The Bellingham Mystery Series Volume 2 (2015) Nicole Kimberling One Man’s Treasure Birds of a Feather Pentimento Blues When I read The Bellingham Mystery Series Volume 1 I noted that the first story was the weakest, and each successive story got better and better. This volume takes off where the first ended, both story-wise and […]
The Bellingham Mystery Series Volume 1 (2015) Nicole Kimberling This is a collection of three novellas: Primal Red, Evergreen, and Black Cat Red. Primal Red Peter Fontaine is an investigative journalist for The Bellinghamster, or just The Hamster, the free local paper in Belligham, WA. In addition to writing articles, Peter was in charge of […]
Grilled Cheese and Goblins (2018) Nicole Kimberling Keith Curry is a food inspector for NATO’s Irregulars Affairs Division (NIAD). He may carry a mage gun, but most of the time his tools are thermometers and glasses that allow him to see the supernatural. This book is six interlinked stories. “Cherries Worth Getting” “Cookie Jamboree” “The […]
Hard Spell An Occult Crimes Unit Investigation (2011) Justin Gustainis Stan Markowski is a Detective on the Scranton Police Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit–they investigate crimes involving witches and vampires and other supernatural beings. Cops on the Supe Squad spend as much time investigating crimes committed against supes as we do on crimes with a supe […]
Among the Living (2006) Jordan Castillo Price (PsyCop) Victor Bayne’s partner is retiring. Maurice was a sixty-two year old black man who had a lot more gray in his hair at his retirement party than he’d had when I first met him. We’d never been close in a way that some partners at the Fifth […]
Sympathy: MM Romance with a Hint of Magic (2009) Jordan Castillo Price This is a M/M romance short story. Apparently, broken characters are my catnip. It’s been two years since the accident. Anthony Potosi has had to learn to walk again, and to attempt to regain at least some of what that loss took from […]
Can’t Escape Love (2019) Alyssa Cole First things first: I LOVE THIS COVER. This is an AMAZING cover and I completely cannot believe it came from Avon. So the story. This is a novella that apparently takes place at the same time as the book about the main character’s twin sister. This become important later […]
Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy (2015) edited by Jordan Castillo Price “Dim Sum Asylum” (2015) by Rhys Ford “Swift and the Black Dog” (2015) by Ginn Hale “A Queer Trade” (2015) by KJ Charles “Magically Delicious” (2015) by Nicole Kimberling “Everyone’s Afraid of Clowns” (2015) by Jordan Castillo […]
Footsteps in the Dark (2019) L.B. Gregg, Nicole Kimberling, Josh Lanyon, Dal MacLean, Z.A. Maxfield, Meg Perry, C.S. Poe and S.C. Wynne Entrée to Murder by Nicole Kimberling Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry Reality Bites by S.C. Wynne Blind Man’s Buff by L.B. Gregg A Country for Old Men by Dal Maclean Pepper the Crime […]
The Holy Thief (1992) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1144. The 19th Brother Cadfael book. Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, is dead. The war rages on, but the Abbot of Ramsey was able to return and assess to damage to his abbey. He then sent out members to call for the return of […]
Thrown to the Wolves (2019) Charlie Adhara Cooper is (again) recuperating, having had his leg badly broken in their last adventure–the one that got Park suspended for a month. They are still hiding their relationship from the BSI, but neither is sure if that will work once they are both back at work together. Every […]
The Wolf at Bay (2018) Charlie Adhara After solving the serial killer case four months previous, Cooper and Park have become partners at the BSI–and partners in the other sense as well, but neither of them is capable of talking about how they feel about each other. “That depends on just because what. Just because […]
The Wolf at the Door (2018) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf) Agent Cooper Dayton was transferred from the FBI to the BSI after a werewolf attack. The job of the BSI is to deal with werewolf crime–and keep the existence of werewolves from becoming known to the general public. The public could never know about […]
The October Man (2019) Ben Aaronovitch Let me be clear: This is NOT a Peter Grant story. It’s set in the same world, and Peter and Nightingale are mentioned, but it’s about another character entirely, policeman Tobias Winter, an investigator for the Abteilung KDA, the German equivalent of the Folly. I ended up in the […]
The Summer of the Danes (1991) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1144. Cadfael and Brother Mark travel to Wales, to meet with (and support) two new bishops. But they end up caught up in an unexpected fight: Prince Owain Gwynedd and his brother Cadwaladr. “Brothers have been the ruin of Welsh princedoms through all […]
A Geek Girl’s Guide to Justice (2016) Julie Anne Lindsey The third book in the Geek Girl Mysteries finds Mia trying to handle being CIO for her grandmother’s company, co-owner of her favorite game, head of IT for Horseshoe Falls, and organizer of her sister’s baby shower. Then two problems hit: a friend of her […]
A Geek Girl’s Guide to Arsenic (2016) Julie Anne Lindsey Three months ago, Mia Connors was suspected or murder (and internet malfeasance) and proving her innocence led to unfortunate consequences and an interest in the agent who was investigating her. Now one of her fellow Rennies has died at her feet, and it’s laid suspicion […]
