#Bookthread

July in Review

Blue Sea Moodboard Photo collage Greece
92. Wild Life by Opal Wei (eArc: Jan 24, contemporary rom, rom com in the right way!, Taiwanese-Canadian MCs,MMC has anxiety/panic attacks)
 
Mini-Synopsis:  A cancer researcher bullies her way on to the private island of former C-pop star-aspiring wildlife rescuer after he accidently ends up with a slide crucial to her researcher. Hi-jinks ensue!
 
I loved Zoey, how grumpy, snarly and vibrant she is.  I fully agree with Davy that she is radiant!
 
CW: sister had bone cancer, addiction
 
93. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (SF, Murderbot Diaries 3)
 
Mini-Synopsis:  While trying to find more evidence against the corporation that tried to kill him original team,  Murderbot ends up trying to keep another group of hapless humans and their pet bot from being killed.
 
Murderbot just can’t help getting involved and saving people! It is so intense and emotional and comforting!
 
CWs: betrayal, violence.
 
94. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (SF, Murderbot #4).
 
Mini-Synopsis: While returning to Dr. Mensah and the Preservation crew with evidence against the villanous GreyCris corporation Murderbot realizes that Dr. Mensah is missing!
 
Reunion/rescue mission, more deadly battles! Love it… did I say was going to space them out… CWs: kidnapping, violence, gore.
 
95. Network Effect by Martha Wells SF, Murderbot Diaries 5).
 
Mini-Synopisis: Finally on Preservation, Murderbot is trying to figure out themselves and their relationships and what role they can have or should have in Dr. Mensah's life, when an old frenemy needs their help.
 
I just love all the sulky growth Murderbot continues to experience and how it doesn’t just transform their life but that of all others around them!
 
96. Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik (SFR, bk3, thief/teleporter)
 
Mini-Synopsis:   Lexi a retrieval expert (thief) is used to working for terrible people but her latest job has lured her back to Valorian space and the betrayals come fast and hard and she has no choice but accept the help of Nilo, who once betrayed her himself.   But things get complicated when they realize the Empress might be about to restart the brutal war they sacrificed so much to end.
 
I think I was in the wrong mood for this. But the tension seemed weak.
 
Cw: kidnapping, betrayal past trauma: war
 
97. A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales (Mystery with Rom elements, AM/WW).
 
Mini-Synopsis:  When a most eligible and wealthy bachelor is murdered in the midst of a ball, Beatrice Steele has no choice but to attempt to solve the murder especially since the inspector present is all set to blame her sister.
 
With a light yet satirical tone, a plot bordering on farce, & diverse cast, it’s MCs charm, amuse & detect! CWs: murder, violence, betrayal, abelism & misogyny
 
98. Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh (SFR/PNR WW/AM, Bear Changeling/ mentally scarred Psy)
 
 
Mixed feelings…wasn’t enjoying the book…took a 3 week break & enjoyed the ending? Wrong mood? Hmmm. CWs: murder, child abuse, serial killer, non-conventual medical procedures, ableism.
 
 
Cw: abductions, medical procedures, violence, gore.

Mixed Feelings: Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh

98. Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh (SFR/PNR WW/AM, Bear Changeling/ mentally scarred Psy) Mixed feelings…wasn’t enjoying the book…took a 3 week break & enjoyed the ending? Wrong mood? Hmmm. CWs: murder, child abuse, serial killer, non-conventual medical procedures, ableism

Mini-Synopsis:  The tortured and skittish sister of powerful Psy, Theo Marshall, has gaps in her memory and a deep conviction that she is a destructive and dangerous monster. Yakov Stepyrev of the StoneWater bears has been dreaming of a woman who looks just like Theo since his adolescence and while he is mistrustful of anyone from Marshall Group,  he is willing to help Theo figure out how her family was involved with a secret installation where non-compliant Psy were tortured and "rehabilitated" during the Silence era.

A Nalini Singh book is almost always one of my most anticipated books of the year, so anticipated that I am willing to read it in print with my eyes! (I am mostly an audiobook readers now).  As I struggled through reading Resonance Surge I wondered at myself why I was having a hard time. Was it my mood, the format or (gasp!) the text.  I struggled so much that I didn't hesitate to leave the book behind when our departure for vacation was unexpectedly accelerated and I was only a handful of chapters from the climatic conclusion.  The feeling I felt at the time was relief, I could stop trying to love it.

