Great new series!!

MEOW IF IT'S MURDER

A Nick and Nora Mystery

T.C. LoTempio

Berkley

978-0-425-27020-2

December 2014

Mystery

Nora Charles doesn't believe in fate. She moved back to Cruz, California to have a quieter life. But after finding an online magazine eager for material, and a stray cat named Nick with a talent for detection, Nora's not just reporting crimes again, she is uncovering them. Nora suspects foul play in the curious death of socialite Lola Grainger, and it seems that her cat does too. Apparently, Nick the cat, used to belong to a PI who disappeared while investigating Lola Grainger's death. the coincidence is spooky, but not as spooky as the clues Nick spells out for her with Scrabble letters. Whether fate put her on this case or not, solving it will take all of Nora's wits and maybe a few of Nick's nine lives.

MEOW IF IT'S MURDER is the first in a new series and it starts with a bang! With the intricacies of moving back home, losing a parent, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, and dealing with leaving a successful live behind, Nora has all of the qualities of the girl next door with a keen insight into crime. The story line is twisted and leaves the reader baffled and intrigued at the same time. This new series is sure to capture the attention of many and keep it from book to book. The attention to detail is amazing! 

Reviewed by Kathy Fisher

Rating: 4

GEARED FOR THE GRAVE

Fw: Fwd: Geared for the Grave---Brown (dec 14)

GEARED FOR THE GRAVE

A Cycle Path Mystery

Duffy Brown

Berkley

ISBN: 978-0-425-26894-0

December 2014

Mystery

Mackinac Island is a peaceful summer resort town where everyone coats through the streets on bicycles. But after someone sends a prominent local on her final ride, it's up to one resourceful visitor to get things running again. Hoping to shift her chances of a promotion in her favor, Evie Bloomfield heads to Mackinac Island to assist her boss's father. Rudy Randolph has broken his leg and is finding running his bike shop, Rudy's Rides, is too much for him to handle alone. After Evie's arrival, wealthy resident Bunny Harrington dies in what looks like a freak bike accident. Upon closer inspection, it seems her brakes were tampered with and the prime suspect is Rudy. So if Evie hopes to stay on her boss's good side, she'll need to clear Rudy's name.

GEARED FOR THE GRAVE is the first in a new series. There are a lot of sub stories that go on through out the story line so at times it is difficult to get a real feel for the characters. If you stick with it through the halfway point, the story starts to stick together and it becomes more interesting and shows potential. The setting is interesting but could use some more descriptive detail. For a first book, it gives a lot of broad details and introduces many characters that later books could focus more clearly on.

Reviewed by Kathy Fisher

Rating: 2

More from Lindsay McKenna

WOLF HAVEN

The Wyoming Series Book 9

Lindsay McKenna

Harlequin HQN

ISBN:  978-0373779031

November 2014

Contemporary Romance

With this latest in a very successful series, the very talented Lindsay McKenna delivers a book about Sky Pascal, an RN with the US Navy, and Grayson McCoy, a former Navy SEAL.  Like many of her recent books, this one deals with the immediate effects of trauma on a serviceperson, specifically Sky, and the aftermath of her capture by enemy forces in Afghanistan.  Yet, the book is also about trauma endured by Grayson as he served as a SEAL, even though he is farther along in his recovery and the PTSD is less noticeable.

These two meet at Elk Horn Ranch, a guest ranch and wildlife preserve.  Sky has been hired to work with Gray as an assistant and also as a nurse for the ranch.  Sky is fragile, having found her parents’ home intolerable after discharge and needing to work.  The ranch is focused on rehabilitating wolf cubs left without their mother.  Much of this novel tells the fascinating story of this process.  It also continues a prior story line about nefarious characters running a trucking company as a front for smuggling.

But the bigger picture is the accurate and painful portrayal of PTSD.  The debilitating effects of trauma, specifically military trauma, are realistically and honestly described.  The process of treatment and recovery are also detailed.  I suspect that some readers, looking for a simple “happily ever after” romance novel, may not like this story.  But honestly, this author is so skilled at seamlessly weaving in the process of these two people falling in love, facing past trauma, and planning a future, that this book should not be missed!  Once I started reading it I could not put it down!  This latest in a long series will not disappoint and offers excellent character development with a seamless plot and believable situations and characters.  Highly recommended!

Reviewed by:  Jeri Neal

Rating:  4 1/2 

Review of AFTER THE WAR IS OVER - Jennifer Robson

AFTER THE WAR IS OVER
Jennifer Robson
Harper Collins Publishers
ASIN# B00JOG4UWU
January 2015
Historical Romance

In a follow up to SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE, and after World War I is over, Charlotte Brown must return to a civilian life.  She now lives in a boardinghouse with several other women, and works as an assistant in a constituency office.  As England struggles with the aftermath of the war, Charlotte is offered a chance to write a series of columns bringing to light the injustices that are abounding in England.  The editor of the newspaper begins a small romance with her, but it isn't allowed to develop because on the heels of that, a letter arrives that will change the course of her destiny.


It is her skills in nursing during the war that's needed when she's asked to help Edward, the Earl of Cumberland.  Prior to the war, she was the governess to Lilly, the daughter of the older Earl of Cumberland, and sister to Edward.  She's loved Edward from afar all these years, and now with his injuries, he's a shell of the man he used to be.  With her heart hanging in the balance, will she be able to help Edward recover, and will she be able to return to her job knowing that she's leaving behind the man she's always loved?

For those that love a unique time period romance, this book has everything from the history of England during the years post World War I, to a romance that while unheard of between these two classes before the war, is now quite likely after the war.  There are dangerous riots, risks takers and life dramas that are touched upon between all the characters.  I enjoyed this little trip back in time, the characters seem true enough, and even though it is a follow up, it is not necessary to read the first book.

Reviewd by:  Jennifer Jones
Rating: 4

January 2015 Reading

Welcome to January 2015 at TRRC Reading.

With minus 22 wind chill temps here in the Midwest, there is little else to do but head to the TBR piles and read. I have been spending a lot of my reading time with mystery author Julie Hyzy's White House Chef Mystery series. Getting to know white house executive chef and part-time sleuth Olivia Paras is a lot of fun and there are enough books in the series to keep this Editor occupied indoors on these very cold days.

The TRRC Reviewers have been reading as well and because late December left little time for writing and posting reviews, readers will see quite a few December 2014 as well as January 2015 book reviews posted.

You'll notice that under our new Blogging format we don't have a specific posting date. We'll just post them as we read them. You will also notice you can provide your comments and questions immediately. Feel free to do so because we enjoy hearing from you.

Until next month,

Happy Reading,
Livia