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.