To Kingdom Come (2005) Will Thomas Set in London in 1884. Unknown Irish bombers have blown up Scotland Yard and several others places in London, as part of their fight for freedom. Because they have threatened another bombing within a month, and because Scotland Yard has been unable to infiltrate the Irish factions, Barker decides […]
Playmates, Audio Version (1989/1990) Robert B Parker narrated by Michael Prichard Spenser is hired to look into accusations of point shaving at Taft University. He relatively quickly finds the answer, but finding a solution is going to be much harder. This is one of the Spenser books I really like. Not my top favorite, but […]
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 […]
Crimson Joy, Audio Version (1988/1989) Robert B Parker narrated by Michael Prichard Someone is killing middle-aged black women in a horrible way, and Quirk has recieved a letter claiming the killer is a police officer. So he calls Spenser in to look at things from the outside (and as someone he can trust who he […]
Child of a Rainless Year (2005) Jane Lindskold Mira Fenn was nine when her mother disappeared, and she was sent away to Ohio to live with foster parents. The further she goes from her time in Las Vegas New Mexico, the stranger her early childhood seems. Especially her mother. I watched, mesmerized, as Mother transformed […]
Pale Kings and Princes, Audio Version (1987/1988) Robert B Parker narrated by Michael Prichard Spenser is sent to Wheaton Mass to look into the death of a reporter who was looking into the cocaine trade. Almost immediately things spiral out of control. First, no mention of Korea or military service in this book. The last […]
Shinju (1984) Laura Joh Rowland Yoriki Sano Ichiro has been assigned to clear the case of a double-suicide. He has been given strict orders by his supervisor as what he is precisely to do. However, he is rather unsuited to following orders and instead looks into the death, which some suspect might have been murder. […]
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 […]
A Long Day in Lychford (2017) Paul Cornell This is not my favorite of the Witches of Lychford stories. It isn’t bad, but the three main characters are separated for part of the book, and their interactions are often the best parts of the book. Not to say that there isn’t plenty of amusement. A […]
You’re the Earl That I Want (2015) Kelly Bowen Set in England in 1818. Heath Hextall never expected to inherit the Earldom. His only goal had been to increase his family wealth. He needs a wife to take care of the things he doesn’t have time for, so he asks one of his best friends […]
Taming a Sea-Horse, Audio Edition (1986/1987) Robert B Parker narrated by Michael Prichard April Kyle has once again disappeared, so Patricia Utley has called Spenser to let him know, since no one else cares about her. Spenser and Susan are much better, although events of the still book remain in the front of their minds. […]
The Cryptographer (2015) Alice Wallis-Eton Set in England in 1813. Irritating is, I believe, the best description for this story. There were parts of it I really liked (which is why I finished it) but greater parts were annoying and unnecessary. Aster Tanner is a young woman making her living in a world that makes […]
Delicious (2008) Sherry Thomas Set in England in 1892. This was a fun story–and one full of loving descriptions of food. It also has main characters who are middle aged (30s may not sound middle aged nowdays, but it would have been at a time when most people died in their 50s and 60s.) Verity […]
Nearly a Lady (2011) Alissa Johnson Set in England during the regency. Freddie Blythe and Lilly Ilestone have been barely surviving in Scotland after the death of Freddie’s father and the promise by Lord Haverston to care for his Freddie. Gideon and Lucien Haverston are trying to set their inherited estates to rights after discovering […]
Volatile Bonds (2017) Jaye Wells One of the things I like about kindle books is that you can mark typos and other errors and submit them. Does this information go anywhere? Probably not, but it makes me feel better. The editing of this book was so bad that I didn’t bother submitting errors, because I […]
River of Stars (2013) Guy Gavriel Kay I had forgotten just how melancholy the end of this book was. That doesn’t make the book any less good, but it did leave me craving something happy when I finished it. As with all Guy Gavriel Kay books, there are a variety of characters you follow over […]
The Apple Lover’s Cookbook (2011) Amy Traverso I’d just picked up a bunch of apples from the Farmers Market when I noticed this kindle book on sale. Generally, I prefer my cookbooks to be hardcover, but I did have a lot of apples, so I bought it. I’ve mentioned before that I tend to read […]
Shadowhouse Fall (2017) Daniel José Older This is the second book in the Shadowshaper Cypher series. Sierra is coming to terms with being the Lucera and leading a team of Shadowshapers. She’s also learning that all of this is going to be far more dangerous that they could have guessed, because The Sorrows–the House of […]
A Catskill Eagle (1985/1986) Robert B Parker narrated by Michael Prichard And this is the book where I come to dislike Susan Silverman. First things first, Spenser is still admitting to having served in Korea in this book. Now I got that out of the way, this is not my first time with this story, […]