The Boy Who Cried Bear - Kelley Armstrong

Oh my gosh, I have been eagerly waiting for the second entry - The Boy Who Cried Bear - in Kelley Armstrong's Haven's Rock series. 

Now, you could read the book as a stand alone, but you'd be missing some great tales in the books before this title.

What is Haven's Rock? It's a well-hidden town surrounded by forest, way up north in the Yukon. It's a refuge for those who need to disappear. Which opens the door to so many plots!

All of the favourite characters are back - notably Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton. The core group of supporting players are also back. But, there are some new faces as well. And for the first time, a child has been granted a place in the town. 

Max is only ten. When he goes into the forest, he thinks he has seen a bear. But when he goes back to town and tells everyone that the bear had human eyes, he is told not to tell tales. Yeah, you can see where the plot is gong to go, right?

Here's the things that I love about this series. The plot is never a straight road, instead there are new ideas, events, deductions and more that change that road into a winding path to the final answers. I change my opinion on whodunit with each new revelation. I really enjoy how Casey and Dalton think things through, coming up with new avenues. They're adept in reading both people and the wilds. They're a couple in both work and at home. Their personal lives move forward with each book.

The idea of that town off the grid is somewhat tantalizing. What would it be like to walk away from it all? Armstrong gives us a look at her idea how it might look - and how  it would function. There has to be some structure. And there will always be someone who says differently.

There's answers to the goings on in this latest, but the door is open for what's going to happen next. I can't wait!

I really like Armstrong's writing. Her books make for addictive reading. So, my advice would be to clear a day on your calendar, hunker down and make a visit to Haven's Rock.

See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Boy Who Cried Bear. An easy five stars!

 

The Poisoner's Ring - Kelley Armstrong

The Poisoner's Ring is the second book in Kelley Armstrong's 'A Rip Through Time' series. Now, you don't have to have read the first book to enjoy this tale as Armstrong provides enough backstory in the opening chapters to catch up. 

In 2019, Mallory, a American Homicide Detective who went on a trip to Edinburgh, was attacked and left for dead in an alley. But, Mallory isn't dead. And here's where the series title comes in - she wakes up in a hospital to find herself in the body of a housemaid, who was also attacked in the same alley. But.....in 1869. What a great set up! 

From the outside looking in, she appears to be a maid, but once a detective, always a detective. This latest case is too close for comfort for Mallory's benefactors. I really enjoy how the cases are solved - which is the 'old fashioned' way - using deductions, legwork, suspicions, observations and more. Forensic science is in it's infancy and Mallory can help with that.  Armstrong always comes up with a well written, not easy to solve, crime. This latest is no exception - I changed my guess multiple times on the way to the final pages. 

I quite like Mallory as a lead character. We're privy to her inner thoughts as she tries to adapt to the time frame, keep up a façade and help her benefactors solve local crime. She has to think of everything - what her behaviour should look like, the language she uses and how to navigate in a past she doesn't really know much about. The supporting cast is excellent - the master of the house and his sister have skills and interests that intersect with Mallory's talents. 

I also appreciate the detailed description of the settings and the social strata as well. 

A unique premise, great characters, a keep 'em guessing mystery and more. I feel a romantic thread may develop in the next entry? The ending is satisfying, but there are still questions to be answered. The biggest being if Mallory can ever get back through the rip. And on the other hand...where is Catriona?

I chose to listen to The Poisoner's Ring. The narrator was Kate Handford and she did a wonderful job of presenting Armstrong's work. Her voice is clear, easy to understand and easy on the years. She's created many identifiable voices that let the listener who is speaking. A Scottish accent is needed for many of the characters and an inner American one for Mallory. The accent often changes within conversations and Handford keeps up with that. There's lots of scenes and situations that are dangerous, emotional etc. and Hanford captures the tone of the plot with her voice. An excellent reading of a really great book. 

The Poisoner's Ring - Kelley Armstrong

The Poisoner's Ring is the second book in Kelley Armstrong's 'A Rip Through Time' series. Now, you don't have to have read the first book to enjoy this tale as Armstrong provides enough backstory in the opening chapters to catch up. 

