Well apparently, summer is not over for us here. Still 100+ (F) and not sure how much more I can take. But at least it is an excuse to read. Instead of going out for a walk in the evening, I hit the books.
Here is what I read in August.
Faking Game by Janet Pywell
About: A Gripping International Crime Thriller from author Janet Pywell's Culture Crime Series.
She is rebellious. She is talented. She is vulnerable.
Mikky dos Santos finally has what she always wanted and her past life as a thief and forger is firmly over. But when she's invited to a celebration in Barcelona her world explodes, shattering her life and her dreams. She makes a promise - one that she will never break.
Mikky's time is running out and she will do whatever it takes. Nothing will stand in her way. When you make a promise nothing else matters."
Me: I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting and fast paced book with Mikky De Santos, Josephine, Eduardo and some new likeable characters. The action begins immediately and escalates through the story. The author is not afraid to tug at the readers emotions. Lots of twists and turns. When you think you have it figured out, you are taken off in another direction. Satisfying ending with a good opening for the next book.
The prequel to The Culture Crime Series: GOLDEN ICON is currently free to download for a short period of time:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F45GQE0
The first book in the series, MASTERPIECE is free if you join Janet's mailing list. You can do that here:
https://www.subscribepage.com/janetpywell
I have read both and liked them a lot.
The Fourth Door by Virginia King is the 4th book in the Selkie Moon series.
About: "When Selkie Moon travels to Hong Kong to discover his fate, she has high hopes of using her psychic twinges to find him and reunite him with his father. Until the tea leaves on her flight make a chilling prediction.
Then in a Kowloon night-market she witnesses a child abduction – and the echoes with her quest suddenly raise the stakes.
As the strange events escalate and reach back into Chinese folklore, Selkie is compelled to confront the powerful force that’s hell bent on stopping her. The omens are unmistakable. Someone is going to die.
Someone closest to her?
Or Selkie herself?"
Me: Each book takes place in a different country and highlights folklore and superstitions of that country. Selkie travels with Alistair to Hong Kong to continue the search for his son who disappeared as a baby, with the baby's grandparents, after his wife died. He has been searching for 30 years and finally has some hope. He has found a cousin to his son, Su Yin, who says she has information that the baby was taken to Hong Kong, but seems more interested in the reward. Selkie finds some notes in the in flight magazine that seem to speak to her. When she sees a child abducted at the market in Kowloon, she is sure this is what happened to the baby many years ago. Selkie pulls in her psychic abilities, using the notes in the magazine, and hooks up with a medium for help. Su Yin appears, the medium disappears and things go from bad to worse. The grandparents are in the area but where are they? Are they helping or hindering the search? Something happens to Alistair. Is this the work of his deceased wife, Fleur, haunting Alistair? Clearly this is more that Selkie can handle on her own. She calls in the help of her friends, Derek and Nigel, and a medical doctor who specializes in Chinese medicine and folklore.
It is very fast paced and lots of suspense, with danger at every turn of the page. The story is immersed in Chinese and Japanese folklore but takes place in modern times. It is a very interesting how this tales are woven into the story.
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily provided a review.
Jealousy Filled Donuts by Ginger Bolton
About: "It is a truth universally acknowledged--cops and donuts go together. Exhibit A: Deputy Donut Cafe, owned and operated by detective's widow Emily Westhill and her father-in-law, the retired police chief of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Named after Emily's adored and adorable tabby, the donut shop is a favorite among cops, firemen, and EMTs, as well as tourists and townspeople. So when Fallingbrook needs donuts for their Fourth of July picnic, Emily's shop gets deputized.
But a twisted killer has found another use for Emily's treats. At the picnic, a firecracker is hidden in a stack of raspberry-filled donuts and aimed at the unwitting queen of the festivities. When it explodes, she is killed. Having her jelly donuts involved puts Emily in a sticky situation, and when a shady shutterbug tries to frame her with incriminating photos, she finds herself in quite a jam. To preserve her freedom and her shop's reputation, Emily needs to solve this case--before the fuse-lighting felon goes off again …"
Me: This is a cozy. Any book with a cat and takes place in Wisconsin (especially in the summer) is good for me.
