MURDER AT THE PALACE – Margaret Dumas

Posted by Daniel on July 1, 2019
Posted in: MYSTERY. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

I really enjoyed this book.

Nora Paige loves old movies. When her movie-star husband dumps her for a co-star starlet Nora takes refuge in San Francisco where she takes over as the manager of a historic movie theater that shows old movies – just the kind that she likes most. Here she befriends a band of misfits – all who seem to share her love of old films. But in her very short time at The Palace movie theater she discovers some very questionable financials, the ghost of a 1930’s usherette, and a much more recent dead body. What did she get herself into and how will she survive?

Author Margaret Dumas has penned a clever, swiftly moving mystery that manages to incorporate a little historical fiction, the supernatural, and the Hollywood film world. What’s not to like?

We get a really good dose of mystery here that ties most of the various elements together nicely.  Too often the mystery seems secondary to the gimmick of the series but that is not the case here. It took a little while for this mystery to develop because of the need to set up the characters and the situation.

While I don’t mind supernatural in my fiction – in fact, I often gravitate toward that sort of fiction – I’m not completely sold on the ghost of Trixie here.  She’s interesting and she does contribute to the results of the mystery, but she isn’t really necessary and I wonder how she’ll be used in future Movie Palace Mysteries. I read another mystery series published by Henery Press which features a ghost, and it works quite well whereas this feels a little bit like an attempt to draw in an audience with the gimmick.

I really appreciated the little “must watch” movie reviews and all the allusions to classic films in the book and I did manage to add a movie or two to my own must watch list thanks to these.

Looking for a good book? Murder at the Palace by Margaret Dumas is a fun mystery and an excellent start to a new series.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

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Murder at the Palace

author: Margaret Dumas

series: Movie Palace Mystery #1

publisher: Henery Press

ISBN: 1635114632

paperback, 250 pages

THE CRUEL PRINCE – Holly Black

Posted by Daniel on June 28, 2019
Posted in: SF/FANTASY, YA. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

I haven’t read many books by Holly Black, mostly because they just haven’t looked appealing to me, though I did enjoy a book she had co-written with Cassandra Clare.  Still, though I enjoy a good fantasy story, Black’s work just never looked like something I’d enjoy until I came across the description for The Cruel Prince.  Something about this stood out and I looked forward to the read.

Unfortunately, it was absolutely underwhelming for me.

A young girl (Jude) and her sisters are sent to the High Court of Faerie after their parents are killed. While they live there for a decade, they are never fully accepted. Jude and her sisters are mortal and those in the fey world don’t like mortals too much. And one who despises humans the most is Prince Cardan, the youngest son of High King.

And even though she doesn’t seem to be wanted in the court, Jude really wants to belong. This is, after all, really the only home she knows.  But to really belong she needs to face up to the evil Prince Cardan and in doing so she learns much more about the secrets and mysteries that go on behind closed doors on the castle.  And she finds that she’s quite capable of delivering some cruel blows to those royal members she dislikes.  Which might just bring down the whole system to which she wants to belong.

First off, I just didn’t care for anyone here.  We could have the best written story line, but if it doesn’t matter – if I don’t have a reason to care about it, then it’s worthless.  And clearly I am not the target audience. Meaning… I think that possibly … possibly …. if you are a teen girl who loves a fantasy in which a girl rebels against a handsome but cruel prince, then maybe this is the right book for you.

The failure for me to connect and care about any or all of these characters really overwhelmed my reading of the book. Author Holly Black has a strong fan base who will undoubtedly love this book, but it does nothing to bring me into her readership fold.

Looking for a good book? The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is a YA fantasy with a predictable amount of ‘unlikely romance’ that may appeal to a certain readership but the book does not generally appeal.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Cruel Prince

author: Holly Black

series: The Folk of the Air #1

publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 0316310271

hardcover, 370 pages

THE PHILOSOPHER’S WAR – Tom Miller

Posted by Daniel on June 27, 2019
Posted in: SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

A new book in The Philosophers Series by Tom Miller?! Yes, please!