After weeks of ignoring it, yesterday I finally picked up the last few chapters and finished it, and found myself moved and gripped at the ending.  What had changed, I again wondered.  In discussing my mixed feeling with some fellow readers I realized what had changed when I returned and my discomfort reading the book clarified itself.  The secondary storylines had resolved and all I had left to read were the main storyline's resolution.  The book lacked cohesion much like the Psy-Net does.

While I had issues with the swiftness of Theo and Yakov's attachment, when she is so deeply traumatized by the abuse wrecked on her as a child, it is not a new relationship pattern for Singh.  My discomfort with the book was how fractured it was.  There were at least 4 or 5 different threads tangled in this book: the fracturing of Hien and Denu's sibling relationship at the dawn of the age of Silence, the fracturing of the PsyNet and  rising threat of Scarab Syndrome, the brutal serial killings of young women in Moscow,  Pavel and Arwen's deepening relationship and Theo and Yakov's quest to unearth the role of the Marshall family the abuse and experimentation of Psy on Pax's request.  That is a lot of threads for one book, and while some of these threads will I am sure will have payoff in later books, they dragged and distracted.

Nalini Singh is one of the foundational authors in my romance journey.  Reading Slave to Sensation, the first Psy-Changeling book back in 2010 or thereabouts opened up a world of paranormal speculative romance, where SF/Fantasy and romance combined into a deep and heady mix full of intrigue, expansive worldbuilding and swoony romances. Over the years though as my romance reading tastes changed and my self-identity broadened, I became dissatisfied with the erasure of LGBTQIA folks from Singh's future-set world. I welcomed when Singh over the last decade has  not 0nly started featuring visible minorities (not just white-presenting mixed peoples) as main characters has started peppering LGBTQIA characters in supporting roles.

In her second Psy-Changeling  Trinity series,  Pavel and Arwen have been slowly moving from flirtation to committed relationship in the background of several books.  Arwen is an empath and he often referred to as the heart of the Mercant family, a powerful and sometimes ruthless Psy family whose members have featured in nearly all the Trinity series books.  Pavel is key member of the StoneWater Bear clan, one of the central changeling packs in the series.    As I grew invested in Pavel and Arwen, I also grew dissatisfied with their secondary and in this case nearly superfluous role in this book. This is a far cry from how their story is billed in the official synopsis

"A point of irrevocable change. For Pavel . . . for Arwen . . . for Yakov . . . and for another pair of twins whose bond has a far darker history." 

In a series where the central relationships are often tested in dramatic fashion, theirs has been a quiet and placid romance.  I felt shortchanged.  While Pavel and Arwen's story would have made for a sweet novella, it felt disappointing in the midst of this book. I didn't believe the conflict that supposedly kept Arwen from accepting their mating bond.

I know understand my mixed feelings, this book had to many discordant notes smushed in, short-changing the secondary storylines and not hanging together cohesively.  I'll stick around to see where Singh is going next but with less anticipation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher as part of the reviewer program.


June in Review

Brown Geometric My Family Photo Collage
73. Twisted by Laura Griffin (RS, WM/WW, cop/FBI agent, co-workers, age difference, past trauma: parental loss, child abuse)

Allison’s friends actually check on her!
Cw: serial killer, assault, guns, knives, grief, workaholism, mentions of rape, pedophilia, stalking.

74. Scorched by Laura Griffin (RS, WM/WW, SEAL/Bone expert, on-the-run & 2nd chance).

More girlfriends checking in…still weird little things getting dropped like her possessive assistant! Skimmed some of goose chase parts.
Cw: grief, abandonment, murder, terrorism.

75. Exposed by Laura Griffin ( RS, WM/WW, age difference, CSI photographer/FBI agent)

When she inadvertently photographs suspects in an abduction she gets caught up in much larger mystery.
CWs: torture, abduction, grief, workaholics, past trauma: death of child

76. Beyond Limits by Laura Griffin (RS, WM/WW, FBI agent/Navy SEAL)

Terrorist threats on US soil & long simmering attraction that can no longer be denied.
CWs: grief, guns, violence, references to torture, rape, beheading. Past trauma: loss of parent, assault.

