If you like your historical police procedurals gritty, gruesome, but realistic, this book is right up your alley.
PLOT: The year is 1888 and Red Jack (Jack the Ripper) is terrorizing White Chapel. Detective Adrian Hope, of Scotland Yard’s Hound Squad, is on the job, but he is working on other cases. His faithful sidekick is Grace “Gracie” O’Malley, an Irish wolfhound. In this short book, the pair investigate three interlocking cases: the murder of young boys, a murder of a police decoy, and a murderous social club.
POSITIVE: I love that this book was written by a retired crime scene supervisor. The man knows his stuff. His writing is gritty and graphic. (You have been forewarned!)
For the animal lovers in the crowd, there is no animal violence and yes, Gracie survives.
The characters are well written. Be prepared for the pop ins of some famous personages. (To say who would spoil the surprise.) In this regard, be prepared for a few less than realistic factors. Just go with it.
NEGATIVE: While I believe the scenes are well drawn and realistic, the author should do a little historic research. Yes, Scotland Yard did use dogs in 1888. They were brough into work on the Jack the Ripper case. However, two-way mirrors didn’t exist in 1888 and weren’t invented until 1903 and were not in use in police stations until much later in the 20th century. I did not check out electric cars or other conveyances.
I wish the book was longer. Each of these short stories could easily show more been stretched into a full book and those books into a series. Adrian and Gracie make a cute team. I hope the author writes more about them.
CONCLUSION: I am already looking for the earlier books by this author. I recommend it. show less

If “Practical Magic“ was a mystery, it would be this book!
PLOT: Lily Blackwood runs a cursed bookshop in the Pacific Northwest. She is a witch and her employees are ghosts. Then two things happen all at once: a cursed book arrives (part grimoire & part cookbook with violent intentions), and a new age shopkeeper is murdered. Lily believes the murder may have something to do with the book and/or possibly an ancestor who died tragically in 1863. To research the book and the death of her ancestor, she needs to ask for help from Dr. Merry Chan, the director of the public library. Unfortunately, Merry is a former lover she has been avoiding for years.
POSITIVE: I LOVE this book. It is going on my keeper shelf! It has everything I love in a book: mystery, books, ghosts, genealogy, and historical research. Add a cat and it would have been perfect.
The book is a cozy, so most of the violence is off-screen. There is plenty of romantic tension, but no graphic sex. “G” rated and grandma approved.
The characters are well written. I especially love Cordelia, the 1950s ghostly bookshop assistant. Her focus on order and organization was wonderful. As a former librarian, I get it, Cordelia, those things ARE important. If organizing and re-organizing the same books ever gets boring, come to my house and I have bookshelves galore for you to organize!
My one caveat is don’t start reading this book late at night. Not because it is scary, but because it is SO enjoyable you will not show more want to put it down. Each chapter seems to be “a day in the life of” which gives the book natural stopping points, but you won’t want to. It is so enjoyable that you will want to read the next chapter and the next and the next...
NEGATIVE: As a retired librarian and former archivist, there are a few cringe worthy moments. Food and drink in Special Collections or around antique books & documents is a big no-no. There is no safe distance for historical documents. I destroyed a keyboard that was over 28 inches away from a cup of coffee. One oops and bye-bye document. An archivist, librarian, and historical researcher like Dr. Chan would know this.
CONCLUSION: I am looking forward to book two in this series of which the reader gets a peak at the end of this book. As I wrote above, I LOVED this book. I highly recommend this book. show less

