#Review - Blind Bake by Denise Grover Swank #Cozy #Mystery

Series: Maddie Baker Mystery # 1
Format: Kindle, 428 pages
Release Date: February 20, 2022
Publisher: Independently published
Source: Amazon
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Contemporary

A month ago, I quit my job and finally left my commitment-phobe boyfriend (seriously Steve, seven years is long enough to know if I’m the one). Then I moved back to my hometown of Cockamamie, Tennessee, to take care of my newly widowed Aunt Deidre.

Somehow, I’ve stumbled my way into a murder investigation. Like literally. I tripped. And now the detective thinks I might be the murderer. Okay, so I told the newly deceased old fart off, but he deserved it. That doesn’t mean I’m the killer.

And the idiot detective? Sure, he’s insanely hot, but it just so happens he’s the grandson of my grandmother’s nemesis. I’m sure he’s holding thatt against me.

My best friend thinks Detective Noah Langley should be holding his body against me, but I wouldn’t consider it if he was the last man on earth.

So now my life’s a complicated mess. I need to clear my name, make sure my aunt with dementia doesn’t wander off again, and find the killer since the Cockamamie taxpayers seem to be wasting their money on Detective Langley’s salary.

Oh, and I really need a job.

Blind Bake is the first installment in author Denise Grover Swank's Maddie Baker Mystery series. In this book, the author has two main characters: 34-year-old Maddie Baker, and 37-year-old Detective Noah Langley. A month ago, Maddie, who used to be a librarian at a Middle School, returned to her hometown of Cockamamie, Tennessee (not a real town) where she left 18 years ago after her mother was brutally murdered by an unknown suspect. 

Two months ago, Maddie's Uncle died and she moved in with her Aunt Deidre who is suffering from early state Dementia and can't be left alone. Maddie needs an income to pay her bills so she is working as a barista at the local coffee shop and also working in her off hours as an Uber driver. One night, Maddie picks up a passenger who is not only rude, but also carrying a smelly paper bag. After a verbal tirade for the way he treated her, Maddie has no idea that her life is going to change.

Detective Noah Langley is looking for a new start after having his life nearly cut short in Memphis. He was a successful detective in the city, known for his dedication and closing his cases. But a bad judgment call ended up with him suffering a bullet wound. Noah's experience has made him a bit jaded, and nervous that he might have to reach for his gun again in order to stop someone. Noah is known for closing cases and solving mysteries, which is exactly what they need in this Cockamamie town which is apparently filled with corrupt and incompetent cops.

Just as he is settling in, he is lead detective in a murder case for a man known as Martin Schroeder. The same man who Maddie gave a ride to. The same man she argued with. Noah becomes interested in Maddie after it appears that she is not only involved somehow, but she seems to be everywhere where Noah's investigation happens to take him. For Maddie, the case brings back really awful memories of her own mother’s murder eighteen years ago, a murder that was never solved. Both Noah and Maddie are searching for the answers and not only to the murder of Martin Schroeder.

*Overall, this is an entertaining story. I liked Maddie, and I wanted to hug her at the same time. She has known loss like few of us will ever experience. She tried to change her life, only to have to return home where she runs into one of the persons who tried hard to ruin her back in High School. Getting caught up in a murder investigation would have scared most people, but Maddie stands and delivers one of the best scenes in the book when she teaches Noah a thing or two about self-defense. She also reaches out to the homeless community with kindness. Something that melted my heart. I liked Noah, and I could understand how he ran cold at times. I liked his partner Lance Forrester as well. They make a great team, and Lance isn't afraid of getting a shot or two in on Noah, especially when it comes to Maddie. As for the mystery as to whom was responsible for Andrea Baker's murder, we will have to wait until the author is ready to reveal the persons identity.

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#Review - Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis #SyFy

Series: Chaotic Orbits # 1
Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
Release Date: August 6, 2024
Publisher: DAW
Source: Publisher
Genre: Science Fiction

A high octane sexy space heist from New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis, the first in a novella trilogy

Ada Lamarr has a problem. 