77. Chick Magnet by Emma Barry ( WM/WW, contemporary, chicken influencer & vet).

I love the craft in Barry’s romances, the balance of lust, awkwardness, vulnerability & silliness. Just awesome sauce.
Cw: grief, depression, bullying, past trauma: gaslighting

78. Shadow Fall by Laura Griffin (RS, WM/WW, security consultant/ FBI agent, serial killer)

CWs: murder, racism, misogyny, references to child sexual abuse.

79. Deep Dark by Laura Griffin (RS, WM/WW, cop/hacker, age difference, serial killer)

I really liked the dynamic between Reed and Laney, with her push/his immovable object dynamic
CWs: rape, murder, stalking, past trauma: abandonment, infidelity, assault
 
80. At Close Range by Laura Griffin (RS, WM/WW, cop/ballistics tech, brother's best friend)

Interesting to read all these books back to back in an earlier book there was a set up scene with different LI
CWs: murder, stalking, guns, arson, explosions, infidelity, infertility, pregnancy: former MCs
 
81. Touch of Red by Laura Griffin ( RS, WM/WW, CSI tech/cop).

Brooke’s motivations made little sense at points but I really liked Sean/Brooke together.
Cw: murder, child endangerment, abuse, alcoholism past trauma: coercion, sexual exploitation.
 
82. Stone Cold Heart by Laura Griffin ( RS, WM/WW, anthropologist/cop)

Both need to overcome mistrust and wounds from disastrous past relationships.
CWs: serial killer, misogyny, murder, rape, abduction, references to child abuse.
 
83. A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske (Fantasy, WM/WM, magical mystery, 1st in trilogy )

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. So excited to as this author straight into autobuy category! Beautiful and engrossing!
CWs: murder, torture, toxic siblings, toxic parents, bullying)
 
84. Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin (RS, WM/WW, bodyguard/PI)

Strong-silent type & chaotic talker collide and solve a series of murders, while he struggles to keep her alive.
CWs: assassins, crime syndicate, murder.
 
85. Far Gone by Laura Griffin (RS, WM/WW, FBI agent/cop)

Andrea's life is already in a tailspin when she learns her brother might be aiding a terrorist! Tied up to the Tracers
CWs: terrorism, abuse, officer involved shooting, Past trauma: abandonment & death of alcoholic parent.
 
86. Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood (RS, WM/WW, FBI agent, Priest BFF's sister)

I've enjoyed Garwood's bananapants funny HRs, so I don't know why I waited to read her RS. Awkward/funny seduction, sexual tension up to 10, so much denial.
CWs: Serial Killer, murder, stalking.
 
87. Mercy by Julie Garwood ( RS, WM/WW, super toxic FATPHOBIA)

Bayou doctor saves burned-out atty & he is in the right place/right time to save her from coverup plot.
CWs: murder, guns, assassins, stalking, grief, references to suicide, past trauma: traumatic birth/maternal death
 
88. Killjoy by Julie Garwood (RS, WM/WW, virulent fatphobia)

I had to skim most of this book. It was a mess and I’m not sure if I should keep trying these books. 2 out 3 have been meh!
CWs: murder, misogyny, ableist, fatphobic, past trauma: assault, abuse, abandonment
 
89. A Restless Truth ( WW/WW, fantasy/mystery, 2nd in trilogy, ADHD rep).

Secret objects lost and found & relationships forged. Hints of House Party trope as most of the book is set on a transatlantic cruise ship.
CWs: murder, misogyny, past trauma: assault/abandonment/toxic parents.
 
90. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (SF, Murderbot Diaries #1).

Ooooh I love Murderbot already, so sympathetic and confused! Great audio narration too by Kevin R. Free.
CWs: murder, gore, slavery.
 
91. Artificial Condition (SF, Murderbot Diaries).
I just want to squish! This series is just so fantastic, hard-cynical Murderbot keeps getting attached and saving people who need saving, and saving a bit of themselves along the way.
Cw: murder, coercion, abuse of power.
 
 
 

 

 


May Reading in Review

Beige Pastel Minimalist Boho Live in the Moment  Photo Collage Instagram Post56. The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman (Regency, Mystery,).

Widowed Lady Adler has returned to town, and promptly discovers a body.

CWs: murder, racism, sexual harassment, guns, grief.

