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The Art of Murder: The Magician Murders – Josh Lanyon
Nothing up his sleeves. Nothing but murder…
Jason West, hot shot special agent with the FBI’s Art Crime Team, is recuperating from a recent hit-and-run accident at the Wyoming home of BAU Chief Sam Kennedy when he’s asked to aid in the investigation of a suspicious death in a National Forest.
When the dead man is found to be the Kosher Conjuror, a much-hated part-time magician accused of revealing the highly guarded secrets of professional illusionists, it seems clear this must be a simple revenge killing—until Jason realizes an earlier suspicious death at the trendy magic club Top Hat White Rabbit might be part of the same, much larger and more sinister, pattern.
Who knew Kennedy could be a caring and patient nurse and is capable of shedding tears?! Must be the Jason West effect This is the book where Sam Kennedy melted, not completely but just enough to show he got blood and not ice running in his veins.
However, how long is that specter of Ethan going to be a third wheel in their relationship. That question regarding Ethan’s effect on your relationship has been hashed and rehashed already so let it go, Jason. It’s natural you are curious, so go ahead and ask but nobody’s going to like it.
Special Agent Abigail Dreyfus was the rookie agent partnered with West and whom he hilariously mistaken as a serial killer. I use the word hilarious here but actually I was gullible as fuck and believed it for a second. Anyway, I think Dreyfus is a great addition to Lanyon’s collection of FBI agents. It’s not everyday we get somebody still green enough to bungle up the basics but gets to fight another day. Plus she “had guts and grit”.
This is the best book of The Art of Murder series so far. Extra points for focusing on magicians and for that trivia on Val Valentine. Now I know who the Masked Magician is. I think Lanyon was dangling some teasers on how magic tricks works, I wished she went ahead and revealed some secrets.
The Magician Murders is well-written as usual but one major reason I enjoyed the book and the series as a whole is narrator, Kale Williams. I don’t know how to describe his style exactly but he could read his grocery list and I would still be listening.
Holy hell…THAT.CLIFF.HANGER. People are going to lose sleep over that.
Actually, I was vaguely entertaining an FBI agent slash psycho psychiatrist angle since The Mermaid Murders but the author already gave Jeremy Kyser unattractive features and that usually means a no-go on the romance department. Too bad. It seemed more interesting really.
P.S.
Both Adam Darling’s former partners, JJ Russell and Jonnie were present here. I hope we get an update on Adam and Rob soon.
Rating
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away
Soundtrack: In the Morning of the Magicians
Artist: Flaming Lips
Album: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36546086-the-magician-murders)
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A Full Plate – Kim Fielding
Opposites come together for a spicy surprise.
Bradford “Tully” Tolliver has everything—money, a great car, a beautiful condo, and a promising career as one of Portland’s hottest young lawyers. Sure, he puts in long hours and has no social life to speak of, but who needs romance when corporations pay top dollar for his expertise? He hesitates when a colleague asks if her cousin can live with him, but the arrangement will last less than a year, and then the cousin—Sage Filling—will return to his tiny hometown.
But Sage is handsome and intriguing, and his cooking makes Tully swoon. Sage has obligations back home, though, and Tully has offers he might not refuse from a persistent—and very wealthy—ex. Since Tully and Sage each have a full plate, can they make room for a side of love?
This is not the book to read if you are on a diet. This book is full of sumptuous, mouth-watering food and men moaning in culinary ecstasy. You have been warned.
Bradford “Tully” Tolliver never expected how good a deal he got when he agreed to house Sage Filling as a favor to his co-worker and friend, Carrie who was Sage’s cousin. Sage turned out to be a genius in the kitchen and soon Tully, who probably couldn’t boil an egg to save his life, was eating the best meals of his life (hence the moans). Major bonus is the fact that Sage was really nice and handsome. Tully found himself intensely attracted to Sage but as Sage declared that “he had his plate full”, Tully kept his hands off.
