Treacherous Toys by Joyce & Jim Lavene

Treacherous Toys by Joyce & Jim Lavene ISBN-13: 978-0425251584 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: September 4, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Jessie Morton returns to the Renaissance Faire Village to work as an apprentice to the new toy maker. But she discovers his body with a gunshot wound through his neck just hours after they initially meet. It soon becomes clear that Chris Christmas liked toying with the ladies...and someone coveted his job playing Father Christmas.


My Review:
Treacherous Toys is a cozy mystery. It's the fifth novel in the series, and it didn't spoil the mysteries in the previous novels. However, if this series sounds interesting to you, I'd suggest starting with the first novel in the series as it's probably better than this one.

I was interested by the setting of a permanent Renaissance Faire and in learning how toys were made. However, the setting was only vaguely described, and there was only a brief, generic description of making "kit," hand-assembled toys. Most of the description was spent on a few key characters. Still, you get the impression that the primary thing Faire workers do is try to seduce each other (married or not).

I couldn't understand why Chase loved Jessie since she routinely broke her promises to him, was constantly getting into trouble, and lied to and manipulated people without feeling bad about doing so. I'm not surprised that Jessie was about to lose her university job as she only showed up at her Faire jobs when she felt like it.

Jessie seemed to change her mind from one extreme to another for no apparent reason (as nothing had changed). One moment Jessie wanted protection from the killer she was sure was out to get her, and the next she was going out of her way to try to bring the killer in all by herself purely for the glory of it (though Jessie was unarmed and the killer had a gun). She kept going back and forth between the two.

A number of details were left unexplained. For example, at one point, the killer was unconscious and tied up, yet moments later the killer disappeared and no one wondered at how. Though the gun was never taken away from the killer (that we're told), the killer switched to a knife at the very end. Not to mention all the didn't-make-sense actions of Jessie and the killer. For example, Jessie wanted to contact the police in one of her non-glory-seeking moments, but she didn't pick up the two-way security radio on the nearby table or ask someone to use a phone to do so.

The mystery wasn't really a clue-based puzzle whodunit. The suspense was created by physical danger to several characters and relationship tension between Jessie and Chase. I had a hard time feeling concern, though, since Jessie brought both on herself for reasons that weren't very understandable to me. There was no explicit sex. There was a minor amount of explicit bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Back to the Book Giveaway Hop

As a part of the Back to the Book Giveaway Hop, I'm holding a giveaway for your choice of one of the following books:


Foul Play at the Fair by Shelley Freydont is a cozy mystery.
You can read my review.

Tourists flock to Celebration Bay, New York, to enjoy their seasonal festivals. Manhattan event planner Liv Montgomery is tired of big-city stress, and she's hired to coordinate the town's festivals. The Harvest by the Bay Festival is Liv’s first chance to prove herself, and everything goes perfectly—until the body of an itinerant juggler is discovered stuffed into an antique apple press. The town’s livelihood is at stake...


My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay is a Christian suspense novel. You can read my review.

Cori signs up for a mission trip to Indonesia after her senior year of high school. Six weeks into the trip, a conflict that has been simmering for years flames to deadly life on a nearby island. Before they can leave, Cori and her teammates find themselves caught up in the destructive wave of violence washing over the Christian and Muslim villages in the area. The church they helped build is left a smoldering pile of ashes, and its pastor and many of the villagers are dead. The six teenagers are forced to flee into the hazardous refuge of the jungle with only the pastor's son to guide them.


This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.


To enter the giveaway:

1) you can twitter me saying "Hi @genrereviewer. Enter me in the giveaway for [give the book name and author's name]."

OR

2) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered and naming which book you'd like to win. Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement. I'd be fun if you also included why you're interested in reading this novel.

This giveaway ends on September 7th, 2012 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on September 8th, 2012 on this blog.

If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.

I hope everyone has fun with this!


The blogs participating in the Back to the Book Giveaway Hop:

Foul Play at the Fair by Shelley Freydont

Foul Play at the Fair by Shelley Freydont ISBN-13: 9780425251553 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: September 4, 2012

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Back Cover:
As more and more tourists flock to Celebration Bay, New York, to enjoy their seasonal festivals, the town is in need of a professional coordinator. Enter Manhattan event planner Liv Montgomery, tired of big-city stress and looking for an idyllic spot where she and her Westie terrier, Whiskey, can put down roots. The Harvest by the Bay Festival is Liv’s first chance to prove herself, and everything from apple bobbing to pumpkin painting goes perfectly—until the body of an itinerant juggler is discovered stuffed into an antique apple press.