I was so impressed with Miller’s The Philosopher’s Flight that I immediately requested the follow-up volume and sat down and read it through, putting all my other books aside.  And it was worth it!

The story so far…

Robert Weekes, who we last saw defending his gender at Radcliffe College, as the only known male philosopher (i.e. ‘magician’) who could hover/fly, has successfully been accepted into the corps of Sigilwomen during the Great War (WWI).  It’s been his life-long ambition (now at the very mature age of 18) to serve his country as his mother did, flying soldiers out of the line of fire to where they can be patched up. But as a male in a completely female dominated profession, Robert is trying to keep a low profile and is even registered as Robert A. Canderelli – using his father’s last name.

Robert needs to earn the trust of his fellow Sigilwomen, which will only come with time.  Fortunately (or unfortunately, as the case may be) the war continues to be brutal and there is no lack of need for the corps of sigilwomen to rescue and evacuate soldiers – to the point of constant exhaustion for the beleaguered, all volunteer, corps. Robert is assigned to work with a unit in France that is grossly understaffed.

But an end may be in sight. Weeks/Canderelli is brought in to a plan to end the war, quickly and with relatively few deaths. The plan is hatched by a general who enlisted Robert, despite his being a man and she confides that he, very specifically, is needed for this plan.  The only problem … the plan is not condoned by the American politicians or military which means by participating, he’d be committing an act of treason. His girlfriend, working in politics back in Washington, relentlessly asks Robert to leave the corps and return to live with her.

Author Tom Miller draws the reader in with very real characters that we might love, or hate, or both.  There are no minor characters in the book – there are only those who may not appear as much as others.  Miller has a way of introducing characters and we realize that these are people, with a past, loves, and flaws.

But there’s so much more than just great characters!  Miller gives us a fully realized world that is familiar and yet different from our own past. This world of empirical philosophy and philosophers – those who can manipulate things around them with a blend of science and magic – is awesome. There are transporters, smokecarvers, hovers, and who knows what other philosophical specialties might still appear.  If the CTPP (Cool Things Per Page) quotient was a determining factor in a books success, then this book would be right up at the top. But this has so much more than just CTPP … it has a well-thought-through story, relationships between people that are incredibly real, and action that is so consistent it will have the reader nearly as exhausted as Canderelli at the war’s front.

This is a tremendous read, sure to go on to your own favorite’s list.

Looking for a good book? If you grew up reading the popular boy wizard books but now want something for your adult tastes, or if you just enjoy a really great book with a touch of fantasy, Tom Miller’s The Philosopher’s War is a must read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Philosopher’s War

author: Tom Miller

series: The Philosopher’s Series #2

publisher: Simon Schuster

ISBN: 1476778183

hardcover, 416 pages

THE MERMAID – Christina Henry

Posted by Daniel on June 26, 2019
Posted in: ROMANCE, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Christina Henry is fast becoming an author that I have on my ‘buy anything as soon as it comes out’ list.  The Mermaid is a beautifully written tale that combines a touch of mythology with romance and hint of historical fiction.

P.T. Barnum is looking to add a mermaid to exhibit. It doesn’t have to be real, of course, since there’s no such thing, but he would prefer that it at least looks a little like a mermaid instead of the clearly fake product (the top half of a monkey sewn onto the bottom half of a fish) that one of his workers brought to him. When Barnum’s close associate, Levi Lyman, mentions that he’s heard rumors of a possible mermaid in Maine, Barnum sends Lyman to get the girl and her gimmick so that Barnum can put her on a contract.

Lyman is smitten by the woman, Amelia, when he connects with her. The story he’d heard was that she’d been married to a fisherman who aged and died normally, while she continued to stay young.  She tells Lyman that she is indeed a mermaid and that she’s gotten a bit lonely and agrees to come meet Barnum.  No one believes she’s an actual mermaid, and she won’t show her transformation until the conditions are right and Mr. Barnum is present. Once she does, however, Barnum knows he’s got a money-maker and he signs her to a contract and watches the money pour in.