A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder (2015) Julie Anne Lindsey Mia Connors is the IT person for the Horseshoe Falls community. So she’s taken aback when it’s discovered that someone has been sending messages to their residents that are supposedly from her system, and causing problems. To make things worse, their regular security guy is […]
Inspector Hobbes and the Gold Diggers (2014) Wilkie Martin The third Inspector Hobbes / Unhuman book. Andy Caplet is still living with Hobbes, and slowly (slowly) becoming a better human. Hobbes might not be human, but he’s good at being human. We finally discover things about Hobbes! ‘I expect,’ said Sid, with a glance at […]
The Confession of Brother Haluin (1988) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1143 Stephen and Maud are still battling over the English throne. It seemed that as often as either of them got within touch of the crown, fortune took fright at the prospect of being in the service of either, and hurriedly snatched the […]
Inspector Hobbes and the Curse (2013) Wilkie Martin This is the second Inspector Hobbes book. Weirdly, I still can’t decided how I feel about this series. It’s very silly, but it sometimes feels like it’s trying too hard to achieve that silliness. Wolfifesting is the process whereby a werewolf transforms into wolf form; it’s the […]
The Hermit of Eyton Forest (1987) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1142 The 14th Brother Cadfael mystery. “There’s no end to the follies any man can commit.” (A) big, burly, thrusting man, his face abruptly lit as he swung past the torch fixed at the gate, and then as abruptly darkened. A massive face, […]
Lies Sleeping (2018) Ben Aaronovitch This is the seventh Rivers of London novel. And it’s set in 2014, because the story moved slower than real publishing time. You can read this if you haven’t read the novella or comics, but if you haven’t read the previous books? Forget it. The story opens with the following […]
Inspector Hobbes and the Blood (2013) Wilkie Martin I actually had a great deal off trouble with this book. At the start of the story, the narrator is an idiot AND rather unlikable. Unlikable enough that about a third of the way through I was thinking, “if this guy remains this much of an asshole […]
The Rose Rent (1986) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1142. The thirteenth Brother Cadfael mystery. The young widow Perle gave her house to the abbey after the death of her husband and unborn child with the caveat that every year on St Winnifred’s day she receive a single rose from the bush in the […]
The Hollow of Fear (2018) Sherry Thomas The third Lady Sherlock Mystery. Society is still searching for Charlotte Holmes–and treating her sister Livia with the suspicion of one closely related to a scandal. So Livia is glad to escape to the country home of Mrs Newell–who happens to be a near neighbor of Lord Ingram. […]
The Raven in the Foregate (1986) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1141 The 12th Brother Cadfael mystery finds the war between Maud and Stephen again shifted, this time in favor of Stephen, and the political machinations have reached to Shrewsbury when a new priest is sent for the town. “From here where I stand […]
Treacherous Is the Night (2018) Anna Lee Huber Set in Europe in 1919. The second Verity Kent story finds Verity and her husband trying to come to terms with each other–and decide if their marriage will survive his letting her think he was dead for more than a year. I was still coming to grips […]
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (2018) Mackenzi Lee Set in Europe and other locales in the 1700s. Oh this was FUN! The sequel to The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue follows Felicity Montague, a young woman who does not want to be a proper lady but instead wants more than anything to […]
An Excellent Mystery (1985) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1141 The war between Stephen and Maud continues, leading to the burning of much of Winchester. This causes two monks to appear at the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, seeking refuge and shelter at their brother abbey. But one of the brothers had […]
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (2017) Mackenzi Lee Set in Europe in the 1700s Henry “Monty” Montague is a rake. He was kicked out of Eton, is constantly in drunk, and is the despair of his parents. He is also in love with his best friend, Percy. In a last ditch attempt at […]
The Pilgrim of Hate (1984) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1141 It’s been four years since the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul brought the bones of Saint Winifred (or so they thought) to Shrewsbury, and the abbey is holding a festival for her, with pilgrims coming to pray for miracles. While to […]
Dead Man’s Ransom (1984) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1141. The war between Stephen and Maud still flares across the countryside, and in one of the battles Gilbert Prestcote, the sheriff of Shrewsbury, is wounded and taken prisoner by the Welsh. Meanwhile, a band of Welsh raiders have been attacking the countryside, and one […]
