46) Checked Out by Elaine Viets

The Blurb :

Wealthy socialite Elizabeth Cateman Kingsley has hired Helen to find a missing John Singer Sargent painting, owned by her late father. After his death, many of Davis Cateman’s books were donated to the Flora Park library, and his daughter suspects the small watercolor—worth millions—was tucked away inside one of those dusty tomes.

To search the stacks, Helen applies for a position as a library volunteer and discovers the library director has a catalog of complaints—from a mischievous calico cat named Paris to the mysterious disappearance of various items that some of the more imaginative staff are attributing to a ghost haunting the building.

While her husband Phil sticks his neck out to find a missing necklace, Helen is on her own with no one to lend her a hand. When a dead body turns up in a parking lot, it appears someone is willing to go to any lengths to keep the treasure in the library quiet. Now Helen is bound and determined to find the killer as well as the painting—before she’s taken out of circulation herself.

My Thoughts :

This is one of my favourite cozy mystery series but as I have moaned about many times over the last few years, it is also not one I can pick up on release day.  Well I could but the cost of the book is always three times the price of a normal novel.  Even the Kindle version is highly priced.  I love the series but I can't justify buying a copy when it releases when I could buy three books for the same price.  I just hope that the author actually gets the money!   Anyway, I usually add the new releases to my wishlist and hope to get a copy for Christmas or my Birthday and at some point a copy of this latest release did find its way into my possession.  However a new installment is about to release so I am nearly back at square one, so to speak.

Another great cozy that is well thought out and interesting.  It wasn't my favourite of the series but it wasn't the worst.  This time around I felt that Helen was acting a little more dramatic than usual and I have to wonder if she is getting a bit too cocky.  Of course this did end up to be murder at the end of the day but she was sounding a little crazy now and again.

I really love Elaine Viets books and miss her Mystery Shopper series.  I hope this series will continue for a few more books but I also look forward to Helen getting a nice happy end.  She has been through a lot and despite being better off she still, I feel, deserves something more.

Looking forward to the next installment.  It is on my wishlist and my Birthday is coming up!  So fingers crossed!!!

45) Once Upon A Crime by P.J. Brackston

The Blurb :

Gretel (yes, that Gretel) is now 35, very large, still living with her brother Hans, and working as a private investigator. The small, sleepy town of Gesternstadt is shaken to its pretty foundations when the workshop of the local cart maker is burnt to the ground, and a body is discovered in the ashes. It is Gretel who notices that the cadaver is missing a finger.

At first, she does not see this as significant, as her mind is fully focused on a new case. Not that she wouldn’t far rather be investigating an intriguing murder, but her client is willing to pay over the odds, so she must content herself with trying to trace three missing cats. It is not until she is further into her investigations that she realizes the two events are inextricably and dangerously connected, and that the mystery of the missing cats will lead her into perilous situations and frightening company.

Very soon Gretel finds herself accused of kidnapping Princess Charlotte, twice locked up in the cells at the Summer Schloss, repelling the advances of an amorous troll, strapped to a rack in Herr Schmerz’s torture chamber, and fleeing a murder charge. With dubious help from her brother (whose scant wits are habitually addled by drink), she must prove her innocence, solve the puzzle of the unidentified corpse, and find the stolen cats before they meet a grisly end.

My Thoughts :

So let's start this one with how Goodreads confused me completely by listing this book as #2 in the Brothers Grimm Mysteries when it is indeed the prequel of Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints. If I had known this I certainly would have read the books in the correct order but in the grand scheme of things it didn't make much of a difference. Also this prequel isn't your typical novella prequel but a normal sized novel and it also didn't ruin the story.

Now let's go onto how funny and inspiring this series is. Paula Brackston is well known for her serious and incredible Witch books but this fantasy filled cozy mystery series is completely different! There's a lot of humour weaved into this interesting twist on the good old Hansel and Gretel tale from the Brothers Grimm and for any German speakers some cute language usages as well. Granted this prequel didn't make me laugh as much as Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints but the mystery kept me intrigued and most of all it kept me reading until the end.

I look forward to reading more in this series. It is something different with historical twists and lots of fantasy. It makes for very light reading and the story flows really well with some very funny characters and amusing situations. Well worth checking out and a must read for fans of the author.

