121. The Body at the Tower - Y.S. Lee

Genre: Period Mystery

Rating: Very Good

My last read for 2014.

This is the second book in the series The Agency.

Mary Quinn works for an all woman agency who hires out for detective and spy work in Victorian London.

Mary is a girl from the streets who was trained by the agency. She uses her street smarts to good effect.

In this outing, Mary is undercover as a boy hired as a gofer at a building site in London, trying to understand how one of the workers fell to his death from the bell tower where Big Ben is being installed.

Intriguing character development and likable main characters. London, and its poor are their own characters in the series.

North Carolina and Cape Hatteras

We are currently visiting Jim’s family in NC, about an hour and a half inland from the Cape.
History Note:
On 26 August, 1978 Jim and I got married at the Cape. Hatteras Light was on the beach near the point then, before they moved it to save it from beach erosion.
We wore shorts and tee shirts, and had to transport the lady reverend and the folks who’d come to see us tie the knot, in 4 wheel drives to reach the point.  We got married at Sundown.
I wouldn’t let Jim hold a surf rod during the ceremony though.  I know mean of me….
Our wedding supper was at KFC because it was the only restaurant open nearby.  We had to carry in the booze, because Dare County was dry.

120. When Gods Die–C.S. Harris

Genre: Period Mysteries

Rating: Very Good

Second in the Sebastian St. Cyr series of period mysteries.

It is 1811 and Prinny is, as usual, in Brighton. But he wasn’t prepared for the dead woman he found in his rooms.

Devlin is called in and asked to investigate.  Did the Regent kill her, or was it a set up?  Devlin is inclined to tell them all to go to Hell, but then he sees a necklace around the dead woman’s neck. The last time he’d seen that necklace was around his mother’s throat just before her sailboat sank and took her to the bottom of the channel.

Nicely complex characters, with a hero who can be single-mindedly bloodthirsty yet caring for those he loves. The miseries of the time were all too clearly painted. The murder and the mystery surrounding it was convoluted and complex enough to keep me from figuring out the fine points throughout.

I’ll be eager to get to the next in the series

119. The Alto Wore Tweed–Mark Schweizer

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating:  Good

I confess I missed a lot of humor in this book, since it is based on Episcopal church happenings. But I did enjoy what I understood and found the main character a hoot, literally, when he gets his owl.

The mystery was pretty convoluted and was hard to solve which is a plus especially for cozy mysteries.

If you get all the musical and religious humor you’ll enjoy it probably more than I did.

117. A Conspiracy of Violence–Susanna Gregory

Genre:  Historical Mystery

Rating: Very Good

A complexly woven mystery set in the aftermath of the Restoration. Tomas Chaloner was a spy for Therloe, the spymaster for the now dead and not missed Cromwell. Charles II is firmly in place but there is still much thoughts of revenge and suspicion regarding those who were seen as helping Cromwell and killing the King when he took power.

Chaloner is newly returned from Holland where he’d been spying on the Dutch, and is now penniless and masterless.  He becomes sucked into conspiracies, or at least perceived conspiracies and finds himself unable to trust anyone but his Dutch lover.

Then things get even more complicated.

Colorful and detailed settings, well developed characters and a mystery that keeps one guessing throughout most of the book.

117. The Laws of Murder–Charles Finch

Genre: Period Mystery

Rating:  Very Good

The 8th in the Charles Lenox series, finds Charles in very different circumstances than previously. He’s grown, widened his views, and admits he is getting older.  And for some reason, he’s being attacked in the newspapers.

However, when a police detective he and Dallington know is found murdered, the two swing into actions to discover who would dare to kill a Scotland Yard detective, and just what the detective had learned that made that murder necessary.

A nice pleasant cozy sort of mystery, but with some realistic looks at London in the mid 1800s.

116. Burn Me Deadly- Alex Bledsoe

I was too old to keep having ephiphanies.

But the advantage to my plan was that, for the most part, all I had to do was wait. Since there was no way to get around this animal, it seemed an especially good plan.

Eddie LaCrosse is a sword-jockey, as he calls himself. He's a bit past his prime, has an, ahem, colorful background, and is therefore smart- most of the time- and has no illusions.

So when a girl who'd obviously been beaten and tortured runs into him on the road, he's a bit less than enthusiastic to help her. But, well, what the hell, he doesn't have anything else on at the moment.

Well, that's when things start going pear-shaped.

Second in the series, Burn me Deadly is a fun read, with a reluctant hero, some intriguing pals, and a chase that keeps you guessing throughout.

I look forward to reading more of Eddie, Liz and Little Blackie.