The Devil’s Novice (1983) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1140. One of the most interesting things about this story was the issue of oblates. The other two, infant oblates given to God by their parents, are already twelve and ten years old, and are settled and happy among us, it would be ill-done to […]
The Sanctuary Sparrow (1983) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1140 A young man is chased to the church by a mob howling for his blood, claiming he murdered the goldsmith at his son’s wedding. “If the law itself were here, there is no power can now take away this man from the sanctuary he […]
The Virgin in the Ice (1982) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1139 Civil war still burns across the country. When the town of Worcester is razed by the supporters of Maud, people spread out through the county, seeking refuge from the both the soldiers and the winter. In this chaos are lost two siblings […]
The Leper of Saint Giles (1981) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1139. Brother Cadfael is taking medicines to the leper hospice when the trains of the soon to be married older man and young woman come by. The man leaves much to be desired. He had drawn close enough now to observe what manner […]
Saint Peter’s Fair (1981) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1139 The Abbey is having it’s annual horse fail–Saint Peter’s Fair–and the merchants of the town of Shrewsbury are unhappy, for unlike the abbey, the town took damage the previous year when King Stephen took the town, and the Abbey takes the revenue and taxes […]
Within the Sanctuary of Wings (2017) Marie Brennan Lady Trent has become a force in her own right–she has made amazing discoveries and published scientific papers, yet she still has not be accepted by the Fellow of the Philosophers’ Colloquium. She has also become political, no matter how unwittingly. (W)e cannot pretend the education of […]
One Corpse Too Many (1979) Ellis Peters Set in England in 1138. There is war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud, over who is the rightful ruler of England, and Stephen has come to Shrewsbury to flush out some of Maud’s strongest supporters. After the battle, and the hanging of those seen as traitors […]
In the Labyrinth of Drakes: A Memoir by Lady Trent (2016) Marie Brennan The 4th book in Lady Trent’s memoirs finds her traveling with Will to Akhia to attempt to start a dragon breeding program. (I suppose I should offer fair warning. Because this volume of my memoirs concerns itself with my research in Akhia, […]
Voyage of the Basilisk (2015) Marie Brennan The third installment of the Memoirs of Lady Trent finds Isabella on a ship with her son, his governess, and her friend Tom Wilker touring the world while continuing her research on dragons. I found my quarters at first shockingly small, then acceptable, then unbearable, and finally as […]
A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977) Ellis Peters Cadfael is a brother at Shrewsbury abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Unlike most of his brethren he came to his calling late, having spent his younger years as a Crusader–and perhaps also an adventurer. Nothing troubled his peace but the necessity to take himself indoors […]
Hamilton’s Battalion: A Trio of Romances (2017) Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan, Alyssa Cole Set in the Americas in 1781 and 1820 This is three stories with some overlapping characters, including Alexander Hamilton, who appears at least in the background of each story. PROMISED LAND by Rose Lerner Rachel ran away to join the army as […]
A Conspiracy in Belgravia (2017) Sherry Thomas This is the second Lady Sherlock Holmes book, and as I’ve mentioned before, I generally hate Sherlock Holmes stories, but this one I don’t mind as such, since instead of taking the characters are Doyle wrote them, she has imagined that Sherlock Holmes was based upon a woman, […]
This Side of Murder (2017) Anna Lee Huber Set in England in 1919. Verity Kent is a war-widow. Her husband was killed during the Great War and she has spent the last 15 months trying to come to terms with his dead and adapt to her new status. The period during and immediately after the […]
From the Editorial Page of the Falchester Weekly Review (2016) Marie Brennan This short story is a series of scientific letters between Isabella Camherst and Benjamin Talbot in “The Falchester Weekly Review” about a supposed discovery made by Talbot. It’s a brief story, and silly, since it’s all the politeness of scientists accusing each other […]
The Tropic of Serpents (2014) Marie Brennan The second novel in the Lady Trent series finds Isabella preparing to go on another scientific journey–this one to Eriga, where they hope to document other types of dragons. The warnings delivered in my first foreword continue to apply: if you are likely to be deterred by descriptions […]
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent (2013) Marie Brennan After publishing many scientific papers upon the natural history of dragons, Lady Trent has finally decided to write her memoirs. This is a fantasy set in a world somewhat like ours, only with dragons, and at a time and place comparable to […]
The Admiral’s Penniless Bride (2011) Carla Kelly Set in England in 1816. Sally Paul is a paid companion. Because she works for older women, she is frequently looking for work, and when she goes to take a job in Plymouth, she discovers the women has already died. This leaves her with nothing, and nowhere to […]