Several, actually, but the most pressing problem at the moment is that the oxygen in her spacesuit is at less than ten percent, and her ship’s hull has been breached. Which severely undermines her desire to not die. 

First at the site of a wreck on a remote planet, Ada’s scavenging went awry after her own ship attracted problems. Luckily, a government-funded salvage crew arrives in time to save her. They have a specific mission, complicated by their new refugee. The crashed ship on the planet had been carrying highly valuable cargo, now lost somewhere in the debris field. 

After rescuing Ada, the crew is suspicious that her looting had brought her too close to the valuable wreck, especially Rian White, the ostensible leader of the mission with secrets of his own. As Ada starts to help the crew, a tentative trust is formed. But the closer Rian gets to Ada, the more he starts to wonder how much of her story is a lie…and how far she’s willing to go to get what she actually came to the wreckage site for. 

And Ada? Her real problem may just be that she’s falling for Rian. 

A phenomenally fun novella that kicks off a trilogy of sexy space heists and romantic tension, Full Speed to a Crash Landing is packed with great characters and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.

Beth Revis' Full Speed to a Crash Landing is the first novella in a 3-part trilogy called Chaotic Orbits. There are two main characters in Ada Lamarr, and Rian White. Ada is a lone scavenger, mostly scouring space and planets for random ghost ships or wreckage to salvage anything that might be valuable for resale on her ship, Glory. Rian is a government agent who, although he's not captain of the ship, has control over the current salvage mission to a planet where a ship has crashed with important technology onboard.

Ada may have gotten to the spaceship UGS Roundabout wreck first, but looter’s rights won’t get her far when she’s got a hole in the side of her ship and her spacesuit is almost out of air thanks to an explosion. Fortunately for her, help arrives in the form of a government salvage crew named Halifax—and while they reluctantly rescue her from certain death, they, mostly Captain Ursula Io, is not pleased to have an unexpected passenger along on their classified mission.

But Ada doesn’t care, all that matters to her is enjoying their fine food and sweet oxygen since she claims she hasn't been on solid group in months. Until Rian starts to suspect that there’s more to Ada than meets the eye. He’s not wrong. Rian is desperate to find an important piece of intel from the very ruined spacecraft Ada has found. Ada is perfectly happy to keep him paying attention to her, at least until she can complete the job she was sent to pull off by her employer who we do not know at this moment. 

There are all those little hints along the way thanks to the story being told in the first person narrative of there being more going on as well as the mystery surrounding this super important item they're retrieving. And if you really want to know more about who both Ada and Rian are, you need to read not only the final chapter, but past the authors acknowledgments which she appears to have written this book because some really made her lose her mind. It is apparent that the author intends to write 3 short novellas and call them a trilogy. 

Note: Because these are novella's don't be shocked when you learn that there will likely be twisted cliffhanger endings. These ending pretty much ensure that if you liked the first novella, you will continue reading until the finale. If you like a snarky, sarcastic FMC, and a MMC who not has an axe to grind with said female, then you will enjoy this book. 

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#Review - Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews #Urban #Fantasy

Series: Kate Daniels World # 15.5
Format: E-Galley, 152 pages
Release Date: July 30, 2024
Publisher: NYLA
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

It’s not easy serving Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death…especially during the holidays; and especially when you’re out of eggnog and one of your pesky, freeloading mythic creatures has eaten your last cookie.

Roman would like nothing more than to be left alone, but when a wounded boy stumbles into his yard and begs for sanctuary, Roman takes him in. Now elite mercenaries are camped out on his property, combat mages are dousing the house with fire, and strange priests are unleashing arcane magic. They thought Roman was easy pickings, just a hermit in the woods, but they chose the wrong dark priest to annoy. For while Roman might be patient, he is the Black Volhv, filled with the love of his terrible god. For his adversaries, it's a fight to the death, but for him, it's just another day in the neighborhood.

