All of Us Villains - Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman have joined forces and co written the upcoming YA fantasy novel, All of Us Villains.

I try always try to  post my reviews within a few days of the book's publication date. All of Us Villains was next up on my Netgalley shelf, so I got started reading a few days ago. I got to page 86 and the galley ended. It was only then that I remembered it was a sampler copy! 

So, from what I did read, it's pretty good. In some time and place, Common Magick is used by the masses. High Magick is thought to have disappeared to have disappeared.....but it hasn't. Seven families in the town of Ilvernath know, use and protect the High Magick. Control of it is determined by pitting a young 'champion' from each family against each other in a Magick tournament.

I know what you're thinking - because I thought that too - The Hunger Games right? Very similar, but with magick instead of food. Indeed, the publisher uses that comparison in their marketing. "You Fell in Love with the Victors of the Hunger Games. Now Prepare to Meet the Villains of the Blood Veil."

Foody and Herman have created a large cast of characters - the seven champions, their families and those who back the tournaments - the spellcasters and makers and someone from the government this time round. The masses are also aware now that High Magick is indeed still alive....

You'll easily find the champion you want to back, decide quickly which family are devious and manipulating, and wonder  - what Foody and Herman have in store for the tournament...

And that's where it ended! So, yes my curiosity is whetted! What I've read so far is well written - and you can see for yourself - the free extended preview is on Amazon.

Later - Stephen King

I am a big Stephen King fan and am always eagerly awaiting his newest release. Later is the latest - and is just as good as I knew it would be!

Later is told completely from Jamie Conklin's point of view in a storytelling fashion. He takes us back to his childhood when he discovers that he sees things that no one else does. His single mother warns him to not tell anyone else, but she does let it slip to her girlfriend Liz. What does he see? Dead people. They can see Jamie as well and talk to him before they fade away. And...they cannot lie to him. The adults in his life see the potential in Jamie's gift. His mother's request is made to keep their small family afloat. But Liz.....well, she see other opportunities...

You just know there's going to be something evil amongst the dead Jamie sees and talks to. There is, and it's downright terrifying. Even more so as Jamie is just a child.

Jamie was such a fantastic lead and I loved his voice. He's an adult as he recounts his past and his voice is by turns is self deprecating, wry, frightened and more as he shares his past - and present - with the listener. King does 'young person facing incredible evil on their own' so very, very well. It's impossible to not get caught up in the tension of the plot. There's also some dark humor that I always appreciate.

I loved the cover image and the retro feel. And the title? The word later is used very effectively as foreshadowing by Jamie and is guaranteed to keep you staying up later than you should.

I have actually listened to the last few books and am now hooked on the audio versions of King's work. The narrator was Seth Numrich and he was such a great choice. His tone matched the mental image I had for an adult Jamie, but he also captured the fear, danger and uncertainty of young Jamie. The voice for Mom was spot on. And the thing's voice? Goosebumps, every time it spoke. The voice for Liz suited her actions and personality. Numrich captures the tone and tenor of King's plot so very, very well with his expressive narration. His speaking is clear, easy to understand and the pacing was just right. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I become so much more immersed in a tale when I listen to it. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of Later.

One Was Lost - Natalie D. Richards

One Was Lost is the fourth book from Natalie Richards.

A group of high school seniors head out on an end of year camping trip. An unexpected flash flood separates the group into two - on either side of the river. The bedraggled second group (consisting of a teacher and four students) beds down for the night, resting up for what tomorrow might bring. What tomorrow brings is a group that has been drugged, a teacher that won't wake up and words inked onto each teen's arm. Damaged, Deceptive, Dangerous, Darling.

Uh, huh. There's someone in the woods. Playing games - with their lives.

"Lucas was right. This is a trap, a carefully constructed production. And we played our parts to perfection."

One Was Lost absolutely brought a slasher teen flick to mind. The kind where you want to yell at the characters to not go into the woods alone. (and someone always does) Richards does a good job of casting suspicion on every character as the book progresses. Interactions between the four - who were not friends before the trip - also adds to the confusion and doubt. Who can they trust?And it wouldn't be a YA book without the obligatory romantic subplot. Our main character Sera has fallen for local bad boy Luke, but the path to true love is a rocky one. Very rocky if you're stuck in the woods with a maniac trying to kill you.

The whodunit is a bit far-fetched, but provides a nice little twist at the end. But the journey there was an enjoyable, easy read.

For me, YA fiction is fun escapist reading. One Was Lost was the perfect one night read for a dark and stormy night. (and the cover telegraphs that too) My only quibble would be the recommendation of  One Was Lost by the publisher to fans of Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood. Ware's work is an adult novel that really cannot be compared to this YA book. But I think teens will love it. Read an excerpt of One Was Lost.