44) Murder Most Frothy by Cleo Coyle

The Blurb :

Clare Cosi’s new friend, millionaire David Mintzer, has an offer no New York barista could turn down: an all-expenses-paid summer away from the sticky city. At his Hamptons mansion, she’ll relax, soak up the sun, and, oh yes, train the staff of his new restaurant. So Clare packs up her daughter, her former mother-in-law, and her special recipe for iced coffee—for what she hopes will be one de-latte-ful summer…

Soon, Clare tends the coffee bar at her first Hamptons gala. But the festivities come to a bitter end when an employee turns up dead in David’s bathroom—a botched attempt on the millionaire’s life. Thanks to the Fourth of July fireworks no one heard any gunshots, and the police are stuck in holiday traffic. Concerned for everyone’s safety, Clare begins to investigate. What she finds will keep her up at night—and it’s not the java jitters....

My Thoughts :

I am having a difficult love/hate relationship with the Coffeehouse Mystery series and fear that it will continue.  This fourth book in the series didn't do much for the love side of the relationship but for some reason I can't stop myself from being interested in the next installment.

Clare is a highly annoying character with conflicting views on so many things and she constantly manages to get on my nerves with her condescending manner.  This combined with her snobby attitude about everything coffee related makes her really hard to like.  Don't even started on her investigations with she stumbles through like an elephant in a minefield.   How she hasn't gotten herself killed or even badly hurt is beyond me.

This is a series that really makes me wonder if the author likes the main character or if she really wants her to come across as this annoying woman who I wouldn't usually give the time of day to.  However I really have to wonder why the series is already so long and doing so well.  There is obviously something about it because I don't think I can keep away either.

Listening to this series definitely helps because I am very sure that I wouldn't have finished reading this if I had read the physical version.  I will be checking out more of the series even though I don't know why I would want to.  There isn't anything very positive I can say about any of it but I still find myself wanting to listen to more of the series.  It is a true mystery!

144) Skin Deep by Christopher Golden

The Blurb :

"A girl is dead, and one of your best friends got his head cracked with a shovel, because some white guy didn't want to see them kiss."" When Jenna and Damon first began dating, neither worried too much about the other's skin color. After all, Somerset is a pretty liberal college environment. But when a black couple is attacked by a white man on campus, race relations become cause for frenzied peace rallies, protests, and debate for the entire student body. Suddenly Jenna has her hands full investigating the attack -- and defending her interracial romance....

Then a white student turns up dead at the hands of a black assailant.

As racial tension reaches a fever pitch on campus, the crimes continue, growing increasingly brutal. Strangely, in each case no two witnesses can form the same description of the perpetrator.

The police are looking for two young men. Until one assailant, pronounced dead at the crime scene, disappears....

My Thoughts :

I read Head Games, the fifth book in this series, for a Read-a-thon on the weekend and then I picked up this one, the sixth part, straight after.  I found the books covered in dust on my bookshelf and they have been there a long time.  I can't even remember when I read the first four books in the series but I know I really enjoyed them and Head Games reminded me how much.

While I enjoy Jenna's way of thinking and the crimes/mysteries she gets involved with, I have to say I didn't like this one very much.  I am not sure if it was the underlying theme, the very weird solution for the murders or the fact that it was so violent that bothered me but I didn't enjoy the story as much as the previous ones.  What I do know is that this one was pulling further away from the forensic aspect of Jenna's life and just had her being involved for no real reason.

Definitely not the best of the bunch so far but it hasn't put me off.  I want to see where the author takes Jenna's character next.  After her neurosis about all these bad things happening to her I really do hope that the next case is a lot less closer to home.  For a young girl to have so much happen to her in such a short amount of time...well it starts to be a bit unrealistic and silly.

I have the next book on my shelf and I will be reading it soon.  The I will decide if I want to hunt down more in the series.  I think there are ten books so it would be a shame not to finish the series.

 

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143) Head Games by Christopher Golden

The Blurb :

""They were my friends. I've known them almost my entire life. Maybe they both just lost it. But I think something's going on here, and I have to take a closer look."" Home from college on break, Jenna Blake is horrified to discover that a childhood friend has murdered his entire famly -- and he's not the only one. During the next two days, several other area teens experience homicidal rages, but are later unable to explain or even recall their actions.

The police are leaning toward the popular explanation: brutality influenced by violence in movies and video games. But when Jenna investigates further, she begins to believe that someone is playing sinister head games with her former classmates...and with her, as well.

