Of Manners and Murder: A Dear Miss Hermione Mystery #1 by Anastasia Hastings

 Historical mystery is the first in a new series.

In 1885, Violet Manville takes over the role of Miss Hermione, a popular Agony Aunt column in the local magazine, A Woman's Place. The usual advice author is Violet's own Aunt Adelia who has decided to take a trip with a current lover. Despite her protestations, Violet is well-suited for the job and finds the first letter from a young woman who is fearful for her life. Unfortunately, the newlywed in need of help ends up dead. And Violet, aided by the housekeeper, Bunty, is up to the task of discovering what happened. 

This was an easy read, typical of a cozy, with an independent protagonist in Violet -- someone who does not follow the typical societal norms of the time and place. Definitely level-headed and sensible, she's also the older, protective half-sister of Sephora, a particularly vacuous young girl set on finding the appropriate man to marry. Sephora is keeping a secret that may prove harmful to her hopes and dreams. 

I enjoyed the story well enough, but really did not like the chapters that were from Sephora's point of view. The plot was predictable and there were no surprises. I enjoyed the period details. Not sure if I am interested enough to read future installments of Victorian era amateur sleuthing. I honestly would have liked a lot more of the letter writing and advice responses. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the first in a new series.

Genre - cozy mystery, murder, London, historical, 1885

Genetic World by Todd Easterling

 A rare 5 star review!

Wow. What an epic, absorbing, and incredible piece of fiction! I just finished reading and I already feel bereft. I was trying to remember if I have ever spent this much time and effort reading a book in my life. It wasn't so much just the huge amount of detail in the actual novel -- it was also my side activities feeling that I had to Google search every single possible fact within.

This is one of the longest books I have ever read at 440,000 words, 815 pages in a paperback print 8 by 10-inch format.

What is this book about? 

Two billionaire brothers, Winston and Ethan McCarthy, have bought 4 islands off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, and have built a huge theme park, Genetic World, and established research and development facilities. Dr. Francesca Ferrari, with her PhD from Oxford, is a researcher, scholar, and author -- an expert in religion and material culture studies. She's invited to the soft opening of the theme park along with her friend, NY Times journalist, Sawyer Clemens. The main reason for their invitation is centered on a controversial archeological discovery related to a documentary produced by film director, James Cameron. Although this novel covers just about every topic known, the main focus is religion. 

Will you enjoy it?

I dare say that the contents will challenge any long-standing beliefs you have. Keep reminding yourself that this is fiction, but also keep your search engine handy so you can go investigate some of the questionable details. In other words, a smart reader will be fact checking. "The history is real. The locations are real. The science is real."  I learned a lot. 

Why I recommend it. If you like Dan Brown and religious intrigue as well as Michael Crichton and DNA science, this is the book for you. It begs to be a film adaptation and the novel reads like a screenplay with short chapters and quick scene changes. 

I was glued to the pages of this book, and first of all, unless you like tiny print, big, heavy books, and marking up pages, you should get the e-book version. My local library was kind enough to purchase this upon my request, so I had the paperback, and it was tedious. Aside from slowing me down, I was unable to highlight passages or do minor internet searches from within the device. 

I could go on forever about all the things in this book that I would love to discuss with other readers so I welcome any and all comments. My favorite type of book is one that makes me question everything and analyze my true beliefs while absorbing new information. This was that.

This is a standalone and not part of any series. 

Genre - religious intrigue, technothriller, archeology, controversy 

The Sanctuary (Kørner and Werner #5) by Katrine Engberg

 Nordic crime thriller that brings the series to a conclusion.

A gruesome discovery -- half a body in a suitcase. Some sort of band saw cleaved the man into two complete halves...where's the rest of it and who is this person? 

Anette Werner is tasked with the investigation while Jeppe Korner is off trying to manage his broken heart and working as a lumberjack in nearby island of Bornholm. When clues about the body lead back to Bornholm, Werner calls upon Korner to help look into the case. Also on island, there is another familiar character, Esther de Laurenti, who has come to visit the home of an award-winning anthropologist, Margrethe Dybris. Esther is there with Margrethe's daughter, Ida, and is looking at the deceased anthropologist's letters and papers with the intent to write a biography of the icon. 

Meanwhile, there are a lot of unsavory characters doing bad things and no one can seem to figure out where some missing men have gone or the identity of the person in the suitcase. It seems like there was a lot going on at the island over the years and the relationships of those who lived there became quite intertwined and proved dangerous for some. Anette goes to Bornholm and helps the local detectives track down suspects to try to piece together what had happened. 

I've read 3 of the 5 books in this series featuring Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner. It's been too long between installments, and I could have done with a bit of a refresher perhaps, but this moved at a slow pace and involved a lot of characters in a new setting. The plot was complex and a bit convoluted and it seemed as if all the loose ends weren't really tied up neatly for me at the conclusion. 

