Mariner’s Compass by Earlene Fowler (Book Six in the Benni Harper mystery series)

Review by Vicky T. (VickyJo)

The first thing I thought of when I saw a series of mysteries with quilt patterns for titles was, “Uh-oh.  This could be—different.”  I enjoy quilts, but I’m not a quilter.  And while I like mysteries, and I like crafts, I am a bit leery of combining them to any great degree.  I have to say that I shouldn’t have worried; Earlene Fowler has this combination down perfectly.

“Fool’s Puzzle” introduces us to Benni Harper, a woman in her mid-30’s who was raised on her father’s ranch in central California.  Benni lost her mother when she was six, and her grandmother Dove stepped in and raised her.  She married her high school sweetheart Jack, and lost him to a car accident about a year before this first novel begins. She must leave the ranch that has too many memories, and make her own way in the world by becoming the curator for the local folk art museum.  During the course of the series, Benni comes to terms with widowhood and opens her heart to a new man, Gabriel Ortiz, the newly-hired chief of police in her hometown of San Celina.  We see the culture conflict between a California cowgirl and a Latino cop, and come to care about the secondary characters which people the novels.

“Mariner’s Compass” is the sixth book in the series, and happily Ms. Fowler just keeps the plots coming, the characters growing, and the homespun sayings rolling along!  There is no murder in this book, “just” a mystery, and I have to say it’s sort of refreshing.   I always wonder how these fictional towns can sustain murder after murder!  And Ms. Fowler must wonder that too, as she has changed locales for the various books, and in this book, abandons murder altogether.

Benni receives word that she is the sole beneficiary of Jacob Chandler’s estate.  Mr. Chandler has passed away quite suddenly, an apparent heart attack.  He has left everything he owns, all his assets to Benni.  There’s only one catch: she must spend two weeks in his house, alone, in order to inherit.  If she fails or refuses, everything goes to the federal government.  Now, we can’t have that!  Benni is game to try this, mostly because of one huge mystery.  She doesn’t know who on earth Jacob Chandler is (or was) or why he would leave all his worldly possessions to her, a total stranger.

Imagine Benni’s surprise, and unease, when she discovers that Jacob Chandler kept a scrapbook with information about Benni in it.  Her missing denim jacket is hanging in his closet.  Her favorite brand of imported German hot chocolate mix is in his kitchen cupboard.  And Chandler, whose hobby was wood carving, had carved a beautiful horse head, and named it after Benni’s first horse.  As if all this isn’t bad enough, Benni soon learns that Chandler has set up a sort of scavenger hunt for her to work on.  Can Benni track down enough clues to solve the mystery of Chandler’s identity and why he chose her to inherit his estate before the people in Chandler’s life who believe they should have inherited take matters into their own hands?

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery.  Fowler left a few clues scattered in the story for a good detective to spot, and the ending was enough of a twist to be very satisfying.  I’m so glad she has continued on with Benni’s adventures.  I will definitely keep reading this series!

Shady Lady by Ann Aguirre

Review by reacherfan1909

My Grade: B-  (3.8*)

Ann Aguirre hit it big with the Corrine Solomon series.  In this third outing, Corrine and her ward, Shannon are back at her second hand pawn shop in Mexico City.  But Corrine made a powerful enemy of Mexican drug lord Montoya and she’s still looking over her shoulder.  Good thing too.  A lovely set of silver salt and pepper shakers are left on her steps in a box.  Thinking them the last of some stock she acquired, she opens the box.  It’s Eros and Psyche.  Using her gift, which has become almost painfully strong, she reads the history of one of the set, even seeing the woman who will eventually buy it, but she hesitates over the other half and just can’t touch it.  When Kel Ferguson, the Hand of God arrives, she knows it can’t be good.  Big, bald, tattooed, he’s a guardian, a rather surly one, and is only there when she’s in serious trouble – the kind that can get her dead.  The salt and pepper are dangerous.

