Darynda Jones' Eighth Grave After Dark gives readers exactly what they want...until it doesn't

If you haven’t read the Charley Davidson series before, don’t read this review. Instead, go pick up the first book (or audiobook) and get ready to plow through a series at breakneck speed - because you won’t want to stop. But this review has spoilers…so stop now. If you are already a fan, and you’ve read up to book seven, go ahead and read this review (even though you've probably already read book eight).

Whoever wrote the blurb for Eighth Grave After Dark did a much better job of summarizing the plot than I could, so I'll let them tell you what's going on in book eight:

Charley Davidson has enough going on without having to worry about twelve hellhounds hot on her trail. She is, after all, incredibly pregnant and feeling like she could pop at any moment. But, just her luck, twelve deadly beasts from hell have chosen this time to escape onto our plane, and they've made Charley their target. And so she takes refuge at the only place she thinks they can't get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. Of course, if hellhounds aren't enough, Charley also has a new case to hold her attention: the decades-old murder of a newly-vowed nun she keeps seeing in the shadows of the convent.

Add to that the still unsolved murder of her father, the strange behavior of her husband, and Charley's tendency to attract the, shall we say, undead, and she has her hands full…but also tied. While the angry hellhounds can't traverse the consecrated soil, they can lurk just beyond its borders like evil sentries, so Charley has been forbidden from leaving the sacred grounds. Luckily, she has her loyal team with her, and they're a scrappy bunch who won't let a few thirsty hellhounds deter them.

While the team scours the prophesies, searching for clues on the Twelve, for a way to kill them or at least send them back to hell, Charley just wants answers and is powerless to get them. But the mass of friends they've accrued helps. They convince her even more that everyone in her recent life has somehow been drawn to her, as though they were a part of a bigger picture all along. Their presence is comforting. But the good feelings don't last for long because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life….

Some characters exhibit growth over the course of a few books, getting wiser, making better decisions, even having realizations about themselves and their co-characters. Charley…not so much. She’s still making REALLY bad, even stupid, decisions and not paying much attention to those around her or asking the right questions. On the plus side, she’s still wise-cracking, sarcastic, and willing to risk her life to help people she’s never even met. As I listened I thought this was just kind of a wrap up to the series, tying up some loose ends and giving readers what they wanted…until I got to the ending, which has a very surprising twist and makes me want to read book nine (which, unfortunately, won’t be published until January 2016). Cheers to Darynda Jones. You always keep me coming back for more. 

Note: Darynda Jones will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 Southern Magic Reader's Luncheon on November 7th in Birmingham, Alabama. Tickets are on sale now. This is always an excellent event, and I highly recommend the experience!

Jones, Darynda. Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson Book 8). New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2015. 4 Stars. 

Return to the Old World with Melissa F. Olson's Boundary Crossed

Allison “Lex” Luthor is working the late shift at a mini mart when she hears a couple arguing over what size diapers to purchase. Amused, she crosses to their aisle to help out and realizes she knows the baby with the strange couple - it’s her 18-month-old niece, Charlotte. The niece who should be home asleep in her crib. A bizarre fight ensues, and though Lex manages to save her kidnapped niece she is stabbed the process. For the third time in her life she dies. 

Waking up in the hospital Lex is quickly introduced to an impossible world. A world where vampires want Charlotte, and Lex must bargain with the supernatural ruler of Colorado to keep her safe. Good thing Lex has power, too, even if she has no idea how to use it. 

I fell in love with Melissa F. Olson’s Old World only a few pages into Dead Spots, the first Scarlett Bernard novel. I powered through all three books in that series, enjoying every twist and turn so much that I preordered as soon as I heard about her new series, Boundary Magic.

Boundary Crossed, book one of the Boundary Magic series, takes us back to the Old World with mostly new characters. Lex, ex-Army with PTSD, is a realistic, sympathetic character and a great heroine. Her dedication to her murdered sister's child is all-encompassing, and the driving force behind every decision made in this novel. The mystery takes second place to character development, but there’s enough to that plot to keep the reader’s interest as well. All-in-all, this was a very enjoyable novel, a great introduction to the Old World for new visitors, and a wonderful return to the world of Scarlet Bernard…and I’ve just preordered the sequel. 

Olson, Melissa F. Boundary Crossed (Boundary Magic Book 1). New York: 47North, 2015. 4 Stars.

The horny heroine who left me unsatisfied

Riley Jensen and her twin, Rhoan, are half-breeds: a rare combination of werewolf and vampire. Each has inherited different traits from the mix though, giving Rhoan abilities that make him an excellent guardian and bestowing upon Riley traits that make her an excellent…office worker. Both work for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, an organization created as a sort of super-aggressive police force for the supernaturals. Police who are really unconcerned about the law or proving guilt before doling out punishment.