Amelia, however, becomes more and more disillusioned with humans as she faces taunts and attacks from onlookers who find her unnatural and terrifying as she swims in a small cage of seawater. While Barnum intends to hold her to her contract, she’s not sure she wants to continue to be on display.  Meanwhile, Levi finds he’s falling in love with the woman Amelia, even though she’s truly not human.

Christina Henry’s writing is beautiful.  This story is a haunting romance that really pulls the reader into the story.

As much as I like Christina Henry’s work and find her writing to be mesmerizing, I found the characters here just a little uneven.  Barnum is the strongest character, which isn’t surprising given that he’s often looked upon as a rather bombastic figure. Here he comes off as a bit of a villain with little concern for anyone or anything other than himself.  Henry, in her afterword, mentions that she chose not to be ‘true’ to the historical view of Barnum, but to create him for her own needs.

Lyman comes off as a bit one-dimensional with only Amelia and her interests in mind.  He tends to moon over her while remaining a bit of a patsy to Barnum.

And Amelia…. We never really understand why Amelia agrees to show herself off and swim in a tiny glass cage, especially after she finds it disagreeable.  Barnum tells her it’s because she’s on a contract, but she, and Levi, and Barnum’s wife all tell him that Amelia could leave at any time.  And yet she doesn’t.

Despite these character development flaws, I found myself really enjoying the book – relishing my time between the covers.

Looking for a good book? The Mermaid by Christina Henry is a beautifully written fantasy romance worth reading, even if the characters are just a little flat.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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The Mermaid

author: Christina Henry

publisher: Berkley

ISBN: 0399584048

paperback, 325 pages

MISTER TENDER’S GIRL – Carter Wilson

Posted by Daniel on June 24, 2019
Posted in: MYSTERY. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

I wish I could remember what it was about this book that attracted my attention in the first place.  Because I am so far behind in my ARC reading I’ve been very judicious in what I ask to read, so something, somewhere along the line, this book seemed like something I would really enjoy.

But I didn’t.

The book follows Alice Hill who, as a young teen, was attacked and nearly killed by two classmates who claimed that Mister Tender had ordered them to attack Alice as a sacrifice. But Mr. Tender doesn’t exist … he was a fictional character, a pop culture icon, created by her father for a series of graphic novels.

Now, years later, Alice has learned to protect herself in a variety of ways, including martial art self-defense.  But her biggest means of protection is to become reclusive.  With only her unhinged brother as a friend, Alice lives and works under assumed names. But now someone has found her.  Someone who is stalking her, someone who knows more about her than should be possible, someone who refers to himself as Mister Interested.

This should be a strong psychological thriller, but instead it almost becomes a comedy with our main character acting outrageously in order to represent ‘terror.’

**WARNING : POTENTIAL SPOILER AHEAD**

There was one particular moment on which this book really hinged and the story took a turn that we couldn’t ever leave….

Alice approached on the street by someone.  Maybe a stalker, maybe not. She is about to defend against him when her brother shoots the man. There is blood all over the snow outside her home.  They bring the man (not dead) into the house where they shoot him again. In front of a neighbor. As he begs for his life.

And I actually have no problem with this (in terms of being a part of a thriller story). It’s the complete lack of reaction about killing this man from any of the three people involved (Alice, her brother, her neighbor). It’s as if it never happened once we move on.

And from that point I lost all interest in the book.  I hoped for something that never came and what did come was just a let-down.  Yes, I was a little surprised by the ending … but only a little … and it definitely wasn’t worth the wait.

I was definitely underwhelmed.

Looking for a good book? Mister Tender’s Girl by Carter Wilson is a psychological thriller that requires a fair amount of willing disbelief on the part of the reader to get to an ending that is ultimately unsatisfying.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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Mister Tender’s Girl

author: Carter Wilson

publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

ISBN: 149265650X

paperback, 400 pages

FINDING DOROTHY – Elizabeth Letts

Posted by Daniel on June 21, 2019
Posted in: HISTORICAL FICTION, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

This is such a beautiful book. It is in part a double biography (of both Lyman Frank Baum and his wife Maud Gage Baum) as well as a look backstage at the filming of one of the most iconic films of all time. And of course it’s fiction, with a beginning, middle, and end to the story (it’s surprising how many books don’t have this essential aspect).