With a murderer on the loose, town leaders threaten to shut down the upcoming Halloween and Christmas festivals. But the town’s livelihood is at stake, and there is no way Liv is going to let that happen, even if she has to solve the murder herself. No matter how many balls she needs to keep in the air, Liv is determined to find a killer who’s rotten to the core . . .


My Review:
Foul Play at the Fair is a cozy mystery. The author was good at giving clues in a way that pulled the readers' focus away from them. I had a sense of whodunit and why, but I didn't have it all figured out by the big reveal. I appreciated that the author took the time to learn basic police and crime scene procedures.

A nice level of detail about Liv's job and the setting was woven into the story without slowing the pacing. The suspense came from Liv's worry about losing her job and from some scenes involving potential physical danger. The characters were interesting, and their motives were always clear. While they came across as realistic, we didn't get to know the characters (beyond the heroine) very well. Only the bumbling and super-arrogant out-of-town detectives came across as cliche.

There was no sex. However, there was a fair amount of explicit bad language (averaging about 1 bad word every 4 pages). Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable mystery as long as the amount of bad language doesn't bother you.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer ISBN-13: 9780373834440 Mass Market Paperback: 403 pages Publisher: Harlequin Released: 1962, 2000

Source: Bought through Half.com.

Book Description, my take:
Sir Waldo Hawkridge is a most desirable catch due to his wealth and his reputation as "the best," especially at athletic pursuits, which earned him the title of "Nonesuch" in his youth. When he inherits an old mansion, he goes to see about fixing it up and turning it into an orphanage. His young nephew comes with him.

His nephew immediately falls for a beautiful but extremely self-centered heiress, but Waldo is taken with the girl's genteel and sensible governess-companion, Miss Ancilla Trent. As they work together to subtly open the dazzled eyes of Waldo's nephew, Ancilla realizes that her initial prejudices against Waldo--based solely on his reputation--are unjustified.


My Review:
The Nonesuch is a historical romance set in regency-era England. While the story was very funny, it was based on an excellent portrayal of human nature instead of outrageous but charming behavior by the heroine. The characters were engaging (except the spoiled heiress, and she wasn't supposed to be), and they acted realistically. I always understood why the characters acted like they did, and I enjoyed the romances.

The story didn't have much suspense since there didn't seem to be much danger of anyone truly not ending up with the right person. The spoiled girl made for a bit of excitement near the end with her escapade, and I was always wondering what she would do next and how Waldo and Ancilla would cleverly handle it. Personally, I loved every minute of the story and didn't find any of it slow-paced. The historical details about their everyday lives were vivid and flowed naturally as a part of the story.

There was a misunderstanding at the end that wouldn't have lasted long if they'd just discussed it (and it didn't last long in any case), but I had to laugh when it happened. The source of it had been worked into the story from the start, and the reasons why it didn't immediately get cleared up (including it being something that a woman with good manners wouldn't talk about) were convincing.

There was some explicit bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I loved this novel and would highly recommend it to those who like slower, gently unfolding romances.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Silk by Linda Chaikin

Silk by Linda Chaikin ISBN-13: 9781556612480 Trade Paperback: 348 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: February 28, 1993

Source: Borrowed from the local library.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Coral Kendall is an heiress to the Kingscote Silk Plantation in northern India in the last decade of the 1700s. Breaching cultural boundaries and shunning the scorn of some of her wealthy English family, she adopts the orphaned baby of a friend she led to Christ. But the baby is an "Untouchable" from the bottom of the Hindu class system, and the local Indians aren't pleased that he will be brought up in a wealthy Christian home.

The bond of love that develops between Coral and Gem is that of a mother and son. Tragedy strikes when the boy is abducted and the body later found in the river. But there is a reason to believe that Gem did not perish...


My Review:
Silk is a Christian historical novel set in 1793 to 1799 in northeast India and in London, England. This book is the first in a trilogy, but I didn't realize that when I picked it out. I kept waiting for the pace to pick up so that something would get resolved before the end, but it didn't. Very little was resolved, and it ended like the end of a chapter instead of the book. (The next book does, indeed, pick up exactly where this one left off.)

Though the back cover book description indicates that the "sea captain" will be Coral's love interest, it doesn't happen in this book. He isn't even a suitable match for her at this point. Two other men seem like wonderful men and share her interests, and I would have preferred she end up with one of them. But I suppose things will change in the next two novels.

I didn't like that we're never given a reason why a certain main character put himself in danger after saying common sense and sickness would prevent him, he was commanded not to, and there was no need for him to.

All that said, this is a very interesting time period. The British were slowly taking over parts of India and missionaries were starting to reach out to the Indians. Coral is linked by birth to British trade interests in India yet linked by her heart to telling the Untouchables about Christ despite the danger of doing so. For the most part, the historical everyday, cultural, and political details were generally woven into the story rather than being lectures, and there were plenty of political intrigues going on that pushed the story forward.

