The Book of Cold Cases

 

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James    Supernatural Thriller

(from Amazon)

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect - a rich, eccentric 23-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.  Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases - a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.  They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

(My Review)

Have you ever felt someone was behind you???  This book is a mystery in a mystery in a mystery, with a spooky undertone.  Simone St. James is so good at writing this kind of book.  I really enjoyed her last book, The Sun Down Motel (which I thought was slightly better), but I still enjoyed this one.  I love the idea of someone (Shea) who is into true-crimes, and it leads her to investigate Beth Greer.  There are so many mysteries in this book, but they are not overwhelming.  I thought this book was a fun read.

House of Hollow

 

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland     YA Dark Fantasy

(from Amazon) Iris Hollow and her two older sisters are unquestionably strange. As children, they disappeared on a Scottish city street only to return a month later with no memory of what had happened to them or where they’d been. More troubling, their appearance began to change: their blue eyes now black, their dark hair now white. And as they grew older, odd, eerie occurrences seemed to follow in their wake. People find them disturbingly intoxicating, unbearably beautiful, and inexplicably dangerous.  Now seventeen-year-old Iris is doing all she can to fit in and graduate high school on time—something her two famous, glamorous, globe-trotting older sisters, Grey and Vivi, never managed to do. But when Grey goes missing, leaving behind bizarre clues as to her whereabouts, Iris and Vivi are left to find her—but they aren’t the only ones looking. As they brush against the supernatural, Iris quickly realizes that the story she’s been told about their past is unraveling and the world that returned them seemingly unharmed ten years ago might just be calling them back again.

(My Review)

Three young girls disappear, and when they are found a month later, they are different...  Years later, when one of the sisters disappears, Iris searches for her, and discovers more about her own mysterious past.  I found this book hauntingly beautiful.

Blood Like Magic

 

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury  YA Contemporary Fantasy

(from Amazon) After years of waiting for her Calling—a trial every witch must pass to come into their powers—the one thing Voya Thomas didn’t expect was to fail. When Voya’s ancestor gives her an unprecedented second chance to complete her Calling, she agrees—and then is horrified when her task is to kill her first love. And this time, failure means every Thomas witch will be stripped of their magic.  Voya is determined to save her family’s magic no matter the cost. The problem is, Voya has never been in love, so for her to succeed, she’ll first have to find the perfect guy—and fast. Fortunately, a genetic matchmaking program has just hit the market. Her plan is to join the program, fall in love, and complete her task before the deadline. What she doesn’t count on is being paired with the infuriating Luc—how can she fall in love with a guy who seemingly wants nothing to do with her?  With mounting pressure from her family, Voya is caught between her morality and her duty to her bloodline. If she wants to save their heritage and Luc, she’ll have to find something her ancestor wants more than blood. And in witchcraft, blood is everything.

(My Review)  Wow!  This book was really great!  Voya is a part of a family of witches, that are receive their powers at adolescence.  In a twist (that reminds me of Encanto, but much darker), she is given an impossible task in order to receive her powers.  

Project Hail Mary

 

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir    Humorous Science Fiction

(from Amazon)  Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.  Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.  All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.  His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.  And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.  Or does he?

(My Review)

Ryland Grace is a middle school science teacher, who discovers the solution to a problem threatening the earth.  Next thing he knows, he wakes up on a space shuttle and realizes he is all alone, and it is up to him to save the world.  I loved this book so much!

Cultish

 

Cultish by Amanda Montell   Linguistics/Religious Cults

(from Amazon)  What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . .   Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing.” But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear—and are influenced by—every single day.  

(My Review)

I found this book fascinating.  Written by a woman who was raised in a cult, she writes about the language and tactics used by cults (of all kinds - from religious, to political, to cultural) to attract and keep members.  While it does discuss some cult groups, it is mainly about the tactics and brainwashing.  It’s a pretty quick read.

A Curious Beginning

 

A Curious Beginning by Deaana Raybourn (Book 1 0f 7:  Veronica Speedwell Mysteries)  Historical Mystery/Romance

(from Amazon)  London, 1887. After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.  But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth.

(My Review)

In the first book of this delightful series set in Victorian England, Veronica finds herself at the funeral of her spinster aunt who raised her.  A mysterious stranger appears and saves her and takes her to London where she becomes aware that her own life is a mystery and that people are out to kill her.  She ends up in the care of a broody natural historian, named Stoker, who helps to protect her and discover the secrets to her past.  I could not put this book down!  And, it’s a series!!!!

Finlay Donovan is Killing It & Sequel

Finlay Donovan is Killing It  by Elle Cosimano    Cozy Mystery

(from Amazon)  When Finlay’s overheard discussing the plot of her new novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet...and she soon discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart. 

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead also by Elle Cosimano     Cozy Mystery

(from Amazon)  With her next book's deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn't a noose at the end of it.... 

(My Review)

These books are about a newly single mom, Finlay, and writer, who is struggling with parenting and writer’s block.  She is overheard discussing her book with her publisher in a Panera, and a woman mistakes her for a hitwoman, and propositions her to kill someone.  These two books are a wild ride, and so much fun.  I highly recommend them. 

The Maid

 

The Maid by Nita Prose   Cozy Mystery

(from Amazon)  Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.  Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.  But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

(My Review)

After her grandmother dies, Molly is alone in the world.  She takes her job as a maid in a hotel very seriously, and due to obsessive nature she is very detail-oriented.  However, her lack of social skills gets her caught up in some mysteries that take place in the hotel, and she finds herself being implicated.  This is such a sweet, cozy mystery.  I enjoyed every minute!

Spin the Dawn

 

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim  (Book 1 of 2:  The Blood of Stars)   YA Fantasy

(from Amazon)  Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia makes the ultimate sacrifice and poses as a boy to take his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors in a cutthroat competition for the job.  Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.  And nothing could have prepared her for the unthinkable final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.  Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this fantasy novel is not to be missed.

(My Review)

Maia's family receives a summons from the royal family, looking for the best tailor in the land.  In a tale reminiscent of Mulan, she leaves her family for the palace, and gets caught up in intrigue as she competes.  I thought this was a beautiful story about tradition, family, and sacrifice, with a little romance thrown in.   I am looking forward to the sequel (Unravel the Dusk).    

Gallant

 

Gallant by V.E. Schwab            Children's/YA Fantasy

(from Amazon)  A darkly magical and thrilling tale of a young woman caught between the world and its shadows, who must embrace her legacy to stop the approaching darkness. The Secret Garden meets Crimson Peak, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black and Susan Cooper.  Fourteen-year-old Olivia Prior is missing three things: a mother, a father, and a voice. Her mother vanished all at once, and her father by degrees, and her voice was a thing she never had to start with. She grew up at Merilance School for Girls. Now, nearing the end of her time there, Olivia receives a letter from an uncle she's never met, her father's older brother, summoning her to his estate, a place called Gallant. But when she arrives, she discovers that the letter she received was several years old. Her uncle is dead. The estate is empty, save for the servants. Olivia is permitted to remain, but must follow two rules: don't go out after dusk, and always stay on the right side of a wall that runs along the estate’s western edge. Beyond it is another realm, ancient and magical, which calls to Olivia through her blood…

(My Review)

When Olivia receives a mysterious letter from her long-lost uncle, telling her of her family home, Gallant, she quickly leaves behind the school for girls she has called home most of her life. The family home is not quite what she expects. This  hauntingly beautiful story reminds me of the writing of Neil Gaiman, with hints of Jane Eyre and The Secret Garden.