What Jenna needs is someone to take her seriously, but Slick is preoccupied with a mystery of his own, her father has taken off for France, and her college friends have all gone away for the holidays.

Jenna's on her own this time.

My Thoughts :

This is a blast from the past for me.  While taking part in Read-a-thon this weekend I decided it was time to read some real physical books from my shelves.  This fifth book in the Body of Evidence series made me sigh.  I remember having them, reading the first four books but why I hadn't picked up the rest was beyond me.  I had forgotten all about them.  So I decided they needed to be read.

It didn't take me long to get back into the series.  It is pretty hard to forget this unique and original story.  Jenna Blake is just a girl but one that has a gift where forensics are concerned and she has already had quite a bit of experience solving crimes.  This time she is home for Christmas and it is something really weird and horrific that happens in her home town to her friends that gets Jenna involved in another case.

A great story, with a super plot, I remember why I loved this series.  Not too young adult but more grown up and independent this is something that any lover of CSI or Bones will enjoy.  It maybe just a little old and dated in some respect (it was published in 2000) but it is a very interesting and thrilling read.

So now I fear I need to move on to book number six.  Usually I wouldn't just pick up the next in a series straight away but seeing as these have been on my shelf for a long time, I feel I need to get them read and let them move on.

Oh and you may recognise the author Christopher Golden.  He has quite a lot of books to his name including some in the Buffy series and co-writing with Charlaine Harris.

 

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142) Twelfth Grade Kills by Heather Brewer

The Blurb :

It all comes down to this.

Vlad’s running out of time. The Elysian Council has given him weeks to live, and that’s if the Slayer Society doesn’t kill him – along with all the citizens of Bathory – first. Then there’s the issue of Vlad’s father, who may or may not still be alive after all these years, and oh yeah, that tiny little detail in the Pravus prophecy about Vlad enslaving Vampire kind and the human race. So much for college applications.

My Thoughts :

This book has been on my bookshelf for a while and was a perfect read for my Read-a-thon this last weekend.  I have to admit that I hadn't read any books in this series for a few years and I totally didn't know this was the last one.  Maybe I would have picked it up earlier if I had.  Maybe I should lock away my Kindle for a couple of weeks!

Anyway, I am glad I picked this one up and a little mad at myself for leaving it this long.  It is sad to think I could have read the finale years ago and put Vlad to rest but instead his final chapter was gathering dust.  It was a nice ending.  Everything comes out into the open, secrets are revealed, lives are lost and Vlad finally gets closure.  It was a good story and it tied up all the pieces.

This is definitely a series to get that Young reader in your life.  Christmas is coming and if you know someone who might enjoy this then I can highly recommend it.  What else can I say?  It was good while it lasted but it is over and even though I know there is a spin-off series available I am ready to leave this one rest for a while.  I may read the other books at some point but I am not in any rush to right now.

 

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140) A Charming Cure by Tonya Kappes

The Blurb :

Bubble...Bubble...

Psychic June Heal's homeopathic cure shop, A Charming Cure, is the most popular shop in the unusual little town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky.

Cures and trouble...

June is about to learn she has more than psychic abilities when she attends Hidden Hall, A Spiritualist University, leaving her shop in the hands of handsome sheriff Oscar Park.
Hidden Hall has an internal war between the Good-Siders and the Dark-Siders, putting June in the middle.

Magic stirs...

Hidden Hall is riddled with every type of spiritualist. Magic is lurking around every corner, even black-magic.
Unfortunately, the Ultimate Spell gets into the wrong hands. But it is only discovered after a few spiritualists go missing or end up poisoned to death.

And troubles double...

Madam Torres, June's crystal ball, reveals that A Charming Cure is in shambles along with the rest of Whistpering Falls.

Will June figure out who has the Ultimate Spell and stop them before they destroy the entire spiritualist com

My Thoughts :

This book wasn't actually high on my 'to be read' pile but I am taking part in a Read-a-thon this weekend and I wanted something quick and easy to read for the first day.  I knew I wouldn't have much time to read today because of work and I was pretty sure this one would get read on the way to and from work with a little attention in the evening too.  I was right.  This one was read in no time at all.

I remember reading the first book in this series a few months back and I also remember not thinking too much of it.  I knew this sequel would be a make or break for me and I am sad to say A Charming Cure hasn't left me yearning for book #3.  If anything I am ready to stay away from this series and leave it be.