I really liked Tully because when he says he will keep his distance, he really kept his distance and when that annoying Eddy Harrington tried to go beyond the lawyer-client relationship, he was really adamant in keeping things professional to the point of socking his client when Eddy kissed him. And even though he was a hotshot corporate lawyer, he is such a decent human being. He generously bought Sage all the fancy kitchen gadgets he could play with and he always treated Sage like an equal even though Sage was poor.
Sage would probably win the grand slam titles of best dad, best cook and best boyfriend. He is also one of the hardest working book people I know, slaving in the kitchen all night and still have enough energy to cook some food for Tully, and drive 200 miles every week to see his daughter. I very much prefer this Sage to the other Sage found in K. Sterling’s In the Kill as this Sage can make his own mozzarella, cook a variety of international dishes from Thai, Filipino. Italian to Croatian and has encyclopedic knowledge of all things culinary.
The book is from Tully’s POV and I think the story worked really well from his perspective. This is like a Cinderella tale in reverse where the prince found his love in the guise of a pauper. The book had that characteristic Kim Fielding brand of magic, full of those fluffy, endearing moments that trigger warm fuzzy feelings. Tully and Sage had great chemistry together and I am beyond happy that there were no big misunderstandings. In keeping with the fairy tale theme, both men knew that their relationship had a deadline because Sage needed to go back to his hometown and they tried to make the most of the time left. In the end the prince gave up his castle to live in an old house in a boring rural town full of nosy relatives with the love of his life. And they couldn’t be happier.
P.S.
I am so glad Paul put Eddy Harrington out of his misery. The man was a giant pest.
Rating
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Fruits & Vegetables
Artist: Shonen Knife
Album: Brand New Knife(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36258643-a-full-plate)
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REVIEW: Peter Darling by Austin Chant
Peter Darling – Austin Chant
Ten years ago, Peter Pan left Neverland to grow up, leaving behind his adolescent dreams of boyhood and resigning himself to life as Wendy Darling. Growing up, however, has only made him realize how inescapable his identity as a man is.
But when he returns to Neverland, everything has changed: the Lost Boys have become men, and the war games they once played are now real and deadly. Even more shocking is the attraction Peter never knew he could feel for his old rival, Captain Hook—and the realization that he no longer knows which of them is the real villain.
Peter Darling is a brilliant retelling of the classic story of Peter Pan.
Peter, who knew he was a boy and not ‘Wendy’ his family insists he should be, returns to Neverland after ten years only to find the Lost Boys and the pirates are no longer at war.The first person he announces his presence to is, of course, his favorite rival, Captain Hook.
“To die,” Peter began, “would be an awfully big—”
“Don’t start that again,” Hook said. “Surely you could have come up with something new to say after ten years.”
Peter promptly re-ignites the war and there were the inevitable casualties. In one of their battles, Peter and Hook were trapped together in the tunnels. They had no choice but to work together. Peter in a vulnerable moment, grieved the loss of an important friend. This is where Hook surprised him.
“I find that enemies are the most satisfying people to share secrets with,” Hook said. “If you must tell someone, tell someone who’s sensitive to all our vulnerabilities, on account of trying to exploit them.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Peter soon discovered that he and Hook had many things in common. They were both dreamers who had gone to Neverland to make their dreams come true. Peter dazzles with his youthful energy, his arrogance and confidence that he could be anything he wants to be in Neverland. Hook was a revelation! He is dastardly, ruthless and greedy but also a cultured dandy, sardonic, charming, a man of his word and a skilled artist. It is hard to erase the image of the Disney Captain Hook in my mind but Austin Chant did a good job recreating this supposed villain, this caricature of a pirate into an engaging character capable of sympathy and love.
I felt narrator Mark B. Knight’s quiet, almost monotonous, almost clip voice didn’t quite deliver the right kind of emotion. Also, it was helluva lot confusing that the faeries have masculine sounding voices despite the female pronouns though this is probably consistent with the transman theme. At first, the narration threw me off and though I know the story was really good, I couldn’t fully get into it until Hook made his big move. Turns out, Knight’s style was perfect in delivering the right amount of tension to capture that momentous, explosive moment when these two mortal enemies stopped being at each others throats and were suddenly at each others lips! After that I was hooked! Sorry, I had to say that.
