The Skull by Jon Klassen


The Skull by Jon Klassen
Publisher: Candlewick
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Holiday, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Jon Klassen’s signature wry humor takes a turn for the ghostly in this thrilling retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit—with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author’s note—The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.

Would you spend the night in a haunted house?

Otilla was a brave girl who I quickly grew to like. She was kind and sweet even when she was afraid. That’s not always an easy thing to accomplish, so it made me more curious to learn about where she came from and why she was running away from something that frightened her in the first scene. The more I learned about her, the more I wanted to know.

Some of the scenes in this picture book were pretty intense, especially since this was rated for ages 4 and older. I would be hesitant to read this with younger kids without first figuring out how much horror they can handle. Certainly some of them would love it, but I also felt that the talking skull’s biggest fear in life was much darker than what is typically written for preschoolers and elementary-aged readers.

Otilla’s friendship with the skull was sweet. Both of them had pasts they didn’t want to talk about and seemed to find difficult. It was rewarding to watch them figure out they had this in common and decide they were going to protect each other. Few things are better than having a friend who behaves so loyally!

I would have loved to see more character and plot development. The eerie setting had a nice Halloween vibe, but there weren’t a lot of explanations about who the skull was when it was alive and still had the rest of its body or how they were connected to the grand old mansion that was now slowly falling apart. As an adult, I was able to make certain assumptions about what the author might have meant based on subtle context clues, but I don’t think a lot of kids would necessarily pick up on enough of them to make sense of everything without help.

With that being said, I did enjoy the scenes that explained what the skull could and couldn’t do. For example, it could taste tea, but it could not keep tea inside of its mouth because it didn’t have a body or a stomach to digest it. There were multiple examples like this, and each one made me smile as I added more details to my mental file of what this character’s abilities and limitations were.

The Skull was a spooky Halloween read.

How to Hug a Cactus by Emily S. Smith


How to Hug a Cactus by Emily S. Smith
Publisher: Larrikin House
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

How do you hug a cactus? I’d really like to know. You see, I love my cactus, and my hugs will help it grow. A young girl explores the possibilities of hugging her most favourite plant, a cactus. With a little help from her family members and a gardening guru, she tries a number of solutions to help solve her prickly problem, all with varying degrees of success. How to Hug a Cactus is a story that will ‘stick’ with many readers.

Cacti need love, too!

Trying to figure out how the world works is an important part of childhood. If people and animals like hugs, why wouldn’t a cactus as well? I loved the main character’s explanations of why she wanted to hug her cactus so badly and how she planned to do so without getting poked by its stiff spikes. This sounded like exactly the sort of stage of life that kids often go through more than once as they grow up, and I loved the quirkiness of it all.

The protagonist was surrounded by supportive family members who had many different suggestions of ways to wrap the cactus up so that she could hug it without getting hurt. It was heartwarming for them to take this new interest of hers so seriously and to keep giving her ideas when the previous ones didn’t work. This is exactly how all families should behave, and I wanted to hug all of them for being so encouraging.

Reading the final scene convinced me that this was a five-star story for sure. While I loved the beginning and middle, too, the twist at the end fit into this world so well that I chuckled and wished for a sequel. It wrapped up the main conflict while leaving a lot of room for readers to wonder about how the main character was going to solve her new dilemma. If the author ever decides to write it, I’d sure like to find out what happens next.

How to Hug a Cactus was utterly adorable.

Christmas in the Trap by K. Larry


Christmas in the Trap by K. Larry
Publisher: Twyla T. Presents, LLC
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Born with all odds against him. No mother. No father. No siblings. Remo was destined for failure from the very beginning. In spite of, he was determined to beat the odds. Just as things begin to look up for him, an accident sends him crashing into The Plug; The man with more jewels than kings and more money than corporate America. One simple mistake puts him in a position that he never thought was possible. Will he succumb to the demands of the streets? Or will he stand in his own greatness?

Mahlia is young, hard working, beautiful, and ready for love. She has her cousin Amelia by her side and they are more like sisters so Mahlia has no problem confiding in her ride or die. When jealousy rears its ugly head, the cousins are faced with drama out of this world. Will the bond that Mahlia shares with Amelia stand in the way of love? Or will true love win? They say Christmas is the season for magic, so come take this crazy ride in The Magic City as K. Larry brings nonstop drama, love, deceit, and betrayal in this sultry African American Urban Fiction Novella.