There are a lot of reasons why I am going to be giving the series a wide berth.  Firstly, I am not too impressed with the writing style.  It is all a little erratic at times and I found it hard to follow who was who.  Also the story feels like it always has parts missing.  A total 'meh' when reading.  Secondly, the story is so weak.  The concept is a good one but all the world building and characters are never given a chance to really develop.  There is no depth added to the whole special abilities and magic leaving the reader putting things together from quick snippets of information.

Thirdly, this second book went on a wild goose chase.  After getting June to Whispering Falls and setting her up she hardly has time to breathe before she is off to some kind of magic school for a few days.  Why only a few days?  Why take her away from everything she just found?  Why get June involved in something she shouldn't be able to deal with yet?  Lots more questions come to mind and I honestly don't see why this book moved the focus to a school.  The whole book felt more Young Adult than adult and even the characters were acting childish.

So all in all I have decided to stay away from this series.  It isn't for me.  I am sure other readers will enjoy this and I know it has gotten some good reviews.  However this supposedly quirky series, while very magical and unique, just isn't my cup of tea.  I may be tempted to try one of the authors other series in the future.

 

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170) Wicked Weaves by Joyce & Jim Lavene

The Blurb :

Assistant professor Jessie Morton spends her summers at the Renaissance Village honing her skills and finding the lady, lord, or serf whodunnit.

This summer Jessie is the apprentice to Mary Shift, a basket-maker with a dark past as well as incredible weaving skills. One day a man is bid a deadly fare-thee-well with Mary?s signature weave around his neck. It?s up to Jessie to spring Mary from the stocks of the Myrtle Beach police station. Yet innocence is hard to prove in a place where there?s a fine line between reality and good theater?and history is bound to repeat itself.

My Thoughts :

The weekend before Christmas I was taking part in another Read-a-thon. They are great events to help get you reading and I also try and use them to read paperbacks instead of just Kindle books. This Renaissance Faire mystery has been on my shelf for a while and I decided to give it a go. The authors are not new to me so I knew what to expect but I have to say that the cozy concept didn't seem like something I would like. I was still willing to give it a try though.

The Renaissance Faire is a tourist attraction and every Summer Jessie spends her days there helping out and learning skills that were used back in the good old days. This seemed like a realistic ruse for a series and was totally different to what I expected. I was actually surprised that this was the route the authors had taken. Within a few chapters I was actually very interested.

Plot wise the book was a little weak. I didn't find the dead body in an alley very thrilling. Especially when it turned out to be someone nobody really knew. For the first in the series the murder mystery was too far away from home and I expected something a little closer. However it did give the writers a chance to explore the Faire and show the reader about.

Jessie was a nice character but I am still not sure how old she is supposed to be. Her love interest was quite a highlight and I am curious to see what comes of it while her twin brother was a total flake and I didn't see any reason for him to be in the story at all. Mary, the accused, was extremely weird. I found her quite frustrating. Luckily I think she has done her part for this series and may not be seen very much in the following books.

All in all a nice cozy. Not as good as the Missing Pieces Mysteries I have read by the couple but still a series I will check in on. The Renaissance Faire is a strange angle for a cozy but it worked. I may not be a hundred percent convinced but I can see myself reading a few more in the series to see what happens.

169) Pet Shop Boys by Kim Harrison

The Blurb :

A pet shop employee’s innocent date with a customer quickly turns disturbing rather than delightful. She and her family hold a centuries-old secret, and they want him to stay with them forever .

My Thoughts :

Kim Harrison is the reason I got into the paranormal genre. I remember taking a chance on Dead Witch Walking and rushing to buy the next in the series before even getting halfway through that first book in The Hollows series. All these years later and I have made my way through some amazing books just because I read this one book. However while Kim Harrison holds a special place in my reading history she is slowly leaving my list of favourite authors.

The Hollows has been suffering for a while. I still read the series but the new books are never as good as those first 5 or 6 books. So when I saw this short story, not based in the Hollows, I was eager to see what else the author had up her sleeve.

All in all the story was poor. Some authors are just not good at writing short stories and this may just be the case as far as Pet Shop Boys is concerned. First and foremost the title kept reminding me of that band...and their songs...and it was weird. After that it was the whole concept. What started off as an interesting but spooky tale turned into a weird story that I just couldn't follow.

At least it was over quick. However this short story is not the best work this author has produced. I hope it doesn't put off people who haven't yet read Kim's work. I actually worry that people may not try her other books just because of this novella.