Peter Pan and Captain Hook! Who knew it would work out! There’s hope for all you bitter rivals out there!
I’m looking at you, Dexter and Mandark.
Hook gave a low chuckle. “Your obsession is flattering, Pan. And I share it.”
“Obsession?”
“Is that not what they call it,” Hook said, “when two men can think of nothing but each other?”Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Neverland
Artist: Takenobu
Album: Introduction(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33358438-peter-darling)
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The Auspicious Troubles of Love: The Auspicious Troubles of Chance – Charlie Cochet
Chance Irving is a young man with a gift for getting into trouble-not surprising, as trouble is all he’s ever known. After losing everything he held dear one fateful night, he decides to leave New York and his past behind, and joins the French Foreign Legion. But even in Algiers, Chance can’t seem to shake his old ways, and he ends up being transferred to a unit made up of misfits and rabble-rousers like him-a unit he finds just in time to be captured and thrown into a cell with his new commandant, Jacky Valentine.
A highly respected commandant with a soft spot for hard luck cases, Jacky is the kind of guy who would go to war for you, and the three equally troubled youths from his unit he’s more or less adopted feel the same way about him. Suddenly Chance starts to think that his life doesn’t have to be as desolate and barren as the wastelands around him.
But even after their escape, with the promise of a future with Jacky to buoy his spirits, or maybe because of it, Chance can’t stop making mistakes. He disobeys orders, lashes out at the boys in Jacky’s care, and blazes a trail of self-destruction across the desert-until someone makes him realize he’s hurting more than just himself.
I wish I had this in audiobook, so I could hear New York, London and Georgia.
Chance, a native New Yorker, is a brash, in-your-face former stage performer who enlisted in the French Foreign Legion in the hopes of becoming something other than what he is right now, which is to say, a mess. He likes to run his mouth a little too much which gets him into trouble but which also makes him a great narrator of his story. He gets beaten up once in a while but yeah, he deserves it and he knows he does. But Chance being Chance, he will do it again anyway. Until Jacky.
Who is this man continuously accompanied by chaos and some form of deep-rooted lunacy?
Jacky, last name: Valentine, superhero name: Commandant Valiant, takes lost causes under his wing and turns them into real men. He likes giving Chance cringe-worthy pet names (buttercup, hummingbird, snuggle-pup) and while Chance always tries to push his buttons, Jacky sees through his asshole behavior (snuggle-pup wants some attention, is what it is). Jacky is the unit commander and the father/older brother figure to the young ones. He is well-respected, kind, fair and sees the good in everybody.
Johnnie, Bobby and Alexander are a bunch of adorable brats the world had spit out and Jacky has taken under his care. They didn’t get along with Chance at first but Jacky has seen something in Chance and because of that, they warily and begrudgingly try to be OK with Chance too. Because Chance is an idiot, he tries to piss them all off but nobody is falling for his hard-boil pretenses. The brats are smarter and tougher than they look.
Together, they are the “fairy infantry”.
“Just what I need, getting stuck in a unit with a screwy commandant, a kitten with anger issues, a mute, and Professor Freckles. I wonder if this is how P.T. Barnum got started.”
Together, they are one of the most engaging found families I have come across with. Chance, looking deep within himself, transforms from aggressive, never-do-well to a competent soldier who learned to follow orders and take responsibilities. Jacky was always there, believing that Chance could be a much better person. I like them both as characters and love their chemistry together. Their romance flowed naturally with the story. It took a while for Chance to face his feelings towards Jacky but when he finally did, it was beautiful. Bobbie and Alexander had to deal with their own feelings for each other and poor Johnnie had to deal with the doctor. The introduction of Dr. Henry Young was a big plus and I can’t wait to read Johnnie’s book.