The Christian element was a strong part of the story, but I felt it was worked naturally into the flow of the story. There was no bad language or sex. Despite what I felt were flaws in the writing, I did enjoy the main characters and the dilemmas they faced and so I'd recommend this novel to those who enjoy historicals and are interested in this time period.

Update: I forgot to mention that the villian(s) are subtle but powerful, realistic, and very well written.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson

The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson ISBN-13: 9780385730631 Trade Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Released: November 13, 2001

Source: Checked out from my local library.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Tilja has grown up in the peaceful Valley, which is protected from being a constant battleground between the Empire to the south and the nomads to the north by powerful magic that has lasted 20 generations. But the magic has begun to fade and the Valley is in danger. Tilja and three of those responsible for maintaining the magic protections venture into the Empire to find the mysterious magician who can save the Valley. Tilja thought she had no magic, but she discovers she has a unique magic skill of her own that is critical to protecting the others...and, perhaps, to setting the oppressive Empire to rights.

Side note: The Ropemaker of the title is actually only a minor character in the story.


My Review:
The Ropemaker is a young adult fantasy novel. This fantasy world had some unique customs and interesting reasons for having them, but the author spent more time on travelogue than world-building details. The characters had some depth, but they weren't really fleshed out. Yet they were engaging enough that I wanted them to succeed.

Unfortunately, I felt it lacked suspense. The few exciting scenes were over quickly. We're told they were a struggle for the characters, but the description of the struggle made it seem simple. The characters also always knew exactly how to handle each situation that came up, and they choose the exact right way to handle it. While things didn't always go exactly as planned, they never actually failed.

There was a very minor amount of "he cursed" style of bad language. There was no sex. There was some fantasy magic and magical creatures. Overall, I found the story rather forgettable and unexciting, but it's not a bad story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee ISBN-13: 9780763652890 Trade Paperback: 335 pages Publisher: Candlewick Press Released: February 8, 2011

Source: Borrowed from my local library.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there?


My Review:
A Spy in the House is a young adult historical mystery novel. It's set in 1858 in London. The historical details about the manners and activities of the time were woven into the story and didn't slow the pacing down. The mystery was about illegal business activities rather than a murder whodunit, which was a nice change. It seemed like everyone had something secret going on. I was kept guessing about who was involved in exactly what until about the same time as the heroine put the facts together.

The characters had depth to them and were interesting, and yet I didn't really sympathize or deeply care about any of them. So it was an interesting story but lacked an emotional connection for me. There were plenty of places were there should have been suspense from danger of the heroine being discovered or even harmed, but the heroine was not particularly scared about getting caught or hurt. That made the story lack suspense for me. The heroine also didn't really seem to be a product of her time, and at times the story seemed more of a romance than a mystery.

There was some explicit bad language. There was no sex though affairs were mentioned. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable and interesting novel.


Update: I started reading the sequel last night. The premise of the series was what interested me. The idea was that women would never be suspected of being spies and undercover detectives, so Agency women took assignments to discover things "from the inside" that men wouldn't be able to. Part of my disappointment with "A Spy in the House" was that her assignment was to listen to and watch the family from inside, but she hardly spent any time with the family and kept putting on breeches and breaking into warehouses and such (and learning no information while doing so) which men could do just fine.

I liked the idea of women using the culture of the time to their advantage. And most of the important things the heroine learned were, indeed, as a lady's companion. So I'd hoped that the second book would more closely stick to the premise as the heroine had now learned her lesson. Sadly, no: an 18 or 19 year old girl is going to spend the whole book trying to pass herself off as a 12-year-old boy. Not interested, thanks.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon

Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon ISBN-13: 9780800734572 Trade Paperback: 340 pages Publisher: Revell Released: September 1, 2012

Source: Borrowed from my local library.

Book Description from Goodreads:
As a social worker, Alison Taylor has a passion for protecting children and seeing that justice is served on their behalf. But when she starts getting harassing phone calls and bizarre "gifts," it seems she may be the one in need of protection. When her tormentor's attentions take a violent turn, her brother Cole comes to her aid, along with his new partner, an ex-Navy SEAL, Detective Mitch Morgan. As her relentless stalker turns up the heat, Mitch takes a personal interest in the case. Protecting Alison has become more than just a job--because his own happiness now depends on keeping her safe.


My Review:
Deadly Pursuit is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the second in the series, but you don't need to read the first book to understand this one, and the first book didn't spoiled in this one.

The characters were interesting and acted realistically to the situations they were in. (Side note: I've only met one man in real life that had dimples, yet it seems like 95% of current romantic heroes have them!) The details about the setting and jobs brought the story alive in my imagination without slowing down the story's fast pacing. The suspense was created by physical danger--mainly for the heroine. All of this was combined well to make a story that I had a hard time putting down.