Corrine and Kel head to a local witch who tells them the salt and pepper are hexed, and a very powerful directed hex for Corrine.  She can show them who did it – a man working blood magic.  Then she sends them to a powerful witch to get the hex removed. On the way back to the shop and her upstairs apartment, a sniper shoots at them.  Montoya has found her and in nothing flat, she, Shannon and Kel are on the run along with Butch, the demon fighting chihuahua.

Things don’t go smoothly at Catemaco, but they do get the curse lifted, as well the personal bad luck hex Corrine wasn’t aware she was carrying – and we learn more about the formidable Kel.  Once again, Montoya’s men are ahead of them, already at their hotel.  Kel takes care of things and they rush to Laredo, Texas to get Shannon to a safe place before following their desperate plan – find Montoya’s arch rival, Esteban,

Finding Esteban is no problem, because after getting Shannon to safety, Kel and Corrine are kidnapped and separated.  She’s the ‘guest’ of Estaban.  He has a challenge for her, a test of her ability to think and of her ability to discern the past by reading objects.  Allowed to take one person, she and Kel are dropped in a jungle somewhere and left to unravel Esteban’s puzzle.  Along the way, Corrine becomes more and more attracted to Kel as he lets down his guard and reveals more of himself and how he became what he is.  In the process, he becomes one of the more interesting characters to emerge from the series.  With everything on the line, and a very short time to get things done, the pair manage to do more than work together.

The strength of this book is the characters, and that’s also the weakness.  Esteban is well done, Shannon adds to the story, but then disappears, and the story is mostly a two character drama.  The plotting and pacing are both very good, as is the writing quality itself, a big plus in the world of messy, unpolished work.  What I didn’t like is something that seems to be endemic lately – women with indecisive love lives.  Be it mystery, UF, paranormal, we have a large group of strong leading ladies who can’t seem to make up their minds about the men in their lives.  It’s a character trait I find especially annoying.  I blame Janet Evanovich.  The Ranger-Morelli whipsaw has been driving me nuts for years and many authors seem hell bent on incorporating this kind of ‘torn between two lovers’ nonsense in their series.  It’s gotten old, trite, and overused.  Give it a rest already!

Then, at the very end, here comes an old love back into her life.  Sigh!  I could have done without that too.

Is Shady Lady worth a read?  Absolutely, especially for Anne Aguirre fans.  It is interesting, well written and you don’t need to have read the previous books to follow the story, though it helps.

Child 44 by  Tom Rob Smith
Review by Cheryl R. (Spuddie) 

#1 Leo Demidov mystery set in 1950’s Russia. Leo is a State Security agent–one of those who arrests the people who are guilty of traitorous actions, who are to be “questioned” (read: tortured) and then either sent to the Gulags or executed. Of course not all these people are actually guilty–but Leo is so indoctrinated into the “party line” that he just doesn’t see it that way. If you are accused, then you MUST be guilty and deserve whatever you get.

Until a vicious, ambitious co-worker who has it in for him inserts Leo’s wife’s name into another prisoner’s confession and thus Leo is asked to investigate his own wife and then denounce her. He refuses, and he and Raisa are sent to do the lowest of lowly jobs in a remote manufacturing community. Shortly after their arrival, Leo finds the body of a child in the snow–stripped, its stomach cut out and soil stuffed in its mouth. Horrified, Leo realizes that this crime must have been committed by the same person who killed the son of another agent back in Moscow months earlier–a crime that he helped to cover up and officially called ‘an accident’ without ever actually seeing the body or crime scene.

Suddenly he is gripped by the need to solve this crime and to his dismay as he secretly begins an investigation, discovers dozens of other similar murders occurring in small towns along the railroad line, all having been covered up by the State and never formally acknowledged as murder. With the help of some others willing to risk their skins, Leo and Raisa gather information and knowing full well it means execution at the end of the line if they are caught, set out to stop the monster preying on Russia’s children.

What a wonderful book! Not the details of the story, mind you–those were nothing short of horrible. It seems very well-researched and also well-written; the author manages to make you somehow take Leo’s side even though at the beginning he is a high-ranking officer in a machine that systematically terrorized and destroyed the whole vastness of the Soviet Union.