This is one of the most enjoyable war-themed historical books I have read. There’s enough fluff and poignant moments to keep jaded readers, like me, happy. You might not want to look too much into the historical details but it well-written, low on angst and despite the desert setting, the atmosphere is bright and sunny enough to be pleasantly warm without smothering the reader with grit. I enjoyed the banter, the humor and, as a non-native English speaker, the 1930′s slang and colloquialism. The ending was a fairy-tale of sorts, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, I’m just happy they’re happy.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away
Soundtrack: Second Chances
Artist: Imagine Dragons
Album: Smoke + Mirrors(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14770495-the-auspicious-troubles-of-chance)
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REVIEW: Undertow by Jordan L. Hawk
Whyborne & Griffin: Undertow – Jordan L. Hawk
Note: This novella takes place at the same time as events in Fallow (Whyborne & Griffin 8).
Shy secretary Maggie Parkhurst knows there’s nothing special about her. She’s neither sorceress, nor fighter, nor scholar. What could she possibly have to offer Persephone, the chieftess of the inhuman ketoi—and the woman Maggie’s fallen in love with?
After Maggie’s friend Irene goes missing under mysterious circumstances, she has no choice but to turn to Persephone for help. When the trail leads to a shadowy acting troupe, they discover a plot that stretches much farther than a single vanished woman.
But when a dark truth is revealed, Maggie must choose between a man from her past…and the impossible yearnings of her heart.
While waiting for the next Whyborne & Griffin book to drop, I get my W&G fix and my first foray to FF with Undertow, a novella featuring Persephone and dear Miss Parkhust.
I usually found W&G books set in Widdershins to be slightly better than out of town adventures and this is no exception. Jordan L. Hawk skillfully interweave various threads and seamlessly connect this installment to the overarching plot. Granted you would notice the template and I am impatient for these masters to appear already but there’s always something exciting about each book.This is one of the things I liked best about the W&G books.
While only a side story, Persephone and Maggie’s adventure is just as dark and dangerous as any our main quartet, Whyborne, Griffin, Christine and Iskander, has come across with.
Let it be known to all WIddershins residents that any long lost relatives or childhood friends suddenly turning up is always, always bad news. This curse happened to Maggie too. Without revealing too much, there were murder, bloodshed and, of course, the Fideles, stirring up trouble and provoking slumbering gods like they always do. Persephone, Maggie, Mr. Quinn (always a delight!) and his pack of dictionary-welding librarians were there to save the day.
Also, Maggie and Persephone took their relationship to the next level (finally!). Persephone did some awe-inspiring magic and powered up (hell yeah!). I always get a thrill when the Whyborne twins do these mindblowing feats.
Maggie could be adorably clueless:
I wasn’t at all clear why Dr. Whyborne seemed to require a private detective to accompany him on all of his expeditions, but the two seemed to travel everywhere together. Ordinarily I would have expected a landlord and boarder to want some time apart, but they were utterly inseparable. Mr. Flaherty even attended the museum galas. And I couldn’t count how many times he’d turned up to share lunch, or else walk with Dr. Whyborne to dinner.
It must be nice to have such a close friend.But she’s brave where it counts. The story is told in her POV and we glimpse the somewhat ordinary side of Widdershins. It’s also endearing that Maggie admires Christine and considers her a kind of mentor. Christine’s well-remembered self-defense lessons and Griffin’s lock-picking tricks have came in useful.
I do wish we had Persephone’s POV. It would be interesting to see Widdershins from a ketoi perspective. I feel like her sense of humor is as wicked as her grin and I want to see what she thinks of her introverted brother (”Percival is stupid”, most likely). Persephone calls Maggie “cuttlefish”. She courts her with a squid. She never hesitates to save everyone. She is an heiress to one of the biggest fortunes of the country. She is a chieftain and a sorceress. She is BADASS.