We learn early that Maud is the daughter of a suffragette who championed hard for women’s rights and Maud was going to have every opportunity possible, including going to a boys high school and a prestigious college (Cornell) – which was certainly not common in the late 1800’s. And like many college students, a new world opens up to her as she meets and interacts with people of different backgrounds.  It is through connections at college that she meets “Frank” (Lyman Frank Baum) and her life changes forever.

In many ways, Maud puts her own suffragette convictions aside to stand beside Frank, performing on stage with him and his touring acting company. We see Frank not only through the eyes of a wife who is in love with her husband, but through the eyes of a smart, reasoned woman who doesn’t necessarily get caught up in the act of doting on her husband.

Tragedy befalls the company and they lose everything, and it’s off to the next adventure that Frank has in mind. And when disaster strikes, they are off again. We see that despite failure after failure for Frank’s ventures, that Maud sees in him a quality of unapologetic positivity and ultimately a sacrifice of his own ideals in order to put his family first (with a little prodding from Maud).

But we also see an older Maud.  A Maud who storms into the office Louis B. Mayer who is producing The Wizard of Oz film – her position, she informs us, is to ensure the magic of the books remains.  And we see that same Maud, bolstering and protecting the fragile girl who is trying to find the Dorothy for the film, and we see the Maud giving all the right encouragement to the songwriters to help them find the necessary notes for a special rainbow song.

The writing is beautiful and lyrical which more than makes up for those instances where Maud maybe seems a little super-human and single-handedly saves the film.

And let’s be honest … a big part of the magic in this book is the magic of The Wizard of Oz itself.

Author Elizabeth Letts works in so many nods to the book series and the film, but she does so gently, letting the reader make the connection (and if you only know the film, you will miss some of these).

This is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year and I highly recommend it.

Looking for a good book? Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts is a nearly perfect read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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Finding Dorothy

author: Elizabeth Letts

publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0525622101

hardcover, 351 pages

SHADOW MAGIC – Joshua Khan

Posted by Daniel on June 19, 2019
Posted in: CHILDREN'S, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized, YA. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

There is no shortage of fantasy books for young readers, as authors and publishers continue to try to keep youngsters reading after finishing the famous young wizard series. One of the things that Joshua Khan’s Shadow Magic does that I haven’t seen too often is play up the darker side of magic and wizardry.

We mainly follow two characters. Thorn, a daring, adventurous young boy who has been sold into slavery and Lilith (Lily) Shadow who becomes the ruler of Gehenna when her parents and brother are killed in one day.  The sudden leadership is problematic just with trying to learn all that a ruler needs to know, but it becomes even more complicated by the fact that as a girl, magic is forbidden to her, but as a ruler she needs to bring forth the magic of the undead. Thorn meanwhile, is on his way to Castle Gloom in Gehenna with his new master, an executioner, where Thorn and Lily will meet and decide to break some rules because really things can’t get much worse for either of them.

As I mentioned, we have a lot of dark magic here along with vampires and zombies and other such creatures. But in a nice twist, it is the dark creatures who are ‘good’ in this story.

When I read a fantasy like this I often think back to something I heard Bruce Coville talk about, which is the CTPP quotient.  That’s Cool Things Per Page.  The popular series about the boy wizard has a very high CTPP ratio, which is part of what makes it so popular.  Shadow Magic also has a pretty high CTPP ratio (anyone can fly on a dragon, but how many people actually get to fly on a giant bat?!) so it should easily hold a young reader’s attention.

But of course Cool Things alone are not enough to attract readers and fortunately author Joshua Khan also gives us a complex and interesting story with the promise of many more to come.

This is definitely worth checking out if you are looking for a new fantasy for younger readers.

Looking for a good book? Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan is a little on the darker side but is a good fantasy for readers looking for something after reading the popular boy wizard stories.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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Shadow Magic

author: Joshua Khan

series: Shadow Magic #1

publisher: Disney-Hyperion

ISBN: 1484732723

hardcover, 336 pages