“The Lying Game” the book by Sara Shepard is different from “The Lying Game“ the tv series. Both are GREAT, but quite different.
PLOT: Emma Paxton, Las Vegas foster girl, has just discovered that she has a twin sister, Sutton Mercer, rich girl of Tucson. When Emma is forced to leave her foster home (similar to tv series), she decides to take Sutton up on her offer for a meet-and greet in Arizona. Only when Emma arrives, Sutton is dead, and Emma is threatened into stepping into Sutton’s life or else!
POSITIVE: I found this book by watching the tv series. As usual when I do this, I am looking for more depth and details to fill in missing pieces. However, this is a very different story. When the book begins, Sutton is already dead. Rather than looking for their birth mother, Emma is trying to find out who killed Sutton and why. With Emma available to take Sutton’s place, there is no police investigation: no body equals no crime. Someone has gotten away with murder…literally.
If you are looking for the familiar cast of characters from the series, they are here. Madeline and Charlotte, Sutton’s besties; her sister, Laurel; Garrett, Sutton’s boyfriend, and Ethan, Emma’s new friend and possible boyfriend. Thayer, however, is a “missing person.” What is also conspicuously missing are the parents who in the tv series are potential threats. In the book, the killer is most likely a peer not an adult.
NEGATIVE: The character of Sutton is an ever-present spirit show more who doesn’t know who killed her or why. She comments on Emma’s choices and actions. She has flashbacks that add information to the plot and her murder. While she cannot speak directly to Emma, she can communicate some of this information through her twin connection. As other reviewers have noted, at times, it is confusing who is narrating: Emma or Sutton.
This is a six-book series. Don’t expect the mystery to tie up in book one. Reading this book is like a sample spoon of ice cream. If you want to truly enjoy the plot, you need to commit to reading the whole series.
As in the tv series, you will not be bored. There is plenty of friend drama and romantic entanglements to keep the plot moving forward. Most are new or different from the tv series. Don’t expect the book to answer any questions from the tv series. The Garret birthday scene is hysterical!
I RECOMMEND: If you liked the tv series, you will love the book series. Just don’t expect one to replace the other or to answer questions for the other. The characters are the same, but the plot is quite different.
CONCLUSION: Watch the tv series. Read the book series. It is a two-fer deal. The same characters, but a different plot. Both enjoyable! show less

This is a YA book about quirky people living in a beach town during Winter.
PLOT: Zara is a teenager living in a beach town. It’s Winter. She has few friends. Her mother died and her father is having difficulties coping and keeping his job. The highlight of her life is working as a projectionist in a movie theater that plays old horror films. Then Zara meets Zachary. He brings a spark of excitement to her life. Unfortunately, Zachrey has issues. He is unpredictable, unreliable, slightly dangerous, and living a rather unconventional life with his drunken grandfather in a trailer on a closed amusement park.
POSITIVE: I grew up in a beach town and now live in another. Unlike Zara’s town, my town didn’t and doesn’t board up in Winter. Like Zara’s town it tries to entice tourists to come off season with unique events. Unlike Zara, I like it when the crowds and traffic disappear. However, I do understand trying to stretch three months of “boom” income to cover nine months of “bust” income. Those who choose to stay like solitude and can be quirky. This story could equally apply to ski towns or other vacation towns. In this way, this book is real for many young people.
This is also a book young people can relate to for other reasons too. It is about first love and young love. It is about not being a popular kid and being overlooked. It is about living in a challenging home situation when a parent leaves or dies and how grief causes a difficult home situation for show more those who remain. And, it is about coping with friends and loved ones facing real hard life issues when you are just a teenager trying to understand and help them when the issues are much bigger than you can fix.
NEGATIVE: The book is quirky and oddly positive considering the many issues involved: boom-bust economy, poverty, mental illness, grief, and growing up in a stressful family situation. As an adult reader, I can say there are a few unhealthy life choices along the way, but they are eventually dealt with in a positive way. But what is a novel without some drama or challenges?
I RECOMMEND: I like this book and can identify with the characters and situations. I would recommend it.
CONCLUSION: This book is well written and full of quirk characters and even quirkier situations. It has a Rom-Com ending worthy of 60 inflatable Godzillas! show less