Remo has all odds against him; will the streets win him over or will love?

This was a quick and good read that follows Remo and Maliha. Remo grew up without family as a ward of the State of Alabama then his luck seems to turn for the better once he comes in contact with Mike Larry. Will Remo choose the dangerous lifestyle of the street hustle?

Told from different views this novella is packed with a good story of drama, jealousy and chances for change. There are a few typos, but they did not impact the flow of the storyline or my reading. Warning the language may be harsh to some readers. I enjoyed the chemistry between Remo and Maliha. Mike and Amelia made some bad choices that had me fusing as I was reading. What happened in the book was unexpected and made for a very entertaining read.

I will definitely read more books from this author.

The Peach Seed by Anita Gail Jones


The Peach Seed by Anita Gail Jones
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Fletcher Dukes and Altovise Benson reunite after decades apart―and a mountain of secrets―in this debut exploring the repercussions of a single choice and how an enduring talisman challenges and holds a family together.

On a routine trip to the Piggly Wiggly in Albany, Georgia, widower Fletcher Dukes smells a familiar perfume, then sees a tall woman the color of papershell pecans with a strawberry birthmark on the nape of her neck. He knows immediately that she is his lost love, Altovise Benson. Their bond, built on county fairs, sit-ins, and marches, once seemed a sure and forever thing. But their marriage plans were disrupted when the police turned a peaceful protest violent.

Before Altovise fled the South, Fletcher gave her a peach seed monkey with diamond eyes. As we learn via harrowing flashbacks, an enslaved ancestor on the coast of South Carolina carved the first peach seed, a talisman that, ever since, each father has gifted his son on his thirteenth birthday.

Giving one to Altovise initiated a break in tradition, irrevocably shaping the lives of generations of Dukeses. Recently, Fletcher has made do on his seven acres with his daughter Florida’s check-ins, his drop biscuits, and his faithful dog. But as he begins to reckon with long-ago choices, he finds he isn’t the only one burdened with unspoken truths.

An indelible portrait of a family, The Peach Seed explores how kin pass down legacies of sorrow, joy, and strength. And it is a parable of how a glimmer of hope as small as a seed can ripple across generations.

Fletcher Dukes and Altovise Benson shared a youthful love nearly fifty years ago, will a secret unravel their chance for a loving life together?

This novel follows the Duke family and the dynamics of their family over a span of generations. I was excited once I read the excerpt and was looking forward to reading about the Duke family’s male tradition. What a wonderful idea to follow the first peach seed talisman and how its inheritance was passed down through generations. I enjoyed the story, however I felt that the author was doing too much and there were too many storylines and backstories that watered down such a good plot. I was left wondering what the main story was.

For example, the enslaved story of Malik Wele’ did not quite fit nor really tie into the current day family event. Malik’s story could have been a quick explanation of how the tradition started. Then there was the backstory of Fletcher Dukes and Altovise Benson along with the other parts of the novel that included Bo D’s story about his battle with drug addiction and there was Siman Miller discovering and connecting with his biological family.

The story only seemed to focus on specific family members, and not much time was spent on Georgia and Mozell. It was understood that Fletcher had remorse at not having boys to continue the family tradition, but the names were odd, Fletcher’s children called him Ourdaddy and Fletcher’s nickname for his daughters were ‘son’. Not sure what purpose was served including so much talk about the Albany Civil Rights Movement, and that the family helped with the campaign for Obama, but it was mentioned several times throughout the story. The book was told from several points of view. There were a lot of characters named which made me wonder why they were being mentioned or what was their importance in the story.

I rated the book a three star because of what I stated above, however what I took from the story was that the family is resilient, that they stick together and are able to work out their disagreements and differences. I like the idea of the peach seed being passed down as a rite of passage as custom tradition. Also, there had to be someone of skill to continue to carry the knowledge of carving the peach seeds, but it seemed to stop with Fletcher. I don’t think Bo D was taught how to carve. I enjoyed reading about Fletcher and Altovise. Their past story and their love for each other was still there after so many years had passed. Their love would have been a story all to itself and the secret that Altovise brought with her gave the story some of the climax. The author included drug and alcohol addiction which was a way to show the family’s strength and endurance to overcome their obstacles and that they are able to seek help in order to stay strong.