I was able to figure out the plot twist well ahead of time with the carefully laid down clues the author left, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story. Dark, graphically violent and deeply philosophical, this book won’t appeal to everyone, but I personally am very much looking forward to the next entry in the series.

Summary: Possibly one of the best science fantasy novels I’ve ever read. What makes it so? An eye for detail, a use for antique language in a novel and clear manner and an incredible sens of wonder.

Shadow of the Torturer is a book I literally turned my nose up thirty odd years ago. The covers didn’t sell me, nor did the back of the book. It looked like a Conan rip off. Then, I recently decided to read it after I saw it listed as an example of the Dying Earth subgenre on Wikipedia. And since the books were readily available on PaperBackSwap.com, it made sense to snag them.

After I read it, I cannot believe I ignored this book this long. It is a great piece of science fantasy verging onto literature. And I honestly would not have appreciated it as a teenager.

What is Shadow of the Torturer about? Its about Severian, a apprentice, then journeyman torturer who finds himself involved in the intrigues and campaigns for and against the Autarch of the Commonwealth, a region of a far future Urth (Earth). It all starts when he saves the life of the famous insurgent, Vodalius. From there, we get a view of the guild, the Citadel of the Autarch, the city of Nessus and world through Severian’s eyes.

Severian makes an excellent viewpoint character with his cloistered upbringing in the guild, allowing 20^th and 21^st century eyes to look around at the end of history and Nessus without too many “As you know Bob” moments. Or at least making them fell more natural as the naive Severian gets an education…         The plots Severian gets tangled up in range from the mundane (steal his stuff) to the grand (overthrow the Autarch and restore the Monarchy). He also takes a tour of Nexus culminating at the Sanguinary fields and a duel.

Wolfe has an amazing command of history and language, with a keen eye for detail that moves toward lush, but doesn’t go overboard. The historical words he uses in the far future are obscure, but he explains them well enough through what they do. Also, having an internet connection and Google up will help as well to explain the meanings and origins of many of these words. This is a nice change from authors that make up words. Instead, Wolfe appropriates them and uses them in a manner that lends weight and meaning to his work. On a related note, The Lexicon Urthus by Michael Andre-Druissi is well worth acquiring to explain and define these words and many other things.

While this is identified as part of the Dying Earth sub-genre, the only characters remotely like Cugel are Dr. Talos and his companion, the giant Baldanders. Dr. Talos seems related to Cugel by his looks, vocabulary and a tendency to brazen things out.

This is an amazing book, layered with meaning and really dense. This can be a bug or a feature depending on your tastes. The density and vocabulary presumes the reader will put forth some effort. I’ll say its worth it.

Finally, I doubt there is a better example of the old saw “History is the trade secret of science fiction.” Wolfe liberally steals from Medieval history for the world building as well as vocabulary. Its a beautiful world, full of wonders from the Autarch’s Botanical Garden, to the libraries of the Citadel. Its also one, I wouldn’t want to live in, with its casual cruelty and harsh laws.

This is is easily a five star book. Its inspired to get as much of the series as I can. I’ve gotten everything except Urth of the New Sun from PaperBackSwap.com and I hope to get the related series Book of the Long Sun and Book of the Short Sun.

Likes: The eye for detail; The sense of wonder and weirdness; Severian giving us a walking tour of Nessus – he’s great for relating the world to the readers.

Dislikes: Some of the coincidences, though I’ve been reassured that those are dealt with and explained; Severian can be a little too honest and serious some times.

Suggested for: Fans of Gene Wolfe, science fantasy, the New Weird, Jack Vance. Also for anyone who enjoys a book that can be a bit of a challenge.

Big Bad Beast by Shelly Laurenston

Review by Cynthia F. (frazerc)

Warning: Below review is filled with gushing enthusiasm…

I LOVED this book. How much you ask? I’d read the prologue and two chapters before I went to bed figuring I’d read another chapter before going to sleep. I finished the book in the very small hours of the night… haven’t done that in awhile.

