Honorable Mentions From My Mailbox

I receive more books than I can read, so sometimes I begin a book but decide not to finish it due to my limited time. These "honorable mention reviews" are initial impressions, not complete evaluations of the books mentioned.

No Comfort for the Lost by Nancy Herriman Source: Review copy from the publisher. How Far Got: Finished It

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
After serving as a nurse in the Crimea, British-born Celia Davies now lives in San Francisco and runs a free medical clinic for women who have nowhere else to turn. When one of her Chinese patients is found brutally murdered, Celia’s hotheaded brother-in-law stands accused of the crime. Detective Nicholas Greaves, veteran of America’s civil war, is intent on discovering the killer of the girl. Their inquiries take them from Chinatown’s squalid back alleys to the Barbary Coast’s violent shipping docks to the city’s gilded parlors.

My Review:
No Comfort for the Lost is a historical mystery set in 1867 in San Francisco. The mystery was clue-based and was complex enough that I didn't guess parts of the overall scenario. While the writing was good at giving me a feel for the city at this time, some things seemed a little ahead of their time. For example, our heroine followed cutting-edge medical ideas that wouldn't be generally accepted for a few more years. I liked the detective, but I didn't like Celia. She was very unforgiving about other people's mistakes but couldn't see her own faults. There was no sex (though unmarried sex was referred to as having happened). There was occasional bad language.

The Lightning Stones by Jack Du Brul Source: Review copy from the publisher. How Far Got: About 50 pages

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sinking thousands of feet below the surface of the earth in the Leister Deep copper mine in Minnesota, Philip Mercer rides a series of heavy-duty elevators to visit his old friend and mentor, Abraham Jacobs. Jacobs has led a research team to the deepest section of the mine for a groundbreaking study into climate change and cosmic rays. But as Mercer approaches the bottom, he is stunned to hear the unmistakable report of automatic gunfire in the massive underground chambers. He can't stop the inevitable: by the time Mercer finds his way to them, his dear friend, and the entire research team, have been efficiently executed. Mercer is left seeking answers . . . and revenge.

My Review:
The Lightning Stones is a thriller. No idea if there was any sex, but there certainly was no time for it in the action-packed part I read. There was a fair amount of bad language of all types. The writing was good in that it captured my interest and kept the action and tension high for Mercer. But at the first break in the action, I was left wondering how the prologue tied in to the current situation. The prologue was what had captured my interest. Since I had fun books to read that contained less bad language, I moved on.