All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda

Looking for a great suspense summer read? Then you must pick up Megan Miranda's debut adult suspense novel - All the Missing Girls.

Nic Farrell's father is failing. Reluctantly she heads back to her hometown of Cooley Ridge to help her brother deal with things. Nic escaped right after high school graduation ten years ago - right after her best friend Corrinne went missing. The police always thought that Nic and her friends knew more than they were letting on.

But within days of Nic's arrival in town, another young woman goes missing.....

Always a great premise - an unsolved mystery from the past, the present mirroring that past and the same players involved. Who knows what? What are they hiding? Why?

"The official line: Corrinne last existed to everyone who knew her just inside the entrance to the fair, and from there, she disappeared. But she didn't, really. There was more. A piece for each of us that we kept hidden away." Delicious!!

But here's the hook that makes All the Missing Girls an even better read - it's told backwards! We meet Nic, see her present life, travel with her as she arrives back in town, connects with her dad, brother and some old friends. And then another girl disappears........

And Miranda jumps the timeline two weeks forward. And bits and pieces of the past start to reveal themselves even as the present plays out. DO NOT flip to the end - yes I know there are some of you out there that like to know what's going to happen and then go back to the beginning. But it would spoil the fun of this book. Keep your eyes peeled for a sentence, a thought or a mention of something you didn't know in the last chapter and add it to your interpretation of what happened - then and now. There are lots of lovely twists and turns along the way to the final reveal. (And I loved the ending)

Some interesting relationship dynamics are explored as well. I 'bought' the characters, could picture them and believe in their actions, emotions and flaws.

Great summer reading! Read an excerpt of All the Missing Girls.

Security - Gina Wohlsdorf

Security is the newly released debut novel from Gina Wohlsdorf.

Tessa and her team are scrambling the night before to put the final touches in place for the opening night of Manderly, an uber-luxurious hotel. In addition to the opulent touches, the security system is the ultimate in high tech.

"This place is something....supposed to be the safest hotel in the world, right?"

But is it enough to stop the two killers that are calmly strolling throughout the hotel, knocking off the employees one by one? The hotel is large, sprawling, and equipped with a hidden elevator - the employees have no idea that they are being hunted down - until it's too late.

But Tessa is a fighter, having survived a rough childhood with her foster brother Brian - who has stopped by the hotel to catch up. As the night progresses, they will have to draw on that toughness if they hope to see morning.

Wohlsdorf weaves a rich past and romance for Brian and Tessa amongst the carnage of the Manderly. These tender moments are juxtaposed by the calmness of the killer as they just go about their work. Romantic horror?

But - there's one more person at the Manderley - the one watching the security cameras. Who is he? The mastermind? Another hired assassin?

I loved the 'split screen' pages that echoed multiple camera views from someone watching in a security room. It was a unique idea and it really made the reader feel like they were in the room watching as well.

Wohlsdorf has a darkly wicked sense of humour. Which seems odd in what I've just described, but it really works.

Security really defies being slotted into a genre. I was kept completely off kilter. It's a nail biter and I can absolutely see it on the big screen. And, I might be a little paranoid the next time I check in at a hotel - "The most thorough safety is safety one's object of protection doesn't know about."  Read an excerpt of Security.

Die of Shame - Mark Billingham

Mark Billingham has been on my must read list for many years. I love his DI Tom Thorne series. His newest book is a stand alone called Die of Shame.

Six recovering addicts meet on Monday nights in their therapist's home office. They are varied group - straight, gay, rich, poor, male, female, working, unemployed, young, old etc. But addiction doesn't discriminate.

Billingham employs a then and now format in his novel. (I always enjoy this style - two stories running concurrently until they inevitably collide.) Then is meeting the participants, sitting in on the group meeting, observing the interactions, the dynamics and the tensions. And Tony the therapist's questionable therapy method. He wants each member to expose the thing they are most ashamed of in front of the others.....

The now? One of the members is dead. Is it a random killing? Could it be one of the remaining five? The reader is privy to insider knowledge that the police don't have - what happens in the circle can't be repeated.

Spliced into the story are short meetings between a convict and an unknown visitor. " '...all those questions, and I reckon you just want to know what it's like.....To kill someone.' 'The visitor's face breaks into a grin. Oh I wouldn't worry too much about that. I'll know for myself soon enough."

Billingham has written a slower paced suspense novel this time 'round. The focus is more on the characters, their actions, reactions, mindsets, thoughts and judgements rather than on crime details. Die of Shame is more of a psychological mystery than a plot driven read.

I thought all of the players were extremely well drawn - none of them are very likable, but the reader still feels empathy. I thought Billingham did a good job of depicting recovering addicts. There was one character that I had my suspicions about. And I was proven right - but the reason behind it was a surprise. The investigating team of Tanner and Chall are also given a good backstory (especially Tanner - it would be nice to see more of her) and do their job well, but I wasn't as invested in them as Tom Thorne. (Yes, I miss him)

The last sentence of the book was absolutely perfect and had me exclaiming out loud. I'm very curious if this will go further or it was just a nice little ending to grab the reader. Read an excerpt of Die of Shame.