When Riley’s brother goes missing in the middle of a mission Riley is pulled further into the murky world of the Directorate in her efforts to find him. Unfortunately, Rhoan has gone missing during the week leading up to the full moon, when werewolves are vulnerable to amplified mating instincts. Riley must keep her mind on the job and her hormones in check in order to solve this mystery - and rescue her brother. Not easy when a very handsome naked and muddy vampire has shown up on her doorstep.

I read this one on audiobook, and I really enjoyed the reader's Australian accent as she narrated the story. Overall Riley is a decent heroine, and the writing was well done and very readable, but I had major issues with the plot of this novel. 

It's stated that ALL werewolves get horny moonfever, but only Riley seems so affected by it that she cannot function unless someone - anyone - gives her at least one orgasm. No male wolf, including her TWIN brother, seems to have this problem.

When Riley was in a potentially dangerous situation she frequently got out of that dilemma by flashing her breasts or body. Never mind that she supposedly has all the strengths of vampire and werewolf genes, can wrap shadows around herself to disappear, can control the minds of others, and has a quick, intelligent mind. Nope. The only thing that can save her is her boobs.

Plot points and devices seemed to be afterthoughts thrown in mid-story to get out of a corner the author has written herself into. For example, we learn halfway through that Riley has infrared vision ability due to her vampire heritage. She uses this to read heat signatures and find out how many humans and supernaturals are in another room, and exactly where they are, before she enters. Yet in the first scene of the novel she has to ask a full-blooded vamp how many hostages were in a vamp-ridden bar? Why rely on the word of a vamp she hated when she could check for herself?

Riley, despite the aforementioned abilities, had to rescued more than once. I repeat, this super strong, super intelligent female needed big, strong men to rescue her. Multiple times. Because reasons. And horny moonfever.

This diatribe makes it sound as if I hated Full Moon Rising, and I really didn’t. I was, however, very disappointed in the author’s portrayal of a “heroine.” It was the author’s debut novel, so I will read the second in the series, Kissing Sin, to see if the heroine lives up to her potential. 

Arthur, Keri. Full Moon Rising (Riley Jensen Guardian Book 1). New York: Dell, 2006. Audiobook. 2.5 stars. 

Spy novels aren't just for adults

Author Ally Carter's newest series is the culmination of her writing career (so far). The wit of Gallagher Girls, the intrigue of Heist Society, and the plots of both are combined with a whole lot of action and great characters. The result is perfect for Carter's current fans and teens who just like good stories. 

The Gallagher Girls series was a well-written, very funny series about teenage girls who go to a special boarding school. It looks like any other expensive boarding school, but really it’s a school for spies. Carter combined the insanity of being a teenager with the idea of teaching those same girls 24 ways to kill a man (one of which involves uncooked spaghetti) and then gave them mysteries to solve. The resulting plots and hijinks were riveting and hysterical. 

The Heist Society upped the stakes. In this series a teenage girl just wants to be normal, but gets pulled back into a life of high-stakes crime when her father disappears. Carter’s writing style matured and so did the plotline.

All Fall Down is the first book in Carter’s new series, Embassy Row. Grace, our main character, witnessed her mother’s death three years ago. Everyone says it was just an accident, but Grace knows her mother was murdered. After three years of psych evaluations and medication and people telling her she was wrong (i.e. crazy), she has learned to keep her thoughts to herself. 

When her military father is posted to a base that isn’t safe for families 16-year-old Grace is sent to live with her grandfather, the U.S. Ambassador to Adria. Adria could have been a new beginning, with new friends and the potential for romance. It might have been just that, too, if Grace hadn’t caught a glimpse of the very man who killed her mother; the man with the scar down the left side of his face. Now she’s lying to her friends, following a trained assassin through ancient tunnels, and generally risking her life to not only prove she isn’t crazy, but to stop the Scarred Man from murdering someone else. 

All Fall Down is skillfully written and plotted. Grace is a likable, intelligent, and witty character. Her new friends, Noah, Rosie, and Megan, are intriguing and I can’t wait to get to know them better. As for Alexi, well, WE know he isn’t just watching over Grace as a favor to her brother, even if she doesn’t realize it yet. And those plot twists at the end have me ready for book two NOW. Full of teenage drama and high emotion (hey, I'd be upset, too, if everyone thought I was crazy), this book is a must read for teens who like mysteries.