Creepy Mr. Quinn has an important role and as bizarre as his pronouncements were, he is a staunch fanboy of Whyborne and what the twins stand for. Mr. Quinn and his librarians are always quick to rally and defend. I think it would be fun to live in WIddershins, be a Ladysmith librarian and fight insidious cults with a dictionary at night then spent the day wandering through the labyrinthine shelves of ancient tomes. Life goals.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away
Soundtrack: Undertow
Artist: Tool
Album: Undertow(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33406791-undertow)
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Sin to Get Saved – Michael P. Thomas
Hubert knows he brings shame on himself and on the Lord by being a queer – his grandad and the pastor of his evangelical church tell him as much all the time. So when he dies in a freak accident, he’s as delighted as he is surprised to waltz right through the Pearly Gates, no questions asked. He even gets a beautiful angel named Bartholomew as his very own guide to the Afterlife.
But when the angel makes brazen overtures, Hubert realizes his soul may have taken a wrong turn. Hubert beseeches Bartholomew to keep his hands to himself and help him find his rightful place in the Heaven he’s always heard about. As they set out to explore his options, Bartholomew hopes Hubert will learn a thing or two along the way about the deeply personal definitions of Paradise.
On some AM stations on the radio, I would sometimes catch American preachers sharing the good news and mangling our dialect with their Southern accent as they condemn sinners to perdition. It was pretty amusing to listen to for a while, mostly because of the funny accents, but all these talks about damnation could suck the joy out of a Labrador Retriever. The Reverend Jarvis had been to Southeast Asia and I’m pretty sure he did God’s work while enjoying the exotic delights of the region. You see a lot of old white guys with very young and nubile island girls in these so called paradise islands.
Hubert, poor Hubert was told all his life that he is ugly and sinful because he was a queer. When he finally kicked the bucket by means of a lead pipe to his skull, he was taken to his heaven by his angel Bartholomew. There Hubert struggled to avoid temptation, something he had been doing all his life, in order to get to Reverend Jarvis’ heaven. When Bartholomew pulled some strings and sent Hubert to the reverend’s heaven, he was in for a rude awakening. Hubert realized that all that he was told all his life was a lie.
I felt a mixture of pity and annoyance towards Hubert for being naive, ignorant and innocent. I was so relieved when he finally realized the truth. Coming from a highly religious country, I could definitely relate to how a church can brainwash people into blind, unthinking sheep. The way the author used humor to present the hypocrisy and corruption of some religious leaders was quite effective at highlighting the kind of wordplay these people use to manipulate and control their flock. The opening was worth a few chuckles. However Michael P. Thomas did not condemn the Reverend Jarvis to hell. Instead, he gave Jarvis his own piece of heaven. I liked the idea of non-judgmental Creator and angels. Everybody gets his or her own slice of paradise. I hated the reverend and thought it was unfair he gets his heaven. But that’s me being judgmental and petty and I’m pretty sure equally judgmental and petty individuals will judge me for my own version of heaven.
Rating
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Heaven
Artist: Jonathan
Album: To Love(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35106999-sin-to-get-saved)
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REVIEW: Brothers Of The Wild North Sea by Harper Fox
Brothers of the Wild North Sea – Harper Fox
His deadliest enemy will become his heart’s desire.
Caius doesn’t feel like much of a Christian. He loves his life of learning as a monk in the far-flung stronghold of Fara, but the hot warrior blood of his chieftain father flows in his veins. Heat soothed only in the arms of his sweet-natured friend and lover, Leof.
When Leof is killed during a Viking raid, Cai’s grieving heart thirsts for vengeance—and he has his chance with Fenrir, a wounded young Viking warrior left for dead. But instead of reaching for a weapon, Cai finds himself defying his abbot’s orders and using his healing skills to save Fen’s life.
At first, Fen repays Cai’s kindness by attacking every Christian within reach. But as time passes, Cai’s persistent goodness touches his heart. And Cai, who had thought he would never love again, feels the stirring of a profound new attraction.
Yet old loyalties call Fen back to his tribe and a relentless quest to find the ancient secret of Fara—a powerful talisman that could render the Vikings indestructible, and tear the two lovers’ bonds beyond healing.
Warning: contains battles, bloodshed, explicit M/M sex, and the proper Latin term for what lies beneath those cassocks.
