#BookReview The Guilty Dead by P.J. Tracy @crookedlanebks

The Guilty Dead by P.J. Tracy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Guilty Dead is the ninth book in P.J. Tracy's addictive and internationally bestselling Twin Cities series.

Gregory Norwood, wealthy businessman and close friend of Minnesota's leading candidate for Governor, is found dead on the first anniversary of his son's drug overdose. It seems clear to Detectives Gino and Magozzi that grief drove him to suicide.

Until they realise the left-handed man seems to have used his right hand to pull the trigger.

And they find the second body.

As the seemingly open-and-shut case becomes a murder enquiry, the detectives begin to delve into the dark secrets of one of the city's most powerful families. It seems the murders are not the first in the Norwoods' tragic story - and they won't be the last . . .

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I don't want to be a Negative Nancy when it comes to books. However, this book just didn't turn out the be as good as I had hoped it to be. I have long wanted to read this series and with the latest published book, THE GUILTY DEAD did I finally take the plunge. I have this as a copy, but I decided to listen to the audioversion instead since then I could take the book with me to work...;)

I did think the book started off good, with murders looking like suicide. However, I had one big problem all through the book. One problem that made it hard for me to truly enjoy the book. The characters. I've listened to books before with a lot of characters to keep track on. And, usually, it's not a big problem. This time, I kept forgetting who was who ALL THE TIME. Yup, now and then I turned to the ecopy of the book I had to search for a name to find out who she/he was. I probably broke my name search record for one book. Now, there will obviously be those that will chide me telling me that it's a risk when you haven't read the previous books in a series. However, I will tell you that I seldom have this problem. Unless the characters are not memorable. Needer the main characters nor those new in this book made an impression on me.

So, how was the story? Well, not bad, but not overly engrossing. I will say this. The book worked fine when it came to listening to at work (when I was not confused about someone identity). The identity of the main culprit was hardly a surprise. Often it felt like I was one step ahead of the characters in the book, although I did enjoy the last part of the book when everything unraveled.  I do want to read the first book in the series to see if that will work better for me.

THE GUILTY DEAD was just not my cup of tea. However, fans of this series will probably enjoy this book very much.

#BookReview Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves @AnnCleeves @StMartinsPress @MinotaurBooks @FreshFiction

Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When the Flemings--designer Helena and architect Daniel--move into a remote community in the north of Shetland, they think it's a fresh start for themselves and their children.

But their arrival triggers resentment, and Helena begins to receive small drawings of a gallows and a hanged man. Gossip spreads like wildfire.

A story of dysfunctional families and fractured relationships, Inspector Jimmy Perez's eighth case will intrigue series fans and Shetland Island newcomers alike.

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Helena, her husband Daniel, and their two children didn't have the easiest start in their new house on Shetland. After they moved in the previous owner hanged himself in the barn, and the local community is not so welcoming. Helena has started to receive small drawings of a gallows with a hanged man. Then, their son makes a horrifying discovery out in the barn

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

August #Wishlist 1930s

This month's wishlist is a theme that I have used before. But, then again, I love books set in the 30s!

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A sweeping debut novel set in 1930s Shanghai for fans of Lisa See, Empress, and Memoirs of a Geisha

In 1930s Shanghai, following the path of duty takes precedence over personal desires for every young Chinese woman. For Feng, that means becoming the bride of a wealthy businessman in a marriage arranged by her parents. In the enclosed world of the Sang household—a place of public ceremony and private cruelty—she learns that fulfilling her duty means bearing a male heir.

Ruthless and embittered by a life that has been forced on her, Feng plots a terrible revenge. But as the years pass, she must come to a reckoning with the sacrifices and the terrible choices she has made to assure her place in family and society, before the entire country is engulfed in the fast-flowing tide of revolution.

One snowy New Year's Day, in the midst of the Great Depression, Dr. James Delaney--haunted by the slaughters of the Great War, and abandoned by his wife and daughter--returns home to find his three-year-old grandson on his doorstep, left by his mother in Delaney's care.

Coping with this unexpected arrival, Delaney hires Rose, a tough, decent Sicilian woman with a secret in her past. Slowly, as Rose and the boy begin to care for the good doctor, the numbness in Delaney begins to melt. Recreating 1930s New York with the vibrancy and rich detail that are his trademarks, Pete Hamill weaves a story of honor, family, and one man's simple courage that no reader will soon forget.

The New York Times bestselling author of The Other Lady Vanishes sweeps readers back to California in the 1930s in this all-new novel.