57. Ana María and the Fox by Liana De La Rosa (1860’s UK Hrom, Mexican FMC/Black-Scottish MMC)

Loved the sisterly bonding away from their dictatorial father & complex feelings AM has over falling for a UK politician like her father.

CWs: coercion, abduction, violence, harassment

58. The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths (WW/WM, Mystery with Rom Elements, final book in series).

Whew! As this book barreled to the end I didn’t know where things would land for our central characters, Ruth, Nelson and Cathbad but I’m deeply satisfied.

CWs: murder, abduction

59. Deep Tide by Laura Griffin (WM/WW, FBI agent MC, small town)

When her employee is murdered, Leyla gets caught up in an larger investigation that has brought Sean into town.

CWs: murder, abductions, secrets.

60. Hidden by Laura Griffin (WW/WM, investigative reporter/ police detective)

When a story is bigger than she could have imagined the one person she trust is the one that fears trusting her.

(CWs: murder, stalking, secrets).

61. Flight by Laura Griffin (WW/WM, CSI/Detective, trauma, serial killer)

Miranda has left it all behind, looking for a new start but when she find a body, she knows she will always be a CSI, Joel just helps her back to it.

CWs: murder, arson, guns, stalked.

62. Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin (WM/WW, cop/filmmaker)

She lives in the dead woman’s house 😱. Finally a mc who makes sure to eat! All her MCs are always hangry missing meals.

CWs: murder, abduction, blackmail

63. Last Seen Alone by Laura Griffin (WW/WM, cop/lawyer)

Might need to pause this binge. Skimmed to the end, although I did love how it dealt with revenge p r n

Cw: harassment, stalking, assault, guns, grief.

64. Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews (UF/PNR, arc 6/13)

aaahhhhhh love it. So many threads coming together, excellent antagonist & direction. Love these characters so much. Felt familiar and different!

CWs: death, gore, blood, coercion, enslavement.

65. Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin (RS, WM/WW, cop/lawyer with SAR dog)

Ava gets caught up in searching for missing women, seeing connections the cops have ignored.

(CWs: murder, abduction, abuse, Alzheimer's, grief -- parental loss to cancer)

66. The Brightest Star in Paris by Diana Biller (WW/WM, Paris set HR 1878)

Biller’s prose is clever, smart, funny & heartbreaking angsty. I loved how Ben & Amelie have to let go of so much before they can hold on to each other! CWs: sex work, grief, murder, past trauma: war

67. Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller (WM/WW, 1870’s Vienna, super competent MC, MMC virgin researches sex!)

I missed the Biller’s usual ghosts but this had so many fun tropes!

CWs: assassinations attempts, guns, blackmail, toxic parents, past trauma: parental abuse, abandonment

68. Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin (WM/WW, bodyguard/lawyer).

The title doesn’t match the book at all but I enjoyed it. FMC has a case she doesn’t want to drop while an escaped serial killer threatens her.

CWs: murder, threats, references to rape, guns, betrayal.

69. Untraceable by Laura Griffin (WM/WW, cop/PI)

Alex helps desperate women disappear but when one returns & goes missing, Alex turns to Nathan for help…but no body & the suspect is another cop!

CWs: guns, arson, murder, misogynistic violence, police corruption, jealousy.

70. Unspeakable by Laura Griffin ( WM/WW, RS, true crime writer/FBI profiler, bad boy/straight arrow)

Troy was classic sequel bait in the last book so I was rooting for him the whole time.

CWs: serial killer, stalking, murder, violence, drug use, assault.

71. Unstoppable by Laura Griffin (RS Novella, WM/WW, SEAL/Archeologist)

A favor for his CO & an assignment that becomes unexpectedly dangerous. Bones, tunnels abd misding grad-students!

CWs: terrorism, grief, guns, bones,

72. Snapped by Laura Griffin (WM/WW, receptionist/detective)

This was undercooked…lots of dropped beats/threads in the romance & odd friendship fails. Toxic dynamics.

(CWs: mass shooting, assault, controlling, past trauma: assault )


April Reading in Review!

Grey Minimalist Photo Collage Polaroid Your Story40. Wild Things by Chloe Neill (UF, 9, WM/WW)

Magical threat to shifters and hidden magical peoples. Shifters are so messy emotionally.