Some others may enjoy this little read but I just didn't. Of course everyone is welcome to try it and it is reasonably priced. Just don't expect anything as good as the full length yummy books you know and love.

168) Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake

The Blurb :

Buyer beware . . .

Looking for a tattoo—and maybe a little something extra: a burst of good luck, a dollop of true love, or even a hex on an ex? Head to the quiet and mysterious Gage, the best skin artist in town. Using unique potions—a blend of extraordinary ingredients and special inks—to etch the right symbol, he can fulfill any heart's desire. But in a place like Low Town, where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires happily walk among humanity, everything has its price.

No one knows that better than Gage. Turning his back on his own kind, he left the magical Ivory Tower where cruel witches and warlocks rule, a decision that cost him the right to practice magic. And if he disobeys, his punishment—execution—will be swift.

Though he's tried to fly under the radar, Gage can't hide from powerful warlocks who want him dead—or the secrets of his own past. But with the help of his friends, Trixie, a gorgeous elf who hides her true identity, and a hulking troll named Bronx, Gage might just make it through this enchanted world alive.

My Thoughts :

Jocelynn Drake isn't a new author on the scene but she does have a new series out that has left me in awe. I admit right now that I never finished reading her Daywalker novels and wasn't too sure about starting this new series but when I read the novella, Asylum Tales : Bronx, there was no doubt about it. I wanted to read this series asap.

Angel's Ink is a spectacular read and even though I listened to the audio version I had it finished within record time. I couldn't get enough of it. The series concept is not totally unique but it is surprising fresh. The whole tattoo thing has been done before but this time around it is special and magical. I love the idea of being able to change someones luck by adding something to the ink. It leaves the series open to endless possibilities and one of them is the focus of this first book in the series.

What happens after the 'tattoo' is finished is a strange and unusual series of events that had me hooked till the end. I loved the different supernatural angles of the story which included Greek mythology and Grimm Reapers. The characters are grown up and well thought out. I liked the background story novella about Bronx and can't wait to read Trixi's. I am looking forward to getting to know them better.

The main character and narrator is Gage. A guy. Yes a female author writing from a male perspective. It works and so does the nice voice behind the audio version. It was nice and refreshing to have something manly for a change. So many females dominate the genre and I have to give the author huge kudos for writing something so unusual. It couldn't have been easy!

All in all the debut in the Asylum Tales is first class. Brilliant Paranormal Urban Fantasy and a series I can see myself loving till the very end. I can't wait to see what happens next and will definitely be pre-ordering the second book. Not sure if I will go the audio route again but the narrator did do a good job so I may keep following this one via Audible.

Well worth reading! Nice twists and turns, great characters and extremely delicious new ideas. If you haven't read anything by this author before then here is your chance to do so. Maybe try out the novellas first if you aren't sure.

167) I, Alex Cross

The Blurb :

You can't run

Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.

You can't hide

The hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain--they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.

Alex Cross is your only hope to stay alive

As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable--a revelation that could rock the entire world.

My Thoughts :

So I am taking part in another Read-a-thon and every time I try and only read books that are gathering dust on my bookshelves. I used to read a lot of Mysteries and Thrillers before I found the Paranormal genre and there are still some that I like to catch up with now and again. Alex Cross being one of them.

The series is pretty long with this being the 16th book and still the thrilling stories keep coming. Never boring and always nail-biting till the very end. I won't bore you supernatural lovers with a long review but I will say that I enjoyed revisiting the series and it was nice to catch up with Alex, his family and the wonder stories Patterson weaves for them.

166) The Weird Girls by Cecy Robson

The Blurb :

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, a little weird…

The Wird sisters are different from every race on earth—human and supernatural. When human society is no longer an option for them, they move in among the resident vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region. Could this be the true home they’ve longed for? Um, not quite. After the sisters accidentally strip a witch of her powers in a bar brawl, they soon realize the mistake will cost them. Because to take on a witch means to take on her coven. And losing the battle isn’t an option.

My Thoughts :

It seems it is all the rage to bring out a prequel novella these days. The short story is a nice introduction to a series and could leave the reader dying for more. However it can also have the opposite effect.

The Weird Girls series has been on my radar and I have to admit it sounds good. So the change to take a look at the series before it comes out wasn't something I was going to pass over. The novella is short and cheap. Something to fill a short gap when you don't have time to read a full length novel.