When more eloquent reviewers talk about lush, lyrical prose, Harper Fox’s writing comes to mind. Written in the same descriptive style as Seven Summer Nights and narrated beautifully by Hamish Long, Brothers of the Wild North Sea is a captivating tale of monks eking out a living at the northeastern edge of Britannia year 687. These were harsh time when Northernmen or Vikings frequently landed on these shores to raid villages.
Caius or Cai is a very spirited monk and also the abbey’s physician. He saved the Viking warrior Fenrir after the latter was left for dead by his fellow raiders. Soon Cai and Fen grew closer until they were closer than brothers. It warms the heart of unemotional me every time Fen says beloved and Cai calls him love in return.
Endearments were precious and they come easily to both.
Cai, beloved—he had taken the words, folded them carefully and placed them in the back of his mind. Endearments blurted out in passion’s extremity were too sweet, too fleeting to set store by. And yet still the world was transformed.
Cai is also the reluctant leader of the monks of Fara. Reluctant but a natural. The monks and the villagers come to turn to him for direction. At first Cai questioned his position but later made peace with it. Fen was at his side as Cai trained the monks to fight. I love how the monks accepted Fen into their fold, even calling him brother. They even seem to tacitly understand what Fen meant to Cai and leave them both to their business.
The main antagonist of the story was Aelfric, a hellfire and brimstone kind of monk which is the kind of lawful evil antagonist I hate the most. He succeeded the Abbot Theo after Theo died from a Viking raid. I thought Aelfric is going to make the entire book painful to listen to but I’m glad I put my preconceived notions aside and put my faith on on the author. The way Cai dealt with Aelfric was very satisfying indeed but I’m also glad Aelfric saw the truth at the end.
The big macguffin of the story was the Treasure of Fara. The Vikings want it because it is said to contain some power. The search was a minor thread but the treasure itself have a big symbolic and mystical significance. There was a prophetic dream and actual prophesies from the Lady Danan that were refreshingly quite literal and to the point unlike the obtuse and clever riddles that is usually the case with these things.
There were also a lot of WOLF that ties in with the whole thing.
He had a strange dream. In it, a wolf came from the sea. Cai, standing on the moonlit beach, felt no fear.
Pretty obvious who but it doesn’t detract from the beauty of this:
Fen caught his hand—a promise kept—and held on. “I have often wondered,” he said, “about the true meaning of Gleipnir. It was nothing but a scrap of leather—lost again now.”
“Yes. I think we left it in the dunes.”
“But you see, I still have it. To me you are home—my tribe, my honour. To me you are Gleipnir—the cord that binds the wolf where fetters fail. Forever, my beloved Cai.”Harper Fox set herself a very challenging task of creating a convincing historical love story between a monk and a Viking. I have no way of knowing the accuracy of details but she was able to pull it off without making things anachronistic. The setting and the era is something rarely done in MM and she was able to draw me into the harsh Britannic life at the edge of the world, despite this being something that is far beyond my ken. There were also folklore and magic realism that added an extra layer to an already intricate tale. I liked the exploration of how religion and science should be in people’s life and it was interesting to see the kind of science they had at that time. The book is over 13 hours long, a bit lengthy and could use some pruning. I think the author was being thorough with the various threads and I’m just glad she has a deft hand that kept me glued to the story. Poetic, nuanced and evocative, I think this is one of Harper Fox’s best books.
Rating:
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Wolf & I
Artist: Oh Land
Album: Oh Land(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17433996-brothers-of-the-wild-north-sea)
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Seven Summer Nights – Harper Fox
It’s 1946, and the dust of World War Two has just begun to settle. When famous archaeologist Rufus Denby returns to London, his life and reputation are as devastated as the city around him.
He’s used to the most glamorous of excavations, but can’t turn down the offer of a job in rural Sussex. It’s a refuge, and the only means left to him of scraping a living. With nothing but his satchel and a mongrel dog he’s rescued from a bomb site, he sets out to investigate an ancient church in the sleepy village of Droyton Parva.