CWs: murder, violence, gore, magical coercion, kidnapping, prejudice

41. Blood Games by Chloe Neill (UF, 10, WM/WW)

Oof, past allegiances & choices are tested as big political changes occur here.

CWs: murder, violence, kidnapping, psychic torture

42. Dark Debt by Chloe Neill (UF, 11, WM/WW)

Loved the care Merit had taken to rebuild her relationship with Mallory and how it comes into play here.

CWs: murder, violence, SA, magical coercion, past trauma: emotional abuse, gaslighting

43. Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill (UF, 12, WM/WW)

Finally the much hinted at proposal. Also the RG gets a much needed kick in the pants.

CWs: murder, violence, threats to family, magical coercion, sex work.

44. Phantom Kiss by Chloe Neill (UF, 12.5, WM/WW)

Loved the return of a side character in this.

CWs: violence, serial killer, prejudice.

45. Blade Bound by Chloe Neill ( UF, WM/WW, 13)

Climatic end to Ethan & Merit’s saga. Big Wedding, honeymoon interrupted and fulfillment of prophecy.

CWs: murder, mental illness, magical coercion, pregnancy

46. Slaying it by Chloe Neill (UF, WM/WW, 13.5)

Jonah and Margot finally break through the heartbreaks to give each other a chance, after dealing with Margot’s abusive ex.

CWs: kidnapping attempt, pregnancy, childbirth, past trauma: intimate partner violence

47. High Stakes by Chloe Neill ( UF, WW/WM, 8.5)

Lindsey faces her past and her commitment phobia

CWs: guns, murder, threats to family.

48. Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood (mystery, Queer & disabled MCs, found family, 1940’s NYC)

Pentecost & Parker are both super fascinating and the voice is fun despite the dark topics.

CWs: murder, blackmail, queer phobia, beating, domestic violence, alcoholism

49. Murder Under her Skin by Stephen Spotswood (Mystery, queer MCs)

Double heartbreaking homecoming that unearth difficult secrets as Parker seeks rescue an old mentor from a murder charge

CWs: drugs, alcoholism, murder, violence, racism, mentions of SA, medical procedures.

50. Payback is a Witch by Lana Harper (Bi WW/WW, Magical PNR, small town, vengeance pact).

I wanted to like this more than I did but the world building was weak & occasionally problematic. MCs sometimes felt YA

CWs: violence, magical possession, past traumas: betrayal, gaslighting, bullying

51. Secrets Typed in Blood by Stephen Spotswood (BI WM MC, Mystery, 1940’s NYC).

Crime fiction, real murders & a suspicious client with deep secrets.

CWs: murder, child in peril, mentions of child death, kidnapping, serial killer, stalking, misogyny, past trauma: parental abuse

52. Alaskan Christmas Escape by Juno Rushdan (BW/WM, CIA fugitive/injured SEAL)

Zee is hiding after her team was framed & disavowed. But they’ve tracked her down & sent her evil ex after her. He won’t let her run alone.

CWs: gun violence, child in peril, past trauma: coercion, DV

53. Disavowed in Wyoming by Juno Rushdan (WW/LM, RS, second chance, CIA)

When Kate gets helps a pregnant woman she uncovers a lot more darkness in her home town.

CWs: murder, forced sex work, childbirth, maternal death, PT: DV, estrangement, grief, Cancer/Alzheimer’s

54. An Operative’s Last Stand by Juno Rushdan (Harlequin Intrigue, WM/WW)

Team Topaz’s last-ditch attempt to clear their name uncovers the true traitors.

CWs: guns, violence, murder, assassination, torture, sexual harassment.

55. The Verifiers by Jane Pek (Mystery, Taiwanese-American Lesbian MC)

Really engaging & engrossing. Loved Claudia and her wry geeky voice & how excited she is to be caught up a in mystery.

CWs: murder, references to suicide, gaslighting, toxic family dynamics.

 


March Reading in Review.

