyfriend of Max’s, Maggie gets involved in trying to find out what really happened.  The action just keeps moving and the plot has plenty of surprises, so settle in and enjoy.

The verve is fun and interesting.  Though some characters are ‘central casting’, it’s kind of hard not to get interested in Alison and her chaotic approach to life in general.  Fans of amateur sleuths can enjoy a fun read.  Good summer choice!

More Super Short Reviews – All Genres

Moving right along, we have:

• Title: Pretty in Ink
  
• Author:  Karen E Olsen
• Type:  Mystery
• Genre: Amateur sleuth in Vegas
• Sub-genre:  Tattoo artist gets involved in another murder
• My Grade: B  (4.0*)
• Rating:  PG-13
• Length and price:  Full length novel; about 80,000+ words for $6.99
• Where Available:  book available at at any book store; 4-for-3 program on Amazon
• FTC Disclosure:  purchased book from online bookstore

I always like finding a worthwhile amateur sleuth/cozy that isn’t so contrived my eyes roll.  I so enjoyed The Missing Ink that I won in a book swap on Paperback Swap, I bought this book as soon as it was released and it went right to the top of the TBR pile.  I’m glad I did.  This sophomore outing for 30 something tattoo artist and high end shop owner, Brett Kavenaugh, is really worth the effort.  Karen E. Olsen is a journalist and mystery writer, and her training shows in her tight prose that moves the story surrounding the murder of a female impersonator and a missing broach at fast clip despite the convoluted plot.  On my list of ‘must read’ series.