I enjoyed the story, the realness of the situation and events made for a pleasant read. Overall, it was a good story idea, with some structure and a better outline this could have been an even better story. The idea of telling about the rite of passage, seeing the growth and maturity in the Duke family was inspiring, I will definitely give the author another try.

The Bone Garden by Kate Ellis


The Bone Garden by Kate Ellis
Publisher: Piatkus
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The ancient gardens of Earlsacre Hall are being excavated by a local team of historians in preparation for plans to recreate the gardens in their former glory. But the dig is called to a halt when two bodies are discovered under a stone plinth. More than 300 years old and buried on top of one another, there is every indication that one of the corpses had been buried alive. Despite the intriguing circumstances, DS Wesley Peterson has little time to indulge in his hobby for archaeology: a man has been found brutally stabbed to death in a trailer at a popular vacation site. There are no clues to the dead man’s identity except for a newspaper cutting about the restoration of Earlsacre. Soon after, the body of local solicitor Brian Willerby is found during a game of village cricket. The postmortem reveals that his death was caused by being struck by a hard ball several times with some force. Now Wesley must decipher the connection between Earlsacre and the murders before any more victims arise.

DS Wesley Peterson is called in when a body is found buried under a three-hundred-year-old plinth. Even though it’s soon proven that the body was buried all those centuries ago, work in the gardens of Earlsacre Hall is halted when yet another body is found to be buried under that original grave. Wesley is deeply curious about who these people were – and why were they buried in the large gardens – but soon a man is stabbed in a rental caravan and Wesley is called away to investigate something more recent than the old skeletons. And when yet another body turns up, Wesley realizes there might be some deeply sinister secrets floating around after all.

I have been greatly enjoying this series and found this book to be a lovely addition. Wesley is really beginning to settle into the police team and the small township, and I was pleased that the author had what I felt was a good balance between the history/archaeology angle and the more current police procedural aspect of the current murders. Readers who enjoy both historical mysteries as well as modern British police procedural style murder mysteries should find this book – and the series as a whole – a good read.

I definitely feel the plot of this book can be read as a standalone. The characters are linked throughout the series, but this book does stan well by itself and aside from catching up on how everyone knows each other I feel readers shouldn’t worry about whether they’ve read the previous books in this series.

An interesting plot with a good balance between history/archaeology and the present times, this was a good read.

Pawsibly Guilty by CeeCee James


Pawsibly Guilty by CeeCee James
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

A secret book club. A celebrity murder. And a boss that hates books…

When Laura Lee and her club stumble on the dead body of Mrs. Fitzwater’s nephew, (famous photographer to the stars, Andy) snooping takes on a whole new meaning. Especially when one of the house staff—and member of the book club—swears they saw the nephew later that night… very much alive. From whispers of espionage to the motive of a spurned lover, the book club collective isn’t sure which way is up. Even worse, time is running out as the killer makes them the next target. Someone doesn’t want to be found out and is willing to do anything to keep their secret.

This was a really fun read for me. Who wouldn’t love a group of household staff crowding together to meet for Book Club in a secret room filled with a glorious collection of books? I loved the amateur sleuths. The kitchen and scullery maids, cook, even the house manager all hiding away in a beautiful hidden library. I even loved the upper echelon, most of whom were kind.

This is a very odd setting. Kitchen maids are scolded for not remembering a flower on a breakfast tray for the “mistress” and they text one another on their cell phones to tell each other about day-to-day events. The staff stays in a beautiful Manor with a gruff but lovable house manager that is upset the staff doesn’t know the difference between a high tea and an afternoon tea. Yet you can call someone on your cell to see if you can drop by. Seems as if there should be a carriage ride in there somewhere, doesn’t it?

For me, even though this was somehow out of context, it all still worked. I think part of the reason is because of the setting CeeCee James has created, as well as her characters. What emerged was a quick enjoyable read with enough twists and turns to keep the mystery part of it interesting. I love CeeCee James’ work but am not sure if I’ve read this series. Will make a point to read some more right away.

Moving Is Murder by Joan Havelange


Moving Is Murder by Joan Havelange
Publisher: BLW Publishing Inc.
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

How well do you know your neighbours?

Linda Burton is house-sitting for her aunt’s friend in the pretty little town of Glenhaven. Linda, who has spent her working career in the city, has fallen in love with the pleasant little country village. Everyone she has met is so friendly.