It’s an ordinary task, but Droyton is in the hands of a most extraordinary vicar. The Reverend Archie Thorne has tasted action too, as a motorcycle-riding army chaplain, and is struggling to readjust to the little world around him. He’s a lonely man, and Rufus’s arrival soon sparks off in him a lifetime of repressed desires.
Rufus is a combat case, amnesiac and shellshocked. As he and Archie begin to unfold the archaeological mystery of Droyton, their growing friendship makes Rufus believe he might one day recapture his lost memories of the war, and find his way back from the edge of insanity to love.
It’s summer on the South Downs, the air full of sunshine and enchantment. And Rufus and Archie’s seven summer nights have just begun…
Seven Summer Nights is a standalone novel featuring a disgraced archaeologist and an atheist vicar. The story could be split into two. One thread follows Rufus’ struggle with PTSD, his endearing friendship with Archie, Archie’s rescue and Rufus and Archie’s awakening.
That rescue scene in particular had me crossing my fingers and praying really hard for Rufus and Archie. Theirs was one of the most wholesome relationship I have seen so far and a delightful combination of insta-love and slow-burn. They were so kind to each other from the beginning, there was never any moment of unnecessary drama between them. The second thread was archaeology and witch craft. From the island of Sabros to the rural village of Droyton, mysterious labyrinth and mysterious women kept their secrets for centuries. Rufus and Archie uncovered these mysteries to reveal tragedy and bloodshed. But even with the cruelties, the book was overflowing with kindness and humanity. I felt sad that Archie had to give up his post. He was one of the kindest, most humane persons I have ever come across with.
Women were one of the most significant aspects of the book. I love the rest of the cast. Mrs. Nettles, the level headed, very practical housekeeper, Drusilla, the mystical priestess, Elspeth, the precocious changeling, even the difficult Mrs. Trigg. Together, they form a sort of network or sisterhood that went back to millennia before Christianity and patriarchy took over. The antagonists were effective as well. I felt a significant amount of schadenfreude when that ass of a brigadier had his Wizard of Oz-like comeuppance.
Clocking at around 16 hours, the book was, admittedly, a tad too long but god was it beautiful! At the hands of another, less talented writer, the pace might have been called glacial but Harper Fox imbued the story with so much charm and appeal that I was swept along its languid pace. That summertime ambiance, the easy camaraderie, the small town quaintness, I was effortlessly transported to post-war rural Sussex. Living in a small rural town myself, I could easily relate to both the simple, hospitable, kind-heartedness and the religious narrow mindedness of small town folks.
I also have a special shout out to the narrator. Chris Clogg’s calm, measured delivery and the voices he created for the characters were perfect, especially Rufus’ mild-mannered, very polite and proper Englishman tone.
I think Seven Summer Nights is one of Harper Fox’s best books. Soft, surreal and pure with tight, suspenseful episodes that left me on the edge of my seat. I am not familiar with any archaeological expeditions of the 1940s so I am not sure how close to the facts the details are, but the mystery combined with the romance, post-war struggles and archaeological adventures make a potent brew.
Rating:
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Sparks
Artist: Beach House
Album: Depression Cherry(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33116450-seven-summer-nights)
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Broken – Nicola Haken
Author’s note:
“For anyone who’s ever felt a little broken. Keep going – one breath at a time. You are important”When Theodore Davenport decides to switch his mundane job for a career, he walks into Holden House Publishing with enthusiasm and determination to succeed. As he settles into his new role, makes new friends, and dreams of making it to the top, everything is going to plan.
Until he meets James Holden, CEO of Holden House.
James Holden hasn’t been able to stop thinking about his encounter with the timid man he met in a club bathroom last week, and when he discovers the one haunting his dreams is an employee, he can’t seem to stop himself from pursuing him.
Just a little fun – that’s what James tells himself. He can’t afford to care for someone who can never reciprocate, not once they find out who he really is. James believes nobody deserves the burden of being attached to him. He’s a complicated man. Damaged. Difficult. Demanding.
Broken.