Ilona Andrews' Sanctuary is a novella featuring Roman, our favorite Volhv wizard who is Priest of a Dark God known as Chernobog. This story takes place in Kate Daniels world. It’s not easy serving the Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death, and end of everything. Especially during the holidays; and especially when you’re out of eggnog and one of your pesky, freeloading mythic creatures has eaten your last cookie. 

Roman would like nothing more than to be left alone, but when a wounded boy named Finn stumbles into his yard and begs for sanctuary, Roman takes him in until Finn's sister is able to come and rescue him. Finn's arrival with what appears to be a wolf pup, also brings an elite group mercenaries to his door step. These mercenaries want Finn, and refuse to take no for an answer. They even bring along a dangerous priest with strange arcane magic. 

They thought Roman was easy pickings, just a hermit in the woods, but they chose the wrong dark priest to annoy. For while Roman might be patient, he is the Black Volhv, filled with the love of his terrible god. For his adversaries, it's a fight to the death, but for him, it's just another day in the neighborhood. Then comes a girl named Vasylisa (Heroine of countless folklore tails, a woman with magic, and secret knowledge) who Roman once knew by another name. A girl who you may or may not have turned into snakes when you were children.

To me, Roman has always been a curious character, especially with his banter with Kate and Curran. Roman's backstory and how he became Chernobog's volhv will definitely appeal to readers, as well as his past with Vasylisa. Romans little menagerie was just the icing on the cake. I do think the ending is very open ended. There are things that likely should have been expanded upon, and the lingering questions left be up in the air about my overall rating. 

Amazon claims this is book # 1 of the Roman Chronicles? So, does that confirm there will be more books? Also, what happened to the Aurelia Ryder series and the Iron Covenant series? From the release schedule on the authors web page, it appears yet another series will be releasing in 2026?  

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#Review - The X-Files: Perihelion by Claudia Gray #SyFY #Mystery

Series: Standalone?
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: July 30, 2024
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue
Source: Publisher
Genre: Science Fiction

The Truth Is Out There . . . But So Are Lies.

#1 New York Times best-selling author Claudia Gray extends the story of The X-Files beyond its eleventh season into thrilling new territory!

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are still reeling from the death of their son William as they struggle to find purpose away from the X-Files. Though their current relationship is tenuous, they hope to seize their second chance to be a family, despite the many questions surrounding Scully’s pregnancy.

Then the FBI asks for their help on a case that hits all too close to home: a serial killer in the Washington, DC area who targets pregnant women. The killer appears to possess a mysterious, uncanny power over electricity, which is enough for the Bureau to re-open the X-Files—if Mulder and Scully are willing.

They cautiously agree, concerned about the safety of their own unborn child yet committed to finding justice for the killer’s victims. But their return to the FBI sparks the interest of a shadowy cabal, the heirs to the now-dead Syndicate, and Mulder and Scully soon discover that what at first seems to be just another X-File is connected to a worldwide threat on an unprecedented scale . . . one with their own future at its heart.

Claudia Gray's The X-Files: Perihelion is the authors salute to a series that lasted for 9 seasons (from September 1993 to May 2002, as well as two movies). The series introduced the world to FBI special agents Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny). Mulder was a lover of conspiracy theories and the supernatural and had photographic memory, while Scully was a doctor and a skeptic, and together they investigated seemingly inexplicable events.

Mulder and Scully are still reeling from the death of their son William, but cautiously joyous about Scully’s unexpected pregnancy. Determined to raise this child together, Mulder and Scully struggle to find meaning away from the X-Files as they navigate the uncertain waters of their relationship. Scully is working in a genetic research hospital, while Mulder, after 30 years of paranormal research, and dealing with Cigarette Smoking Man and the Syndicate, is no longer at the FBI and one could say adrift at sea. 

Then the FBI (Acting Director Ruth Morrison) asks for their help tracking down two mysterious serial killers: one who seems to be able to control electricity, and another who disappears from the scene of the crime in what witnesses describe as a puff of smoke. It’s enough for the Bureau to re-open the X-Files—if Mulder and Scully are willing. They reluctantly agree, cautious about what it might mean for them and their unborn child but determined to find justice for the killers’ victims. 