Did I like it? Unfortunately not much. While the concept and plot were seemingly well thought out I quickly lost focus on which sister was which. Despite the story being told from one perspective the sisters obviously come together as a package. A package that I couldn't get my head around in such a short space of time.

The paranormal aspects came across as interesting but once again I found it was over too fast. I didn't really have a chance to understand what the Weird Girls all had for gifts, powers or abilities. If anything I found this novella to be a pretty bad introduction to what actually could be a terrific series.

So this short story hasn't wet my appetite for the full length debut but instead has me staying clear. This isn't to say that I won't be seeing what Cecy Robson has to offer but I will be waiting to find out. The novella has left me disappointed and maybe this was one of those times where I should have stayed away from the chance to inspect a new series beforehand.

165) Bitter Blood by Rachel Caine

The Blurb :

For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville, Texas, have managed to co-exist in peace. But now that the threat to the vampires has been defeated, the human residents are learning that the gravest danger they face is the enemy within…

Thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. But college student Claire Danvers isn’t about to take sides, considering she has ties to both the humans and the vampires.

To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville looking for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide. Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news… or worse.

My Thoughts :

The Morganville Vampire series is something you are reading or not reading. After 13 books it is easy to decide if you are a fan of the series or not. If you haven't yet tried this series or gotten around to it then don't bother reading this review. I fear it may include some spoilers.

So the Draug are gone but there is something weird going on in Morganville. Yeah, yeah! there is always something weird going on in Morganville. However this time around it is a mixture of smaller problems which amass into one last huge problem. The story tries to keep some of the twists and turns a secret from the reader but parts slip out when the story is told from any perspective other than Claire's. Things come together and you aren't left alone in the dark like Claire and in this way the author does a good job of keeping things, as always, exciting and interesting.

The plot flows nicely like all the Morganville stories do. After all this time the town feels like home and all the characters are either friend or foe and need no introductions. The ghost aspect of the series takes a few new turns this time around and some outsiders making a ghost reality show come off really bad in the process. Amelie's family is still haunting her and Oliver's motives are even harder to understand than before. So nothing too new.

Micheal and Eve are now happily married but of course the story adds some ups and downs for the newlyweds. Which author wouldn't take up the opportunity to make the honeymoon a little bumpy outside of the bedroom as well as inside it? Myrnin is crazy but somehow the saniest person around this time. I can't get enough of his character and would love to know more about his Welsh roots.

The stars of the book are, as always, Claire and Shane. I don't feel that Shane makes a huge impact on much of the book but he does have a huge influence on everything Claire says and does. While he is cool and Claire loves him I am sure she would be better off without him. At the end of this book it looks like it could go that way but with everything they have been through together I think they are in for the long haul.

Once again I find myself finishing another book where Morganville and it's main residents get into trouble with the vampires and win. It is a process that has been repeated over and over again but the content between the oncoming crisis and the final fight is always entertaining and thrilling. Great characters help make this series special and I find myself enjoying every new addition to the series. After all this author writes an amazing story everytime.

The end of Bitter Blood could have actually been the end of the series. I haven't gone off to check if it is and will let myself be surprise. It was a nice ending, left some questions unanswered and Morganville still full with Vampires but it wouldn't bother me if it was left like that. Claire is tired and I know I am. I want to see the characters get their happy end. It will be sad to see them go but it has to end sometime.

Read this series and check out all of Rachel Caine's books. She is a fabulous writer and has come up with some extremely special concepts that always test the limits of the genre and pull it into a new cool shape.

158) To Love a Witch by Debora Geary

The Blurb :

ake thought he had a juvenile delinquent witch in need of rescue. Romy couldn't decide if he was a kidnapper, liar, or too good to be true.Throw in Tattoo Boy, sparking fingers, and a seven-year-old who can see the future, and you have all the makings for a romance. Really. Well, there's some really great linguine and a duet from West Side Story, too.

My Thoughts :

To Love a Witch is a Novel Nibbles. These are books you can read quickly, maybe read in your lunch hour. The blurb didn't sound too bad so I decided to give it a try. It was actually a free Kindle book so there was no loss if I didn't like it. Debora Geary is not an author I know and all in all this book was just a random one I picked up somewhere. I wasn't expecting much from it.