The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion

It was a dark and stormy night....our power went out on Sunday night - reports indicated that it would be out for most of the night. Rather than digging around for a flashlight, I realized I could use the handy dandy flashlight app on my iPad - and that I could easily hunker down and read in the dark. (Others in the house were moaning about televisions and PlayStations)

Well, I read until the iPad ran out of juice. (I didn't have a full charge when I started) Do you ever start a novel and realize you're in for a fantastic read within the first few pages? Graeme Simsion's debut novel, The Rosie Project, was one of those books.

Genetics Professor Don Tillman leads his life by a strict schedule, strict rules and rigidly adheres to them. He's brilliant, but socially inept, unable to read facial clues or experience emotion. He's had a few first dates (very few) but never a second one. Nearing his fortieth birthday, he decides he needs to find a mate. But how to do that without wasting time? Aha!

"A questionnaire! Such an obvious solution. A purpose-built, scientifically valid instrument incorporating current best practice to filter out the time wasters, the disorganized, the ice-cream discriminators, the visual-harassment complainers, the crystal gazers, the horoscope readers, the fashion obsessives, the religious fanatics, the vegans, the sports watchers the creationists, the smokers, the scientifically illiterate, the homeopaths, leaving, ideally, the perfect partner, or realistically, a managed short list of candidates."

And The Wife Project is born. And then Rosie Jarman walks into Don's office. Don thinks she is there to apply for The Wife Project, but  Rosie is looking for a geneticist to help her find her biological father.  Rosie is everything Don is NOT looking for in a mate. But he's intrigued by her search. And so, The Father Project is born. And maybe, just maybe, Rosie is a little intriguing as well...

I loved Don and his view of the world. His scheduling, his routines, his reaction to the rest of the world - and theirs to him. Simsion manipulates the reader wonderfully. I became so invested in Don and his search and his burgeoning self awareness. I empathized, I laughed, I cheered. The supporting cast of married couple Gene and Claudia were just as well drawn. It was interesting to see their story revealed through Don's eyes.

Don narrates the whole story and never breaks character. It was truly eye opening to see the world through a 'different' filter.

The Rosie Project was absolutely wonderful and beguiling and just a really, good heartwarming, read. Think The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time meets The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Read an excerpt of The Rosie Project. Keep up with Graeme Simsion on Twitter.

Sony Pictures has optioned film rights to The Rosie Project and Simsion is working on a sequel.

Bones of the Lost - Kathy Reichs

There was a time in my reading life where I devoured every 'forensic' novel I could get my hands on - this seemed to coincide with my love of certain television shows of the same ilk. Well, my interest in the TV shows waned and a few of the forensic authors also fell by the wayside. Okay, one of them fell in the ditch.

But not Kathy Reichs. Although I haven't read the last few books, I looked forward to picking up her latest book (#16) to feature forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan - Bones of the Lost. (Yes, she's the basis of the 'Bones' TV show. As is Reichs, who is a forensic anthropologist herself. Which adds a lot to her books!)

Tempe has a set of what may be ancient Peruvian dog bones at the lab waiting to be looked at. They've been confiscated by US Customs from a US war vet who now specializes in the 'import' business.

But, when a young girl, killed by an apparent hit and run, is brought in, she takes precedence. What was she doing in the seedy part of town she was found in? Why did she have a piece of ID from a dead man in her purse? And no ID of her own?

And finally, her ex-husband Pete begs a favour of her - will she go to Afghanistan to look at a set of bones and testify at a military trial. The incentive? It's at the same camp where their daughter Katy is stationed.

Three seemingly disparate cases that Reichs manages to weave together by the final pages.

What keeps me reading this series is the main character. I like her. I don't always agree with everything she says or does, but she's real and believable.  Her co-protagonist Detective 'Skinny' Slidell is not warm and fuzzy, but is a great addition to the series. The two of them are opposites but play off each other well. And Slidell's one-liners were great. Tempe's personal life continues to be in upheaval and gives the character more depth. But love interest Ryan doesn't make an appearance until the final pages. And he arrives with bad news - which may indeed be a set up for the next book.

Reichs has again written a solid mystery, using current topics and headlines to make it time relevant. Solid, but not really new. It seems like I have read this plot line in one form or another already. And maybe that's why it's only a 3.5/5 for me. Because it's solid and somewhat predictable in that we know Tempe is going to solve it all by the end. And this was a bit of a sticky point for me - Tempe seems he** bent on solving everything on her own, damn the torpedoes. She seems to be stepping on detective toes more than using her forensic skills. But hey, it made for good action scenes!