But their return to the X-Files sparks the interest of a shadowy cabal, the heirs to the now-dead Syndicate called the Inheritors, and Mulder and Scully soon discover that their investigation is connected to a worldwide threat on an unprecedented scale one with their own future at its heart. 30 years ago, Scully and Mulder tried to save the world from an alien virus being released onto the world. They failed, and now the world is experiencing a full blown chaos with people waking up with new abilities, including Scully.

Meanwhile, Robin Vane is taking out former Syndicate members, leaving behind corpses dead by a single knife or gunshot wound, and witnesses seeing nothing but a bit of smoke behind. His partner, Charish Craddock, has the ability to raise the dead, and eventually brings Scully to Arizona where they hope she will join them. Mulder is given a new mysterious informant in Avatar, a spunky woman with her finger firmly on the pulse of pulp culture and who may be as obsessed with geekdom as Mulder is with little green men. One of Scully and Mulder's last allies, William Skinner has been in a coma for awhile now, and therefore is not fully present in the story. 

Apparently, this story takes place right after Season 11, and while this may be considered to be season 12 of the series, I am left wondering why the author failed to wrap up certain plotlines that drove the story? Thus my rating. Will the author return with another installment? As someone who watched all 9 seasons, yes even the disappointed ones (Season 7), I would like the rumor to be true that there is a possibility of Scully and Mulder reuniting and an yet to be named reboot in the near future. We shall see.

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#Review - Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis #YA #Mystery #Thriller

Series: Thieves' Gambit # 1
Format: Paperback, 400 pages
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult / Mystery / Thriller

The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s Eleven in this cinematic heist thriller where a cutthroat competition brings together the world’s best thieves and one thief is playing for the highest stakes of all: her mother's life.

At only seventeen years old, Ross Quest is already a master thief, especially adept at escape plans. Until her plan to run away from her legendary family of thieves takes an unexpected turn, leaving her mother’s life hanging in the balance.

In a desperate bid, she enters the Thieves’ Gambit, a series of dangerous, international heists where killing the competition isn’t exactly off limits, but the grand prize is a wish for anything in the world—a wish that could save her mom. When she learns two of her competitors include her childhood nemesis and a handsome, smooth-talking guy who might also want to steal her heart, winning the Gambit becomes trickier than she imagined.

Ross tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn’t Quest. But with the stakes this high, Ross will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win.

Thieves' Gambit is the first installment in author Kayvion Lewis's The Thieves' Gambit series. 17-year-old Rosalyn Quest is the heir apparent to the Quest family of thieves who appear to have North America wrapped up as their hunting groups. However, Rosalyn, who is a master at escape plans, has other ideas. Other ideas like going to a high performance gymnastics summer camp by creating an entire new persona without her mother knowing. 

But things get interesting when she gets an invitation from something called the Gambit. The Gambit is run by a group called the Organization, and the face of the group is a woman named Count. Things get even more twisted when during a heist onboard a yacht, things go badly and her mother is taken by an unknown group. Ros quickly learns that the only way to get her mother back, is to accept an invitation to the Gambit. 

The Gambit explained simply is a thieving contest between 12 contestants from all over the world. I won't bother you by listing all 12, except two. Devroe Kenzie of England and Noelia Boschert of Switzerland who has a past with Rosalyn. In this competition, contestants will face 3 phases. After each phase, contestants will be eliminated until there is only one winner. The winner gets the prize of a lifetime. The ability to wish for whatever they want without restrictions. 

The winner could literally wish for an entire family to be killed without any consequences. For Ros, winning the wish means saving her mother. Ros tries her best to stick to the family creed: trust no one whose last name isn’t Quest. But with the stakes this high, and Devroe seemingly making a play at being her love interest, Ros will have to decide who to con and who to trust before time runs out. After all, only one of them can win. Here's a hint: Don't let your eyes pop out of your head when you read the final chapters. Just wow. 