I have mixed feelings about this book. The topic of only children becoming a sibling is a worthy plot for a book. More books on this issue need to be published. There is plenty of drama to work with on this topic. However, the cover and back blurb for this book are marketed for readers seeking a paranormal plot which only kicks in at the end.
PLOT: Vidia is eleven years old and is about to become a big sister for the first time. She is not happy about it. Then she gets bitten by a snake and her bad attitude goes from bad to worse, much worse.
POSITIVE: A book about the frustrations of a growing family and especially becoming a sibling later in pre-teen or teens years is needed. (It is more common than you think.) Parents expect the only child to be just as “over the moon” as they are about the birth, but this is generally not the case. The only child is miserable and starts acting out and instead of trying to understand the young person’s angst, the parents punish them.
This is a well written book for exploring the various views on the “blessed event.” The parents are ecstatic about the birth. Her friends don’t understand her problems with becoming a big sister. Vidia is left alone to ruminate about her anger.
NEGATIVE: The book cover is spooky and hints at scary events. It will attract readers expecting a supernatural story. However, for those readers expecting a scary read, it will be slow going. The supernatural has a VERY slow build-up, and I am not sure show more readers wanting scary will stick around for the paranormal which does kick in at the end of the book.
Second, Vidia is not a very likable character. She is angry and frustrated, and she is acting out. She is mean to her parents and mean to her friends. Her friends do not understand her feelings of not wanting a sibling. Her behavior may be amplified by a paranormal element, but I have raised stepchildren and some of their behavior was just as bad if not more destructive without anything paranormal. As an adult, I understand her issues, but will a young reader?
I RECOMMEND: This book needs a rebranding. The cover needs to hint at the issue that seems to be the focus of the book: coming to terms with a new sibling and to tone down the supernatural. As is, readers looking for a book about sibling issues will not pick this book up. Readers looking for spooky will pick this book up but be disappointed in the slow burn. This is lose-lose. Change the cover and you may get a win-win in readership.
CONCLUSION: The book is well-written, just marketed to the wrong audience. It needs to be rebranded. show less

I am in a good position to discuss this book on astrology. Since the beginning of this year (four months ago), I have started learning astrology online. As a newbie, I can talk about what makes sense and what does not.
POSITIVE: The author has an easy-going style. She writes simply and she is easy to understand. She uses examples and readers can understand what she is talking about.
NEGATIVE: The one thing that will confuse newbie readers, like me, is that she introduces information before she introduces the theory. For example, in her chapter about planets, she gives examples using houses. Houses are not introduced until the next chapter. My recommendation is to eliminate the house material and save it for the next chapter. As a complete newbie, sorting out what relates to sign, what relates to planet, and what in the world are houses? It would completely confuse me. I would give up at this point.
CONCLUSION: The author clearly knows her astrology. I love her enthusiasm to share her wisdom and her simple style. Please realize that a newbie needs simple step-by-step instruction and may not be capable of leaps of logic. Stick to the topic of the chapter. Students will love you for that.
RECOMMENDATION: Yes, I would recommend this book. My caveat is that the reader needs to have basic knowledge of signs, planets, and houses. A complete newbie will get overwhelmed and give up around page 60.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I taught a college level course on the Salem witchcraft trials, so I DO have some background in the events.
POSITIVE: Young people are often fascinated by the Salem Witchcraft trials, and a starter book is a laudable venture. I loved the artwork. It is well done and aesthetically pleasing. I think young readers will like it also. I like the chronological arrangement of events, but I would put Giles Corey in the correct order in the chronology.
NEGATIVE: If this is for children and early teens, I would eliminate the F-bombs. This language may be appropriate for adults, but not children or young people. This would also make it inappropriate for classroom usage. It should be noted that “The Crucible” was not written to retell 1690s Salem history, but to discuss 1950s McCarthyism. My final criticism – and it is minor - is related to the artwork. The author clearly knows that many of the female victims of the trials were senior citizens since their ages are given, but they are portrayed as what appears to be young people. As I wrote, minor flaw.
WOULD I RECOMMEND: As I wrote above, I have mixed feelings. Would I give or recommend it to a child or preteen? Would I recommend it for classroom usage? No, because of the language. Remove the objectional words and then yes, I would. It is a starter book and to truly understand what happened and formulate why, needs further research.

Do you love books about Ancient Egypt, magic, and English manor houses? Then this book is for you!
PLOTLINE: Megan is the keeper of a secret library filled with magical books and artifacts. When archaeologist Josef Hemmlich, a potential client of her father, shows up searching for a magical artifact, the Ankh of Isis, Megan goes on high alert. Unfortunately, to cement her father’s prospective deal, she has been tasked with being nice to the man meanwhile Josef’s son, Dietrich, is proving to be way too distracting. When the library is breached, magic ensues, and everyone ends up in Ancient Egypt searching for the Ankh of Isis and the only way to return to the present is to find it.
CAVEATS: Be aware this is the SECOND BOOK in a series; however, the author does a wonderful job of making this book accessible to readers.
Would I read another novel by this author?
Yes, definitely! I already ordered the first book in the series.
Would I recommend this book?
Most wholeheartedly.