In 2019, Mallory, a American Homicide Detective who went on a trip to Edinburgh, was attacked and left for dead in an alley. But, Mallory isn't dead. And here's where the series title comes in - she wakes up in a hospital to find herself in the body of a housemaid, who was also attacked in the same alley. But.....in 1869. What a great set up! 

From the outside looking in, she appears to be a maid, but once a detective, always a detective. This latest case is too close for comfort for Mallory's benefactors. I really enjoy how the cases are solved - which is the 'old fashioned' way - using deductions, legwork, suspicions, observations and more. Forensic science is in it's infancy and Mallory can help with that.  Armstrong always comes up with a well written, not easy to solve, crime. This latest is no exception - I changed my guess multiple times on the way to the final pages. 

I quite like Mallory as a lead character. We're privy to her inner thoughts as she tries to adapt to the time frame, keep up a façade and help her benefactors solve local crime. She has to think of everything - what her behaviour should look like, the language she uses and how to navigate in a past she doesn't really know much about. The supporting cast is excellent - the master of the house and his sister have skills and interests that intersect with Mallory's talents. 

 

I also appreciate the detailed description of the settings and the social strata as well. 

A unique premise, great characters, a keep 'em guessing mystery and more. I feel a romantic thread may develop in the next entry? The ending is satisfying, but there are still questions to be answered. The biggest being if Mallory can ever get back through the rip. And on the other hand...where is Catriona?

 See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Poisoner's Ring.

You Will Never Be Found - Tove Alsterdal

You Will Never Be Found is the second book in Tove Alsterdal's 'High Coast' series. While this is a series, you don't need to have read the first book to enjoy this latest. There are enough references to let you know who's who and their relationships etc.

Detective Eira Sjodinn is the lead character. She's a dogged, determined investigator that will follow the slimmest of clues to close a case. While she excels at work, her personal life is a bit of a mess. This personal thread adds much to the character. And I'm curious as to how some of her choices are going to play out.

She's caught her work cut out for her when a man reported missing is found in a remote, unpopulated area in a cellar. And then another man goes missing...but this one is personal.

I liked Alsterdal's plotting. The tension grows as the search widens and still nothing or no one is found. It seems like a needle in a haystack. And this is where Eira's critical thinking comes into play. Does she have the answer? There's no room to be wrong as we head to the final pages. Alsterdal kept my attention from first page to last. And an unexpected door is left open for the next entry in the series - which I would happily pick  up. See for yourself - read an excerpt of You Will Never Be Found.

Tove Alsterdal has won the awards for Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year and the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. 

The Self-Made Widow - Fabian Nicieza

I absolutely loved Fabian Nicieza's Edgar Award nominated debut novel, Suburban Dicks. I was thrilled to see that he had penned a follow up The Self-Made Widow. Would it measure up to the five star first book? It did indeed! 

At the center of the cast of characters is Andrea Stern. She was an up and coming profiler with the FBI many years ago. And then she got pregnant, married and now has five children. But does that stop her from investigating? Nope! (Her mothering skills had me laughing out loud more than once.) Andrea has the respect of a number of law enforcement agencies after the last case. The other main character is Kenny Lee. He's a journalist and is flying high on the success that the last case brought to him. The relationship between he and Andrea is, well, complicated. There is a wealth of supporting characters including the Cellulitists - a group of neighborhood mothers.

This latest case involves them directly as one of their husbands has died. But Andrea can't let go of the idea that it was murder, not a natural death. And she's like a dog with a bone...

Okay, fabulous characters that are really well drawn. Check. We met them in the first book and Nicieza has continued fleshing them out, touching on a number of real concerns, thoughts, events and more.

Next? A fantastic plot! This is not a cozy series. The plot premise is so well written and it was difficult to suss out the final whodunit. The reader is along for the ride, presented with the same clues as our characters. 

Wonderfully creative writing. Fun, fresh, different, engaging and just a whole lot of fun to read. Nicieza is the co-creator of  Marvel's Deadpool. Uh, huh that same wry humor, an unusual, intriguing mystery and two decidedly different leads make this another 'can't put it down read.' 

Highly recommended and an easy five stars. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Self-Made Widow.