I'd like to give this 3.5 stars as I liked it but definitely, I think a person should not attempt this as a standalone. The two books I have not been able to acquire definitely should have been read as well. I always prefer to read a series in order. I never felt this rose to the level of a suspense thriller but seemed more of a police procedural. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the 5th in a series that should be read in order from the beginning.

Genre - police procedural, crime thriller, mystery Nordic Noir

The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz

Fast and fun suspense thriller. Reminds me of the early books in this author's catalog and I enjoyed it very much.

Everyone who reads Dean Koontz knows that he loves words and tends toward the verbose. The long passages of descriptive prose can get a bit much at times, but I do enjoy his imagination.  Memorable characters and lots of action makes the pages flip faster.

Katie has endured a terrible loss and now lives in a fortified house on her own island retreat. Unfortunately, her hermit-like existence comes to an abrupt end when the secret government research facility located a couple of miles away from her, Ringrock Island, experiences a catastrophic failure that allows a horrible entity to escape. 

Just enjoyed the ride, didn't try to make it political or analyze the text. The story was entertaining even if a bit far-fetched. I always like the way he involves animals in his stories, and this was no exception. All I did was root for the good guys to win! 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - horror, suspense thriller

Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea

 Rich, complex plotting makes this suspense thriller a must-read.

When Alex Armstrong was 17 years old, her parents and younger brother were killed in a home invasion. She was immediately arrested, in a state of complete shock, and the media named her Empty Eyes. She spent some time in juvie, eventually exonerated, but not before her young life was upended. She won a defamation lawsuit and changed her name from Alexandra Quinlan in order to escape further attention. Ten years have passed and Alex is working as an investigator for a legal firm. Still no idea why her family was murdered so she spends time doing her own deep dive looking for answers. What she finds are vague connections. She needs help and finds it from unexpected sources. No spoilers.

There is a lot going on in this book! Each little side bar shift into another set of characters and stories keeps the reader engaged and guessing as to how they connect. The revelations start coming fast and furiously in the last part of the book and all is revealed in a great climax that is followed by some surprises. I like the author's writing style and found this so hard to put down. Its best to read it within a short time frame so as to keep the plot and characters straight. I was a bit ambivalent about Alex/Alexandra and some of the action seemed a bit unrealistic. In truth, I had to reread a couple of chapters just to make sure I completely understood the conclusion. At any rate, it was fun and nicely paced with short chapters even though it jumped around a bit. Enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC to read, review, and recommend.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Trigger warning - sexual abuse, pedophila

Genre - suspense thriller

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

 Two best girlfriends take a summer trip to Orvieto, Italy -- but things don't go exactly as planned.

Emily and Chess are in their thirties now, but they have a bond that has kept them connected even with life's ups and downs. Emily is recovering from a broken marriage and is struggling to finish a cozy mystery installment she owes the publisher. It seems that Chess's star is on the rise as her self-discovery books have made her a supernova, but she's also dragging her heels to complete her own nonfiction book. 

As the women settle into Villa Aestas, they discover that their luxurious accommodation was once rented by a group of young people -- a famous rock musician and 4 others who were there to create music, write, and relax -- with the help of some drink, drugs, and sex. Their sojourn ends in tragedy and what happened there becomes part of the villa's history.

Emily is fascinated by the events from summer, 1974, and as she explores the villa and digs deeper into the past, she finds herself coming alive even as her relationship with Chess becomes strained.  Long held secrets come to light and it seems that there will be a reckoning between the two friends.

I enjoyed this novel that simmers with tension and a bit of gothic influence that enhances the suspense. The twists and turns were interesting as well as how the author wove the story of the past with what was occurring in the present. Although I really didn't care for either Emily or Chess as characters, the plot was interesting and kept me engrossed. I did wish for more details about the villa itself and about Orvieto. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. 3.5 stars rounded up.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - mystery, suspense, gothic, contemporary women's fiction

Brain Death (Luke Daulton #3) by John Benedict

 This is another installment in the medical thriller series featuring anesthesiologist Dr. Luke Daulton.

Although I enjoyed the medical details, the action and the story were just way too preposterous for me. All that Russian agent plot angle and Luke being brain dead but still managing to save the day was just too much.

Also, this should be labeled as Christian fiction. That element is quite pervasive in the book and frankly, I’m not a fan when authors include so much religion in a novel.

I am rating 2.5 stars but have to round. I won’t be reading any more having finished the 3 in this series. I don’t care for the character, his wife, his life, and the crazy stuff that happens. 

Sorry, but can’t recommend. 

This is the third in a series that should be read in order.

Genre - medical thriller, Russian agents, murder