An ex-trapeze artist walks the tightrope between desire and danger as she is caught up in the mysterious circumstances surrounding the onstage death of an inventor. The race is on to find his missing invention before others, who are willing to kill for it, find it first. Once again, the resort town of Burning Cove is the center of deception and intrigue in this thrilling new novel from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick.

When Irish-born fighter Danny McCabe commits a terrible crime, he flees to America and throws in his lot with Nicky and Lucia Mariani, siblings from Corsica in search of their fortunes.

After Nicky's infatuation with the New York underworld sees them fall into trouble, the trio head west to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood where Lucia dreams of becoming a star.

Bound by blood and shared secrets, they carve out a life in 1930s tinseltown. While Danny and Lucia embark upon an affair as profound as it is dangerous, Nicky is pulled ever deeper into the dark heart of Los Angeles.

Nicky's reckless ambition sees him make a name for himself amongst a bad crowd, while Danny desperately tries to bury the secrets of his past and carve out a good life for himself on America's west coast. Lucia, passionate and loyal, is left in an impossible position, caught in the crossfire between her brother and the man she loves.

From the author of A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS comes an epic new novel that will span the Golden Age of Hollywood, from the 1930s to the 1960s, and will include appearances from Raymond Chandler, William Faulkner, Mickey Cohen and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Deeply atmospheric and peopled with rich, complex characters, City of Shadows is an enthralling novel of historical suspense, set in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s—a decadent, turbulent time in which a proud nation scarred by defeat, deprivation, and debauchery will become the fertile breeding ground for the rise of National Socialism. 

Berlin, 1922—a city of fading beauty plagued by unemployment and rampant inflation, is home to a host of refugees, including Esther Solomonova. Esther survives by working as a secretary to fellow émigré “Prince” Nick, a scheming cabaret owner who enlists a highly suspicious Esther to “help” Anna Anderson—who may or may not be the lost Princess Anastasia—to claim the Romanov fortune.Yet as people around Esther begin to die, the more she realizes that her own life is at risk, for the murderer may be connected to the terrifying and increasingly powerful Nazi party.

Check Out my friend's wonderful Wishlists: 

Holly at @ Kids and Tired

Stephanie @ Layered Pages

Heather @ The Maiden's Court

Erin @ Historical Fiction Reader

Collen @ A Literary Vacation

#BlogTour I am Mrs. Jesse James by Pat Wahler @hfvbt @PatWahlerAuthor @BlankSlatePress

Publication Date: August 28, 2018

Blank Slate Press

Paperback & eBook; 316 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

A penny for a promise will change her life forever.

For Jesse James, the war will never be over. For Zee Mimms, the war is only the beginning.

The long, bloody Civil War is finally at an end when Zee Mimms, the dutiful daughter of a Missouri preacher, is tasked with nursing her cousin, JesseJames, back to health after he suffers a near-fatal wound. During Jesse’s long convalescence, the couple falls in love, but Jesse’s resentment against the Federals runs deep. He has scores to settle. For him, the war will never be over.

Zee is torn between deferring to her parents’ wishes and marrying for security or marrying for love and accepting the hard realities of life with an outlaw―living under an assumed name and forever on the run. For her, the choice she makes means the war is only beginning.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

Praise

“A vivid, moving tale of the woman behind the man of myth and legend…a refreshing take on the woman who both inspired and outlived her partner’s blaze of glory. This is a book not to be missed!” -Nicole Evelina, award winning author of Daughter of Destiny

“I am Mrs. Jesse James presents a woman who, far from being naive or complacent, shows us that pride and love can peacefully coexist against the most violent of backdrops.” -Julia Bricklin, historian and author of America’s Best Female Sharpshooter: The Rise and Fall of Lillian Frances Smith

“A beautifully spun, emotional tale of love and devotion in the most challenging of circumstances.” -Sarah Angleton, author of Launching Sheep & Other Stories from the Intersection of History and Nonsense

About the Author

Pat Wahler is an award-winning writer who aims to pen stories a reader will savor. She lives in Missouri with her family, including a Peek-a-poo pup named Winston; and Bogey, a tabby with an attitude. A fan of good books, history, humor, animals, and the arts (her dream job would combine all of these); Pat draws inspiration from family, friends, and the critters who supervise her time at the keyboard.

A frequent contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, Sasee Magazine, and Not Your Mother’s Book anthologies; her work has also appeared in Reader’s Digest, Storyteller Magazine, and other publications.

