Lincoln's Spymaster: A fascinating history lesson

This fascinating book, geared toward ages 10 to 14, is a great introduction to history. Without talking down to her readers, Seiple conveys Pinkerton’s intriguing and complex career, which spanned the years just before, during, and after the Civil War. 

Pinkerton stumbled into his career when he alerted local law enforcement of a suspicious campsite, which turned out to be the lair of counterfeiters. He moved up through the ranks, eventually accepting a detective’s position in Chicago. The restrictions faced by police forces, particularly state lines, prompted Pinkerton to set up shop as a private eye. With a network that stretched across the nation, Pinkerton was in the perfect position to spy for Lincoln, uncovering and foiling Confederate plots. In later years, the Pinkerton National Detective Agency was involved in the pursuit and capture of renegades robbing the banks and railroads of the newly reunited country. Throughout his career Pinkerton pioneered techniques that are now standard operating procedure in the CIA, Scotland Yard, and police departments and detective agencies worldwide. 

Lincoln’s Spymaster focuses less on biography and more on the more thrilling aspects Pinkerton’s career, reporting both the successes and the scandals. This career provides a framework for the Civil War, the Reno and James Younger gangs, and the Great Chicago Fire - all of which Pinkerton lived through and played a part in. A well-written page turner, this is, for me, the best way to learn history - through the people who lived it.

Seiple, Samantha. Lincoln's Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, Americans First Private Eye. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2015. 4 star.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in the review are mine alone. 

The Last Necromancer by C.J. Archer (with Giveaway!)

Five years ago Charlotte Holloway accidentally raised her mother from the dead. Shocked and afraid, her vicar father declared her the devil’s child and banished her from his home. Forced to live on the streets Charlotte reinvented herself in order to survive. Posing as a 13-year-old boy “Charlie” is a valued thief in rag-tag, cutthroat gang of kids.

Nabbed for stealing an apple from a street cart Charlie is thrown in a group jail cell. The men inside decide Charlie is fresh and tender meat, and they want to take a bite. When a stranger tries to defend her he is killed – and Charlie’s necromancy saves her. She and her creation escape the rapists, the cell, and the prison, but incidents like that get talked about. Now Charlie is being hunted…and so is Charlotte.

The Last Necromancer is a riveting novel set in the Victorian era. Archer has constructed a captivating Gaslight plot, layered it with paranormal elements, and filled it with mysterious and interesting characters. Charlie is likable, believable, and sympathetic. Lincoln Fitzroy, head of a secret organization and Charlie’s likely love interest in future novels, is shadowy and secretive – provoking the reader’s curiosity. Seriously. I’ve already pre-ordered book two, Her Majesty’s Necromancer so that I can find out what happens next (and if they will ever kiss!!). 

I loved this book and have already purchased the second title in the series - seriously, it was that good. If you find the review intriguing and want to read more...enter this Giveaway for your very own digital (INTL) or paperback copy (US only)!! Just leave a comment to enter. This contest ends September 7th, the winner announced ont this blog entry by September 9th, and the book will be sent out at the end of the month.

If you just can't wait for the contest's results you can purchase your own copy at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Read more about C.J. Archer, and the sequel, on Goodreads.

Archer, C.J. The Last Necromancer. Amazon Digital Services, 2015. 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in the review are mine alone. 

Magic, romance, and danger in the heart of Houston

People have magic – some more than others. The most powerful, usually cultivated through the careful blending of bloodlines, are called Primes. Mad Rogan is the most powerful Prime known, able to use his telekinetic magic to level cities. Nevada Baylor is on the other end of the spectrum, her magic is the ability to tell if someone is lying. Helpful as a private detective, but that's about it. Fate throws them together in the hunt for a dangerous renegade Prime, Adam Pierce. 

Pierce is an incredibly powerful pyrokinetic. He’s usually showy and violent, but his actions of late have pushed him past law enforcement’s most wanted list and onto the “shoot on site” list. Rogan needs Adam to tell him the whereabouts of a missing, implicated, relative. Nevada is being forced, almost blackmailed, into this suicide mission of bringing the unstable Prime back to his family - alive. She is reluctant to partner with Rogan, who is known for his bloody past and his cold ruthlessness, but it’s the only way she’ll stay alive AND finish her job. She didn’t expect to be attracted to Rogan, and she certainly isn't pleased with her body's reaction to him. Rogan doesn't understand why Nevada fights their chemistry. He wants Nevada, and he usually gets what he wants - one way or another.

As Rogan and Nevada search they uncover a much more intricately planned scheme that Adam, with his careless crash and burn attitude, is capable of devising. With the fate of Houston in the balance, can they stop the young, impulsive Prime before he burns the city to the ground?