Strolling down the alley one evening in search of Gertrude, a pet cat. She hears a voice complaining about burying a body. Not completely convinced she heard correctly. Linda decides to emulate her heroes. Amateur detectives. She tries her hand at detecting. Unfortunately, Linda puts her trust in the wrong person.

Can Linda outwit the killer? Will her aunt Violet figure out the clues Linda has left? And even if Violet does, will it be too late for Linda? And will Violet fall into the same trap?

Even the sleepiest small Canadian town can hide deadly secrets.

The mystery was exciting and well-paced. Linda quickly found herself wrapped up in something she was wildly unprepared for, so I had to keep reading to see how she’d react to the most recent threat to her safety. That’s the sort of storytelling that I like to find, and it made me curious to read more from Ms. Havelange than I already have so far.

There were times when I struggled with Linda’s blunt and sometimes awkward personality. Given that she had heard a lot of stories about her aunt’s previous cases, I was surprised by how socially unaware she could be in sensitive and potentially quite dangerous situations like sneaking into other people’s backyards or homes to see if they had dead bodies stashed anywhere there. This would have made more sense for the first instalment of a series, but it felt out of place for me for a character who should have known better. If this had been explained better, I would have felt comfortable choosing a higher rating as I am a fan of her and the other main characters in general and have enjoyed what I’ve read about them so far.

I appreciated the descriptions of the many reasons why some people are drawn to small town life. The narrator did a good job of explaining the benefits to knowing all of the neighbors well and of living in a quiet place that tends to stay more or less the same from one year to the next. I could feel the author’s love of this setting, and it made me smile to see her spend so much time developing it as well as the unique folks who lived in Glenhaven.

This book is part of a series, but it can be read out of order or as a standalone work.

Moving Is Murder kept me guessing.

Do Unto Others by John Carson


Do Unto Others by John Carson
Publisher: Vellum
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

THEY’RE RICH. THEY’RE POWERFUL. THEY’RE DEAD.

Settling into his new life, Detective Chief Inspector Harry McNeil is being kept busy, but life is going to become a lot busier.

The body of an MSP has been found slaughtered in an empty house in Edinburgh. But this is no ordinary crime scene. It’s one that Harry McNeil thinks he’s seen before. Down to the last detail, including the position of the bodies.

As they start the hunt, they’re looking for a killer who seems to know far too much detail of what goes on behind the scenes at a kill site. Somebody who doesn’t want to stop.

Then Harry recollects where he saw this crime scene before.

This killer is copying murder scenes from the past. But the past is very much going to catch up with the present…

Life is finally returning to normal for DCI McNeil, his new team is all settling down together, his home life is blissfully happy and his toddler daughter is happy and healthy. So when a particularly brutal and unusual murder scene sticks in his mind, it takes him a while to work out what his subconscious wouldn’t let go. He’s seen the exact same scene from another murder that occurred decades ago. Can his team sort everything out before another murder occurs?

I have been enjoying this long running series for a while now. While the cast of primary characters is quite large, there are a number of rambunctious and thoroughly enjoyable characters all working together. I was quite pleased that DSup Calvin Stewart played a fairly large part in this investigation as I quite enjoy him and feel his character has grown very much over the last few books. I was also pleased that for much of the book Stewart and McNeil were working two different cases. I really felt this dual approach to the plot helped the book feel a little more complicated and deeper than a lot of the previous books have felt.

Readers who pick this book up without having read any of the previous installments might struggle a little with the large cast of characters. While the plot and murders are clearly introduced and defined in this story there are a lot of characters and I do feel readers might struggle a bit to keep everyone in mind, especially as a few of the various Scotland units cross over a bit. That said, readers who have only read a few of the previous books should definitely know enough of the longer term characters that this shouldn’t prove too overwhelming and the enjoyable plot and good pace to the story should still leave this as a thoroughly enjoyable book.

Readers who enjoy a well plotted police procedural style of murder mystery – especially one set in Scotland – should find this book a really good read. I thoroughly enjoy this series and found this book to be a good addition to my collection.

*Wilde Love by Jennifer Ryan


Wilde Love by Jennifer Ryan
Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thrillers, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Welcome to the Dark Horse Dive Bar, where the Wildes throw one hell of a party and love could be a barstool away!