Pat is thrilled to announce the release of her debut novel, I AM MRS. JESSE JAMES, in August, 2018. This story of love, loss, and redemption is based on true events and told from the point of view of Zee James, wife of the infamous outlaw. She is also the co-author of a children’s picture book, MIDNIGHT, THE ONE-EYED CAT, releasing in September, 2018. Get ready for Pat’s Christmas-themed collection of short stories, essays, and poetry titled LET YOUR HEART BE LIGHT: A CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS, releasing October, 2018.

For more information, please visit Pat Wahler’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Bookbub.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, August 28

Interview at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, August 29

Feature at Passages to the Past

Thursday, August 30

Review at A Chick Who Reads

Friday, August 31

Review at A Bookaholic Swede

Monday, September 3

Feature at Naomi Finley’s Blog

Tuesday, September 4

Interview at Maiden of the Pages

Wednesday, September 5

Review at Creating Herstory

Thursday, September 6

Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Saturday, September 8

Review at Clarissa Reads it All

Monday, September 10

Interview at Creating Herstory

Tuesday, September 11

Review at 100 Pages a Day

Wednesday, September 12

Feature at The Lit Bitch

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a paperback copy of I Am Mrs. Jesse James! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on September 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

– Giveaway is open to residents in the US only.

– Only one entry per household.

– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.

– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

I Am Mrs. Jesse James

Direct Link: https://gleam.io/competitions/9wymY-i-am-mrs-jesse-james

#CoverCrush The Huntress by Kate Quinn

For new visitors do I want to explain that Cover Crush is something that my friend Erin over at Historical Fiction Reader came up with and I adopted the idea together with some other friends. And, now we try to put up a Cover Crush every week. You can check below my pick of the week for their choices this week!

In the aftermath of war, the hunter becomes the hunted…

Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina’s bravery and cunning will keep her alive.

Transformed by the horrors he witnessed from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials, British war correspondent Ian Graham has become a Nazi hunter. Yet one target eludes him: a vicious predator known as the Huntress. To find her, the fierce, disciplined investigator joins forces with the only witness to escape the Huntress alive: the brazen, cocksure Nina. But a shared secret could derail their mission unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it.

Growing up in post-war Boston, seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is determined to become a photographer. When her long-widowed father unexpectedly comes homes with a new fiancée, Jordan is thrilled. But there is something disconcerting about the soft-spoken German widow. Certain that danger is lurking, Jordan begins to delve into her new stepmother’s past—only to discover that there are mysteries buried deep in her family . . . secrets that may threaten all Jordan holds dear.

In this immersive, heart-wrenching story, Kate Quinn illuminates the consequences of war on individual lives, and the price we pay to seek justice and truth.

Thoughts:

I think that only seeing the silhouette of a woman on the cover really captures the essence of a book about being hunted. About secrets in the past. The cover really has a mysterious feeling to it and I can't wait to read the book!  

Check out what my friends have picked for Cover Crush's this week:

Stephanie @ Layered Pages

Heather @ The Maiden's Court

Holly @ 2 Kids and Tired Books

Colleen @ A Literary Vacation

Meghan @ Of Quills & Vellum

Erin @ Historical Fiction Reader

#BookReview The Katharina Code by Jørn Lier Horst @LierHorst @MichaelJBooks

The Katharina Code by Jørn Lier Horst
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twenty-four years ago Katharina Haugen went missing.

All she left behind was her husband Martin and a mysterious string of numbers scribbled on a piece of paper.

Every year on October 9th Chief Inspector William Wisting takes out the files to the case he was never able to solve. Stares at the code he was never able to crack. And visits the husband he was never able to help.

But now Martin Haugen is missing too.

As Wisting prepares to investigate another missing person's case he's visited by a detective from Oslo. Adrian Stiller is convinced Martin's involved in another disappearance of a young woman and asks Wisting to close the net around Martin.

But is Wisting playing cat and mouse with a dangerous killer or a grief-stricken husband who cannot lay the past to rest?

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I have read several books in the William Wisting series and I love it! If this is the first time you have ever heard of this series, then I encourage you to go out and find any books you can read. This series by Jørn Lier Horst is excellent and you can without any problem read any of the books as stand alone.

THE KATHARINA CODE starts off with William Wisting going through the Katharina investigation. He does it every year on the same day. The day Katarina disappeared. However, this year will prove to be a bit different. Katharina's husband Martin Haugan goes missing. Could there be a connection between Martin's disappearance and Katharina's?

