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The Impossible Fortress–1987 from a teenage perspective
The Impossible Fortress
by Jason Rekulak
Here’s a novel that will take you back to 1987 complete with 14 year old computer nerd Billy Marvin who is currently failing ninth grade and his equally awkward sidekicks Alf and Clark. Outcasts from all the requisite cliques at their high school, they devise a plan to not only obtain a copy of the coveted Vanna White issue of Playboy, but also profit from the the object of their desires.
By the end of The Impossible Fortress, you really know Billy and the even more digitally talented Mary, and you have laughed and cringed your way through many early teen escapades. The pair programs on TRS-80 computers and the Commodore 64. Appropriate touches of the 80’s are sprinkled throughout the book–mention of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Christie Brinkley, the must have Bugle Boy pants, and Mark Cerny who started working for Atari at age 17. More than a nostalgic look at the 80’s, we explore the tough times of kids working their way through the difficult teen years. There are times when you hold your breath. times when you laugh, and moments of suspense. This is a book you will be glad you read.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: General Fiction (Adult)
Notes: This book abounds with male teenage profanity
Publication: February 7, 2017–Simon & Schuster
Memorable Lines:
The first step was easy. But the second step, the step where I fully removed myself from the roof–that was commitment. The wood trembled beneath my weight, quivering like the edge of a diving board. I made the mistake of looking down, but there was nothing to see–no alley, just a vast black gulf, a bottomless sinkhole.
“Imagine a computer not bigger than a candy bar!” he exclaimed, and we laughed at the absurdity of his predictions; they were all straight out of The Jetsons.
A Palette for Murder–mysteries abound in this hot beach town
A Palette for Murder
by Sybil Johnson
I had my introduction to the Aurora Anderson Mystery Series with the third book of the series, A Palette for Murder. This well-crafted book begins comfortably with a chapter that sets the scene in an unseasonably hot beach town and introduces the main characters: Rory (Aurora), a computer programmer, and her friend Liz, a real estate agent. Before the chapter is over they discover Kit, a homeless man Rory has befriended, injured through an apparent attack at the beach.
The plot rapidly becomes more complicated as Rory is often present when disaster strikes. Even more trouble finds her in this tale as she is motivated by a drive to help others and find solutions.
I had a great time following the clues as Rory tries to unravel various mysteries. There are two romantic interests, but they do not dominate the story–the mystery does. The ending was satisfying, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Sybil Johnson.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery & Thriller, General Fiction (Adult)
Notes: This cozy mystery works fine as a standalone.
Publication: January 31, 2017–Henery Press
Tell Me No Lies–an excellent mystery
Tell Me No Lies
by Lynn Chandler Willis
Tell Me No Lies is an outstanding mystery. While marketed as the first book in the Ava Logan Mystery Series, it reads as a standalone. If the author Lynn Chandler Willis has more adventures in mind for the main character Ava, I am excited at the prospect.
A woman is brutally murdered as Ava Logan, a widowed mother of two, babysits her adorable toddler, Ivy. Who would murder this beautiful, young artist and why? Representing law enforcement, handsome Sheriff Grayson Ridge, and Ava, small town newspaper publisher, pursue their independent and joint investigations into these questions.
With a very effective gossip machine, many in Jackson Creek, North Carolina, wonder why the small town even needs a newspaper. The mystery plays out with continuing danger, various potential suspects, a heated sheriff election, Ginseng poaching, speculation of abuse, and romantic intrigue.
Tell Me No Lies is a hard book to put down. It will keep you engaged until the very end–an ending you won’t expect. Willis has won several awards for previous books. I anticipate this one will add to her accolades.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Thriller
Notes: Can I give this one a 6/5? It’s just a really splendid mystery!
Publication: February 7, 2017 — Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
Rain splattered against the windshield then, like magic, disappeared with the hypnotizing swipe of the wipers. I wished life was that simple. Whenever you felt the sting of a broken heart, the crush of a disappointment, or the torment of a bad decision, you could just flip a lever and a giant mechanical arm would wipe it all away. It was a nice thought but, like the rain, there would always be more to come.
[Describing Ava’s office manager] Ever the social butterfly with a manicured nail on the pulse of the town…
For so many years, we had walked around carrying words we wanted to say but never did. We raised silent questions, hoping to never really know the answers.
Desert Vengeance–is revenge really sweet?