But, that's not to say I didn't enjoy it - I did. Bones of the Lost could be read as a stand alone, but I'd recommend starting at the beginning of the series and getting to know the character right from the start.  Read an excerpt of Bones of the Lost. You can find Kathy Reichs on Twitter and on Facebook.

Kept in the Dark - Penny Hancock

 Kept in the Dark is British author Penny Hancock's debut novel.

Forty something Sonia lives in a beautiful home on the Thames River in England. She is being pressured by her family to sell the house now that her children are grown, but she is quite resistant to this idea. Their constant pressure seems to have widened a crack in Sonia's psyche.

Fifteen year old Jez comes to the door of River House to take up an offer from Sonia's husband to borrow some music. He's not home, but Sonia invites him in anyway......and decides that he won't be leaving. He is a beautiful boy and she decides she will be the one to protect him and keep him safe. So she drugs him and locks him in the music room.....

All of this happens within the first few chapters of the book. So, we know the crime early on. The question is will Jez escape? And why is Sonia doing this? We get little glimpses into her past as the book progresses, revealing more and more of a relationship that was distinctly unhealthy.

What drove this book for me was Sonia's rationalizations and thought processes. Hancock has written wonderful dialogue for Sonia. She is able to completely twist the situation around in her mind - she is truly only doing her best to help this poor boy - completely obliterating the fact that she is the one putting him in danger. She can't understand why Jez is not more grateful. The crime Sonia has committed is horrifying, but is Sonia herself who is gave me that creepy, unsettled feeling in my stomach as I read. There is a twist at the end, that I did suspect was coming a few chapters before.

Hancock employs a first person narration style for Kept in the Dark. It's unusual as the entire book is told from the criminal's point of view and we never really get to know the victim at all. We know Jez wants to escape, but only from what Sonia tells us. Readers looking for an action packed book won't find it here. Instead the book moves at a slower pace as Hancock deliberately and deliciously builds the story bit by bit.

Read an excerpt of Kept in the Dark.

Hancock has penned an interesting debut. I would pick up another book by this author - her next is scheduled for the first half of 2013.  You can find Hancock on Twitter and on Facebook.

The Revisionists - Thomas Mullen

When I first started to read  The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen, I immediately thought of the film/novel The Adjustment Bureau . Although there are similarities in the beginning, The Revisionists takes the story much farther, questioning many things in our society, but the ultimate question is - does the means justify the end?

Operative "Z" is from the future - a time they call the Perfect Present. His job is to make sure that things progress as they should - marching towards the Great Conflagration the marks the beginning of the Perfect Present. But others, known as hags (historical agitators) are also working - but to alter events and therefore change history. Although he is supposed to leave no trace of having been there,  Z finds himself involved with Tasha - a young lawyer whose brother died in Iraq while serving in the military. As she questions the government's role in his death, Z begins to question his own society and sacrifices in fulfilling the role he has been assigned. An almost parallel story is of Leo, a disillusioned operative who also questioned his role in the CIA and left under cloudy circumstances. He too see a chance for redemption when he offers to help a young Indonesian woman escape her tyranical employers.

Although The Revisionists falls under the sci-fi umbrella, I really found the time travel aspect to be a vehicle for an exploration of what is happening in the world now and what the future may hold for the global village. The characters's explorations of their own beliefs, emotions and actions will provide many questions readers will find themselves asking.

I read the ending more than once, as I think it could go several ways.  I quite enjoyed the uncertainty Mullen left me with. This was definitely a different read for me.

Read an excerpt of The Revisionists.  You can find Mullen on Facebook or on his blog.

Bad Intentions - Karin Fossum

Karin Fossum is new to me author and another Nordic author who has made her name known in North America.

Bad Intentions is the ninth offering in her Inspector Konrad Sejer series.  The book opens with three friends spending a weekend at a cabin. Their interactions seem odd and tainted by an alluded to event in the past. The weekend ends with one of them dead. Inspector Sejer and his partner Inspector Jakob Skarre are called in. The victim Jon Moreno had been hospitalized for depression and was out on a weekend pass with his friends. The friends insist he must have been suicidal, but Jon's new girlfriend doesn't agree.

I found Fossum's writing to be very stark, spare  and almost bleak. Not in a bad way though. It was just a very different take on a crime novel. There weren't long graphic descriptions of the crime. Instead Fossum focuses on the characters, their inner thoughts and psyches,  and she does it very, very well. The thought processes of the two friends left alive are the quite frightening part of this book. The event in the past that has affected the lives of these three young men is slowly revealed - I was eager to see what it was.

I appreciated the banter between Sejer and Skarre, but felt I didn't really come to know them in this slim novel. They are protagonists I would like to know better - I would pick up another book by Karin Fossum without hesitation.

Read an excerpt of Bad Intentions.