4th of July in the seemingly quiet small town of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. The scene is set as the annual 4th of July proceeds, with Emily driving the king and queen of the festivities in the Deputy Donut car. The queen has a bit of an attitude...Later that evening during the fireworks, someone is killed. The death is suspicious and Emily proceeds to help piece together what really happened. At the same time as the investigation, there is a photographer that appears to be stalking Emily's new employee, Jocelyn. Jocelyn practically runs and hides whenever he shows up at the donut shop. He also seems to be taking pictures or Emily. Emily becomes a suspect and needs to find out who committed the murder. There is a lot of suspense toward the end as Emily is targeted out at the campgrounds. Exciting description of Emily trying to move through the woods and around the river to find Jocelyn, who has disappeared, while being followed. Then there is a possible romance interest for Emily. This book really was a page turner and I really liked the possible romance story. And don't forget Dep, the cat, who watches over the Donut shop. (I wish I could get my cats to walk on a leash.) Lots of likeable characters and donut recipes at the back.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily provided a review.
The Witch of Senduwar: Bhrigu Mahesh PhD, #1 by Nisha Singh
About: "In the idyllic village of Senduwar, fortune seems to smile on its poor residents when they discover precious pieces of a lost treasure accumulating on an abandoned floodplain purportedly haunted by the spirit of an angry witch. The gold pursuit that follows benefits the lives of many but destroys that of a mother when her son, Malthu, dies in a freak accident a few feet from the treasure site. The superstitious villagers believe that the witch, Jiyashree, has risen from her sleep to punish Malthu-the first person to invade her resting place. Fearful, they abandon the hunt and return to their homes. When detective Bhrigu Mahesh arrives on the scene, the mother asks for his help to clear the mystery behind Malthu's mysterious death. As Mahesh begins investigating with his unique style, he soon finds himself on the trail of a murderer that leads him to unveil astonishing secrets, beguiling lies, and a tragic tale of a selfless young girl. In this compelling thriller, a great detective on a quest to solve a complex mystery must separate truth from legend in order to find a killer and restore order in an Indian village. Nisha Singh is a crime fiction enthusiast who has written short stories for National Print Magazine and has contributed to a variety of online publications.
Nisha resides in Uttar Pradesh, India, where she enjoys reading, watching movies, and gossiping."
Me: I love the sentence about Nisha. lol
I enjoyed reading The Witch of Senduwar. It is set in a small village in India. We spend the days with Bhrigu and his associate, Sutte attempting to unravel the mystery of the death of Malthu. I found the setting very interesting, getting a look into a small village in India. The village has blamed Malthu's death on the Witch of Senduwar, but is that just a convenient tale to brush it away? Bhrigu must tweeze away folklore and village secrets, deceit and cover ups. His process is very methodical. While some may say the characters are like Sherlock and Watson, Bhrigu also reminds me of Poirot. He has some odd habits and routines such as Poirot. Bhrigu has to interview many people in the village to get to the bottom of this mystery. I found some of these exchanges funny and enjoyed the interjection of humor. I did have a little trouble with the Indian words.
I received an ARC and voluntarily provided this review.
Curses and Cauldrons: A Collection of Paranormal Cozy Shorts
About: "Looking for fun, spooky Halloween mysteries? Then you'll be spellbound by this paranormal cozy collection crafted by more than a dozen of your favorite witchy authors.
We've brewed up this Halloween anthology packed with brand new mysteries featuring your favorite magical characters. Conjure up a copy, and see if you can figure out what's going bump in the night!"
Me: This is a collection of short stories written by 14 different authors. I read one of the stories so far, Time to Jump, as part of an online book group.
I read this in early August and liked it. I love the concept of time jumping. Going to another time for maybe a few days, but in your own time, it is only a few minutes. The story starts in current time. But then Felicity "time jumps" to work on a case. She fends very well for herself, fitting into 1947, making friends with suspects and getting to the truth of the cold case of Ann's "suicide". Mona does a great job of engaging the reader right away, telling an interesting story, and not giving away the ending.
I will share more about the other stories as I read them in the next couple of months for Halloween reading.
I received an ARC and provided this review.
Coming up next: The Turn of the Key and The Escape Artist.