It turned out well though. I was actually surprised how nice the story was and how much was inside it. I liked the characters and the whole concept was cool. It was all about witches who are taken into a kind of 'magical care' to help them learn to control their powers. The story revolved around the new 'carer' and his new place of work. Of course it is obvious, like most romances, that they will get together in the end but the story was interesting and kept me reading till the end.

So I may actually take a look at some of the authors other work. I liked her style and it would be nice to see how she does with a full length novel. If you like reading short stories or just like collecting free ones, then maybe you should check this one out. The romance isn't too over the top and there is some nice content and a reasonable plot.

157) Murder 101 by Maggie Barbieri

The Blurb :

Safely outside the New York City limits, St. Thomas College was supposed to promise peace and quiet. Unfortunately, English professor Alison Bergeron has found it to be anything but. She recently divorced a fellow faculty member and, more recently, her car was stolen. Then one evening, she gets a visit from two homicide detectives from the NYPD. The good news is that they found Alison's beat-up Volvo; the bad news is that the body of one of the students in her Shakespeare seminar was in the trunk.

Now, not only must Alison continue to hoof it to campus (a fate almost worse than death), she's become a prime suspect for a murder she did not commit--and her efforts to clear her name have landed her in hot water with an even hotter Detective Bobby Crawford, who happens to be a former altar boy, and the sinfully suspicious nuns of St. Thomas. All hell's about to break loose if Alison can't find the real killer…before it's too late.

My Thoughts :

This book spent a while on my wishlist. Then it spent some time on my bookshelf. It managed to make it to my bedside but got covered in dust and just didn't get any further. All in all I think I have had this book lying around for two or even three years. I am actually scared to check. Because as always, when you leave a book lying around so long, when you finally read it you kick yourself for not reading it sooner.

Yes this was a good one. A nice cozy mystery set in New York and centered around a teacher. The plot was pretty clever and had me guessing to the end but what I really liked was the main character and her dealings with the lovely Detective Crawford. Now I am not one of those people who usually like the lovey dovey getting together relationship aspect of a book but the chemistry and events that lead to the two finally kissing was just too exciting. I was hooked!

Now I can only hope that it doesn't take as long to read the next book in the series. Actually it seems I have quite a few books in the series to catch up on. Not a new story for me but another one to add to the list. If you are a cozy fan and haven't come across this series yet then I recommend you giving it a try. I enjoyed it and look forward to seeing what happens between Alison and the Detective as well as what trouble she manages to get herself into along the way.

156) The Dark Lifer's Revenge by Linda Joy Singleton

The Blurb :

After getting kicked out of school and sent to live with her grandmother, Sabine Rose tried to ignore her troublemaking psychic abilities. All she wanted was to be a normal teen. But the spirit world has other plans for her.

Amber Borden is a high school student and aspiring talent agent with an unexpected side-job: she’s a Temp Lifer. By temporarily stepping into the bodies of people who are suffering, Amber navigates their daily lives and tries to fix their problems. Luckily her loyal boyfriend, Eli, has been very supportive—even during that freaky time when Amber inhabited his sister’s body.

When Sabine’s boyfriend, Dominic, loses his own body to a revenge-obsessed Dark Lifer—one of the disturbed souls who “borrow” living people’s bodies to do their dirty work—Sabine goes to Amber for help. Working together to find and free Dominic, the girls begin to unravel the Dark Lifer’s twisted plan of vengeance. But it throws them directly into the path of the troubled soul’s murderous rage.

My Thoughts :

I have been enjoying the Seer series and eyeing up the Dead Girl series so it was only natural that this short story combining both would appeal to me. However it was clear to me almost instantly that maybe I should have put off reading this novella until I had finished the Seer series. There are some spoilers for anyone who hasn't, like myself, finished the series.

Despite having something revealed to me, that I saw coming but yet didn't know, I did enjoy catching up with Sabine and getting to know Amber. The insight to the series has given me a taste for what the Dead Girl is all about. I like what I read and will definitely be moving on to this series after I have finished reading Sabine's story.

A nice short story with a good plot that, as with most novellas, was over way too fast. A must read for anyone who has read either of the series and a great way to see what all the fuss is about. Of course the story gives away a couple of pieces of the main story lines but it isn't anything that you wouldn't have seen coming.

I liked this one and look forward to finishing my visit with Sabine so I can go visit Amber some more. Linda Joy Singleton really has a good writing style and one you may want to introduce to that younger reader in your life.