I loved the beginning of the book. As a big cold case fan was this book thrilling to read. Especially when you start to get a feeling that all the pieces are starting to come together. Another thing that I love about this series that you also get William Wisting's Lina's POV. She's a journalist, and she too gets involved into working this case, although from a journalist POV and without knowing that her father is also working the case.

THE KATHARINA CODE is a fabulous book and I recommend it and the whole series warmly!

I want to thank Michael Joseph Books for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#BlogTour Overkill by Vanda Symon @vandasymon @OrendaBooks #RandomThingsTours

Overkill by Vanda Symon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When the body of a young mother is found washed up on the banks of the Mataura River, a small rural community is rocked by her tragic suicide. But all is not as it seems. Sam Shephard, sole-charge police constable in Mataura, soon discovers the death was no suicide, and has to face the realization that there is a killer in town. To complicate the situation, the murdered woman was the wife of her former lover. When Sam finds herself on the list of suspects and suspended from duty, she must cast aside her personal feelings and take matters into her own hands. She must find the murderer, and clear her name.

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First, I want to say that no, you shouldn't pick books because of covers. Second, I just LOVE this cover. So, ignore what I said first. Especially if you like a good crime novel because this is a book that has both a great story AND great cover! 

OVERKILL is the first book in Sam Shephard series. Sam is a young cop that is called to a house in which a young woman has disappeared from. A suicide note has been found and soon after the body of the woman is found. An easy case, or not. Sam is not so sure and shortly after she discovers that it's, not suicide, it's murder. And, to top it all she's herself a suspect because of the dead women is the wife of her old boyfriend. Now she has to both find the murderer and clear her name. 

Sam Shepard is easy to like. A bit too outspoken now perhaps, which isn't good when her career and life in freedom is at risk. But, she's a good cop and she's hellbent on finding the killer. The question is why would anyone want to kill a nice young mother. Sam has to dig deep to get some answers and the truth is truly surprising. There are also some really hilarious moments in the book, like for instance when Sam is trying to change a tire. I love it when in all seriousness there is a moment like that. Moments that make you smile.    

OVERKILL is a great book and I hope to get the chance of reading the rest of the books in the series. 

   

#BookReview The Lost Love Letters of Henri Fournier by Rosalind Brackenbury @AmazonPub

The Lost Love Letters of Henri Fournier by Rosalind Brackenbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What do you do when you’ve lost the love of your life?

Seb Fowler has arrived in Paris to research his literary idol, Henri Fournier. It begins with an interview granted by a woman whose affair with the celebrated writer trails back to World War I. The enchanting Pauline is fragile, but her memories are alive—those of an illicit passion, of the chances she took and never regretted, and of the twists of fate that defined her unforgettable love story.

Through Pauline’s love letters, her secrets, and a lost Fournier manuscript, Seb will come to learn so much more—about Pauline, Henri, and himself. For Seb, every moment of Pauline’s past proves to be more inspiring than he could have imagined. She’s given him the courage to grab hold of whatever life offers, to cherish each risk, and to pursue love in his life.

Intimately epic, The Lost Love Letters of Henri Fournier spans generations to explore every beautiful mystery of falling in love, being in love, and losing a love—and, most important, daring to love again and discovering just how resilient the human heart can be.

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I decided to listen to the audio version of this book. Sometimes I do both, read at home and listen at work. However, sometimes a narrator is so good that I just feel the need to listen when I'm at home as well. And so it was with this book. Cassandra Campbell shifted between the characters effortlessly and her French accent is marvelous. It was a great joy to listen to this book.

I had no idea that the story in THE LOST LOVE LETTERS OF HENRI FOURNIER is based on real people. I didn't learn that until I read a review of the book and later on the afterwords by the author. This is a fictional tale of real people. My favorite kind of historical fiction. Interesting enough did I prefer the story set in the 1970s and the present, rather than the one set during the 1910s. Not that I disliked reading about Pauline love affair with Henri. I was just more engrossed in Pauline's recollections and Seb's story, both in the 70s and present. I really liked old Pauline, she was so full of wisdom and sass. And I could picture in my head her apartment in Paris filled with old things gathered through the years.

THE LOST LOVE LETTERS OF HENRI FOURNIER is a great historical fiction. I'm not a big fan of romance novels, but I do love reading a historical fiction with some romance now and then. And, if you also like books about real people, epic love stories, and tragic events then you will love this book!