Desert Vengeance
by Betty Webb
The first chapter of Desert Vengeance is a half page long without a wasted word. It grabs you and twists you with a hold so tight that you know you will keep reading. This book is the latest in a series of mysteries by Betty Webb about PI Lena Jones. It could easily be a successful standalone. Nuances of relationships are effortlessly grasped even without the backstory. Lena’s professional status is clear. In the process of the mystery unfolding, the reader learns what happened to Lena as she made her way through a series of foster homes and emerged with emotional scars, but a strong character.
The subject matter, child molestation, is a very difficult one, but is handled in such a way that the reader understands the trauma the children went through without an account of the details of the abuse. The mystery centers around two murders and there are multiple suspects with strong motives. Lena finds through expert interviewing skills that not everyone is telling the truth. Some people have things to hide, even if it is not involvement in the murder. Others don’t really want the murderer caught.
The setting is a very hot Scottsdale, Arizona, with some reprieve in Black Canyon Creek. Both are accurately depicted without lengthy passages, leaving the reader sweaty, dusty, and thirsty. The other characters are interesting and developed appropriately according to their contribution to the plot.
I highly recommend this book either as a standalone or as part of the series. I am looking forward to reading more books by Betty Webb who has eight more books in her Lena Jones Mystery Series and three books in a humorous series about a California zoo-keeping sleuth. A former journalist, Webb deals with controversial topics in many of her books, but she approaches these difficult subjects through the lens of a consummate storyteller.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Thriller
Notes: Difficult subject matter, but handled respectfully
Publication: Poisoned Pen Press–February 7, 2017
Memorable Lines:
The world looks so hopeful at sunrise. The air is clean, birds sing, frogs hush their complaints, and coyotes stop their slaughter of innocent bunnies and head home to bed. It’s all a lie, of course. The world is as vicious in daylight as it is at night.
The Whole Art of Detection–more of Sherlock
The Whole Art of Detection
by Lyndsay Faye
The Whole Art of Detection is a Sherlockian’s dream come true. Written in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this is a collection of fifteen stories purportedly from publications by Watson in The Strand, from his journal, and from Holmes’ diary. All are written by Lyndsay Faye, and most were originally published in the current version of The Strand Magazine.
These stories do not make for a quick read as the vocabulary and style harken back to an earlier time and also reflect the British setting. Most of the tales are excellent mysteries and the reader is amazed along with Watson at Sherlock’s powers of observation and deduction.
I enjoyed the camaraderie between Holmes and Watson as they comment for the reader on the predictability of the other. Although Holmes is often almost unforgivably disparaging of Watson, it is obvious that they value each other immensely. The book is divided into four parts in chronological sequence giving the reader a feel for the history of their relationship and how it deepens over time.
If you are a mystery lover, I suggest a visit to mysteriouspress.com. This company was founded in 1975 by the owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City. They are digitizing classic mysteries with care and are publishing new mysteries such as The Whole Art of Detection at Grove Atlantic.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Grove Atlantic (The Mysterious Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Publication: Grove Atlantic–March 7, 2017
Memorable Lines:
I myself have on occasion found London a strain upon the senses during its darkest month and had cause to reflect that, for a man of my friend’s minutely pitched sensitivities, the bleakness of its icy Decembers must have been grating in the extremest degree.
Nothing is so desirable as that which is denied us.
Our temperaments were so wildly antithetical as to be perfectly matched.
What I seek cannot be found by traveling backward.
…every vein aquiver with the intoxication of the chase.
Sunrise Canyon–guilt, secrets, and a family’s love
Sunrise Canyon
by Janet Dailey
The sun rises on the Flying Cloud Ranch in Arizona, not too far from Tucson, with beautiful descriptions by Janet Dailey in Sunrise Canyon. The ranch belongs to Dusty, a cowboy in his seventies. Originally a working ranch, with the changing times Flying Cloud became a dude ranch and then evolved into a ranch for troubled teens. Dusty’s granddaughter Kira is a licensed Equine-Assisted Therapist. Together they manage the program and raise five year old Paige. The characters have complex backgrounds and relationships. Paige’s mother, Wendy, died in a car accident and her father Jake never returned for her after his last tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Kira and Jake both harbor guilt, but about different situations. The reader is gradually made aware of the causes as the story progresses. Various interesting plot elements unfold as Jake and Kira get to know and trust each other and as the precocious Paige is drawn to the stranger Jake who has come to work on the ranch. We also get a glimpse of the side stories of the teenagers who have suffered from trauma, bullying and dysfunctional home situations.