Shelly Laurenston [or her alter ego, G. A. Aiken] consistently delivers good books but I really thought this was exceptional. Her plot didn’t get in the way of the romance and the romance didn’t get in the way of the plot, her characters and the relationships between them were strongly defined, and her world building is excellent.

Dee Ann is a Smith – a backwoods Tennessee wolf with a trained assassin for a father, an ex-marine with the all-shifter unit, current employee of The Group [think shifter cops], and a stone-cold killer. She has no social skills that don’t involve violence and havoc, doesn’t own a dress, and has no desire to be involved with anyone – especially that pretty rich boy boss of hers at The Group. So why does he keep trying to feed her? And then there’s the part where he’s always trying to get her naked…

Ulrich van Holtz is the supervisor of the New York chapter of The Group, owner and goalie of the Carnivores hockey team, and a chef who with a skill level so high that recipients of his art drop to their proverbial knees in ecstasy. Ric is a saver; he wants to save the world, hybrids, various individuals and Dee Ann Smith – not necessarily in that order. He doesn’t want to save Dee from what she is but from what she is neglecting – herself. He doesn’t mind the gun and knife under the pillow, he finds the scars rather attractive, and sure he worries when she’s on a mission but as long as he gets to take care of her when she comes home he’s good. Most of all he just wants to feed her, that girl has no sense of nutrition. He wants to mate her too but he’s not telling her that…

Meanwhile The Group is zeroing in on the money trail behind the hybrid fighting ring. Dee is assigned to work with NYPD cop and full human Dez [Mace’s mate from The Mane Event], and Malone, a tigress and old rival from the Marines. The hybrid fight ring story started back in The Mane Squeeze, you’ll need to read that and Beast Behaving Badly before this one for story continuity. You could read it as a standalone but you’ll miss some important backstory.

Pride

1. The Mane Event (2007)

2. The Beast In Him (2008)

3. The Mane Attraction (2008)

4. The Mane Squeeze (2009)

5. Beast Behaving Badly (2010)

6. Big Bad Beast (2011)

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (The third Flavia de Luce mystery)

Review by Vicky T. (VickyJo)

Flavia is back, and she’s just as precocious as ever.  This 11-year-old girl, who loves chemistry and poisons, thinks her two older sisters are odious toads, and has named her trusty bicycle Gladys, will steal your heart once again in this fun mystery by Alan Bradley.

The little village of Bishop’s Lacey is bustling with excitement.  Not only is there a fête being held at St. Tancred’s Church, but a real gypsy has set up her tent to tell fortunes.  Flavia hears her fortune, which relates to the mother who died when Flavia was only a year old, and startled, she jumps up and knocks over the lighted candle.

Feeling great remorse for burning down the gypsy’s tent, Flavia invites her to camp on the grounds at Buckshaw, Flavia’s ancestral home.  Flavia returns early the next morning, hoping to have breakfast in a gypsy caravan, only to find the old gypsy woman horribly beaten and clinging to life.

Who would attack the gypsy woman?  Was it Mrs. Ball, who has always insisted the gypsies stole her baby years back?  What about Brookie Harewood, a young man of questionable morals and suspicious income?  Flavia is on the scent, determined to find the gypsy’s attacker and bring him, or her, to justice.

Finding a body hanging from Poseidon’s trident in the crumbling 19^th century fountain at Buckshaw only serves to complicate matters for Flavia.  Are the two incidents related?  Leave it to Flavia to put her skills to the test, and outdetect Bishop Lacey’s police force!

Alan Bradley continues the fun in this third installment.  I love the relationship between Flavia and her sisters (“Feely was seventeen and ranked herself right up there with the Blessed Virgin Mary, although the chief difference between them, I’m willing to bet, is that the BVM doesn’t spend twenty-three hours a day peering at herself in a looking glass while picking away at her face with a pair of tweezers.”) and her hilarious and utter confidence in her own charm.