In the end, the author has created a book that will bring back memories of certain movies and books like Six of Crows, Inheritance Games, and Oceans Eleven with young adults of incredibly diverse backgrounds spanning many cultures and continents. Coincidentally, I was just approved for the second book in the series which releases in November. Can't wait to see what happens to Ros and whether she gets back at her mother and others who really shredded her attempt at winning the game to pieces.

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#Review - Midnight Creed by Alex Kava #Mystery #Suspense

Series: Ryder Creed # 8
Format: Kindle, 343 pages
Release Date: December 3, 2023
Publisher: Prairie Wind Publishing
Source: Amazon
Genre: Mystery / Suspense

NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT. Ryder Creed’s priority is to keep his scent dogs safe. In the dark there are threats that are impossible to see or predict. Ever since his Marine K9 unit searched for IEDs in Afghanistan, he’s avoided nighttime searches. But when a boy goes missing in a remote area of the Florida Panhandle, Creed has to put aside his fears and navigate the risks his dogs will face after dark.

A KILLER IN WASHINGTON, D.C. In the middle of the night, FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell is called to a crime scene in D.C. The M.O. matches another murder in the same area. Maggie and her team at Quantico believe this killer struck in other cities and is targeting homeless men.

After another attack leaves a colleague hanging on for life, Maggie grabs the only tip they have. She’s determined to track this killer herself as he flees D.C. and leads her hundreds of miles to a place she never expected.

ON A COLLISION COURSE. When Sheriff Norwich enlists Ryder’s help to find a missing boy, it’s personal. The young boy is someone Ryder and his crew know. The search will lead them deep into the forest and after dark.  The paths of Ryder’s missing boy and Maggie’s killer are about to collide

Midnight Creed is the 8th installment in author Alex Kava's Ryder Creed series. Once again, this story alternate's between FBI Special Agent Maggie O'Dell, and of course, Ryder Creed, owner of K9 Crime Scents with his partner Hannah Washington. The story, though, begins with the killer of the story on the hunt. This killer apparently was triggered by an event that happened 20 years ago, and the lasting effects of what those around him pushed him into believing.

In the middle of the night, Maggie is called to a crime scene in D.C. by Detective Julie Racine. The M.O. matches another murder in the same area. Maggie and her team at Quantico believe this killer struck in other cities including NYC, and Jacksonville, Florida, and is targeting homeless men. After another attack leaves Julia hanging on for life, and an informant badly injured, Maggie grabs the only tip they have and tracks the killer from Jacksonville, to Tallahassee, eventually landing in Pensacola.

Ryder’s priority is to keep his scent dogs safe. 2 months after being stabbed, he's just now getting back on his feet, and he is very protective of his dog Grace who has phenomenal scent awareness. Ever since his Marine K9 unit searched for IEDs in Afghanistan, he’s avoided nighttime searches. But when a boy goes missing in a remote area of the Florida Panhandle, Creed has to put aside his fears and navigate the risks his dogs will face after dark. 

When Sheriff Norwich enlists Ryder’s help to find a missing boy, it’s personal. The young boy is someone Ryder and his crew know. In fact, if you've read this series for the past few books, you met Taylor who, like Ryder, and Jason Seaver, served in the military. But she's had a rough patch, and her son has now become the center of a rotten from Denmark moment. The search will lead them deep into the forest and after dark. The paths of Ryder’s missing boy and Maggie’s killer are about to collide.

*As some of you are aware, Kava tends to write fiction with a serving of reality in her novels. What you might not know is that this series is an homage to her dog named Scout who she lost in 2014. This story focuses on several storylines featuring Ryder Creed, Maggie O'Dell, Brodie Creed who has become a member of the K9 Crime Scents since she was rescued by Creed. Back in 2021 and 2022, a serial killer murdered 3 homeless men in DC, and 2 in New York City. The man used the train to go back and forth, and thanks to some luck, he was eventually found. 