Sunrise Canyon falls right in between General Fiction for adults and a Romance. It is almost as if the genres are dancing, with the fiction storyline taking the lead and then bowing to the tension of the romance. They separate at times and then come to sway and twirl together. I prefer a good plot rather than emphasis on syrupy or steamy romance. I think Sunrise Canyon finds a nice balance with an interesting tale intertwined with conflicting desires and needs.
Exciting and descriptive, Sunrise Canyon affords a view of PTSD, equine-assisted therapy, and Arizona ranch life. I found the characters to be sympathetic and I wanted a satisfactory ending for them. I got that along with some unanticipated adventure.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: General Fiction (Adult), Romance
Notes: 1. mild swearing and sex
2. If you like motorcycles, you will delight in that minor part of the story. (Telling more would be a spoiler for a nice surprise.)
Publication: Kensington Books — February 28, 2017
Memorable Lines:
His eyelids were growing heavy. He was drifting now, his awareness clouding over as if blurred by windswept sand…
The moon was a fading crescent in the western sky, the sun barely streaking the east with the colors of dawn.
The horrors he’d not only witnessed but taken part in were burned into every nerve cell in his body, and woven into the fabric of his soul. They had become the man he was–the man he would be for the rest of his life.
River City Dead–mystery with a Fiesta setting
River City Dead
by Nancy G. West
Setting is extremely important in River City Dead. The title refers to San Antonio, TX, and the story focuses on the River Walk there during Fiesta week. The author has done her homework in researching the historical and cultural background, and a lot of it is shared with the reader as Aggie, the heroine of this cozy mystery, takes her boyfriend Sam on a tour of the River Walk area. Some readers may feel the inclusion of this much background is too pedantic, but I enjoyed and appreciated it.
Aggie and Sam, a detective with the San Antonio Police Department, are set to take their relationship to the next level in a penthouse suite in a luxurious River Walk hotel. Sam has arranged days off to be with Aggie for this special time. As might be expected, things do not go as planned as a series of crimes occur requiring Sam’s attention and luring Aggie into sorting out mysterious events.
There is constant conflict as Aggie loves to get involved in investigative work and Sam tries to protect her. There are also limits she needs to put on herself to avoid hindering a police investigation. Obviously this sets the couple up for relationship issues in addition to the trust issues Aggie already has.
The Aggie Mundeen Mystery Series is known for its humor. This one starts off with a humorous chapter, but quickly deviates as the investigation unfolds. I like the book, but I do have two criticisms. One is the frequent repetition of Aggie’s trust issues caused by someone in her past, Lascivious Lester. Once that problem is established, I think the reader is ready to move on. The other issue is how readily Aggie refers to and treats women she meets as “friends.” It seems like an unrealistically brief amount of time–the length of a lunch or the sharing of a glass of wine. I consider those people acquaintances, not friends.
I must give special kudos to two parts of West’s writing. One is the description of an elderly couple interacting in the swimming pool. It is absolutely beautiful. The other is the technique of using her job in responding to “Dear Aggie” advice letters to help Aggie reflect on her own life and relationships. This approach works well because it is not overused.
This mystery has a lot of threads, an unusual method for murder, and an ingenious resolution. I recommend it for cozy mystery lovers.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery & Thriller, General Fiction–Adult
Notes: This is number 4 in the series. I have read one other and have found that they may be enjoyed as standalones.
Publication: Henery Press–January 17, 2017
Memorable Lines:
To calm the jumping beans in my stomach, I decided to make a quick detour to Barnes and Noble. (Blogger’s note: it didn’t work out too well in the story, but I think it is great advice!)
Whatever else was happening in his life, as a law officer, crime tracked him like an insidious nasty aroma.
Integrity is knowing the right thing and doing it.
A Gathering in Hope–humorous tale
A Gathering in Hope
by Philip Gulley
Pastor and author Philip Gulley captured my heart in the 1990’s with his Front Porch Tales. Later he drew in many readers with his series about a small town in Indiana called Harmony where pastor Sam Gardner leads a Quaker congregation. Quite the storyteller, Gulley takes Pastor Sam to a new quirky Quaker group in the little town of Hope where the members of the fellowship are in conflict with each other as they discover that money bestowed on the group by a member who has passed away can be a burden as well as a blessing.
