Month: January 2023

‘Lie to Her’ by Melinda Leigh is another satisfying murder mystery in the ‘Bree Taggert’ series

/ Pamela Kramer

While the mysteries in Melinda Leigh’s “Bree Taggert” series all work as stand alone novels, those who start the series with the latest addition, “Lie to Her,” will miss out on some great backstories which are shared in the previous novels. Such readers will still enjoy the twists and turns that Bree Taggert, the female sheriff in a rural upstate New York county, must unravel in her search for a serial killer. But those who have read the previous five books will understand why Bree is living in this rural area and raising her sister’s two children. They will have met Matt, Bree’s boyfriend, and Dana, Bree’s former partner from the police force. And they will understand the backstory regarding Bree’s former fear of dogs. She has overcome that fear and now has a rescue dog of her own.

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‘Seventeen: Last Man Standing’ by John Brownlow is filled with thrilling, nonstop action

/ Pamela Kramer

In “Seventeen: Last Man Standing,” author John Brownlow creates an assassin whose exploits are legendary, whose skill is apparently unsurpassed, and who explains the tricks of his trade to us as we follow his latest assignment in Berlin. It’s what happens after that job that forms the basis for the action that is so engaging and strangely touching we can’t put the book down.

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‘Killer Story’ by Matt Witten is a brilliant look at journalism, ethics, and blind determination to get the story

/ Pamela Kramer

While journalists are finding it more and more difficult to obtain employment that is financially secure, in these turbulent times, broadcasting the truth about our world and politics is perhaps even more crucial than ever. In “Killer Story,” author Matt Witten explores that subject through the eyes of Petra Kovach, a journalist who has been laid off several times and who desperately wants to keep her current job. She also is obsessed with discovering the truth about the murder of a friend, Olivia, who was killed in her Harvard dorm room after becoming a celebrated right-wing You Tuber.

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‘Nine Liars’ by Maureen Johnson is another engrossing Stevie Bell mystery

/ Pamela Kramer

On the cover of Maureen Johnson’s latest Stevie Bell mystery, “Nine Liars,” are the words: When everyone lies, somebody dies. This little epigram becomes important in the story, and I am embarrassed to admit that I neglected to read those important words before finishing this twisty and cleverly crafted novel. Here Stevie is called upon to solve another cold case mystery—this one not even 30 years old and cold. Johnson’s setting are always an important part of her novels, and this one is no exception. The action mostly takes place at Merryweather, a large English country home belonging to a family with a minor title. There are diagrams of the house and the grounds at the start of the story, which help in picturing the action and events.

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‘The Widow’ by Kaira Rouda is a chilling look into elected officials… and their wives

/ Pamela Kramer

In “The Widow,” Kaira Rouda uses multiple points of view as she plots a novel that, by turns, grips us and repels us. The main character, Jody Asher, is the wife of one of Ohio’s congressmen, Martin Asher. She and Martin met in law school, and while she had hoped for him to reach higher than “mere” congressman, there he’s been for over three decades. And while Jody loves being the spouse of a Member of Congress, with all the attendant functions and perks, she’s tired of his indiscretions and his complaints about her spending.

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‘The Midnighters’ by Hana Tooke is a delightful middle grade historical fiction romp with a soupçon of the supernatural

/ Pamela Kramer

Many children know the feeling of not fitting in and in “The Midnighters,” author Hana Tooke explores that feeling through her main character, Ema, whose fantastic, incredibly dangerous journey in this novel finally leads to her finding acceptance and respect. Ema was born into a family of scientists, and while she absorbed much of their knowledge, she didn’t feel their passion. What she felt instead was dread, and that feeling made her feel different than the rest of her siblings and her parents. She seemed to know when bad things were going to happen, and the number twelve was an especially dangerous number in her eyes.

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‘Defy the Night’ and ‘Defend the Dawn’ are the first two books in Brigid Kemmerer’s fabulous new series

/ Pamela Kramer

I admit that sometimes, I am spectacularly uninformed about the books I read. Take Brigid Kemmerer’s new series which begins with “Defy the Night” and its sequel, “Defend the Dawn.” I was sure that this was a duology, and I was thrilled that I would get to read both books in a row. I was especially psyched to do so while reading the first book and becoming so completely immersed in the fictional kingdom of Kandala, that I didn’t want to wait to find out how it all ended. I really enjoyed meeting and reading about Tessa and Corrick, one an apothecary apprentice and the other the King’s Justice, brother of the king of Kandala, and a feared royal figure.

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‘The Prisoner’ by B. A. Paris is a clever mystery with several surprises

/ Pamela Kramer

B. A. Paris kept the identity of the title character of her last novel, “The Therapist,” a mystery for much of the story. In her latest mystery, “The Prisoner,” we know exactly who the prisoner is. In fact, we read in the first chapter how Amelie has been taken prisoner. While we know that there are many facts that we need to learn, such as why she thought it was her husband who was doing the abduction, we realize that Amelie will share that information either in the chapters labeled “Present,” which detail what is going on currently, or the chapters labeled “Past” which inform us how Amelie ended up in this devastating situation.

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‘Flight Risk’ by Cherie Priest is her second murder mystery featuring a psychic travel agent

/ Pamela Kramer

A quirky travel agent who also has psychic talents is the star of “Flight Risk,” the stand alone sequel to “Grave Reservations” by Cherie Priest. These fast-paced and clever mysteries feature Leda Foley, the aforementioned travel agent whose paranormal abilities are sometimes an asset and sometimes a frustration. In this novel she continues working with Seattle Police Department detective Grady Merritt, who is well into middle age and lives with his teenage daughter. He still mourns the loss of his wife to cancer, and while he was skeptical about the paranormal in the first book, after being presented with clear data showing that Leda knew things about the future, he actually got her a contract with the police department as a consultant.

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‘Keeper of Enchanted Rooms’ by Charlie N. Holmberg

/ Pamela Kramer

Bestselling fantasy author Charlie N. Holmberg brings us a new fantasy-infused novel about a magic-infused house in “Keeper of Enchanted Rooms.” To this enchanted house come a plethora of people who all, in their own way, are estranged from loved ones. In the prologue, we meet a young Silas Hogwood, and we feel for him as we witness the abuse he suffers at the hands of his father—or rather at the abusive magical spells his father casts at him. But it’s the last time we feel pity for him as we witness, in the snippets Holmberg provides, his descent into depravity and murderous evil as he murders those around him for their magical ability.

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‘The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights’ by Kitty Zeldis is about the bonds we form and finding family

/ Pamela Kramer

In “The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights” Kitty Zeldis sweeps us back to experience a time after the Great War, when women not born with a silver spoon in their mouths were limited in their options. This lovely historical fiction presents us with strong female main characters who all also have flaws that make them very relatable. While the action in this novel takes place over the course of a year, we are treated to flashbacks and the characters’ thoughts that give us insight into what their lives were and how they developed into the people we meet at the start of the story. Each character has her own tribulations, and each character must overcome a flaw which makes her life less than it could be.

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