Thank god for authors with rich backlists and lots and lots of audiobook offerings.  In march I finished the Rockton/Casey Duncan series that I have previously reviewed and then moved on to catch up on the audios of Haley Edwards Black Hat Bureau series.  I read a ton of Haley Edwards last year and I love Rue, Asa and the rest of her motley crew of magical crime fighters/found family.  I also sank deeper into Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampire series.  I always love a heroine that loves the Cubs (see my love-affair with Kitty Pryde), I rode the rollercoaster that is her relationship to Ethan and her complicated relationship with Vampiredom.  I didn't love every book but I loved the series as a whole, especially how Merit has to rebuild her friendship with Mallory and work to define herself and her role as Sentinel of House Cadogan and champion of Chicago.
Minimalist Sweet 2020 Memories Scrapbook Photo Collage  (1)
 
 
 
24. A Darkness Absolute (Rockton #3, WM/AW — Chinese/Filipino heroine Mystery/thriller with Rom Elements) gripping, emotional and invested in this little town. Cw: murder, abduction, rape, torture, guns, violence, harassment.
 
 
25. This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong (AW/WM, mystery/thriller with rom elements). So much running around in the woods! CWs: murder, serial killer, betrayal, mentions of molestation, torture.
 
26. Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong (AW/WM, mystery with rom elements) yay for complicated small town dynamics and lots of theories coming home to roost! Casey’s sister! Cw: murder, toxic parents, past trauma: child death, drug use, medical procedures
 
27. Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong (AW/WW, mystery with rom elements) HUGE revelations and complications as Casey and Eric try to find the parents of foundling child. CWs: murder, homophobia, racism, medical procedures, kidnapping, brainwashing.
28. Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong ( AW/WM, Mystery/Thriller with Rom Elements) a massacre in the woods, big pharma & decades old plot. Finally resolution to one of the big mysteries and the start of the end game. CWs: murder, kidnapping
29. The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong (AW/WM, mystery thriller with Rom Elements). With council decided does anything still matter? Of course it does to Casey & Eric and the Rockton crew. CWs: murder, blackmail, alcoholism, betrayals.
30. Murder at Haven’s Rock by Kelley Armstrong ( Mystery/Thriller with rom elements, AW/WW) new town, new residents and a murder! Ooh and the new neighbors will bring complications for sure! CWs: murder, guns, abduction, medical procedures, drug use.
 
31. Black Wings, Grey Skies by Hailey Edwards (UF/WW/Demon/Elf M, #4) big twists, close calls and Rue & Asa’s fascination intensifies (child murder, gore, betrayal)
 
32. Gray Witch by Hailey Edwards (UF, #5) sent on a series of troubling murders, Rue and her team set in motion moves that will lead to the final confrontation ( murder, gore, mentions of past sexual assault).
33. Gray Tidings by Hailey Edwards (UF, #6) whoops I thought this was the last book…but it’s not but some heart wrenching confrontations nonetheless! CWs: murder, gore, gaslighting, coercion.
34. Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill (UF #4) I really wonder how I would have felt about some of surprise twists in this book if I hadn’t already read the 2nd series! Because wow! CWs: murder, grief, drug use, coercion, violence.
 
35. Drink Deep by Chloe Neill (UF, #5) I really enjoyed this book, Merit expanding her trust circle, dealing with her grief and making incredibly hard choices. CWs: grief, violence, magical addiction.
 
36. Biting Cold by Chloe Neill (UF, #6). The showdown over the magical book spills over and a bigger bad revealed. Questions of forgiveness atonement, restoration. CWs: violence, magical addiction, arson, possession.
 
37. House Rules by Chloe Neill ( UF, #7) I had to name search this book to see how long the Ethan/Merit would be dealing with mutual jealousy. CWs: serial killer, abduction, demagoguery, violence, murder, jealousy, blackmail, secrets, past trauma: coercion & abuse
 
38. Biting Bad by Chloe Neill (UF, #8) loved seeing some more worldbuilding re vampire life. CWs: betrayal, arson, hate crimes, medical procedures, demagoguery, violence, murder.
39. Midnight Bites by Chloe Neill (UF, shorts stories) Howling for You: Fallon finally makes her choice. CWs: betrayal, prejudice, family pressure, legacy, sacrifice, references to miscarriage Lucky Break: Ethan/Merit vacation ruined. CWs: grief, murder, feud, infertility.

Kelley Armstrong's Rockton/Casey Duncan Series 1 Review

Genre:  Mystery/Thrillers with Romantic Elements.

Tropes:  found family, small town, new start. 

Main Characters: 

Casey Duncan, Chinese/Filipino/Scottish Canadian, former police detective with a killer secret.

Eric Dalton, White, wilderness-born sheriff of secret small town in the Yukon.