As Pastor Sam tries to mediate at committee meetings and deal with local endangered species issues, we find that he is anything but perfect. He is trying to lead by following in Jesus’ footsteps, but he is human. He wishes he could “fire” certain members of his congregation. He would prefer to be at home with his wife rather than attend yet another interminable committee meeting. Like every other human, he sometimes regrets things he has said.
In A Gathering in Hope, Gulley has created another fun tale with eccentric characters, an interesting plot, and lots of good humor. Come for a visit with Paster Sam in Hope and you’re guaranteed a great time.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Center Street for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Humor, General Fiction (Adult)
Publication: Center Street–September 6, 2016
Memorable Lines:
“He’s better now, but it was touch and go for a while. He went through withdrawal. You can’t eat five packages of Peeps a day for thirty years and then quit cold turkey.”
If they spent a half hour discussing paper towels, building a new fellowship hall would take decades. Jesus would return before the first nail had been driven.
He seemed a little crazy, a half bubble off center.
Admission of Guilt–a teacher tries to make things better for his students, but…
Admission of Guilt
by T. V. LoCicero
Admission of Guilt by T.V. LoCicero is a page turning thriller set in a rapidly declining Detroit. There is no easing into this story. The author immediately sets up his reader with sympathetic characters and then hits those characters and the reader with the reality of inner city life–poverty, children selling drugs, devastating budget cuts to education, gang warfare, and mafia control of the drug trade. Characters include an out of work teacher, a social worker, a P.I. and members of the country club set.
The characters find themselves making life and death decisions with moral, economic, and personal ramifications, and the reader is confronted with the age-old question of “does the end justify the means?” I guarantee lots of twists and turns to the plot that you just won’t expect and a book you won’t want to put down.
Admission of Guilt is Book 2 in The detroit I’m dying Trilogy but can be read as a standalone.
I would like to extend my thanks to the author, T. V. LoCicero, for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery & Thriller
Notes: Warning–the language is not anywhere close to squeaky clean; it is appropriate for the characters in their culture and to change it would produce a dissonance between the characters and their reality.
Publication: Smashwords–2013
Memorable Lines:
Spring leaves, already withering, scratched and whispered in the few Dutch Elms still standing on this dark, working-class street. Birds chirped and chattered on the pre-dawn breeze, and a worn-out Plymouth whined slowly to a stop in front of one of these decrepit wood-framed flats. A smallish figure slipped out, ran to a big front porch, then darted back to the street.
Pot Luck–title is a play on words, but I won’t spoil it for you!
Pot Luck
by Kendel Lynn
Pot Luck by Kendel Lynn is a cozy mystery with a fantastic plot–so many twists and turns, surprises, and suspects that it makes your head spin. Elliott (Elli) Lisbon is the Director of the billion-dollar Ballantyne Foundation. Since she often finds herself in the middle of other people’s problems, she is also in “hot pursuit” of her PI license with only “four thousand hours” until she becomes official.
The story is sprinkled with humor through references to Elli’s OCD regarding cleanliness issues and to her temporary responsibility for two adorable pug puppies, Colonel Mustard and Mrs. White, named for characters in the board game Clue. Interactions with other characters also provide amusing dialogue.
The setting is a beach resort area, Sea Pine Island, near Savannah, providing both exotic beach life and glimpses of higher and lower echelons of Southern society. There is a love interest for Elli as former FBI agent Nick Ransom, who is currently working as a lieutenant in Sea Pine Island, interacts with Elli. Tight lipped, he is actually not a valuable resource in solving cases, but Elli is attracted to him and is not deterred in her investigative work by his efforts to discourage her for her own safety.
There is a subplot involving Lucy, a former friend of Elli’s, who is currently working as a PI. The backstory may be explained in a previous book as this is the fourth in the Elliott Lisbon Mystery Series. In Pot Luck they have a strained relationship, and Lucy has an deep resentment of Elli. She blames Elli for not keeping in touch over the years, but their issues seem to go deeper than is explained in this book.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery & Thriller
Notes: The author included several phrases that I found irreverent. One example is “For the love of Jesus in a jumpsuit.” I realize this would not bother all readers and is mild compared to that found in many books. It actually would not keep me from reading another book by this author, but I did not appreciate its inclusion nor did I think it added authenticity to the work. It seemed strained.
Publication: Henery Press–December 13, 2016
Memorable Lines:
My thoughts were jumbly which set my very mild OCD on edge. Like the very sharp edge of a very tall cliff over a very deep canyon.
education pathways 