Here is what I read in August.
Faking Game by Janet Pywell
About: A Gripping International Crime Thriller from author Janet Pywell's Culture Crime Series.
She is rebellious. She is talented. She is vulnerable.
Mikky dos Santos finally has what she always wanted and her past life as a thief and forger is firmly over. But when she's invited to a celebration in Barcelona her world explodes, shattering her life and her dreams. She makes a promise - one that she will never break.
Mikky's time is running out and she will do whatever it takes. Nothing will stand in her way. When you make a promise nothing else matters."
Me: I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting and fast paced book with Mikky De Santos, Josephine, Eduardo and some new likeable characters. The action begins immediately and escalates through the story. The author is not afraid to tug at the readers emotions. Lots of twists and turns. When you think you have it figured out, you are taken off in another direction. Satisfying ending with a good opening for the next book.
The prequel to The Culture Crime Series: GOLDEN ICON is currently free to download for a short period of time:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F45GQE0
The first book in the series, MASTERPIECE is free if you join Janet's mailing list. You can do that here:
https://www.subscribepage.com/janetpywell
I have read both and liked them a lot.
The Fourth Door by Virginia King is the 4th book in the Selkie Moon series.
About: "When Selkie Moon travels to Hong Kong to discover his fate, she has high hopes of using her psychic twinges to find him and reunite him with his father. Until the tea leaves on her flight make a chilling prediction.
Then in a Kowloon night-market she witnesses a child abduction – and the echoes with her quest suddenly raise the stakes.
As the strange events escalate and reach back into Chinese folklore, Selkie is compelled to confront the powerful force that’s hell bent on stopping her. The omens are unmistakable. Someone is going to die.
Someone closest to her?
Or Selkie herself?"
Me: Each book takes place in a different country and highlights folklore and superstitions of that country. Selkie travels with Alistair to Hong Kong to continue the search for his son who disappeared as a baby, with the baby's grandparents, after his wife died. He has been searching for 30 years and finally has some hope. He has found a cousin to his son, Su Yin, who says she has information that the baby was taken to Hong Kong, but seems more interested in the reward. Selkie finds some notes in the in flight magazine that seem to speak to her. When she sees a child abducted at the market in Kowloon, she is sure this is what happened to the baby many years ago. Selkie pulls in her psychic abilities, using the notes in the magazine, and hooks up with a medium for help. Su Yin appears, the medium disappears and things go from bad to worse. The grandparents are in the area but where are they? Are they helping or hindering the search? Something happens to Alistair. Is this the work of his deceased wife, Fleur, haunting Alistair? Clearly this is more that Selkie can handle on her own. She calls in the help of her friends, Derek and Nigel, and a medical doctor who specializes in Chinese medicine and folklore.
It is very fast paced and lots of suspense, with danger at every turn of the page. The story is immersed in Chinese and Japanese folklore but takes place in modern times. It is a very interesting how this tales are woven into the story.
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily provided a review.
Jealousy Filled Donuts by Ginger Bolton
About: "It is a truth universally acknowledged--cops and donuts go together. Exhibit A: Deputy Donut Cafe, owned and operated by detective's widow Emily Westhill and her father-in-law, the retired police chief of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Named after Emily's adored and adorable tabby, the donut shop is a favorite among cops, firemen, and EMTs, as well as tourists and townspeople. So when Fallingbrook needs donuts for their Fourth of July picnic, Emily's shop gets deputized.
But a twisted killer has found another use for Emily's treats. At the picnic, a firecracker is hidden in a stack of raspberry-filled donuts and aimed at the unwitting queen of the festivities. When it explodes, she is killed. Having her jelly donuts involved puts Emily in a sticky situation, and when a shady shutterbug tries to frame her with incriminating photos, she finds herself in quite a jam. To preserve her freedom and her shop's reputation, Emily needs to solve this case--before the fuse-lighting felon goes off again …"
Me: This is a cozy. Any book with a cat and takes place in Wisconsin (especially in the summer) is good for me.