115. Devil’s Peak–Deon Meyer

First of a series taking place in South Africa. A struggling alcoholic detective is on the trail of a serial killer who targets child abusers. Bad enough his life is a mess, and he’s fighting off the draw of the booze, but then suddenly the search gets personal.

Quite good for a first in series. I’ll try to continue this one.

114. The Spirit Lens – Carol Berg

Portier de Savin-Duplais is a failed magician. He’s archivist at the Collegia Magica. He’s settled, and expects nothing more. But one day his distant cousin, Phillipe, the King of Sabria, requires his presence. With that visit, Portier is drawn into an investigation of a plot to kill the king. And, Portier meets a very different, very frightening mage, who while they investigate proves almost everything Portier believes about magic to be wrong.

Interesting and well drawn world. The characters are complex and the writing is very good.

113. Dies the Fire–S.M. Stirling

First in the Emberverse series, 4th if you include the Nantucket books.

One of the best writers of dystopia novels, in my opinion. Stirling concentrates on how people will adapt, change, adjust, survive when a real disaster strikes.

In the Nantucket series, the island is hit by some sort of brilliant light and sent back in time to the Iron Age. 

In the Emberverse series, he moves westward to Idaho and we learn the same event did not move the rest of the world into the past, but instead just turns out the lights as well as stops every other machine beyond the very basic sort.

We follow two people primarily: Juniper, an old fashioned witch as she calls herself, a believer in the goddess and the coven leader of a small group, and Mike, who, when the change comes is piloting a small plane across Idaho taking a wealthy family to their ranch for a vacation.

Mike first has to fight his suddenly non-functional plane to the ground and keep himself and his passengers alive, then he has to trek them out of the wilderness to find some sort of help. It takes them a bit longer to realize what has happened, although Mike is aware that his emergency equipment is non-functional, like the plane.

Juniper, meanwhile, is caught in a small town, and experiences the first evidences of lawlessness and violence. She’s a smart cookie though, and works to get herself, her daughter and a few friends out of town toward the small cabin she inherited from her grandfather.

Highly recommended, but bluntly violent given the situations the good guys find themselves in.  Still, good to see how people can learn to rise above disaster and fight to do what is right.

110. Peter Pan Must Die–John Verdon

4th Book in the Dave Gurney series.

I received this book free through Edelweiss publishing in return for an unbiased review.

I have not read the previous Dave Gurney books, and although I'm a serial reader and try to only read series books in order, I did not feel too confused regarding happenings in the previous books, even when they are mentioned directly.

The characters were interesting and complex enough to keep me interested. The settings were interesting and colorful and fit the story quite well.

As for the puzzle and the mystery, I solved it long before our crack detective got to it. Even so, I enjoyed the psychological complexity involved in trying to understand who the killer was, and what the motivation for the murders were in the first place. And I can see how assumptions can easily blind people personally involved into missing key pieces of a puzzle and thus be led astray.

In short, I enjoyed the book and found it interesting enough to consider reading the series from the beginning.

109. The Soul of Discretion–Susan Hill

The 8th book in the Simon Serailler series does not fail to fascinate. Simon, with someone in his life, is discovering he’s more like his father than he wants to admit. Cat is still struggling with the changes in her life, and their father’s second marriage is a mess.

Then Simon goes undercover to expose a child sex ring.

That’s when things go wrong for everyone.

Highly recommended, with Simon’s family as fascinating as he and his cases are.

108. The Cabinet of Curiosities–Preston/Child

Third in the Pendergast series, this one finds our mysterious FBI agent once again haunting the halls of the Museum of Natural History. A tearing down of an old NYC neighborhood has uncovered a buried basement that is full of bodies, bodies that have had horrible surgical practices done upon them.

Pendergast again enlists the help of a museum employee and the reporter Smithback to discover the secrets of the serial killer. And, as the investigation progresses, a copycat is suddenly killing more people.

At last we learn more about Pendergast, his interests and a little of his past.

A compelling read, with definite touches of horror.

107. Pines–Blake Crouch

First book of the series,  Wayward Pines.

A sort of cross between the TV shows Twin Peaks and The Prisoner.

Ethan, a Secret Service agent, is on his way to Wayward Pines, Idaho, to investigate the disappearance of two of his colleagues., when he is involved in a major traffic accident.  At first he can’t remember much, not even sure who he is. But as his memories come back, he’s faced with stranger and stranger facts regarding the town, its inhabitants and if he will ever find a way to leave.

105 Dervish House–Ian McDonald

A typically complexly plotted and dense sci fi entry from McDonald. The location is a major part of the story with wonderful descriptions and atmosphere. The characters are intriguing and interesting, and you can't imagine how these disparate people will eventually come together to resolve this futuristic thriller.