If you have not yet made Flavia’s acquaintance, you are missing out on a wonderful reading experience!  I would recommend reading her adventures in order; begin with “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” and then read “The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag” before settling in with”A Red Herring Without Mustard.”  You won’t regret getting to know the deLuce family!

Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs

Review by Janice Y. (jai)

The Premise: Aralorn has been called home after ten years away as a spy for the mercenary city-state of Sianim – her father, the Lion of Lambshold has died. Aralorn returns to the family she left behind and to the reasons why she left. She also discovers that her father is actually alive but kept in a death-like state through some malicious black magic spell which neither she nor Wolf can easily break. The question becomes – how can they free Aralorn’s father before his life leaves him for real, and who is responsible for his “death”, and why?

My Thoughts: This book starts off not too long after the events of the last book – just enough time for people to settle down again after what happened at the ae’Magi’s castle. The principle characters of the first book have gone back to their regular roles, and Aralorn and Wolf have gone back to the spying game. Apparently the world has accepted happened at the ae’Magi’s castle with minimal repercussions, and if there are to be significant world changing events because of it, they aren’t happening right away.

Almost no one knows or suspects that Aralorn and Wolf were ever involved with what happened, but when Aralorn’s father is targeted, the first thought to come to mind is that their fight is not over.  It’s natural to wonder if such a evil villain, whose body is never found, is really still alive. When people begin to have strange dreams that feel like they are memories rather than dreams, it suggests a perpetrator with magical power, again pointing at the ae’Magi, but there are a few magic users in the vicinity of Lambshold, including Aralorn’s brother-in-law as well as her shapeshifter relatives. And then, there’s the new ae’Magi. Thus, Wolfsbane is a sort of a magical whodunit to find out who is behind the Lion of Lambshold’s “death”,with the side effect that we get to delve into Aralorn’s beginnings and explore her relationship with Wolf.

I love Patricia Briggs’ current urban fantasy series, but when I read Wolfsbane and compare it to her newer work, it lacks finesse. I can see the foundation in Wolfsbane for the writer Briggs is now. It has the ideas and a relationship between two unique characters which I love in Briggs’ recent work, but the execution here is a little clunky. Aralorn and Wolf have only two weeks to lift the spell on her father but there’s little sense of urgency or pressure from Aralorn’s family about how little time they have and how little they know. Compared with Masques, which had quite a bit of action, Wolfsbane less physical, more verbal. It mostly deals with Aralorn and Wolf asking the opinions of the nearby experts, deciding what to do next, and contemplating their relationship with each other.

In both the mystery and the relationship I found things a little too scripted. Aralorn would tell stories or make decisions that seem out of the blue, but they had a direct bearing on the story later on. Similarly she knows Wolf’s state of mind before he does, and while he’s being the self-hating hero, she’s cheerfully understanding. I enjoyed Aralorn and Wolf’s relationship in Masques, because I felt that Wolf’s prickliness was well balanced with Aralorn’s ability to see what he was really feeling. Unfortunately, in Wolfsbane, this same relationship didn’t work for me, probably because Wolf’s role as a tortured hero was revisited constantly. After a while I began to find his angst and Aralorn’s response tedious. That’s not to say that there were not one or two sweet moments between Aralorn and Wolf that I liked reading, but I felt that some of the space used to repeat what we know about their relationship could have been used to deepen the plot and flesh out the secondary characters. Instead, the relationship took precedence over the plot, and the cheerful demeanor Aralorn uses with Wolf jarred in the face of her father’s near-death state.

Overall: Many aspects of this story were fit together in a way that lacks the polish I expect of Briggs today. It feels like an early work, and one that doesn’t quite have the same charm that I found in Masques. For die-hard fans of Patricia Briggs, this is a must read, but as a fantasy novel, it’s mildly entertaining, but did not stand out. The story may work better for readers who are more interested in the wounded-man-and-his-savior relationship between the two main characters and are not as invested in the fantasy aspects.

(I read and reviewed the first part of this duology, Masques by Patricia Briggs here.)