Is Theodore strong enough to confront James’ demons? More importantly, is James?
Please note:This book contains scenes of self harm, mental illness and suicidal ideation which may be uncomfortable for some readers.
Audiobooks are what I am into nowadays because my eyesight is getting worse (devastating news for a book blogger). It’s quite a game changer, enhancing my literary experience through voices, accents and acting and motivating me to finish what I would have otherwise DNF’ed after a couple of chapters. Basically if the narrator sounds good and there are some fancy schmancy accents, there is a higher probability I’ll see things through to the end no matter how shitty the story.
Broken is one such book. If I just read the blurb, I wouldn’t have bothered since contemporaries are mostly a miss with me but when I heard the opening chapter, I was greeted with Mancunian. So I decided to give it a go.
And what a beautiful, emotionally satisfying book it turned out to be, resonating strongly due to some personal experiences. It took a while for me to get into it, mainly because James came across as an annoying, arrogant bastard at first and I was ready to drop the book but the witty banter between Theo and Tess won me over. James gradually turned out to be not such an asshole Theo made him out to be and there were some sweet and fun times that slowly ease its way into darker times as James finally gave in to his inner demons.
James has type 2 bipolar disorder which is a very difficult illness to deal and live with. Nicola Haken wrote very accurate scenarios of how it is for both the patient and the people who love them. I marvelled at Theo’s strength and unconditional love. He never gave up on James and that is something a bipolar patient needs, someone who never gives up on you even if you already have.
“When your boat is drifting from the shore, it’s okay to use an anchor for support. We all need an anchor. Without people to love us, we’d just drift further and further away.”
Broken tackles complex themes but it’s not a heavy book. Haken managed to balance the darker notes with lighter moments of humor and romance. It shares a hopeful message that yes, we might not get cured but we will be okay.
Rating:
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Maybe Tomorrow
Artist: Stereophonics
Album:You Gotta Go There to Come Back
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20646135-broken)
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A Charm of Magpies: Jackdaw – K.J. Charles
If you stop running, you fall.
Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. His betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.
Ben is determined to make Jonah pay. But he can’t seem to forget what they once shared, and Jonah refuses to let him. Soon Ben is entangled in Jonah’s chaotic existence all over again, and they’re running together—from the police, the justiciary, and some dangerous people with a lethal grudge against them.
Threatened on all sides by betrayals, secrets, and the laws of the land, the policeman and the thief must find a way to live and love before the past catches up with them…
A Charm of Magpies linked story, set after Flight of Magpies. Previously published by Samhain.
This is such a delightful, joyful read!
It was a treat to meet Lucien Crane, Stephen Day, Merrick and Saint once again. To see them from the eyes of Ben was double the treat. Crane was still his charming arrogant self and Merrick and Saint got married. I have always loved seeing Day at his job. He’s always been good at it. I never got over his decision.
Jackdaw follows Ben Spenser and Jonah Pastern as they escape the justiciars and the Met. Through out all these, they try to deal with their past relationship, misunderstandings and hurts until they finally found peace in Pellore, Cornwall.
Jonah’s carefree, vibrant attitude just pops out of the page. Charles did a brilliant job creating vivid pictures of windwalking. I could practically feel the wind and see the sky and feel that tingling feeling you get when you are at a high place. Ben was the steadfast, serious type, a good grounding point and conscience for his flighty lover. I felt sorry for the two of them. I think they were trying really hard.
The writing was excellent as always. The words just flow in a way that you couldn’t stop reading. I love the wit, the humor and all the feels. There was just the right amount of angst, pain and hurt to get the point across without plunging into the depths of unbearable misery that is painful to read. For me, this book is bright afternoon sunshine, the kind that makes you hop on your bicycle, pedal up a hill and swoop down with your arms out, wind in your face.
P.S.
To fully appreciate Jackdaw, please read the A Charm of Magpie Series firstRating:
4.5 – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Blood Under My Belt
Artist: The Drums
Album: Abysmal Thoughts(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34861586-jackdaw)