When Lyric Wilde’s not whipping up the best food in town at the Dark Horse Dive Bar, she’s making a name for herself as a rising singer-songwriter. And if any of her online followers cross the line from friendly to fanatical, well, Lyric figures it goes with the territory—and she can take care of herself. But there’s one fan she wants to get to know better—a silent, sexy biker named Viper. A man who makes her think mine every time she looks at him. But who exactly is “Viper?”

Undercover FBI special agent Mason Gunn has been hiding in plain sight and alone for far too long. And while he fantasizes about a peaceful life with beautiful Lyric by his side, he knows that until his mission—to take down a murder-for-hire network—is accomplished, his dark world is no place for her. But when frightening encounters and threatening text messages from a stalker bent on keeping Lyric all to himself and his most wanted criminal target his sultry songbird, he will stop at nothing to protect the woman he loves…

I enjoyed reading this small town story filled with suspense, intrigue and romance. I also enjoyed all the entertaining characters included in the story. I thought the two main characters, Lyric and Viper were good together and they shared a lot of chemistry.

Lyric and Viper meet under unusual circumstances and slowly fall in love.

There are people who try to interfere in their lives, but in the end, good overcomes evil.

Viper is rough on the outside but inside he is caring and loving. When Lyric meets Viper, she sees something in him that others don’t and she instinctively knows she can trust him. The way Viper treats Lyric melted my heart and I loved that he is willing to do anything to keep her safe.

When Lyric’s simple life is turned upside down, she learns the only one she can depend on is Viper. Viper and Lyric are good together and good for each other, but there are so many things going on around them and so much they have to get through, before they can be together. I was rooting for them the entire time and hoping everything would work out for them.

I enjoyed reading this story.

Gone To Ground by Bronwyn Hall


Gone To Ground by Bronwyn Hall
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers Australia
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

HUNTED. ALONE. AFRAID…
A heart-in-the-mouth and utterly addictive adventure thriller from a phenomenal debut Australian talent.

UN surgeon Rachel Forester is posted at a remote medical clinic deep in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With violence escalating in the region, Dr Forester risks her life by remaining to tend an injured child while the rest of her team evacuates. On the cusp of her final desperate chance to leave, a soldier is carried into the camp by three other members of his unit, his condition so critical, his airlift must take priority over hers.

With no help coming, and in the path of warring militias, this small unit must flee through the heart of the jungle to reach the safety of the province capital. But in the dark wilderness lies a strangling web of crime and corruption. As they get deeper, they discover a sinister mining operation and stolen children with evidence indicating shadowy ties to the UN. But aren’t those the people Dr Forester works for? The only people who know she’s still lost out there? And now, the people who want her dead?

The further they delve, the more the web closes around them. Will they make it out alive?

Dr Rachel Forester is an Australian working with the UN deep in the jungles of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. What was meant to be one week delivering much needed vaccines to the tribal children living in the remote jungle areas has turned into more than a month. But with the violence escalating she and her one remaining nurse, Michael, are about to be evacuated when the fighting suddenly explodes and – while saving a Canadian soldier – Rachel finds herself fleeing with the military team into the jungle in a rush for their lives.

I picked up this book on a whim having never heard of the author but the blurb and first few pages really captured my attention. I’m so glad I listened to my instincts as this is absolutely one of the best books I’ve read this year – and possibly a new “must read” author for myself. I found this book had a really wonderful blend of action, adventure, military plotline combined with medical attention and a small hint of romance amongst the mystery/suspense. I never would have guessed this was the authors debut novel – but Google assures me this is Ms. Hall’s first novel. I found the plotlines, pacing and writing exceptional and really enjoyed this read.

Readers who like very strong military (ie loads of description about the guns/weaponry/helicopters etc) might not find this quite to their tastes. While there is ample description for me – I’m more of a reader who enjoys the plot/character lines and I am very satisfied with enough description for me to imagine what’s going on without needing to go overboard on the army/military angle. I was pretty pleased there were a few plots interweaving throughout the whole story – as well as a very slowly simmering romance which is given very little screen time but just enough to keep you guessing will they/won’t they.

I feel this story should appeal to a wide range of readers and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve already noted for myself that I want to buy the next book (another stand alone it appears) and I am eager to see if Ms. Hall’s second book matches the highly satisfactory outcome of her first. A really enjoyable book and one I will reread very soon.