4th of July in the seemingly quiet small town of Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. The scene is set as the annual 4th of July proceeds, with Emily driving the king and queen of the festivities in the Deputy Donut car. The queen has a bit of an attitude...Later that evening during the fireworks, someone is killed. The death is suspicious and Emily proceeds to help piece together what really happened. At the same time as the investigation, there is a photographer that appears to be stalking Emily's new employee, Jocelyn. Jocelyn practically runs and hides whenever he shows up at the donut shop. He also seems to be taking pictures or Emily. Emily becomes a suspect and needs to find out who committed the murder. There is a lot of suspense toward the end as Emily is targeted out at the campgrounds. Exciting description of Emily trying to move through the woods and around the river to find Jocelyn, who has disappeared, while being followed. Then there is a possible romance interest for Emily. This book really was a page turner and I really liked the possible romance story. And don't forget Dep, the cat, who watches over the Donut shop. (I wish I could get my cats to walk on a leash.) Lots of likeable characters and donut recipes at the back.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily provided a review.
The Witch of Senduwar: Bhrigu Mahesh PhD, #1 by Nisha Singh
About: "In the idyllic village of Senduwar, fortune seems to smile on its poor residents when they discover precious pieces of a lost treasure accumulating on an abandoned floodplain purportedly haunted by the spirit of an angry witch. The gold pursuit that follows benefits the lives of many but destroys that of a mother when her son, Malthu, dies in a freak accident a few feet from the treasure site. The superstitious villagers believe that the witch, Jiyashree, has risen from her sleep to punish Malthu-the first person to invade her resting place. Fearful, they abandon the hunt and return to their homes. When detective Bhrigu Mahesh arrives on the scene, the mother asks for his help to clear the mystery behind Malthu's mysterious death. As Mahesh begins investigating with his unique style, he soon finds himself on the trail of a murderer that leads him to unveil astonishing secrets, beguiling lies, and a tragic tale of a selfless young girl. In this compelling thriller, a great detective on a quest to solve a complex mystery must separate truth from legend in order to find a killer and restore order in an Indian village. Nisha Singh is a crime fiction enthusiast who has written short stories for National Print Magazine and has contributed to a variety of online publications.
Nisha resides in Uttar Pradesh, India, where she enjoys reading, watching movies, and gossiping."
Me: I love the sentence about Nisha. lol
I enjoyed reading The Witch of Senduwar. It is set in a small village in India. We spend the days with Bhrigu and his associate, Sutte attempting to unravel the mystery of the death of Malthu. I found the setting very interesting, getting a look into a small village in India. The village has blamed Malthu's death on the Witch of Senduwar, but is that just a convenient tale to brush it away? Bhrigu must tweeze away folklore and village secrets, deceit and cover ups. His process is very methodical. While some may say the characters are like Sherlock and Watson, Bhrigu also reminds me of Poirot. He has some odd habits and routines such as Poirot. Bhrigu has to interview many people in the village to get to the bottom of this mystery. I found some of these exchanges funny and enjoyed the interjection of humor. I did have a little trouble with the Indian words.
I received an ARC and voluntarily provided this review.
Curses and Cauldrons: A Collection of Paranormal Cozy Shorts
About: "Looking for fun, spooky Halloween mysteries? Then you'll be spellbound by this paranormal cozy collection crafted by more than a dozen of your favorite witchy authors.
We've brewed up this Halloween anthology packed with brand new mysteries featuring your favorite magical characters. Conjure up a copy, and see if you can figure out what's going bump in the night!"
Me: This is a collection of short stories written by 14 different authors. I read one of the stories so far, Time to Jump, as part of an online book group.
I read this in early August and liked it. I love the concept of time jumping. Going to another time for maybe a few days, but in your own time, it is only a few minutes. The story starts in current time. But then Felicity "time jumps" to work on a case. She fends very well for herself, fitting into 1947, making friends with suspects and getting to the truth of the cold case of Ann's "suicide". Mona does a great job of engaging the reader right away, telling an interesting story, and not giving away the ending.
I will share more about the other stories as I read them in the next couple of months for Halloween reading.
I received an ARC and provided this review.
Coming up next: The Turn of the Key and The Escape Artist.
You always have such interesting books to tell about. Glad you enjoying your online groups. I'll be curious to hear what you think about The Turn of the Key.
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