It took me a few chapters to really get into this first Hidden Legacy book, but once I did I couldn’t stop reading. The world of Burn For Me has been carefully and meticulously constructed, then populated with well-drawn characters that ring true. Some of my favorites were in Nevada's family, who play a large role in the investigative business and in the plot of the novel. In particular her grandmother, Frida, who is humorous and dangerous...and a little besotted with handsome men. Nevada, the primary narrator, is a strong woman with a highly developed sense of right and wrong. Rogan is intriguing, but more closed off from the reader (which clicks perfectly with the picture drawn of him). His power and wealth give him everything he could ever want, but it has also corrupted his moral compass. As opposites, it will be interesting to see who compromises, who changes, and what develops between Nevada and Rogan as the series unfolds. 

Andrews, Ilona. Burn For Me: A Hidden Legacy Novel. New York: Avon Books, (November) 2014. 4 Stars.

Disclaimer:  As an Avon Addict I received this Advance Readers Edition free from the publisher  in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in the review are mine alone.

What's better than a ninja? A ninja detective!!

12-year-old Miranda “Randi” Rhodes has secretly protected her South Brooklyn neighborhood for over a year, solving cases too small for the police to investigate. Now her father, writer of the Glenn Street detective series, has decided to sell their home and move to the small town of Deer Creek. Randi had definite expectations for her new life: she’s going to die of boredom. Then the town’s 200-year-old time capsule is stolen on the eve of the Founder’s Day celebration, which would have brought tourists back to the struggling town. With the treat of foreclosure and bankruptcy on the horizon Deer Creek’s business owners are frantic - and they’re sure they know who the thief is. It’s up to Randi and her new friends to solve the case, bring the real culprit to justice, and save the town.

This middle grade mystery novel has interesting characters, mild twists, and (mostly) believable scenarios.Spencer has filled her story with diverse characters that break stereotype: a female sheriff who used to be a professional fighter; a deaf best friend who’s mom is covered in tattoos; a Japanese “nanny” who does Tai Chi and adds catfish to her traditional cuisine…even the Rottweiler avoids being a cliche. These characters are well-written and have depth, a difficult feat in such a short novel. The mystery is easy enough for tween reading but also entertaining and absorbing. Readers will look forward to the next Randi Rhodes: Ninja Detective novel.

Spencer, Octavia. The Case of the Time Capsule Bandit (Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective #1). New York: Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers, 2013.

Dallas continues to stand for the dead

It seems wrong, somehow, to review book #38 in a series when I’ve never posted a review of the other thirty-seven titles. Or maybe it’s even more important to review a book when the series has expanded to this incredible number. Does book #38 live up to book one? Is it better? Is it worse? Does it still have the magic, the spark, the ability to hold my interest? Or has this series become trite, predictable, and am I over it?

For those who are unfamiliar with the In Death series, here’s a brief synopsis: Eve Dallas has transformed her life. She's gone from a horribly abusive, nightmarish childhood to a brilliant career with the NYPD. She’s a Lieutenant now, in charge of her own department, and one of the best detectives in the city. Over the years (and books) she’s accumulated some close friends (much to her own amazement). She’s also found love with former thief, now billionaire, Roarke. As the series has evolved secondary characters have become primary, and their stories have become just as important as Eve and Roarke’s. Swirling around all of them is mystery and death.

Concealed in Death begins with Roarke inspecting an old, rundown building he's purchased. It’s a mess, and his team is at the beginning stages of gutting and rehabbing it. The foreman hands Roarke a sledgehammer, telling him “You should take the first couple whacks. It’s good luck when the owner does it.” Is it good luck, or is it fate, that a few swings take down the cheap wall and reveal three stacked bodies? Roarke tags his wife, and the police find nine more victims walled up in the former location of The Sanctuary, a shelter for street kids and runaways. Tracking down the murderer of twelve victims fifteen years after the crimes will be no easy task. But Eve Dallas stands for the dead, and she won’t stop until they, and their killer, has been identified and brought to justice.

I am continually amazed at Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb) and her ability to come up with storylines, create characters, and crank out novels at the rate of two per year (sometimes more). These books should have become repetitive by this point. There should be overlapping cases, recurring character stereotypes, or even mistakes in the backstories of the rollover characters. Instead Roberts/Robb continues to develop intriguing, fast-paced plots and characters that I both love and hate – all while building on the interpersonal relationships of the current, major characters we've come to know. I was not disappointed with this latest installment, which I read in two days, and am already looking forward to book #39.

Note: For a complete list of the In Death titles, check out Robb's web page.

Robb, J.D. Concealed in Death (In Death series #38). New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2014. 4.5 stars.