Series CWs: Guns, murder, mutilation, medical procedures, sex work, slut-shaming, kidnapping, rape, beatings, abandonment, drugs, cop MCs, abduction, torture, violence, harassment, serial killer, betrayal, mentions of molestation, toxic parents, past trauma: child death, drug use, homophobia, racism, brainwashing, blackmail, alcoholism. ( and probably more I am missing).

The Set-up: As a young adult Casey Duncan made a series of terrible choices, leading to a traumatic assault and the murder of her former boyfriend.  To spite all those who thought she would never recover, she worked harder than ever to fulfill her childhood dream of being coming a cop, but ten years on, her life is pretty bleak. She lives for her job and has few connections outside her regular hookup (whose last name she hasn't bothered to learn) and her childhood best friend, whose relationship drama and toxic ex, prompt them to escape north to a secret town in the Yukon for a few years of sanctuary.  Rockton is not at all what Casey expected and so much more.  It upends her expectations and transforms her in ways she could have not imagined when she signed up for a sixth month stay.

While Rockton is a small town, the setting is not one of regular small town since everyone there is in hiding, from consequences of past mistakes, from vindictive exes or folks even more dangerous and increasingly a greater share of those residents are also fleeing from the law.  Everyone there has paid a price for this chance to start over, for temporary sanctuary. But there are also two Rocktons, one made up of the temporary residents and the other the council, the off-site group of investors that keep the town going, recruiting and vetting new residents and bankrolling the operation.  While residents might have been promised a safe place to lay low and regroup, the council is not a non-profit and has been increasingly sending less than worthy but high-paying criminals.  Trying to keep the peace in this fragile community is Eric Dalton, the only permanent resident of the town, its sheriff and the only child ever raised in Rockton. He is deeply suspicious of Casey even as he is desperate for someone with her skills as there have been more and more sinister incidents happening in town.

Review:

I was totally engrossed and sucked in by this series. I loved the complexities faced by Casey and Eric as they try to solve big and small mysteries, and untangle their feelings for those around them.  Who can they trust, how do you keep people safe, who am I really, who am I responsible for, what are the best choices when you only have bad ones?  There is a lot going on in each book and I loved how Casey and Eric so often have to re-evaluate their choices in light of new information and unearthed connections, and there is always something deeper and truer to uncover.   I am eager to see what Armstrong does in the 2nd series. 

 

Mini-Reviews from Twitter:

23. City of the Lost by Kelly Armstrong (Rockton/Casey Duncan #1, AW/WM, Mystery/Thriller series). Hidden city, hidden agendas & hidden murders. CWs: Guns, murder, mutilation, medical procedures, sex work, slut-shaming, kidnapping, rape, beatings, abandonment, drugs, cop MCs.

24. A Darkness Absolute (Rockton #3, WM/AW — Chinese/Filipino heroine Mystery/thriller with Rom Elements) gripping, emotional and invested in this little town. Cw: murder, abduction, rape, torture, guns, violence, harassment.

25. This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong (AW/WM, mystery/thriller with rom elements). So much running around in the woods! CWs: murder, serial killer, betrayal, mentions of molestation, torture.

26. Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong (AW/WM, mystery with rom elements) yay for complicated small town dynamics and lots of theories coming home to roost! Casey’s sister! Cw: murder, toxic parents, past trauma: child death, drug use, medical procedures

27. Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong (AW/WW, mystery with rom elements) HUGE revelations and complications as Casey and Eric try to find the parents of foundling child. CWs: murder, homophobia, racism, medical procedures, kidnapping, brainwashing.

28. Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong ( AW/WM, Mystery/Thriller with Rom Elements) a massacre in the woods, big pharma & decades old plot. Finally resolution to one of the big mysteries and the start of the end game. CWs: murder, kidnapping.

29. The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong (AW/WM, mystery thriller with Rom Elements). With council decided does anything still matter? Of course it does to Casey & Eric and the Rockton crew. CWs: murder, blackmail, alcoholism, betrayals.


Heroic Hearts Anthology


Heroic heartsLast year when this came out I put it in my mental wish-list...but I just wasn't going to plunk down full price for a collection of short stories where I was only likely to read 2 of the stories.  Thankfully one of the libraries I used finally bought the audio version!