There were some references to prayer and going to church, but no one preached at each other or asked searching questions. The Christian element seemed to flow naturally as a part of the story but did not seem to be a large part of the story.

There was a very minor amount of "he cursed" style of bad language. There were no graphically described sex scenes. There was a high level of cruel violence toward animal and human, but it was not graphically described. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

And the winner is...

It's time to announce the winner of the Summer Giveaway Hop. Including Twitter entries, we had 40 entries. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:


Christine Jensen
who won "When the Cookie Crumbles" by Virginia Lowell


Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address.

For those who didn't win, you can always buy a copy of these books from your favorite bookstore or see if they have them at your local library.

Accused by Janice Cantore

Accused by Janice Cantore ISBN-13: 9781414358475 eBook: 263 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Released: January 1, 2012

Source: Free eBook promotion.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Detective Carly Edwards hates working in juvenile—where the brass put her after an officer-involved shooting—and longs to be back on patrol. So when a troubled youth, Londy Atkins, is arrested for the murder of the mayor and Carly is summoned to the crime scene, she's eager for some action. Carly presses Londy for a confession but he swears his innocence, and despite her better judgment, Carly is inclined to believe him. Yet homicide is convinced of his guilt and is determined to convict him.

Carly's ex-husband and fellow police officer, Nick, appears to be on her side. He's determined to show Carly that he's a changed man and win her back, but she isn't convinced he won't betray her again.

As the investigation progresses, Carly suspects a cover-up and strikes out on her own, uncertain whom she can trust. But when danger mounts, she begins to wonder if she made the right choice.


My Review:
Accused is a Christian detective suspense/mystery novel. The police-action part of the story was very exciting and interesting. The details about the job and setting were vivid enough to immerse me in the story and didn't slow the fast pacing. The suspense was created by not knowing who could be trusted and by the physical danger to anyone who questioned how the case was being handled.

Carly was an engaging character who reacted in realistic ways to the situation she was in. There were a large number of characters and most were so similar that I had trouble keeping track of them. Luckily, the author usually worked in cues with the name so I'd know who was being referred to.

During the story, the suspense and police work periodically paused so that Carly could be preached at. The Christians were initially cookie-cutter Christians: they all acted the same, had the same lines (which you do hear preached at non-Christians all the time), had the same level of complete and perfect faith no matter how long they'd been a Christian, and had the inability to ask Carly what her problem was with God so they could actually address her issues. Understandably, Carly didn't react well to this, and I was not particularly interested in it, either.

Carly's hostile attitude toward Christians was so built up that I had trouble accepting her suddenly changing attitude. Later in the story, a lawyer and a roofer both came across as more realistic, living Christians, and they did talk with instead of talk at Carly. I think I would have liked the overall story better if the initial Christian scenes had been fewer and less cookie-cutter.

There was a lot of God-talk: prayer, true but cliche phrases, etc. Carly's main question seemed to be, "What good is a god that will let me and the people that I love suffer and die?" While the various characters did touch on some related issues (like the world was not created to be this way, people have the choice to do bad things, etc.), I was disappointed that the main issue was never really answered (since there is a good answer to it).

There was a minor amount of "he cursed" style of bad language. There were no sex scenes. There was no graphic wound or dead body descriptions. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting suspense novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Shadow Spinner

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher ISBN-13: 9780689830518 Trade Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Jean Karl Books Released: May 1st 1998

Source: Borrowed from the library.

Book Description from Back Cover:
Every night, Shahrazad begins a story. And every morning, the Sultan lets her live another day -- providing the story is interesting enough to capture his attention. After almost one thousand nights, Shahrazad is running out of tales. And that is how Marjan's story begins....

It falls to Marjan to help Shahrazad find new stories -- ones the Sultan has never heard before. To do that, the girl is forced to undertake a dangerous and forbidden mission: sneak from the harem and travel the city, pulling tales from strangers and bringing them back to Shahrazad. But as she searches the city, a wonderful thing happens. From a quiet spinner of tales, Marjan suddenly becomes the center of a more surprising story than she ever could have imagined.


My Review:
Shadow Spinner is a young adult fantasy. It fills in the story of Shahrazad and her 1001 nights of story-telling from the viewpoint of one of her servants.

The Persian-like setting adds an interesting backdrop and realism to the story. The heroine was clever, engaging, and acted realistically to the events dictated by the "known" details of the story about Shahrazad. The suspense remained high throughout the story because not only was Shahrazad's life on the line each night, but Marjan had to do some dangerous things to help her out.

There was a minor amount of "he cursed" style of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'm recommend this fun fantasy novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.