There is yet another part of this story that got me angry. No matter how awful the US government is, it can get even worse. Trust me. We've seen it in action the past 4 years. Imagine using K-9s to help protect the military. K-9s that scare the crap out of the Taliban so much that they are the first to be targeted by the enemy. Image rushing out of Afghanistan and not only leaving hundreds of Americans, and hundreds of translators who helped our military at the risk of their own lives, and their families behind. 

Oh, but wait, regardless of any stories you may have heard, the US government/military DID leave  dogs behind as well. If you remember back in 2021, you saw the stories in the media. You also saw the denials by the US Government and alleged fact checkers who falsely claimed that they did not leave any dogs behind. LIES. Shame on all of us that we didn't cause an uproar over this story. If you have any doubt about my truth, I suggest you read US Army Platoon Commander Kristen St. Pierre's story about how she was forced to leave her K-9 behind and what it took to get her dog back.

The author has said that she plans on continuing this series with her next book called Chasing Creed. Can't wait.    

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#Review - Daughters of Olympus by Hannah M. Lynn #Historical #Ancient

Series: Standalone
Format: Paperback, 448 pages
Release Date: July 9, 2024
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Source: Publisher
Genre: Historical / Ancient

A daughter pulled between two worlds and a mother willing to destroy both to protect her... Gods and men wage their petty wars, but it is the women of spring who will have the last word

Demeter did not always live in fear. Once, the goddess of spring loved the world and the humans who inhabited it. After a devastating assault, though, she becomes a shell of herself. Her only solace is her daughter, Persephone.

A balm to her mother’s pain, Persephone grows among wildflowers, never leaving the sanctuary Demeter built for them. But she aches to explore the mortal world—to gain her own experiences. Naïve but determined, she secretly builds a life of her own under her mother’s watchful gaze. But as she does so, she catches the eye of Hades, and is kidnapped...

Forced into a role she never wanted, Persephone learns that power suits her. In the land of the living, though, Demeter is willing to destroy the humans she once held dear—anything to protect her family. A mother who has lost everything and a daughter with more to gain than she ever realized, their story will irrevocably shape the world.

Hannah M. Lynn's Daughters of Olympus is the historical fiction retelling of Demeter and Persephone. This story is told primarily in two parts, covering Demeter's story and then Core's POV. It is a story of love, grief and heartache. Demeter: a goddess of life, living half of one. Demeter, one of the Olympians birthed from the Titans, like Zeus, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon, wanted nothing but to enjoy the beauty of the earth in bloom with her daughter at her side. 

The other Gods, especially her brother Zeus, may be cruel and callous, but they have underestimated what the Goddess of spring is capable of. Demeter did not always live in fear. Once, the goddess of spring loved the world and the humans who inhabited it. After a devastating assault, though, she becomes a shell of herself. She decides to leave Olympus behind, and make a living among the nymphs who protected her, and her only solace is Persephone. Where Persephone is taken, Demeter turns the world into a place where nothing can survive.

Before she was Persephone, she was Core. Core is as bright as summer and devoted to her mother, even during their millennia in exile from Olympus. A balm to her mother's pain, Persephone grows among wildflowers, never leaving the sanctuary Demeter built for them. But she aches to explore the mortal world--to gain her own experiences. Naïve but determined, she secretly builds a life of her going further and further away from home.

She secretly builds a life of her own—and as she does so, even falling for a human who she makes plan to spent eternity with. Until she catches the eye of a powerful god named Hades and the rest you already know. Forced into a role she never wanted, Persephone learns that power suits her. Especially if she can spend time with the woman she fell in love with. Until she is betrayed by a demon into eating a pomegranate and is forced to remain in the Underworld for eternity as the Goddess of the Underworld. 

In the land of the living, though, Demeter is willing to destroy the humans she once held dear--anything to protect her family. She even challenges Zeus to try to stop her which makes the situation even more dire for the humans on Earth. A mother who has lost everything and a daughter with more to gain than she ever realized, their story will irrevocably shape the world. Is there a solution that will make everyone happy? Of course!!

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