Carter, Ally. All Fall Down. New York: Scholastic Press, 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. 

"Beware of beasts...and boys with bite."

Cynthia Eden is a prolific author of adult suspense and paranormal romances. By prolific I mean she’s written over fifty novels. By adult I mean “YOWZA!” But as I was scanning her book list something jumped out at me: She’d written a young adult novel. 

Its not uncommon these days to find established authors trying to break into the teen market, with varying degrees of success. This one, The Better to Bite, appeared to be self published and was only available digitally. The price was right, so I bought it and dove into the story.

Anna Lambert has moved to Haven with her dad, who grew up there and has returned to take a job as Sheriff. He’s promised Anna a quieter life than the one they're leaving in Chicago. Instead they uncover a series of mysterious disappearances. But nothing stays lost to Anna, who has a freakish power that draws her to anything, or anyone, who’s missing. What she discovers is Haven’s secret. A curse passed down from generation to generation - originating with her ancestors. 

The Better to Bite started off a little rocky, but soon found it’s stride. The characters were interesting, and I enjoyed the twists and turns Eden peppered throughout the plot to keep the reader guessing. Anna's power is unique and I enjoyed the way it slowly developed, giving hints and building up the tension. Add in a love triangle, some fur, claws and fangs, and a few frantic chases through dark woods...and you've got yourself a very readable book.

If you’re looking for a novel with mystery, romance, bad boys and werewolves, look no further. My only complaint is that there doesn’t seem to be a sequel…yet.

Eden, Cynthia. The Better to Bite. Digital: Curtis Brown Digitals, 2012. 4 Stars.

(Available online from Barnes and Noble and Amazon.)

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.

Serial killers and psychics

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes’ mother, a fake psychic, taught Cassie the BPE’s from an early age. Just by noticing someone’s Behavior, Personality, and Environment Cassie can see the details of someone’s life. This talent is so second nature that she can no longer turn it off, making it difficult to make friends and fit in. However, it’s exactly the kind of skill that the FBI wants to cultivate to solve cold cases and serial murders. To that end they recruit Cassie to a special team-in-training: The Naturals. Along with four other teens (each with a particular skill set)s, Cassie spends her days learning how to use her talent to track down serial killers. While the teens are studying old murders, the agents teaching them are working on an active case – a brutal serial killer is leaving bodies in their city. As Cassie gleans info about the case, sherealizes that this murderer is escalating - and has a fascination with red-headed psychics like Cassie…and her mother, who was murdered several years ago by a killer with a similar MO. Could these cases be related? And is Cassie also in danger?

I’ve loved the novels of Jennifer Lynn Barnes for years, ever since I read her first book, Golden, in 2006. This is an author I can always turn to for richly layered plots, authentically voiced characters, and high interest storylines. The Naturals gave me all of this plus a cast of teens and adults that were so well-drawn I became emotionally invested in their lives. I did not want to stop listening to this audiobook and finished it in two days. I think that’s a record, even for me. I can't wait to read the next book in this incredible series.

Barnes, Jennifer Lynn. The Naturals. New York: Miramax Books for Kids, 2013

Never judge a book by the heroine's name.

Gladie Burger (I know, right?) has moved to Cannes, California to go into business with her grandmother, Zelda, a professional matchmaker and semi-psychic. Gladie doesn’t particularly want to be a matchmaker, but Zelda insists Gladie has the “gift.” The real reason Gladie moved back is that her grandmother isn’t getting any younger, and if having Gladie in the business makes Zelda happy, that’s what Gladie will do.

Gladie attempts to buckle down and organize the matchmaking business, which was never computerized and exists on Polaroids and index cards. Her focus is shattered, however, her neighbor dies and his insane family insists it was murder. Gladie is reluctantly drawn into the mystery, aided by the new, ruggedly handsome police chief, Spence Bolton, and her new, rich and hot next door neighbor, Arthur Holden. While the sex appeal triangle is welcome, the mystery is not, and as the bodies begin to pile up Gladie knows she’ll have to figure it all out before she becomes a target for the murderer.

I had no idea what to expect with this novel. The cover is very chicklit, while the title is humorous and a bit on the cozy-mystery side. As it turns out the story is both. Elsie Sax, in this debut novel, has combined genres to create a very readable romantic murder mystery with a bit of a cliffhanger ending. The plot, while not totally believable, is easy to sink into and is, at least, plausible. The secondary characters (the hotties, the best friends, Zelda, etc.) are two-dimensional and add a lot to the story.  The humor is fun, light, and very witty, and I really hope more Gladie books are in the works, because she’s a very likeable anti-heroine.

