Books in Review

I always enjoy Books in Review when others list books they’ve read and enjoyed (or not).  With the stay-home order still in place, I’ve been catching up on my reading – after all, I can only do so much yard work; then everything hurts – a lot!  Fortunately, I can download library books to my Kindle so ……..

This one was reviewed and recommended by my sister Ellen.

An Easy Death

By Charlaine Harris

The story is about a young gunslinging mercenary, Lizbeth Rose.  (Backstory - In the 1930’s, FDR was assassinated and the US collapsed.  During this time the UK, Canada, Mexico and Russia grabbed up and annexed different areas.  The southwestern states are now known as Texoma and that’s where the story begins.)  Gunnie Rose has been hired by a pair of Russian sorcerers as both their local guide and muscle through the small towns of East Texas as they search for a distant relative of an infamous sorcerer whose bloodline can help save their tsar-in-exile as an ever-increasing number of assassins tries to stop them.    It's well written and good.  You have to not think about things today but to a "might have happened" alternative world.

Die Like an Eagle

By Donna Andrews

This is another of the Meg Langslow mysteries featuring Meg and all the unusual characters of Caerphilly, VA.  This time, Meg is Team Mom and husband Michael is coach of their twin sons' Summerball baseball team, the Caerphilly Eagles.  On Opening Day, the brother of Biff Brown the (petty, vindictive) local league president, is found murdered and stuffed into a porta-potty.  And so follow the surprises and fun found in all these books.    I truly enjoy all the Meg Langslow books (there are 26 books so far in this series).  And, while they are stand-a-lone books, if you can, read them in order.  Meg’s life in Caerphilly changes and grows with the passage of time.

Acts of Mercy

By Ciara Graves

Mercy Temple lives in a world where mages, sirens, demons, witches, dragons, and gryphons are a thing.  Humans know of their existence, but the two species don’t interact.  Or so it is thought.  Mercy works for a bounty hunter, doing any job he needs done.  From killing someone, to finding someone, to bringing them in.  She has a love/hate relationship with her boss (he knows her secret).  Then there’s Rafael, a demon, working for the Federal Paranormal Unit Undercover.  And, they are hunting the same person.    OK – I like books like this – full to brim of paranormals, action, and mystery.  It’s light and fluffy but very readable and enjoyable. 

Murder One: A Colby Tate Mystery

By Allen Kent

Rookie sheriff Colby Tate's first murder case draws the ex-Marine interpreter into the murky world of property disputes, family jealousy, hidden treasure, and an old woman smothered in her favorite easy chair.  Two thieving neighbors are hungry to gain control of her land. A home service provider is named as her sole heir. And, she seems to have a mysterious source of income that ties her to the Mexican cartels.    Another really good, well written book. 

Kings Deception

By Steve Barry

(This is one of the Cotton Malone books – Cotton is a retired Justice Department agent.)  Cotton Malone and his fifteen-year-old son, Gary, are headed to Europe.  As a favor to his former boss at the Justice Department, Malone agrees to escort a teenage fugitive back to England.  But after he is greeted at gunpoint in London, both the fugitive and Gary disappear, and Malone learns that he’s stumbled into a high-stakes diplomatic showdown—an international incident fueled by geopolitical gamesmanship and shocking Tudor secrets.  OK – Steve Barry’s books are well researched and he offers alternate “what-if’s”.  In this book, the Tudor secret concerns Elizabeth I and questions the legitimacy of her entire forty-five-year reign.  The problem being that it was Elizabeth who completed the conquest of Ireland and seized much of its land.  Very good!

Smoke Bitten

By Patricia Briggs

Mercy Thompson Hauptman has “superpowers” 1 she can turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and 2 she fixes Volkswagens.  She also has a variety of unusual friends and is wife to the alpha of the Columbian Basin Werewolf Pack.  Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill–until they were locked out by Underhill herself.  They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts.  They abandoned their prisoners and their pets.  Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc.  Now one of those prisoners has escaped and is in the Tri-Cities area.  I’ve read all the Mercy Thompson books and I love them!  They have all the things I like – magic, fae, werewolves, vampires.  Plus, they are well written and great stories!

One more …….

The Romanov Prophecy

By Steve Barry

After the fall of Communism and a succession of weak governments, the Russian people have voted to bring back the monarchy.  The new tsar will be chosen from the distant relatives of Nicholas II by a specially appointed commission.  Atlanta lawyer Miles Lord, fluent in Russian and well versed in the country’s history, is assisting the commission with research.  And the problem is – the research leads him to the conclusion that Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna  and Tsarevich Alexei of Russia may have escaped the murder of the royal family after all.  Oh – very good!

Well, that’s some of the books I’ve read lately.  How about you?

13 Apr 2020