I loved it.

103. Beyond Courage–Doreen Rappaport

Far outside my usual reading, a friend lent me this book. It was not the easiest read in the world, a reminder of the horrible things mankind does to one another, complete with heart-breaking pictures.

Primarily it made me angry that there are so many apologists and deniers these days who try to pretend history is pretty and no horrible things really happened, that it is all some sort of liberal plot. Sigh.

Such villainy, with even the victims finding it hard to believe the horrors they were about to face.  Still, the little acts of courage must give us hope.

102. Cold Days–Jim Butcher

Fourteenth in the Harry Dresden series.  Harry, once a lowly magical PI in Chicago, is now the Winter Night for Mab a Queen of Fairie (It’s a long complicated road).  He’s not happy in his new position and is even less happy when he hears the world is in danger and he’s the only one who can do something about it. And, of course, Mab picks right then to give him is first assignment, and it’s a doozy.

Very much the usual sort of story, with Harry so harried on all sides he doesn’t have five minutes to think about anything, but is rushing around ducking enemies and trying desperately to come up with a plan to save the world.

The usual suspects put in an appearance and do what they can to help him.

The end was a real surprise, and it changes the game once again, with Harry reeling as his position suddenly impacts his friends – again.

101. The Masqueraders–Georgette Heyer

Not at all what I expected when I began it, this comedy of manners and silliness of society tells the tale of a pair of grifters, who are masquerading as brother and sister, with the added fun of a sex reversal for both of them.

Confusing at first, but great fun once it gets going. Can they manage not to be caught, when certain acquaintances begin to look into their backgrounds?  And just why are they so intent on keeping up the disguise and what exactly is their mysterious father up to?

100. Tricked–Kevin Hearne

My 100th read for the year is the 4th in the Iron Druid Series, Tricked. Atticus and his apprentice are, as usual, being hunted down by various and sundry bad things. Oberon, on the other hand, is his usual badass self.   Fun series.

99. Gallows View–Peter Robinson

I was a bit disappointed in this book, mainly because I’d just watched DCI Banks on netflix and it was beautifully broody with lots of shots of the location.  None of that was in this book, alas.

The mystery was intricate and the character complex, and I already have book 2 so I’ll read it and hope for more atmosphere!

City of Stairs – Robert Jackson Bennett

 

What is reality?  Is it something solid and independent of us, each and every one of us? Or is it created by what we believe, and how we think it is?  Can we make the world change by merely creating a shared reality that we all agree to live within?  And if so, how can that be altered?  Can it be?

Saypur, once a vassal state to the Continent, enslaved, kept poor and controlled, suddenly, by the hand of one man, the Kaj, manages to kill the Divinities that provide the power and knowledge to the Continent.  And then, with their protection gone, Saypur goes on to conquer the Continent and turn the tables utterly.

Generations later, a young woman, Shara, who has served Saypur as a spy and provocateur, arrives at the central city on the Continent, the city the Divinities had created as their own, to investigate the death of a rather unimportant professor who'd been sent to Bulikov by Shara's superior.

Shara arrives, and as she delves into the reasons for the professor's death, she finds out that what the professor has discovered could very well change everything.

This was a terrific read. A strong female protagonist, a complex plot, world-building that was deep and elaborate and well-planned.  Highly recommended for those who enjoy a fantasy that has depth and thought behind it.

I received this book for a review through Blogging for Books in return for an honest review.

72. Dying Light – Stuart MacBride

Second book in the Logan McRae series, Logan is as usual in trouble. He’d lead a botched raid into a warehouse and a PC has been shot. But that is the least of his worries as he’s assigned to the F*&^& up squad as they find prostitutes who have been beaten then killed.  Oh, and there appears to be a drug war going on in Aberdeen.

Gritty, gruesome at times, but with the gallows humor I’ve come to love in his characters, MacBride takes us on a wild ride through the gritty parts of his city.

71. A Christmas Hope – Anne Perry

I received this book as an Early Reviewer book from Library Thing. It is the latest of Anne Perry’s Christmas series, set in London during the 19th Century.

It chronicles a married woman’s attempts to discover the truth behind the murder of a street walker, murdered during a party at the home of a wealthy acquaintance.

I found it a tad bit heavy handed, but enjoyed it quite a bit.  Nice to see a woman, despite the realities of her limitations in her society, stick to her beliefs and values despite pressure and win through.

70. The Black Echo – Michael Connelly

First of the Harry Bosch series, a dark, gritty, noirish book about a Los Angeles detective looking into the death of a tunnel rat he knew in Viet Nam.