Sax, Elsie. An Affair to Dismember. New York: Ballantine Books, 2013. 

Teen angst meets trickster gods? That's just asking for trouble...

I had high hopes for this digital ARC (advance reading copy), obtained through Netgalley. The premise sounded amazing: set in modern times, ancient gods were awakened and are a constant threat. Only through the intervention of a small group of people, the Society, and the relics they weild, are the gods and their interfering magic under any sort of control...and that’s all I read before I was intrigued enough to request the ARC. It sounded very Rick Riordan meets Warehouse 13, and I really wanted to check it out. 

The day the gods awoke - no one’s sure how or why that happened - Kyra was forgotten by her parents. While other kids were picked up at school by tearful and frightened adults, Kyra was left alone on the school steps until she finally gave up and walked home, getting lost more than once, to find an empty house awaiting her. Ever since that day Kyra has assumed this was her lot in life: to be the unimportant one, the one who gets left behind.

Soon after that day her mother went mad and her father, a librarian, became even more distant and absorbed in his work. Kyra has done everything she can think of, even staying out all night, to get his attention, but he doesn’t even seem to notice. Coming home in the early hours one morning she’s surprised to find him at home, and even more surprised when he actually seems to have been waiting for her. He’s not angry, but...odd. He tells her that if anything should happen to him she’s to take all the money in the house and run. Then he leaves her - again - for his work. 

This odd conversation with her father is just the start of events that will turn Kyra’s world upside down and inside out. She will discover family secrets that shake her to the core. She will meet gods and tricksters. She will drag her friends, old and new, into schemes and adventures. And she will uncover a plot within the Society that could end the world - one that only she can stop.

The Woken Gods has a lot of potential, but also quite a bit of overwhelming info dump, primarily at the beginning. Instead of world building naturally over the course of the narrative, the first third of the novel gives the reader the back story of the awakening as well as the critical stages of character development. For me it was confusing, and it simply didn't flow well. Once the preliminary groundwork of the plot had been laid and the alternative history set, however, the novel evened out and became very interesting indeed. There were still a few unusual and jarring moments, but overall the remainder proved to be an entertaining tale. 

The ending of The Woken Gods isn’t really “The End” but sets us up for at least one sequel, if not a multi-book series. I’m not overly invested in this tale, but may check out book two just to see what happens.  The author’s first novel, Blackwood, has been picked up by MTV as a series, so I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from Gwenda Bond. 

Note: This review is based on an Advance Reader's Copy, and editing may still be done before this book is published. All of the comments above should therefore take this into account. 

Comfort reading...with fangs

When life get stressful I find myself retreating to old favorites. Not the books of my childhood – those were dead boring – but books that I've read and loved and (possibly) reread. Often they’re books that I know by heart, and I read them again because there is comfort in knowing how the story ends. Other times I've reread them so many times because it’s an ongoing series, and I had a habit of reading the previous books in anticipation of the release of the newest title. With Bloodlist, by P.N. Elrod, it’s a combination of these factors.

Our hero is Jack Fleming, recently unemployed investigative reporter for a newspaper in New York. Prohibition has just ended and the country has hit the beginning of the Great Depression, so it’s not the greatest time to be quitting a job to search for greener pastures. Jack needed a change, though. A clean slate. What he gets is…well, he’s not really sure. All he can remember is waking up on the Chicago shore with fading scars and no need to breathe. Yep, Jack become one of the undead. It wasn't entirely unexpected, at least the possibility of becoming undead (he had a rather unusual girlfriend a few years back). But Jack has no idea how he died. Or who killed him. Or even what happened to him after he left his hotel almost a week ago. In the process of backtracking his steps to try and recover his memory Jack picks up a partner, private investigator Charles Escott. Escott is inquisitive, non-judgmental about Jack’s…er…condition, and extraordinarily, enthusiastically helpful. Which is good, since it turns out the mob is involved (well, it is Chicago) and Jack will need Escott’s less-savory contacts as part of their investigation.

This semi-noir detective novel is fairly short at about 200 pages. It’s well-written with decent character development – not spectacular but good enough to pull you in and make you care. There’s humor, a bit of romance, and lots of 1930’s mobster action along with much of the standard vampire fare and some not-so-standard vampire tricks. The author does a great job of putting supernatural flare into the era, and it’s a book I highly recommend.

Unfortunately, you can’t buy this single title in print anymore. But you can purchase the Vampire Files in Omnibus versions, with bundled titles packaged together. The price isn't too bad, especially for the ebook versions, and they’re pretty addictive.