I jumped in and read the last one first,  Patricia Briggs whose story was Asil Moreno, who is one my favorite characters.  It was very much worth the wait, I then read Anne Bishop's story, which I enjoyed while cringing again at the brutality.  To my great surprise, I ended up reading and enjoying almost all the stories and I have gone out already grabbed books by several of the authors (Annie Bellet, Chloe Neill & Jennifer Brozek) whose books I had never read before.

  • Dating Terrors by Patricia Briggs. After reading Asil in Roses in Winter…I remembered that I hadn’t tracked this story down yet! And now I want a dozen stories of Asil, Ruby & her gang of ghost “hunters”. CWs: abuse, abduction, violence

  • The Dark Ship by Anne Bishop. I love the world of the Others but oof there is always so much brutality! Set in the Mediterranean CWs: toxic abusive patents, scarring, threat of SA, fascism, violence, gore.

  • Little Things by Jim Butcher. The narration by James Marsters is what sold me on this story of sprite defending his Knight when all the big people dismiss them. CWs: violence, grief.

  • Comfort Zone by Kelley Armstrong. I liked how complicated all the conflicts in this story are, how nothing is simple but everything is, in that the best thing to do is to talk to each other. CWs: violence, murder, lying, minor in danger.

  • Train to Last Hope by Annie Bellet. Despair drove them apart when their teen daughter disappeared, but one last lead, brings them back together. Cried in the car listening. CWs: grief, murder, violence, kidnapping.

  • Fire Hazard by Kevin Hearne. Extremely goofy story, Oberon, Atticus’ wolfhound relates the story set during the Australian Wildfires. CWs: violence, arson, ass candles.

  • Graves Gambles by RR Virdi. Body jumping (quantum leap-like) monster hunter shuts down luck stealing leprechaun CWs: child abduction, murder, suicide. Ick, not for me.

  • Silverspell by Chloe Neill. A Katana wielding Vampire princess & An Alpha shifter prince team up to track down a coven of witches looking to stop or start the apocalypse. Intrigued CWs: murder, kidnapping, magical coercion.

  • Troll Life by Kerrie L. Hughes. Station Master of a sentient rail line protect young runaways from vampires and wizards. CWs: slavery, kidnapping, abuse, violence.

  • The Return of the Mage by Charlaine Harris. Mercenaries go back for one of their mages 20 years after he went missing, nothing is what one expects. I liked it but it felt like set up. CWs: violence, deaths, toxic rulers.

  • The Vampires Karamazov by Nancy Holder.  Such a snore. Not for me. Cw: murder, cat calling, violence, spiritual elements

  • The Necessity of Pragmatic Magic by Jennifer Brozek.  Old witches avert disaster at a little museum. Loved the interplay between them. Would read more CWs: mental clouding,

 

 

 


The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny

12. The Nature of the Beast of Louise Penny (CIGM #11, WM Quebecois, CW: Child Death, Serial Killer, Child killer)

I am going to let this book sit with me a bit.  I don't feel ready to jump into the next because of what wringer the residents of Three Pines have been through already.  We learn so much more about Ruth and explicitly explore the notion of Three Pines as sanctuary, heaven paradise or alternatively limbo, hell or a prison.  I looked at Gamache in a new light as he let Chief Inspector Lacoste make her own choices but at the same time didn't seem to shy away from taking responsibility as he did in the previous book.  I really struggled with the gambit Lacoste & Gamache agreed on near the end of the book and how much risk they put on the young adjunct.  I do think it will be very natural for Gamache to take on a role at the Surete Academy.

 

CW:  Guns, murder, child murder, war crimes, serial killer


The Long Way Home by Louise Penny

66A4FBBA-DAD8-4116-B750-05EB86D43DC9Oooooooooh ooooh. Wow.  This books so many things so well. It upends some our most beloved characters once more and opens them and their hurts in deeper ways. Bad I knitted and speed listened to the last hours of this book I was riveted, tense, wounded and blown away.

Just going to keep riding this binge barge because if I stop now I might not have the heart to keep on going as I’m sure stormy seas are still ahead! 

10. The Long Way Home by Louise Penny ( CIGM #10, WM Quebecois detective)  Gamache’s retirement is interrupted to search for a missing friend & the search unearths so much more.  Fantastic, gripping & heartbreaking. Cw: murder, grief, betrayal, mental illness