Harry is suspected by Internal Affairs of nefarious things, so not only does he have to deal with a search for a murderer, but also the IADs men who follow him around. And from there it goes to worst when suddenly the FBI is involved.

Definitely will read more of this series. I do like Connelly’s novels.

69 Seeker – Jack McDevitt

 

Third book of the Alex Benedict series. Alex is an antiquities dealer and a guy who goes out in search of them throughout the galaxy. His pilot and partner, Chase, does her best to keep him alive, although sometimes that is pretty hard to do, as Alex has a lot of enemies not to mention his penchant for dangerous places.

I really enjoy these books, told from Chase’s POV. She takes Alex with a healthy dash of salt and is by far the more sensible and practical of the two.

In this book, Alex is off on a quest to find his time’s equivalent of Atlantis, a very long lost colony.

68. Caliban’s War – James S.A. Corey

Second book of The Expanse series.  

Terrific space opera. Political implications, a shooting war about to start between Mars and Earth, a lost little girl, and the protovirus loose. Again. And Jim Holden and his rogue ship and crew  are once again in the middle of things.

67. The Towers of Silence – Paul Scott

 

Third book of the Raj Quartet. Further detailing the events of the first and second books, and moving forward to the end of WWII.  The British people are beginning to see the writing on the wall, and know that their world is coming to an end.

Such a wonderful, if very sad book. Scott’s way of telling the story is so very different from most novels, and yet so very intriguing. Seeing the events from different viewpoints, each one colored by assumptions and prejudices.

66. The Maltese Falcon – Dashiell Hammett

A disappointment even given the different times.  I wasn’t impressed by the constant repititious descriptions of Sam Spade, and every character in the thing was grubby and miserable. And one more repetition of ‘darling’ and I’d have screamed.  I enjoyed the movie much more.

65. Ice Station – Matthew Reilly

What a terrific thriller. Action is fast and furious and things go pear-shaped from page one. The characters are well drawn and interesting, the descriptions of the action places you right in the thick of things, and the plot is buried in the action, so you are drawn from scene to scene wondering how the heck Scarecrow and his tactical unit can possibly survive from one moment to the next. Couldn't put it down.

64. Ancillary Justice – Ann Leckie

A science fiction book that definitely creates a sense of ‘otherness’ and a confusing society we won’t at all feel comfortable in.

Gender issues confuse us, and the fact that most of the characters are AIs is also a difficulty.

The plot hinges on the idea that if an AI has multiple bodies (corpse bodies – the bodies of captured soldiers used to house the AIs) – the different aspects of the AIs might have different viewpoints, morals and motivations. Very interesting but a book that takes thought and concentration.

I suspect I’ll get a lot more out of it if/when I read it again.

63. The Blackhouse – Peter May

 

DS Fin MacLeod is sent to the island where he was born and grew up when a murder there is eerily similar to one he’d been working on in the mainland of Scotland. He’s a mess, when he arrives, due to the death of his son and the subsequent breakup of his marriage. He hadn’t wanted to go but it was go or lose his job, so he went.

From the moment of his arrival, his childhood memories and connections to the murder victim and all the suspects force him to remember things from his childhood he’d buried and did not want to resurrect now. But the longer he stays, the worse it gets, and the more we learn of the murder victim, Fin, and the others on the island.

This is a powerful novel, not easy to read or stomach in parts, Fin comes across as a not very likeable fellow. But as we learn more of his childhood, we see how his past has formed him and how he’s had to deal with it.

The ending is very emotional, and I’d advise abuse victims that there are lots of triggers especially in the second half of the book.

62. The Blue Sword – Robin McKinley

Listed as YA but not really in my opinion.  Well written, with lots of non-stop action and surprises. Character development was nicely done, and the world building and descriptions were gripping.

I could barely put the book down, I was so eager to see what was happening next.

60. White Nights – Ann Cleeves

 

Second book of the Shetland Island series, Jimmy Perez returns to investigate the death of an Englishman found hanging in a fishing shack.

As usual, the setting is as important as the characters and the plot. Wonderful descriptions and complex characters, whose pasts are dredged up as Jimmy tries to understand just why this man is dead and just who he is.

59. The Absent One – Jussi Adler-Olsen

Second book in the Department Q series, Carl Mørck returns to follow a cold case, where the convicted killer might actually be innocent.

Adler-Olsen can paint the most horrific murderers, and he doesn’t fail to continue that trend here. Hard to read at times, but compelling and complex. His characterization of the murderers is impressive and convincing.

58. From Doon with Death – Ruth Rendell

First in the Inspector Wexler series. I was a bit disappointed in this, as we learned little of the Inspector and he came across, to me, as not at all the sort of guy I’d like to know better. Hopefully that will change as the series progresses.